1. Name: The Club shall be known as The Probus Club of Folkestone and District.

2. Objective: The object of the Club shall be the promotion of good fellowship. The Club shall be non political and non sectarian.

3. Membership: There shall be three classes of Club Membership:-

a)   Full Member. Membership of the Club shall be open to Retired or Semi-Retired Business or Professional men. New applicants shall be sponsored by two existing Full Members and have attended as a guest on at least two occasions before the Committee considers the appliction. The Club Membership is limited to sixty five Full Members subject to members joining under rule 10. Applicants that would cause this limit to be exceeded shall be placed on a waiting list until the number of Full Members, including Transferees under rule 10, falls below 65. Full Members have an obligation to pay an annual subscription and regularly attend meetings or give an apology.

Before the Committee considers an application for membership the application form shall be circulated to all Committee Members at least 14 days before the meeting at which the application is to be considered, and if there is an objection from one or more Committee Members the Proposer and/or Seconder shall be invited to reply to that objection.

b)   Associate Member. The Committee may change the status of any Full Member to that of Associate Member for Member who is no longer able to fully participate in the Club activities. An Associate Member may attend meetings. No Annual Subscription is payable.

c)   Honorary Member. This may be granted by the Committee for a specified period to persons who have performed special service to the Club or hold local office of importance. Such Members will have the rights of a Full Member but shall not be required to pay an annual subscription.

4.   Officers of the Club. The Officers of the Club shall be the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Assistant Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. All Officers shall be eligible for re-election. If a casual vacancy should occur for an Officer, the Committee shall make arrangements for continuing the relevant duties.

5.   Committee.  The Club Committee shall consist of the Officers, the immediate Past President and four other Ordinary Committee Members who, are except the immediate Past President, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All Committee Members shall be eligible for re-election except that an Ordinary Committee Member may not serve more than three consecutive years. A Quorum for the Committee is five.

The Committee shall be empowered to co-op, to fill a casual vacancy and for specific purposes, no more than two additional members shall be co-opted. The Committee may set up annually such Sub-Committees as requried forits work. Sub Committees must be chaired by a Committee member and may co-opt such other Club Members as necessary to conduct the business.

6)   Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Club shall be held at the normal meeting in October of each year for the purpose of conducting the following business:-

a) To receive and approve the minutes of the previous AG;

b) To receive the Presidents report;

c) To receive the Secretaries report.

d) To receive the audited accounts for the year;

e) To determine the Full Members Annual Subscription for the next year;

f)  To appoint an Honorary Auditor for the next year;

g)  To elect the Club Officers for the next year;

h)  To elect Ordinary Committee Members of the Committee for the next year;

i)   To induct the President for the next year;

j)   Any other business of which notice has been given.

7. Extraordinary General Meeting. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall held if so decided by the Committee or on the written request of ten Full Members. A notice stating the date, time and place of the meeting and the business to be transacted shall be given to each Full Member at least 28 days before the meeting.

8. Quorum. The quorum for an AGM or EGM shall be twenty per cent of the number of Full Members at the date of the meeting.

9. Financial Matters.  An Annual Subscription shall be paid by each Full Member. The amount to be paid shall be determined at each AGM. It shall be due for payment immediately following the AGM. Financial transactions, except transfers between accounts, shall be authorised by two Officers of the Club. The Club Financial Year shall be from 1st October to 30th September.

10. Transfer of Full Members. Full Members moving away from the Club area shall, if requested, be provided with a Letter of Introduction signed by two Offers of the Club to facilitate joining another Probus Club. A former Member of a Probus Club who moves into the Club area shall, on the production of a suitable Letter of Introduction, be invited to join the Club as a Full Member. This is notwithstanding that the number of Full Members may temporarily exceed 65.

11. Full Members in Default. Any Full Member who has been absent from six consecutive meetings or who is in arrears of Annual Subscription for six months without good and sufficient reason shall be brought to the attention of the Committee. They shall decide whether membership should be terminated or transferred to another class.

12. Nominations. Nomination forms for Officers and Committee Members shall be distributed by the September meeting and returned to the Honorary Secretary by 20th September. The form shall include the name and signature of the Proposer and the name, signature and position of the nominee together with his agreement to serve on the Club Committee. When nominations exceed vacancies for Officers and or Committee members then a ballot shall be held.

13. Voting. Only Full Members may vote on business under Rules 6, 7, and 12. Voting shall normally be by show of hands, but the President may, at his discretion, call for a ballot under Rules 6 and 7.

14.  Amendment of These Rules. These Rules may be amended by resolution of an AGM or EGM provided that when considered under Rule 6j above 28 days notice has been given to all Full Members.