CONSTITUTION OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Designation

1. The name of the Association is the Royal Air Force Lawn Tennis Association (RAFLTA).

Aim

2. The Association’s primary aim is to promote the efficiency of the Royal Air Force by providing an opportunity to participate in the healthy sport of Tennis, thereby encouraging physical fitness among its members and an esprit de corps.

Mission

3. The RAFLTA’s mission is:

To promote tennis in the RAF

Standing Objectives

4. In order to meet the aim and mission, the subsidiary objectives of the Association are to:

a. Maximise participation in Tennis across the Royal Air Force.

b. Encourage and improve playing standards of Tennis in the Royal Air Force, seeking to compete successfully up to and including Combined Service level.

c. Improve the Public Image of the Royal Air Force in the wider community.

d. Organise the annual RAFLTA Championship Tournament, and the various RAFLTA Domestic Competitions.

e. Select the teams for Representation at the Inter-Service Championships.

f. Act as a central body for control and appeal.

g. Provide the management and control for operation of the Royal Air Force Home for Tennis, the RAFTC.

h. Promote the highest standard of playing facilities and organisation for tennis within the Royal Air Force.

Funds

5. The funds will be vested in the name of the Royal Air Force Lawn Tennis Association. An audited balance sheet is to be presented at the Annual General Meeting. In the event of the Association being dissolved, the surplus assets are to be returned to the Royal Air Force Central Fund.

Membership

6. All serving personnel on the active list of the Royal Air Force, or holding temporary appointment in the Royal Air Force on full pay, are ipso facto members of the Association, provided he or she is of amateur status under the rules governing the subject from time to time by the Lawn Tennis Association.

Affilliation

7 All stations in the Royal Air Force will automatically be affiliated to the RAFLTA. This makes them eligible to compete in the following competitions:

a. Inter-Station Doubles at the RAF Lawn Tennis Championships.

b. Inter-Station 'A' and 'B' Competitions.

8. The RAFLTA is affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and should nominate one member as Councillor of the LTA. Any matters raised by stations are initially to be presented to the RAFLTA, who in turn, will take up their concerns with the LTA if appropriate.

Property

9. The RAFLTA may own, rent or lease land and property necessary to achieve the Association’s aims subject to the Committee’s approval (and that of the RAF Sports Board (RAFSB), if necessary) and provided suitable safeguards regarding agreements, deeds, covenants and liabilities are in force. It may also grant sub-leases and enter into other written agreements on the same conditions to third party organisations.

Trustees

10. The charity shall have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 9 trustees (in this document they are together called ‘the trustees’) who are to be elected at a general meeting of the Association.

11. The trustees may also appoint any person who is willing to act as a trustee.

12. No trustee may be paid or receive any other benefit for being a trustee.

Duties of the Trustees

13. The Trustees must manage the business of the Charity and they have the following powers in order to further the Objects (but not for any other purpose):

a. To raise funds. In doing so, the Trustees must not undertake any substantial permanent trading activity (unless it is primary purpose trading) and must comply with any relevant statutory regulations.

b. To buy, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any property and to maintain and equip it for use.

c. To sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the property belonging to the Charity as security for repayment of the money borrowed. In exercising this power, the Trustees must comply as appropriate with sections 36 and 37 of the Charities Act 1993.

d. To borrow money and to charge the whole or any part of the property belonging to the Charity as security for repayment of the money borrowed. In exercising this power, the Trustees must comply as appropriate with sections 38 and 39 of the Charities Act 1993.

e. To co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities and to exchange information and advice with them.

f. To establish or support any charitable trust, associations or institutions formed for the Object.

g. To acquire, merge with or enter into any partnership or joint venture arrangement with any other charity formed for the Object.

h. to set aside income as a reserve against future expenditure but only in accordance with a written policy and reserves;

i. To obtain and pay for such goods and services as are necessary for carrying out the work of the Charity.

j. To open and operate such bank and other accounts as the Trustees consider necessary and to invest funds and to delegate the management of funds in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as the trustees of a trust are permitted to do by the Trustee Act 2000.

k. To do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of

the Objects.

Management

14. The policy of the Association will be set by an Executive Committee composed of:

Chairman

Deputy Chairman

Honorary Secretary

Honorary Treasurer

Director of Tennis

Marketing Manager

Assistant Honorary Secretary

Deputy Director of Tennis

Director Sports Board (Royal Air Force)'s Representative

Lawn Tennis Association Council Representative

15. The Chairman, who is appointed by the Director of the RAFSB (DSB), after consultation with the President, is responsible to DSB for the running of RAF tennis. The remainder of the Committee will be selected by the Annual General Meeting. All members of the Committee are your representatives, and should be contacted if ideas or issues need to be addressed. A quorum of 4 from the 9 Full Executive Committee members is required to hold an Executive Committee Meeting.

16. The Executive Committee may appoint Sub-Committees and Honorary Officials and make such regulations for the management of the Association and the Royal Air Force Tennis Centre as from time to time may be necessary.

17. The financial year of the Association will run from 1 October to 30 September annually.

18. There will be an Annual General Meeting, normally in March/April when the audited annual accounts of the Association should be presented, the Executive Committee should be elected, and all general business transacted.

19. The Executive Committee may at any time convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Association for the purpose of submitting to the meeting any alterations to these rules that the Committee think expedient, or for any other business. In addition, an EGM may be called if a written application, signed by a minimum of 20 personnel involved in RAF tennis, is made in writing to the Hon Sec. The application should give details of the matters being raised. An EGM should ideally be held within 2 months of the date of receipt.

20. The Executive Committee will maintain a Management Plan to reflect the Standing Objectives of the RAFLTA and will review progress against the Plan at each Executive Committee meeting. The Plan will also be reviewed annually in preparation for the new tennis season.

21. Notice of any business to be submitted at either the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting must be given to the Honorary Secretary at least 21 days before the date of the meeting. The Balance Sheet is to be displayed in the RAF Tennis Centre 10 working days before the meeting.

RAF Tennis Centre

22. The RAF Tennis Centre is managed by the RAF Tennis Centre Board (TCB) usually consisting of the following members:

Chairman RAF LTA
Hon Sec RAF LTA
Director of Tennis
Chairman HVLTC
Dep Chairman HVLTC

Business Manager – Non-Executive Member

23. The Committee meets quarterly to agree on the strategic vision, development, financial and general management of the Tennis Centre and is chaired by the Chairman of the RAF LTA. Although the TCB is independent of the RAFLTA, the Hon Sec will provide the RAFLTA Exec Committee and the AGM with updates at their meetings.

Competitions and Championships

24. The Association will conduct an annual programme of championship events at the RAF Tennis Centre and will revise (if necessary) the entrance fees to be charged each ensuing year at the December general committee meeting. The Championship events for both men and ladies are:

a. The Singles Championship.

b. The Doubles Championship.

c. The Inter-Station Doubles Championship.

d. Plate Singles (open to all competitors knocked out in the preliminary or first round of the Singles Championship).

e. The Mixed Doubles Championship.

f. Other competitions as seen fit to trial in the pursuance of the RAF LTA aim.

25. The Veteran’s Championship events are:

a. Men’s Veteran's Singles (open to all officers and airmen on the active and retired list of 45 years of age on or before the 31 Dec in the year of the competition. Retired personnel must have served on a pensionable engagement).

b. Men’s Veteran's Doubles (open to all officers and airmen on the active and retired list of 45 years of age on or before the 31 Dec in the year of the competition. Retired personnel must have served on a pensionable engagement).

c. Ladies Veteran’s Doubles (open to all female officers and airmwomen on the active and retired list of 40 years of age on or before the 31 Dec in the year of the competition. Retired personnel must have served at least 5 years).

26. Other competitions to be arranged annually are:

a. Early Season Novice Competition.

b. RAF Inter-Station Lawn Tennis Festival (to include an ‘A’ and ‘B’ Competition).

c. RAF Invitational Competition.

Note: For the Inter-Station Festival, the rules for individuals are at paragraph 17-18 and 25-30 of the constitution of the RAF Sports Board.

27. The RAFLTA Executive Committee can recommend amendments to the Constitution for ratification at the AGM.