The Rules of Hale Lawn Tennis Club
The objectives of the Club are the playing, promotion and enjoyment of tennis and the development of tennis in the community through the provision of tennis facilities and coaching courses.
The Club is a Members’ club and a non-profit-making organisation.
1. NAME
The name of the Club shall be Hale Lawn Tennis Club.
2. OFFICERS
The Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Membership Secretary.
3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
(a) All Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club for one year, and shall be Voting Members of the Club, as defined in Rule 10
(b) Each Officer shall be eligible for re-election each year.
4. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
There shall be the following categories of Member:
(a) Playing Members
(b) Country Playing Members (who must reside outside a radius of 30 miles from the Clubhouse).
(c) Vice-Presidents (who shall be elected for life by the Members at a General Meeting on the basis of extensive meritorious service to the Club).
(d) Life Members (who shall be elected at the discretion of the Main Committee).
(e) Honorary Members (who shall be elected at the discretion of the Main Committee).
(f) Social Members.
(g) Associate Members who shall not have any entitlements in respect of the Club’s assets shall be elected at the discretion of the Main Committee but who shall include, without such election:
(i) All Members, officials and supporters of visiting sports Clubs for the days on which matches are arranged;
(ii) Bona fide Members of a Club or Association properly affiliated to the appropriate national or regional organising sports bodies; and
(iii) Visitors who have come to the Club as spectators of a tennis activity at the Club for the day of that activity only, and provided that they are Members of a recognised club (as defined in the Licensing Act 2003).
5. PROPERTY OF THE CLUB
(a) The real and leasehold property of the Club shall be held by Trustees upon trust for the Members of the Club for the time being, to be sold, leased, mortgaged or otherwise dealt with as the Members of the Club shall from time to time direct, by resolution in General Meeting or, in the absence of any such direction, as the Trustees in their sole discretion consider appropriate.
(b) New Trustees may be appointed from time to time, and shall be such Members as the Main Committee shall decide.
(c) The Trustees and their personal estates shall be indemnified in full against any liability and/or expenses incurred in their capacity as trustees, out of the assets of the Club. This provision will also apply to retired Trustees.
6. MANAGEMENT
(a) The general management of the Club shall be vested in the Main Committee.
(b) The Main Committee shall consist of:
(i) 6 voting Members of the Club elected at each Annual General Meeting;
(ii) The President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary of the Club.
(c) All Main Committee Members are entitled to vote at Main Committee meetings.
(d) The Main Committee shall have power to fill any vacancies occurring during the year and to co-opt additional Members who will be entitled to vote at Main Committee meetings.
(e) The Main Committee shall meet not less than five times a year.
(f) Five Members of the Main Committee shall be a quorum.
(g) The Main Committee shall be responsible for the general management of the Club.
(h) The Main Committee and any person or persons authorised by the Main Committee shall be empowered to borrow money for the purposes of the Club but the total borrowings shall not exceed £500,000 or such other limit as shall be fixed, from time to time, by the Members in General Meeting.
(i) The Main Committee is empowered to appoint sub-Committees.
(j) The Main Committee may agree to the holding of special events on the Club’s premises to which Members of the public may be admitted subject to the requirements of the Licensing Authority and any other relevant body or person.
7. ADMINISTRATION
(a) The Secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings of General Meetings of the Club and the Main Committee, for production at all relevant meetings.
(b) The Secretary or, in his or her absence, some other Member of the Main Committee, shall convene all the meetings of the Club, and the Main Committee.
(c) The Membership Secretary shall keep a register of the Members of the Club.
8. FINANCE
The Treasurer shall receive and pay all moneys due to or owing by the Club and shall keep a correct account of its financial affairs. He or she shall also prepare and submit, for the approval of the Main Committee, statements showing the financial position of the Club, such statements having been reported upon by a reporting accountant appointed by the Members at the previous Annual General Meeting. The approved statements shall be presented at the next AGM. A copy of the full financial statements shall be sent on request to any Member of the Club.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
(i) Elect the Officers and the Main Committee
(ii) Consider and decide upon any nominations for Vice-President;
(iii) Appoint reporting accountant; and
(iv) Consider other business.
(b) Extraordinary General Meetings of the Club shall be convened by the Secretary (or such other person as the Main Committee shall nominate for the purpose) at the request of the Main Committee or on receipt, by the Secretary, of a written requisition signed by at least 50 Voting Members of the Club.
(c) At least 14 clear days’ notice of a General Meeting of the Club shall be given stating the reason(s) for which the meeting is being convened.
(d) Any nomination of a new Vice-President must be received in writing by the Secretary not less than 28 days before the Annual General Meeting.
(e) The quorum for a General Meeting of the Club shall be 20 Voting Members.
(f) All Members shall be entitled to attend General Meetings except that
(g) An Associate Member shall have no entitlement to attend any General Meeting.
(h) A resolution for consideration at a General Meeting must be received by the Secretary at least 28 days before the date of that meeting.
10. Voting Rights
Members who are of 18 years and over, and entitled to vote (Voting Members) are defined as follows:
(i) A Member in any of the categories set out in paragraphs (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) and (f – provided they have been playing members for at least 10 years) of Rule 4 shall have the right to attend and vote at any General Meeting.
11. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
(a) Every person of eighteen years of age and over who is a candidate for election to Membership of the Club shall be proposed by a Member and seconded by another Member. An application form, completed by the candidate and signed by both the proposer and the seconder, shall be forwarded to the Membership Secretary.
(b) A candidate of under eighteen years of age need not be proposed or seconded, but an application form for Membership shall be supported by the parent/guardian of the candidate.
(c) No candidate shall be proposed or seconded by a Member under the age of 18.
(d) The election of Members shall be by a majority of the vote of the Main Committee which may delegate its powers to the Secretary or the Membership Secretary.
(e) No candidate shall be elected until at least three days have elapsed since his or her application has been received by the Club.
(f) The proposer of each candidate so elected shall be personally liable for the first year's subscription in default of payment thereof by the new Member.
12. RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS
Any Member wishing to resign from the Club shall give notice in writing to the Membership Secretary before the date on which his or her next subscription becomes due. If any Member resigns on or after the date on which the subscription becomes due, such subscription will remain due and owing notwithstanding his or her resignation.
13. SUBSCRIPTIONS
(a) Subject to the next sub-rule 13(b), the amount of all entrance fees, subscriptions and affiliation fees for all categories of Membership and the dates on which they shall be payable shall be determined by the Main Committee from time to time.
The subscriptions and affiliation fees (which are not refundable) of Members shall be due on the first day of January and payable by 31st January in each year or such other date as the Main Committee may from time to time decide.
(b) Vice-Presidents, Life Members and Honorary Members shall not be liable for an annual subscription.
(c) The Main Committee shall not have power to increase the subscription for any class of Membership by more than 25% (excluding any relevant tax or affiliation fee) of the amount in force immediately before the increase.
(d) The level of any entrance fees shall not exceed the current year’s subscription for the Playing Members.
(e) The Main Committee shall have the following additional powers exercisable at its discretion:
(i) To reduce the entrance fee or subscription of any Member;
(ii) To collect subscriptions by means of any available banking system which appears to the Main Committee to be suitable and to introduce different rates of subscription for Members who participate in any such arrangements; and for the purposes of the above sub-rule 13 (e) (ii), to execute such documents and give such indemnities on behalf of the Club as shall be reasonably required in connection with the operation of any system of collecting subscriptions, including the direct debit system.
14. UNPAID SUBSCRIPTIONS
(a) If the subscription of any Playing Member of any class shall be unpaid two months after its due date, that Member shall not attend any meeting, play in any game or use any of the Club's facilities until the subscription is paid, unless the Main Committee shall have granted a waiver.
(b) If the subscription of any Member of the Club shall be unpaid three months after its due date, he or she shall thereupon automatically cease to be a Member of the Club, unless the Main Committee shall have granted a waiver.
15. SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
(a) The Main Committee may, by a vote carried by a majority of its Members present at a meeting, expel or suspend from the Club any Member who, in its opinion, has acted contrary to the Rules of the Club or its interests or whose conduct is otherwise regarded by the Main Committee as objectionable or likely to lead to crime or disorder. The Main Committee’s decision shall be final. On any such expulsion, the Member shall forthwith cease to be a Member of the Club and shall forfeit any subscriptions paid.
(b) Any Member whose Membership has been suspended by the Main Committee under this Rule shall not attend any meeting, play any game or use any of the Club’s facilities while such suspension is in force.
16. BYE-LAWS
The Main Committee may from time to time make such bye-laws as it shall deem expedient provided that they are not inconsistent with any Rule. Exhibition of such bye-laws in the Clubhouse shall be sufficient notice thereof.
17. CLUB HOURS
(a) The Club shall not open before 07.00 or close after 01.30 on the following day, except on the occasion of functions authorised by the Main Committee.
(b) The Main Committee shall specify, to the organiser of a function, the time by which the Club premises shall be closed.
(c) For the purpose of this Rule a function shall mean:
(i) Any event organised by or for the Members of the Club and their Guests;
(ii) A private function approved by the Main Committee and organised by a Member who shall be present; or
(iii) Any other function approved by the Main Committee.
(d) Any bona fide non-Member attending a function, or a Guest introduced under Rule 17, shall be entitled to be supplied with and to consume intoxicating liquor in the Club premises on the payment of the price therefor.
(e) Profits from functions shall be Club funds
. (f) The hours for the supply and consumption of intoxicating liquor shall be determined by the Main Committee provided that (except where extensions of hours have been granted by the Licensing Authority):
(i) Subject to (ii) below, the hours determined by the Main Committee for Monday to Saturday shall not begin earlier than 10.00 or end later than 01.00 on the following day, and the hours on Sundays shall not begin earlier than 10.00 or end later than 23.00;
(ii) Any alteration in permitted hours shall be notified forthwith to the Licensing Authority by the Secretary of the Club.
(g) Where a Licence Holder is required to be nominated, it shall be the Club Secretary
. (h) The Main Committee may hire out parts of the Club’s facilities to third parties on such terms as it shall decide, subject to the constraints included in these Rules and any limitations imposed by outside bodies.
18. Visitors (non - playing)
Any Member may introduce visitors into the Club premises but no visitor residing within ten miles of the Club premises shall be introduced on more than three occasions in any calendar year.
19 Visitors (playing)
Any playing Member may introduce a playing visitor for play on any day. Such occasions, which should be noted in the visitors’ book by the Member, may not exceed three times in any one year. Visitors playing in Inter-Club or “open” events are not proscribed by this rule.
20. Addresses of members
Any notice and other communication sent to a Member shall be sent to the last postal or electronic address furnished to the Club by the Member, and it is incumbent upon the Member to notify the Club of any change of address. Any communications sent to a Member at their notified address will be deemed to have been received two days after sending.
21. Amendments to rules
These Rules may be amended, revoked or added to at any General Meeting of the Club by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of Members present and entitled to vote.
The Bye-laws of Hale Lawn Tennis Club
Bye-law No.1 Health and Safety
The Club is committed to operating in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and all applicable regulations made under the Act, so far as reasonably practicable.
Health and Safety are management responsibilities ranking equally with responsibilities for the general running of the Club and the letting of the Club’s facilities and similar matters.
There will always be a member of the committee with primary responsibility for Health and Safety.
The Club’s full statement of objectives, and the general content of organisation, arrangements, monitoring, maintenance of plant, equipment and substances are held by the Club Secretary, and is available for inspection.
The Club’s Health and Safety policy, and application, is kept under regular review.
Bye-law No.2 Child Protection
In the context of The Protection of Children Act 1999, the Club will ensure that, in its capacity as a sports club, it provides a comparable level of safety to children in its care, as that afforded within the regulated childcare sector.
The Club will also have regard for any recommendations which come from the National Body which governs the playing and organization of tennis.
Above all else, the safety and wellbeing of children who are members of the Club and visiting children who are using Club facilities are paramount.
A full Statement of Policy, which is monitored and reviewed regularly, is held by the Club, and is available for inspection.
Bye-law No.3 Equity
The Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated in all aspects of its operation and development. In so doing it acknowledges and adopts the Sport England definition of sport’s equity, namely: sport’s equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognizing inequalities, and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure that it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.
The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person, and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.
The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from intimidation, harassment and abuse.
All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour, and to promote equality of opportunity.
The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, and in accordance with Club disciplinary procedures.
Bye-law No.4 Smoking
The smoking of all substances is banned throughout Club premises. Smoking tobacco, although not encouraged, is permitted outdoors but not in the playing areas.
Bye-law No.5 Insurance
This bye-law is, at present, being reviewed.
Bye-law no. 6 Dress Code
Appropriate coloured tennis/sportswear may be worn.
Bye-law no. 7 Child Protection
This document is to be distributed to all coaches and volunteers. A copy will be displayed on a dedicated notice board at the Club
3.1.1 - Guidelines for child protection
Safeguarding and protecting children: a shared duty
Sport plays a vital role in the growth and development of children and young people. Tennis clubs provide opportunities for children to take part in exciting, challenging and healthy activities. All organisations that work with children have a shared duty to ensure that those children benefit from a safe, enjoyable environment, and are protected from abuse. This means having systems in place to promote and maintain the highest standards possible, and to respond quickly to any problems or concerns.
Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2006) is a detailed government guidance document, applicable to all organisations that work with children. It stresses that organisations have a responsibility to work together, within a common framework, to ensure that those who come into contact with children are skilled and safe, and to ensure that concerns are properly acted upon.
If this is the first time that you have thought about safeguarding and protecting children in your club, you should appoint a Child Protection Officer or ‘lead adult’ with responsibility for putting the correct measures into place. All clubs are required to have a Child Protection Officer.
Resources
The LTA’s Child Protection Department provides a wide range of resources and support to tennis organisations, to help them meet their responsibilities. The resources included in this pack are also designed with these responsibilities in mind, as child protection is a central component of Tennis Clubmark accreditation.
This document, Safeguarding and protecting children: a shared duty, provides some useful background information. You should maintain a copy of this document and formally recognise the responsibilities that it describes. Below is a brief overview of the other child protection related Tennis Clubmark resources, as contained in this folder:
Code of conduct for people working with children (3.1.2) – this code provides clear guidance on the types of attitude and forms of conduct that help to make tennis clubs safe, positive and friendly places for children. You should adopt this code, and ask your staff and volunteers to read and follow it.
Child protection policy (3.1.3) – it is vital that every club has a clear statement of its commitment to the safety and welfare of junior members. Use this template to create your own child protection policy. Remember to display the completed document in your club, in a place where children and adults can see it. Some clubs have also included a photograph of their Child Protection Officer, alongside the policy.
Guide to safer recruitment (3.1.4) – finding the right people to work with junior members is one of your club’s major responsibilities. This resource offers some hints and tips on developing a recruitment policy that will help to stop problems before they arise. It should be adopted and consulted whenever you are taking on volunteers, employees or contractors.
Self-declaration form for coaches and volunteers (3.1.5) – this form is very important when recruiting volunteers, staff and contractors, and you should retain a copy on file.
2
Policy on the use of images of children and young people (3.1.6) – this guidance document covers the safe and appropriate use of films and photographs of children under 18. It includes a sample consent form, which should be completed (wherever possible) before any filming or photography takes place. Remember to contact LTA Child Protection if you need advice on adopting these guidelines or require help putting together a consent form for a specific event.
Guidelines for travelling and staying away (3.1.8) – taking players on trips is a complex issue that requires careful planning. This guidance document outlines all the major considerations, including transport, supervision, medical emergencies, nutrition and codes of conduct. It also covers what to do if child safety concerns arise, and includes a comprehensive checklist for away fixtures and overnight stays.
Junior club membership form (3.1.9) – this template will make sure you gather the basic information that you need in order to look after your junior members properly. You can also use this form to collect information that will be useful in developing your facilities and services, as well as your marketing activities. Remember to tailor the template to the specific needs of your club, by including questions that have direct relevance to your projects, activities and goals.
Trip and activity consent form (3.1.10) – to be completed by parent(s)/guardian(s) whenever children and young adults are taken on trips or to special events.
Incident report form (3.1.11) – your Child Protection Officer and senior club officials should have easy access to this form. Use it to report any concerns or incidents in which a child’s safety or welfare was placed at risk. Remember to get expert advice immediately (by telephone) from your county LTA or national LTA Child Protection, if you feel it is necessary. This form is not a requirement for referrals, but you may be asked to complete one to support the Child Protection Department in its work.
Safeguarding and protecting: what’s the difference?
‘Safeguarding’ is the word that applies to all the work a club does to provide a safe, positive and friendly environment for children. The code of conduct provided in this pack encourages attitudes and approaches that help to safeguard children. By adopting an open, accountable and responsible approach, clubs can help to prevent problems before they occur. Measures such as safe recruitment, clear standards of conduct, and careful planning for photography, events and travel, also contribute to a safe, high quality environment for junior members. In summary, safeguarding is the ‘behind the scenes’ work that well-organised clubs do to prevent problems from arising. ‘Protecting’ refers to the procedures that come into force when there is a particular concern or incident. Good safeguarding helps to reduce the need for protection, but it is vital to have rigorous and clear procedures in place in case a problem arises. If a child suggests that they are being abused, or if an adult reports abuse or bad practice that could put a child’s welfare at risk, these procedures must be understood and followed by everyone involved. By appointing a Child Protection Officer who can liaise with county LTA or national LTA Child Protection, you establish an important safety net. The HITLIST gives some important advice for CPOs.
Of course, safeguarding and protecting often overlap. By using the resources in this folder and others provided by the LTA, and by accessing the training required as part of Tennis Clubmark accreditation, you will be adding to your knowledge and understanding in both areas. The better you are at developing a safe and positive club for junior members, the easier you will find it to identify when things are going wrong and to deal with them appropriately. Remember, LTA Child Protection is able to offer you a wide range of advice and support.
3
Recognising signs of abuse
Most of your work as a club should focus on tennis. The safeguarding measures suggested here (and in other LTA guidance documents) are mainly intended to help you deliver tennis in a safe environment. This will help young people to feel supported, and ensure that most problems are tackled before they become serious. Even so, it is extremely important that you are aware of the different forms of child abuse, and of the possible signs that abuse is occurring. Although this should not be the main focus of your safeguarding and protection measures, you could prevent a child from coming to harm if you have some basic knowledge in this area.
The best way to gain basic skills in recognising signs of abuse is to attend the LTA/UKCC child protection workshop. Tennis Clubmark requires your club to send two people on this course, including your club coach. However, as an introduction, please be aware of the following descriptions of different types of abuse, taken from Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2006):
What is abuse and neglect? –Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.
Physical abuse – physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.
Emotional abuse – emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual abuse – sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Neglect – neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home or abandonment, failing to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
4
Bullying – bullying may be defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those bullied to defend themselves. It can take many forms, but the three main types are physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, theft), verbal (e.g. racist or homophobic remarks, threats, name calling) and emotional (e.g. isolating an individual from the activities and social acceptance of their peer group). The damage inflicted by bullying can frequently be underestimated. It can cause considerable distress to children, to the extent that it affects their health and development or, at the extreme, causes them significant harm (including self-harm). All settings in which children are provided with services or are living away from home should have in place rigorously enforced anti-bullying strategies.
Responding to a concern
It can be very difficult to identify that abuse or neglect is occurring, or that someone’s poor conduct is having a serious impact on a child. It’s not always a question of identifying the visible signs of abuse; often, a child or adult speaking out raises concerns. Children may not be able to give a clear explanation of what has happened, but will indicate that something is wrong. It is not your responsibility to investigate or intervene, but it is your responsibility to listen and to make sure that the child receives all the necessary help and support.
Here are five simple steps that you should take if someone reports a concern to you:
1. Stay calm and assure the child.
2. It takes a lot of courage for a child to disclose a problem, and he/she usually wants you to help. Therefore, you should not make promises of confidentiality, but be clear that you may have to contact other people who will be able to help.
3. Listen carefully to what the child says and do not suggest ideas. Keep questioning to a minimum, use open questions, and record the conversation as soon as you can. Record precise words and phrases (as closely as possible) and be clear to make a distinction between fact and opinion.
4. Report the concern to the Child Protection Officer in your club, or go directly to the county/national LTA. Do not hesitate to call national LTA Child Protection if you need urgent advice. LTA Child Protection contact details are given below. If you fear that a child is at immediate risk, and you cannot get advice from a Child Protection Officer, you should contact your local police or social services.
5. Do not discuss the concerns with others until you have reported them, as above. A club or county officer might contact LTA Child Protection, if they feel the problem is serious, and it is possible that the police and/or social services may then become involved. It is not your responsibility to make these decisions; the correct course of action is for you to report the concern, as quickly and accurately as you can.
Good practice and support – the Tennis Clubmark folder offers a variety of resources to help you ensure that tennis is a safe sport for children and young people. If you have any comments or questions about the issues raised in these guidelines, of if you need further and more detailed
advice, you should contact LTA Child Protection. Remember to regularly check the website for new resources and updated materials.
LTA Child Protection T: 0208 487 7008/7116 M (24 hour): 07971 141 024 E: childprotection@lta.org.uk www.LTA.org.uk/childprotection
Bye -Law 8 Court Usage
Preamble
The bullet points under this heading take priority over the numbered points shown under ''court usage'' below
Throughout the year, seniors should make way for juniors on court 9
• Throughout the year, juniors should make way for seniors on all other courts.
• Courts 1-8 reserved on Saturday afternoons for social ''roll-up'' from 1.30 to 5pm on 5 courts and 2 pm to 5pm on 3 courts.
• Courts 2, 3,4,5,8 and 9 reserved on Tuesday mornings for Ladies social ''roll up'' from 9.00 to 11.00 am.
• All courts reserved on Wednesday evenings for social ''roll up'' from 6.00 on 6 courts and 6.30 on 3 courts in summer. The 3 courts commence from 6.15 pm in winter under floodlights.
Exceptions
1st May to 30 September - on Friday evenings all courts reserved for juniors from 5.30 to dusk
• Official Club matches and tournaments take precedence
• Coaching which is part of the Club's official coaching programme takes precedence
• The Committee may amend or add to the above from time to time
Court Usage
The following applies when all available courts are occupied and there are people waiting to play. It should be noted that threesomes have the same standing as doubles and singles. A single person has no standing if required to give way.
1 Doubles does not take precedence over singles
2 Senior doubles and singles do not take precedence over doubles or singles involving a combination of senior(s) and junior(s).
3 On court 9 (see first bullet point above) junior doubles or singles take priority over a combined senior/junior doubles or singles.
4 Having regard to points 1, 2, and 3 (above), if all available courts are in use, and there are doubles or singles waiting to play, those playing should vacate their court at the end of a set in process. In these circumstances it should be a ''short set'' - that is, as soon as one side wins six games.
Bye -Law 9 Team match-court allocation
Senior Teams: Summer
Team Captains can chose on which courts they wish to play home matches, subject to the following proviso:
• If any captain wants to use courts other than courts 1,2 & 3, then at the beginning of each season that captain must inform the Notice Board Organiser of the dates and times when different courts are required. If this is not done, then that team will play on courts 1,2 & 3.
Senior Teams: Winter
Teams will normally play their home matches on Sundays at 1.30 pm on courts 6 & 7.
Junior Teams
Junior Teams (whose matches are organised at quiet adult court usage times) will normally have their team matches on courts 6 & 7.