Constitution of Centre Officers and Committee.

The Centre Officers and Committee shall comprise:

Chairman, two Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Rally Secretary and nine Committee members

Quorum For Centre Committee Meetings.

A quorum shall consist of at least 50% of the Officers, Members and / or Co-Opted. Members of the Committee called to a meeting.

Voting Procedure For Officers and Committee.

Membership of Centre at Annual General Meeting.

Tenure of Office: 

All Officers and members of the Centre Committee shall be elected to serve for a period of one year, eligible for re-nomination at each Annual General Meeting. The Chairman shall be eligible for three consecutive years only, and for re-election as Chairman after a break of service of at least one year.

I. Votes shall be recorded for not more than the total vacancies for the office / or Committee Membership, otherwise the ballot form shall be declared void.

II. Upon receipt of nomination forms, the Secretary shall compile and maintain a list of nominees for display at rallies up to the day of the Annual General Meeting.

III. The candidates seeking office or Committee membership will publish a resume of their abilities, which would enable them to carry out the duties imposed on them by this position. Resume of not more than 1 times A4 sheet must be forwarded to the Secretary together with nomination form.

IV. The following procedure shall be adopted with regard to the issue, collection and counting of ballot forms at the Annual General  Meeting.

1.   The Secretary shall appoint from amongst subscribing members who are not nominees for office or Tellers involved in the counting procedure. Members to issue ballot forms.

2. Ballot forms shall be issued only to members, Family Members and Joint Members of the Cheshire Centre, upon production of proof of current Caravan and Motorhome Club membership, providing registration is received by the Centre Secretary.

3. Membership cards may be defaced upon the issue of ballot forms.

4. No proxy votes permitted.

5. A Chief Teller and up to 10 other Tellers shall be appointed by the Secretary from amongst subscribing members who are not nominees for office. Their duties include:

i. Collection of ballot forms in ballot boxes

ii. Verification of validity of all ballot forms

iii. Count of votes recorded on valid ballot forms

iv. All Tellers shall satisfy themselves on the accuracy of the procedure and results

v. The Chief Teller shall advise the Chairman of the meeting of the number of votes cast and the result of the election, which shall be announced to the meeting.

vi. The Chief Teller shall destroy all ballot forms as soon as practicable after the announcement of the election results.

Distribution Of Centre Annual Accounts

A free copy of the Annual Accounts of the Centre shall be issued to all subscribing members attending the Annual General Meeting. A free copy of the Annual Accounts of the Centre may be obtained from the Secretary upon receipt of a stamped addressed envelope.

Registration at AGM

Proof of membership must be provided when registering to vote or speak. Ballot forms will not be issued to those who don’t have proof of membership. No ballot forms will be issued after the meeting starts. This will be strictly enforced.

Annual Plaque

In order to qualify for the Annual Plaque, members shall have attended and slept in their caravans on at least 12 rallies during the year. Rallies are interpreted to mean those organised by the Cheshire Centre and the National. The plaque should be presented to the member free of charge.

Refuse Disposal at Rallies

Members should normally take refuse home for their disposal.

Tent and Marquees

The erection of tents for use as sleeping accommodation is not allowed on Cheshire Centre rallies, apart from small tents no more than 6 feet by 6 feet and no higher than 5 foot which should be placed in the position normally occupied by the awning, with the prior permission of the Rally Officer. This rule does not exclude the erection of toilet tents. An annexe to a Motor Caravan is considered to be an awning.

Speed Limit

Motor vehicles must not be driven in excess of 5mph on rally fields.

Sleeping in Motor Vehicles

Excluding motor caravans, is not allowed on rallies.

Arrival Times at Rallies

Unless otherwise stated, all rallies commence at 4.30 pm and members should not arrive before this time.

Rally Officers

Shall have complete control at their rallies, with the full support of the committee.

Fire Extinguishers

All members attending a Centre Rally should have their own fire extinguisher.

Socials

No smoking is enforced at all socials. This includes e-cigarettes/vapour cigarettes and is enforced irrespective of whether the social takes place indoors or outdoors.

Sub-Committees

Have the authority to make full decisions on behalf of the full committee.

Funding Guidelines for Committee Run Rallies

​

Under certain circumstances an occasion may arise where the committee feels it necessary to provide monetary support for a committee run rally, that due to location will not make the minimum contribution to the centre. Each request for support will be individually reviewed by the senior committee when setting the level of support that may be made available.

All members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club are welcome at rallies organised by the Cheshire Centre. The following information is supplementary to the Caravan and Motorhome Club and Country Codes, which all members accept when joining the Caravan and Motorhome Club. The names and addresses of the Officers and Committee are printed at the front of the brochure. Please contact any of them should you have any questions associated with rallies or caravanning in general. Whilst Rally Officers endeavour to ensure safety and security of members and their outfits, the Rally Officer, Site Owner, Centre Committee or the Caravan and Motorhome Club, cannot accept responsibility for any damage or loss incurred.

Booking of Rallies

All rallies can be booked on receipt of the Rally Brochure. To book a rally, complete a booking slip and forward with the fees and a stamped addressed envelope to the Rally Officer at least 21 days before the rally. It is not usual to acknowledge bookings, the SAE is used to send details of any last minute changes.

Attendance at Rallies

Unless otherwise stated, all rallies commence at 4.30pm and members should not arrive before this time. On arrival please report to the Rally Office, co-operate with the Rally Officers by placing your outfit on a pitch as indicated by them. If you are not able to attend you should cancel your booking at least 21 days before the rally and should normally have your fees returned, less any expenses already incurred (unless a non-returnable deposit has been paid). The fees paid by a member who does not arrive at a rally, and has not cancelled prior to 21 days, are retained by the Centre as a cancellation fee. Not all sites are level, so it is recommended that levelling blocks are carried.

Animals

All animals must be kept under the full control of a responsible person. Pets must be kept on a lead at all times, exercised around the perimeter of the field and kept away from the water taps. You must remove your pet waste from the rally site and dispose of appropriately.

Discipline

Parents are responsible for the conduct and safety of their own children at all times and for ensuring that no damage is occasioned, either on or off the site. Members are reminded that our behaviour is always observed by the public, whether driving on the open road or sited on a rally field. The prestige and standing of the Club is highly valued. As an organisation we are dependent upon the goodwill of the landowners and farmers for our pleasure. Please ensure by your action that we do nothing to spoil or destroy the image we have built up over many years.

Wet Ground

To avoid damage to site and entrances, members are requested not to use their cars unnecessarily and to follow the Rally Officers' instructions. A yellow flag will be flown at rallies where weather conditions are such that the Rally Chairman and the Rally Officers have decided that vehicle movement should be restricted. Permission to move a vehicle must be obtained from a Rally Officer when the yellow flag is flying.

Towing During Inclement Weather

The Rally Officer will use his discretion to advise when towing by tractor or four-wheel drive is necessary. All tows will be at the member’s own risk and no responsibility for damages will be accepted by the owner or driver of the towing vehicle, the Club, Centre or landowner. Members should be responsible for hitching and un-hitching their own caravans.

Service

Your own sanitation will be required at all rallies and facilities will be provided for the disposal of chemical toilet contents only. Waste water from the waste outlets, must be collected in a receptacle, which does not overflow and foul the ground. Taps are provided for drinking water only and should not be used for personal washing or for flushing or filling toilets. Members must make provision to take away with them all dry waste, this includes pet waste. Be sure to leave your site clean and tidy.

Safety Precautions

Vehicles must be driven on site only by fully licensed drivers, as little as possible and then around the perimeter wherever possible. At all times your speed must be less than 5 mph.

First Aid Kits

All members are advised to carry their own first aid kit .

Visitors

In the interest of the safety of ralliers and equipment can you please ask your visitors to call at the Rally Office on arrival at the Rally, where they can be advised of the 5 mph speed limit and accounted for in the event of an emergency.

Identity

Current membership card, should be available for inspection at all Centre events, should this be requested.

Complaints

If any member has a legitimate complaint, this should be reported to the Rally Officer or a Committee Member immediately so the necessary action can be taken by the Committee either then or at the next Committee meeting.

Insurance

Members are advised to ensure that they carry adequate insurance to protect themselves and their property against most eventualities.

Leaving The Rally

Call at the Rally Office and thank the organisers for the Rally - remember they have given their time freely. There is a no vehicle movement policy in place during flag; this is for safety and respect to the Rally Officers.

Generators

Generators should not normally be required for weekend rallies, but should they be necessary on a rally, permission should be obtained from the Rally Officers, who should be advised on arrival of their intended use, so they may be sited appropriately. Use should be restricted to a maximum of a 3 hour period between the hours of 10:00am and 8:00pm, except for medical purposes or by Rally Officers for an organised event, but no later than 11:00pm. At all times, generators should be used with due consideration to other ralliers and not left unattended.

Special Effects At Socials

Notice that such devices may be used is given in the rally description that appears in the Rally Brochure e.g. SFX.  Pre-warning of the use of a strobe light MUST be given verbally by the DJ at least 5 minutes before the device is activated. The speed of the strobe shall not exceed five flashes per second. The strobe light shall not be used continuously and never for more than 5 minutes with at least a 60 minute break. Vapour / hazer machines must be water based and shall not be chemical based. The Centre Committee has the power to amend these guidelines if considered necessary.

Drones

The use of drones is not allowed on or over a rally field.

Photography

Photographs and videos are often taken on a rally field and you may feature in them. Where the photographs and/or videos are to be used in Caravan and Motorhome Club publications you must give your permission for the photographs to be used for this purpose by completing an appearance release form. The form is available for download from the Cheshire Centre website.

Venue Access / Egress

Please be aware that not all venues are suitable for all types of vehicle. You should make suitable enquiries before attending a rally to confirm that you and your outfit will be able to access the venue safely, and leave in a similar manner. Your rally officers are not responsible for your access or egress from a rally field.

38.  Pitch Spacing.  The Club places great importance on the correct layout of rallies to ensure that safety standards are maintained and that the requirements of the exemption certificate are met.  Every effort should be made to keep the density as low as possible.   A minimum spacing between facing walls of adjacent motorhomes and caravans (the unit) of 6 metres is required.  There must also be 3 metres clear between outfits, where an outfit is taken to mean and include the unit, an awning, pup tent and a car.  An explanatory diagram is at Annex D.  There must also be 6 metres separation between the facing walls of a caravan or motorhome and a building; however, that 6 metres space could be used for a towing vehicle or awning so long as there is still 3 metres clear space within that 6 metres.  Whilst there is no spacing restriction with regard to rally field boundaries, e.g. fences, trees and hedges, the siting of outfits must not be allowed to interfere with the activities of local people, their privacy or enjoyment of their property.  For health and safety purposes, emergency vehicles should also be able to secure access at all times to within 90 metres of any unit on the site.   The layout of the rally site and the general appearance of outfits can impact on member satisfaction; moreover, overcrowding and low standards will harm the reputation of The Club and the Centre.