GENERAL
1.  The Club shall be called the OTTER SWIMMING CLUB and its aims shall be to promote the teaching and practice of swimming and water polo.
2.  The Headquarters shall be at such Pools as the Committee shall from time to time decide.
3.  The Club shall be affiliated to such County or District Swimming Associations within the general structure of the A.S.A. as are appropriate to the location of the Club's Headquarters, and to such other bodies controlling aquatic activities as the Committee shall recommend, and shall abide by the laws and guidance of the ASA where relevant.   Any required number of Delegates to such associations or bodies, to represent the Club, shall be elected at the Special General Meeting for the election of officers, etc, and these Delegates shall, if not already elected, be ex-officio members of the Committee. The Committee may appoint delegates during the year, who should be confirmed at the next Special General Meeting.
4.  The Club colours shall be black, white, dark blue and light blue.   The costume and drawers badge shall consist of a black otter on a white rectangular background, the drawers shall be black with white stripe.   First team colours shall consist of a dark blue otter on a light blue rectangular background with dark blue edging within the background.   Second team colours shall consist of a dark blue otter on a light blue rectangular background.   The Club blazer shall be dark blue or black with Otter buttons with or without a badge consisting of an otter embroidered in silver wire.   Members awarded First team colours shall be entitled to add below the embroidered otter the year or years in which such colours were awarded.


MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
5.  The Club shall consist of Junior or Student (in full-time education), Active, Life Members, Honorary Life Members, Non-Active, Country and Temporary Members.
6.  Junior Members must be the age used by the ASA to determine Junior status on 1st September of the year in which they apply for membership.   Every candidate for Junior Membership shall be recommended either by the Master in charge of swimming at schools approved by the Committee or by a member of the Club of 21 years of age or over.   A Junior Member on passing the Junior age years shall come up for election in accordance with Rule 14 if desiring to continue as a member.
7.  Active Members permanently residing outside the M25 may apply to be Country Members provided that notice has been given to the Hon. Secretary or Hon. Treasurer prior to election or to the Annual General Meeting of the year in question.
8. After having paid ten annual Active subscriptions Members may become Life Members on payment of a compounded fee proposed to the member by the Treasurer with reference to past and future club activity, with subsequent sanction of the Committee, Life Members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of Active Members.
9.  Any member who has rendered valuable services on behalf of the Club may be recommended by the Committee for election at the Annual General Meeting as an honorary Life Member.   Honorary Life Members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of Active Members.
10.  Active Members may become Non-Active Members provided that notice has been given to the Hon. Secretary or Hon. Treasurer.   Non-Active members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of Active Members except that they shall not be eligible to hold office (other than that of Hon. Auditor) in the Club; nor shall they be permitted to participate in any of the Club's aquatic activities other than the Synge-Hutchison Challenge Cup and any such other events as may be specially allowed by the Committee.
11.  Swimmers from overseas visiting this country for a period not exceeding 4 months may be elected Temporary Members who shall be eligible to compete in any Club Handicap events or friendly matches.  They shall be liable for the appropriate subscription.
12.  The annual subscription payable by Active, Junior or Student, Country, Temporary and Non-Active Members shall be at such rates as the committee shall from time to time determine and shall be published annually.  The fee payable by a Member wishing to become a Life Member shall be at such rates as determined by the committee on application by the Member.
13.  Subscriptions are due in full on 1st January.   They may also be paid by standing order. Subsequent to 31st May no Member who has not paid his subscription shall be entitled to compete in any Club competition or to represent the Club.   Any Member who has not paid his subscription and all liabilities to the Club by 30th November shall, ipso facto, cease to be a member of the Club.  The Committee may, however, at their discretion, reinstate any such Member, subject to payment of all his liabilities.   New Members in their first year shall be liable for a subscription at the prevailing annual rate pro-rated to the nearest month preceding the date on which they first used the Club's facilities.
14.  Every candidate for Active, Country, Non-Active or Temporary Membership shall be proposed by one elected Member or Club coach.   The Nomination Form shall be filled in by the Candidate and the proposer, signed by each and forwarded to the Hon. Treasurer together with the appropriate subscription.   Notice shall be sent to each Candidate on election, together with a copy of these Rules.
15.  No Candidate shall be eligible who has in any way infringed the laws of the Amateur Swimming Association.   Any subsequent infringement of this Rule causes a Member, ipso facto, to cease to be a Member of the Club.
16.  Any Member wishing to resign from the Club shall give a written notice to the Hon. Secretary before the Annual General Meeting, or be eligible for another year's subscription.   No Member shall be allowed to join another Swimming Club without first obtaining the consent of the Committee.
17.  It shall be the duty of the Committee, if in their opinion the interests of the Club so require, to invite any Member, by registered letter stating the matter complained of, to resign his membership within a stated period of not less than seven days. In the event of such Member failing to reply or declining to resign within the period stated, it shall be the duty of the Committee to call a Special Committee Meeting and to give such Member one week's notice thereof to permit him to make any explanation either verbally or in writing to the meeting. Thereafter, at the Meeting, should not less than two-thirds of the Committee Members present and voting vote in favour of such Member's expulsion, he shall there upon cease to be a Member of the Club. Decisions of the Committee under this Rule may be rescinded by them at their discretion, or by a two-thirds majority of Members present and voting at a Special General Meeting called in pursuance of Rule 19.


GENERAL MEETING
18.  The Annual General Meeting for the transaction of ordinary business and the election of two Auditors shall be held in February, on the first Tuesday or as soon after as possible.   A Special General Meeting shall be held for the purpose of the election of Officers and Committee for the coming year.
19.  A Special General Meeting shall be called either at the discretion of the Committee or within 21 days of the receipt by them of a written requisition, signed by 12 Members, stating the reasons for which such a Meeting is to be called.
20.  At all General meetings twenty shall form a quorum.   The Hon. Secretary, or Committee, shall give fourteen clear days' notice of all such Meetings, and shall distribute a copy of such notice to all members; in the case of Special General Meetings the notice shall specify the purpose of the Meeting.
21.  These Rules shall be altered only at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, pursuant of Rule 19.   The notice convening the meeting shall specify the alterations proposed.


COMMITTEE: CONSTITUTION, RULES AND POWERS
22.  The management of the Club shall be vested in the Committee, which shall consist of the President, not more than six Vice-Presidents, the Swimming Captain, Captains (men and women) of Water Polo, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Handicapper, Water Polo Hon. Secretary and twelve other Members.   The Committee may fill any vacancies which occur during the year and shall appoint such sub-committees for general purposes, the control of Swimming, Water Polo, etc., as it shall deem necessary.
23.  The Committee shall retire annually and be eligible for re-election.  Nominations for Officers and Members of the Committee, signed by a proposer and seconder, must reach the Hon. Secretary before notice of the Special General Meeting is sent out, the consent of each nominee having previously been obtained. Members nominated for any office but not elected shall be eligible for election to the Committee.  When a Member vacates the office of President the Member shall be invited to become a Past President24. Captains shall not hold the Captaincy of any other Swimming or Water Polo Club.
25.  A committee meeting shall be held at such times as the Committee shall find expedient and five shall form a quorum.   The Hon. Secretary shall, where practicable, give seven days' notice of such meetings to Committee Members and mail a copy of such notice to the Club Committee
26.  The Committee shall have the power to make Regulations and By-Laws in accordance with these Rules and to settle disputed points not otherwise provided by these Rules.   The Committee shall make a report of the Club's proceedings and furnish a statement of receipts and payments for the past year; both shall be sent to Members of the Club with the notice calling the Annual General Meeting.   The Committee's duties in respect of election and membership are specified in the Rules.
27.  All funds or other properties of the Club shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the Club, but shall be applied towards the furtherance of the Club's objects or for any charitable purpose. In the event of dissolution the funds remaining will be devoted to objects similar to those of the Club and to other purposes approved by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

MEMORIAL FUND
28.  This fund is open to Members, their relatives or friends, to perpetuate the memory of an Otter and shall form an Endowment Fund, and the names of any such Otters shall appear in the Otter Handbook under such heading.  The Fund is open to members who wish to donate capital to the club withour specific attribution. The interest from this Fund may be used for Club purposes.  There shall be no expenditure of the Capital of the Fund except by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting.  This Fund shall be vested in two nominees approved by the Committee. February 2007


 
OTTER GOLD PINS
In recognition of their service to the Club Otter Gold Pins have been presented by the President to:  G. Forsberg, R. Stead, R.G.M. Burn, C. Doxat, E.N. Kimber, W.H. Lewis, L.W. Milton, R. Roberts, P.J. Turner, D.M. Warnford-Davis, Dr C.A. Young; N. Fitzsimon, A. Batt, J. Iliffe, C.J. Stewart, L.Davies, T. Kendall and a gold Otter Brooch to Mrs Jean Craig.


OTTERS’ MEMORIAL FUND
Founded in memory of George.  H.  Rope (President: 1890-1930)
George H. Rope1871-1930
R.S. Creaton1878-1932
L.M. Leggatt1886-1927
A.C. Cattle1889-1927
W.H. Buller1893-1929
K.L. Waterlow1905-1926
N.B. May1911-1931
B. Gordon-Stables1929-1953
J.W. Cunningham1903-1958
F.C. Warrington1907-1964
Sq. Ldr. Digby Young RAF1935-1966
P. Hodge1931-1967
R.A.A. Willens1933-1974
B.H. de Buriatte1921-1974
J. Slane1923-1977
H.M. Wagstaff1926-19??
E.N. Kimber1946-1989
C.A. Young19??-1986
F.G.M. Milton1923-1991
L.T.G. Ricketts1926-1991
J.H.R. Haswell1930-1994
L.W. Milton1929-1994
P.J. Turner1916-1994
Cdr.C.G. Forsberg O.B.E.1937-2000
Dr. D.D.Craig1948-2003

Note: The names of those Otters who are commemorated by trophies and challenge cups are published each year in the Annual Report.