Section One – Membership

1.       Ordinary Membership
a)      Any current member of Regent’s Park College agreeing to abide by the Rules and Constitution of the Boat Club may register as a member of the Boat Club.
b)      Membership will be valid for as long as the individual is a member of Regent’s Park College.

2.       Honorary Membership
a)      Honorary Membership will be granted at the discretion of the Captain of the Boats.
b)      It will automatically be granted to any Captain or Vice-Captain on leaving RPC.

Section Two – The Boat Club Executive

1. All members of the executive must be members of Regent’s Park College Boat Club.

2. The Boat Club Executive shall comprise; Captain of the Boats, Captain, Vice-Captain, Secretary and Treasurer.

a) Captain of the Boats (and Men’s/Women’s Captain)

The Captain of the Boats shall be responsible for the overseeing of the training and selection of RPCBC crews. He/She shall hold ultimate responsibility for the general management of all internal Boat Club affairs and administration and in the event of a dispute, his/her decision shall be final and binding. He/she shall chair Boat Club meetings. From the beginning of Trinity term, the Captain of the Boats will be available for consultation and guidance for the new Captains-elect. He/she shall retire at the end of Trinity term. The Captain of the Boats will continue to chair Boat Club meetings and other responsibilities until he/she retires at the end of Trinity term. The Captain of the Boats shall attend meetings of the Oxford University Rowing Club.

b) Men’s/Women’s Captain

The Captain shall be responsible for the training and selection of his/her crews, and will assist the Captain of the Boats in his/her duties. From the beginning of Trinity term, he/she shall be available for consultation and general guidance for the new Captains-elect. He/she shall retire at the end of Trinity term. The Captain shall attend meetings of the Oxford University Rowing Club.

c) Vice-Captain(s)

There shall be a maximum of two Vice-Captains (one for Men’s and one for Women’s Crews). However one Vice-Captain is preferable under normal circumstances. The Vice-Captain shall help with the training of the crews as asked to by the Captains, also assisting in other duties that the Captain of the Boats may reasonably require. From the end of Trinity term, the Vice-Captain shall be available for consultation and guidance for the new Vice-Captain-elect. He/she shall retire at the end of Trinity term.

d) Secretary

The Secretary shall take the minutes of all Boat Club meetings and fulfil any such administrative tasks as the Captains may reasonably delegate. From the beginning of Trinity term, the Secretary will be available for consultation and guidance to the new Secretary-elect.

e) Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the running of Boat Club accounts. At the end of Trinity, the Treasurer will produce a comprehensive written report detailing the income and expenditure of the Boat Club for that year. From the beginning of Trinity term, the Treasurer will be available for consultation and guidance to the new Treasurer-elect.

f) Senior Member

The Senior Member will oversee all Boat Club matters. He/she shall ensure maximum continuity for the Boat Club and ensure the smoothest possible transition from the outgoing to incoming Boat Club Executive. He/she shall ensure the annual completion of a safety audit, general inventory and risk assessment. He/she shall fulfil the role of Water Safety Advisor in compliance with the ARA Water Safety Code and ensure an annual review of water safety. He/she shall also assume the position of Returning Officer for Boat Club elections.

Section Three – Election of the Boat Club Executive

1. Those wishing to stand for the position of Men’s Captain and Women’s Captain must be proposed and seconded by members of the Boat Club and their nominations must be posted before 3.00pm on Monday in second week of Trinity.

2. Hustings for the positions of Men’s and Women’s Boat Club Captains will take place on Tuesday in second week of Trinity.

3. Elections for the positions of both Men’s and Women’s Boat Club Captains will take place on Wednesday in second week of Trinity.

4. All ordinary registered Boat Club members may vote for both positions and will additionally indicate a preference as to who should assume the position of the Captain of the Boats. The ballot shall be secret and papers shall be produced by the secretary one day prior to the election. Voting shall be conducted using the first past the post system, if there is more than one candidate. Nominations will be reopened if over 50% of the votes indicate that this should be the case. Another vote would then be held at the earliest possible convenience giving due regard for the competition.

5. In the event of a disagreement between the Captains as to who shall assume the position of the Captain of the Boats, the ballot papers shall be consulted. In the event of an inconclusive result, the outgoing Captain of the Boats will hold the final decision.

6. The positions of Vice-Captain, Secretary and Treasurer will be appointed by the Captains-elect, no later than Friday in fourth week of Trinity. In the event of a dispute, the Captain of the Boats-elect will have the final decision.

7. If a Captaincy falls vacant between elections, the Vice-Captain shall assume the role. The remaining Captain will assume the position of the Captain of the Boats, if not already held, and elections for a new captain held at the earliest possible convenience, giving due regard for the competition.

8. If the posts of Vice-Captain, Secretary or Treasurer fall vacant between elections, the Captain of the Boats shall appoint a suitable replacement at the earliest possible convenience.

Section Four – Meetings

1. All Boat Club members are entitled to speak at Boat Club meetings but only ordinary members may vote.

2. Meetings shall be held at least once a year at the discretion of the Captains.

3. All motions shall be voted on by a show of hands, and by a simple majority of Ordinary members present and voting, except on motions affecting the Constitution which will require a 2/3 majority.

4. There shall be a quorum of seven ordinary members.

5. Any ordinary member may call an extraordinary meeting or a vote of no confidence to be carried out with a petition of at least ten votes.

6. On any matter of interpretation of the Constitution, the Captain of the Boats will deliver a ruling binding all members.

Section Five – Boat Club Subsidies

1. Subs must be paid by all members of RPCBC no later than one week before the scheduled date of a Regatta, by all crews entering that Regatta.

2. Crews entering Oriel Regatta will be made exempt from the payment of subs.

3. The required subsidies for Nephthys Regatta will be �10 and all other Regattas will be �20.

The Rules of Regent’s Park College Boat Club

1. All members of RPCBC undertake to abide by the Rules and Constitution of Oxford University Rowing Clubs.

2. All members must have completed, in full, a registration form.

3. Any false information or omissions from registration forms will immediately nullify membership.

4. All members must make known to the Boat Club Captains any health issues, whether long-term or short-term, before getting into a boat.

5. Any injuries resulting from rowing or training must immediately be made known to the Boat Club Captain(s) and a corresponding entry must be made to the injuries book to be found in the cox’s bag.

6. Any damage to Boat Club equipment must immediately be made known to the Boat Club Captain(s) and a corresponding entry must be made to the damages book to be found in the cox’s bag.

7. Failure to pay subs will result in suspension or expulsion from the Boat Club at the discretion of the Captain of the Boats.

8. Responsibility for commitment to the training regime for any given Regatta will lie with the individual crew members. Failure to meet the training requirements of the Captain may result in suspension or expulsion from the Boat Club at the discretion of the Captain of the Boats. Responsibility for the arrangement of substitutes in training outings also falls upon the members of the crew concerned.

9. All Boat Club members are obliged to check the Boat Club board specifically for any safety hazards before all outings.

10. The cox shall accurately complete the log-book for all outings.

Motion to sponsor a Romanian Child

RPCBC will sponsor a child through the White Cross Mission. The money will be raised by members of the Boat Club through a sponsored continuous 24 hour erg. The sponsored erg will be held termly on Saturday of third week / Sunday of fourth week. Participation in the sponsored erg will be on a strictly voluntary basis by members of the Boat Club. The Boat Club will make up the sponsorship total from Boat Club funds in the event of a shortfall. Any surplus money raised by the sponsored ergs will be donated to a charity to be decided at the annual Boat Club meeting.