Porsche Club Ireland Rules
(Amended 29 December 2021)
1. NAME: The name of the club shall be Porsche Club Ireland.
2. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the Club shall be:
- To foster and encourage the use and enjoyment by members of their Porsches and all things Porsche.
- To ensure the highest standards of driving of Porsches by members and to demand the compliance with all Road Traffic Laws and Rules.
- To advise and help the members.
- To promote, safeguard and protect the interests of the members.
- To organise and conduct events such as meetings, social gatherings, motorsport and track days, drives, visits and training for members.
- The interchange of ideas and suggestions with other Porsche Clubs throughout the world and in such cooperation as may be mutually desirable.
- The club shall be politically non partisan.
- The club is empowered to do all things and conduct all business, not for profit, necessary to carry out the general purposes set forth in these rules and the guidelines issued by Porsche AG for official clubs.
3. MEMBERSHIP: Membership of the Club shall be open on application accompanied by the appropriate fee and shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee. There shall be three classes of membership namely: Full, Honorary and Associate. Membership shall only commence on issue of a Membership Card by the Honorary Secretary. Only Full members shall have voting rights and then only after 30 days of membership.
Full Member
Any Person over 18 years of age who owns or leases ( ie either legally or beneficially ) a Porsche may become a full member of the club. Proof of ownership may be required to determine the validity of membership. A full member may attend club meetings and events and will have full voting rights.
Associate Member
Any person interested in the club and its objectives and having paid club dues and fees as required but who does not own a Porsche. An associate member may attend at events but may not attend or vote at meetings.
Honorary Member
A restricted form of membership. The committee may confer an honorary membership on a person who has ,in the opinion of the committee, provided long, loyal or meritorious service to the club or for some other compelling reason the person warrants such recognition. Honorary Membership may be revoked at any time by unanimous vote of the committee. An Honorary member may attend and vote at club meetings and events. There is no subscription fee payable for this membership.
4. SUBSCRIPTION: The annual subscription fee shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting. Associate members will pay a reduced fee. The subscription shall be due on joining the Club and thereafter on the 1st day of JANAURY each year. The duration of membership will be for 12 months each calendar year.
5. RESIGNATION:
(a) A member shall cease to be a member if he/she gives written/electronic notice to the Secretary of his/her resignation.
(b) A member whose subscription is more than three months in arrears may be deemed to have resigned.
6. EXPULSION: The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interest of the Club or Porsche AG for him/her to remain a member. A member shall not be expelled unless he/she is given 28 days written/electronic notice to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee and written/electronic details of the complaint made against him/her. The member shall be given the opportunity to appear before the Executive Committee to answer complaints made against him/her and may not be expelled unless two thirds of the Executive Committee vote in favour of his/her expulsion.
7. CLUB EVENTS. All events must be authorised by the committee and run in accordance with Porsche Club Guidelines and any other rules as may be determined by the committee. No member shall attempt to organise an event without prior permission of the committee.
8. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
(a) The Annual General Meeting invests the management of the Club in an Executive Committee. This Committee will consist of a President, Vice- President, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Membership Secretary, Motorsport Officer, one dealer representative from the national Porsche network (who does not have voting rights ) and up to seven other members. There shall also be a position or position known as Past President(s) which may not necessarily be a current committee member. All committee members must complete a conflict of interests form and update same if and when circumstances change. All committee members (and other members invited to attend,) will also be required to complete a certificate of confidentiality. Failure to complete or undertake same will result in the person being debarred from membership of the committee.
(b) The Executive Committee will consist of not more than thirteen elected members and a minimum of five.
(c) The Executive Committee members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall remain in office until they or their successors are elected at the next Annual General Meeting.
(d) Any vacancy occurring by resignation or otherwise may be filled by the Executive Committee. Co-opted members shall cease to be members of the Executive Committee at the Annual General Meeting unless re-elected.
(e) A committee member will be deemed to have resigned should they not attend at three consecutive committee meetings except for exceptional circumstances which must be first advised to and agreed by the committee.
9. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Executive Committee meetings will be held at least four times per year or on such occasions as the Executive Committee may decide and the quorum for such meetings shall be not less than five, one of whom shall be the President or Vice President, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer. The Honary Secretary( or an officer appointed in their absence ) shall take minutes of all meetings. The meetings of this committee are held in closed session due to the sensitive nature of topics being discussed. Members may not attend closed committee meetings without the prior agreement and knowledge of the president. Voting will be by simple show of hands and the President shall have a second or casting vote in the case of a tie.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILIITYS WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Secretary shall give all the members of the Executive Committee not less than four days verbal or ten days written notice of meetings. This requirement for notice may be waived if all committee members agree to waiver of notice. In the absence of the President, the chairman for the meeting will be the Vice President, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer in that order. Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be made by simple majority and in the event of equality of votes, the President/Chairman shall have a casting or additional vote. The Secretary or, in his/her absence, a member of the Executive Committee shall take minutes. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to pay all expenses specifically incurred in conducting the affairs of the Club.
10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held each year to transact the following business:
To receive the Secretary’s report on the activities of the Club during the previous year.
To receive and consider the accounts from the previous year and to receive the Treasurers report.
Every three years at least, an election of the officers and members of the club committee and the President shall take place to allow members to express their desire for change and to prevent honary posts from being occupied for life. It is recommended not to change all committee members in the same year and to guarantee a certain degree of consistency and continuation of the committee's work.
To decide on any motion which may be duly submitted. Notices of Motion must be sent to the Honorary Secretary not later than seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
Notice of an AGM to be sent to members not later than fourteen days before the meeting.
All notices will normally be sent by email to the email address of the member. Where the member does not have an email address then such notice will be posted to the address given by the member on joining.
Non receipt of such notice will not invalidate any decisions taken at the Annual General Meeting.
The financial resources of the Club may be used only to achieve the goals of the Club.
That the Annual financial statements be sent to the Members of the Club at least 7 days prior to the General Meeting at which they will be discussed.
11. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING: An Extraordinary General meeting of the Club may be convened by the Executive Committee at any time at its discretion. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by the Executive Committee at any time on receipt of a request signed by no fewer than ten percent of the paid up full members stating clearly the purpose and reason for which the meeting was required. At least fourteen days of notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be given to members.
12. VOTING AT ANNUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS: Voting shall be carried out in person and by a simple show of hands. Any member can request a ballot on any issue and the President will decide whether to agree to this request. In the case of a tie the President shall have a second and casting vote.
13. ALTERATION AND INTERPRETATION OF RULES: The Rules may be altered by resolution at an Annual or Extraordinary General meeting provided that the resolution is carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. The committee may at any time make such sub-rules that shall govern itself and duties of its members but nothing in these shall take precedence over Club Rules.
14. DISSOLUTION: A resolution to dissolve the Club shall be proposed only at an Extraordinary General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of three quarters of the members present. The Dissolution shall take effect from a date fixed by the Extraordinary General Meeting and the members of the Executive Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club. Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be disposed of by direction of the Extraordinary General meeting.
15. ARBITRATION: In any dispute in regard to the interpretation of these Rules, the Annual General meeting shall be the final arbiter.