International Topper Class Association (Ireland)

Constitution
  1. Name
    1. The Association shall be called the International Topper Class Association (Ireland)
  2. Objects
    1. The objects of the Association are:
      1. to promote and further interests of the one-design Topper sailboat designed by Ian Proctor;
      2. to provide a medium for exchange of information between Topper owners and sailors;
      3. to promote and develop the Topper Class sailing and racing;
      4. to act as the National Association for Ireland for the purposes of the Constitution of the International Topper Committee;
      5. to represent the interests of members in all sailing matters at both National and International level;
      6. to take such further action relative to the above objects as may from time to time be considered desirable.
  3. Membership
    1. There shall be the following categories of member:
      1. Honorary Life Member being a person nominated by the Committee for a significant contribution to the Topper Class and elected by the Association at a General Meeting;
      2. Individual Member being a person who owns or sails an International Topper;
      3. Family member being collectively all members of a single family normally resident at the same address who own or sail International Toppers;
      4. Group Member being collectively the proprietor, manager, senior instructor or other person responsible for a school, youth or training organisation (including a bona-fide training division of a sailing club owning its own boats) using Topper dinghies and all those for whom that person is responsible;
      5. Associate Overseas Member being a person of any nationality normally resident otherwise than in Ireland.
    2. Each member shall pay the appropriate annual subscription and shall be entitled;
      1. to a single vote in all matters that are to be determined by voting;
      2. to receive at his or her last registered address one set of any papers or other material distributed by the association;
      3. to enter one boat in any Association restricted event and in the case of a Family or Group Member, subject to such conditions as the Committee may determine, any number of additional boats;
      4. otherwise to participate fully in the affairs of the Association receiving all benefits of membership and sharing its obligations.
  4. AREA ORGANISATION
    1. For Association purposes, Ireland shall be divided into 4 Provincial areas;

      2. Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connaght.

    2. For any areas or for any combination of areas agreed for this purpose by the National Committee, an Area Committee may be formed. Any such committee shall be constituted as follows;
      1. one representative of each Club in the area with three or more Individual or Family Members;
      2. one representative of each Group Member in the area;
      3. any member of the National Committee resident in the area ex officio;
      4. such other Individual Member or representative of a Family Member as the Area Committee may co-opt.
    3. Any Club, if the National Committee so agree, may be treated for the Association purposes as being within an ajoining area.
    4. The responsibilities of any Area Committee shall include;
      1. the appointment of a Member to fill any vacancy on the National Committee for a representative of the area;
      2. co-ordinating the area racing and training programme;
      3. arranging and supervising the running of the Association's Area Championships;
      4. supervising the running of other Association restricted events in the area;
      5. liaison between the National Committee and its officers and Clubs and Members in the area;
      6. supporting the organisation of Association National Championships held at a club in the area;
      7. such other tasks as may from time to time be assigned by the National Committee.
    5. Unless and until a committee is formed for any area or combination of areas or if any such committee shall for any reason effectively cease to exits, the responsibilities of the Area Committee shall be discharges by the Area Representative, any vacancy for such representative being filled by the National Committee. Pending the filling of any such vacancy, the responsibilities shall be discharged in such manner as the National Committee may determine.
    6. Once appointed, an Area Representative, so long as he or she remains a member of the Association and does not resign his or her appointment, shall continue in office until the first meeting, following the Association AGM of the Area Committee or of the National Committee whichever shall first occur. Any such representative shall then be eligible to be reappointed.
    7. An Area Committee shall act in accordance with such directions if any as may be given to it by the National Committee and shall be financially self-sufficient.
  5. NATIONAL COMMITTEE
    1. The management and administration of the Association and its affairs shall be vested in a National Committee which shall have absolute discretion to any directions that may be given to them at a General Meeting of the Association or by the International Committee.
    2. Subject to sub-clause 3 hereof, the Committee shall be constituted as follows;
      1. one representative of each Association area or combination of areas appointed in accordance with clause 4.
      2. four Individual Members or representative of Family or Group Members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with clause 6 hereof;
      3. the designer or his representative ex-officio;
      4. such other Individual Members or representatives of Family or Group Members not exceeding 6 in number as the Committee may from time to time co-opt.
    3. At their first meeting after each Annual General Meeting, or after a vacancy has otherwise arisen, the Committee shall elect two of their number to be respectively Chairman and Vice-Chairman who, unless they resign or cease to be members of the Association, shall hold office until their respective successors are appointed. In the event of either resigning or ceasing to be a member of the Association the Committee shall elect one of their number to fill the resulting vacancy at their next meeting. Any person so elected shall thereupon cease to hold any appointment of Area Representative he or she might hold. At the same meeting the Committee shall seek to fill any vacancy that may exist for Area Representatives.
    4. The Committee shall not meet later than 6 weeks after the AGM at such venue, at such time and on such day as the Chairman shall determine and thereafter shall meet as often as may be necessary in accordance with arrangements to be decided by the Committee.

      5.  

    5. At least 14 days notice shall normally be given by the secretary to each member of the Committee, such notice to set out the business to be transacted at that meeting.
    6. The quorum at any meeting shall be five members of the Committee
    7. The Committee shall appoint a secretary on such terms and conditions as they may agree to be responsible for the day to day administration of the affairs of the Association. The Secretary shall at all times act in accordance with the Financial Regulations from time to time approved by the Committee and any general directions given to them. Between meetings, the Secretary shall in any case of doubt consult the Chairman or, in his or her absence, the Vice-Chairman and act in accordance with any specific instruction they may give on behalf of the Committee, such instructions to be reported to the next meeting of the Committee.
    8. The Committee from amongst their number shall appoint a representative to serve on the International Committee and a Chief Measurer and may make such other honorary appointments as from time to time they consider necessary.
    9. All members of the Committee shall be entitled to their reasonable expenses of attending meetings of the Committee or undertaking other duties at the request of the Committee, and the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and others holding honorary appointments shall be entitled to reasonable expenses incurred as a result of those appointments but otherwise no payment shall be made to or received by any member of the Committee.

     

  6. GENERAL MEETINGS
    1. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held at such venue, at such time on such date in each year as the Committee may determine. The date of the meeting shall be announced at least three months in advance.
    2. A Special General Meeting of the Association shall be held at such venue, at such time and on such date as the Chairman or in default the Vice-Chairman of the National Committee, shall determine within 56 days of the Secretary receiving a demand in writing stating the business to be transacted and signed by not less than 20 members.
    3. At least 28 days notice in writing of any General Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to each Area Representative for Members in their respective areas. Such notice is to set out the business to be transacted at that meeting.
    4. The Chairman of the National Committee or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman, shall preside at any General Meeting. If neither is present, then those members attending the meeting shall appoint one of their number to preside.
    5. The quorum at any General Meeting shall be 20 members.
    6. The business considered or transacted at an Annual General Meeting shall include;
      1. the annual report of the Chairman of the National Committee;
      2. the audited accounts of the Association for the preceding financial year.
      3. the appointment of an auditor;
      4. the election of 6 individual Members or Family or Group Members to serve on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting unless before that they resign or cease to become members of the Association;
      5. any proposal of the National Committee or of the International Committee;
      6. any proposal by a member notified to the Secretary not less than 56 days before the meeting.
    7. Unless otherwise provided for in this Constitution, voting at any General Meeting shall be by show of hands, a simple majority of those voting being required.
  7. FLAG OFFICERS
    1. The Association at any Annual General Meeting may if they so wish elect from amongst the members a Commodore or a Vice-Commodore;
    2. Any member so elected unless he/she retires or ceases to be a member of the Association at an earlier date, shall hold office until the Annual General Meeting five years later when he/she shall be eligible for re-election for one further five year period.
    3. A Commodore or Vice-Commodore shall be ex-officio a member of the National Committee without voting rights but shall not hold any other Association office.

     

  8. FINANCE
    1. The financial year of the Association shall be 1 November to 31 October.
    2. A statement of account for each financial year shall be circulated by the Secretary to each Area Representative for distribution to members in his/her area by 1 April in the following year whether or not the accounts have by that date been audited or approved by the National Committee.
    3. The annual subscription rate shall be determined by the National Committee who may determine different rates for different categories of membership and for different types of organisation.
    4. Subscriptions shall be due on 1 January. Any member who has not paid by 1 April shall cease to be entitled to membership rights and privileges until such time as outstanding subscription has been paid in full. Any member not paying his/ her subscription before the end of the financial year shall be removed from the membership register. Any member joining the Association after 30 September in any year shall be entitled to free membership for the following financial year.

     

  9. TOPPER MEASUREMENT RULES
    1. The Committee shall collaborate with the ISAF, the ITCA, the Designer and Copyright Holders to maintain the one-design principle as established by the Class Rules so as to ensure as far as possible equal performance between boats within the Class.
    2. The Committee in accordance with the Class Rules may in cases of doubt seek interpretation of those rules from the ISAF and may pending a decision by the ISAF give such interim guidance relating to the issue as may be considered by it to be in the best interests of the Class provided that the guidance shall not be operative outside the Association's area or in relation to international events.
    3. Any proposal to the ITCA for an amendment of the Class Rules shall be considered first by the Committee and then by the Association in General Meeting at which it shall require the approval of two thirds of those members present and voting. A proposal by the ITCA Committee shall only require the approval of a simple majority of the Committee members voting on the proposal to secure the positive support of the Association.

     

  10. CHAMPIONSHIP RACING
    1. Any National Championship shall, and at the discretion of the National Committee any Area Championship or other event, may be restricted to Association members.
    2. At Provincial events competitors will become members of the Association on payment of their entry fee and completion of the entry form.
    3. National and Area Championships shall be held at venues and on dates approved by the National Committee and shall be organised and sailed in accordance with any directions of the National Committee.
    4. An Area Championship shall be held each year in each Association areas or combination of areas agreed by the National committee.
  11. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
    1. Subject to sub-clause 4 hereof, this Constitution may not be altered except by a proposal approved by the National Committee and carried with the consent of two third of those members present at a General Meeting. The details of any such proposal and the reasons for it shall be set out in full on the agenda for any General Meeting at which it is considered.
    2. Any such proposal may be amended by a simple majority of those present and voting but in the event of such an amendment the proposal as amended shall be treated in accordance with the term of sub-clause 3 hereof as a proposal not previously considered and approved by the National Committee unless the Chairman in his/her absolute discretion directs that the amendment to the proposal is of no great significance.
    3. Any proposal for the amendment of the Constitution which has not previously been considered by the National Committee shall, after debate at the General Meeting at which it is approved, stand referred to the Committee for consideration and report to the next Annual General Meeting. At that meeting, a proposal which is not supported by the National Committee but which is nevertheless carried with the consent of two thirds of those present, shall be referred back to the new Committee which shall at its first meeting approve the proposal, in which case the Constitution shall forthwith be altered accordingly or the Committee shall make arrangements for an immediate postal vote of the total membership of the Association in which case the next sub-clause shall apply.
    4. In the event of an immediate postal vote being required, members shall simply be asked to vote "yes" or "no" in respect of the proposal but otherwise the arrangement shall be determined by the Committee. The Constitution shall be altered in accordance with the proposal but only if at least one fifth of the members reply to the Secretary and at least two thirds of those replying support the proposal. The result of the postal vote shall be reported to the next meeting of the Committee and thereafter published at the first convenient moment. Any such amendment to Constitution shall be effective from the date of the Committee meeting.

     

  12. DEFINITIONS
    1. The ISAF shall mean the International Sailing Federation.

The ITCA shall mean the International Topper Class Association.

The International Committee shall mean the International Committee of the Topper Class Association.

The Association shall mean the ITCA(Ire).

The ITCA(Ire) shall mean the International Topper Class Association (Ireland)

The Committee shall mean the National Committee of the Association.

The Class shall mean the Class of sailboats known as International Topper designed by Ian Proctor and made in accordance with his drawings and specifications.

The Designer shall mean Ian Proctor Ltd.

The Copyright holders shall mean the person or persons at the time owning the drawings and specifications of the International Topper and any copyright therein.

The Class Rules shall mean the Rules for the time being approved by the ISAF to control the construction and racing use of International Topper.

 

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Last modified: July 29, 2001