This section provides a more formal statement of the Club's aims and rules, for reference purposes.

Aims

The Club exists to provide players of intermediate standard with Badminton coaching, practice and informal play in sociable circumstances.

Membership Criteria

The Club is open to anyone over 14 subject only to capacity (approx 30 average attending)

Membership Obligations

• Acceptance of and support for the aims of the Club
• Regular timely payment of subscriptions
• Fitness reasonably adequate for undemanding informal play
• Reasonable conduct, courtesy and regard for safety.

Playing Standard

Within a fairly short time, new members would need to be able to reach a standard of play which would allow them to play a reasonable part in informal games with most of the existing members.  This is not a demanding standard, and there will be some absolute beginners who can reach this stage very quickly.  Others, however, would need to follow an introductory course elsewhere before joining.  If in doubt, you are welcome to try out the game with us for a couple of sessions (without charge).  Our coach will be able to give advice if needed.

Administration

Ultimately, all decisions are subject to a vote of the membership, with every member having an equal vote.  In practice, however, day-to-day matters are delegated to the President ( tel: 020 8521 9157), who runs things like a Byzantine despot. Or at least aims to.

Funding

The Club is self-funding and members share financial responsibility.  Accounts are held by the President and may be inspected by any member at any reasonable time.  The Club will not incur net indebtedness.

Subscriptions

Membership of the club is normally only available on a monthly basis, irrespective of attendance.

Members undertake to pay subscriptions monthly, and a clear month in advance bank transfer.  (New members will need to "catch up" with this arrangement.)  Cheques are due for collection of the first Tuesday of each month. Fines for late payment may be imposed under a uniform policy set from time to time by the President.  All fines will be applied to the President's beer fund.

Absences

Monthly subscriptions will be waived for any calendar month in which a member attends no sessions.

Members recovering after illness or injury are encouraged to "try-out" for up to an hour during one or more sessions without this counting as an "attendance" for subscription purposes.  This is to help members gauge the right time to return to full play.

Discounts

Discounts on subscriptions are only available in defined situations and are necessarily limited by the financial circumstances of the Club.

1. If you are in full-time education, you are unemployed or you are receiving any income-related benefits, then you qualify for a 78% discount (rounded).  New members (less than 6m membership) will be asked to provide evidence of their qualifying status.
2. Retired people who depend only on a pension, or are over State Pension Age qualify for a 44% discount (rounded), replacing any other discounts which may have applied previously.
3. Members who have uncommonly restrictive caring responsibilities are invited to apply for a negotiated pro-rata discount reflecting attendance.
4. Established members whose employment regularly requires attendance at specific times which conflict with the Club sessions are invited to apply for a negotiated pro-rata discount reflecting attendance.
5. Where an established member has moved so far away that 100% attendance becomes unrealistic, "Country Membership" exists to allow them to play "occasionally". The member will agree with the President how many sessions are reasonably feasible over an entire term, and those must be paid for in advance. New members may request this facility if they live more than 7 miles from the club venue as the crow flies. (The club's crow will be used for all distance measurement.)
6. Established members who have left the club and are not in arrears will be welcome to play with us as our guest (no charge) twice in any calendar year (Jan-Dec).  Qualifying former members may subsequently request "Annual Membership", which provides entitlement to up to four further sessions in that calendar year for a fixed (advance) payment of £28.00.  Subject to capacity, former members may also re-join for one or more single months, as convenient.  The discounts described in (1), (2) and (3) above may also be applied to both these options.

If you think you may qualify for any of these discounts you are warmly encouraged to contact the President.  We aim to be an inclusive club, so if you feel we should include some other situation which may be an obstacle, do please get in touch.

Visitors

Visitors are welcome, and may play with us for two sessions without charge, subject to any waiting list that may be in operation (contact us first).  After that, they will be asked to make a decision whether to join the Club.  On joining, they will be asked to pay for any remaining sessions in the current month, and to deposit a cheque in advance for the next month.

Safety

All members share responsibility for safety in the Club.  Any reckless conduct will lead to immediate suspension.  All physical sports carry some risk of injury.  Members and visitors may wish to consider appropriate insurance against personal injury and against loss or damage to property as the Club cannot accept responsibility for these risks.

Account queries

In the great majority of cases, members should be able to reconcile the balance of their account by checking one of the detailed reports on the website - these are regularly updated.  Where a member (other than a new member) requests a personal explanation of information which is already available on the website, a "levy" will be applied to that member's account equal to the current level of the fine for late payment.  As with fines, all such levies will be applied to the President's beer fund.  Where an error has occurred, or where an enquiry couldn't readily be resolved by checking the website, no levy will be applied.

Refunds

Members are encouraged not to let credit balances build up and to check the status of their account monthly.  But if a credit balance does build up a refund can be requested.  Please supply bank details (double-checked).  There is an administrative charge for this equal to half the current standard monthly subscription amount.

Updated:

 3 February 2020