CONSTITUTION OF THE
HIGHPOWER RIFLE ASSOCIATION
Founded 11th November 2000

PLEASE READ THIS CONSTITUTION WITH THE ATTACHED GUIDELINES (APPENDIX 1)

1. The Association shall be called the Highpower Rifle Association.

2. The Association shall be affiliated to the National Rifle Association, and such bodies, which in the judgement of the Committee are appropriate to the pursuance of the Association's interests.

3. The objectives of the Association are:
   • To encourage and promote the discipline of Highpower Rifle shooting in the United Kingdom.
   • To encourage participation in Recreational and Competitive target shooting.
   • To encourage the acquisition of skill in the use of firearms.
   • To encourage excellence in all aspects of the shooting sports by providing instruction and practice in the use of firearms to Her Majesty's subjects, so that they will be better fitted to serve their Country in the Armed Forces, Territorial Army or organisations in which their services may be required in the defence of the Realm in times of peril.

4. The Association shall be non-political and non-sectarian. However, the Association may, at the Committee's discretion, engage in such campaigning or lobbying as may be deemed necessary for the well-being of the shooting sports in general or the Association in particular.

5. The Association shall consist of Founder Members, Honorary Members, Life Members, Ordinary Members, Junior Members, Probationary Members, Visiting Members and Affiliated Members. All persons of more than 18 years of age, holding a current F.A.C, shall be eligible for consideration for Probationary Membership and then Ordinary Membership. Any person of less than 18 years of age, holding a current F.A.C, shall be eligible for consideration Probationary Junior Membership and then for Junior Membership. Admission of Probationary Members (senior and junior) and Affiliated Members shall be by written application to the Membership Secretary. Those wishing to join should send a completed Membership Application form, along with theMembership Fee which shall be refundable in the event of membership being refused. No reason need be given for the refusal and this decision shall be final, and a copy of the front page, including the relevant conditions section, of the prospective member’s current Firearms Certificate. Initial admission shall be at the discretion of the Membership Secretary and one other Founder Member. All new members (other than those wishing to join as an affiliated member) will be classed as probationary, in all cases the minimum amount of time passing before full membership is granted will be 6 months. Visiting Members will pay an Event Membership Fee. Visiting Membership will last for one calendar month from the specified event date. No more than two Visiting Memberships will be granted to any person in any one 12 calendar month period. Probationary Membership must be sought after this. Affiliated Membership is open to anyone who holds a current F.A.C and is resident in the United Kingdom. Affiliated members do not have any voting rights, they are not covered by the Associations insurance, unless they wish to shoot at an event run by the Association where the affiliated member must pay the Visiting Member fee for that event. Non F.A.C holders will not be granted membership of the Association.

6. Immediately upon successful application, the candidate will become a Member of the Association and be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of Membership (save that Junior Members shall have those privileges determined by the Committee from time to time) and the member will be bound by these Rules.

7. All other annual subscriptions shall be payable immediately after January 1st in each year and if any Member shall fail to pay his annual subscription within thirty days after it has become due, then his Membership shall lapse. If at any time he shall give to the Committee a satisfactory explanation of his default in payment of his subscription, he may, at the discretion of the Committee and upon payment of all arrears, be readmitted to Membership.

8. The joining fee and the rate of subscription shall be determined from time to time by a General Meeting of Full Members of the Association. For the purposes of this Constitution the term Full Members shall be taken to include Founder Members, Honorary Members, Life Members and Ordinary Members as Paragraph 5 (above), but shall not include Junior Members.

9. A General Meeting of Full Members of the Association may elect an Ordinary Member of the Association to be a Life Member. Any Life Member so elected shall have all the benefits and privileges of Membership for life (subject nevertheless to these Rules) without payment of any subscription.

10. The Committee shall terminate the Membership of any Member whose conduct on the range, or upon any premises occupied by the Association, or elsewhere, is liable or calculated to bring the Association into disrepute. The Secretary shall forthwith give to such Member notice of such a decision of the Committee, specifying the conduct forming the ground for such decision. The Member may appeal to the Committee and make representation to the Committee Members concerning any such termination of Membership. If the Member's Firearm Certificate is revoked due to behaviour that is a danger to public safety or is as a result of an unlawful act, whether in relation to the Firearms Act or otherwise, membership will similarly be terminated. Should a Member be under Association discipline procedures, or criminal investigation, they will not be able to take part in Association activities that are of a shooting nature. The member is not excluded from General Meetings or attendance at the range for the receipt of correspondence. Any member who is waiting to stand trial should immediately inform the Association Secretary in writing. Membership will be immediately suspended until such a time that the case is concluded.

11. Any Member who, while on Association property or on a shoot organised by the Association or elsewhere, has in their possession a firearm not covered by a valid Firearm Certificate or other valid authorization issued under any statutory enactment, or regulation, for the time being in force, shall have their Membership terminated.

12. Any person shall, upon ceasing to be a Member of the Association, forfeit all rights to and claim upon the Association and its property and funds.

13. The management of the Association shall be deputed to a Committee not exceeding seven members plus the Offices of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. The offices of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected to serve for a period of three years from the date of the Annual General Meeting. (During the first five years of the Association's existence the Committee shall be elected only by the Founder Members.) One third of the Committee members shall retire annually, in rotation, at the Annual General Meeting. After the inaugural three year period, one Officer per year shall retire, in rotation, at the Annual General Meeting. The Officers of the Association upon retiring, may be ex-officio members of the Committee for a period of one year from the date of the Annual General Meeting, if not re-elected to post. All retiring Members of the Committee and Officers shall be eligible for re-election and shall continue to exercise their functions so far as necessary for the purposes of the Annual General Meeting, until their successors are elected. In the event of a Committee Member or Officer failing to complete the term of office for which elected, then Paragraph 14 of these Rules shall apply. The remaining portion of the term of office of any such casual vacancy, shall be filled by election at the next following Annual General Meeting. For the purposes of this Paragraph (13) the term 'year' shall be taken to be the interval from the date of one Annual General Meeting to the date of the following Annual General Meeting. Committee Members shall, in general, be chosen from persons known to the Founder Members for at least five years.

14. The Committee shall have power to appoint a Member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee or among the Officers until the next Annual General Meeting.

15. All Meetings of the Committee and of the Members of the Association shall be chaired by the Chairman, or, in his absence, by the Treasurer, or, in the absence of both of them, then by the Secretary. The Chairman of any Meeting shall be entitled to vote on any resolution and in the event of a tie, shall have a second or casting vote. Junior Members shall not be entitled to vote at any Meeting.

16. There shall be not more than four Trustees of the Association and the property of the Association, (other than cash which shall be under the control of the Treasurer) shall be vested in them to be dealt with by them as the Committee shall, from time to time, direct by resolution (of which an entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Association property. The Trustees shall hold office until death, or resignation, or removal from office by a majority vote of all Trustees. New or additional Trustees shall be nominated by resolution of a General Meeting of the Association and for the purpose of giving effect to such nomination the Chairman is hereby nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees of the Association, within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustee Act 1925, and he shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated as the new Trustee or Trustees of the Association. The provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment. Any statement of fact in any such deed of appointment, shall in favour of a person dealing bona fide and for value with the Association or the Committee, be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.

17. The Secretary may from time to time, and shall at least once in every four months, convene a Committee Meeting by giving 7 days notice thereof to the Members of the Committee. Four Members of the Committee shall form a quorum. Minutes shall be taken of all the proceedings of the Committee and shall be open to the inspection of any Member of the Association, applying to the Secretary thereto.

18. All money payable to the Association shall so far as practicable be paid to the Treasurer, but if this is not practicable, may be paid to any other Officer of the Association, or any member of the Committee, who shall forth-with hand the same to the Treasurer.

19. The Committee may from time to time make, repeal and amend all such regulations (not inconsistent with these Rules) as they shall think expedient, for the management and well being of the Association and in particular, shall make regulations with regard to the use of ranges. All such regulations shall be notified by post to each Member at the address most recently registered with the Secretary and shall thereafter have all the force and effect of these Rules, but shall be subject to modification or revocation by a resolution of a General Meeting of the Association. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Committee may however make such changes as are necessary to comply with any Home Office or other Government Regulations. Any such changes shall be notified to the Membership at the earliest opportunity.

20. The Committee may at any time, for any extraordinary purpose, call an Extraordinary General Meeting, and shall do so forthwith upon there being delivered to the Secretary, the requisition in writing of over one third of those Members entitled to vote at such a Meeting, stating the purpose for which the Meeting is required. An Extraordinary General Meeting held pursuant to such a requisition shall take place within 28 days of its being received by the Secretary, and the Secretary shall give to all the Members at least 7 days notice of any Extraordinary General Meeting and the business to be transacted thereat. In default the requisitionists may themselves convene an Extraordinary General Meeting by giving such notice as afore-said to the Members and for this purpose shall be entitled to require the Secretary to notify them in writing of the names and addresses of all the current Members of the Association.

21. Any Officer of the Association or Member of the Committee may be removed by resolution of a General Meeting of the Association.

22. Any resolution of a General Meeting of the Association, the effect of which would be to remove from office an Officer of the Association, a Trustee of the Association or a Member of the Committee, or to deprive a Member of the Association of the benefits and privileges of Membership shall require a majority of two thirds of those Members present and voting, and the vote on any such resolution shall, if so required by any Member present, be taken by secret ballot.

23. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of October in each year upon a date and at a time and place to be fixed by the Committee for the following purposes:
    • To receive from the Treasurer a report, balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding financial year. The Financial year of the Association will run from 1st September to 31st August.
    • The election of Officers and Committee.
    • To appoint an Auditor or Auditors for the ensuing year.
    • To decide on any resolution 28 clear days notice of which shall have been given to the Secretary.
    • To decide on any resolution 14 clear days notice of which shall have been given to the Membership on the Agenda, by the Secretary.
    • To transact any other business considered by the Chairman to be proper to be taken at an Annual General Meeting of the Association.
    • If a proposal is heard, any amendments to the proposal will be heard and voted upon before the proposal, with or without amendments, is finally voted for or against.

24. The Auditors or Auditor shall, prior to each Annual General Meeting and on such other occasions as they, he or she, shall think fit, examine the books of account of the Association with the invoices and vouchers in the possession of the Association and shall append to such accounts a certificate to the effect that they are correct and represent a true picture of the expenditure receipts assets and liabilities of the Association (or as the case may be) and they may at any time inspect any book document or property of the Association in the possession of any Officer or Member and make a report thereon in writing to the Committee and (if he, she or they think fit) circulate copies of such report to all Members of the Association.

25. The Committee shall have power to pay accounts and incur any normal liabilities on behalf of the Association and the Committee and Officers are hereby indemnified by the Members of the Association against all claims and demands in respect of any liability properly and bona fide incurred by them in the name of, or on behalf of, the Association.

26. The Committee may draw up conditions of all competitions and arrange handicapping and matches. The entry fee to all competitions must be paid before shooting in such competitions, and cards must be completed by the dates specified by such conditions as aforesaid. Failure to comply with the conditions of any competition will result in disqualification therefore subject to the discretion of the Committee to waive disqualification in exceptional circumstances. At its discretion the Committee may appoint a Competition Secretary from amongst the Members of the Association.

27. All bye-laws rules and regulations relating to conduct on the range emanating from the Ministry of Defence, the Territorial Army or other proper authority shall at all times be strictly observed and no liability whatsoever shall attach to the Ministry of Defence in respect of, or resulting from, any event occurring on, or in relation to, the use of Ministry of Defence or Territorial Army Association ranges.

28. The decision of the Committee upon any question of the interpretation of these Rules or upon any matter affecting the Association and not provided for by these Rules shall be final and binding on the Members.

29. In the event of the Association being wound up, the property and assets of the Association shall not belong to the Members of the Association but shall be handed over to or distributed amongst any institution or institutions recognised by Law as a Charity. The Committee of the Association in its absolute discretion may direct and if handed to, or distributed amongst, the association or associations to which the Association is affiliated, the said property and assets shall be applied (as directed by the Committee) either in developing the work of those associations, or for the benefit of some other institution with objectives similar to those of the Association.

30. These Rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any General Meeting of the Association provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the Members present and voting thereon.

31. No Member shall willingly communicate or allow to be communicated, any information that the Committee deems inappropriate or detrimental to the Association or its Members, directly to the Media or to any Public Forum or to any other Organisation, or without proper cause and compulsion, to any Police Officer. Information shall include, but not be limited to, Association documents, letters, target descriptions, photographs of Members or the Range, Members' names or addresses, telephone numbers. Contravention of this Rule may result in disciplinary action under Paragraph 10 of the Constitution. All communications with the above organisations should normally be made by an Association Officer or by an Extra-ordinarily appointed spokesperson after consultation with the Committee.

32. Notwithstanding anything previously stated to the contrary, the following Rules shall apply:
    • No person who, being the holder of a Firearms Certificate or member of another Association, may apply to join the Association without the express permission of the Membership Secretary and one other Founder Member. Any person canvassing existing Members in an attempt to gain entry to the Association shall be disbarred from Membership.
    • The Trustees or the Committee may terminate without right of appeal the Membership of any person if, in their judgement, the continued Membership of that person is contrary to the well being of the Association, or if that person's behaviour is deemed to be seditious, disruptive or objectionable.
    • Other than Founder Members, no person may be elected to any office or to the Committee within five years of their election to membership of the Association without the express agreement of the Trustees. In this case, any individual thus elected may, if appropriate, be dismissed from such elected position 1) by the Trustees or 2) by a majority of the Committee and 3) be dismissed without right of appeal from Membership of the Association by the Committee within five years of their election to Membership.
    • Persons of less than five years standing as Members other than Founder Members are ineligible to vote under Rule 29 (above).