Joining the Club
March 23, 2009
Membership forms are available for your convenience at the bar or administration office.
There are several categories of membership available and they are the Junior, Associate, Full, Student, Country, Supernumerary, Life Members, Temporary Associate and Honorary members.
On joining, there is a three-month probationary period before being endorsed as an Associate or Junior Member. Each applicant is required to produce two passport sized photos for administration purposes and a letter of reference from an existing member.
To qualify as a Full Member, Country Member, Supernummary Member and Life Member you would have to start off as an associate member and conform to the BY-Laws of the club. Below are extracts from the Clubs Rules and By-Laws.
Nomination And Admission of Members
Refer to Rule 6
(a) Every candidate for admission to the Club must be proposed in writing by a full member and seconded by another full member. On receipt of his nomination together with the entrance fee the Secretary shall:
(i) Bring the nomination to the notice of the Committee at its next regular meeting and shall, unless the committee directs otherwise, enter the candidates name, profession or occupation and address, together with the names of the proposer and seconder in the candidates’ book and post a copy of such entries in the club house for a period of two months, and issue the candidate with an Honorary membership Card; or
(ii) If the nomination is for Associate Membership and at the time of nomination there is no vacancy in the list of Associate Members, the candidate’s name shall be placed on a waiting list. When a vacancy occurs in the list of Associate Members the nomination shall be dealt with as Rule 6 (a) (i) provided the Committee shall have power to bring forward such nominations for admission as it thinks fit and may, at its discretion, give preference to candidates who own yachts of Classes A, B or C, and these members shall be admitted as Temporary Associate Members.
Full Members
Refer to Rule 7
(a) The following candidates only are eligible for election as Full Members, providing they have been Associate or Junior Members for not less than six months prior to their application for Full Membership (this qualifying period shall not apply to persons who were Full Members at the date of adoption of these rules):
1. A candidate who has been a registered owner of a registered yacht or yachts of Classes A, B or C continuously for a period not less than 4 months, or in the case of a yacht or yachts of Class D, 6 months, immediately preceding the date of his application for, or election to, full membership:
2. A candidate who has been a regular member of the crew of a registered sailing yacht or yachts of Classes A, B, C or D for a period not less than 8 months during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of his application for, or election to, full membership; or for an aggregate period of not less than 12 months during the past 2 years; provided that in the case of a yachtsman who has come to reside in Suva from some place more than 75 kilometers from the Club House or from overseas, half of the above period of sailing service duly authenticated may have been performed in a Club approved by the Committee; OR a candidate who has sailed in not less than 15 Club sailing yacht races within the preceding 12 months; OR a candidate who, in the opinion of the Sailing Committee has cruised in a registered sailing yacht or yachts regularly during the preceding 12 months.
3. A candidate who has been the Leading Hand of a registered powered yacht or yachts of Class A for a period of not less than 8 months during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of his/her application for, or election to, full membership;
Junior Membership
Refer to Rule 10
(a) A person between the ages of eight and eighteen may be elected as a Junior Member of the Club .
(b) In addition to any other privileges specified in these Rules as being applicable to Junior Members, and subject to any age or other restrictions imposed by these Rules on the privileges of Junior Members, a Junior Member shall enjoy the same privileges as an Associate Member as set out in Rule 8 (b) and also the privilege of nominating Junior guests for invitation to Junior social functions.
Associate Members
Refer to Rule 8
(a) Any person who is not eligible for full membership or who does not desire full membership may be elected as an Associate Member of the Club provided that a vacancy exists in the Associate Membership Register.
(b) An Associate Member is entitled to all the amenities and facilities of the Club, to register any yachts or yachts of which he is the owner, to sail in a yacht during a race or other event as owner or as steersman or as crew, to introduce Honorary Members and Visitors under Rule 25 (a) and to attend any social function organized by the club and to nominate guests for invitation to social functions.
Country Members
Refer to Rule 11
(a) Any person resident in Fiji at a place more than 75 kilometers distant from the Club House may be elected as a Country Member.
(b) Any financial Full or Associate Member who leaves Suva to reside in some place in Fiji more than 75 kilometers from the Club House may, on written application to the Secretary, be placed on the list of Country Members.
(c) On returning to Suva to reside, such Country Member may apply to resume his/her former Class of Membership on payment of the Annual subscription of proportion thereof as the case may be.
(d) A Country Member shall enjoy the same privileges as an Associate Member as set out in Rule 8 (b), provided that a Country Member who has transferred from the list of Full Members shall also enjoy the privilege of nominating guests for invitation to social functions.
Honorary Members
Refer to Rule 12
(a) Any person not resident in, but visiting Fiji may, with the approval of a Flag Officer or the Secretary, become an Honorary Member of the club for any period not exceeding one month and without any payment of any fee. The Secretary may, with the approval of a Flag Officer, extend the honorary membership of such an Honorary Member for a further period not exceeding four months and on payment in advance monthly one twelfth of the normal current subscription and nomination fee.
(b) Any person resident in Fiji at a place more than 75 kilometers distant from the Club House, or a person newly arrived in Fiji, may, with the approval of a Flag Officer or the Secretary become an Honorary Member as in Rule 12 (a)
(c) Upon satisfactory proof being given that a person is on a temporary transfer to Suva from any place within Fiji, and upon payment in advance monthly of the fee required by Rule 12 (a), the Committee may grant such person honorary membership for a period not exceeding six months.
Supernumerary Members
Refer to Rule 13
(a) Any financial Member of two or more years standing who leaves Fiji to reside in some place overseas may, on written application to the Secretary, be placed on the list of Supernumerary Members.
(b) On returning to Fiji to reside a Supernumerary Member may apply to resume his/her class of membership on the payment of the annual subscription or proportion thereof, as the case may be.
Life Members
Refer to Rule 14
(a) On the recommendation of the Committee, members at a general meeting may elect a member a Life Member in recognition of outstanding services to the Club.
(b) A Life Member shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of a Full Member for Life and shall not be liable for payment of annual subscriptions.
(c) The Committee may, by a unanimous vote of the whole Committee, elect as a permanent Honorary Member without payment of any fee a yachtsman of international reputation who is living overseas; provided that such Honorary Membership shall only be effective whilst such honorary member is ordinarily resident overseas.
Former Members
Refer to Rule 15
(a) Any member who has resigned and who leaves or has left Suva to reside in some place overseas, and who was a financial member when he/she left, and who has not elected to become a Supernumerary member, and any former financial member who has voluntarily retired from the Club, may apply to resume his/her former class of Membership by paying the annual subscription fee and as entrance fee, such sum as together with the entrance fee previously paid by him/her, will make up the entrance fee payable at the time he/she resumes membership.
(b) Any such former member who is residing overseas may become a Supernumerary Member by paying the annual subscription for a Supernumerary Member and any additional entrance fee as described in paragraph (a) of this Rule.
Transfer To Another Class Of Membership
Refer to Rule 16
(a) A Junior Member ceases to be eligible for the status on the 1st January next after the date he/she attains the age of 18 years. If such a member desires to retain membership of the Club he must apply to the Committee in writing to be transferred to the list of Associate Members, or, if eligible, and he/she so desires to the list of Full Members.
(b) After an Associate Member becomes eligible for Full Membership, he/she may, if he so desires, apply to the Committee in writing to be transferred to the list of Full Members.
(c) A Full Member may, if he/she so desires, be transferred to the list of Associate Members on application to the Committee in writing.
(d) If the Committee is satisfied that an applicant for another class of membership has the qualification prescribed by these Rules for the class of membership to which he has made application to be transferred, the Committee shall transfer such applicant accordingly.
Submission to Rules and By-Laws
A member on payment of his subscription becomes entitled to the benefits and certain specified privileges of the Club, therefore such payments shall be deemed as declaration of his/her submission to the Rules and By-Laws of the Club and to the obligations and liabilities imposed there-under.
