1. The club shall be called "Sunstar Sub Aqua" or Sunstar for short.

2. Objectives: The objectives of Sunstar Sub-Aqua are to promote a wide range of safe sub-aqua diving activities in a manner consistent with the Sunstar Objectives and Equity Statement; to organise a training programme in accordance with BSAC methods; and to foster other supporting activities such as social and fund-raising events.

3. Sunstar has the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and the Adastral Park Leisure and Sports (ATLAS) as its parent bodies and agrees to abide by and comply with the constitutions rules and mandatory clauses of the parent bodies. Members must also comply with the current club Diving Rules and Boat Rules, as determined by the Diving Sub-Committee.

4(i) Sunstar Membership shall be open to all persons on payment of the appropriate subscription.

4(ii)The committee will consider all applications for membership. The committee may reject any application for membership.

5. The seven classes of membership are described below along with a non-membership category of Guest.

5(i) Full Membership.
This will cover the majority of members and allows for the full range of diving activities.  The BSAC full or abated diving membership fee must also be paid, or evidence of current BSAC membership produced to the satisfaction of the Sunstar Membership Secretary.
Full members are entitled to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(ii) Snorkelling Membership (excludes SCUBA training and open water diving)
This covers members who wish to confine their club activities to snorkelling and/or Octopush. Club fees will be two-thirds of the current Full Membership fee, plus the current BSAC Snorkelling Membership fee, plus the ATLAS payment. Use of Aqualung equipment is not allowed (except for when a Snorkelling member is, as a Guest, taking part in a Try-Dive; see section 5(vi) below.
Snorkelling members are entitled to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(iii) Non-resident membership, allowing access to club facilities for visiting BSAC members not permanently resident in East Anglia (e.g. summer students at Adastral Park), to be offered for one half the annual club fee for a period not greater than 6 months.
There is no entitlement to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(iv) Day Membership for visitors.
Suitably qualified visitors may dive with the club on payment of a daily fee equal to the current boat fee.  In addition to this normal boat fees and running charges will apply.
There is no entitlement to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(v) Honorary Membership
This can only be conferred by the Voting Committee and is likely to be carried out only rarely. The Voting Committee is also empowered to revoke Honorary Membership. Annual Sunstar membership (but not boat) fees are waived. Honorary members who wish to dive with the club must pay the current BSAC membership fee to ensure that they are properly insured.
There is no entitlement to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(vi): Family abated membership:
Diving members may pay an additional subscription to enable partners and dependent children under 18 years of age to make use of the club's pool facilities. Family abated members shall join the BSAC. Abated family members shall not be entitled to make use of the clubs SCUBA or boat equipment.
There is no entitlement to vote at the Annual or other General Meetings.

5(vii) Social Membership
This covers members who do not dive with the club but wish to keep in touch with the club's activities. It entitles them to receive copies of the newsletter, be on any "internal" e-mail circulation lists, attend club nights and all social events. It also entitles them to the non-diving discounts enjoyed by members on club holidays or expeditions. It does not entitle them to take part in any club dives, use the pool on club nights, or make use of the club's SCUBA, transport or boat equipment.
Social members are not entitled to vote at Annual or General meetings on diving related matters (eg Election of the Diving Officer, the Training Officer or Boat Fees). They may vote on all other matters (eg Election of Chairman, Treasurer, etc).

5(viii) Guests
May use the pool facilities and need not be Sunstar or BSAC members.  Guests are defined as people attending for no more than two pool visits in either of the following categories:
- for Try-Dive sessions (which may include the use of aqualungs).
- people attending for purpose of swimming or snorkelling that have been invited by a current member.  This member will be responsible for the guest(s) (Use of Aqualung equipment and playing of Octopush by such guests is not allowed unless the guest is a current BSAC member.)

6(i) The annual membership fees shall be due on 1st January, the common renewal date (CRD). New members joining at any other time shall pay a pro rata payment up to the CRD of the combined BSAC & Sunstar & ATLAS annual fee. At the CRD renewal date a full year's membership will be due.

6(ii) Members who pay their annual fee within 30 days of the common renewal date will receive a discount as agreed at the AGM

6(iii) Members may elect to pay their subscriptions by Standing Order. Standing Orders will not be eligible for the Sunstar discount fee.

7(i) Sunstar Full Members who are not members of the Adastral Park Leisure and Sports (ATLAS) shall pay a levy equal to the current ATLAS full annual subscription. This levy shall fall due at the same time as the Sunstar membership fee.

7(ii) Sunstar Snorkelling Members & Non-resident members who are not members of the Adastral Park Leisure and Sports (ATLAS) shall pay a levy equal to 1/4 the current ATLAS full annual subscription. This levy shall fall due at the same time as the Sunstar membership fee.

7(iii) Sunstar Social members are not required to pay a levy to the Adastral Park Leisure and Sports (ATLAS).

8(i) The annual Sunstar membership fee and additional Sunstar charges (such as Minibus fees and Boat fees) shall be discounted by 35% for those on low incomes.  To qualify for the discount the member (or in the case of under 18's their parent/guardian) must fall into one of the following categories:

Be in receipt of:

• Job Seekers Allowance (contributory)
• State Retirement Pension
• Pensioner Credit
• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance Care Component
• Carers Allowance

8(ii) Full diving members under the age of 16 shall be eligible for a discount of 35% on the Sunstar membership fee and additional Sunstar charges (such as Minibus and Boat fees).

8(iii) Full diving members under the age of 18 shall be eligible for a discount of 35% on the Sunstar membership fee provided that:

• They are in full time education.
• At least one of their parents is a full diving member of Sunstar.

9(i) The Committee shall hold and administer for the benefit of the membership all funds, equipment and property owned by the Branch.

9(ii) The roles of the committee members are described in the Sunstar job descriptions file.

9(iii) The Voting Committee of the club shall comprise the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Diving Officer, Training Officer, Boat Officer, Equipment Officer, Social Secretary, New Members Representative, Communications Officer, Expeditions Officer and Minibus Officer. All to be elected annually at the AGM.

9(iv) No officer shall hold the same post for more than 3 consecutive years; no officer shall hold the post of New Members Representative for more than 1 year and must have started BSAC training no more than 2 years previously.

9(v) Up to 2 more club members can be co-opted onto the Voting Committee. Decisions will be taken by simple majority voting.

9(vi) The Voting Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy amongst the Officers of the Branch or amongst the rest of the Voting Committee  membership and any person newly appointed to the Voting Committee to fill such vacancy shall become a full voting member thereof.

10(i) The quorum of a Voting Committee meeting shall be the Chairman or Secretary or Treasurer, plus at least four other Voting Committee Members.

10(ii) The Chairman will be impartial at Committee meetings and may only vote if the Committee is unable to make a majority decision.

10(iii) A committee member may nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf at a committee meeting or they may cast their vote by email to the committee-list or by post to the Chairman.

11(i) There will be a Diving Sub-Committee, chaired by the Diving Officer, which will advise the Voting Committee on diving safety and all aspects of training.

11(ii) The Diving Sub-Committee will consist of the Diving Officer, Training Officer, and anyone else the Diving Officer feels can make a positive contribution.

12. The Diving Sub-Committee (DSC) has the authority to suspend any member who in the opinion of the DSC has behaved in such a way as to jeopardise the safe conduct of club diving operations. Any member so suspended may appeal to the Voting Committee whose decision will be final.

13(i) The AGM shall be held between 1st October and 31st December each year and at least two weeks notice given to members.

13(ii) The Notice shall identify those members of the Committee who are standing again and shall request nominations for Officers and the Committee in large.  Committee members standing again shall be deemed to have been nominated and seconded by the committee

13(iii) Amendments to rules and any other motions should reach the secretary at least seven days before the AGM. Modifications may be made to a motion at the AGM subject to approval from both the original proposer of the motion and the chairman of the AGM.

13(iv) Nominations for club officers may be made to the secretary at any time up to the AGM or may be made at the AGM under the appropriate agenda item.

13(v) The financial year shall run between consecutive AGMs.

13(vi) The quorum of an AGM or other General Meeting shall be 10 members or 15% of the membership whichever is the greater.

14.  Membership and boat fees will be agreed at each AGM and may otherwise only be varied at a General Meeting by a two-thirds majority of votes cast.  All other fees will be agreed at a meeting of the Voting Committee.

15.  Other General Meetings can be called at any time by the Voting Committee or by application of at least 25% of existing members to the Voting Committee, which must give at least 2 weeks notice of the meeting and its purpose to members.

16. Decisions at General Meetings will be taken by a simple majority of votes cast except where specified elsewhere in these rules. Votes may be cast by proxy; an attending member may hold the proxy for one member and must have written details of the conditions under which the proxy is to be used.

17.  Sunstar may only be dissolved at a General Meeting at which at least 2 weeks notice has also been given of the opportunity to lodge a postal vote. A two-thirds majority of votes cast will be needed to wind up the club. Should the club be wound up any net assets will be distributed as fairly as possible amongst existing members as decided at the same or a subsequent General Meeting. All assets, whether or not still fit for purpose or use, which have been obtained by means of a grant, either in part or whole, must be disposed of with the agreement of the grant giving body or it's successors

18.  Amendments to these constitutions can only be effected at a General Meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and eligible to vote.

19. Detailed policy decisions affecting the day to day running of the club and agreed in committee meetings will be recorded in the Committee Policy Decisions document.  This document will be reviewed  at least annually prior to he AGM and made available to all members

20(i) Members of Sunstar Sub Aqua shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner that does not bring the club into disrepute or cause serious offence to other club members. This is codified in the published "Code of Conduct" that all members agree to when renewing their membership.

20(ii) Members who fail to comply with rule 20(i) may have membership privileges temporarily or permanently suspended by a 2/3rds majority of the full committee.

20(iii) Any member suspended under 20(ii) has the right to appeal to a General Meeting of Sunstar.

20(iv) Refund of any Sunstar subscriptions is at the discretion of a 2/3rds majority of the full committee.

21. Adopted on behalf of the club at the AGM by

Chairman:	John Cook	____________________	date  15th November 2007
Secretary:	Pete Young	____________________	date  15th November 2007
Treasurer:	Chris Hall	____________________	date  15th November 2007

Issue Dated 12th December 1998 changes accepted at club AGM 27th November 1998.  Jonathan Legh-Smith

Issue Dated 12th December 1999 changes made to  rule 8 accepted at AGM 24th November 1999

Issue dated 25th November 2000 changes accepted  at AGM Wednesday 22nd November- changes include name change, change to rule 5.ii, 5.vii, 6, 9, 17,  added  rule 19, 20

Issue dated 17th May 2001, social membership class added in section 5(viii) at SGM 9th April 2001

Issue dated 28th November 2001, numerous changes as specified in the AGM motions 2001 to align with BSAC recommendations and remove discount for standing order payments and replace records office with minibus officer.

Issue dated 27th November 2002, modifications as specified in the AGM motions 2002 to para. 6(iii) to reduce SO as specified in the Policy Document to 9 months and additional para. 10(iii)

Issue dated 29th November 2003, modifications as specified in the AGM motions 2003: Rewording of section 5 for clarity, introduction of section 8 (discounts).

Issue dated 25th November 2004, New Members representative removed from the diving sub-committee.

Issue dated 17th November 2006, New discount category 8(iii) added.

Issue dated 15th November 2007, Section 2 (Ojectives) and Section 20 (Discipline) added. Minor rewording.