TIDEWAY SCULLERS SCHOOL (the “Club”)

RULES

(Adopted 12th April 2022)

1 Water Safety

(a) All members of the Club and other persons using a Club boat or launch or launching a privately owned boat from Club premises shall be familiar with and shall observe:

(i) All applicable requirements and recommendations of British Rowing, and in particular “Rowsafe - a guide to good practice in rowing”;

(ii) The requirements of the PLA's Code of Practice for Rowing on the Tideway and its accompanying Map/Chart;

(iii) The requirements of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGS) to the extent that these are applicable below the Bishop’s Park Steps (just above Putney Bridge on the Fulham side) and above the Syon Crossing, up to Teddington Lock; and

(iv) The Club’s safety rules, and the specific rules for Junior members, issued by the Club’s Water Safety Adviser (“CWSA”) and available on the Club’s website from time to time.

(b) The Executive Committee (the “Committee”) shall appoint a CWSA at all times.

2 Use of Boats and Launches

(a) No Club boats or launches are to be used without the permission of the Captain or his/her deputies. Only members of TSS are permitted to use club equipment.

(b) No boat, whether Club or privately owned, is to be launched from the slipway adjacent to the Club premises:

(i) Unless it bears a British Rowing approved three letter Club Code plus three digit number identification in compliance with the British Rowing Rule which has been accepted as an acceptable alternative to a name under the PLA requirements;

(ii) If the Captain, WSA or other Captain’s deputies have imposed a general prohibition on boating because of river or visibility conditions;

(iii) If any member of its crew is unable to swim the distance prescribed by British Rowing;

(iv) Unless, in the case of a coxed boat, the cox is wearing a life jacket;

(v) Unless the boat has a bow ball fitted; and

(vi) If being a privately owned boat it is not insured for third party risks for at least £2 million.

(d) The driver of and any passengers in launches must wear life jackets whilst on the water.

(e) Members boating after nightfall and at all other times of restricted visibility must ensure that the boats/launches carry proper lights in compliance with the Code of Practice for the Tideway which, inter alia, requires the lights to be visible for 360 degrees (180 at the front and 180 at the back) for a MINIMUM distance of 800m in the conditions prevailing. Members should note the requirement for the light to be equally bright at 90 degrees to the line of the boat. If more stringent lighting requirements are notified by the Captain or WSA then members shall observe such requirements.

(f) Members wishing to take out a guest using TSS club equipment must first gain permission from the Captain. No boat may contain more than 50% guest crew. Only TSS members are permitted to steer a boat.

(g) The Executive reserves the right to insist that guests take out temporary or full membership of TSS.

3 Conduct

(a) It is incumbent upon all members and other users of the Club and its facilities to comply with all policies and guidelines of British Rowing, from time to time, including in particular those relating to conduct and welfare which includes British Rowing’s Anti-Bullying Policy, Codes of Conduct 2016, Anti-Doping Rules, Rules of Racing, Safeguarding and Protecting Children Policy and Transgender & Transsexual Policy. If there is a discrepancy between the Club Rules and British Rowing Rules and Policies, British Rowing’s take precedence.

(b) So to summarise some of British Rowing’s specific provisions, everyone who participates in rowing, and particularly members and other Club users:

(i) are entitled to do so in a safe and enjoyable environment;

(ii) are entitled to be treated with respect and courtesy;

(iii) are entitled to participate free from the threat of abuse, and not be subject to the humiliation, shame or insult of having to endure abuse, including verbal abuse, bullying, neglect or physical abuse and to be able to enjoy an environment free of sexual harassment and sexual abuse and not to be exploited;

(iv) are entitled to enjoy an environment free of discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, colour, disability, sexuality, age, marital status, occupation or political opinion;

(v) must not take banned substances, as all rowers have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. The use of drugs may be illegal and this and other doping behaviour severely damages the legitimacy of sport and undermines the integrity of clean rowers; and

(vi) must act in a sportsmanlike way during training and competition, including treating other competitors, coaches, other water users and officials of the clubs, competitions and events with respect, avoiding swearing at or shouting at others and not threatening or engaging in acts of verbal or physical abuse or other types of abuse.

(c) Anyone deemed by the Committee to be (i) contravening any of the provisions referred to in Rule 3(b) above; and/or (ii) taking any other action which could be seen to be harming the Club or its reputation, may be in breach of these Rules and such breach or breaches may be conduct which “brings or is likely to bring the Club or the sport of rowing and sculling into disrepute” in accordance with Section 14(c) of the Club’s Constitution which could result in a fine or suspension of membership or, following a disciplinary hearing, resignation or expulsion.

(d) The Committee has resolved to be very firm in ending abuse and negligence in using the Club’s facilities, boats and equipment, in the interests of the majority of the Club’s members, who want the Club to thrive and who care about waste and damage.

(e) All members should respect the Club and its heritage. It is an honour to be elected as a member of the Club, not merely a financial transaction. With membership should come a sense of pride with the necessary responsibility, ownership and discipline to contribute to the rowing/sculling community.

4 Dress

(a) All members of a crew and scullers shall wear shorts and a vest or an all-in-one or the equivalent, as a minimum, when on the water.

(b) When competing for the Club, all members of a crew and scullers shall wear the Club racing strip.

(c) No item of Club racing strip shall bear any sponsor’s name or logo without the consent of the Committee. See Rule 23: Sponsorship

5 Use of Private Boats

No member shall use a private boat or private equipment without the consent of its owner.

6 Crews going out alone

The club’s advice is that adult single scullers should go out in pairs for safety. If sculling alone it is good practice to ensure someone knows you are out and your expected time of return and to take a mobile phone with you in the boat. Juniors must be with a coach as set out in the Junior rules. Junior status, according to British Rowing, lasts until 1st September after your 18th birthday.

7 Housing of Boats and Launches

(a) Every member, on landing from a Club boat, shall assist in housing such boat, oars and other equipment thereof.

(b) Boats allocated to Club crews shall be washed after each outing and shall be kept clean and in a racing condition by the crew. See Rule 11: Damage Reporting.

(c) All Club boats shall be securely tied onto outdoor (including in the Arches) racking (so they do not move/blow away in high winds); this is the personal responsibility of each crew member, not just the cox, coach, steersman, etc. In the event of Club boats being damaged by blowing off the racks or for any other reason, such damage shall be dealt with as provided for at Rule 11(d) below.

(d) It is a member’s personal responsibility to ensure that all doors or gates to any part of the Boat House, Sculling Sheds and/or Arches (together the “Boathouse”) and the bike cage shall be kept locked if unattended when members leave/boat, and to secure all moveable equipment (eg launches) which could be stolen. Outside and indoor doors must not be wedged open under any circumstances unless specifically authorised by a Committee member (eg on race days). The bike shed door must always be kept closed, and not left open at any time.

(e) After Club and private outings all launches, life jackets, kill cords and megaphones must be properly stored inside the Boathouse, with any water on board the launches having first been properly drained. Any petrol cans must be replaced in the petrol store and the key to the petrol store returned to the place allocated therefor by the Committee from time to time.

8 Boat Trailers (“Trailers”)

(a) Trailers may only be used with the permission of the Captain or any person delegated by the Captain or the Committee therefor.

(b) Notwithstanding that the Club or owners of private boats may have insurance cover, all boats loaded and tied on to Trailers are the responsibility of the crew or crews using them at the relevant competition or training event or, in the case of private boats, the owners thereof.

(c) All Trailers returning to the Club MUST have all boats offloaded, re-rigged and returned to their relevant racks within the Boathouse, not more than two days after returning from any competitions/training events.

9 Selection of Crews

(a) Members shall be selected to form crews, both for practice and for competition at public regattas, by the Captain or person(s) to whom he/she delegates.

(b) Members may be selected to train with the Club’s Men’s and Women’s Senior Squads (the “Squads”). The Captain shall determine criteria for membership of the Squads from time to time. If any questions arise as to the selection of a Member for the Squads or a Member’s removal from the Squads, the Captain’s decision shall be final.

(c) Any appointment of coaches shall be effected by the Committee, which has delegated the management of all such coaches to the Captain. No individual Member shall have a right to coaching, and coaches shall not provide coaching to other Members, in each case, save as agreed with or directed by the Captain.

10 Command of Club Crews

(a) The steersman in any Club boat (cox, bow steers and single scullers) is, by maritime law, master of the vessel and shall have command of the crew who must follow his or her instructions.

(b) All users of the Tideway must keep a proper lookout and show consideration for other users.

11 Damage and Incident Reporting

(a) All incidents and/or damage arising from the use of Club boats, launches and/or equipment or from the use of any privately owned boat launched from the Club premises shall be reported by such crew or user to the Captain, the WSA or other person delegated by the Captain for that purpose from time to time. Where such incident or damage arises as a result of a notifiable event, such as a collision, the report should also be made as required by the latest version of Rowsafe, issued by British Rowing. Any such reports, whether to the Captain, WSA, and/or British Rowing, as appropriate, should be made forthwith in writing online and/or on paper.

(b) The report shall contain such particulars as are required by British Rowing, the WSA and as the Committee may from time to time prescribe and/or as may be required by the Club’s insurers.

(d) If determined by the Committee, such crew or user shall be liable (if more than one, jointly and severally) to indemnify the Club against all loss and expense sustained by the Club (including any liability to a third party), which for any reason cannot be recovered from the Club’s insurers, including any excess that may be payable by the Club therefor.

12 Repairs

All repairs needed to Club boats shall be registered in the book or record sheets provided for that purpose immediately following any damage being notified (see Damages Reporting at Rule 11 above) or any crew or user becoming aware of the same.

13 Superintendent of the Boathouse

The Committee may from time to time appoint a Superintendent to superintend the management of the Boathouse and make all necessary arrangements for keeping the boats in a good state of repair and cleanliness and all members shall observe his/her instructions in connection with such matters.

14 Payment of Regatta Fees, Subscriptions and Costs

(a) The expense of conveying boats to regattas and/or training centres and the payment of race or entrance or training centre fees (including where relevant Environment Agency licence fees) shall be paid by the crews competing/training, save where otherwise authorised by the Committee.

(b) Where an individual or crew is entered for a race, and that individual or crew has to scratch as a result of an individual being unable to compete, for whatever reason (a “Scratched Individual”), that Scratched Individual will, in the absolute discretion of the Committee, be liable for all entry fees of the scratched crew. Reasonable efforts will be made to find a substitute (who may, if possible, take on the liability for the entry fee of the Scratched Individual), but in the absence of such substitute, the Scratched Individual shall remain liable for such entry fees.

(c) Members may only enter competitions if they have a credit balance on their Entries Account of at least £50. If a member’s credit balance on his/her Entry Account falls below £50 this must be topped up to £50 immediately. Entries Accounts may ONLY be used for payment of entries to competitions.

(d) Members with joining fees, membership subscriptions and/or racking fees which remain unpaid for one month after the due time for payment thereof, shall not be eligible to enter competitions. Any such fees/ subscriptions still unpaid three months after the due time for payment thereof may lead to that member’s suspension.

15 Storage of Private Boats

(a) Members’ private boats may be kept in the Boathouse at their own risk with the permission of the Committee and subject to payment of the charges therefor set by the Committee. Such charge will remain payable from year to year until notice has been given to the Club Secretary (the “Secretary”) in writing of the date of removal of the boat.

(b) Any member bringing a boat into the Boathouse is responsible for notifying the Secretary of its arrival forthwith with details of the rack on which it is placed and its British Rowing number. See in particular Rules 2(b)(i) and (vi): Use of Boats and Launches. Any boat whose owner/user cannot be identified may be removed without notice.

(c) Any boat for which rack or storage charges have not been paid for more than one year may be taken into the Club fleet or disposed of in whatever manner the Committee thinks fit.

(d) The Secretary must be informed of any temporary removal of a member’s private boat. If a boat is removed from its rack for more than one month without such notification being made to the Secretary, the rack may be reallocated. No credit will be given against racking charges for such temporary absence.

16 Use of Club Room

To keep the Club room at a basic level of comfort:

(a) No ergos or sound system shall be used at any time at weekends before 12:30 pm except in the erg room. All ergos/equipment that have been permitted by the Committee to remain in the Club room must, after use, be wiped clean together with surrounding flooring, and then must be stored in a tidy fashion, in accordance with the Committee’s directions from time to time. All persons using ergos do so at their own risk. See Rule 27: Exclusion of Liability.

(b) No boots/river shoes are to be worn in the Club room.

(c) All crockery and glass in the Club room and the kitchen, as well as all cooking utensils, shall be washed up and properly put away in the bar/kitchen after use, particularly after any private parties.

17 Use of Gym and Ergo Room

(a) All ergos and gym equipment must be wiped clean after use, together with surrounding flooring.

(b) The gym and ergo room shall be kept tidy, particularly after use.

18 Volunteers

(a) The Club has no paid members of staff, other than a cleaner and the coaches, so everyone else who contributes and participates in the life of the Club are volunteers who give their time freely. It is therefore incumbent upon all members and other Club users to clear up after themselves.

(b) It is expected that members will volunteer some of their spare time to improving the Club, helping out with races, working behind the bar, assisting with maintenance and the like.

19 Complaints

Any complaint with regard to the running of the Club shall be addressed by email to the Chairman of the Club, from time to time, and shall be electronically signed by the member(s) making the complaint. The complaint shall be delivered to the Chairman via the email address chairman@tidewayscullers.com

20 Refreshments

No credit shall be given by the Club for members’ purchases in any circumstances.

21 Reimbursement of Expenses

Members may only claim reimbursement of expenses in accordance with such regulations as the Committee may make from time to time.

22 Gratuities

No member shall give any money or gratuity to any of the Club staff, save as may be sanctioned by the Committee.

23 Sponsorship

(a) Neither Members nor any Club squads are allowed to accept any form of sponsorship whatsoever, and in particular, no Club boats or racing strip shall bear any sponsor’s names or logos, without the consent of the Committee. See Rule 4(c): Dress.

(b) Where any Member is or will be connected (whether as employee, director, shareholder, partner, agent, introducer, or the like) to a Club sponsor, or has or will receive any benefit from such sponsor, that fact must be disclosed in writing by such Member to the Committee not less than 7 days prior to such connection being effected or benefit being received. It is then in the Committee’s absolute discretion to approve such connection and/or receipt of benefit and whether any such sponsorship should commence, cease or continue, as the case shall be.

24 Removal of Club Property

No member shall without the consent of a Committee member take away any property of the Club for any purpose whatever.

25 Occasional Overnight Rooms

Members staying at the Club overnight shall abide by such regulations as the Committee may from time to time make with regard to such overnight stays.

26 Fire Precautions

Members shall observe all regulations regarding fire prevention laid down by the Committee, and shall familiarise themselves with the “Actions to be taken in the event of Fire” posted in the Club premises. Members shall not do anything in the Club's premises which may cause a fire or increase the risk of fire, shall keep all passages and staircases clear, and shall not misuse or move fire extinguishers

27 Exclusion of Liability

The Club’s Constitution, at Section 31, excludes liability as follows:

(a) Neither the Club nor Tideway Scullers Trading Limited (the “Company”), nor their respective Officers, Directors, members, servants, agents or subcontractors nor the Club’s Trustees (together “Representatives”) shall be liable to any member or their guests arising under or in connection with any member’s membership and use of the Club or any of its facilities or equipment for any loss or damage or be responsible for the loss of or damage to any articles or property whatsoever brought into or onto the Club’s and/or the Company’s premises by any members or their guests whether or not the same shall have been given into the care of the Company or the Club or their respective Representatives, or whether or not such loss or damage is due to the negligence of the Company or the Club or their respective Representatives. Letters or parcels addressed to members at the Club’s premises are received at the addressee’s own risk.

(b) Nothing in these Rules or the Constitution shall limit or exclude the Club’s or the Company’s liability for:-

(i) death or personal injury caused by their respective negligence or the negligence of their Representatives; or

(ii) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

(c) Neither the Club nor the Company nor any of their Representatives shall under any circumstances whatsoever be liable to any member, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, for any loss of profit, or any indirect or consequential loss arising under or in connection with any member’s membership and use of the Club or any of its facilities or equipment.

(d) Except as set out in this Constitution and the Rules, all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded.

28 Dealings with the Club or the Company

If any Member is or will become in any way directly or indirectly interested in a proposed or existing transaction, arrangement or contract with the Club and/or the Company he or she must disclose the nature and extent of that interest to the Committee in writing as soon as reasonably practicable after the date on which he or she became aware of that interest or that such interest should arise in the future.

2 November 2021

By Order of the Executive Committee