Articles
Club Rules
Club Rules & Regulations
1. Name;
The Suzuki Owners Club was formed in Manchester in 1973 and will be hereinafter known as the “Club”.
2. Objectives;
The object of the Club shall be the promotion of such diverse motorcycling activities deemed appropriate by the membership, with particular emphasis towards owners of Suzuki motorcycles. All profits incurred from Club activities shall be used to provide increased facilities and benefits for the Club members.
3. Membership;
Any person is eligible for membership subject to the discretion of the National Committee, except those that have been expelled from the club under Rule 11
Each membership (single or family) will receive one club magazine and full use of the Club facilities.
The majority of members present at a National Committee meeting shall determine membership fees from time to time, subject to acceptance by the membership at the next Annual General Meeting
Membership fees are payable on or before the due date. After this date the member shall forfeit all benefits and rights of membership. Junior membership is free to full member’s children who are under 18 years of age.
Every member shall receive a membership card and may be asked to produce it when claiming entitlement to Club facilities
Upon a member having had twenty years continuous membership, they will, at the discretion of the National Committee be granted a “life” membership to the club
4. Management;
The Club shall be governed by a committee elected at the AGM of the club and shall consist of at least the following officers; Chairperson, National Secretary, Treasurer and Memberships Secretary. Other committee posts may be created or dissolved at the discretion of the National committee.
All committee posts shall be subject to re-election bi-annually at the Club AGM. Casual vacancies may be filled until the AGM and extra members may be co-opted at the discretion of the National Committee. All committee posts shall be of two-year duration or until the next AGM, whichever is sooner?
To allow continuity, 50% of the National Committee will be elected/re-elected at each AGM; starting with the 2003 AGM and the current officers concerned will be as follows;
Chairman, Webmaster, Regalia officer, Events Co-ordinator, Shows Co-ordinator (South), Public Relations officer and Technical officer.
The following year the remaining committee members will stand for election/re-election, these being currently; National Secretary, Vice Chairman, Editor, Riders Rights, Membership Secretary, Shows Co-ordinator (North) and Treasurer. Any additional National Committee post holders would be allocated to whichever half of the committee happens to be due for election at the first AGM after the National Committee has created the post.
All officers on both National & Centre Committees must be in possession of a valid membership card. In the event of an officer failing to renew their membership their post shall automatically fall vacant. Only current full members may vote at the election of officers.
5. Election of the club president;
A new club President can be elected at any AGM.
6. Meetings;
There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Suzuki Owners Club in the autumn of each year on a date decided by the National Committee. A period of at least 50 weeks and no more than 54 weeks should elapse between Annual General Meetings.
The purpose of the meeting shall be to;
Ø Receive officers reports for the previous year
Ø Elect club officers & the President (if appropriate) for the maximum period allowed
Ø Discuss and vote upon (if required) any proposals
Ø Discuss any Emergency motions (subject to the conditions mentioned below)
Ø Discuss any other business, at the Chairpersons discretion
A full member is entitled to vote and advance motions at the Annual General Meeting of the club, a full member being someone in possession of a valid membership card and at least 18 years old
Nominations for the Annual General Meeting must be submitted in writing and include the member and seconders names, signatures and membership numbers and must reach the National Secretary no later than the date stated on the nomination form for the Annual General Meeting of the year in question; This is to allow for postal voting (if required) and allows time for nominees to be published in the club magazine in good time for members to send in voting slips should there be more than one nominee for a post
All proposals must reach the National Secretary no later than one week prior to cut-off date for publishing the last Hustler that will get to the membership prior to the AGM date to allow them to be published in the club magazine so the membership can see what has been proposed
No proposals or nominations will be accepted from the floor, if any member has anything that they wish to be tabled at the Annual General Meeting and it is after the above-mentioned cut-off date they must submit it in writing with all accompanying paperwork or documentary evidence to the club chairman no later than seven days prior to the meeting and its inclusion under the Emergency Motions topic is entirely at the discretion of the chairman.
Other national meetings may be called either by the National Committee, a centre committee, or not less than ten members by written request to the National Secretary who shall arrange a meeting within six weeks of receiving the request.
In the event of the National Committee failing to organise a meeting within six weeks of the request from members, a minimum of 25 members may call an Extraordinary General Meeting, which may elect a new National Committee. Notice of an AGM shall be circulated giving adequate notice and all relevant details.
Notice of a National Committee meeting shall be given by the National Secretary to all centre secretaries as soon as arrangements are finalised.
Notice of an EGM shall be advertised in the motorcycling press, giving at least four weeks notice. Expenses incurred in calling an EGM may be refunded after the meeting
Unless otherwise agreed, a quorum of any committee shall be sixty percent of the total number of that committee. A quorum of the National Committee shall be five officers.
All members may attend a meeting of the National Committee and put forward points for discussion by the National Committee, but they are not allowed to take part in any vote that may be required. All members must inform the National Secretary of their wish to attend in advance of the meeting in question
7. Local Meetings;
The National Committee may authorise the establishment of local centres. Each centre shall elect a committee of at least three officers, one of who must be appointed as centre secretary. The centre secretary shall undertake to communicate with the National Committee on any matters within the local centre that may be of importance or interest to the National Committee.
The centre committee shall supervise the running of the local centre and shall be sub-ordinate to the National Committee.
Financial assistance may be given to a centre in the early life of its formation in the form of a bank draft/cheque for an amount decided on by the National Committee.
The payment of this sum shall be approved at a National Committee meeting. Each respective centre must be financially self-sufficient and must not undertake any expenditure beyond its immediate resources without first consulting with the National Committee.
Local Centres may not issue their own cards, documents or logos without the specific approval of the National Committee.
8. Events;
Club Centres or members shall not organise any events in the name of the ‘Suzuki Owners Club’, which involve racing, pace making or speed competitions. Members may organise runs to such events, provided they are not involved in the organisation of such events
Members running an event under the name of the club in which significant finances are involved, i.e. a rally, must notify the National Committee, and supply accounts for said event to the treasurer if requested. Such request will be dependant upon the size/finances involved. Any member running such an event should carry out a risk assessment for the said event, a copy of which must be supplied to the National Secretary to be kept on file.
Members shall not run an event for private profit or attempt to pass that event off as a club event, unless the club National Committee grants official recognition of the same. Any member doing so shall be liable to expulsion from membership by the National Committee.
Members engaged in the promotion of such an event shall not in any way trade on the clubs reputation when dealing with customers or suppliers. Any member doing so shall be liable to expulsion from membership by the National Committee.
9. Regalia and Titles.
All emblems designed by or on behalf of the Club are subject to copyright and may only be used as directed by the National Committee. Regalia bearing the legend "Suzuki Owners Club" may only be produced by agents on behalf of the Club.
10. Affiliation to other Organisations.
The Club shall be affiliated to other organisations as decided at the AGM; Club members shall abide by any rules required by the organisation to which the Club is affiliated. In addition, local centres may be affiliated to any local or national motorcycling organisation and shall abide by regulations associated with that affiliation.
11. Expulsion.
Any member who, in the opinion of a local centre committee or the National Committee, brings the club into disrepute or is undesirable may be suspended pending a full investigation into the incident/actions. If after the investigation the member is found to be guilty of named incidents/actions they will be expelled from the club but have the right to an appeal with any new evidence they have at the next National Committee meeting.
If the member is found to be innocent after a full investigation into incidents/actions, then they will be re-instated & any membership time lost will be added onto the member’s expiry date.
12. Dissolution.
Dissolution of the club will only be achieved by the resolution of at least seventy five percent of the members present at a meeting called solely for that purpose. The National Secretary shall give one-month notice of such a meeting to all members. The dissolution to become effective after all debts and liabilities incurred in the clubs name have been discharged. Any remaining funds and assets to be realised and disposed of in accordance with the wishes of the members at the aforementioned meeting
13. Alterations to the rules.
The National Committee may issue temporary modifications to rules 1 to 11 to stand until the next AGM.
The National Committee
Suzuki Owners Club
Welcome to the SOC forum!
Forum Rules.
The Official SOC forums are a place for active members to engage in constructive discussions about biking. As part of creating a friendly and supportive community, we strive to maintain a level of civility and politeness. Please remember to give other posters the benefit of the doubt. Studies have shown that about 90% of ‘communication’ (body language, eye contact, tone) when using text to communicate, so a post may be misinterpreted.
Keep in mind that the original poster might not have intended their post to come across the way it did. This approach will go a long way towards fostering a pleasant, welcoming community.
You must have an active forum or membership account to post on these forums. Your forum account is linked to your membership. You are responsible for adhering to the forum rules of conduct. If your forum posting privileges are suspended or banned, your membership will be reviewed and may be subject to further action.
Due to the real-time nature of the forums, we cannot monitor the content of every post. If you find a post that you feel is inappropriate and requires community review, please report the post.
The rules listed here are not all-inclusive, and are subject to change without notice. These forums have a zero tolerance policy.
You are responsible for what is contained in your post, no one else is.
Immediate suspension or banning can occur for any reason the Web Team determines is appropriate in its sole discretion, including violation of any of the following rules:
1. Do not post: (i) pornography; remarks which are sexually explicit, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, obscene, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive; (ii) obscene or vulgar language; derogatory comments based on sexual orientation; (iii) information that encourages or illustrates illegal activity; or (iv) links to sites that contain any of the aforementioned.
2. Do not troll or flame other posters. Attacking and insulting each other is not conducive to a productive, constructive discussion. Attacks against moderators publicly in the forums or privately via PM, are not allowed. Disagreement is a part of discussion, but there is no reason to be hostile.
3. Do not use profanity. Do not link to websites, post images or screenshots that contain profanity. Do not attempt to circumvent the profanity filter.
4. Do not make “call out” posts to target anyone , single out members for ridicule or point out actions or behaviours, please report posts. Repeatedly targeting another person will be considered ongoing harassment and will not be tolerated.
5. Do not derail other people’s threads. If you want to discuss something unrelated to the topic indicated by the title of the thread, search to see if there is already a thread discussing your topic before creating a separate thread.
6. If you have a suggestion, concern or complaint, you may make a constructive post to bring it to light and promote discussion. Use the Suggestion Box to discuss ideas for improvements. Be advised that no matter how valid your feedback may be, posts will be moderated according to the forum rules.
7. Do not make non-constructive posts. These include but are not limited to: creating flaming threads /bumping threads, picture threads (Please use the Gallery for pictures and make reference in the post to album/picture), rant posts and demands for answers from the NC. “Goodbye” posts will be moderated on a case-by-case basis.
8. Do not post more than two (2) pictures in any discussion thread, any thread that exceeds this will be moderated and the pictures deleted.
9. Do not make petition threads, or inspire others to do so. Do not encourage, promote, endorse, or incite legal action against others. Discussion of on-going legal matters involving members or SOC is not permitted.
10. Do not post conspiracy threads, or information that is inaccurate, false, or misleading.
11. Do not attempt to impersonate NC or moderators. Additionally, “moderator notified,” and “post reported,” posts are not constructive and do not add to the discussion.
12. Do not respond to or quote posts that violate these rules. Quoting a post that is in clear violation of these rules will result in your post being removed with the post you are replying to. If you feel that a post is in violation of these rules, please report it.
13. Do not engage in thread necromancy. If a topic has languished for more than a few weeks, create a new thread and link back to the old post if necessary for reference.
14. Do not cross-post or spam the forums. As a courtesy to others before beginning a new thread, please use the search feature to see if an active thread on that topic has already been established. If so, place your comments there instead (as long as it doesn’t constitute thread necromancy). Multiple threads on the same topic divide the discussion and create a disparate communication path.
15. Do not “sock-puppet,” proxy post, or use another account to evade a forum suspension or ban. Using a second account to avoid a forum suspension may result in action against both the original account and the second account.
16. Do not post your own personal details or those of other members. Respect the privacy of others and maintain your account's security by not providing personal information such as full names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, profiles from Facebook or Linkedin, etc.
17. Full Club members only may, free of charge, privately advertise bike related advertisements for parts, accessories, clothing & motorcycles etc. For Sale or Wanted. You can e-mail your advert to the web team. Please include your name, membership number with your advertisement otherwise we will not be able to process your advert. This is not for use by Dealers.
18. You may post signature pictures, videos, audio clips and other images by linking them from external image hosting sites, provided that they do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any party. For example, do not post copyrighted images or other content that you do not have rights to. Forum rules apply to all media posted.
19. The SOC forum is primarily for discussion of SOC and biking related matters. Some examples of topics for which discussion is prohibited include, but are not limited to:
• Political discussion
• Religious discussion
• Inappropriate discussion as defined in Rule 1
• Real-world topics including current world events and sensitive historical events
20. You may have a signature, but it will be subject to the forum rules. Additionally, signature images are to be no larger than 500 pixels wide by 150 pixels tall. If you use a signature image, you may have no more than 2 lines of text in addition to the image.
21. Do not repost material a moderator has removed, or repost a topic/post that has been deleted. Do not edit or change a moderated post. If you do not understand why your post was edited or removed, you can PM a moderator to ask.
22. Do not post about forum moderation decisions. If you have a complaint or concern about a forum moderation decision, you may PM a moderator or member of the web team to inquire about it. Appeals against forum moderation decisions will be considered. While it may seem like there is always someone doing something worse, this does not make minor violations any less valid. We enforce all aspects of the Forum Rules.
Harassing the web team about punishments is not allowed. The web team are only trying to do their job, and many times they have to make difficult decisions.
23. There are no excuses for breaking the rules. It doesn't matter if you were angry at the time and weren't thinking straight. It doesn't matter if you were only kidding around. If you break a rule, it does the same damage, regardless of your reasons for breaking it, and you will be punished all the same.
24. Infractions:
If you are found breaking any of the rules as stated above. you will, depending on the severity of the infringement be:
• Given a "Yellow Card"
o 3 Yellow cards within a 3 month period will result in a "Red Card" and a 30 day ban from the forum
o 6 Yellow cards within a 3 month period will result in a 1 year ban from the forum
• Given a "Red Card"
o This will result in a 30 day ban from the forum
o a further "Red Card" will result in a 1 year ban from the forum
• Banned Permanently.
§ Repeated infractions can lead to the use of the club disciplinary procedure and invoke club rules.
§ A serious breach of policy may, if you are club member, result with expulsion from the club by deferring to the club rules.
The web team reserve the right to remove any threads and messages that are excessively critical of the SOC.
About The Law
Here are a couple of points which relate to the law. If anything you post is illegal (defamatory, for example), condones illegal activities (such as recommending drug taking) or infringes the copyright of a third party (content that you haven't written, in other words), then it has to be removed.
The Suzuki Owners Club have full legal ownership and copyright of the website and forum. NO club or forum members are allowed to provide direct links from the SOC website and forum to any other internet website and/or forum. This is in serious breach of copyright and could have potential security issues for the club. Any club or forum member found to be linking direct from the site will be given a red card and banned for one month. If the offence is then repeated then a further red card will be given and a one year ban.
About Your Privacy
We will not publish or provide your e-mail address to anyone, unless it is in the interests of public safety to do so. Our registration process requires you to supply us with your e-mail details, but we will only use this information to validate your access to this message board system.
Guest accounts which are not used for more than six months will be deleted. We reserve the right to capture your IP address at registration and on each subsequent login. This information can then be used to trace/block you if you break the rules.
If you feel that you have been banned from these message boards in error:
Please contact the Web Team: socwebteam@rocketmail.com">socwebteam@rocketmail.com
The forum rules are in place to protect club/forum members and the club.
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy outlines how Suzuki Owners Club ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your data when you use our website, https://suzukiownersclub.co.uk (the "Website"). We prioritize the privacy of our members and take your data protection seriously.
Definitions
- Data: Any information provided by you or collected by us through the Website.
- Data Protection Laws: Any applicable law regarding the processing of personal data, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- User/You: Anyone accessing the Website who is not an employee, consultant, or service provider of Suzuki Owners Club.
Scope of this Policy
This policy only applies to the Suzuki Owners Club and its Website. Links to external websites, including social media, are not covered under this policy. For these, please refer to their respective privacy policies.
Data Collection
We collect data in two ways:
- Data You Provide Directly: When you contact us, register for membership, or interact through email or phone.
- Data Collected Automatically: When you visit our Website, we gather data such as IP addresses, visit frequency, and navigation habits. This helps us improve Website functionality and user experience.
Use of Data
We may use your data to:
- Maintain internal records.
- Enhance your experience with the Website and improve service delivery.
If you have concerns, you may object to data processing under certain circumstances (see "Your Rights" below).
Data Sharing
We may share your data with employees, agents, and professional advisors as needed to manage accounts, membership cards, forum access, and club updates.
Data Security
We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your data. Access to your account is password-protected, and all data is stored on secure servers. Suzuki Owners Club is ISO 27001 certified, demonstrating our commitment to data security.
If you suspect misuse, please contact us at scarr7@ymail.com.
Data Retention
We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined here or as legally required. Data may remain on backup systems for regulatory reasons.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access, update, or delete your data.
- Correct any inaccuracies.
- Restrict or object to processing.
- Request data portability.
Contact us at scarr7@ymail.com to exercise these rights. If you feel your data complaint wasn’t resolved, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/.
Links to Other Websites
Our Website may include links to external sites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these websites.
Business Changes
If Suzuki Owners Club undergoes any ownership change or restructuring, your data may be transferred to the new owner under the same Privacy Policy terms.
Policy Changes
We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy as necessary. Any changes will be posted on the Website, and continued use of the Website signifies acceptance.
Contact Us
For any questions, please contact us at scarr7@ymail.com.
