Rules of The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (Verbatim)
RULES Of THE ASSOCIATION OF DUNKIRK LITTLE SHIPS (As amended 7th March, 2025) 1. NAME. The Association shall be known as The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. 2. OBJECTS. To keep alive and preserve for posterity the memory and identity of those ‘Little Ships’ that went to the aid of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940 and took part in Operations Dynamo, Cycle and Aerial and to preserve the “Spirit of Dunkirk” by forming a registered Association of their present day owners and of those closely associated.” To maintain an Association of their present day owners and to encourage the preservation and ownership needed to keep them afloat. To encourage friendship amongst Members by meeting afloat and ashore on a general or regional basis from time to time and at least once in every year. To be non-profit making. In the event of dissolution of the Association losses, including losses and deficiencies of capital, shall be shared equally by the Members, but excess of capital remaining after the Association's affairs have been wound up shall wholly be donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. 3. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES. The Senior Flag Officers shall be: An Admiral, a Vice Admiral, a Commodore, and a Vice Commodore. The Junior Flag Officers shall be: Rear Commodores as and when required. The Officers shall be: A Treasurer, a Secretary, a Membership Secretary an Archivist and an Events Secretary, all honorary. The General Purpose Committee shall consist of the Flag Officers and Officers of the Association and up to eight Members of the Association. Past Commodores shall be entitled to attend meetings of the General Purpose Committee as ex-officio members whilst they remain Members of the Association. The Audit Committee shall consist of two Members of the Association. 1 4. QUALIFICATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES. With the exception of the Admiral, all Flag Officers, Officers and Committee Members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. All Flag Officers, except the Admiral and Vice Admiral, must be Owner Members of the Association at the time of their election and throughout their tenure of office. The Office of Admiral shall only be filled when the Association wishes to pay a signal honour to an individual who shall be appointed for a period to be determined by the General Purpose Committee and approved at an Annual General meeting of the Association. In the event of the demise, or unforeseen resignation of the Commodore, the Vice Commodore shall assume command as Acting Commodore. His appointment as Commodore to be subject to election at the next Annual General Meeting. In this eventuality the Committee shall, on the advice of the Flag Officers, appoint a Vice Commodore 'pro temps', his office to be subject to nomination and election at the next Annual General Meeting. A Vice Admiral and a Rear Commodore(s) shall only be elected if a requirement is agreed by the General Purpose Committee. Of the Members elected to form, together with the Flag Officers and Officers of the Association, the General Purposes Committee, not more than two shall be Associate Members. 5. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE A Senior Flag officer shall preside at all General Meetings. The Commodore shall represent the Association on all official occasions, at functions, events etc., and shall be accompanied by such other Officers as he may decide. He shall preside at all meetings of the General Purpose Committee of the Association. The Vice Commodore shall assist the Commodore as and when required and, in the latter’s absence, deputise for him. A Rear Commodore shall be responsible for representing the Commodore at the functions in a particular location where three or more ships regularly meet and where the Commodore or Vice Commodore are unlikely to be regularly present. Any event organised in such a location shall be notified to the General Purpose Committee and reported to the Annual General Meeting. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the Association and shall keep proper books and accounts in the manner required from time to time by the Audit Committee and or the Members in general meeting assembled. The Honorary Secretary shall keep minutes of all General Meetings and General purpose Committee Meetings. He shall be responsible for the day to day running of the affairs of the Association. 2 The Honorary Archivist shall keep in safe custody all documents and records of the Association. The Honorary Events Secretary shall be responsible for the arrangement of the Association's social functions. He shall co-operate with the Honorary Secretary in arranging for flotillas to represent the Association at official functions, regattas, etc. and in notifying Members of such events. The General Purpose Committee shall have full executive powers on behalf of the Association. It shall consider all applications for membership and, with the exception of honorary members (see rule 7), its decisions in such cases shall be final. It shall consider and report back to the Members on any matters specifically referred to it by the Members in general meeting assembled. It shall have power to co-opt not more than three other Members to any or all of its meetings in any one year if their specialised knowledge or qualifications are required. A quorum of the General Purpose Committee shall be a Senior Flag Officer, the Honorary Treasurer or the Honorary Secretary and any other three Members. The Audit Committee shall be responsible to Members for the proper audit of the Association's accounts, books and vouchers, etc., and shall ensure that a properly prepared and audited balance sheet and Accounts as at the 31st December of each year shall be presented to the Members of the Association at the Annual General Meeting next following. 6. MEETINGS. The Annual General Meeting of the Association should be held on the first Friday in the month of March each year at a time and place to be decided by the General Purpose Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall give at least fourteen days clear notice of the meeting to all members. Extraordinary General Meetings may be called at a time and place to be decided by the General Purpose Committee whenever that Committee considers such a Special General Meeting desirable. Extraordinary General Meetings may be called at the request of not less than five owner Members. Such a request must be submitted in writing, signed by the Members requesting the Meeting giving full details of the purpose for which the Meeting is requested, to the Honorary Secretary. The Honorary Secretary shall then give at least seven clear day’s notice of the meeting and the purpose for which it is called to all Members. A quorum at all General Meetings shall be a Senior Flag Officer, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary and any other five Owner Members. The General Purpose Committee shall meet at least four times a year at times and places decided by the Committee. The Audit Committee shall meet as and where necessary in order to carry out its duties. 7. QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP AND CONDUCT PROVISIONS There shall be three classes of membership of the Association: Owner Members, who must be owners or joint owners of a Dunkirk Little Ship. It shall be the responsibility of owners to produce evidence proving to the satisfaction of the General Purpose 3 Committee that he or she is the owner or joint owner of a Little Ship which did take part in the Evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. Joint owners of a Little Ship should take up Owner Membership. Associate Members who must be: (1) members of an Owner Member's family, or (2) members of an Owner Member's regular crew, or (3) persons closely associated with the Association and its aims including ex Owner/Members (4) and proposed by an Owner Member Honorary Members: The General Purpose Committee may from time to time, whether at the request of Members or not, consider the granting of Honorary membership to suitably qualified persons. In such cases the Committee shall report its recommendations and reasons therefore to the Members at the next Annual General Meeting when the recommendation shall be voted upon. Conduct Provisions Members shall at all times when on Association business, or gathered together with other members and persons on Little Ships and on land, conduct themselves in a proper, dignified and well ordered manner in such a way as to preserve the good standing and reputation of the Association and the memory of the servicemen and historical events which took place in Operations Dynamo, Cycle and Aerial in 1940. Members shall be responsible for regulating the conduct of any persons in their company or control and on their Little Ship in ensuring compliance with this rule. If, in the opinion of the Committee, any such person shall behave in such a way that might damage the reputation and good standing to the Association, then it may take such steps and do such things to protect the Association and to discipline and or terminate the membership of the member concerned. Continuation of Membership of the Association shall be at the sole discretion of the Committee. 8. SUBSCRIPTIONS. There shall be two rates of annual subscription, one for Owner Members and one for Associate Members. The rates which are to be applicable for the coming year shall be set by the General Purpose Committee. Any alteration in the rates shall be notified to Members at least two months before becoming due and shall subsequently be ratified at the next Annual General Meeting. All subscriptions shall become payable in advance on 1st January each year the anniversary date of a Members joining date in each year. Any Member whose subscription remains unpaid for more than three calendar months shall be reported to the General Purpose Committee and shall be liable for exclusion. Such exclusion shall not relieve the offending member of his dues to the Association. 9. VOTING RIGHTS AND VOTING. Voting rights shall be allocated as follows: (1) One vote per Little Ship to be used by her owner or by one of her joint owners. (2) One vote each Owner Member. (3) One vote each Associate Member except on motions deleting, amending or adding to any, all or any part of these Rules. On such actions Associate Members shall not be entitled to vote. 4 (4) Honorary Members shall vote according to their class of Honorary Membership, i.e. either as Honorary Owner or Honorary Associate Members. Motions with the exception of those amending or altering these Rules shall be decided by a simple majority on a show of hands of those present and entitled to vote. In the event of a tie the presiding Flag Officer shall have a casting vote. Motions deleting, amending or adding to any, all or any part of these Rules shall not be declared carried unless supported by a majority of at least two thirds on a show of hands, or by ballot if demanded, of those present and entitled to vote on the motion. 10. FLAGS. There shall be two Association flags: (1) The flag of St. George to be known as the Association Jack. (2) The flag of St. George defaced by part of the arms of the City of Dunkirk. This part shall be a shield in two halves, the upper containing the Black Lion of Flanders on a gold background, the lower a blue dolphin with red fins and tail on a silver background. When mounted over the flag of St. George the coat of arms shall be combriated. This flag shall be known as the Association Flag. The Association flags shall always be worn as prescribed in the Ministry of Defence Naval Law Division's letter of the 9th August 1967, the relevant extract from which is attached to these Rules. (Appendix 1) The Association Flag shall normally be flown at the starboard yard-arm. On special occasions, i.e. flag days or at the discretion of the Commodore, it shall be flown at the masthead. When no mast exists, i.e. when masts are down or unstepped, in accordance with flag etiquette the Association Flag may be worn at the bows, on occasions other than special and when the vessel is under way. When not under way but moored or at anchor, harbour conditions shall be observed. When in the home waters of another club or association of which an Owner Member is also a member, the "home" club's burgee or flag should take precedence. When an Owner Member holds a warrant for wearing the Blue or White Ensign, defaced or not, the Association Jack must never be flown when underway. The Association flags shall only be worn when the Owner Member is aboard or is in effective control when his vessel is in harbour or near the shore. The Admiral’s flag shall be a double-tailed Association Flag. The Vice Admiral’s flag shall be a double-tailed Association flag with one ball at the hoist. The Commodore shall fly a swallow- tailed Association Flag. The Vice Commodore shall fly a swallow-tailed Association Flag with one ball at the hoist. Rear Commodores shall fly a swallow-tailed Association Flag with two balls at the hoist. 11. RESIGNATIONS AND TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP. A Member may resign at any time by submitting his intention in writing to the Honorary Secretary. The resignation shall be effective as from the date of the notice unless the resigning Member be asked to reconsider his decision. The liability of a Member for subscription in arrears and for any other monies due from him to the Association shall not be relieved by his resignation. 5 When an Owner Member disposes of his Little Ship he may apply to become an Associate Member. His application shall be considered by the General Purpose Committee. Every Owner Member shall be considered to be bound by a gentleman's agreement between him and the Association that, in the event of his disposing of his Little Ship, he shall notify the Honorary Secretary of the name and address of the new owner and he shall make it a condition of sale or of gift that the new owner applies to become an Owner Member of the Association. To that end the disposing Owner Member may, provided the General Purpose Committee approves, transfer any unexpired portion of his annual subscription to the new owner. Should the new owner not become an Owner Member of the Association, thus preventing the transfer of the Association flags with the craft, the disposing owner shall be considered bound by a gentleman's agreement to return the Association flags to the Association. Should, however, he wish to retain them, he may apply to the General Purpose Committee for permission to hold them, it being understood that they will never be worn on any ship other than a duly qualified Little Ship. 12. NOTICES AND CORRESPONDENCE. Any communication addressed to a Member at his last postal or e-mail address known to the Honorary Secretary shall be deemed to have been duly served. 13. ALTERATION OF RULES. Motions to delete amend or add to any, all or any part of these rules shall be considered by Members only when in Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting assembled. No motion on the alteration of these Rules shall be considered unless it has been submitted in writing, signed by the proposer and seconder, to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty one clear days before the date of the meeting at which it is to be considered. The Honorary Secretary shall then give at least seven clear days notice of the motion to all members. 14. INTERPRETATION OF RULES. In the event of a dispute concerning the interpretation or construction of any, all, or any part of these Rules, the matter shall be referred to a committee made up of Flag Officers whose decision whether a majority or unanimous shall be final and binding upon the parties in dispute. Hon. Secretary Note: - The pronouns he, him and his have been used throughout for the sake of brevity. They can equally be read as she, her and hers as appropriate. 15th December, 2025 V2 6 APPENDIX 1 (COPY) MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (Naval Law Division) 9th August 1967 Sir, DUNKIRK LITTLE SHIPS - WEARING OF FLAGS I am to inform you that the Admiralty board has approved the use of the St. George's flag by the Dunkirk Little Ships as follows:- 1. (a) as a House Flag, defaced by the coat of arms of Dunkirk in the centre; this to be worn by the Little Ships at all times, whether together or not; and (b) in addition, the undefaced flag to be worn at the bows 2. To avoid any possible confusion with barges wearing an Admiral's flag the Dunkirk Little Ships should wear the Red Ensign when flying the undefaced flag of St. George at the bows. In conformity with Naval practice they should only wear a flag at the Jack staff when under way on occasions when they are "dressed with masthead flags" - i.e. on special occasions. In harbour it would be proper to wear the flag at the Jack staff during the period colours to sunset. 3. The Admiralty Board has noted that the rules of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships will be written accordingly. 7 (Signed) C. Cardno 8