Types of Membership 2008 Season

MEMBERSHIP : Membership runs from the 1st April to the 31st March and is not transferable.

FULL PLAYING MEMBER is a member who pays the full playing membership subscription for the whole season. They are entitled to all the activities of the club including playing in matches and practice chukkas, use of the practice grounds and the use of the bar and the clubhouse. Full Playing Members have full voting rights. Full Playing Members who join for part of the season will not have voting rights.

PROFESSIONAL PLAYING MEMBER: A full playing member can employ a professional and pay his membership fee to become a professional playing member. Such a member is entitled to all the clubs activities but does not have the voting rights of a Full Playing Member. Should a member’s professional leave the patron’s employment during the season, then his patron is eligible to a replacement membership by paying the additional HPA fee for a new professional but not the Club portion of the membership fee.

UNDER 25 YEARS PLAYING MEMBER is entitled to all the clubs activities and has equal voting rights as a Full Playing Member providing they have paid the full season’s membership. To qualify for this membership it is necessary to be 24 years and under on the 1st January for the forthcoming season and not to be employed by a member of the Cheshire Polo Club.

UNDER 22 YEARS PLAYING MEMBER is entitled to all the clubs activities and has equal voting rights as a Full Playing Member providing they have paid the full season’s membership. To qualify for this membership it is necessary to be 21 years and under on the 1st January for the forthcoming season and not to be employed by a member of the Cheshire Polo Club.

JUNIOR PLAYING MEMBER is entitled to all the clubs activities but does not have any voting rights. To qualify as a junior member it is necessary to be 18 years and under on the 1st January for the forthcoming season and not to be employed by a member of the Cheshire Polo Club.

FIRST YEAR PLAYING MEMBER will be entitled to a limited number of the Club’s activities but does not have any voting rights. These include playing in practice chukkas, the use of the practice ground and the use of the bar and clubhouse. To be entitled to be a first year member, the player must be a beginner in their first full year of polo. First year members cannot play in Club tournaments unless they upgrade to full membership and at the discretion of the Polo Manager.

GUEST-PLAYING MEMBER will be entitled to all the activities of the Club but does not have any voting rights. To qualify as a guest-playing member, the player must be a registered player with the HPA and have paid their HPA subscription for the current season and be a current member of another Club that is affiliated to the HPA. A guest-playing member must be a guest of a full member of the CPC or a guest of the Club as agreed by the Club Committee. All non-CPC members who are players and are entered for a tournament for which there is an entry fee are automatically guest-playing members of the Club and there is no subscription fee.

SPECIAL GUEST PLAYING TEMPORARY MEMBER is someone who is the guest of a playing member but not a member of another Club affiliated to the HPA. This situation may arise with a guest of a playing member who is from overseas or a new player who wishes to try polo by playing in a few chukkas. This membership is allowed for ten consecutive days in any one season. Should the special guest playing temporary member wish to play more days then they will be required to upgrade their membership to become a full playing member or a first year playing member. A special guest playing temporary member will be entitled to all the activities of the Club. They do not have any voting rights.

SHORT-TERM PLAYING MEMBER will be entitled to all the activities of the Club (has all the privileges of a full playing member) but pays for strictly one short period of time plus full HPA fee. A short-term playing member has no voting rights. This type of membership can only be granted specifically at the discretion of the Committee.

UMPIRE MEMBER allows an umpire member to be classified as a playing member of the club but their rights are restricted to the use of the clubhouse, the club bar and to ride ponies as umpires on the club grounds. Umpire members do not have any playing or practice rights to use the club’s grounds and must be in possession of a current “C” Grade umpire grading. To maintain playing membership rights the umpire member must have umpired, at least, six games in the previous season. An umpire member has no voting rights.

SECOND CLUB PLAYING MEMBER has all the privileges of a full playing member but has no voting rights. To qualify for this type of membership the player must have a contemporaneous full playing membership with another HPA club other than Cheshire for two consecutive seasons.

CHUKKA ONLY PLAYING MEMBER entitles the member to be classified as a playing member of the Club but is only eligible to play in Club chukkas (but not in Club matches or tournaments). To be eligible to play in tournaments or Club matches the chukka member must upgrade to a CPC full playing member. This membership has no voting rights.

CHUKKA ONLY GROOM PLAYING MEMBER entitles the member to be eligible to play in Club chukkas (but not in Club matches or tournaments). Chukka only groom playing membership is limited to playing grooms who are employees of full playing CPC members. To be eligible to play in tournaments or Club matches the groom must upgrade to a professional playing membership or to full playing membership. This membership has no voting rights.

SOCIAL MEMBER of the Club is entitled to use the bar and the clubhouse. This membership has no voting rights.

SOCIAL DAY MEMBER is entitled to buy drinks at the bar and to use the clubhouse. A member can make guests a social day member by entering the guest’s name in the guest book. There is a charge of £5 for social day membership. However, no member may sign in the same person more than twice in any one season. This membership has no voting rights.

SOCIAL CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP allows for a Company’s two named members to come to polo with their guests. They are entitled to use the bar and the clubhouse. This membership has no voting rights.

Membership

Please apply to The Secretary for full details of Membership and Application Form.

CLUB RULES IN RELATION TO SAFETY AND INSURANCE

Safety helmets must be worn by anyone riding on the Club’s property.

Stick & Balling/Exercising/Schooling: There will be designated areas for this, weather permitting, at no charge to members.

Lessons to Club Playing Members on the Club’s Premises: The only people entitled to give lessons to other CPC playing members on the Club’s grounds or premises are The Cheshire Polo Club Official Coaches, the Club’s Professional players and playing members who have paid their full Club and HPA subscriptions * or any visiting HPA Coach who has a pre-arranged invitation from the Committee of the CPC.

Lessons to Non Club Members: The only person entitled to give lessons to Non Club Members is an Official CPC Coach who has the authorisation of the Club’s Committee and can give lessons to non CPC members on the Club’s premises who have paid their HPA Affiliation Fee. The Club’s Committee will only give authorisation for non HPA Qualified Coaches after sight of a valid Third Party Public Liability Insurance Cover.

Grooms Riding their Employer’s Ponies: Grooms employed and paid by CPC playing members who have paid the Club and HPA subscription may exercise their employer’s ponies on the Club exercise areas and “stick and ball” areas but not play in practice chukkas unless they have joined as a Chukka member or pay chukka fees as a non member together with their full HPA affiliation fee.

Member’s Responsibilities: Each member of the Club is responsible for ensuring that all their employees, professional players and grooms, are aware of and abide by the Club’s Rules.

Insurance: The Club recommends to all playing members that while the HPA insurance only currently covers them for third party liability that each playing member takes out their own personal accident insurance policy.