If you are a professional writer, broadcaster or photographer covering tennis and would like to apply for membership of the BJTA please download the official application form using the link below then print off, complete and submit as instructed:

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM 2024

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RULES OF THE BRITISH TENNIS JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION

 

1. Name. The Name of the Association shall be THE BRITISH TENNIS JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION (formerly Lawn Tennis Writers' Association of Great Britain).

 

2. Objects. The object of the Association is: To further the interests of Tennis Writers, Broadcasters and Photographers in Great Britain.

 

3. Management. The Association shall be administered by a Committee consisting of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Social Secretary and seven other Members. The Committee shall meet at least four times a year and at other times as may be deemed necessary.  The Committee will include at least one tennis writer, at least one tennis broadcaster and at least one tennis photographer.

 

Notice of Meeting shall be sent by the Hon. Secretary addressed to each member of the Committee ten days before the meeting.

 

The Committee may fill casual vacancies among the officers, such to hold office until the next General Meeting or Special General Meeting.

 

The Chair of the Association shall act as Chair of all Meetings of the Committee at which he is present. In the absence of the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Association the members of the Committee shall elect a Chair of the Meeting.

 

On all questions the Chair of the Committee shall have a casting vote.

 

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Association shall be elected for a two-year term of office. All other Members of the Committee shall be elected annually. All elections shall be held by an email ballot of Full Members of the Association to be conducted by the Hon. Secretary during the two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Association, with the results being declared at the Annual General Meeting.

 

Nominations for such elections must be forwarded to the Hon. Secretary in writing, with the names of the proposer and seconder, not less than twenty-one days before the first day of The Championships at Wimbledon. Five members of the Committee shall form a quorum, except when there are applications for membership or to remove any person from membership when the quorum shall be six.

 

4. Membership:  Membership shall be open to professional writers, broadcasters and photographers in Great Britain on lawn tennis, save that no person working exclusively for any Governing Body of tennis, or tennis tournament or a Tennis Tour, shall be eligible for Full Membership of the Association.

 

Full membership shall be restricted to fifty.

 

Candidates for membership must be nominated and seconded by a Full Member of the Association and receive a majority vote from the Committee.

 

The Committee shall have the power to elect as Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Association persons who have provided outstanding service to the Association.

 

The Committee shall have the power to elect applicants as honorary members where, in their opinion, the applicant is not strictly eligible for full membership.

 

All members shall be entitled to be present at general or special meetings but only Full Members including Vice-Presidents shall be entitled to vote.

 

Except by discretion of the Committee only full members shall be eligible to participate in the ballot for Wimbledon privilege tickets.

 

Except in unavoidable circumstances acceptable to the Committee, only members who have attended the Annual General Meeting in the previous year, or submitted apologies in writing, are entitled to purchase Wimbledon tickets from the BTJA.

 

The Committee, without giving reason, shall have the right to turn down a candidate or, on a unanimous vote, to remove any person from membership.

 

5. Subscriptions. The Annual subscription shall be payable by the first day of June for the ensuing year and shall be £30 for Full membership and £10 for Associate members.

 

If any member's subscription remains unpaid on the second day of June, the Committee shall have the power to suspend such members, but have the power to reinstate such members on payment of the amount due.

 

6. Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the Wimbledon Championships of each year. A minimum seven days’ notice of the date, time and place of the meeting shall be sent to each member, together with a copy of the Agenda. A quorum at the Annual General Meeting shall be five members of the Committee and any ten other members of the Association.

The Business of the Meeting shall be:

(a) to receive the Chair's report

(b) to receive the Social Secretary's report.

(c) to receive the Treasurer’s report.

(d) to elect Officers of the Association (Rule 3).

(e) to fix the Annual Subscriptions for the ensuing year

(f) any other business

 

Notice to move a resolution affecting the Rules or the policy of the Association must be sent in writing to the Secretary not later than 21 days before the first day of The Championships at Wimbledon.

 

The Association's year shall be from 1st June to 31st May.

 

At all General Meetings the Chairman shall have casting vote.

 

7. Special General Meeting. A special general Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee or within one month of receipt by the Secretary of a written requisition, signed by at least ten mem­bers of the Association, giving notice of the matter to be discussed at the meeting.

 

8. Annual Award. Each year the Association will present its Annual Award for services to British Tennis. Any Full Member may nominate a candidate for the Award. Such nomination must be submitted to the Hon. Secretary by the end of September. In the event of more than one nomination the Hon. Secretary shall conduct an email ballot of Full Members to determine which nominee shall receive the Award. All votes must be cast by a date specified by the Hon, Secretary. In addition, the Committee may, each year, award Special and/or International Awards.

 

9. Alterations of Rules. Rules of the Association shall not be altered or amended except by a three quarters' majority of those present at an Annual General meeting or Special General Meeting.