This is the 1996 version as part of the members manual. it now needs updating.

The Rules of the New Atlantis

Bargain And Barter Club.

General:

1.   The New Atlantis Bargain And Barter Club (hereafter referred to as the club) is a club, you join it by choice, and can leave subject to complying with the rules set out under leaving the club.

2.   The club is a division of New Atlantis, which is a club, none profit charitable company registered as a company limited by guarantee and a virtual country. The principle objective of New Atlantis is to improve the quality of life of its members. Members of New Atlantis over the age of 14 are members of the Bargain and Barter Club without additional cost.

3.   All organisers of the Bargain and Barter Club must be members of New Atlantis. New Atlantis is an honour based society and members can be promoted  or demoted  to any rank, and honours granted or removed. A New Atlantis members manual is available at a reasonable price, which includes the rules of New Atlantis.

4.   The club is administered by a registrar, or sub registrar, appointed by New Atlantis.

5.   The club is evolving and rules may be changed as and when necessary, to safeguard the interests of the club and its members. The signature of the president of New Atlantis is required to bring into effect a change in the rules, and all members will be informed of the rule change within 40 days. Sending information on its own or with an account statement to the last known address, or if the address is not known posting it on the clubs BBS system shall be considered notification.

6.   Headings within these rules, are for making the location of an item easier and have no effect on the rules.

7.   The minimum age of individual membership is 14 years, although a family group can include  younger members who are authorised to act as agents for the family group. There is no maximum age for membership. Members who are under 16 at the point they join are required to get either a parents or gardians permission. An account may also be held by New Atlantis trusts.

8.   Membership is open to all people, of any nationality, sect, group, religious conviction, and social standing. All when joining are considered equal.

9.   Members undertake a commitment to help each other when needed, and to accept help from fellow members. It is not charity but part of the philosophy behind the club.

7.   The club does not attempt to enforce any moral or other code except that no member shall do anything which will harm another member. The club nor its individual officers or members will not enforce or co-operate with any legal system of any country which would be detrimental to any other member or to the club.

10. No member will do anything which will present the club in a bad light or harm the club in any way.

11. All members of the club, who are not members of New Atlantis when joining, acknowledge the concepts of New Atlantis, and its principles, and accept for there period of membership to act as a visitor to New Atlantis, and acknowledge the absolute authority of the President, in all maters, connected with the club. In doing so, they agree to forfeit any other rites under all legal systems, and undertake never to commence any legal action or participate in any legal action either against New Atlantis or any person appointed by them.

12. The total authority and management of the club, shall be under the control of the president of New Atlantis and those appointed by him, who may delegate and define individual officers responsibilities as he or she thinks fit.

13. Any member may appeal to the President on any matter. The decision of the President shall be final.

14. The club is administered by a registrar, the initially being  Maximum Coverage Ltd, a company registered in England and wales  no. 261973. Surpluses of membership fees over expenses will be used to expand the club its services or move towards the ideals of the club, for club reserves, or used for the benefit of one, some or all members.

15.    Members may from time to time be offered either free or reduced price membership of other clubs. The rules of these individual clubs are not part of this set of rules. New Atlantis is not responsible or liable for the effect of non performance or any other matter relating to these clubs and all maters must be taken up with the relevant secretaries.

16.    The Bargain and Barter Club administers the accounts of its and New Atlantis members set out under Accounting rules below.

17.    No service or product supplied through the club shall be the responsibility of the club to fulfil, the responsibility in all cases for everything connected with and product or service shall remain the responsibility of the supplier, and the club shall be deemed to be acting as an agent of the member in the transaction.

18.    Neither New Atlantis or the Bargain and Barter Club are responsible for any defect in workmanship, damage, injury or other claim resulting out of the use of the clubs services or associated with the club. The club may investigate complaints by members and may order that the charge be modified or refunded in part or in whole.

19.    At no time will the rescheduling of any project, delays in production or development, make the club or New Atlantis liable in any way, and until such point that New Atlantis considers reasonable time has elapsed time will not become the essence of the contract. When New Atlantis agrees that a supplier has failed to deliver and that time should become the essence of the contract, then the supplier will be given time to deliver of refund direct to the member. Atlantis acting in this case as the agent of the member.

20.    All members agree to use exclusively the Trading Standards department of the club in all disputes, and at no time to involve any similar departments from outside agencies or local or national governments, or the press. Any member that breaches or attempts to breach this rule shall be considered to have resigned there membership at once and all disputes between them and any other person shall be considered settled in full, with no further discussion. They shall also be barred from joining either New Atlantis or the Bargain and Barter club for a period of 10 years without the permission of the president, which will only be granted in exceptional conditions.

Accounting Rules.

21.    The club will produce a statement of account for each member, at a regularity which it feels is appropriate. Members will use all accounts in a responsible and honest way. Any member who puts through or attempts to put through a fraudulent transaction, undertakes to repay to the appropriate account any amounts removed and to the club within one month. In addition members may be suspended or expelled.

Favours explained.

22.    The unit of currency of the club is called a 'Favour', it has no cacheable value whatsoever, and is issued by the club only, on behalf of the President of New Atlantis. The president can create favours to the value of 15% more than the sum of half of the membership fees of New Atlantis and the Bargain and Barter club, plus the full value of all additional favours purchased by the registrar company(s). Registrar companies, in the same way as individuals can purchase favours in blocks at a discount rate.

23.    Members undertake to do a reasonable amount of work for other members and to accept favours as payment. The favours therefore represents the commitment to give time to the club. Revenue generated from the generation of Favours is credited to the New Atlantis presidents account. This is a special trust fund run under the rules of New Atlantis, and controlled by the president.

Subscriptions.

26.    The subscription shall be set by New Atlantis, both for its own membership fees and for the Bargain and Barter Club. In the event of any increase members will be given 6 months notice of any increase.

SO monthly

24.    Subscriptions will normally be paid by standing order on a UK bank, payments being made monthly. The club has the power to make other arrangements if circumstances are deemed to be necessary, in individual cases.

Discount purchases.

25.    Favours may be purchased in bulk at a discount by members at any level. The rates shall be set from time to time by New Atlantis, and the current discount rates are,

Blocks Of 50 At 2%

Blocks Of 100 At 5%

Blocks Of 250 At 10%

Blocks Of 500 At 12%

Blocks Of 1000 At 15%

Blocks Of 5,000 At 18%

Blocks Of 10,000 At 20%

Blocks Of 20,000 At 22%

Blocks Of 30,000 At 24%

Blocks Of 40,000 At 26%

Blocks Of 50,000 At 28%

Blocks Of 60,000 At 29%

Blocks Of 70,000 At 30%

Blocks Of 80,000 At 31%

Blocks Of 90,000 At 32%

Blocks Of 100,000 At 33%

The club or New Atlantis can create special schemes whereby higher rates of discount are available in particular circumstances, or for particular promotions.

Redemption in special cases.

26.    Favours cannot be redeemed for cash by members. Area organisers may exchange their personal holdings only for cash through there registration company at a discounted rate of 35%. Registrars in exceptional circumstances, may be granted the privilege of exchanging favours for cash with the New Atlantis presidents fund at a rate to be agreed, but this will not be a regular occurrence and only at the discretion of the president of New Atlantis.

Special grants for members in need.

27.    The presidents fund will under exceptional circumstances make individual grants of blocks of favours to provide help for members in need. The detail of the grant will be individual and confidential to the individual case. Not more than 15% of the total favours issues will be given out in special grants.

Membership cards

28.    Every member will be issued a New Atlantis Membership Card, once they have completed the questionnaire and supplied two acceptable photographs. The card remains at all times the property of New Atlantis and members will return the card if requested. This card contains their photograph, signature and details on them. members will do all that they reasonable can to look after these cards, and notify New Atlantis or the registrar who maintains there account, if the membership card is lost or become outside of the members control.

29.    Members when completing transactions will ask to see the New Atlantis Membership card of the other member. Any card which appears to have been opened altered or interfered with will be confiscated by any member who discovers it and immediately returned to New Atlantis. Failure to do this without reasonable excuse, will result in suspension for a period of 3 months, however membership fees will still be payable during the suspension.

30.    Members may use the Bargain and Barter Club badge while a member on any of there stationary, vehicles, business premises or wherever they like, providing that the image is in black ink. Other colours may be used with special permission only. Nothing will be added to the badge to make it appear that the member is acting at an agent for New Atlantis or that New Atlantis is providing any guarantee, or supervision, unless written permission is obtained, which will only be given in exceptional conditions.

Leaving the Club

31.    Any member may resign by giving one months written notice to the club, enclosing there New Atlantis Membership Card. Any balances remaining in the account at the time of resignation are written off, and not transferable or cacheable in any form.

32.    Any member may elect to have their membership voluntarily suspended, providing that they have given one months notice in writing, enclosing there New Atlantis Membership card, or Bargain and barter Membership card as appropriate. For the period of the voluntary suspension, there membership fee will be halved and they will not be able to use there club card, or any account or service. During a period of voluntary suspension no favours will be added by the club to their account, resulting from membership or subscription arrangements or membership rebates on other clubs. They may leave at the end of the period of voluntary suspension, without any additional notice.

33.    Members may be suspended by the club for a period, in which case for that period the membership shall be payable in full, but they will not be permitted to use either there New Atlantis card or Bargain and Barter club card, any club account or service. Suspended members may resign by returning their Membership card.

34.    Members may be expelled by the club, and the procedure for this will be a suspension followed by expulsion at the end of the period of suspension. During this period a member may make representation at their own cost to the President of New Atlantis or an officer appointed by him, who has the authority to withdraw the expulsion order.

35.    Members can also have some of the clubs services, or privileges withdrawn, either temporally or permanently, and or asked to surrender there Membership card for a period.

Concluding.

36.    New Atlantis is a club with the principle objective of improving the quality of life of its members, and the longer term objective of establishing a perfect culture. In order for this to be possible all members of New Atlantis and each of its clubs including this club, agree to be bound by the rules, and understand that these rules are designed to protect them and New Atlantis from those with lower ideals. The Presidents ruling is final in all interpretations.

Subscriptions

New Atlantis members

              The subscription is monthly at a minimal rate of £17 and includes £5 worth of Favours credited to the members account.

              This fee is calculated by adding a £10 basic subscription, £2 administration and banking costs and £5 worth of Favours credited to the members account.

              The subscrition can be increased to allow more favours to be allocated to individual mambers of the family.

              Favours are the unit of currency used within the Bargain and Barter club.

              Family trusts pay only one monthly subscription, to cover all family members resident at the family address, or only temporarily away as for example when being involved in a project or in full time education. Inititialy each family is treated as a trust but only individuals accounts are opened. Once at least one person over 14 is a citizen, then a family trust can be established which has its own account number.

              Each member of a family trust is able to become a full member at any level.

              Each over the age of 14 has a favours account, and the monthly subscription should include some payment into each account even if only minimal. The member can choose any payment level into there favours account, providing there is a minimum of £5 for one member of the family trust.

              The subscription can also be increased to include a donation to either the presidents fund or to general funds.

              There is a joining fee of £30, which includes there members handbook and registration processes and production of membership cards.

People who are not members of New Atlantis

None Atlantis members can just join the Bargain and barter club as an individual and  pay £19 a month including 10 favours per month credited to there account.

This has been calculated by adding  £10 for 10 favours per month, £2 administration charge, £3 for the reserve account to cover problems encountered with none members and a donation of £4 to New Atlantis.

It should be noted that this type of membership covers one individual only, but a second option is available for couples living at the same address for a membership fee of £26. including 10 favours between them per month. People are advised to join New Atlantis which is a lower cost option and also provides far more services.

Some special offers such as very low cost holidays may only be available to New Atlantis members. This option will only normally appeal to a person who for patriotic reasons do not want to become a New Atlantis member.

There is a joining fee of £30 for an individual and £35 for a couple , which includes there members handbook and registration processes and production of membership cards.

Membership Cards

Every member will be given a membership card, which will contain there name, membership number and date of issue. It will be able to be used as identity and for identifying there number for there bargain and barter account.

The 13 digit membership number comprises Card issue no (x), barter registrar (XXX), trust/family no(XXX  XXX), individual(XX), check digit.(X)

i.e. 1 001 001 000 01x

The system of numbers allows for up to 89 members of a family. the 00 account is reserved for the family trust. Accounts 90 and over are reserved for special uses to be defined later.

The barter registrar is the company that sends you your statement and to who you send all information, transfers etc. for processing.