CONSTITUTION OF AUSTENWOOD BRIDGE CLUB ~~ ~~~1 NAME
The Club shall be called Austenwood Bridge Club.~ ~~~~ ~~~2 OBJECTS
The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members for playing Duplicate Contract Bridge in an environment where smoking is not permitted. ~ ~~~~ ~~~3 MEETING ROOM
The meeting room, being the place where the members meet to play bridge, shall be situated at the Chalfont Saint Peter Community Centre or other venue chosen by the committee~ ~~~~ ~~~4 AFFILIATIONS
The Club will be affiliated to the Berks and Bucks Contract Bridge Association and to the English Bridge Union.~ ~~~~ ~~~5 MEMBERSHIP~ ~~~5.1 Membership shall be open to all bridge players.~ ~~~5.2 Any person wishing to become a member of the Club shall apply for membership by completing an application form as the Committee may prescribe from time to time.~ ~~~5.3 All applicants for membership of the Club must be proposed and seconded by existing members of the Club unless the Committee decides otherwise.~ ~~~5.4 All membership application forms received by the Secretary shall be displayed in a prominent place at the meeting room of the Club for a minimum period of two meetings.~ ~~~5.5 Any member wishing to object to an application for membership should notify the Secretary in writing.~ ~~~5.6 After the expiry of the period of two meetings mentioned above, the Committee shall as soon as convenient consider the application for membership, taking into account any objections notified to the Secretary, and shall promptly notify the applicant of the acceptance or otherwise of the application.~ ~~~5.7 In declining an application the Committee may give a reason but shall not be obliged to do so.~ ~~~5.8 In considering applications for membership the Committee shall have regard to the playing facilities available, and may from time to time decide that the Club shall be closed to new applications for membership for such period as it may decide.~ ~~~5.9 A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club under the provisions of clause 15, or if his resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary.~ ~~~5.10 A member whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on the expiration of the period of six months from the date on which the subscription was due for payment.~ ~~~5.11 A former member of the Club who wishes to rejoin as a member may do so without the necessity for a further formal application for membership, unless the Committee decides otherwise. ~ ~~~5.12 The members may elect a person as a life member of the Club at a General Meeting and such life members shall be entitled to membership without the payment of any subscription and will be required to pay the table money due on each occasion when playing at the club.~ ~~~~ ~~~6 OFFICERS~ ~~~6.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.~ ~~~6.2 No member of the Club shall simultaneously hold more than one such office of the Club.~ ~~~6.3 Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.~ ~~~6.4 In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in any office of the Club, the Committee shall choose one of their number to fill such vacancy until the ensuing Annual General Meeting.~ ~~~~ ~~~7 COMMITTEE~ ~~~7.1 The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club, together with at least two but not more than four other members of the Club, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.~ ~~~7.2 The Committee may from time to time co-opt further members of the Club to serve on the Committee until the ensuing Annual General Meeting, whether to fill a vacancy arising, or as additional members, except that the total number of members of the Committee (including Officers) shall at no time exceed ten. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee. ~ ~~~7.3 The committee shall meet at least three times each year.~ ~~~7.4 A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be three members of the Committee, including at least one of the Officers.~ ~~~7.5 The Committee may from time to time appoint sub-committees to undertake on its behalf such aspects of the administration of the Club as it shall think fit, and members of such sub-committees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.~ ~~~7.6 Proceedings of the Committee and of any sub-committees shall be regulated in such manner as the Committee may from time to time decide. Minutes shall be kept by the Secretary recording the decisions of the Committee.~ ~~~7.7 The Committee shall make a report to each Annual General Meeting of the Club concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous Annual General Meeting.~ ~~~~ ~~~8 MANAGEMENT~ ~~~8.1 The Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club, and the Committee shall have power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club that is not specifically provided for in this Constitution.~ ~~~8.2 The Committee may from time to time formulate and publish such rules as it thinks expedient for the efficient and harmonious running of the Club (but in the case of any conflict between such rules and this Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail).~ ~~~8.3 Any issue of policy determined by the Committee or any rules published by the Committee may be varied by a resolution of members at a General Meeting of the Club, provided that such resolution is not in conflict with this Constitution and is not retrospective in application.~ ~~~8.4 In the event of such variation being made, the policy or rules (as the case may be) shall not be further varied by the Committee in a manner inconsistent with the resolution.~ ~~~~ ~~~9 GENERAL MEETINGS~ ~~~9.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year no later than four months after the end of the financial year to elect the officers and members of the committee and to receive the report of the committee and the accounts for the previous year and to approve the annual subscription and table fees.~ ~~~9.2 The Committee shall convene a Special General Meeting of the Club if a request for such a meeting signed by at least ten members of the Club is delivered to the Secretary, stating the proposed resolution to be put to the meeting, and such meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of such request.~ ~~~9.3 The Committee may convene a Special General Meeting of the Club on its own initiative at any time.~ ~~~9.4 All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the meeting room of the Club unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.~ ~~~9.5 The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his absence some other member of the Committee shall chair the meeting.~ ~~~9.6 Notice of all General Meetings of the Club shall be given to all members of the Club no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. ~ ~~~9.7 The chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General Meeting if he thinks fit. ~ ~~~9.8 A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be ten members present in person.~ ~~~9.9 If fifteen minutes after the time fixed for a General Meeting of the Club no quorum shall be present, the meeting shall be adjourned to a new date (of which the like notice shall be given to members as was required to be given for the meeting which has been adjourned), and in the case of a General Meeting which has been adjourned due to the lack of a quorum (but not of a meeting adjourned for any other reason) such number of members as are actually present at the adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum.~ ~~~9.10 Voting at General Meetings of the Club shall be by show of hands, and in the event of parity of voting the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.~ ~~~~ ~~~10 NOTICES~ ~~~10.1 Notices of any Special General Meeting of the Club, and of an annual General Meeting at which in the opinion of the Committee any business of a non-routine nature is likely to be discussed, shall be given to members by hand, by post or by e-mail, if the member shall have agreed to receive notices in this manner, to the last address of each member notified to the Secretary.~ ~~~10.2 Notices of any Annual General Meeting at which in the opinion of the Committee no business of a non-routine nature is likely to be discussed, may be given to members either by post or e-mail to the last address of each member notified to the Secretary, or by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the meeting room of the Club.~ ~~~10.3 Notices of any other matters to be brought to the attention of members shall be made by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the meeting room of the Club. ~ ~~~10.4 Any notice to be given to the Club shall be posted or handed to the Secretary.~ ~~~~ ~~~11 NOMINATIONS~~11.1 Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members made prior to the meeting shall be in writing, and shall be signed by the proposer and the seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated. Nominations may be made at the Annual General Meeting in person by the proposer and seconder in the presence of the person proposed.~ ~~~11.2 Written nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.~ ~~~~ ~~~12 SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES~ ~~~12.1 Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the basic amount of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Subscriptions shall be due for payment by the 30th April in each year in respect of the year to the following 31st March. Unless the Committee decides otherwise, any member whose subscription remains unpaid after the due date shall pay table money at the rate applicable to visitors until his subscription has been paid in full.~ ~~~12.2 Each member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each occasion when he plays at the Club, the basic amounts of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.~ ~~~12.3 Each successful applicant for membership of the Club may be required to pay a joining fee, the amount (if any) of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.~ ~~~12.4 The Committee may determine variations on the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money for members, guests and visitors in different circumstances, and may waive subscriptions or table money in the event of hardship or for any other good cause.~ ~~~12.5 The Annual General Meeting may authorise the Committee to increase the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money prior to the ensuing Annual General Meeting.~ ~~~12.6 The Committee may determine from time to time the amount of fees to be charged for use of the premises or equipment of the Club, or for any other purpose for which it is of the opinion that fees ought to be charged.~ ~~~~ ~~~13 ACCOUNTS~ ~~~13.1 The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on the 31st March.~ ~~~13.2 The accounts for each year shall be presented to the annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.~ ~~~~ ~~~14 GUESTS and VISITORS~ ~~~14.1 Any member may invite a guest to play at the club at any time, but in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members.~ ~~~14.2 Visitors may be permitted to play at the Club at any time, but in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members and the guests of members.~ ~~~14.3 The Committee may from time to time place a limit on the number of occasions on which a non-member (whether a guest or a visitor) may play at the club without being required to apply for membership.~ ~~
~14.4 If such a limit is for the time being in force, a non-member who has applied for membership shall (subject to available playing facilities) be permitted to play at the Club until his application for membership has been considered by the Committee, even if the limit imposed by the Committee is thereby exceeded.~ ~~~~ ~~~15 CONDUCT ~ ~~~15.1 Smoking shall not be permitted in any room where bridge is being played. ~ ~~~15.2 The audible use of mobile telephones shall not be permitted in any room where bridge is being played.~ ~~~15.3 In the event of a complaint being made to the Committee about the conduct of a member of the Club the Committee may (and if a written complaint is received signed by at least three members of the Club, it shall) investigate the complaint. ~15.4 On investigating such a complaint the Committee shall give the member about whose conduct the complaint has been made an opportunity to be heard. ~15.5 If on investigating such a complaint the Committee is of the opinion that the member has behaved in an unacceptable manner or in such a manner as to cause injury to the interests of the Club, then the Committee may reprimand the member, suspend the member from the privileges of membership for such period as it may think fit, or expel the member from the Club.~ ~~~15.6 The Committee shall forthwith notify the member of any decision made on the investigation of a complaint about his conduct, and may if it thinks fit publicise the decision by displaying a notice at the meeting room of the Club.~ ~~~15.7 An appeal shall lie to a General Meeting of the Club against any decision to reprimand, suspend or expel a member of the Club following the investigation of a complaint about his or her conduct.~ ~~~15.8 Notice of such an appeal must be in writing, and delivered to the Secretary within two weeks of the notification to the member of the decision of the Committee.~ ~~~15.9 In the event of an appeal being made against it, the decision of the Committee shall not be put into effect until the appeal has been determined.~ ~~~15.10 On the appeal being heard by a General Meeting of the Club, the General Meeting shall have power to overrule the conclusion of the Committee, or to uphold it, in which event the sanction imposed by the Committee may be confirmed or varied (to any sanction which the Committee was empowered to impose, or to none).~ ~~~15.11 Nothing in this Constitution shall preclude the Committee from referring a matter of conduct to the Conduct Committee of the Berks and Bucks Contract Bridge Association, or to the Laws & Ethics Committee of the English Bridge Union if it considers it appropriate to do so.~ ~~~~ ~~~16 ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION~ ~~~16.1 No alterations shall be made to this constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club.~ ~~~16.2 In order for a resolution to alter this constitution to have effect at least two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour.~ ~~~~ ~~~17 WINDING-UP~ ~~~17.1 In order for a resolution that the Club shall be wound up to have effect at least two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour, and in addition the number of votes cast in favour of the resolution must exceed one-half of the number of members of the Club entitled to attend and vote at the General Meeting at which the resolution is put.~ ~~
~17.2 If a resolution that the Club shall be wound up is effectively passed, the Committee shall be responsible for winding up the affairs of the Club, and unless the winding up has been initiated with a view to amalgamating the Club with some other club (in which case any surplus assets and funds may be transferred to such other club), any surplus assets and funds shall be transferred to such of the organisations mentioned in clause 17.3 as may be specified in the resolution initiating the winding up, and if no such organisation is so specified, to such of those organisations as the Committee may think fit.~ ~~~17.3 The organisations referred to in clause 17.2 are:
The English Bridge Union,
the Berks and Bucks Contract Bridge Association and
any registered or recognised charitable body. ~ ~~~~~ |