| CONSTITUTION OF THE BUCKLAND BRIDGE CLUB |
1. NAME
The Club shall be called The Buckland Bridge Club.
2. OBJECT
The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members and visitors to play contract bridge.
3. HEADQUARTERS and VENUE
3.1. The headquarters of the Club and venue for events shall, unless otherwise decided by a General Meeting of the Club, be situated at the Reading Room, Buckland, Surrey.
3.2. Bridge events (normally duplicate) shall be held on each Thursday afternoon, subject to holiday breaks from time to time, and subject to the availability of the venue.
4. AFFILIATIONS
4.1. The Club shall be affiliated to the Surrey County Bridge Association and to the English Bridge Union.
4.2. The Club shall play bridge in accordance with the rules and regulations of the English Bridge Union, although the tournament director shall have discretion to interpret the rules and regulations as he sees fit, in order to promote harmony and fair play within the Club.
4.3. The Club shall permit the use of Bridge bidding conventions in accordance with the English Bridge Union Level 3 regulations.
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1. Membership shall be open to all bridge players.
5.2. Any person wishing to become a member shall apply to the Secretary.
5.3. A new application for membership shall be accepted at the discretion of the Committee. The applicant shall be informed as soon as possible of the decision. The Committee shall not be obliged to give any reason for declining an application.
5.4. A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club under Clause 14, or if his/her resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary.
5.5. 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.
5.6. A former member of the Club who wishes to rejoin as a member may re-apply in accordance with Clause 5.2 and 5.3.
5.7. Members of the Club and visiting players shall be automatically enrolled as members of the English Bridge Union, unless they request otherwise, and shall abide by its rules and regulations (subject to Clause 4.2).
5.8. The persons named in the Schedule to this constitution shall (on payment of their subscription) automatically become founder members of the Club
6. OFFICERS
6.1. The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, all of whom must be members of the Club. The initial Officers shall be as set out in the Schedule to this constitution.
6.2. No person shall simultaneously hold the office of more than one Officer of the Club.
6.3. Each Annual General Meeting of the Club shall elect the Officers of the Club, who shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting, but shall then be eligible for re-election.
6.4. In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the office of any Officer of the Club, the Committee shall choose a current member of the Club 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 one or two 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. The initial Committee members shall be as set out in the Schedule to this constitution.
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. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee.
7.3. 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.
7.4. Proceedings of the Committee and of any sub-committees shall be regulated in such manner as the Committee may from time to time decide.
7.5. 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 affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee, and the Committee shall have power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which 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 (provided that these rules do not conflict with this constitution).
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. A bank account shall be opened in the name of the Club. All the Officers shall be authorised to sign cheques and other instructions to the bank on behalf of the Club. All cheques and other such instructions must be signed by not less than two Officers.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
9.1. An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each calendar year no later than four months after the end of the financial year, except that no Annual General Meeting need be held in the calendar year 2012.
9.2. A Special General Meeting of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a request for such a meeting signed by at least ten members of the Club is delivered to the Secretary, stating the reason for the meeting. The meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of such request.
9.3. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.
9.4. All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the headquarters of the Club unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.
9.5. Notice of all General Meetings of the Club shall be posted on the Club website at least two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. Any member of the Club may, however, make a standing request of the Secretary to send such notices to him/her by post or email.
9.6. Any member may propose a motion to be discussed at a General Meeting provided that written notice of the proposed motion is delivered to the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
9.7. The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his absence the Vice Chairman. If both are absent some other member of the Committee shall chair the meeting.
9.8. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be six 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 for the meeting which has been adjourned), and in the case of a General Meeting adjourned for 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. Except where otherwise provided in this constitution, decisions shall be made by majority vote. In the event of parity of voting the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
10. NOMINATIONS
10.1. Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members (other than the initial Officers and Committee members named in the Schedule to this constitution, who shall automatically take office until the first Annual General Meeting) shall be in writing, and shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated.
10.2. Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
11. SUBSCRIPTIONS and TABLE MONEY
11.1. Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the initial amount being £5. Subscriptions shall be payable in respect of the year from 1st January to 31st December and shall become due for payment on 1st January in that year.
11.2. At the discretion of the Committee a new member, joining part way through the year, may pay a reduced subscription covering the date of joining to the end of the year.
11.3. Each member of the Club and each visitor shall pay table money on each occasion that he/she plays at the Club. The initial table money shall be £2.50 for each member and £3 for each visitor.
11.4. Any change to the amount of the annual subscription or table money shall require approval by members at a General Meeting of the Club.
11.5. At the discretion of the Committee, a supplement to the table money may be charged in respect of simultaneous pairs or other special events.
12. ACCOUNTS and AUDITOR
12.1. The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on 31st December.
12.2. The accounts for each year (audited by the honorary auditor) shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
12.3. At each Annual General Meeting an honorary auditor shall be appointed. The first honorary auditor (who shall take office until the first Annual General Meeting) shall be appointed by the Committee.
13. VISITORS and GUESTS
13.1. Visitors, including guests invited by a member, shall be permitted to play in any event at the Club (other than any announced to be for members only), subject to the discretion of the tournament director.
13.2. If the playing facilities are inadequate for accommodating all those who wish to play, priority shall be given first to members, then to guests of members, then to any other visitors.
13.3. At the discretion of the Committee any visitor to the Club may be invited to become a member, but there shall be obligation on that visitor to become a member of the Club, neither shall there be any restriction on that visitor playing at the club, except as specified in Clause 13.1 and 13.2.
14. MEMBERS’ BEHAVIOUR
14.1. Each member of the Club shall, in connection with the game of Duplicate Contract Bridge, conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed by the rules and regulations for the time being of the EBU.
14.2. The Committee shall have power, after giving the member the opportunity to be heard, to (a) give a written reprimand or warning to any member (b) suspend the member from playing at the Club for a period not exceeding six months or (c) expel the member from the Club.
14.3. The English Bridge Union’s Schedule of Disciplinary Procedures for the time being in force (as attached to its Model Club Constitution) shall apply to the Club as if set out in this constitution.
15. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
15.1. No alterations shall be made to this constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club.
15.2. 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.
16. WINDING-UP
16.1. 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.
16.2. 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 organisation or charity as the Committee may think fit.
17. EFFECTIVE DATE
This constitution shall come into effect on the date shown in the Schedule, except that the Club will not run any bridge events before 1st January 2012.
THE SCHEDULE REFERRED TO ABOVE
Initial Officers: Chairman: Mr Richard Wheen
Vice-Chairman: Mr Geoff Woodcock
Treasurer: Mr Michael Foss
Secretary: Mrs Lesley Standen
Other initial Committee members: Ms Veronica Burville
Mrs Gloria Whitwell
Signed by each of the above as founder members of the Buckland Bridge Club
Dated 15th December 2011
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