Confey Castle Bridge Club Constitution

CONFEY CASTLE BRIDGE CLUB

CONSTITUTION & RULES 2018

1. NAME

The Club shall be known as Confey Castle Bridge Club.

2. OBJECTIVES

The objective of the club shall be the playing and promotion of Bridge under the rules, guidance and objectives of the C.B.A.I. and will be fully registered as a Club with the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to both ladies and gentlemen.  Each candidate for membership must be proposed and seconded by two members of the club and the nomination given in writing to the Hon. Secretary.  The Committee, after considering objections, if any, by any member of the committee, to such candidate, may proceed with the election which must be by majority vote of the committee.  Membership then becomes effective on payment of Annual Subscription. 

Members who have not paid their Annual Subscription by 1^st December in any year will be deemed to have lapsed their membership and must re-apply for election.  Lapsed members will be allowed to play in the club provided they pay their table money but will not be eligible for any prize.

Lapsed members cannot play as guests within twelve months of lapsing their membership.

Members re-accepted between the 1^st Dec. and the 31^st March will enjoy full membership benefits from date of re-acceptance if their annual subscription is paid.

New or re-accepted members on or after 1^st April will be eligible to play in all the Club Competitions but will be ineligible to win any prize in any competition listed on our Club Calendar.

The Club welcomes guests or visitors.  Table money must be paid, but they are not eligible for prizes on competition nights listed on our calendar.  Any person who is ineligible for prizes under these rules and forms a partnership in pairs or team events will automatically disqualify the full partnership or teams from the prizewinners.

In the event of any member acting in such a manner as to bring the club into disrepute or to disrupt the smooth running of the club or the enjoyment of other members, the committee shall have the right to reprimand such a member, and to warn them as to their future conduct.  This may be done verbally or in writing.  If the said member should continue to so act, the committee, shall cancel such person’s membership and refund their Annual Subscription for that year after following fair procedure.

(A) ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

1.  MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

1. A Management Committee, elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, which shall be held in May, shall control the club.
2. The Committee shall put into effect all Resolutions passed at the Annual General Meeting and shall make such Regulations as they shall from time to time see fit, provided that such Regulations shall not alter, amend or repeal any Regulations embodied in this Constitution.
3. The committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Hon. Secretary, Assistant Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer,   Assistant Hon. Treasurer, P.R.O. and a minimum of 5 Committee Members.

At least 3 members will be from morning session and at least 3 members will be from evening session.

4. The Vice-President of the previous year shall be installed as President and shall nominate the new Vice-President at the A.G.M. each year. The election of Officers remains unchanged. No member of the Committee may serve for a period of more than five consecutive years. All Committee members must be elected by ballot each year. The A.G.M. shall elect the officers and committee annually from 1st September 2012.
5. Two nominated members of the club who shall be appointed by the committee shall carry out the Annual Audit of the Accounts. Annual accounts shall be kept and made available to the Revenue Commissioners on request.
6. The President shall be an Honorary Member during his/her year of office.  The out-going President shall automatically become ex-officio a member of the incoming Committee if he/she so wishes.
7. The committee have the right to co-opt any member
8. For any valid meeting of the above committee, there shall be at least (five ) persons present.
9. The committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees where necessary.  The President shall ex-officio be a member of every committee.
10. All decisions reached at meetings of the club shall be by simple majority and the Chair shall have a casting vote in the event of a deadlock.
11. The committee shall decide location and time of meetings.

2.  OFFICES.

1. The President shall preside over all affairs of the club and shall at all times be afforded the courtesy that the office demands.  The President may preside over all or particular meetings of the club by expressing such a wish.

(b)  The Vice-President will substitute for the President.

 (d)The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall administer the affairs of the club as laid down at the Annual General Meeting and shall furnish all reports to the Annual General Meeting.

(e) Tournament Directors shall be appointed by the committee and shall run

      Competitions as laid down by the C.B.A.I.

(f) the duties of officers are set down by the committee

(g) the committee will issue protocols as required

3. INCOME AND PROPERTY

The income and property of the club shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its main objective as set forth in this Constitution. No portion of the club’s income and property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to the members of the club. No Officer shall be appointed to any office of the club paid by salary or fees, or receive any remuneration or any other benefit in money or money’s worth from the club in respect of such office. However, nothing shall prevent any payment in good faith by the club of:

1. Reasonable and proper remuneration to any member or Officer of the club for any services rendered to the club (other than as an Officer)
2. Interest at a rate not exceeding 5% per annum on money lent by Officers or other members of the club to the club
3. Reasonable and proper rent for premises demised and let by any member of the club (including any Officer) to the club
4. Reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Officer in connection with their attendance to any matter affecting the club
5. Fees, remuneration or other benefit in money or money’s worth to any Company of which an Officer may be a member holding not more than one hundredth part of the issued capital of such Company

4. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

The committee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time and must call one at the request, in writing, of one-third of the members of the club. 7 days notice will be given for an EGM and the motions published on the club website.

5. CHANGE TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. Alterations, amendments or changes to the Constitution shall be made only at a General Meeting of the members and shall require a two-third majority vote of the members present and voting at the meeting.
2. No addition, alteration or amendment shall be made to the main objectives and/or the income and property clauses in this Constitution for the time being in force, unless the same shall have been previously approved in writing by the Revenue Commissioners.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice of the date fixed for the meeting shall be displayed on the Club Notice Board for two weeks preceding the Annual General Meeting.  Nominations and proposals must be displayed on the Notice Board one week prior to the AGM by the committee. A quorum of at least 30% of members must be present at any AGM or EGM.

Competitions:

There shall be a minimum of (3) Major competitions held during the year in the Evening, and Morning Sessions. To be eligible to win a prize in any of the above Major competitions, members must have paid the relevant subscription fee.

Laws of Bridge:

The Laws of Duplicate Bridge as adapted by the C.B.A.I. shall apply in all cases.

Communications

Competitions and functions will be notified in the Club calendar.

Correspondence, minutes, results, notification of outside competitions and other items of interest will be listed on the Club website and available on the club File. This file is available for inspection during playing sessions.

Other methods of communication to be used by decision of the Secretary are Email, text or announcements.

2. WINDING-UP

If upon the winding up or dissolution of the club there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the club. Instead, such property shall be given or transferred to some other institution or institutions having main objectives similar to the main objects of the club. The institution or institutions to which the property is to be given or transferred shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the club under or by virtue of Clause 4 (D) above. Members of the club shall select the relevant institution or institutions at or before the time of dissolution, and if and so far as effect cannot be given to such provisions, then the property shall be given or transferred to some charitable object.

The clauses above shown in italics are required to be included in the Constitution of the Club if the Club is seeking a Tax Exemption as a Games/Sports Body under the Provisions of Section 235, Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997.