Constitution:  18th Oct 2019

Interpretations and Definitions

In this Constitution: text in the masculine includes the feminine, and plural includes the singular.

General Meetings:  These include the Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meetings.

1       The name of the Club is 'Ewhurst Bridge Club' (The Club).

2       The objects of The Club are:

The provision of facilities for the playing of bridge for the benefit of the residents of Ewhurst, and the surrounding area with the object of improving their health and conditions of life.

3       Membership

The General Committee will assess each application for membership and if refused give reasons for that refusal.

Any applicant so refused will have the right to appeal against that decision either in person at a committee meeting or in writing.

Membership shall be limited to 56, or other such number as the Committee may determine.

There shall be the following classes of membership:

                         Full Members:                  Persons over the age of 16 years who have applied for full membership of The Club.

                         Honorary Members:       Persons elected as Honorary Members by The Club at a General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee, provided that the total number of such Honorary Members shall not exceed 5% of the total number of all members.  Honorary Members are elected for life and are exempt from paying annual subscriptions.

The annual subscription payable on 1st October in each year shall be the amount the Committee shall from time to time prescribe.

Where any person desires to be admitted to membership of The Club he must sign and deliver to the Secretary of The Club an application for membership framed in such terms as the Committee may require.  An applicant must play at least 3 times at The Club before his application for membership can be considered.

An entrance fee shall be payable by each member on election which shall be an amount as the Committee shall from time to time prescribe.  The subscription payable on election shall be calculated by reference to the number of complete quarters from the time of election to the 1st October.

4       Cessation of membership

1. A member who has not paid his subscription by 31st December in the year in which it falls due shall upon that date automatically cease to be a member.
2. If any member shall refuse or neglect to comply with the provisions of The Club or with the rules of The Club or shall be guilty of any misconduct or omission which, in the opinion of the Committee, is likely to be injurious to The Club, such member shall be liable to expulsion by resolution of the Committee. The Committee shall vote on such a resolution by ballot which shall not be carried out unless two thirds of the members of the Committee attending the meeting vote in favour of such resolution.  No person who has been expelled from membership shall be re-elected or admitted to The Club as a guest without the sanction of the members of The Club at a General Meeting.

5       Visitors

        Visitors shall be allowed to make use of The Club’s facilities subject to such conditions as the General Committee may determine.  The visitor must enter his details in a book kept for such purposes.   No one visitor may play at The Club more than 6 times in any Club year, or as the Committee may decide.

6           General Meetings

1. The Club shall hold an Annual General Meeting in October or November at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee and as notified to the members.
2. The Committee may, whenever it thinks fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting. Also upon the requisition in writing of not less than 25% of Full Members of The Club it shall call an Extraordinary Meeting to consider such matters as shall be stated in the requisition.
3. At least 21 days notice in writing of every General Meeting, specifying the place, the day and the hour of the Meeting shall be given to each member, and in the case of special business the general nature of the business, shall be posted on The Club notice board.
4. Any member wishing to put a resolution to the Annual General Meeting shall notify the Secretary in writing at least 28 days in advance.

7       Proceedings at General Meetings

5. No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum is present when the Meeting proceeds to business.  25% of the Full Members shall be a quorum.
6. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, or in the absence of both another Committee Member shall preside at every Meeting.  At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the Meeting shall be decided on a show of hands, unless a ballot is requested by the Chairman or by at least one third of the members present in person and entitled to vote.
7. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a ballot, the Chairman of the Meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

8       Officers

a)            At each Annual General Meeting all Officers and Committee Members shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election, subject to sub-clause (d) below.

b)            The Club shall elect a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer as Officers and not less than three other Committee Members to form its Committee.

c)                  After 5 years, in one position, an Officer may only be re-elected by The Club if either no new nominations for that position have been received or any nominee for the position has failed to be elected by The Club..

d)            If there are no resignations, the longest serving Committee Member shall retire in rotation each year unless no new nominations have been received to fill the vacancies so created.

e)             Nominations for Officers and Committee Members must be received by the Secretary in writing at least 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

9.         Proceedings of the Committee

a)            The Committee may meet for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as it thinks fit.  Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes, and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.  Any member of the Committee may, at any time summon a Meeting of the Committee.

b)            The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Committee shall be 50% (rounded down) of the Members (including the Chairman).

c)             The Committee shall elect a Vice-Chairman.

d)            The Chairman, Vice-Chairman or in the absence of both another Committee Member shall preside as Chairman at every Meeting of the Committee.

e)             The Committee shall manage the affairs of The Club in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and shall make such rules and regulations as it thinks fit as to the management of The Club and its premises, including the determination of the times at which The Club's premises shall be opened and closed.

f)             Minutes are to be kept of all proceedings of the Committee and of the attendances thereat, and shall be available for inspection by The Club members.

10.       Disqualification of Committee Members

The office of a Member of the Committee shall be vacated:-

1. If he ceases to be a member of The Club.
2. If by notice in writing to The Club he resigns his office.
3. If he is unable to continue for health reasons.

11.       Accounts

The Committee shall cause proper accounts to be kept with respect to:-

1. All sums of money received and expended by The Club and  the matters in respect of which the receipt and expenditure  take place;
2. All sales and purchases of goods by The Club;
3. The assets and liabilities of The Club.

At least once in every year the accounts of The Club shall be examined and the correctness of the income and expenditure account verified by an independent examiner, preferably a qualified accountant or some other competent person.

12.       Smoking

The Club is designated "NON SMOKING".   Smoking is not allowed in The Club playing area or kitchen at any time.

13    Dissolution

If the number of ordinary members of The Club falls below 9, or if The Club shall pass, by a majority in A General Meeting a resolution of its intention to dissolve, the Officers shall take immediate steps to convert into money all the property of The Club.  Out of the proceeds of such conversion the Officers shall discharge all debts and liabilities of The Club. The General Meeting shall decide whether any balance remaining should be divided equally between all persons who were members of The Club at the date of the meeting or donated to an organisation whose objectives are in keeping with those of The Club.  Thereupon The Club shall, for all purposes, be dissolved.

14                Approval of The Constitution

This Constitution was approved at a General Meeting of The Club held on 16

on......21^st October..2016.....Signed.......D Gardner....... Chairman

.