Constitution
1 Club Name
The name of the Club shall be THE FOWNHOPE BRIDGE CLUB (FBC)
2 Aims and Objectives
The Aims and Objectives of the Fownhope Bridge Club shall be:
- To promote the game of bridge.
- To provide weekly competitions of bridge.
- To provide annual and other special competitions of bridge.
- To field pairs and teams to represent the Club in county, national and international competitions.
- To support the Herefordshire Bridge Association.
- To support the English Bridge Union (EBU).
- To provide Master Points to enable members to progress through the ranks of bridge players as set down by the EBU.
- To train members to become tournament directors.
- To take an appropriate part in educating or teaching the game of bridge.
3 Membership and Visitors
3.1 Members
There shall be two categories of membership, namely
- Ordinary Members
- Honorary Life Members
3.1.1 Ordinary Members
Ordinary Members shall be elected as follows:
Applicants shall submit to the Secretary an official application form for the approval of the committee .Once approved,
the new member shall be admitted to the club on receipt of the annual subscription.
Following successful election to the Club, an Ordinary Member shall have the right to attend any session or competition run by the club, subject only to any special rules concerning such competition (for example maximum or minimum Master Points ranking), as advised by the Club Tournament Director.
A member whose subscription remains unpaid shall cease to be a member on the expiration of a period of six months from the date on which the subscription was due for payment.
A former member of the Club who wishes to re-join may do so by going through the above procedure.
3.1.2 Honorary Life Members
A resolution at an AGM may offer Honorary Life Membership to Ordinary Members who have, in the opinion of the Club, distinguished themselves by outstanding service or length of service to the club. . The proposal to elect an Honorary Life Member shall be published with the notice of the AGM.
Honorary Life Members shall not pay the annual subscription, but shall pay table money.
3.2 Visitors
Any member may introduce a visitor, who shall pay a special visitor's rate. Visitors must apply for membership after three (3) visits in any one year unless they have been invited by a member of the Committee expressly to make up a pair. Any member may invite a visitor to be their partner for any club event, but two visitors may not play together in Sims Pairs events.
4 Register of Members
The Club shall maintain a database of members, containing such personal data determined by the Committee to be necessary for the Club to be able to carry out its function. FBC shall process all such information according to the principles contained within the General Data Protection Regulations May 2018, as amended.
Members shall ensure that they notify, in writing to the Secretary and at the earliest opportunity, any change in name, address or contact details.
The FBC automatically enrols Club Members as members of the English Bridge Union and club members shall abide by its Bye Laws.
5 Fiscal Policy and Fees
5.1 Treasurer
The treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and paid on behalf of the club and shall pay all accounts. The treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of the finalised accounts for presentation to the Independent Examiner and to the AGM.
5.2 General
FBC shall operate its finances to achieve its aims and objectives without risking insolvency, but without undue profit.
A simple majority of members shall determine the Annual Subscription by voting upon a resolution put to the AGM by the Committee. Cheques are to be signed by any two of the authorised Committee members.
5.3 Table Money
At every regular session of the Club, which is not a competition governed by separate rules, every player shall contribute a sum known as table money. This sum shall be as determined by the AGM as proposed by the Committee. Visitors shall pay a premium rate beyond that paid by ordinary members, similarly determined The premium may be waived for visitors especially invited by the Committee to make up a pair of players.
5.4 Charitable Donations
Charitable donations should be proposed at the AGM and approved by simple majority. However, donations not exceeding £25 may be authorised by the Committee to recognise a deceased member at his/her funeral or for other purposes.
6 Annual General Meeting
FBC shall hold the Annual General Meeting of the club during February each year. The Secretary shall publish notice of the date, and of any special resolutions. This shall be done at least one calendar month before the date of the meeting, by posting a notice on the Club Website and by announcement at a weekly bridge event.
Nomination papers for elections to the Committee shall be received by a date to be advised in the Notice of the AGM. At the discretion of those present at an AGM, a simple majority may accept late nominations.
The business of the AGM is to hear reports of the Club's activities delivered by officers of the Club as determined by the Committee; to receive and approve the accounts; to approve auditing arrangements; to agree the amount of the annual fee and table money, to agree charitable donations, to vote on any resolutions and to elect members to the Committee.
A simple majority of members present shall determine the acceptance of any resolutions proposed. An AGM will not permit proxy votes.
Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot if more than one candidate is nominated for a position; otherwise, by a show of hands carried out during the proceedings. Two Ordinary Members shall conduct the count, and notify the results to the meeting immediately. If the count does not produce a workable result (for example, two candidates receiving the same number of votes) the Chairman of the meeting shall take whatever steps seem sensible to resolve the situation.
The quorum for an AGM shall be twelve members of which four should be Committee members.
7 Officers and Members of Committee
7.1 General
The Committee shall comprise three (3) Executive Officers [Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary] and up to four (4) Ordinary Members drawn from the membership of the Fownhope Bridge Club.
The Committee shall have the power to enter all contracts and arrangements for all activities of the Club, and purchases of equipment or services, insurance and banking arrangements save only that it pays regard to the financial solvency of the Club.
7.2 Executive Officers
To ensure continuity, the posts of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected for three (3) years. FBC shall stagger these three year periods so that only one post becomes vacant each year, unless the officer stands down prematurely. Then the subsequent election shall be for the same period as the original election, to preserve the staggered pattern. Any retiring officer may stand for election to another post but may not stand for the same post. When there is no candidate for a post or a post falls vacant during the year, the Committee shall have the discretion to fill the post until the next AGM.
An Executive Officer resigning from his/her post automatically resigns from the Committee and must stand for re-election either to an Executive post or to an ordinary Committee Member post at the next AGM if (s)he wishes to continue to serve on the Committee. Such a person may at the discretion of the Committee be co-opted back on to the Committee prior to the next AGM, but not as an Executive Officer.
Should there be insufficient volunteers to allow the orderly transition of the committee as indicated above, the Committee may waive or modify the above regulation but must give reasons for such action to the membership.
7.3 Committee Meetings
The quorum for Committee meetings shall be four (4) members.
Committee meetings shall take place, as determined by the Committee. If there is urgent business, two members of the Committee may request the Secretary to call a Special Committee Meeting (SCM). The SCM must take place within fourteen days of the request being received by the Secretary.
A simple majority of members shall determine the outcome of any decision made by the Committee. The Chairman shall have a casting vote besides his or her normal vote.
8 Extraordinary General Meeting
Exceptionally, the Committee may call an EGM, or twelve ordinary members of the FBC may call one, for purposes of considering any special or urgent matters. In case of the request coming from the ordinary members, they must make it in writing to the Secretary stating the reason(s).
The Secretary must publish notice of the Meeting on the Club Web site , or individually to members, giving at least 14 days' notice of the time, place and subject of the meeting. The Meeting may not discuss any other business but the subject(s) notified. Any resolution put to the EGM must be determined by a simple majority of those members present at the meeting. The Chairman has a casting vote besides his or her ordinary vote. An EGM will not permit proxy votes.
9 Rules
The Rules of the Club are contained within this Constitution .The Club also adopts the “best behaviour” Rules, as set out by the EBU, which are available on the Club’s Web site.
10 Suspension or Expulsion of Members
Exceptionally, members accused of bringing the Club into disrepute, or whose behaviour is considered unacceptable, shall be asked to appear before the Committee at a hearing which shall consider appropriate sanctions.
Three Club members must support the accusation, which they must make formally in writing, normally to the Chairman, or to another officer of the Committee.
The hearing shall take place within one calendar month, before three members of the Committee (called 'the Panel'). The composition of the Panel shall be at the direction of the Chairman. It shall advise the date of the hearing to the accused member(s), in writing, giving at least fourteen (14) days' notice.
The Panel shall take evidence from the accusers and any other members of the Club, either in writing or orally. The accused member shall be entitled and expected to attend but may decline to attend at his or her discretion. Any other member of the Club of his or her choice may support the accused member. The accused member shall have the right to address the Committee and submit evidence, in writing or orally. The supporting member may address the hearing, but may not answer questions on the behalf of the accused.
The Panel shall retire to discuss the evidence and shall give their verdict either at the hearing, or within a stated period being no longer than seven days. The Panel shall have the power to suspend membership for a stated period, or to expel the member permanently from the Club.
The member shall have the option of appealing the decision of the Panel. Ideally, three members of the Committee who were not members of the original Panel and were not involved in any discussions of the proceedings (the Appeal Panel) shall hear any appeal. The composition of the Appeal Panel shall be at the direction of the Chairman, who may co-opt ordinary members to make up the number. The decision of the Appeal Panel shall be final.
In cases of alleged cheating, which normally involves two members, arrangements should be made for a joint hearing if considered desirable.
11 Winding up
If the number of fully paid up ordinary members falls below ten (10), or there are insufficient volunteers to form a viable committee the Committee shall call an EGM and recommend the winding up of the Club. If the majority of the members present endorse the recommendation the Club will be dissolved. Funds permitting, the Committee shall refund all the ordinary members a sum equivalent to the annual subscription. The Committee shall sell or otherwise dispose of the assets of the Club as they see fit and, after deductions of all outstanding liabilities, they shall donate the balance in the accounts to a charity or charities nominated by a majority of members present at the EGM.
12 Definitions and Interpretations
The Committee shall be the sole authority for interpretation of the Constitution and the terms contained therein. The Constitution and the Rules of Best Behaviour are binding upon all members, whether or not the member has received copies of the documents, or any notices of variations.
February 2019