HAZLEMERE BRIDGE CLUB C ON S T I T U T I O N 1. Name: The Club shall be known as ‘Hazlemere Bridge Club’. 2. Object: The Club is designed for members who wish to play duplicate bridge in accordance with the rules and principles laid down by the English Bridge Union to which the Club shall be affiliated. 3. Management: The management of the Club shall be under the control of the elected Committee. 4. Committee: The Committee shall consist of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and at least three other members up to a maximum of eight. A minimum of any four, to include at least one officer of the Club, is to constitute a quorum. Members of the Committee shall be nominated and seconded by any member of the Club and elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). If nominations exceed the vacancies then a ballot shall be held. Members of the Committee shall retire at each AGM but be eligible for re-election. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping a record of all financial transactions and for keeping all Club monies in a Bank Account approved by the Committee in the name of the Club save for such petty cash deemed necessary by the Committee. Cheques drawn on the Club Account shall be signed by any two signatories as agreed by the Committee. The Treasurer shall submit an examined financial statement to the Annual General Meeting. 5. Membership: Applications for membership of the Club shall be made to the Secretary, and shall be at the discretion of the Committee. No person may apply for membership of the Club until after he/she has attended for bridge on at least three occasions and completed an Application Form. A Joining Fee shall be levied upon acceptance into the Club. All members shall pay an annual subscription. There shall also be a table charge levied on each person playing in Club events. Charges for Joining Fee, Annual Membership, table money for members and non-members shall be agreed at the Annual General Meeting. Membership shall lapse if the annual subscription has not been paid within 92 days of the start of the Club accounting year (i.e. from 1st September). Termination of Membership: If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious to the character or interest of the Club, the Committee shall have the power to ask that member to resign. The Committee may expel a member at any time, provided a meeting with that member allowing that member the right of appeal, had been held or offered. 6. Accounting Year: The Club accounting year shall be from 1st September to 31st August. 7. General Meetings: An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held within two months of the end of the accounting year for the purpose of: - submission and approval of the Chairman’s and Treasurer’s annual reports for approval and adoption by the Members; - election of Officers and Committee Members; - and to deal with such other matters raised by attending members. Timely notice of the Annual General meeting shall be given to members by display on Club notice board. An Extraordinary General Meeting may also be called by the Committee or by at least ten (10) members giving 21 days notice in writing of the date and subject matter to the Secretary. Notice of Extraordinary General Meetings will be announced to members present at a convenient Club evening prior to the date set for the meeting. One quarter of current membership shall form a quorum at all General Meetings. In the event of a quorum not being present within 15 minutes of the appointed time the meeting shall stand adjourned for 14 days and be reconvened at the same place and time and the members then present shall constitute a quorum. 8. Interpretation of Rules/Constitution of the Club In the event of any dispute regarding the interpretation of the constitution of the Club (and any rules which may be appended thereto), the decision of the Committee shall be final. 9. Alteration of the Constitution/Rules of the Club The Club Constitution/Rules shall not be subject to alteration except at the AGM or EGM. No amendments can be made except by a two-thirds majority of those members present. 10. Amendments to this Constitution may be made at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. Any member wishing to make an alteration must give 21 days written notice to the Secretary. 11. Discretion: The Committee shall have discretion over any matter not covered by this Constitution. 12. Winding up of the Club: In the event of the Club being wound up and after all assets have been realised and outstanding debts have been paid, any surplus balance shall be disposed of as decided by the majority of members attending the final General Meeting. Revised at Annual General Meeting 8th October 2010 |