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Draft Constitution

 

MOUNT MERRION BRIDGE CLUB

CONSTITUTION & RULES

2nd. Draft

 

1. NAME

 

The Club shall be known as Mount Merrion 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 1st December in any year will be deemed to have lapsed their membership and must re-apply for election.

The Club welcomes visitors playing with members, subject to such frequency limitations as the Committee shall from time to time apply.  Table money must be paid, but they are not eligible to play on competition nights listed on our calendar, but the Committee may derogate from this rule if they feel circumstances warrant. 

The Committee may at it`s discretion apply a more liberal visitor policy in the summer months.

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, if they obtain the  majority approval of the Trustees, shall cancel such person’s membership and refund their Annual Subscription for that year.

  1.  

(A) ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

The care of and responsibility for the proper administration of the Mount Merrion Bridge Club shall be vested in the Management Committee.  They shall  interpret and administer this Constitution and the playing rules of bridge as laid down by the C.B.A.I., and carry out the objectives of the club at all times. 

 

TRUSTEES

  The club shall appoint 3 Trustees. There shall be no restriction on Trustees holding any office in the Management Committee.  Trustees shall be elected for a five-year period (such period for the initial Trustees to run from June 2013) and may resign at any time.  The remaining Trustees shall have the right to co-opt any member as a replacement.  At the end of the five year term a new election must take place.

  The main responsibility of the Trustees shall be the safeguarding of the assets of the club. In this regard:-

                                      -  decisions on disposal of assets of the club shall be the responsibility of the Committee, but shall require the approval of the Trustees

                                      - the Trustees can not themselves act to dispose of assets other than on the proposal of the Committee

                                      - Trustee decisions shall be made on a majority basis

                                       

 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

  1. The Management Committee, elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, shall control the club. Such Committee shall be elected as group, from nominated members, and committee roles allocated thereafter in conjunction with the President. In the event of there being more nominees than committee places an individual election process shall take place.
  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(optional), Hon. Secretary,  Hon. Treasurer,  and up to 6 Committee Members, to whom offices may be allocated as appropriate.
  4. The term of office of the President shall normally be for 2 years, but a longer or shorter term may be agreed subject to approval at the AGM
  5. On retirement of the President, the Committee shall nominate an incoming President, being the Vice-President of the previous year if that role is operational. An incoming Vice-President may then  be nominated in due course by the President and Committee.
  6. No member of the Committee may serve for a period of more than five consecutive years (This rule to come into effect from June 2016).
  7.  Annual accounts shall be kept and made available to the Revenue Commissioners on request.
  8. The President shall be an Honorary Member during his/her term of office.  The out-going President shall automatically become ex-officio a member of the incoming Committee if he/she so wishes.
  9. The committee have the right to co-opt any member should a vacancy occur
  10. For any valid meeting of the above committee, there shall be at least three persons present.
  11. The committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees where necessary.  The President shall ex-officio be a member of every committee.
  12. All decisions reached at meetings of the committee shall be by simple majority and the Chair shall have a casting vote in the event of a deadlock.
  13. The committee shall draw up a set of Rules for the day to day running of the club, which rules shall be subject to amendment or extension by ordinary decision of the committee.

 

  1.  OFFICERS.
  2. (a)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 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. (c) Tournament Directors shall be appointed by the committee and shall run

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

 

  1. 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.
  6.  

D. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

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.

 

  1. CHANGE TO THE CONSTITUTION                 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

 

  1. 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 Resolutions must be displayed on the Notice Board before the start of the AGM. A quorum of at least 20% of members must be present at any AGM or EGM.

 

  1. 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.

Note:: the clauses shown in italics are required to be included to maintain a Club`s tax exemption status.

 

COMMENTS TO williamfogarty2@hotmail.com