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CBAI - North West Region
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Constitution
 
 
  Regional Constitution

 

Constitution of North West Region CBAI

1. Name

The name of the region to which this constitution applies is 'The North West Region of the CBAI'.

2. Administrative Territory

The administrative territory of the North West Region is that territory encompassed by the civically recognised counties of Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. The administrative territory of the region may only be altered in accordance with the constitution of the CBAI, viz. by a carried motion of an AGM of the CBAI. 

3. Clubs and Membership

3.1 All Bridge Clubs affiliated to the CBAI in accordance with the constitution and regulations of the CBAI, within the aforesaid territory shall be the constituent Clubs of the Region.

3.2 All persons who are members of the aforementioned clubs, who have membership of the CBAI in accordance with the constitution and regulations of the CBAI, shall be members of the region.

3.3 All members of any committee instituted under this constitution now, or in the future, shall at the time of proposition of their membership, have reached the age of eighteen (18) years of age.

3.4 Subject to the constitution of the CBAI and all rules made hereunder, every member of the Region and every constituent Club shall be entitled to enjoy equal rights within the Region.

4. Governance

4.1 The Governing Body of the region, hereinafter called 'The Regional Committee' shall be the seccretaries of the constituent clubs and such additional delegates as shall be warranted by article 9.1 hereunder, the Regional Officers, the immediate Past President, the Regional PRO and the duly elected County Development Officers. An affiliated Club may substitute another member of that Club for the Club Secretary where such substitute has been elected by a properly convened meeting of the club.

Notice of the substitution shall be delivered in writing to the Regional Secretary. The President of the Club and either the Secretary or Treasurer of the Club shall sign the notice.

4.2 An AGM of the Regional Committee shall be held during the months of April, May or June. A further meeting shall be held on a date between the 20th day of August and the 20th day of October of each year and at such other times as may be requested in writing by the secretaries of not less than six clubs or by not less than two of the Executive Officers as set out hereunder.

4.3 Notice of motions for AGM shall arrive at the regional secretaery not later than 15 days preceding that AGM. Not withstanding that, the agenda of the AGM shall have provision for AOB.

However, if any motion arises out of AOB and is adjudged by the President and the Secretary or by any three persons present and voting to be a matter of substance requiring consideration, that motion shall be deferred for inclusion in the agenda of the next succeeding duly convened meeting of the Committee.

4.4 Applications by clubs for affiliation to the region shall be made to the Honorary Regional Secretary of the region in which the applicant club normally meets. Within twenty one (21) days after receipt thereof the Honorary Regional Secretary shall forward to the Honorary Secretary of the CBAI such application and supply so far asis possible such information as the Governing Council of the CBAI may require as to, among other things, the Constitution and membership of the applicant club. As soon as practicable thereafter the Secretary of the CBAI will notify the Regional Secretary the result of the application. If the CBAI accepts the application, the date of acceptance will be furnished.

5. Activities of the Region

The activities of the Region shall be controlled and organised in the region by the Regional Officers delegated to do so by the AGM of the region.An annual regional Pairs Championship and an annual Regional Team of Four Championship in accordance with the requirements of the CBAI shall be held towards the holding of the National Finals of the CBAI.The promotion of the game of bridge shall be facilitated within the Region. The Region shall make all reasonable efforts to facilitate the CBAI in any promotional activities that body shall undertake.

6. Officers

6.1 In addition to any other business, which the Region in General Meeting shall deem proper to transact, there shall be Officers elected at each Annual General meeting of the Region as specified hereunder.

6.2 A Regional President who shall hold office for not more than one year and who has been the immediate prvious Vice President.

An Honorary Regional Secretary.

An Honorary Regional Treasurer.

An Honorary Regional Vice president in accordance with the appendix of this document named Appendix A.

Such other officers, not exceeding three persons, as the AGM may from time to time deem necessary.

6.3 A Tournament and play Committee shall be elected at each AGM. Members of this Committee shall be at least Intermediate A standard at the time of their election. Adjudication of Tournament and Play appeals referred to the Region shall be their sole function.

6.4 The Honorary Regional Treasurer, Honorary Regional Secretary, and such other Officers not exceeding three personsas the AGM may from time to time deem necessary, shall be eligible for re-election each year provided that they have not held their office for five (5) years without interruption of at least one year's duration.

6.5 It shall be the duty of the Secretary to include in the notice for the AGM the current number of years each Officer has served. In the case where the Officer is in their fifth year of service, the Secretaryshall include in that notice of AM the fact that the Officer shall not be eligible for reappointment for the coming year.

6.6 The President, the Vice President, the Regional Secretary and the Regional Treasurer shall constitute the Regional Executive which shall be responsible for the execution of the duties assigned to them singularly and severally by this constitution and by the Regional Committee duly convened.

6.7 The regional Executive shall meet priop to and in conjuction with the AGM, and at the end of September meeting of each year. The Regional Executive shall meet at any other time on the request of any member of the Executive and within 14 days of that request.  

 

7. County Development Officers

7.1 The attending delegates of each county shall, at each AGM, elect a County Development Officer for their respective counties, meeting in adjunct to the AGM.

7.2 Each such Officer shall be eligible for re-election each year, provided they have not held office for five (5) years without an interruption of at least one year duration.

8. Honorary Auditor

An Honorary Auditor shall be elected each year whose duty shall be to certify the accounts administered by the Treasurer.

9. Voting Rights

9.1 Delegates eligible to vote at the A.G.M. and other meetings of the Regional Committee shall be:-

(a) the Secretaries or substitutes, duly appointed by the affiliated clubs. A Secretary may be substituted in accordance with the porocedure set out above. Where a club has more than fifty (50) duly affiliated 'home' members (as set out by the CBAI), the club shall be entitled to one extra voting delegate elected by the club.

(b) The County Development Officers duly appointed by their counties.

(c) The President, Vice President, Outgoing President, Treasurer, Secretary and such other Officers, not exceeding three (3), who have been elected at the AGM.

9.2 No one person of the above-mentioned voters shall have more than one vote regardless of which office or offices they hold.

9.3 Where a vote on a motion is tied, that motion shall be deemed lost.

Motions may be decided by a show of hands at the discretion of the President or Vice President presiding excepting always that at least three persons, present and voting, request a secret ballot.

9.4 Notice of motions for the AGM shall arrive at the Regional Secretary not later than 15 days preceding that AGM. Not withstanding that, the agenda of the AGM shall have provision for AOB. Any motion arising out of AOB, however, which shall be adjudged to be a matter of substance requiring consideration, by the President and the Secretary or by any three persons present and voting, shall be deferred for inclusion in the agenda of the next succeeding duly convened meeting of the Committee.

9.5 The Vice President succeeds the President and takes the chair prior to the election of the other officers.

9.6 The Vice president is proposed by members of his/her club, the club having been selected in accord with Appendix A to this document.

9.7 The election of all other officers shall be by a secret ballot. Candidates for each office shall each be proposed and seconded by two delegates present. Where only one candidate is proposed for an office that candidate shall be deemed elected.

9.8 Where two or more candidates receive the highest number of votes which are equal, the procedues labelled (a), (b) and (c) hereunder shall be followed:-

(a) If one of the persons in the tie is the incument and not haing served five (5) years in the office, then that person shall be deemed elected.

(b) If there have been more than two (2) candidates in the election, then the candidates not tied shall be eliminated and the vote taken again.

(c) If only tied candidates remain after the (a) and (b) are exhausted, the election shall be decided by lot administered by the President.

 

 

10. Functions of the Regional Officers

10.1 The President shall preside at the AGM and any other meetings of the Regional Committee set out below. The President shall preside at any prize-giving that may occur. Should the President not be available to attend any of the aforesaid, the Vice President shall substitute. The Vice President shall act for the President in the President's absence.

10.2 The Honorary Treasurer shall administer the funds of the region, be responsible for keeping the accounts of the region, keep the Committee informed of the state of the finances of the region and present a statement of the Income and Expenditure and a Balance Sheet for the financial year of the r4egion to the regional Annual General Meeting. The Honorary Regional Auditor, who has been appointed at the previous AGM, shall have certified such statement. All withdrawals from the bank accounts of the region shall require the signature of any two officers authorised by the AGM.

10.3 The Honorary Secretary shall be the administrator of the functions of tyhe region. This officer shall be responsible for the notification of all meetings of the Regional Committee and of events organised on behalf of the region.

The Secretary shall give at least ten (10) days notice of such meetings in writing to the secretary of each affiliated club in the region, and to each serving officer, and shall summon the Regional Annual General Meeting giving notice of no less than 14 days.Where secretaries and officers have supplied email addresses, email notice shall be deemed "written notice" in this and all other communications.

10.4 The Honorary Regional Secretary shall summon the secretaries and officers of the region at such other times as shall be requested by not less than 6 clubs in writing and stating the purpose of such meeting.

10.5 The Regional Secretary shall prepare a calendar of events for the coming year and publish it to the clubs at the September/October meeting of the Regional Committee of each year.The Regional Secretary shall maintain a record of offers of the Regional Presidency and supply it to the clubs in accord with Appendix A attached to this document.

10.6 A PRO may be appointed to publicise the game of bridge, the activities of the region, the results of regional competitions, and the regular updating of the regional website. The PRO will seek to publish such material in the local press within the region and in the national press, where appropriate. All matters to be published other than notification of regional events or results of regional competitions shall first be cleared with the Regional Secretary and in the event of a disagreement on the appropriateness of the item to be published, the matter shall be referred to the Regional President whose decision shall be final.

11. Procedure in the event of allegation of misconduct

Should a matter of misconduct arise within the administration or the general activities of the region, no authority is hereby given or implied to any officer, officers or others, to act alone on behalf of the region or its subservient bodies in relation to such matters of misconduct. Such matters shall be reported to the officers convened together, other than any against whom an allegation is made. They in turn shall seek advice given or procured by the General Secretary of the CBAI. They shall abide by that advice unless the officers of the Management Committee of the CBAI should rule otherwise.The Region and its members shall be bound by any procedures instituted now or in the future by the CBAI to deal with matters of any misconduct whatsoever. This paragraph does not refer to matters of card play which fall within the competence of the Tournament and Play Committee as set out above.

12. National President

12.1 When it is the Region's turn to nominate the National President Elect, the Regional Secretary shall notify all affiliated clubs and invite them to make nominations at the relevant AGM. Voting papers, containing the candidates names shall be circulated by post to the affiliated clubs together with a reply prepaid and pre-addressed return envelope.

Each club shall hold a meeting of their club and decide its preferred candidate. If there is more than one candidate, a ballot of the clubs shall be held.

Voting shall be by PR. The clubs shall indicate their first choice of candidate by placing the number 1 on the line which contains thecandidate's name. They shall indicate their second choice (if any) by placing the number 2 on the same line as the candidate's name and continue their choices 3, 4, etc in that manner.They shall place their vote in a prepaid addressed envelope supplied. The Regional Secretary shall convene a special meeting of the Regional Committee if necessary (where a regulation meeting of the Region would notbe timely). Tellers shall be appointed, 3 in number. The President Elect shall be selected at such Committee Meeting.

12.2 The votes shall be counted in conformity with PR principles as follows. The candidate who achieves half the valid votes cast plus 1 vote shall be deemed elected. The election shall be decided by the elimination of a candidate, or candidates, holding the lowest number of votes. Should two candidates tie, the candidate who received the highest number of first preference votes shall be deemed elected. Should that not provide a result then the highest number of lower preference votes shall, in descending turn, be brought into play. Should there still be a rie a run off ballot of the clubs shall be held with the tied candidates the only names on the ballot. Should there still be a tie the election will be decided by lot administered by the Regional President.

Appendix A

The EGM held in the Park Hotel, Kiltimagh, on November 6th, 2010, passed the following motion:-

That each affiliated club of the region shall be afforded the opportunity to nominate a Vice President from among its members. The turn of the club to so nominate shall normally be identified by reference to the chronological list of former offers. Where current clubs have not had a Vice President they should be made the offer in alphabetical order as of now. Any future clubs affiliated after this AGM would go to the end of the list.

The chronological list shall be formed from the records in the minute books dating from 1961 and be maintained by the Regional Secretary. The Regional Secretary shall supply the chronological list to each club with the calendar at the start of each year and the list shall be published on the Regional website. The list shall indicate the point to which the rotation has then come.

The club notified as first in line to take its turn shall have four weeks to accept or reject. Failure to notify a decision in that time period shall be deemed a rejection. Where a club does not feel able to take its turn, that club will be deemed to have had its turn. The club next in line will then be offered and shall give its decision within two weeks. The period  from december 11 to January 11 shall not be reckoned in the allocation of these time periods.

When a club undertakes to nominate a Vice President they shall undertake to assist the Vice President in the organisation and running of the President's Prize Night and all matters pertaining to it.

Any one person may be Vice President once only in any one cycle of offers.

In the event of any circumstances where the elected member is unable to continue as Vice President the nominating club shall be requested to select a replacement from the club. If the club is unable to so select, the system stated above will be continued.