The Oxshott Bridge Club

 Rules - 2017 Revision

1          Name

 The Club shall be called "The Oxshott Bridge Club".

2        Membership

2.1     Any person desiring to become a member shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another member of the Club on the appropriate form.

2.2     The Committee of the Club shall have the power to accept, refuse or defer an application for membership without stating a reason.  It may require a prospective new member to play a specified number of times (to be determined by the Committee on a case-by-case basis) at the Club, as a guest, prior to a final decision being made on their membership application.

2.3     The Committee shall have the power to elect temporary members or associate members to the Club, and also the power to fix charges for these concessions. Such members shall have no vote.

2.4     In recognition of previous special service to the Club, the Committee may appoint honorary members.  Such members shall have no vote.

3        Subscription

3.1     The annual subscription covers the year 1 October to 30 September.   Any change to the annual subscription shall be agreed at the Annual General Meeting and will be effective for the year commencing on the following 1 October.

3.2     There shall be an entry fee to the Club, which shall have been previously agreed at an Annual General Meeting.  The entry fee to the Club may be revised at any subsequent Annual General Meeting.

3.3     The first subscription is payable at the date of election to the Club.  The Committee shall have power to charge a reduced first subscription for new members joining on or after 1 May.

3.4     Members whose subscriptions are in arrears by more than two months may, after a month’s notice, have their membership withdrawn.  They may, at the discretion of the committee, play at the Club from time to time, but as visitors in accordance with the Bylaws.

3.5     Any member wishing to resign from the Club may do so at any time by written notice to the Hon. Secretary.  No part of a subscription shall become or be repayable.

4        President

Nomination for President of the Club shall be by the Committee for approval by the Annual General Meeting.  A President may not hold office for more than five successive years

5        Officers and Committee

5.1     The affairs and finances of the Club shall be managed and administered by the Officers and Committee.

5.2     The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer.  No member shall hold more than one office.

5.3     The Committee shall consist of the Officers, and not less than three and not more than six other members of the Club, all of whom shall be elected in accordance with Rule 7.2.

5.4     The Committee shall be empowered to act notwithstanding a vacancy in their minimum number, and shall be empowered to fill any vacancies by co-option.

5.5     The Committee shall be empowered to appoint such Sub-Committees as they may think desirable for the efficient running of the Club. Any such Sub-Committee may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee, but members of the Committee must be in a majority.

5.6     The Officers and Committee are empowered to deal with any complaint regarding any member or any member’s guest in accordance with the Schedule to these Rules.

5.7     The Officers and Committee of the Club shall retire each year at the Annual General Meeting and, with the exception of one member selected by the Committee, shall be eligible for re-election. In the event of there being no nominations for the vacancy created by the one committee member standing down, the member who is standing down may (if willing) be re-elected to the Committee. 

5.8     The Committee shall meet at least three times a year.  Two of the Officers and three non-Officers shall form a quorum.  In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

6        General Meetings

6.1     The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in October at a time fixed by the Committee, and at least 14 days’ prior notice thereof shall be given on the Club’s website.

6.2     The Chairman of the Club shall be the Chairman at any General Meeting (whether Annual or Extraordinary), and the quorum for any General Meeting shall be 20% of the Club's membership

6.3     If the Chairman is not present within ten minutes of the time fixed for the start of a meeting, a Chairman shall be elected from among the members present.

6.4     In the event of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting (whether Annual or Extraordinary) shall have a second or casting vote.

7.       Business at the Annual General Meeting

7.1     The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:

(a)      to approve the minutes of the previous such meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting;

(b)      to adopt a statement of accounts, duly audited by the Hon Auditor, and the Hon Treasurer's report for the year ended 30 September;

(c)      to receive a report from the Committee on Club activities;

(d)      to elect Officers and Committee for the ensuing year;

(e)      to elect the Hon Auditor;

(f)       to present any trophies and prizes; and

(g)      to decide on any resolution which may be submitted under Rule 8 or 10.

7.2     Nominations for office under paras (d) and (e) of Rule 9 shall be proposed and seconded, the consent of the nominee having been previously obtained.

8        Resolutions at the Annual General Meeting

Any member desiring to bring forward any question other than the business required by the Rules to be transacted at an Annual General Meeting shall give written notice thereof to the Hon Secretary not less than 14 days before the date fixed for the meeting.

9        Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be held whenever the Committee shall think fit.  Such a meeting shall also be held within 28 days of a requisition signed by at least twenty per cent of the membership of the Club being delivered to the Hon. Secretary, stating the purpose for which it is required.  Fourteen days’ notice at least shall be given of any Extraordinary General Meeting, and no business shall be transacted or subject introduced other than that for which the Meeting has been convened.

10      Alteration to Rules

No alteration shall be made to these Rules except by a resolution of at least two-thirds of the members present at a quorate General Meeting of the Club.

11      Bylaws

The Committee may draw up, and from time to time alter, Bylaws; any alterations shall have immediate effect, subject to ratification by the next Annual General Meeting.

12      Rules of Play

Play shall at all times be governed by the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, as promulgated by the World Bridge Federation and published for the United Kingdom by the English Bridge Union.

13      Conduct

The conduct of all participants shall be according to the principles of “Best Behaviour at Bridge” as defined and promoted by the English Bridge Union and published on its website.

14      Affiliation

The Club shall be affiliated to the Surrey County Bridge Association, and through it to the English Bridge Union, and shall participate in the latter’s Master Points Scheme.

The Schedule

Complaints Procedure

1       Any complaint about the conduct of a member or a member’s guest shall be made to the Committee, which may either:

         (a)      dismiss it as unmeritorious; or

         (b)      establish a Panel to deal with it as provided below.

For this purpose, any Officer or member of the Committee who is conflicted shall not attend the Committee for this item.

2       Such a Panel shall consist of either three or (in a serious case) five members, who may (but need not be) members of the Committee, but shall not be conflicted.

3       The person about whom the complaint has been made will be informed, in writing, about the complaint (with disclosure of the complainant’s name), will be advised that there will be a Panel meeting to discuss the complaint, and will be given at least 14 days to submit in writing any defence to the complaint.

4       The Panel shall consider the complaint and any such defence.  It can either make a decision under para 5, or it can hold a hearing to which the complainant and the defendant shall be invited to attend.

5       The Panel shall decide whether to uphold or reject the complaint.  In the former case, it shall recommend one of three sanctions for consideration by the Committee: 

          (a)      a Reprimand;

(b)      Suspension, which is temporary withdrawal of membership for a stated period; or

(c)      Exclusion, which is permanent withdrawal of membership.

6     The meeting of the Committee to consider the recommendation of the Panel shall exclude any member of the Panel.  It may decide to mitigate, but not to increase, the recommended penalty. 

Bylaws

[As approved in General Meeting on (date)]

                 1        Premises

The Club shall normally hold its meetings at the Oxshott Village Centre, Holtwood Road, Oxshott, whose own rules and regulations shall be binding on all members and visitors, and whose premises are fully suitable for those with mobility problems.

2        Programme

The programme of Club Activities shall be drawn up annually for the forthcoming calendar year by the Committee, having regard to the wishes of the members.

3        Playing for Money & Gambling

Playing for money is not permitted on club premises.  Nor is gambling on any result or part of a Club bridge session.

4        Table Money

            The Committee shall determine the table money per player.

5        Guests and Visitors

5.1     Members may bring guests to the Club.

5.2     Guests shall pay double table money, or as agreed by the Committee.

5.3     If there are more people wishing to play than can be accommodated then the tournament director for the session, or the members of the Committee who are present, shall decide who can play using as a basis for decision the following priority order:  

(a)      pairs comprising two members;

(b)      pairs comprising one member and a guest;

(c)      pairs comprising two visitors who have notified the Club in advance that they wish to play and been given authorisation; and

(d)      pairs comprising two visitors who have not notified the Club in advance that they wish to play.

5.4     Members who arrive late lose their rights in the above priority order.

5.5     Guests and visitors are not eligible to compete in Club competitions (they may play on the night and their results are eligible for EBU Master Points).  If they play with a Club Member on an internal club competition night, the scores of the Club Member will also not be eligible for the internal club competition.

6        Noise

Members must refrain from causing unnecessary noise; conversations and post-mortems should be kept to a minimum and conducted as quietly as possible.

7        Smoking

             Smoking is not allowed in any part of any venue used for Club activities.