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Constitution
The Penarth Bridge Club Constitution

 TITLE AND OBJECTIVES

The Club shall be called the Penarth Bridge Club and shall be affiliated to the East Wales Bridge Association and to the Welsh Bridge Union.

 

    The objectives of the Club shall be
        a. the organisation and encouragement of Duplicate Contract Bridge  and,

        b. to provide a convivial atmosphere within the club which is situated at
            Trinity Church Hall, Woodland Place, Penarth  and,

        c. to maintain and review the facilities  for play and scoring and,

        d. to provide support for the teaching and advancement of the game of   Bridge.

     MEMBERSHIP

 

    1.  Membership of the Club shall be open to any person wishing to play the game of  Bridge.
    2.  Applying for Membership
        a.  Any person applying for membership must complete and forward to the Secretary such form as may be prescribed by the committee.
       
        b.  All applications for membership of the club must be proposed and seconded by existing members of the Club unless the Committee decides otherwise.

   c.  All membership application forms received by the Secretary shall be displayed on the Club notice board at the Kymin for a minimum period of two weeks.

  d.  Any member wishing to object to an application for membership should notify the  Secretary in writing.

  e.  After the expiry of the period of two weeks (in c. above), the committee  membership secretary shall as soon as convenient consider the application for
        membership, taking into account any objections notified and shall promptly notify the applicant and the Committee of the acceptance or  otherwise of the application.

  f .  In declining an application the Committee may give a reason but shall not be obliged to do so

 g.  In considering application for membership the Committee shall have regard to the playing facilities available, and may from time to time decide that the Club
      shall be closed to new applications for membership for such period as it may  decide.

          h.  A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the Club under the provision of clause 23.3, or if his resignation in writing is delivered
               to the Secretary.

          i.  A member whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on  the  expiration of the period of six months from the date on which the subscription was
              due for payment.

          j.  A former member of the Club who wishes to rejoin as a member may do so without the necessity for a further formal application for membership, unless the Committee decides otherwise.

.        k. The members of the Club in General Meeting shall have the powers to elect,as a life member of the Club, any person who in the opinion of the meeting has rendered outstanding service to the Club. 
             A life member shall not be liable for annual subscription.

MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

 1. The general management of the Club shall be vested in a Committee elected  annually by the members of the Association. 
      Such Committee members shall be primary Penarth Bridge Club members.

 

     The Committee shall consist of the following Officers and other members:-

 

              (a)  a Chairman,           (b)  a Vice Chairman,      (c)  a Secretary,           (d)  a  Treasurer, (e)  a Tournament Organiser,       (f)   a Membership Secretary,

                and 3 other members, except that when one person fulfils the duties of two Officers there shall be an additional other member.

             The Chairman shall not hold office for more than 5 consecutive years.

 

     2.   The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies that occur  through resignation or otherwise and to co-opt members to the Committee.

     3.    A quorum at meeting of the Committee shall be five members of the Committee.

     4.   The committee may from time to time formulate and publish such rules as it think expedient for the efficient and harmonious running of the club, but
           in the case of any conflict between such rules and this Constitution, the  constitution will prevail.   

           Any new policies or rules published by the Committee may be varied by a resolution of members at a General Meeting of the Club, provided that the
           resolution is not in conflict with this Constitution and is not retrospective in application.

5.  The Committee meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman or in his absence the Vice Chairman.   In the absence of either the members present shall
      proceed to appoint one of their numbers to act as chairman for the time being.    At Committee meetings the chairman shall have an  additional or
      casting vote in the event of equality of votes.

6.       Sub-committees:

              i.  The Committee may from time to time appoint sub-committees to undertake on its behalf such aspects of the administration of the Club
                   as it shall think fit, and members of such committees may include  members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.

          ii.   There shall be a standing subcommittee of the Committee known as the Appeal subcommittee.   Its duties shall be to consider matters that
               arise as a result of a ruling during play at any event or Club evening.

        iii.    There shall be two other standing subcommittees of the Committee:
               (a)   Membership subcommittee will be chaired by the Membership Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for membership
                      application and upkeep of records, and reports to the  Committee,
               (b)  Special Events Officer can appoint a subcommittee to assist  with the organising of special events in liaison with the  Tournament Organiser.

        iv.   The Chairman of the Club shall have the ex-officio right of attendance to  all  subcommittee

        v.   The Committee shall have the power to form other subcommittees for the consideration of specific matters and may co-opt any member onto such
             subcommittees.


7       The Tournament Organiser shall organise Club evenings, matches, tournaments or like competitions with the approval of the Committee.

          The Organiser will seek approval from the committee to expend the funds of the  Club for the purposes of defraying the expenses of such activities, including the
           provision of prizes, and to fix the charges for entrance fees.

8.     The International Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge shall be applicable to tournaments and competitions organised by the Club.

9. The Committee shall have the powers to make bye-laws or rules for regulating the tournaments and competitions organised by the Penarth Bridge Club.


. GENERAL MEETINGS

 

10.   The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the Kymin not later than the end of May every year.  It shall be chaired by the Chairman and shall transact
          the following business:-

 

To receive the Chairman’s report of the activities of the Club.

To receive, and if approved, to adopt a statement of the Club’s accounts for the year ending the previous 31s. March.

 To fix the annual subscription of members for the following year.

To appoint the auditor(s) who shall not be members of the Committee.

To elect or re-elect Officers and other members of the Committee.

To deal with any other matter which the Committee or any other member, may desire to bring before the meeting.

11.   Notice convening an Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members at least 14 days before the meeting date. 
        The notice shall specify the date, time and venue of the Annual General Meeting, together with the closing  date for
         receipt in writing by the Secretary of nominations for the Officers of the Club and for resolutions to be included in the agenda with the
        names of the proposer and seconder.    Nominations for the other members of  the Committee may additionally  be made at the Annual General Meeting.

 

12.   The Chairman of a General Meeting may, at his discretion, admit a proposal notwithstanding that the same has not been forwarded to the Secretary in
        accordance with Para 10 above.  He will, however, have the power to defer confirmation of such a proposal until such time as the proposition has been
         put before a General Meeting in the manner set out in Para 11 above.

 

   13.   An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at any time by the  Committee and shall be convened and held within 30 days from the receipt
           of a request in writing signed by no fewer than 20 members specifying the object of the meeting, or in the case of a proposal to dissolve the Club, a
           request in writing by no fewer than 10% of all members.  Not less than 7 days  notice shall be given to members.

 

14    Any decision at a General Meeting including any decision concerning the  Disposal of the Club’s property shall be binding on all members of the Club.
         No decision at a General Meeting shall be binding unless the meeting is  quorate.   Thirty members personally present shall be a quorum, except that,
         in the case of a proposal to dissolve the Club, the presence in person of not  less than 15% of all members shall be a quorum.

 

ALTERATION OF THE RULES

 

15.      The rules of the Club can only be changed after due notice, at a General  Meeting, and to carry through such alterations a two-thirds majority of those 
           present and voting shall be necessary.

 

DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB


 16.     The Club can only be dissolved after due notice at a General Meeting.    To carry through such dissolution a two-thirds majority of those present and
           voting shall be necessary.

 

17.      In the event that a motion to dissolve the Club shall be passed  in accordance  with the above requirements then the Committee of the Club at the time of
           dissolution shall realise all the assets of the Club, settle all its liabilities,  and  distribute any  remaining funds equally to its members.   Such actions shall be
           a full discharge of the duties of the members of the Committee for the membership as a whole.

COMPETITIONS AND MATCHES

 

18.   To be eligible to compete in any competition organised by the Club a player must be a member of the Club except that the Committee may accept entries  
        from non-members for certain events as permitted by the Welsh Bridge Union.
        It may also restrict entry for certain events for Club members only.

19.   Players selected to represent the Club in any Bridge Match must be primary members of the Club.

 


 SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES



  20.1.  Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the basic amount  of  which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting
            of the  Club.  Subscriptions shall be due for payment by June 30th in each year in respect of  the year to the following March 31st.
           Unless the Committee decides otherwise, any member whose subscription  remains unpaid after the due date shall pay table money at the rate applicable
           to visitors until his subscription has been paid in full.

 
20.2.  Each member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each occasion when he plays at the Club, the basic amounts of which for
          the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.


20.3.  Each successful applicant for membership of the Club may be required to pay a joining fee,  the amount (if any) of which for the time being shall be
            decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.


 20.4.  The Committee may determine variations on the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money for members, guests and visitors in different
           circumstances, and may waive subscriptions or table money in the event of hardship or for any other good cause.

 20.5   The Annual General Meeting may authorize the Committee to increase the  basic amounts of subscriptions and table money prior to the ensuing Annual
            General Meeting

 

20.6    The Committee may determine from time to time the amount of fees to be  charged for use of the premises or equipment of the Club, or for any other
            purpose for which it is of the opinion that fees ought to be charged.

    ACCOUNTS



21.1  The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the  financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on March 31st.
 
21.2   The accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.
 

GUESTS and VISITORS

 

 22.1   Any member may invite a guest to play at the club at any time, but in  the event of the  playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all
             those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members.

 22.2   Visitors may be permitted to play at the Club at any time, but in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all those who
            wish to play, priority shall be given to members and the guests of members.

 22.3   The Committee may from time to time place a limit on the number of occasions on  which a non-member (whether a guest or a visitor) may play
            at the club without being required to apply for membership.

 22.4   If such a limit is for the time being in force, a non-member who has applied for membership shall (subject to available playing facilities) be permitted to
            play at the Club until his application for membership has been considered by the Committee, even if the limit imposed by the Committee is thereby
            exceeded.

CONDUCT

 23.1    Nothing in this Constitution shall preclude the Committee from referring a  matter of  conduct to the Laws & Ethics Committee of the Welsh Bridge
            Union if it considers it appropriate to do so.

 23.2    The Director has the authority to assess and document disciplinary penalties at an event, but if further violations result,  the player(s) future
            participation in events will  be considered by the Committee.

 23.3    The committee will not tolerate any form of violence or abusive behaviour  committed by or against any member of the Club. All reports of violence or
            abusive behaviour will be taken seriously by members of the Club.

            Members who engage in actions or threats of violence or abusive behaviour will be subject to the appropriate discipline up to and including expulsion
            from the club..

           Examples of violence and abusive behavior violating this policy include but are not limited to the following:
       - Slapping, punching or otherwise physically attacking a person.
       - Subjecting another individual to emotional distress.
       - Brandishing a weapon or an object, which appears to be a weapon in a threatening manner.
      -  Intimidating, threatening, or directing abusive language toward another person or a Committee Member
      -  Intentionally damaging property or the property of a member or a visitor.
       - Committing acts motivated by, or related to racial or sexual harassment.


Prepared by     A. W. Lightbody          …Secretary      Date 7th May 2010
Authorised by   Mike Downey               ..Chairman      Date  7th May 2010