CONSTITUTION
1. Name
The club shall be called Quainton Bridge Club
2. Objects
The primary objective of the club shall be to provide facilities for members and visitors to play Duplicate Bridge in a friendly, informal and relaxed atmosphere; secondary aims are to ensure that the club thrives and that playing standards continue to improve.
3. Membership
Membership of the club shall be unrestricted. The committee shall be empowered to remove any member’s name from the membership list if it considers that his or her behaviour is detrimental to the friendly atmosphere of the club. The club will welcome any visiting bridge players.
4. Management
The club shall be managed by a committee of not less than four nor more than six members comprising: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Members' Representatives.
The committee shall be elected at each year’s Annual General Meeting. Any officer may stand for re-election.
A committee quorum shall consist of three members which shall include the Chairman or his appointed deputy. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote. The Chairman or his appointed deputy shall have the casting vote in the event of a tied ballot. The committee quorum for making financial decisions must include the Treasurer.
Committee members shall not benefit financially from their membership of the club.
The committee shall be empowered to form one or more sub-committees (which may include non-committee members but which must include at least one committee member).
5. Subscriptions
The Committee shall decide annual subscriptions and table money.
6. Accounts
The financial year of the Club shall run from 1st September to 31st August in the following year. The Treasurer shall prepare a statement of accounts as soon as practicable after the end of the financial year. The Committee may request an audit of the accounts if it should think it appropriate. Accounts either audited or not as appropriate, will be presented to all members of the club at the AGM. The Committee shall, have the power to elect an Honorary Auditor whose remit shall be to audit the accounts prepared by the Treasurer.
The committee is empowered to open a bank or building society account for the deposit of the club’s funds. Cheques and authorities for withdrawal of sums of one hundred and fifty pounds or greater shall be signed by any two members, one of whom shall be the Treasurer, the other nominated by the committee. The Treasurer acting alone may make payments of sums less than one hundred and fifty pounds.
A paper record shall support claims for reimbursement of expenditure.
7. Meetings
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
An AGM shall be held each year, not later than six weeks after the end of the financial year. Notice of the AGM shall be posted at the meeting place of the club at least 21 days before the meeting, stating when and where it will take place and what business will be conducted. The quorum shall be one third of the current membership.
The business of the AGM shall be to receive reports from the Chairman and Treasurer, to adopt the accounts and to fill any vacancies on the Committee. The meeting will also deal with any other matter that the Committee may wish to bring before the members, and with any matters raised by the members themselves. As far as is practicable, such matters should be communicated to the Secretary in writing before the meeting. Their content will then be circulated as propositions to the members and included in the notice of the meeting.
Nominations for the Committee, duly proposed and seconded, must be given to the Secretary in writing at least 7 days before the AGM. If the number of candidates exceeds the number of places, a vote will be taken at the AGM.
The Chairman, or any other member elected by the meeting shall preside over the AGM. He shall have the casting vote in the event of a tied ballot. Voting shall be by majority decision, by show of hands.
8. Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
An EGM may be called by the committee at any time for the purpose of making decisions or approving resolutions that, in the opinion of the committee, need the approval of the membership.
Any member of the club may instruct the Chairman or Secretary to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time provided:
a. The instruction is given in writing.
b. The instruction letter contains full details of the purpose of the meeting, including any proposals or resolutions to be put to the meeting.
c. The instruction letter is signed by a proposer and seconder and not less than a further 25% of the current active membership of the club. The Chairman or Secretary must convene such an EGM within six weeks of receipt of the written instruction. The membership must be informed of the meeting by the posting of a notice in the meeting place of the club at least 14 days before the date of the meeting. They should be told full details of the purpose of the meeting and of any proposals or resolutions to be considered. The quorum for an EGM shall be one third of the current membership.
9. Committee Meetings
The Committee shall meet at such times and places as it may decide. Any member of the committee may request, in writing, that the Secretary call a meeting. The committee meeting shall be chaired by the Chairman of the club (or by his appointed deputy) who shall have the casting vote in the event of a tied ballot. The Secretary shall minute the proceedings of committee meetings. This record shall be made available for inspection by the membership at any reasonable time.
10. Club Meetings
The club shall meet, generally once weekly, at a time and place that the committee, in consultation with its members, shall decide. Club meetings shall be organized and run by a Tournament Director, appointed by the committee. His directives shall be binding on all members present at the meeting.
11. Winding Up
A decision to wind up the club shall be made only at an Annual General Meeting. In the event that the club is wound up, surplus funds held in the club account shall be donated to the Quainton Memorial Hall Management Committee or any other registered Charity that may subsequently assume responsibility for the management of the Quainton Memorial Hall.
12. Constitution
The constitution of the club shall be revised or amended only following approval at an Annual General Meeting.
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