THE CONSTITUTION

 1.

Name and Objects of the Club
The Club shall be called the “Roydon (Diss) Bridge Club” and its objectives shall be to provide a friendly, sociable environment for the playing of the games of Duplicate Contract Bridge in accordance with the laws and principals laid down by the English Bridge Union (EBU)        
 

 2.

Members
The Members of the Club shall be divided into the following classes:    

a)

Ordinary Members who shall have been elected as such by the Committee in the manner provided in these rules

b)

Honorary Members who have been proposed by the Membership and received Committee approval

 3.

Election to Membership

Candidates for ordinary membership shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another. The committee will be informed by the secretary of proposed members and will consider their ability to play Contract Bridge before agreeing that they may become a member of the club.  The Secretary shall notify the applicant promptly of the acceptance or otherwise of their application.

The Committee may from time to time decide the Club shall be closed to new applications for membership for such period as it may decide. A member shall cease to be a member of the Club:

a)

immediately upon expulsion from the Club under Clause 13

b)

upon resignation in writing to the Secretary

c)

upon non-payment of subscription within 2 months of due date

Members of the Club are automatically enrolled as members of the EBU

  4.

Guests and Visitors     
Members may introduce and entertain not more than three guests at any one time at the Club and there shall be documentation held and controlled by the Secretary of the Club, which both members and guests shall sign. The Committee may issue Bye-laws to limit the number of times any one guest may visit the Club during a year

 5.

Address

The playing quarters of the Club shall be at Roydon Community Centre, High Road, Roydon,

IP22 5RB

 6.

Affiliations

The Club shall be affiliated to the Norfolk Contract Bridge Association (NCBA) and the EBU

 7.

Meetings

a)

Annual General Meeting

The Club’s financial year shall run from 1 September.  As soon as practicable and in any event not more than two months after 1 September, there shall be the Annual General Meeting held annually at the Club's playing quarters of Ordinary and Honorary Members for the purpose of transacting the following business:

1.  to receive the Chairman’s Report
2.  to receive and accept the Annual Accounts
3. to agree the Subscriptions and table monies for the ensuing year to be received no    later than 2 months from the date of the AGM.
4.    to elect a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and up to 5 ordinary Committee  Members
5. to consider proposals included on the Agenda.  Ordinary and Honorary Members must submit all proposals to the Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting date

vi)   to ratify any amendments to Bye-laws made by the committee during the year

At least 14 clear days notice of the date of the AGM shall be given to each member by post or by email and by a notice placed on the Club Notice Board and by verbal announcement on at least two preceding meetings  The onus is on the individual member to establish for themselves when the AGM is to be held

b)

Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General meeting of Members may be convened by the Committee at any time, or at the request of eight members upon giving notice in writing to the Secretary, signed by all of them and clearly stating the purpose of the Meeting.  The Secretary shall then arrange for the meeting to be held within one month of the date of receipt of the request and shall give all members at least 14 days notice of the date, time and purpose of the meeting.

c)

Committee Meetings

The Committee shall meet on such dates as it may decide but shall in any event meet not less than four times per year

d)

Quorum

At any AGM or EGM a quorum of 15 members or 20% of the total membership of the Club, whichever is the greater must be present in person.  Should no quorum be present then the meeting shall be adjourned to a date between 5 and 30 days hence.  Members then present may validly transact the business of the meeting.  At any Committee Meeting a quorum shall be constituted by a majority of the committee members being present in person and should no quorum be present the meeting shall be adjourned to a date agreed upon by the Committee Members

e)

Voting and Proxies

At all meetings each member present shall have one vote only, except that in the event of an equality of voting the Chairman of the Meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.  Any member unable to be present in person may appoint any other member to vote on their behalf provided this arrangement has been communicated to the secretary prior to the meeting

f)

Chairperson

The Chairperson shall normally preside at all General Meetings of the Club.  In the absence of the Chairperson the committee present shall elect one Committee Member to act as Chairman

8.

The Committee

The Committee shall consist of the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer , Social Secretary (the officers) and no fewer than one and not more than four other members.  At each Annual General Meeting all members of the committee shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.  No committee member may serve for more than 3 consecutive years, unless to progress to an officer, or revert to an ordinary member ,when they may serve for no more than a further 3 years. Candidates for election to the committee must be proposed and seconded by ordinary or honorary members whose names are on the Club Membership List and who have paid their subscriptions for that year.   Should the number of candidates exceed 8 persons then a ballot shall be held and those with the greatest number of votes shall be deemed elected

9.

Duties and Powers of the Committee

a)

It shall be the duty of the committee:

i)to manage, regulate and generally supervise the affairs of the Club for the benefit of the members

2. to prepare and set before the Members at the AGM an income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet showing the club’s financial position
3. to appoint an Auditor of the club’s annual accounts
4. to appoint a Conduct Committee and a Disciplinary Committee.  These committees shall have the powers, duties and responsibilities conferred on them under the Schedule of Disciplinary Procedures.  A member of the Conduct Committee cannot also be a member of the Disciplinary Committee

b)

The Committee shall be empowered:

i)to authorise such expenditure of the club funds as they deem necessary

2. to recommend the rate of the annual subscription, table money and visitors’ fees, match fees and any other charges they may deem necessary
3. to prescribe, amend and rescind Bye-laws for the proper management of the club and to give notice thereof to members.  Any such amendment must be ratified by the members at the next following AGM

iv)   to elect new members in accordance with Clause 3

v)   to co-opt members to fill vacancies on the committee

vi)   to appoint sub-committees

vii)  in the event of the committee deciding that it were necessary to wind  up the Club, they           shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with Clause 7(b)

10.

Secretary

The Secretary shall be responsible under the direction of the committee for all business of the club and shall conduct all correspondence, give notice of all meetings to the members concerned and keep all members informed of all matters of interest.  The Secretary shall maintain the following records:  Register of Members and contact details, Club Constitution and Supplementary Schedules, Minutes of all meetings and files of correspondence

11.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be responsible for all money paid to the club and for making all necessary payments.  The Treasurer shall keep an account of all transactions, shall produce accounts for inspection by the committee and shall deposit all monies in such Bank as the committee may authorise

12.

Member Behaviour

a)

Members shall be required to conform to the standards of fair play and behaviour prescribed by the EBU

b)

The Club, through its Conduct and Disciplinary Committees, shall have powers and procedures for the enforcement of requirements under Clause 12a)

13.

Disciplinary Action

Should any member have cause for complaint against another member, the complaint shall be made in writing to the secretary for submission to the Conduct Committee.  The Conduct Committee shall, on receipt of such complaint, proceed in accordance with the Schedule of Disciplinary Procedures

14.

Responsibility of The Club

The club shall not be responsible for any damage, loss or injury sustained by any member or visitor whilst on the club’s premises or engaged in any of the club’s activities, nor shall any member have any claim against the club or committee for any action taken in accordance with the Rules and By-laws of the Club

15.

Responsibility of Members

The committee may require any member to make good any damage or loss caused by that member’s action to any property owned by the club or for which the club is responsible.  Members and their guests are responsible for their own safety at all time when handling any club property and should make themselves aware of all fire exits

16.

Alteration to the Rules

Any alteration to these Rules must be proposed as per Clause 7(a) as an agenda item at an AGM

17.

Notice of Rules and By-laws

A copy of the Rules and By-laws shall be available from the secretary and shall be binding on all members

18.

Winding Up

If an Extraordinary or Annual General Meeting agrees that it is necessary to wind up the club, the committee shall be empowered to take whatever action may be required to realise the assets of the club.  The surplus proceeds after payment of all debts shall be distributed equally among the paid up Ordinary and honorary Members of the Club.