1. The NAME of the Club shall be 'The Grove Bridge Club'.

2. The OBJECT of the Club shall be to provide facilities for playing Bridge and to encourage improving standards of play subject to the maintenance of a friendly co-operative ethos.

3. The MANAGEMENT of the Club shall be by a committee consisting of:

   (a) A Secretary, a Treasurer and five other members.

   (b) Members of the Committee shall resign in accordance with the following procedures:

The Secretary shall resign one year and the Treasurer shall resign the following year. No Committee members or officers shall serve for more than two years before retiring and being re-elected.

   (c) The Committee shall be empowered to co-opt in order to fill any vacancies, and additionally to co-opt not more than two members as desired. Co-opted members shall not be able to out vote a decision favoured by a majority of the elected members at a meeting. The tenure of a co-opted member shall be until the next Annual General Meeting (AGM).

   (d) Nominations for the committee shall be submitted in writing, to be received by the Secretary at least seven clear days before the AGM, the nomination to be signed by the nominee, proposer and seconder.

   (e) All elections to the committee shall be by ballot of members at the AGM, the specific offices first and then the other non-specific positions. In the event of more candidates than vacancies, then a written ballot is required.

   (f) The elected committee shall appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the ensuing year.

4. The CLUB YEAR will commence on 1st December and annual subscriptions will be due and payable immediately; there will be a playing session at least once a week (subject to the accommodation being available). The accounting year will be from 1st September to 31st August of the following year.

5. (a) An ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING shall be held before the 30th November to elect Officers, committee members, receive the Annual Report of Accounts and to transact any other business. Six weeks’ notice shall be given of the date of the AGM but it is sufficient if this Notice is given publicly at Club Playing sessions.

   (b)The committee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on a majority decision of the committee. Any member may call an EGM, but such request must be supported by signatures of at least a third of paid up members. Applications must be received by the Secretary twenty-eight days in advance of the proposed date of the meeting with supporting signatures and the subject to be raised; such date may be postponed by the committee to suit general convenience but not beyond a fortnight delay.

   (c) Decisions at any General Meeting (excepting the restriction of Rule 6) shall be by a simple majority of members attending, the Chairman having a casting vote.

  (d) An Auditor for the accounts is to be elected at the AGM for the following year.

6. RULE CHANGES may only be made if twenty-eight days’ notice has been given before a general meeting (EGM or AGM) concerning the change, and the change is passed by a two-thirds majority of those present.

7. The ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION for the next due date shall be agreed at the AGM. Table and Visitors table money is for committee decision.

8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS, of which four members shall form a quorum, shall meet at least four times a year. Any three members of the committee can call for a meeting with a specific agenda. Decisions shall be by a simple majority of those present, with the Chairman having a casting vote (limited by Rule 3c).

9. ACCOUNTS shall be audited and submitted for approval at the AGM. Banking of Club Monies and discretionary honoraria will be decided by the committee.

10.  (a) MEMBERS CONDUCT shall be governed in play by committee decision guided by EBU practice. Bidding conventions may be restricted by the committee with the Membership informed.

       (b) The Director of each playing session shall be nominated by the committee and this persons decision on any point of play or personal conduct during the session must be accepted by all parties as final for that session.

       (c) A Member may appeal against a director's decision (but NOT at the table). The appeal may be taken up with the director when the session has ended but only if time and the director allow; alternatively the appeal may be submitted in writing to the committee within four days.

11. THE CLUB does not accept responsibility for accidents or loss of property incurred by any person attending the Club meetings.

12. DISCIPLINE  is empowered to the committee to reprimand or withdraw membership of any member who has:

   (a) not complied with the rules of the Club as written here or enacted as current organization.

   (b) not paid the annual subscription on or before due date (see Rule 4).

   (c) by conducting themselves in style, standard of play or by lack of co-operation has in the committee's opinion been acting against the interest of the Club and its members.

Notice shall be given to such person of the discipline contemplated and basis for it, but the committee is not obliged to give more than intention, basis and later the decision.

13. DRESS CODE. The committee does not accept members arriving to play bridge dressed in shorts or T vests.

14. This is a non-smoking Club.

15. Where physically possible, all members are expected to be a duty member as and when the situation arises.

16. VISITORS. Players wishing to join the club can play three times before applying for membership. The first three times they will pay the visitors' table money, and thereafter the same as members until they are admitted, when they will be asked to pay the joining fee and the annual subscription. Their application form will be published on the notice board giving members the opportunity to comment: their application will be considered at the next committee meeting.