November 2019         

1. The NAME of the Club shall be the “Grove Bridge Club”.

2. The OBJECTS 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. 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).

c. Nominations for the committee shall be submitted in writing, to be received by the Secretary at least seven days before the AGM. The nomination is to be signed by nominee, proposer and seconder.

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

e. The elected committee shall appoint a Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.  

4. The CLUB YEAR will commence on 1 September in each year and there will be a playing session at least once a week. The accounting year is to be from 1 September to 31 August. An auditor for the accounts is to be elected at the AGM.

5. a. A GENERAL MEETING shall be held annually before 30 November to elect Officers, committee members, receive the Annual Report of Accounts and to transact any other business. This shall be known as the Annual General Meeting for which not less than fourteen days' notice of date, time and place of meeting, agenda and balance of accounts shall be given to all paid-up members. Six weeks' notice shall be given of the date for 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, and such application must be received with supporting signatures and the subject to be raised, by the club Secretary at least a month before a proposed date; such date may be postponed by the committee to suit general convenience, but not beyond a fortnight delay.

c. Decision at any General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of members attending, the Chairman having a casting vote.

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

7. Committee meetings, of which four members shall form a quorum, shall be held at least four times a year. Decisions shall be by a simple majority of those present, with the chairman having a casting vote. Any three members of the committee can call for a meeting with a specific agenda.

8. ACCOUNTS shall be audited and submitted for approval at the AGM. Banking of club monies and discretionary honoraria will be decided by the committee.

9. a. MEMBERS' CONDUCT shall be governed in play by committee decision guided by English

Bridge Union (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 committee and this person's 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.

10. LIABILITY is not the responsibility of the club for accidents or loss of property incurred by any person attending the club meetings.

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

a. Not comply with the rules of the club as written here;

b. Have not paid the annual subscription on or before 30 September each year;

c. By conducting themselves in style, standard of play or by lack of co-operation shall in the committee's opinion be acting against the interest of the club and its members. Notice shall be given to such a 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.

12. Visitors are admitted within maximum permitted numbers and subject to a committee member's and/or director's approval; if places are limited, priority will be given to members.

13. Honorary titles with honorary membership shall be empowered by an AGM to members who have given exemplary service to the club.

14. Historically, the Grove Bridge Club recognises the debt to Spring Park Bridge club in its formation. Equipment shall be made available to Spring Park for special occasions and mutual co-operation is to be fostered.

15. VISITORS. Players wishing to join the club must play three times as visitors before applying for membership. If they are admitted as members, they will be asked to pay the annual subscription and will pay the member's table money from that point on. If they are placed on a waiting list, they will pay the visitors' table money four times from that point and thereafter the same as members. Members joining between June and August will enjoy longer than a year's subscription for the first year.

16. A duty member is available for those occasions (excluding Bank Holidays) when members do not have a partner. In this respect, each member is required to serve as duty member once a year.