| CONSTITUTION OF THE TUDOR (Chipping Sodbury) BRIDGE CLUB (as approved at the AGM, 24th March 2011) 1. NAME The Club shall be called Tudor (Chipping Sodbury) Bridge Club. 2. OBJECTS The object of the Club shall be to facilitate the teaching and play of Contract Bridge in a friendly atmosphere and to provide facilities for its members for playing Duplicate and other Contract Bridge. 3. AFFILIATIONS Unless decided otherwise by a General Meeting, the Club will be affiliated to the Avon Contract Bridge Association (ACBA) and to the English Bridge Union (EBU). 4. MEMBERSHIP 4.1 Membership shall be open to all Bridge players and those wishing to learn the game. 4.2 Application for membership shall be made to the Secretary on such form as may be prescribed by the Committee, and accompanied by the due proportion of the annual subscription (see 4.5). 4.3 Membership shall be granted initially on a probationary basis for a period of six months. During this time any existing member wishing to object to the new membership should notify the Secretary in writing and the Committee may decide, without giving reasons, to reject the application and return the subscription paid. 4.4 After the expiry of the six month probationary period the applicant shall become a full member and shall be deemed to have agreed to abide by this constitution and any rules made thereunder. 4.5 New members joining between 1st June and 30th November shall pay one half of the annual subscription. New members joining in December shall pay the full subscription for the following year. 4.6 Temporary membership shall be available for any single period of six months on payment of two thirds of the annual subscription. 4.7 Probationary and temporary members shall enjoy all the rights of membership except that they may not vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting, nor stand for election to the Committee. 4.8 A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club under the provisions of clause 14, or if his/her resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary. 4.9 A member whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on the expiration of the period of three months from the date on which the subscription was due for payment. 4.10 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. 4.11 So long as the Club retains EBU affiliation, members of the Club are automatically enrolled as members of the English Bridge Union and all shall abide by its Bye Laws. 4.12 The Committee may propose that a current or former member of the Club shall be given Life Membership in reward for long and/or exceptional service to the Club. Such a proposal would be subject to confirmation by vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting. 5. OFFICERS 5.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. 5.2 No member of the Club shall simultaneously hold the office of more than one Officer of the Club. 5.3 Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election. 5.4. In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the office of any Officer of the Club, the Committee shall co-opt a member to fill such vacancy until the ensuing Annual General Meeting. This person need not be a member of the existing Committee 6. COMMITTEE 6.1. The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club, together with up to four other members of the Club, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election 6.2. The Committee may from time to time co-opt further members of the Club to serve on the Committee until the ensuing Annual General Meeting, whether to fill a vacancy arising, or as additional members, except that the total number of members of the Committee (including Officers) shall at no time exceed ten. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee. 6.3 The Committee shall meet at least four times per year at such dates, times, and venues as it shall determine. The secretary shall give each committee member at least fourteen days notice of each meeting. A quorum for a committee meeting shall be four, including one of the chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary. The chairman, or in his/her absence the vice-chairman, or in the absence of both the secretary, shall have a casting vote. 6.4. 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 considers fit. Members of such sub- committees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee, but they must be chaired by a member of the Committee. 6.5. The Committee shall make reports to each Annual General Meeting of the Club concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous Annual General Meeting. 7. MANAGEMENT 7.1. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee, and the Committee shall have power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which is not specifically provided for in this Constitution. 7.2. The Committee may from time to time formulate and publish such rules as it thinks 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 shall prevail). 7.3 Any issue of policy determined by the Committee or any rules published by the Committee may be varied by a resolution of members at a General Meeting of the Club, provided that such resolution is not in conflict with this Constitution, is not retrospective in application, and that 60% of members present support the resolution. 7.4 In the event of such variation being made, the policy or rules (as the case may be) shall not be further varied by the Committee in a manner inconsistent with the resolution. 8. GENERAL MEETINGS 8.1. An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year no later than four months after the end of the financial year. 8.2. A Special General Meeting of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a request for such a meeting, stating the reason for it, is signed by at least twenty members of the Club (or 40% of the total membership if that is less), is delivered to the Secretary. Such meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of such request. 8.3. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time. 8.4. All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at a normal playing location of the Club unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable. 8.5 The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman shall chair the meeting. In the absence of both, the Committee members present shall nominate one of their number to the chair. 8.6. Notice of all General Meetings of the Club shall be given to all members of the Club no later than three weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. 8.7. Any member may propose a motion to be discussed at a General Meeting provided that written notice of the proposed motion is delivered to the Secretary no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. The proposed motion should be seconded before delivery to the Secretary. 8.8 The chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General Meeting if he thinks fit. 8.9. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be twenty members present in person, or a number equal to 40% of the current membership, whichever is less. 8.10. If fifteen minutes after the time fixed for a General Meeting of the Club no quorum shall be present, the meeting shall be adjourned to a new date (of which the like notice shall be given to members as was required to be given for the meeting which has been adjourned), and in the case of a General Meeting which has been adjourned due to the lack of a quorum (but not of a meeting adjourned for any other reason) such number of members as are actually present at the adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum. 8.11. Voting at General Meetings of the Club shall be by show of hands, and in the event of parity of voting the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote. 9. NOTICES 9.1. Notices of any Special General Meeting of the Club, and of an Annual General Meeting shall be posted on the Club’s website and/or given to members by post or by e mail to the last address of each member notified to the Secretary. 9.3. Notices of any non routine matters to be brought to the attention of members shall be made on the Club’s website at least one week before the meeting and by announcement at two consecutive playing sessions. 10. NOMINATIONS 10.1. Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members shall be in writing, and shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated. 10.2. Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting. 11. SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES 11.1. Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the basic amount of which for the time being shall be set at a General Meeting of the Club. Subscriptions shall be due for payment during the month of January each year in respect of the year to the following 31st December. 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. 11.2. 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 a General Meeting of the Club. 11.3. The Committee may determine variations on the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money for members, guests and visitors in different circumstances. 12. ACCOUNTS 12.1. The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on 31st December. 12.2. The accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval. 13. GUESTS and VISITORS 13.1 With the exception of the Club’s Birthday Party and Christmas Party (events normally subsidised by the Club), guests and visitors may be permitted to play at the club at any time. A member shall be responsible for their guest's behaviour and table money. 13.2 The Committee may, from time to time, place a limit on the number of times a non member (whether a guest or visitor) may play at the club without being required to apply for membership. This limit will be stated in the Club Rules. 13.3 No person who has been refused membership of the club may play as a guest or visitor. 14. MEMBERS’ BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE 14.1 Each member of the Club shall be required in connection with the game of Duplicate Contract Bridge, to conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed by the Bye Laws and regulations for the time being of the EBU. 14.2 The Committee shall have the power to suspend or terminate the membership of any member at any time if, in the opinion of the Committee, such suspension or termination would be in the interests of the Club. The reasons for such suspension or termination of membership shall be conveyed to the member who shall have the right of personal appeal to the Committee as defined in Rule 1 for appeals regarding Director’s rulings. If the membership of any member is suspended or terminated under this clause, the appropriate proportion of the annual membership fee for the current year, if paid, shall be refunded. 15. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION 15.1. No alterations shall be made to this constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club 15.2. In order for a resolution to alter this constitution to have effect, at least two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour. 16. WINDING-UP 16.1 In the event that the membership of the club should fall below twenty and remain below that number for three months, the Committee shall meet to determine the future of the club. Should the committee decide that there is little possibility of the membership rising above twenty they shall call a Special General Meeting with a proposal that the club should be wound up. 16.2. In order for a resolution that the Club shall be wound up to have effect at least two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour, and in addition the number of votes cast in favour of the resolution must exceed one-half of the number of members of the Club entitled to attend and vote at the General Meeting at which the resolution is put. 16.3. If a resolution that the Club shall be wound up is effectively passed, the Committee shall be responsible for winding up the affairs of the Club, and unless the winding up has been initiated with a view to amalgamating the Club with some other club (in which case any surplus assets, BUT NOT funds, may be transferred to such other club), any surplus assets and funds shall be transferred to CLIC and Bristol Oncology, or to any other Registered or recognised Cancer charitable body as may be specified in the resolution initiating the winding up. |