Wells City Bridge Club 

RULES AND CONSTITUTION 

1. Name The name of the Club shall be Wells City Bridge Club of Wells in Somerset. 

2. Object The object of the Club shall be to organise the playing of Contract Bridge on a 

regular basis in a friendly and sociable atmosphere. 

3. Membership Membership shall be by applications. All applications for membership will be 

considered by at least two members of the Committee after intending members 

have attended not less than three sessions as visitors. A decision on membership 

will be ratified by the full Committee. 

4. Fees and An Annual subscription is payable during April by all members, the 

 Subscriptions actual level being set at the Annual General Meeting. 

Table Money is payable for each playing session as fixed by the Committee. 

Visitors intending to become members will not be surcharged for their first three 

sessions. 

Visitors not intending to become members will be surcharged at a rate agreed by 

the Committee. 

New members will pay an annual subscription at the time of joining except that 

those joining after 1st October will pay a reduced fee. 

The Committee shall review Fees and Subscriptions regularly and shall have the 

power to alter them as necessary. Any alteration shall be ratified by a majority of 

the members attending at the next General Meeting. 

5. Club Nights Card play on club nights will usually be informal tournaments on either a 

partnership or individual basis as designated by the Tournament Director and 

depending on the number present at 18:55 hrs. A member arriving after this time 

cannot be guaranteed the right to play on that night unless having previously given 

notice of intention to be present. Play shall commence at 19:00 hrs. 

6. Control The day to day business of the Club shall be conducted by the Committee. Any 

significant change of policy will be dealt with at the Annual General Meeting. All 

competitions and tournaments will be run by a Tournament Director who will be 

designated by the Committee. 

7. Officers The officers of the Club shall be: 

   The Chairman 

 The Vice Chairman 

 The Hon. Treasurer 

 The Hon. Secretary 

  Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and will serve for one 

year. Officer shall be eligible for re-election to serve two or more terms. 

8. Committee The Committee shall consist of the Officers and two or more elected members. 

Two Committee members may be designated as Assistant Treasurer and Assistant 

Secretary. Members will serve for one year and be eligible for re-election to serve 

further terms. 

9. Committee A quorum of the Committee shall consist of not less than 50% of the 

 Quorum  Committee membership. The Chairman shall have a second and casting vote 

 and Voting when this becomes necessary. 

10. Co-option The Committee shall have the power to co-opt a member to fill any vacancy 

occurring amongst the Officers or Committee Members until the next Annual 

General Meeting. 

Wells City Bridge Club  18th December 2007 

11. AGM The Annual General Meeting shall be held on the fourth Tuesday in April to 

transact the following business: 

   To receive and adopt the Audited Accounts for the year 

 To receive and adopt the report of the Club’s activities for that year 

 To elect Officers in accordance with the rules 

 To elect Committee Members in accordance with the rules 

 To appoint Auditors 

 To make decisions on such business as may be appropriate 

Notice of the AGM shall be given at least fourteen days before the date of the 

meeting. 

Nominations for the positions of Officers or Committee Members must be received 

in writing by the Hon Secretary not less than seven days before the AGM. 

Notices of Resolutions, including Any Other Business, must be received in writing 

by the Hon Secretary not less than seven days before the AGM. 

12. Quorum For all Annual General Meetings a quorum shall be not less than 25% of all 

members and not less than 50% of all Committee Members. 

13. Voting Elections of Officers or Committee Members shall be by secret ballot unless the 

nomination is unopposed. Other Resolutions requiring a vote will normally be by a 

show of hands, but the Chairman may, at his discretion, direct that a secret ballot 

be taken. If required, the Chairman shall have a second and casting vote. 

14. SGM A Special General Meeting may be summoned at any time by the Chairman, or any 

two members acting together who shall send a written request to the Hon. 

Secretary. Members’ requests will be laid before the Chairman who will authorises 

the holding of a Special General Meeting withing twenty one days of the receipt of 

the request. The business of the Special General Meeting shall be stated in the 

notice convening the meeting, and at least seven days notice shall be given. 

15. Duties of In order to maintain the friendly and sociable atmosphere which is part of the 

 Members Club’s objective, members should avoid acrimony which can arise in any 

competitive game. This will best be ensured by members observing the Technical 

and Ethical Rules laid down by the English Bridge Union, and by calling the 

Director in any case of difficulty. 

The Committee shall have the power to suspend or require the resignation of any 

member deemed to have acted in a manner detrimental to the objectives of the 

Club. Any member suspended or required to resign shall have the right to appeal 

against the Committee’s decision at the next AGM or at a Special General meeting. 

  Private table stakes are not permitted. 

16. Omissions The Committee shall have the authority to deal with any matter not provided for in 

these rules. 

17. Alterations The Club shall have the power to alter these rules. No alteration shall be made 

except at a General Meeting of the Club, and then only by a majority of not less 

than two thirds of those present. Notice of the proposed alteration shall be given 

with the notice convening the meeting. 

18. Authority of  All members shall be bound by these rules and by and amendment properly 

 the Rules notified by a General Meeting of the Club. 

19. President The founder and first Chairman, Mr. Owen Herbert, is to be President for the 

duration of his membership. The President shall be invited to all Committee 

Meetings, but not as a voting member.