Complete Revision Adopted January 9, 2011, amended January 26, 2015, January 31, 2016,
January 27, 2019, January 30, 2022, and March 16, 2025.
Bylaws of Palm Springs Unit 533 of ACBL
A separate legal entity of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL)
Introduction: Palm Springs Unit 533 of the ACBL is a separate legal entity that interacts with the
American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) through the Unit charter process and exists for the
purposes specified in Article 1 of these Bylaws. As such, the Unit and its members shall be
subject to and abide by the Bylaws and regulations of the ACBL as in existence and amended
from time to time by the ACBL. No rule, regulation or bylaw adopted by the Unit shall be
inconsistent with or be in contravention of the rules, regulations and Bylaws of the ACBL.
ARTICLE I
OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION
The objectives of the organization shall be:
a. To preserve and promote the best interest of the competitive or tournament form of contract
bridge and any modification thereof
b. To cooperate with and assist the ACBL in the promotion and conduct of contract bridge
tournaments in the Unit’s jurisdiction
c. To conduct bridge tournaments under its own auspices within its own jurisdiction
d. To encourage the highest standards of conduct and ethics by its members, and to enforce such
standards
e. To consider and pass upon reports of dishonest, unethical or improper conduct of participants
in tournaments, club games or any other bridge functions per ACBL regulation
f. To promote and support the development and organization of all affiliated clubs within the
Unit
g. To publish and maintain a website for the members
h. To conduct such other activities as may be in keeping with its principal objectives
ARTICLE II
UNIT JURISDICTION
Unit 533 shall have jurisdiction in such areas as are presently assigned by the ACBL and as may
be modified by the ACBL from time to time.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Any person who is a member of the ACBL and resides within the geographical area of
its jurisdiction shall be a member of Unit 533. Any person who lives outside the geographical
area over which this Unit has jurisdiction may apply for membership in the Unit according to
regulations established by the ACBL. Any person who resides within the geographical area of theUnit may apply to become a member of a different unit according to regulations established by
the ACBL.
Section.2. In accordance with the procedures established by the ACBL Board of Directors, the
members in good standing (as defined by ACBL Rules and Regulations) of the Unit shall have
voting rights and any other legal rights or privileges in connection with the governance of the
Unit. Members of the Unit shall be required to abide by, and to conduct themselves in a manner
consistent with, the Bylaws, regulations, policies, code of conduct and ethics standards
established by the ACBL.
Section 3. A member shall remain a member of the Unit unless and until he/she changes his/her
residence to a place outside the jurisdiction of the Unit, without taking the necessary steps to
retain membership in Unit 533, per ACBL regulations.
Section 4. After a waiting period of thirty (30) days a member in good standing shall be entitled
to vote and to be eligible for the election or appointment to any office of the Unit.
Section 5. No member shall receive any pecuniary gain from Unit membership, except for
salary, wages, fees or expense reimbursements, as provided in these Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV
DUES
Section 1. The annual dues, service fees and payment date shall be prescribed under the rules
and regulations of the ACBL.
ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Unit shall be held in the first calendar quarter of each year
at such time and place as fixed by the Unit President. The agenda of the Annual Meeting shall
include presentation of annual reports and transactions and such other business as may properly
come before the meeting including the election of new board members. Failure to hold an
annual meeting shall not work as forfeiture or dissolution of the Unit or invalidate any action
taken by the Board of Directors or officers of the Unit.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall notify the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to
the Annual Meeting via email and by posting a notice on the Unit’s website.
Section 3. Upon notice of at least thirty (30) days to the membership, as outlined in Section 2
above, a Special Meeting of the membership may be called:
a. by the President
b. by any 4 members of the Unit Board of Directors
c. or by written request of at least fifty (50) members in good standing as of the date of the
request.
The Special Meeting shall contain an agenda of only those matters to be taken up at such special
meeting, and no other matter(s) requiring a vote of the members shall be considered.
Section 4. If a vote is to be taken at the Annual or Special Membership Meeting, the Secretary of
the Board shall certify prior to the meeting that a quorum exists. A quorum shall be 50 of the
Unit Members in good standing on the date the meeting is scheduled including those who are
present at the meeting and those whose electronic ballots were received at least one day prior to
the date the meeting is scheduled.
Section 5. Electronic ballots shall be sent to Unit Members in good standing seven days prior to
the date of the meeting. The electronic vote of an individual may be revoked at an annual or
special meeting by a member in good standing who is present at the meeting and wishes to
change his/her vote.
Section 6. No proxies shall be permitted.
ARTICLE VI
UNIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The affairs of Unit 533 shall be managed and conducted by the elected Board of
Directors, which shall consist of seven to nine Unit members in good standing. To conduct
business at a meeting of the Board, the Board shall require a quorum present or available by
teleconferencing software or conference call. A quorum shall be a majority of the number of
directors duly elected and serving at the time business is to be conducted.
Section 1(a). The Board, as the sole governing body of the Unit, shall be responsible for the
promotion and advancement of competitive bridge, including but not limited to new player
development, sanctioned tournaments, and educational programs that benefit the membership. In
keeping with the stated objectives of the organization the Board shall promote the development
and organization of all affiliated clubs in its jurisdiction without bias.
Section 2. The Board shall be made up of a minimum of seven (7) and a maximum of nine (9)
directors, each elected for a period of three (3) years. The directors shall be announced annually
at the Unit’s annual membership meeting and they shall take office immediately following their
election. Directors shall continue to serve until being relieved by a qualified successor who has
been either elected or appointed.
Section 3(a). A call for candidates to fill those board positions up for election each year shall be
made via an email to the membership with the first no later than 60 days prior to the election and
a second at 30 days. The call for candidates shall also be posted on the Unit’s website.
Section 3(b). Additional nominations may be made by petition from the general membership. A
nominating petition must contain the approval of the nominee and twenty-five (25) signatures of
members in good standing and be presented to the Board. Only such nominations received by the
Board at least 30 days prior to the election shall be publicized in the notice of the Annual
Meeting or on the electronic ballots sent to members.
Section 3(c). Nominations may not be made from the floor of the Annual Meeting.
Section 3(d). If the number of candidates for the vacant board positions is the same as the
number of vacant positions the voting process may be waived by the Board two weeks prior to
the Annual Meeting and the candidates appointed to the Board by acclamation. If there arecontested positions, electronic ballots shall be mailed to each member of the Unit seven days
before the Annual Meeting. The Vice-President of the Board shall then tally the emailed votes
received prior to the meeting and those votes tallied at the meeting itself. The results shall be
announced at the Annual Meeting.
Voting shall be by secret ballot and every member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote
for each director to be elected. Cumulative voting will not be permitted.
Section 4. Regular meetings of the Unit Board shall be held with at least five (5) days prior
notice, a minimum of five (5) times each year. Issues that arise between meetings may be acted
upon via email votes as necessary. Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time by
the President or upon the written request of four (4) or more Directors. Members of the Board
may participate in a meeting of the Board by means of a conference telephone or by means of a
teleconferencing software by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear
each other at the same time and participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at
a meeting for purposes of a quorum.
Section 5. Vacancies on the Board due to death, disability, resignation, impeachment, or any
other cause, shall be filled by appointment by the Board of a replacement to complete the
balance of that director’s term. Failure of a director to attend three (3) consecutive meetings shall
be grounds for removal from the Board.
Section 6. No person who receives financial compensation or benefits directly or indirectly from
owning or managing an ACBL sanctioned face-to-face or virtual club game catering to members
located in the geographical area of Unit 533 may be nominated for, elected to or appointed to the
Board. This also applies to anyone who directs an ACBL sanctioned club game located in the
geographical area of Unit 533 for financial compensation. In the event a current Board member
assumes ownership, manages or directs a face to face or virtual club game as defined above for
financial compensation or benefit, that director's seat is deemed vacant after thirty (30) days.
Section 7. The Board of Directors shall have the following powers and duties, in addition to
those granted elsewhere in these Bylaws and by the State of California:
a. to acquire, hold, administer, maintain and dispose of all property of the Unit
b. to administer the Unit funds for the purposes set forth in these Bylaws
c. to hire and discharge employees (including an auditor), to supervise their conduct, and to fix
their compensation
d. to provide for an audit of all receipts and disbursements, annually and whenever there is a
change in the treasurer’s office
e. to conduct, manage, supervise, and control all the business and financial affairs of the Unit,
including but not limited to the conduct of tournaments, the selection of all dates and locations
for holding such tournaments, and making of all contracts in connection therewith
f. to require prior authorization of all payments of more than five hundred ($500) dollars and to
require the signature of any two of these three officers: President, Vice-President and Treasurer.
ARTICLE VII
UNIT OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Unit shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined and held by one member.
Section 2. At the beginning of the first Board meeting after the election of new Board members,
the newly elected Board members shall meet with carryover Board members for the sole purpose
of electing officers for the following year. Those elected shall hold office for one (1) year or
until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.
Section 3. All officers must be directors, except the Secretary and the Treasurer who may or may
not be directors.
Section 4. The President shall preside as chair at all meetings of the membership and of the
Board. The President shall supervise and manage the affairs of the Unit and perform all other
duties incidental to the office. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. It
shall also be the President’s duty to create new and/or additional committees and appoint
chairpersons to all committees.
Section 5. The Vice-President shall assist the President in the execution of the President’s duties
and perform all other duties as the President or the Board may direct. In addition, the Vice-
President shall replace the President whenever the President lacks capacity to function.
Section 6. The duties attendant on the Secretary shall include, among others:
a. attending Board meetings and membership meetings
b. insuring that there are minutes of all Board meetings and membership meetings
c. notifying the Board members of any regular or special meetings of the Board
d. typing and posting, as soon as possible after the meeting, a copy of the minutes of all Board
meetings. Electronic communication may be used
e. insuring that any disciplinary complaints received from the Unit are immediately forwarded to
the District Recorder
f. maintaining records and correspondence
g. certifying in a timely manner that a quorum exists at any annual or special meeting
Section 7. The duties of the Treasurer shall include, among others:
a. care custody and responsibility of all funds, securities and property of the Unit
b. keeping full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements belonging to the Unit
c. depositing all monies and valuables in the name of and to the credit of the Unit in such
depositories as may be designated by the Boardd. disbursing the funds of the Unit as may be directed by the Board of Directors and accepting
proper vouchers for each such disbursement
e. rendering to the directors, at all meetings or whenever they require it, an account of all
transactions and of the financial condition of the Unit
ARTICLE VIII
STANDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. The Unit Board is responsible for certain functions in support of the membership and
the clubs. Such responsibilities are assigned to individual Board Members by the President.
Committees may be assigned in support of these responsibilities as applicable. These functions
include but are not limited to:
a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. Tournaments: Duties include making all necessary arrangements for the holding of
tournaments within the complete authority of the Unit, subject to the regulations of the
ACBL.
Special Games: Duties include scheduling and coordinating extra masterpoint (non-
tournament related) games for the benefit of our membership and clubs, subject to the
regulations of ACBL.
Membership: Duties include reaching out to any member whose membership appears to
be lapsing and insuring that additions, removals, and changes in our membership are
forwarded to the Unit Webmaster and clubs so that email distributions are updated. New
members should also be welcomed.
Education: Duties include developing and administering a plan to support education
programs for our members.
Awards: Duties include insuring that members are recognized for their bridge-related
achievements.
Board Election: Duties include insuring that the requirements of these Bylaws relative to
the elections are met.
Communications: Duties include the publication and distribution of a newsletter and
other necessary emails to all members of the Unit, columns in support of the District’s
publications, and other publicity and correspondence that may be required.
Special Committees. The President or the Board may appoint special committees from
time to time, as necessity dictates. Such committees are automatically dissolved when the
purpose for which they were created has been fulfilled.
ARTICLE IX
IMPEACHMENT
Any officer or Board director may be removed for cause at any meeting of the Board if two-
thirds of Board members shall so vote. Any officer or Board member against whom
impeachment charges are pending shall be given:
(1) at least ten (10) days’ notice in writing of all charges, and
(2) the opportunity to be heard before the Board and to be represented by counsel of such
officer’s or director’s own choosing. The action taken by the Board shall be conclusive and final.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
Section 1. Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed:
1. by members of the Board, or
2. by a petition signed by at least fifty (50) members in good standing at the date the
petition is served on the Board.
3. Notice of any proposed Bylaws amendment shall be sent via email to unit members in
good standing and shall be posted on the Unit’s website at least forty-five (45) days in
advance of the annual meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose. The text or
a link to the text of the proposed Bylaws shall be included in the notice of any Annual or
Special Meeting whose agenda includes the proposed amendment.
Section 2. The vote on the proposed amendments shall be conducted in accordance with Article
V, Sections 4-6 of these Bylaws. No amendment shall be retroactive.
ARTICLE XI
RULES OF ORDER
The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, revised, shall be accepted as the governing
authority for procedure of this organization in all matters not specifically covered by these
Bylaws.
ARTICLE XII
NON-SMOKING EVENTS
All Unit functions and events shall be non-smoking.