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Constitution
Constitution

 

ANTROBUS BRIDGE CLUB

Constitution

 

1. The name of the Club shall be "Antrobus Bridge Club".

 

2. The objects of the Club shall be to provide the means whereby members of the Club may play contract bridge, in its various forms and in accordance with the playing rules of the English Bridge Union, on a regular basis and in a friendly atmosphere. The Committee shall have the power, except as hereinafter provided, to enter into any transaction or arrangement on behalf of the Club which it may from time to time consider appropriate in the furtherance of the aforesaid objects or matters reasonably incidental thereto and for which it may utilise the funds of the Club.

 

3. Membership shall be open to any bridge player, whether singly or in partnership, provided always that the Committee shall have the power to limit total membership should it in its absolute discretion deem this to be necessary by reason of the Club's accommodation or organisation.

 

4. Persons wishing to become members of the Club shall attend as a visitor for not less than three playing meetings before applying in writing to the Committee for enrolment as a member of the Club. The Committee shall have the absolute power, within the general law, to refuse membership to any person without disclosing its reason for so doing.

 

5. The Committee shall have the power to require that any person shall cease forthwith to be a member of the Club if that appears to the Committee to be necessary in the interests of the Club. The Committee shall be under no duty to disclose to any person its reason for the exercise of its power under this rule. No refund of subscription moneys shall be due to any person on the exercise by the Committee of this power. This power shall at all times be exercised bona fide in the interests of the Club as a whole.

 

6. There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Club held on the first Wednesday of March each year at which meeting a quorum shall consist of one third of the total paid‑up membership. Notice of the meeting together with a copy of the agenda thereof shall be given to members by posting on the Club notice board, not less than four weeks in advance of the date of the meeting.

 

7. A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee as it may from time to time consider necessary in the interests of the Club. The Committee shall cause a Special General Meeting to be held where it is petitioned to do so by not less than ten fully paid‑up members. Notice, agenda and quorum for a Special General Meeting shall be as for an Annual General Meeting.

 

8. A Committee shall be formed having the responsibility of running the Club on a day‑to‑day basis and shall consist of the officers of the Club together with three other members including, for the years following the first year of the Club, the preceding year's Chairman if he or she is retiring from that office. These members, with the exception of a retiring Chairman, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for an annual term of office and may offer themselves for re‑election at the end of that term. A member may not serve as Chairman for more than five consecutive years.

 

9. The Committee shall have the power to co‑opt up to two additional members of the Club, either for special duties, as may be determined from time to time by the Committee, or to fill vacancies due to resignations.

 

10. A Committee Meeting may be convened whenever it appears to one or more of the members of the Committee to be in the interests of the Club so to do. Notice of such Committee Meeting shall be given to all Committee members either orally or in writing not less than two clear days in advance of the meeting. At such a Committee Meeting any Committee member may propose a motion which shall be debated by the Meeting and thereafter a vote shall be taken. A motion shall be deemed carried if supported by a bare majority of Committee members present at the Meeting and in the case of deadlock the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

 

11. The quorum at a Committee Meeting shall be four.

 

12. The officers of the Club shall consist of a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer, each elected annually by the Annual General Meeting. They may offer themselves for re‑election at the end of their term of office. Any Club member wishing to offer him or herself as an officer of the Club shall be proposed and seconded by not less than two other members of the Club who must be present at the Annual General Meeting.

 

13. The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare annual accounts for presentation and approval at the Annual General Meeting. These accounts shall have been duly audited by a Club member who is not a member of the Committee. The Club funds shall be deposited in a bank or building society account in the name of 'Antrobus Bridge Club" and from which account withdrawals shall require the joint signatures of the Honorary Treasurer and one other Club Officer.

 

14. There shall be an annual subscription payable to the Club by all members, determined by ordinary resolution of the Annual General Meeting, and in addition a table fee which shall be determined by the Committee and which may be varied as the Committee may from time to time consider appropriate.

 

14a. A junior member shall become a full member when the first annual subscription is due following the 18th birthday.

 

14b. Annual subscriptions are due at the Annual General Meeting and any member who has not paid their subscription by 30th April shall be deemed to have terminated their membership. A reduced subscription shall be payable for a member joining after 31st August.

 

15. Visitors may join in card play at Club evenings provided always that members shall have priority to play in the event of limitations on capacity or numbers.

 

16. A visitors book shall be kept and every visitor must be sponsored ("signed‑in") at each attendance, by a member of the Club present at that attendance. An increased table fee shall be payable by visitors which shall be determined by the Committee. No person may attend as a visitor on more than six occasions in any one year, unless at the special invitation of the Committee.

 

17. The Committee shall have the responsibility of ensuring that every card‑playing meeting shall be properly organised and that when necessary a nominated Club member shall be in charge for that meeting. Such member may if he or she wishes take part in the play.

 

18. Card‑playing meetings shall be 'non‑smoking' events during play but the Committee shall, where it thinks fit, make suitable and mutually‑acceptable arrangements for smoking during refreshment intervals.

 

19. The Club may affiliate to a regional or the national body but such affiliation must be approved by ordinary resolution of a General Meeting.

 

20. Master points shall not be awarded at Club tournaments.

 

21. The Club may enter playing teams in inter‑club or other competitions provided always that such entry and the arrangements for selection of teams shall be approved by ordinary resolution of a General Meeting.

 

22. The property of the Club shall be and remain vested in the Committee as trustees for the members for the time being of the Club.

 

23. The rules herein embodied may be varied or added to only by way of a special resolution of a properly convened General Meeting.

 

24. A copy of these rules shall be made available for inspection by any member on request and shall be read by all new members before playing their first annual subscription.