The Constitution of the
Birches Bridge Club
(Amended 26th January
2010)
1.
NAME
1.1.
The
Club shall be called the Birches Bridge Club.
2.
OBJECTIVES
2.1.
The
Club shall promote the playing of Duplicate Contract Bridge and provide
facilities for its members to enjoy a friendly and supportive environment.
2.2.
Club
funds shall be utilised in the best interests of all its members.
3.
HEADQUARTERS
3.1.
The
headquarters of the Club shall be situated at Much Birch Community Hall, Much
Birch, Herefordshire, HR2 8HT or such premises as decided, in an emergency by
the Committee, or at a General Meeting of the Club.
4.
AFFILIATIONS
4.1.
The
Club will be affiliated to the Herefordshire Bridge Association and to the
English Bridge Union.
5.
MEMBERSHIP
5.1.
Any
bridge player wishing to become a member of the Club shall apply for membership
by completing and forwarding to the Secretary such form as may be prescribed by
the Committee.
5.2.
All
membership application forms received by the Secretary shall be displayed in a
prominent place at the headquarters of the Club for a period of three consecutive
weeks.
5.3.
Any
member wishing to object to an application for membership should notify the
Secretary in writing within three weeks of the date of the application
5.4.
Membership
shall be determined by the Committee, or a quorum thereof, and will be accepted
or refused bearing in mind the best interest of the current membership. The
applicant shall be promptly notified of the acceptance or otherwise of the
application.
5.5.
In
declining an application the Committee may give a reason but shall not be
obliged to do so.
5.6.
In
considering applications for membership the Committee shall have regard to the
playing facilities available, and may from time to time decide that the Club
shall be closed to new applications for membership for such period as it may
decide.
5.7.
All
current and past “Bridge For All” students automatically become student members
and may ultimately progress to Full Membership.
6.
OFFICERS
6.1.
The
Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
6.2.
No
member of the Club shall simultaneously hold the office of more than one
Officer of the Club.
6.3.
Each
of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of
the Club for a period of three years,
but shall be eligible for re-election
6.4.
In
the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the office of any Officer of
the Club, the Committee shall choose one of their number or co-opt from the
membership, to fill such vacancy until the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
7.
COMMITTEE
7.1.
The
Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club, together with
a minimum of three to a maximum of six other members of the Club, who shall be
elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire after 3
years at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for
re-election.
7.2.
Normally
the Committee will appoint from itself or the membership: Club Captain, Chief
Tournament Director, Official Scorer
7.3.
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.
7.4.
A
quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be four members of the Committee,
including at least one of the Officers.
7.5.
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 shall think fit,
and members of such Sub-committees may include members of the Club who are not
members of the Committee.
7.6.
Proceedings
of the Committee and of any Sub-committees shall be regulated in such manner as
the Committee may from time to time
decide
7.7.
The
Committee shall be required to report to each Annual/Special General Meeting
concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous General Meeting.
8.
MANAGEMENT
8.1.
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.
8.2.
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).
8.3.
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
and is not retrospective in application.
8.4.
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.
9.
GENERAL MEETINGS
9.1.
An
Annual General Meeting of the Club shall normally be held annually in May.
9.2.
A
Special General Meeting of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a
request for such a meeting, signed by at least ten members of the Club, is
delivered to the Secretary stating the reason for the meeting. Such meeting
shall take place within one month of the receipt of such request.
9.3.
A
Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own
initiative at any time.
9.4.
All
General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the headquarters of the Club
unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.
9.5.
The
Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his/her
absence another member of the Committee shall chair the meeting
9.6.
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.
9.7.
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 one week prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
9.8.
The
Chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General
Meeting if he/she thinks fit.
9.9.
A
quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be 25% of the total membership present
in person.
9.10.
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.
9.11.
Voting
at General Meetings of the Club shall be by a show of hands or by ballot, at
the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting. In the event of parity of
voting, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
10. NOTICES
10.1.
Notices
of any Special General Meeting of the Club and of an Annual General Meeting
shall be given to members by hand, by post to the last address of each member
notified to the Secretary, or by email.
10.2.
Notices
of any other matters to be brought to the attention of members shall be made by
displaying a notice in a prominent position at the headquarters of the Club.
11. NOMINATIONS
11.1.
Nominations
for the post of Officer or Committee member will be in writing, signed by a
Proposer and a Seconder, both of who shall be members of the Club, and also by
the person nominated.
11.2.
Nominations
must reach the Secretary no later than four weeks prior to the General Meeting,
and be posted on the Notice board for two weeks prior to the meeting
12. SUBSCRIPTIONS
and FEES
12.1.
Each
member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, due by 30 June each year,
the basic amount of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual
General Meeting of the Club. Members who have not paid their subscription for
the current year by 30 June may be considered to have ceased to be members of
the Club and will pay table money at the rate applicable for visitors until
such time as the subscription is paid in full.
12.2.
Each
member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each
occasion when he/she plays at the Club, the basic amount of which for the time
being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
12.3.
The
Committee may determine variations of subscription and table money for members’
guests and visitors in different circumstances, and may waive subscriptions or
table money in the event of hardship or for any other good cause.
12.4.
The
Committee may determine from time to time the amount of fees to be charged for
use of the equipment of the Club, or for any other purpose for which it is of
the opinion that fees ought to be charged.
13. ACCOUNTS
13.1.
The
Treasurer shall prepare accounts in respect of the financial affairs of the
Club for each year ending on 30th April, and these shall be presented to the
next Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.
13.2.
The
accounts shall be subject to independent audit.
14. GUESTS
and VISITORS
14.1.
Any
member may invite a guest to play at open meetings of the Club at any time, but
in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all
those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members.
14.2.
Visitors
may be permitted to play at open meetings of the Club at any time, provided
prior notice has been given to the Secretary of the Club or another Committee
member, but in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to
accommodate all those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members and
the guests of members.
14.3.
A
guest or visitor may play at the Club 3 times during a fiscal year without
being required to apply for membership.
14.4.
A
non-member who has applied for membership shall (subject to available playing
facilities) be permitted to play at the Club until his/her application for
membership has been considered, even if the limit imposed by the Committee is
thereby exceeded.
15. CONDUCT
15.1.
In
the event of a written complaint being made to the Committee about the conduct
of a member of the Club, the Committee shall promptly investigate the
complaint.
15.2.
On
investigating such a complaint the Committee shall give the member, about whose
conduct the complaint has been made, an opportunity to be heard.
15.3.
If
on investigating such a complaint, the Committee is of the opinion that the
member has behaved in such a manner as to cause injury to the interests of the
Club, then the Committee may verbally or in writing reprimand the member,
suspend the member from the privileges of membership for such a period as it
may think fit or expel the member from the Club.
15.4.
The
Committee shall forthwith notify the member of any decision made on the
investigation of a complaint about his/her conduct and may, if it thinks fit,
publicise the decision by displaying a notice at the headquarters of the Club.
15.5.
An
appeal shall lie to a General Meeting of the Club against any decision to
reprimand, suspend or expel a member of the Club following the investigation of
a complaint about his/her conduct.
15.6.
Notice
of such an appeal must be in writing and delivered to the Secretary within two
weeks of the notification to the member of the decision of the Committee.
15.7.
In
the event of an appeal being made against it, the decision of the Committee
shall not be put into effect until the appeal has been determined.
15.8.
On
the appeal being heard by a General Meeting of the Club, the General Meeting
shall have power to overrule the conclusion of the Committee, or to uphold it,
in which event the sanction imposed by the Committee may be confirmed or varied
(to any sanction which the Committee was empowered to impose, or to none).
15.9.
Nothing
in this Constitution shall preclude the Committee from referring a matter of
conduct to the Conduct Committee of the Herefordshire Bridge Association, or to
the Laws & Ethics Committee of the English Bridge Union, if it considers it
appropriate to do so.
16. ALTERATIONS
to the CONSTITUTION
16.1.
No
alterations shall be made to this Constitution except at a General Meeting of
the Club.
16.2.
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.
17. DATA
PROTECTION
17.1.
The
data held on all members are: name, address, email address and telephone
number. EBU number and rank attained, e.g. Advanced Master, may be included and
any individual member may inspect his/her details.
17.2.
Full
data is held by the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer for the communication of
Club business and the collection of Club, County and EBU subscriptions and,
where appropriate, this data is passed on to the County Treasurer (and thence
to the EBU).
17.3.
Name
and telephone number are held by the Official Scorer when permission has been
previously obtained. E-mail addresses may similarly be included.
17.4.
Birches
Bridge Club will not pass this data to any person or organisation not directly
concerned with the Objectives of the Club (Section 2).
18. WINDING
UP
18.1.
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.
18.2.
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 and funds may be
transferred to such other club), any surplus assets and funds shall be sold and
all funds refunded to current members in equal parts.
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