3.1 Membership of "The Club" shall be on a yearly basis.

3.2 The Committee shall have the power to refuse any application for membership.

4.1 The general management of "The Club" shall be vested in a Committee, elected annually and consisting of:
                         (a) Chairman
                         (b) Secretary
                         (c) Treasurer
                         (d) Tournament Director
                         (e) Master Points Secretary
                         (f) Such ordinary members as the Committee decide.
Any two offices may be combined and held by one person.

4.2 Any person who is a member of "The Club" is eligible for election to the Committee.

4.3 Should a vacancy occur on the Committee then the remaining members of the Committee shall have the power to fill such a vacancy by appointing any other member of "The Club".

4.4 The Committee shall hold meetings as often as are necessary. At such meetings three(3) shall form a Quorum. In the absence of the Chairman the members present shall elect a temporary Chairman from amongst their number. At all Committee meetings the Chairman (or temporary Chairman) shall have an additional or casting vote in the event of a tied vote.

4.5 The Committee shall have the power to make bye-laws and to enter into any activity for the promoting or encouragement of Contract Bridge within the structure of the EBU; to make arrangements for conducting matches, tournaments and competitions; sending representatives to tournaments; spending money for the purpose of providing prizes for competitions or for meeting expenses.

4.6 The Committee may appoint sub-committees and co-opt any willing member on to the Committee or sub-committees for the purpose of conducting the business of  "The Club". Members so co-opted shall have no voting powers.

4.7 The Committee may charge Table Money at such rates as it deems appropriate.

4.8 The Committee shall have the power to dismiss or suspend any member after having given such person the opportunity of making representations to a meeting of the Committee, or to exclude any other person. For the purpose of this rule the vote of no less than two thirds of the whole Committee shall be necessary. Any member so treated shall have the right of appeal to the membership at the next General Meeting.

4.9 Before the end of July each year the Committee shall publish a calendar of proposed events for the following twelve months but the Tournament Director shall have the power to vary this programme at any time he deems it necessary.

5.1 All subscriptions for membership shall be regarded as for membership to the Broxbourne Sports Club as well as membership to Broxbourne Bridge Club.

 5.2 All table monies received shall be regarded as monies of "The Club".

5.3 The Committee is empowered to agree the annual funding to the Broxbourne Sports Club, this payment to be arranged by the Treasurer.

5.4 The Honorary Treasurer shall:
   (a) Bank all money received to the account of "The Club".
   (b) Be responsible for payment of all expenditure and prize money.
   (c) Construct a balance sheet and profit & loss account, together
         with such statements as shall be required by the Auditors.

5.5 Cheques drawn on "The Club" account shall be signed by two of the following, one of whom must be the treasurer:
   (a) Club Chairman    (b) Club Treasurer    (c) Club Secretary.

5.6 The financial year shall be from April to March.

6.1 An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of "The Club" shall be held every year, not later than the end of September in order to transact the following business:
   (a) To receive and if appropriate adopt a statement of the accounts
         for the previous financial year.
   (b) To fix the annual subscription for members as recommended
         by the Committee.
   (c) To consider and sanction if necessary any changes in the
        Constitution.
   (d) To elect "The Club" officers and members of the Committee.
   (e) To appoint an Honorary Auditor or Auditors who shall not be
         members of the Committee.
   (f) To deal with any matter which the Committee or membership
        decide to bring before the meeting.

6.2 The date of the Annual General Meeting is to be shown on the annual Calendar of Events and this is to be regarded as sufficient notification.

6.3 Any resolution to be included in the Agenda of a General Meeting is to be notified to the Secretary twentyone days before any such meeting.

6.4 The Agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall be published to members not less than six days before the date of the meeting.

6.5 Any resolution may be discussed and voted on at any General Meeting, whether on the Agenda or not, provided the following conditions are met:
   (a) The resolution is properly proposed and seconded.
   (b) The majority of members present assent to the discussion of
         the motion.
   (c) The Chairman at his or her discretion considers the discussion
         and voting of the motion is not detrimental to the members who
         are not present.

6.6 A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time at the discretion of the Committee and shall also be convened within twentyone days of the receipt of a requisition in writing from not less than twenty percent of the current membership of "The Club".

6.7 Any decision by the majority present at a General Meeting shall be binding on all members of "The Club".

Drafted: July 1978

This is a copy of the original Constitution and does not reflect any changes which may have been made since it was first drafted. Any subsequent changes will be noted in due course with a reference to their relevant dates.

Geoff Lewis
9th March 2007