Constitution of the Monday Bridge Club
Version 2: 18 October 2010
1. Name
The Club shall be called The Monday Bridge Club, Chorley
2. Objects
The Club is a non-profit making organisation with the object of providing facilities for its members to enjoy competitive Duplicate Contract Bridge in a friendly, relaxed and non-aggressive environment.
3. Venue
The Club is located at:-
Chorley Village Hall
Knutsford Road,
SK9 7SF
4. Affiliations
The Club is not affiliated to any other organisation.
5. Membership
5.1 Membership shall be open to all bridge players on payment of the subscription applying. Acceptance of any person for membership shall be entirely at the discretion of the Committee.
5.2 The total number of members shall be at the discretion of the committee with the objective of maximising the membership but keeping within the constraints on numbers caused by the capacity of the Hall and available equipment. The Membership Secretary will maintain a waiting list in chronological order of application. As vacancies in the membership occur, these will be offered to those at the top of the waiting list.
5.3 The membership year shall run from 1st May until the 30th April. Subscriptions for existing members become due on 1st May annually. Members who have not paid their subscription by 1st June will be deemed to have surrendered their membership, and will be required to pay the appropriate visitors’ fee on subsequent attendance until a full subscription is paid and membership reinstated.
5.4 In such circumstances membership may not be reinstated as of right, but the vacancy offered to those on the waiting list.
6. Officers and Committee
6.1 The three officers of the Club shall be Chairman/Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary.
6.2 The Committee shall consist of the officers of the club, and two other members
6.3 In the event of a vacancy arising for an officer of the club during a financial year, the Committee shall appoint one of their number to fill the role until the next AGM
6.4 In the event of a vacancy arising on the Committee during the financial year, the Committee may co-opt a member of the Club to make up their number until the next AGM.
6.5 The Committee may from time to time co-opt additional members for a specified period to provide additional resource or expertise for a specific project
6.6 A quorum of the Committee shall be three
6.7 The Officers and members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, and shall retire annually at the next Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.
6.8 Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee must be made from members of the Club. Nominations shall be in writing, and shall be signed by the nominee. Nominations must be proposed and seconded by Club members.
6.9 Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
7. Guests and Visitors
7.1 Any member may invite a guest to play (as his/her partner) at 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.
7.2 Visitors may be permitted to play at 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, and to guests of members.
7.3 Members’ guests and visitors shall be required to pay the visitor’s fee applying.
8. Management
8.1 The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee, and the Committee shall have the power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which is not specifically provided by this Constitution.
8.2 Specifically the Committee is required to ensure the financial viability of the Club. To this end it will review accounts quarterly, and if necessary adjust the table money so that the Club is able to meet its immediate financial obligations.
8.3 Additionally they should consider cash flow projections over a number of years ahead to ensure sufficient reserves are maintained without accumulating excessive surplus.
9. Subscriptions and Fees
9.1 The Club is funded from annual subscriptions, table money, and when necessary, members’ loans.
9.2 The Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee shall approve all fees (subject to the provision of para. 8.2 above)
9.3 Each member of the Club shall pay a non-refundable annual subscription
9.4 Each member of the Club and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each occasion he/she plays at the Club.
9.5 From time to time the Committee may attempt to raise additional capital through loans from members. Repayment plans will be agreed at the time any loans are raised.
10. Conduct
10.1 Members and visitors are required to conduct themselves in a courteous and non-aggressive manner towards their partners, opponents, other players and the director at all times, and in accordance with Law 74: “Conduct and Etiquette” of the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, 2007.
10.2 The Committee shall have the sole discretion to deal with matters of misconduct as they occur:
· By informal verbal warning for initial breaches of a less serious nature
· By formal written warning for subsequent breaches, or for initial breaches of a more serious nature
· By expulsion from the club for further breaches after a written warning, or for single offences of extreme misconduct
10.3 Members expelled from the Club under para. 10.2 above shall remain liable for any subscription due prior to his/her expulsion.
10.4 It is the duty of the Chairman/Secretary to keep records of any warnings issued to members and to ensure the correct subsequent action.
11. Accounts
11.1 The Committee shall appoint an Honorary Auditor annually.
11.2 The Committee shall arrange for audited accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on 31st March.
11.3 The audited accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.
12. General Meetings
12.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held during the month of April each year, specifically to approve the accounts for the previous year, to approve the subscriptions and fees for the following membership year, and to elect Officers and the committee for the following year.
12.2 A Special General Meeting of the Cub 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 a meeting will take place within one calendar month of the receipt of such a request.
12.3 A Special General Meeting may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.
12.4 Notice of all General Meetings of the Club shall be given to all members preferably by e-mail (or by hand or post to members without e-mail) no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
12.5 All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at Chorley Village Hall at 7pm on a Monday evening unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable. Meetings should last for no longer than 30 minutes, and to facilitate this, all relevant papers (agendas, reports, nominations for Officers and Committee, minutes) should be available at least one week in advance.
12.6 The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings. In his/her absence the appointed deputy (if there is one) or another member of the Committee shall stand in.
12.7 A quorum for a General meeting shall be 40% of the membership
12.8 Voting at general meetings shall be by a show of hands, and in the event of parity, the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
12.9 Minutes of General Meetings shall be available within fourteen days of such meetings.
13. Founder Members’ Loans
13.1 During March and April 2010, the founder members of the Club made interest free loans to provide cash flow to facilitate the setting up of the Club. The Committee are obliged to arrange the affairs of the Club in such a way that these loans can be repaid:
· At least 50% of the loan value to be repaid on or before 1st June, 2012
· The balance to be repaid on or before 1st June, 2013
13.2 With the agreement of the individual member, these repayments may be made in whole or in part by offsetting against subscriptions due on 1st May, 2011, 1st May, 2012, and 1st May, 2013.
13.3 If a Founder Member leaves the Club before their loan has been repaid, the Committee will endeavour to repay the balance of the loan if the member requires them to do so.
14. Winding-Up
14.1 Any resolution to wind-up the Club shall be put to all paid up members at a Special General Meeting convened specifically for the purpose, and at least two-thirds of the membership present at the meeting must vote in favour for the resolution to be passed.
14.2 After such a resolution is passed, the Committee shall be responsible for winding-up the affairs of the Club.
14.3 If there are outstanding members’ loans at the time of the winding-up resolution, assets of the Club shall firstly be used to repay these loans, either in full if sufficient assets are available, or in proportion if assets are insufficient.
14.4 Any remaining assets after members’ loans have been repaid shall either:
· be transferred to another Club if winding-up resulted from a plan to amalgamate with that other Club, or
· be distributed evenly amongst all members whose subscriptions are fully paid for the year in which the winding-up resolution was passed, or
· be donated to a charity nominated by the Committee and approved by a simple majority of the membership attending the SGM
15. Repudiation of Liability
15.1 The Club accept no liability for personal injury, or loss of or damage to the property of members, guests, or visitors, however caused.
16. Alterations to the Constitution
16.1 No alterations shall be made to the Constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club
16.2 To take effect, any resolution presented to that meeting shall require at least two-thirds of the membership present at the meeting to vote in favour.
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