1. NAME
The Club shall be called Garforth Bridge Club.
2. OBJECTS
The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members for playing Duplicate Contract
Bridge.
3. HEADQUARTERS
The headquarters of the Club shall be situated at Barwick-In-Elmet Cricket Club, Chapel Lane,
Barwick-In-Elmet, Leeds LS15 4EL. The headquarters may be relocated from time to time.
4. AFFILIATIONS
The Club will be affiliated to the Yorkshire County Bridge Association and to the English Bridge
Union.
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Subject to 5.9, membership shall be open to:
5.2 Any person 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 from time to time
by the Committee.
5.3. All bridge players and those wishing to learn to play who are over the age of eighteen
years will be entitled to apply for full membership of the Club.
5.4. Players under the age of eighteen years will be entitled to apply for Youth membership.
Youth members are not entitled to vote at general meetings of the Club and cannot be Officers of
the Club.
5.5. The Club may confer Honorary Life Membership on any member who has rendered special
service to the Club.
5.6. All members are deemed to have accepted the regulations of this constitution and the
rules and codes of conduct adopted by the Club.
5.7. The Committee will keep a register of members which will include details of their names,
addresses and contact details.
5.8. 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.
5.9. A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club
under the provisions of clause 15, or if his resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary, or if
such member is expelled (or not accepted) as a Player Member by the Board of the English
Bridge Union pursuant to its Bye Laws.
5.10 A member whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on the
expiration of the period of six months from the date on which the subscription was due for
payment.
5.11 A former member of the Club who wishes to rejoin as a member may do so without the
necessity for a further formal application for membership, unless the Committee decides otherwise.
5.12 Members of the Club are (subject to the EBU Board’s right of refusal or expulsion pursuant
to its Bye Laws) automatically enrolled as members of the English Bridge Union and shall abide
by its Bye Laws.
6. OFFICERS
6.1. The Officers of the Club shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
6.2. No member of the Club shall simultaneously hold more than one Office of the Club.
6.3. Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club,
and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.
6.4. In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the off ice of any Officer of the Club, the
Committee shall choose one of their number, excepting Officers of the Club, to f ill 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 five other
members of the Club, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall
retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.
7.2. 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 f ill 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. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the
proceedings of the Committee.
7.3 A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be three members of the Committee,
including at least one of the Officers.
7.4. 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 f it, and members of such sub-
committees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.
7.5. Proceedings of the Committee and of any sub-committees shall be regulated in such
manner as the Committee may from time to time decide.
7.6. The Committee shall make a report to each Annual General Meeting of the Club
concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous Annual 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 be held in each year no later than four
months after the end of the financial year.
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, and 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 absence
the Vice-Chairman or some other member of the Committee, approved by a majority of those
present at the Meeting 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 two 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 thinks f it.
9.9. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be 20% of members 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 show of hands, and 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 at
which in the opinion of the Committee any business of a non routine nature is likely to be
discussed, shall be given to members by e mail to the last address of each member notified to the
Secretary, or by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the headquarters of the Club. The
notice will also be published on the club website.
10.2. Notices of any Annual General Meeting at which in the opinion of the Committee no
business of a non routine nature is likely to be discussed, may be given to members by e mail to
the last address of each member notified to the Secretary, or by displaying a notice in a prominent
position at the headquarters of the Club. The notice will also be published on the club website.
10.3. 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. The notice will also be
published on the club website.
11. NOMINATIONS
11.1. Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members shall be in writing, and shall
be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by
the person nominated.
11.2. Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
12. SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES
12.1. Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the basic amount of which for
the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Subscriptions shall be
due for payment by 1st June in each year in respect of the year to the following. Unless the
Committee decides otherwise, any member whose subscription remains unpaid after the due date
shall pay table money at the rate applicable to visitors until his subscription has been paid in full.
12.2. Each member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each
occasion when he plays at the Club, the basic amounts of which for the time being shall be
decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
12.3. Each successful applicant for membership of the Club may be required to pay a joining
fee, the amount (if any) of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General
Meeting of the Club.
12.4. The Committee may determine variations on the basic amounts of subscriptions 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.
12.5 The Annual General Meeting may authorise the Committee to increase the basic amounts
of subscriptions and table money prior to the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
12.6 The Committee may determine from time to time the amount of fees to be charged for use
of the premises or 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 Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs
of the Club for each year ending on 31st March.
13.2. The accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club
for approval.
14. GUESTS and VISITORS
14.1. Any member may invite a guest 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.
14.2. 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 the guests of members.
14.3. The Committee may from time to time place a limit on the number of occasions on which a
non member (whether a guest or a visitor) may play at the club without being required to apply for
membership.
14.4. If such a limit is for the time being in force, a non member who has applied for membership
shall (subject to available playing facilities) be permitted to play at the Club until his application for
membership has been considered by the Committee, even if the limit imposed by the Committee
is thereby exceeded.
15. MEMBERS’ BEHAVIOUR
15.1 Each member of the Club shall be required, whether at or away from the bridge table, to
conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed by the Bye
Laws and regulations for the time being of the EBU, including the fundamental principle set out in
the EBU’s “Best Behaviour at Bridge”. Including whilst playing matches at another club’s
premises.
15.2 The Club shall have the powers and the procedures for the enforcement of the requirement
in clause 15.1. They are set out in the Schedule of the Constitution, and shall stand as part of the
Constitution and be subject to the same provisions of the Constitution for its amendment.
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. WINDING-UP
17.1. 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.
17.2. 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 transferred to such
of the organisations mentioned in clause 17.3 as may be specified in the resolution initiating the
winding up, and if no such organisation is so specified, to such of those organisations as the
Committee may think fit.
17.3 The organisations referred to in clause 17.2 are
English Bridge Education and Development, registered charity 1153543
The Yorkshire County Contract Bridge Association; and any
Registered or recognised charitable body
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