CONSTITUTION & RULES OF THE GATE BRIDGE CLUB

1. THE CLUB
   1. The Club shall be called THE GATE BRIDGE CLUB
   2. The Club and all its members shall be affiliated to the
      Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (C.B.A.I.) or its replacement 
   3. The aim of the Club shall be to provide and promote the game of bridge throughout the local area and region
2. MEMBERSHIP
   1. Membership shall be open to persons who are proposed and seconded in accordance with the following rule and accepted by the Committee
   2. Candidates for Membership
      1. Candidates for membership shall be proposed and seconded by existing members of the Club of at least two years standing.
      2. Proposals shall be posted on the Club Notice board for TWO full weeks and shall, subsequently, be considered by the Committee and shall require the support of two thirds of the votes of the Committee members present.
      3. Those accepted into the club for lessons in the game of Bridge shall be listed as club members and be classified as members of the Novices section.
   3. A Copy of the Constitution and Rules shall be displayed on the Club Notice Board
   4. A Copy of the Constitution and Rules shall be available to any member on request to the Club Secretary
3. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
   1. The Honorary Officers of the Club shall be The President,Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Competition Secretary.
   2. The Committee shall be the Honorary Officers, the Trustees, the outgoing President, the Principal Tournament Director and a maximum of six Committee members. Any six members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
   3. Officers (except the President and Vice President) and Committee members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Vice-President shall be nominated by the incoming President and if approved by the outgoing Committee, shall be invited to accept the position. Thereafter the Vice President will automatically succeed to the office of President. If for any reason the Vice-President is unable to succeed to the office of President, a President will be selected and agreed at the Annual General Meeting. Vacancies arising on the Committee during the year may be filled by co-option.
   4. A Principal Tournament Director shall be appointed on an annual basis by the Committee. He/She shall automatically be entitled to Committee member status with full voting rights. The Committee may also appoint other Tournament Directors if deemed necessary. The Tournament Directors shall act on the direction of the Committee and shall be responsible for all club tournaments, their proper running and results. Separate person(s) may be authorised to produce and post results.
4. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
   1. Candidates will be proposed and seconded by members and the proposal countersigned by the candidate.
   2. The proposal shall be posted on the club notice board not less than SEVEN days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
   3. In the event of there being insufficient nominations received by the above method, proposals may be taken from the floor at the AGM.
5. DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
   1. To conduct the day-to-day running of the Club, taking into account any special directives or policy of the general body and passed at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
   2. The Committee shall be empowered to form sub-Committees where deemed necessary. A sub-Committee will have no power in its own right.
   3. The Committee shall have the power to discipline or expel members for breaches of general rules, or for conduct which could be detrimental to the good name of the Club, or the game in general. Such disciplinary action shall be determined at a Committee meeting and will require a two thirds majority of a minimum of 9 Committee members present and voting by secret ballot. Disciplinary action shall be commensurate with the gravity of the offence taking into account all relevant factors.
   4. The Committee shall be empowered to establish:
      1. Annual membership fees
      2. Table money and prizes for all competitions run by the club
      3. Appropriate honoraria for honorary officers, tournament directors and competition scorers on an annual basis.
   5. The Committee shall be empowered to reimburse a member for any reasonable expenditure incurred, at the direction of the Committee, on activity on behalf of the club.
6. TRUSTEES
   1. Three Trustees shall act as full members of the Committee while in office. In the of a change to new trustees being appointed this shall take place at an Annual General Meeting.
   2.  The Trustees shall, if authorized by 2/3 majority of the members at a General Meeting, have power to sell, lease, charge or otherwise dispose of all or any of the assets of the club.They shall be indemnified against loss, liability or expense by all the members of the Club and all assets and liabilities shall be shared equally by the members of the Club.
   3. In the event of the club going into liquidation, or ceasing to exist, the remaining assets of the club shall be donated to a local Drogheda charity/organisation, as decided by a majority of the club members remaining.
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
   AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM)
   1. The above meetings may be attended by all members of the club who shall be entitled to vote.
   2. 30 Members present, or 30% of the membership present, whichever is the lesser, shall constitute a quorum.
   3. The AGM shall be held within four weeks before the conclusion of the season. Notice of the AGM shall be given two weeks prior to the date thereof, together with a statement of accounts.
   4. Notices of Motion to the AGM must be posted on the Club notice board seven days prior to the date thereof and must be signed by the proposer and seconder.
   5. An EGM may be called by a majority vote of the Committee or on a Resolution signed by either 30 members, or 30% of the membership, whichever is the lesser. Two weeks notice must be given, in writing, by the Secretary to all members, of the intention to hold such an EGM, setting out the reason(s) for such a meeting.
   6. The Annual General Meeting may, upon the recommendation of the outgoing Committee, confer Honorary Membership for distinguished service to the Club or game, on a club member. Honorary members shall have all the rights of membership and shall be exempt from all annual subscriptions and levies.
   7. Only an AGM or EGM shall be empowered to raise special levies where deemed necessary and to authorise any major expenditure outside the ordinary day to day running of the club.
   8. Alterations, amendments or changes to the Constitution may be made only at a General Meeting of the Members and shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Members present and voting at the Meeting
8. GENERAL RULES
   1. All members of the club shall:-
   2. Act in a courteous, considerate and sober manner at all times towards fellow bridge players.
   3. Obey all reasonable requests or directives of the Officers,Committee, and Tournament Directors.
   4. Observe faithfully all rules laid down by the Governing Body and particularly those relating to the etiquette of bidding and play.