CONSTITUTION OF GODALMING BRIDGE CLUB       (adopted on 18th November 2013)

1.  NAME

The Club shall be called Godalming Bridge Club.

2. OBJECTS

The object of the club shall be to provide facilities for its members for playing Duplicate Contract Bridge.

3. PLAYING VENUE

The playing venue of the club shall be at Milford Village Hall or such other location as the Committee may from time to time determine.

4. MEMBERSHIP

1. All candidates for membership shall be required to play themselves in by attending at least three times after which the Committee shall decide whether or not the candidate shall be admitted to membership.
2. 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 determine.
3. All members shall be deemed to have accepted the regulations of this constitution and the rules and codes of conduct adopted by the Club.
4. The Committee shall keep a register of members which will include details of their names, addresses, phone numbers and (if available) e-mail addresses.
5. A member whose subscription has not been paid shall unless otherwisedetermined by the Committee cease to be a member on the expiry of three months from the date on which the subscription was due for payment.

5. OFFICERS

1. The Officers of the club shall be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
2. No member of the Club shall simultaneously hold more than one Office of the Club.
3. Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the next following Annual General Meeting, but shall (subject to 5.4 below) be eligible for re-election.
4. A Chairman who has served as such for three consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election until the expiry of a further period of one year.
5. 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 to fill such vacancy until the next following Annual General Meeting.

6. COMMITTEE

1. The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club together with four other members of the Club all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, and shall retire annually at the next following Annual General Meeting, but shall (subject to 6.2 below) be eligible for re-election.
2. A member of the Committee (other than an Officer) who has served as such for five consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election until the expiry of a further period of one year.
3. The Committee may from time to time co-opt further members of the Club to serve on the Committee until the next following 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 eight. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee.
4. A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be four members of the Committee, including at least one Officer.
5. 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.

7.  MANAGEMENT

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.
2. In the event of parity of voting the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
3. The Committee may appoint one of their number as Chairman-designate.

8. GENERAL MEETINGS

1. An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year no later than eleven months after the end of the financial year.
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 six weeks of such request.
3. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.
4. All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the playing venue of the Club unless it is impracticable to do so.
5. The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in the absence of the Chairman the Committee shall appoint a member of the Committee to chair the Meeting.
6. Notice of each Annual General Meeting 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, but four weeks notice shall be given of each Special General Meeting.
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 four weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
8. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be 30 members present in person.

9. VOTING AT GENERAL MEETINGS

1. Subject to 9.4 voting at General meetings shall be by show of hands unless the Chairman considers that a poll should be held.
2. In the event of parity of voting the Chairman shall have a second or a casting vote.
3. Decisions at General Meetings of the Club shall be taken by simple majority except that at least two-thirds of the votes cast on a resolution to change the Constitution must be in favour.
4. A person who is unable to attend a General Meeting of the Club shall be entitled to vote by proxy on resolutions to be put to the meeting. The proxy shall be in a form specified by the Secretary and shall be signed by the member and delivered to the Secretary no later than 48 hours before the General Meeting takes place.

10. NOTICES

1. Notices of any General Meeting of the Club shall be given to members by e-mail and by displaying the notice on the Club’s notice board at the playing venue of the Club, but if the Secretary does not have an e-mail address for a member a copy of the notice shall be sent by post to that member at his last-known address.
2. Notice shall be treated as being validly given if sent to the address or e-mail address of members as recorded in the Register of Members.
3. Every Notice shall also where practicable be posted on the Club’s website.

11.  NOMINATIONS

1. No later than six weeks before an Annual General Meeting the Committee shall notify members of the date and time of the Annual General Meeting and shall set out in the Notice a draft Agenda for the meeting and the Committee’s proposals for the Officers and Committee members for the following year by posting a Notice on the Club notice board and (where practicable) on the Club’s website. This notice shall also invite members to nominate Officers and Committee members for the next following year
2. Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members shall be in writing, and shall be signed by a proposer and seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated.
3. Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than two weeks after the date on which the Notice referred to in 11.1 is posted on the Club’s notice board.

12.  ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

1. Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Subscriptions shall be on a calendar year basis, and shall be due for payment on 1^stJanuary in each year.

13.  GUESTS

1. Each guest of a member shall be signed in on the Register provided for that purpose by the member introducing the guest, who shall pay table money on each occasion when that guest plays at the Club. The amount of the table money payable by a guest shall be determined from time to time by the Committee.
2. The Committee may from time to time place a limit on the number of occasions on which a non-member may play at the Club without being required to apply for membership.

14. ACCOUNTS

1. The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each calendar year.
2. The accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.

15. MEMBERS BEHAVIOUR

1. If in the opinion of at least six members of the Committee a member’s conduct has been contrary to the interests of the Club or has not conformed to the standards of fair play prescribed from time to time by the English Bridge Union that member may be required to resign his membership of the Club.

16. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. No alterations shall be made to this Constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club.

17. WINDING UP

1. The Club may be wound up only at a General Meeting called for that purpose.  Notice of the meeting and the resolution to be proposed shall be sent to members at least four weeks before the meeting.
2. All assets remaining after settlement of debts shall unless otherwise agreed at that meeting be transferred to the English Bridge Union.