HIGHFIELD BRIDGE CLUB, JERSEY
CONSTITUTION
1. NAME
The Club shall be called the Highfield Bridge Club, Jersey.
2. OBJECTS
The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members and to promote the game of Contract Bridge and to organise events in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
3. HEADQUARTERS
The headquarters of the Club shall be situated at Elim Oasis Community Centre, off Plat Douet Road, St Saviour, Jersey or at such other venue or venues as the Committee shall from time to time arrange in the Island of Jersey.
4. AFFILIATIONS
The Club will be affiliated to the Channel Islands Contract Bridge Association (the “CICBA”) and to the English Bridge Union (the “EBU”).
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1. 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 together with the appropriate joining fee.
5.2. The Club may confer Honorary Life Membership on any member who has rendered special service to the Club.
5.3. All members are deemed to have accepted the regulations of this constitution and the rules and codes of conduct adopted by the Club.
5.4. The Committee will keep a register of members which will include details of their names, addresses and contact details, such information to be kept in accordance with the Jersey Data Protection Act.
5.5. 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.
5.6. A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club under the provisions of clause 14, or if his resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary.
5.7. Members of the Club are automatically enrolled as members of the EBU (and CICBA) and shall abide by its Bye Laws.
6. COMMITTEE
6.1. The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer together with two 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.
6.2. The Committee may from time to time coopt further members of the Club to serve on the Committee until the ensuing Annual General Meeting, whether to fill a vacancy arising, or as additional members, except that the total number of members of the Committee shall at no time exceed ten. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee.
6.3 A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be three members of the Committee, to include either the Chairman or Secretary/Treasurer. The Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his original vote.
6.4. The Committee may from time to time appoint subcommittees to undertake on its behalf such aspects of the administration of the Club as it shall think fit, and members of such sub committees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.
6.5. Proceedings of the Committee and of any subcommittees shall be regulated in such manner as the Committee may from time to time decide.
6.6. 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.
7. MANAGEMENT
7.1. 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. GENERAL MEETINGS
8.1. An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held each year in December.
8.2. 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.
8.3. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.
8.4. All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the headquarters of the Club or such other venue as the committee might think appropriate.
8.5. The Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his absence some other member of the Committee, approved by a majority of those present at the Meeting shall chair the meeting.
8.6. 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.
8.7. 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.
8.8. The chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General Meeting if he thinks fit.
8.9. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be ten members present in person.
8.10. 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. There shall be no vote by proxy.
9. NOTICES
9.1. Notices of any Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be deemed to have been given to members if placed on the Club’s website, displayed in a prominent position on the Club notice board, delivered by hand, sent by e mail or sent by post to the last known recorded address of each member.
10. NOMINATIONS
10.1 Existing Committee members, unless they specifically withdraw, shall be deemed to have been nominated for the ensuing year.
10.2. Nominations for the posts of 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.
10.3. Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the
Annual General Meeting.
10.4. In the event of there being no nomination for any particular office, verbal nominations may be made at the Annual General Meeting.
11. SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES
11.1. Each member of the Club shall pay a joining fee, the basic amount of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
11.2. Membership fees will be collected on a pay to play basis. Each member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each occasion when they play at the Club. This fee will include all membership dues payable to the Highfield Club, the CICBA and the EBU.
11.3. The Committee may determine variations on the basic table money for members, guests and visitors in different circumstances, and may waive table money in the event of hardship or for any other good cause.
12. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
12.1. The Committee shall arrange for financial statements to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on 30 April and to be independently examined.
12.2. The financial statements for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.
12.3. The independent examiner shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting and shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. In the event of a vacancy for the role of independent examiner, the Committee shall appoint a replacement independent examiner until the next Annual General Meeting.
13. GUESTS and VISITORS
13.1. 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.
13.2. 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.
13.3. 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.
13.4. 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.
14. MEMBERS’ BEHAVIOUR
14.1. Each member of the Club shall be required in connection with the game of Contract Bridge, 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.
14.2 The Club shall have the powers and the procedures for the enforcement of the above as set out in the Schedule of Disciplinary Procedures and this document shall stand as an attachment and part of the Constitution.
15. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
15.1. No alterations shall be made to this Constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club.
15.2. In order for a resolution to alter this Constitution to take effect at least two thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour.
16. WINDINGUP
16.1. 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.
16.2. 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 amalgamated with such other club), any surplus assets and funds shall either be transferred to the members or transferred to such of the organisations mentioned in clause 16.3 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.
16.3 The organisations referred to in clause 17.2 are
The English Bridge Union
The Channel Islands Contract Bridge Association (the County); and
any Registered or recognised charitable body
Schedule of Disciplinary Procedures
- Requirements of the Schedule
This Schedule is referred to under clause 14.2 of the Constitution of the Highfield Bridge Club, Jersey (hereafter referred to as the Club) and prescribes the powers and procedures for enforcement. It will comply with and follow the EBU disciplinary procedures and any variations thereof that are made from time to time in so far as such powers and procedures do not conflict with the laws and procedures for Clubs and Societies as laid down by the States of Jersey. The Club shall act through its Conduct and Disciplinary Committees for the enforcement of standards prescribed in clause 14.1 of the Constitution. The Club shall have additional powers as set out in the clauses below.
- Receipt of allegation
Any person making a complaint against one or more members of the Club, under the terms of clause 14.1 of the Constitution, must do so in writing to the Secretary or the Chairman of the Club. Normally no action will be taken in respect of a complaint relating to an alleged offence which occurred three months or more prior to a formal complaint in writing made to the appropriate officer.
- Conduct Committee
The Committee of the Club shall appoint its Conduct Committee through its powers to appoint sub committees under clause 6.4 of the Constitution. The Conduct Committee shall be responsible for investigating complaints against the Club’s members and to determine whether a disciplinary offence should be referred to the Club’s Disciplinary Committee.
The Conduct Committee shall consist of no fewer than three members of the Club and no more than five. A quorum for any meeting shall be three of its members. It shall act by simple majority vote and its appointed chairman, or whomsoever in his absence the Conduct Committee shall select to chair its meeting, shall have a second, or casting vote in the event that there is parity of voting.
- Disciplinary Committee
The Committee of the Club shall appoint the Disciplinary Committee through its powers to appoint sub committees under clause 6.4 of the Constitution. The Disciplinary Committee shall, determine sanctions for offences admitted by the defendant, hear charges of offences and determine whether those charges are proved and if proved, to determine the sanction imposed.
The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of no fewer than three members of the Club and no more than five. At least three of its members must be present when it makes a decision to uphold a complaint and impose sanctions on the offending member. It shall act by simple majority vote and its appointed chairman, or whomsoever in his absence the Disciplinary Committee shall select to chair its meeting, shall have a second, or casting vote in the event that there is parity of voting.
- Conflicts of Interest and Independence of the Conduct and Disciplinary Committees
Any member of either the Conduct or Disciplinary Committee who is in any way personally involved in the allegations within a complaint will be disqualified from participating in either Committee’s handling of the complaint.
A member of the Club cannot be a member of both the Conduct and Disciplinary Committees.
6. The Complaints Process
6.1. Notice of Meetings
Subject to the provisions of clause 2 hereof where a written complaint is made, or a matter otherwise comes to the attention of the Conduct Committee, it shall first consider whether such complaint or matter falls within the scope of the Disciplinary Rules and whether further action is warranted. If it does, the Conduct Committee secretary shall first write to the Defendant, seeking the Defendant’s comments on the substance of the complaint or matter that has been raised. The Conduct Committee shall also be entitled to make such further investigations and enquiries as it in its absolute discretion considers appropriate. The Conduct Committee shall also be entitled to seek advice both from within the Club and from the EBU Laws and Ethics Committee, and to obtain external legal advice.
6.2.Complaint not justified
If the Conduct Committee decides that the complaint is not justified, all parties shall be notified and the matter ended.
6.3.Complaint justified
If the Conduct Committee decides that the complaint is justified, it may, in its absolute discretion, offer a verbal caution to the offending member, which if accepted, ends the matter.
If the caution is not accepted by the offending member, or the Conduct Committee does not feel a caution is appropriate, it shall refer the case to a hearing by the Disciplinary Committee. The Defendant shall be notified, in writing, within two weeks of this decision and of his right to make a written submission to the Disciplinary Committee and to attend the hearing. The Defendant shall have the right to be represented by legal counsel of his choice or may be accompanied by a person to speak on his behalf. The Disciplinary Committee shall give at least two weeks notice of the hearing to the Defendant.
6.4.Disciplinary Committee’s Sanctions
If after the hearing the complaint is upheld, the Disciplinary Committee may in its absolute discretion:
(a) Give a written reprimand to the offending member(s),or
(b) Suspend the offending member(s) from all or some of the competitions sponsored or licensed by the Club for such period as it shall determine.
(c) Expel the offending member(s) from the Club.
If the complaint is against a member of the Committee then in addition to any other sanctions applied, the Disciplinary Committee shall have the power to suspend such member from the Club’s Committee and any of its sub committees for such a period that it shall determine.
Any sanctions imposed by the Disciplinary Committee must be communicated to the offending member(s) in writing within twenty one days of the hearing.
Any Sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee shall take effect as soon as time for appeal has elapsed except that if the Defendant has filed Notice of Appeal within the time allowed the Sanction shall not take effect until such Appeal has been determined.
6.5.Appeal
Every Defendant found guilty of an offence by the Club Disciplinary Committee has the right to appeal to the County Disciplinary Committee. Appeals must be in writing and lodged with the Secretary of the Association within twenty one days of the written communication of the Club’s Disciplinary Committee’s decision to the Defendant.
6.6. Referral to the EBU Laws & Ethics Committee
At any time the County Disciplinary Committee may refer a complaint to the EBU Laws & Ethics Committee for its consideration. In doing so the County Disciplinary Committee shall have fully discharged its responsibilities under this Schedule.