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                                          KIPLINGS BRIDGE CLUB CONSTITUTION  

1 NAME

The Club shall be called Kiplings Bridge Club.

2 OBJECTS

The Object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members to play Duplicate Bridge in a friendly but structured and respectful atmosphere.

3 AFFILIATIONS

The Club is not affiliated.

4 THE VENUE

The venue of the Club shall usually be situated at the Whiteway Centre Rottingdean.

5 MEMBERSHIP

5.1 Membership shall be open to all players over 18 subject to the rules of the Club.

5.2 All members are deemed to have accepted the regulations of this Constitution and the Best Behaviour of Bridge/Code of Conduct laid down by the English Bridge Union and found on their website. A copy of this is on our noticeboard and also on our website.

5.3 The Secretary will keep a register of all members which will include the names, addresses and contact details.

6 OFFICERS

6.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. No one person shall hold both the Chairman and Treasurers position within the Club.

6.2 Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the AGM.

6.3 In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the office of any officer of the Club then the Committee shall choose one of their numbers to fill such a vacancy until the ensuing AGM.

7 COMMITTEE

7.1 The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club together with two or more other members of the Club, which will include a Minutes Secretary.

7.2 Committee members shall be elected at the AGM.

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7.3 Meetings may be scheduled once per quarter; the format of the meeting is not prescribed; it may take the form of being virtual or face to face.

7.4 The Chairman shall be entitled to call an Emergency Meeting without prior notice provided that all reasonable effort has been made to inform all Committee members.

7.5 Decisions at Committee meetings shall be by consensus; in the event of no majority reached then the Chairman shall have the deciding vote.

7.6 All Committee meetings shall require a quorum of three including at least one Officer.

8 MANAGEMENT

8.1 The designated Director shall manage the duplicate bridge meetings of the Club

8.2 The Committee may from time to time, formulate and publish such rules as they deem expedient for the harmonious running of the Club. In the case of any conflict between such rules and this Constitution, then the Constitution shall prevail.

9 GENERAL MEETINGS

9.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held each year with a notice of two weeks given. This will include an agenda.

9.2 Proxy votes can be submitted for specific agenda items in a General Meeting if a member is unable to attend. These will be signed and dated at least twenty four hours prior to the said meeting.

9.3 Any member can propose an item for submission for inclusion in the agenda prior to it being issued.

9.4 The Chairman shall chair the General Meetings.

9.5 All voting at the GM’s is by a majority vote which may include proxy votes. If the voting is equally split then the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

9.6 The minutes of GM’s shall be recorded by the minutes Secretary and signed for by the Chairman of the Club by the next Club night. These minutes shall be on the notice board and available to all members.

9.7 A Special General Meeting of the Club can be convened by the Committee if any request is made and signed for by at least ten members of the Club, stating the reason for the meeting; and such a meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of such a request.

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9.8 The Chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at an AGM if he/she thinks fit.

 10 NOTICES

10.1 Access to the Club email account must only be made via the Club Secretary in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

10.2 General information will be available on the Club website.

11 SUBSCRIPTIONS

11.1 Each member of the Club shall pay table money unless otherwise agreed by the Committee.

11.2 Visitors shall pay one pound extra per visit.

11.3 Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription.

11.4 Subscriptions shall be set out at a level decided at the AGM.

!2 FINANCES

12.1 The Treasurer shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club each year and shall be submitted at the AGM.

12.2 The account shall be audited by two independent members of the Club prior to the AGM.

12.3 A financial update of the day-to-day finances of the Club shall be submitted at Committee meetings by the Treasurer.

12.4 The Committee shall be responsible for the day to day finances of the Club except where major purchases are concerned. Such items will then be referred back to the members for their approval. This will then be decided by a majority vote.

13 MEMBERS BEHAVIOUR

13.1 Each member of the Club shall be required to conform to the Best Behaviour of Bridge/ Code of Conduct as laid down by the EBU and found on their website. This will be posted on the noticeboard of the Club.

13.2 The Committee shall have the power to uphold these Codes of conduct                                      

                                                14 ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION

14.1 No alteration shall be made to the Constitution except at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.

14.2 Alterations to this Constitution shall need two thirds of the members to be in favour.

15 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Kiplings Bridge Club upholds the Equal Opportunities Policy.

15 DATA PROTECTION

Information relating to members of Kiplings Bridge Club shall be held in accordance with Data Protection Act 2018 as amended from time to time.