Rules of the Loddon Vale Bridge Club

1. Name

      The Club shall be called “The Loddon Vale Bridge Club”

2. The object of the club shall be to provide facilities for playing contract bridge.
3. Membership

1. The club shall consist of such number of members, including life members, as the committee decide.
2. The committee shall have the right to cancel a membership without assigning a specific reason.
3. All members must agree to be bound by the rules and the bye-laws of the club.
4. Every candidate for membership of the club shall be proposed by one member of the club and seconded by another member of the club, both of whom shall be personally acquainted with the candidate. Proposals for membership must be on the forms provided by the club and must be signed by the proposer, seconder and the candidate. Exceptions may be made for persons new to the area. In these cases the honorary secretary may be asked to make enquiries from previous clubs etc. regarding fitness for membership. The name of every candidate shall be prominently displayed in the principal club room for not less than two club nights before his/her election. Any objection to the proposed election must be made to the honorary secretary.
5. No candidate who has been elected a member shall be entitled to the privileges of membership until payment of his/her subscription

4. Committee

1. The club shall be managed by a committee of not more than 10 members.
2. The committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year, and subject to termination of office until their successors are elected at the next AGM. The retiring members of the committee shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination. No member may hold any one post for longer than three consecutive years.
3. The committee shall have the power to co-opt a club member to fill any vacancy which may occur or to carry out specific duties.
4. The committee shall consist of the:- Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Tournament secretary, and not more than six other members.
5. A quorum of the committee shall consist of not less than five members.
6. The committee shall have the power to make bye-laws for regulating the conduct and affairs of the club providing the same are not inconsistent with these rules. Copies of such bye-laws shall be available from the secretary and shall be binding on all members.
7. The committee shall have the power to form such sub-committees as are required for the efficient running of the club. The chairman will be an ex-officio member of all such sub-committees.
8. The committee shall have the power to appoint a President for a period of not exceeding 2 years. The office of President shall be non-executive.

5. Subscriptions

1. The annual subscription will be proposed by the Committee and submitted to a General Meeting for approval by the members.
2. The annual subscription will fall due on 1^st January each year and any member who has not paid his/her subscription by 1^st April will automatically cease to be a member. Late payment of a subscription which will enable anybody to resume membership of the club will be at the discretion of the committee.
3. New membership approved after 31 July will only be required to pay half of the current annual subscription for the balance of the year.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. A General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than 31 May each year to transact the following business:-

i.           To receive and, if approved, to adopt a statement of the accounts of the club to the end of the preceding year, these accounts having been duly audited and signed by the chairman and the Honorary Treasurer.

ii.          To consider and, if approved, sanction any proposed alterations to the Rules of the Club.

3. To appoint the Officers and any other members of the COMMITTEE.
4. To appoint an auditor.
5. To deal with any other business.

2. A notice convening this AGM shall be sent to the members not less than 14 days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with. Any member who wishes to raise another issue, other than a change of rule, must advise the Honorary Secretary in writing not less than 7 days before the meeting.
3. A quorum at a General Meeting will consist of not less than 15 members.

7. Special General Meetings

A special general meeting of the club shall be called either at the direction of the Committee, or within the 21 days of the receipt  by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition, signed by at least 10 members, stating the reason for which the meeting is to be called. At least 10 days notice of such a meeting shall be given. No other business may be conducted except that for which the meeting is called. A quorum at such a meeting shall not be less than 15 members.

8.  Visitors

Visitors introduced by a member will be allowed to play for a table money fee to be determined by the Committee.   Any casual visitor will not be permitted to play to the exclusion of a member should the numbers wishing to play exceed the room capacity. However, a visitor who arrived before 7:25 will take precedence over a member arriving after 7:25.

9.   Affiliation

The club shall be affiliated to the English Bridge Union via a County Association.

10.   Alteration of the Rules

No rule of the club shall be added to, rescinded or altered except by resolution of an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, and such changes must be passed by the vote of two thirds of the members present. Any proposed alteration to the Rules must be sent to the Honorary Secretary not less that 21 days before it is considered.

11.  Chairman’s Vote

At General Meetings and Committee meetings, the Chairman, if he so desires, may cast a deciding vote.

12.  Property

1. The property of the Club shall be vested in the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Tournament secretary as Trustees for the Club.
2. The Club shall not accept or be liable in any circumstances for the property of members or for any damages they may suffer.

13.  Finance

1. Loans by members of the Club will be repaid as soon as possible at the discretion of the Committee.
2. Table money rates will be determined by the Committee.
3. In the event of the "winding-up" of the Club the assets, including the trophies will be disposed of by the Committee in its absolute discretion and the proceeds after meeting all liabilities shall be shared equally by the members at the date of winding-up.

14. Club Premises

Members are expected to maintain the premises used by the Club in a tidy state and to cause no inconvenience to others.

15. SMOKING

There will be no smoking (AGM28/8/98)