- The Club shall be called the “Maltings Duplicate Bridge Club”.
- The Club exists to provide duplicate bridge facilities for members and shall be non-profit making.
- Club events shall be governed by the current version of the English Bridge Union Regulations and the International Code supplemented by Club Rules for specific events.
- The maximum membership shall be decided by the Committee having regard to the current attendance levels.
- The Officers of the Committee shall consist of Chairman, Senior Director, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. The Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting to serve until the following Annual General Meeting when they may present themselves for re-election.
- The Committee shall consist of four officers and three additional members. It will meet at least quarterly and will be responsible for the running of the Club. Four members will form a quorum. One new member shall be elected to the Committee every year and (if necessary) the longest serving member shall retire.
- Candidates for election to the Committee shall be nominated in writing, with their consent, by two Club members to the Honorary Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting.
- The Committee may co-opt members to the Committee for specific purposes.
- The Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to a normal vote at all committee and general meetings.
- Applicants for membership must be proposed and seconded by two members. Application forms are to be posted on the Notice Board for a period of three weeks. Prospective new members will be played in three times before being placed on the waiting list. Final acceptance for membership will be a committee decision.
- The Club year will run from 1 April. Subscriptions will be set by the Committee and must be paid by 1 May.
- Any member whose subscription is unpaid by 1 May shall cease to be a member. Any member whose conduct is considered by the Committee to be against the best interests of the Club shall be asked to resign.
- The Committee shall ensure that proper books of accounts are kept which shall be open for inspection by the Committee. These accounts shall be audited prior to the Annual General Meeting. A bank account will be kept in the name of the Club. Withdrawals can be made on one signature up to a limit of £200. Withdrawals over £200 will require two signatures per cheque. Persons authorised to sign cheques will be the Honorary Treasurer, the Chairman and the Honorary Secretary.
- The Annual General Meeting shall be called by the Committee and shall be held before the end of March.
- Voting at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be restricted to members.
- An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee or on receipt of a written request from at least ten members. Such a request must state the object of the meeting and be received at least 28 days before the proposed meeting.
- Alteration to the Constitution shall not be made except at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose, and no part of the Constitution shall be repealed, altered or added to save by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting
At the discretion of the Chairman, matters which do not affect the Constitution shall be decided by a simple majority.
- Notice of a General Meeting with the Agenda, and in the case of an Annual General Meeting, with the Agenda and Financial Statement, shall be prominently displayed on the Club Notice Board at least 14 days before the date of the meeting.
- The business of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be confined to the Agenda. An item “Any Other Business” may be included in the Annual General Meeting Agenda.
- While observing the Constitution, the Committee shall have power to alter the Rules of the Club.
MDBC - 1.4.1989
Addendum to the 1989 Constitution
Temporary Financial Controls and Banking Procedures
Date: 9th April 2026
This Addendum is adopted by the Committee to regulate the practical operation of the Club’s financial controls in accordance with Clause 13 of the Constitution and current banking arrangements.
1. Status
This Addendum operates alongside, and does not amend or replace, Clause 13 of the Constitution. All authorised signatories remain as defined therein.
2. Authorised Signatories
In accordance with the Constitution, the Honorary Treasurer, the Chairman and the Honorary Secretary remain authorised signatories on the Club’s bank account.
3. Operational Arrangements
a) Day-to-day operation of the Club’s bank account, including the initiation and execution of payments, shall normally be undertaken by the Honorary Treasurer.
b) In the absence of the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary may undertake these duties.
4. Approval of Payments
a) All payments, regardless of value, shall require prior approval from the Chairman.
b) In the absence of the Chairman, approval may be given by the Senior Director.
c) Approval shall be recorded in writing, including by email.
5. Execution of Payments
a) Payments shall be executed in accordance with the signature requirements set out in Clause 13 of the Constitution.
b) Nothing in this Addendum shall restrict or remove the authority of the Chairman as an authorised signatory in accordance with the Constitution. However, as a matter of agreed internal financial control, the Chairman will not ordinarily be required to act as a signatory for the execution of payments, except where necessary to comply with the signing requirements set out in Clause 13 or where otherwise appropriate.
6. Oversight
The Chairman shall retain full oversight of the Club’s financial affairs and may review all transactions.
7. Temporary Application
This Addendum shall apply only for so long as the current Chairman and Honorary Treasurer remain in post concurrently.
If either individual cease to hold office for any reason, including resignation, removal, or expiry of term, this Addendum shall automatically cease to have effect and the provisions of Clause 13 shall apply without qualification.
8. Review
The Committee may review or withdraw this Addendum at any time.
Adopted by the Committee: 9 April 2026
Chairman: Shuna King
Honorary Treasurer: Kevin King
Honorary Secretary: Stephanie Coxon
Committee Member: Pam Franklin
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