1.       Mapledurham Bridge Club

Constitution and Rules

1.      Name

      1.1  The club shall be called ‘Mapledurham Bridge Club’.

2. Objectives

      2.1  The objectives of the Club are to provide the facilities for the playing of    duplicate Contract Bridge, or such other as the Committee may from time to time decide, in a pleasant and social atmosphere and to encourage players new to Duplicate Bridge.

       2.2  The Club may make donations to charities.

3. Headquarters and Bridge Nights.

3.1  The Club shall meet at a location as advised, from time to time, by the Committee.

3.2  The Club shall meet every Thursday or as advised, from time to time, by the Committee.

3.3  Members are requested to be present by 7.20pm to allow play to start at 7.30pm.

4. Affiliation

4.1  The Club is not affiliated to any organisation, although it generally follows the rules of the English Bridge Union.

5. Membership

5.1  Membership is open to anyone over the age of sixteen with a suitable level of ability.  No member under the age of eighteen can be elected to be an Officer or Committee Member of the Club.

5.2  New members shall apply for membership by completing the application form and forwarding it to the Honorary Secretary. The Committee shall review the application and, if accepted, the new member shall pay the appropriate fee as determined by the Honorary Treasurer, taking into account the length of time remaining in the current Club year.  Should an application be declined, the committee may give a reason but shall not be obliged to do so.

5.3  The Club may confer Honorary Life Membership to any member who has rendered special services to the Club.

5.4  All members are deemed to have accepted the regulations of this constitution and such rules adopted by the Club.

5.5  The Club will keep a register of members and their contact details in accordance with legislation.

5.6  After consideration of the available playing facilities, the Committee may, from time to time, decide that the Club shall be closed to new membership.

5.7  Any member whose subscription has not been paid within two months of the date that subscriptions become due, and who neglects to comply with a written reminder, shall cease to be  a member.

5.8  A member shall cease to be a member of the Club immediately if expelled from the Club under provisions of clause 13.4 of this Constitution.

5.9  Expelled members shall be reimbursed pro rata.

5.10 From time to time the Committee may open the Club to Trial Membership.  This will give potential new members a three month trial period rather than committing to a full year's subscription.   An individual can only have one Trial Membership period, after which they must apply for full membership as per Item 5.2.  Trial members will not have voting rights at any GM.

6. Officers

6.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

6.2  Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the AGM of the Club and shall retire annually at the ensuing AGM, but shall be eligible for re-election.

6.3  Only the Officers of the Club are authorised to sign on behalf of the Club 

 7. Committee

7.1  The Committee of the Club shall be comprised of the Officers of the Club and up to four other members fulfilling the roles of Senior Director, Events Administration and Health and Safety.

7.3  The Committee may, from time to time, co-opt further members to serve on the Committee until the ensuing AGM, whether to fill a vacancy or as additional members, except that the total number on the Committee must not exceed eight.

7.4  A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be four members of the Committee including at least two Officers.

7.5  The Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer shall each make a report at the AGM of the Club concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous AGM.

7.6  The Committee may, from time to time, appoint sub-committees to undertake on its behalf such aspect of the administration of the Club as it shall think fit, and members of such subcommittees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.

8. Nominations

8.1  Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee Members shall be in writing and signed by a seconder who shall be a member of the Club.

9. Management

9.1  The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee. The Committee shall have the power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which is not specifically provided for in this Constitution.

10. General Meetings

10.1  An AGM will be held on, or as close as possible to, the third Thursday of May each year.

10.2  An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a request for such a meeting, signed by at least ten members, is delivered to the Secretary stating the reason for the meeting.  Such meetings shall take place within one month of the receipt of such a request.

10.3  An EGM may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.

10.4  Notice of any General Meetings shall be advised to members no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

10.5  Any member may propose a motion to be discussed at a General Meeting provided that the subject of the motion is advised no later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

10.6  Voting at AGMs shall be by a show of hands of paid up members only. In the event of parity of voting the chairperson shall have the casting vote.

11. Subscriptions and Fees

11.1  Each member shall pay an annual subscription, the amount to be decided no later than three months prior to such subscription being due.

11.2  Subscriptions shall become due on the April 1st.

11.3  The fee for Trial Members will be determined by the Committee but will nominally be a quarter of the standard membership fee.

11.4  Visitors and guests shall pay the fee, currently agreed at the previous AGM, for each visit to the Club, other than at Charity evenings when visitors pay the agreed table money and contribution for refreshments.

12. Guests and Visitors

12.1  Any member may invite a guest to play at the Club at any time.

12.2  Visitors may be permitted to play at the Club at any time.

12.3 Should facilities be inadequate to accommodate all who wish to play, including guests and visitors, priority shall be given to members, then guests and then visitors.

13. Members’ Behaviour

13.1  Each member of the Club shall be required to conform to the accepted standards of fair play, courtesy, ethics and personal behaviour when attending the Club.

13.2  In consideration of behaviour the Club’s guideline is ‘Best Behaviour at Bridge’ as published by the EBU. A copy of this will be available on the Club notice board.

13.3   Complaints against members must be made in writing and be within one month of the alleged offence.

13.4  The Committee will review any such complaints and determine any sanction, including expulsion from the Club.

14. Alterations to the Constitution

14.1  The Committee shall have the power to alter the Constitution at any time, but no such alteration shall take effect until confirmed at a General Meeting

 14.2  In order for the Constitution to be changed there shall be at least two thirds majority in favour of those members present at the AGM or EGM.

15. Winding Up

                15.1  In the event that the Committee determine that the Club shall be wound up, for whatever reason, then a resolution shall be put to the members and there shall be at least a two thirds majority of the membership present in favour of the motion.

                15.2  Unless the winding up is to amalgamate with another bridge club, in

which case assets and funds may be transferred to the new club, members may propose a charity to which the assets are donated.  The charity shall be proposed and voted on by the members.