Name

The name of the Club shall be Solway Bridge Club. (Hereafter called the Club).

Object of the club

1. To provide facilities for the study , play and discussion of Bridge.
2. To promote a higher standard of play in the game.
3. To encourage an interest in the game in a friendly and social environment.

MEMBERSHIP

Any person interested in the game of Bridge and who satisfies the Committee that he or she has attained a reasonable standard of play shall be eligible for Membership of the CLub. A Member may be either;

a) an Honorary Member

b) an Ordinary Member

c) a Junior Member.

•  An  Honorary  Member shall only be elected on the recommendation of the Executive Committee approved at a meeting of the Club.
• An Ordinary Member shall be 21 years of age or over.
• A Junior Member shall be under 21 years of age.
• Honorary Members and Junior Members shall not be eligible for appointment as Office Bearers or Members of Committee and shall have no vote.

Applications for Ordinary or Junior Membership shall be made in writing to the Honorable Secretary who shall submit the name and address to the Committee for their consideration.

The maximum total number of Ordinary and Junior Members shall not exceed 64 and approved applications beyond this number shall be placed on a waiting list.

As a vacancy occurs, the Secretary shall notify thre first person on the waiting list that he or she may now become a Member of the Club.

The subscription due shall be pro rata to the part of the year remaining, subject to a minimum subscription for part of the year being£5.00

Any member changing their address shall notify the Secretary in writing.

SUBSCRIPTION

The annual subscription will be determined at any Annual General Meeting, on due notice of intention to do so.

The annual subscription shall become due and payable on the first day of October.

Any member who allows payment of the Subscription to be in arrears for more than one month shall be deemed to have resigned their membership.

RESIGNATIONS

Resignations from Membership shall be intimated in writing to the secretary.

RE-ADMISSION OF MEMBERS

A former member of the club may be allowed to rejoin, at the discretion of the committee, without going on the waiting list.

MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB

The business of the Club shall be managed by an Executive Committee which shall consist of the Office Bearers  and Four Ordinary Members elected at the Annual General Meeting.

The Office Bearers shall consist of The President; Vice President; Immediate Past President; Secretary and Treasurer. The offices of Secretary And Treasurer may be held by one person.

They shall retire annually and with the exception of the President shall be eligible for re-election.

The Office of President shall not be held continuously for more than one year.

The retiring President shall be eligible for re-election to any office other than President; and two years after demitting office as President, shall be eligible for re-election as President.

The Executive Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy which may occur during any year, either as Office Bearer or Member of Committee.

A person appointed to any casual vacancy shall not by reason thereof become ineligible for any subsequent appointment at the Annual General Meeting.

FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The management of the Club shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee.

The Committee shall meet as often as may be found necessary and at any time on the request of an Office Bearer. The Secretary shall convene the Meetings, giving reasonable notice to each Member of the Committee.

Four Members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

The Committee shall have the following powers:

1. To make. Amend and revoke such bye-laws as they think appropriate for the proper conduct of the Club.
2.  To purchase or acquire for the Club such moveable property, rights or privileges as they shall consider necessary for the purposes of the Club.
3.  To arrange and approve friendly matches and other social events as required.

MEETINGS OF THE CLUB

The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held on the third Tuesday in September  of each year.

Notice of such meetings shall be placed on the notice board 14 days prior to the meeting by the Secretary.

The businee to be transacted shall be limited to the items on the Agenda and shall include the following:

1. President’s Report
2. Secretary’s Report
3. Treasurer’s Report – with abstract of accounts and projected expenditure for the coming year
4. Review Annual Subscription
5.  Election of Office Bearers and Committee Members
6. Appointment of Tournament Directors
7. Any Other ompetent Business

Only Ordinary Members of the Club shall be entitled to vote.

Decisions in ALL meetings of the Club shall be by the simple majority vote, The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in addition shall have a casting vote in the case of the equality of votes on any issue.

The Executive Committee shall have powers to call a General Meeting of the Club at any time on giving fourteen days clear notice to members by posting such notice on the Club notice board.

The Executive Committee shall be bound to call a meeting of  the Club on receiving a requisition signed by at least fifteen Ordinary  Members. Any such requisition will be in writing to the Secretary any shall state the object of such a meeting.

If two members wish to propose a motion at the Annual General Meeting, they shall give notice in writing to the Secretary setting out such motion in full not less than seven days before the meeting.

It shall be competent  for the Chairman at General Meetings to accept or reject amendments to such motions.

At ALL meetings of the Club the President will preside, whom failing the Vice-President,

whom failing the Meeting shall elect a Chairman from those present.

The Chairman shall decide on all matters of order, competency, relevancy and procedure for which no express provision is made.

DUTIES

1. The Secretary shall call and attend all Meetings, keep full minutes of the procedures of such Meetings, conduct the correspondence of the Club, have custody and record of all equipment, books, documents and papers belonging to the Club and keep a register of all members of the club, The Secretary may be required to undertake such other duties which, from time to time, may arise.
2. The Treasurer shall keep correct accounts showing the financial affairs of the Club. Such accounts shall be submitted annually to the Clubs independent examiner and reported to the Annual General Meeting.  The Treasurer shall provide the Executive Committee with financial management information. The Treasurer shall pay accounts and draw cheques as authorised by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall  have the duty to provide the Secretary with the names of Members who have resigned Membership.

FINANCE

The financial year of the Club shall end on the 30^th day of june annually.

All Club funds shall be held in a bank account in the name of Solway Bridge Club with such bankers as the Executive Committee may from time to time direct.

The assets of the Club shall belong to he Ordinary Members, during Membership, equally and shall not be assignable, arrestable or gifted. The assets of the Club shall be vested in the Office Bearers and Committee and their successors in Office.

The Club may, at any time, be dissolved upon the vote of two thirds of Ordinary Members present at any meeting of the Club called for that purpose, to resolve that the free assets of the Club be distributed to some organization having similar objects of the Club or to some charitable cause, or as otherwise agreed.

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution may be awarded by the Club provided that the written notice to the Secretary contains the proposed terms of alteration and is circulated with the notice calling the meeting for this purpose. No amendment shall be made except there is in favour of the amendment at least two thirds of the votes cast.

GENERAL

All complaints and suggestions shall be made in writing to the Secretary who will submit the complaint(s) and suggestion(s) to the Executive Committee whose decision shall be final.

Visitors shall be allowed to play at the Club at an Ordinary Members invitation only. Members must enter the names of visitors in the book provided. No person shall be permitted as a visitor more than three times during any one year.

Tournaments and play shall be conducted under SBU rules and Tournament Directors shall have the powers delegated to them under these rules.

The Club’s playing year shall be from the first Tuesday in September to to the last Tuesday in April of the following year.

The Eileen Gutteridge Cup shall be played on the first Tuesday in  April each year.

The Club shall not accept  liability for any damage to, or loss of property, belonging to the Members, Guests or visitors.

The Club shall not accept  any liability for personal injury arising out of the use of the clubroom and facilities. A copy of the current waiting list for Membership will always be on display on the Club noticeboard.

Reviewed and updated August 2003