- NAME The Club shall be called Stafford Bridge Club.
- OBJECTIVE The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members for playing and teaching Duplicate Contract Bridge according to the regulations of the English Bridge Union (E.B.U.).
- HEADQUARTERS The headquarters of the Club shall be situated Beaconside Conference Centre, Stafford, ST18 0BF until such time as this arrangement needs to be reconsidered.
- AFFILIATIONS The Club will be affiliated to the Staffordshire & Shropshire Contract Bridge Association and to the E.B.U.
- MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Membership shall be open to anyone eligible to join the E.B.U.
5.2 Any person wishing to become a member of the Club shall apply to the Committee by completing and forwarding to the Membership Secretary such forms as may be prescribed from time to time by the Committee.
5.3 All bridge players and those wishing to learn to play who are over the age of eighteen years will be entitled to apply for full membership of the Club.
5.4 Players under the age of eighteen years will be entitled to apply for Junior membership. Such members are not entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Club.
5.5 The Club may confer Honorary Life Membership on any member who has rendered special service to the Club.
5.6 All members are deemed to have accepted the regulations of this Constitution and the rules and codes of conduct adopted by the Club.
5.7 The Committee will keep a register of members which will include details of their names, addresses and contact details. All data will be utilised and managed in line with the Club's Privacy Policy.
5.8 In considering applications for membership the Committee shall have regard to the capacity of playing facilities
5.9 A member shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club under the provisions of clause 16, or if their resignation in writing is delivered to the Secretary.
5.10 A member whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on the expiration of the period of three months from the date on which the subscription was due for payment.
5.11 A former member of the Club who wishes to re-join as a member may do so by notifying the membership secretary, without the necessity for a further formal application for membership, unless the Committee decides otherwise.
5.12 Members of the Club are automatically enrolled as members of the E.B.U. and shall abide by its Bye Laws.
- OFFICERS
6.1 The Officers of the Club shall be the Chair, and two from the following positions, Club Captain, Secretary and Treasurer as applicable.
6.2 No member of the Club shall simultaneously hold more than one Office of the Club.
6.3 Each of the Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.
6.4 In the event of a vacancy arising during the year in the office of any Officer of the Club, the Committee shall choose someone from the membership to fill such vacancy until the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
- COMMITTEE
7.1 The Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club, together with up to five other members of the Club, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club and shall retire annually at the ensuing Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.
7.2 The Committee may from time-to-time co-Âopt further members of the Club to serve on the Committee until the ensuing Annual General Meeting, whether to fill a vacancy arising, or as additional members, except that the total number of members of the Committee (including Officers) shall at no time exceed twelve. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the proceedings of the Committee.
7.3 A quorum at meetings of the Committee shall be three members of the Committee, including at least one of the Officers.
7.4 The Committee may from time to time appoint sub-Âcommittees to undertake on its behalf such aspects of the administration of the Club as it shall think fit, and members of such sub- committees may include members of the Club who are not members of the Committee.
7.5 Proceedings of the Committee and of any subÂÂcommittees shall be regulated in such manner as the Committee may from time to time decide. Committee members should in general withdraw from participation in decisions where they may have, or be seen to have, a conflict of interest.
7.6 The Committee shall make a report to each Annual General Meeting of the Club concerning the affairs of the Club since the previous Annual General Meeting.
- PRESIDENT
8.1 The Club may appoint an honorary President. There is no time limit to that appointment.
8.2 The President of the Club is not a member of the Committee. However, the President may attend Committee Meetings and take part in discussion.
8.3 The President will normally take the chair at the start of the Annual General Meeting, until the incoming Chair and other officers have been elected.
8.4 When the position of President becomes vacant, the Committee, following consultation may put forward the name of a prospective President to the Annual General Meeting for approval.
- MANAGEMENT
9.1 The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee, and the Committee shall have power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which is not specifically provided for in this Constitution.
9.2 The Committee may from time to time formulate and publish such rules as it thinks expedient for the efficient and harmonious running of the Club (but in the case of any conflict between such rules and this Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail).
9.3 Any issue of policy determined by the Committee or any rules published by the Committee may be varied by a resolution of members at a General Meeting of the Club, provided that such resolution is not in conflict with this Constitution and is not retrospective in application.
9.4 In the event of such variation being made, the policy or rules (as the case may be) shall not be further varied by the Committee in a manner inconsistent with the resolution.
- GENERAL MEETINGS
10.1 An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year no later than three months after the end of the financial year ie 31st December
10.2 A Special General Meeting of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a request for such a meeting, signed by at least ten members of the Club, is delivered to the Chair stating the reason for the meeting. This meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of the request.
10.3 A Special General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.
10.4 All General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the headquarters of the Club unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.
10.5 The Chair, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club (save as provided in Rule 8.3) and in their absence the Club Captain or some other member of the Committee, approved by a majority of those present at the Meeting, shall chair the meeting.
10.6 Notice of all General Meetings of the Club shall be given to all members of the Club no later than four weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. (see 18.2 for exception)
10.7. Any member may propose a motion to be discussed at a General Meeting provided that written notice of the proposed motion is delivered to the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
10.8 The Chair of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General Meeting if he thinks fit.
10.9. A quorum at General Meetings of the Club shall be fifteen members present in person
10.10 If fifteen minutes after the time fixed for a General Meeting of the Club no quorum shall be present, the meeting shall be adjourned to a new date (of which the like notice shall be given to members as was required to be given for the meeting which has been adjourned). At the re notified General Meeting, after such an adjournment, (but not of a meeting adjourned for any other reason) the number of members present shall constitute a quorum.
10.11 Voting at General Meetings of the Club shall be by show of hands and in the event of parity of voting the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
- NOTICES OF GENERAL MEETINGS
11.1 Notices of any Annual General Meeting at which, in the opinion of the Committee, business of a routine agenda nature and business of any non-routine agenda nature is likely to be discussed, will be given to members in the following manner; by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the headquarters of the Club , on the Club website and by email prior to the meeting.
11.2 Notifications of any Special General Meeting (as requested by 10.2 or 10.3) shall be notified to members in the same manner as the AGM
- NOMINATIONS
12.1 Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members shall be in writing and shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and by the person nominated.
12.2 Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
- SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES
13.1 Each member of the Club shall pay an annual subscription, the basic amount of which for the time being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Subscriptions shall be due for payment on 1st April in each year in respect of the following year and payable within one month of this date. Unless the Committee decides otherwise, any member whose subscription remains unpaid one month after the due date shall pay table money at the rate applicable to visitors until their subscription has been paid in full
13.2 Each member of the Club and each guest and visitor shall pay table money on each occasion when they play at the Club, the basic amounts of which for the time shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Members will be billed every two months retrospectively.
13.3 The Committee may determine variations on the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money for members, guests and visitors in different circumstances and may waive subscriptions or table money in the event of hardship or for any other good cause.
13.4 The Annual General Meeting may authorise the Committee to increase the basic amounts of subscriptions and table money prior to the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
13.5 The Committee may determine from time to time the amount of fees to be charged for use of the premises or equipment of the Club, or for any other purpose for which it is of the opinion that fees ought to be charged.
- ACCOUNTS
14.1 The Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial affairs of the Club for each year ending on 31st December, or as otherwise decided at an Annual General Meeting.
14.2 The accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Club for approval.
- GUESTS and VISITORS
15.1 Visitors may be permitted to play at the club at any time, and any member may invite a guest to play at the club at any time but in the event of the playing facilities being inadequate to accommodate all those who wish to play, priority shall be given to members and then guests of members.
15.2 The Committee may from time to time place a limit on the number of occasions on which a non-member (whether a guest or a visitor) may play at the club without being required to apply for membership.
15.3 If such a limit is for the time being in force, a non-member who has applied for membership shall (subject to available playing facilities) be permitted to play at the Club until his application for membership has been considered by the Committee, even if the limit imposed by the Committee is thereby exceeded.
- MEMBERS' BEHAVIOUR
16.1 Each member of the Club shall be required, whether at or away from the bridge table, to conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed by the Bye Laws and regulations for the time being of the EBU, including the fundamental principle set out in the EBU's "Best Behaviour at Bridge".
16.2 The Club shall have the powers and the procedures for the enforcement of the requirement in clause 16.1. They are set out in the Schedule of the Constitution and shall stand as part of the Constitution and be subject to the same provisions of the Constitution for its amendment.
- ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
17.1 No alterations shall be made to this constitution except at a General Meeting of the Club
17.2. For a resolution to alter this constitution to have effect at least two thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour.
- WINDING UP
18.1 The Club shall not be wound up or dissolved voluntarily except by a Special Resolution passed at a General Meeting of the Club. This may be either an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
18.2 Notification of a General Meeting, including a proposal to wind up the club will be sent out as other General meetings (see 11.1 & 11.2) but will give at least SIX weeks' notice to allow sufficient time for email verification to facilitate email voting. Details of requesting an email ballot will be included along with details of when & how to return a postal vote.
18.3 For a resolution to wind up the Club to be agreed and binding there must be. a) at least two thirds of the number of current members entitled to vote, taking part in the ballot. b) the vote cast in favour of the resolution must exceed one half of the current membership of the club.
18.4 If a resolution that the Club shall be wound up is effectively passed, the Committee shall be responsible for winding up the affairs of the Club. In doing so the Committee will take into consideration suggestions from all members of the club, either from the meeting or by emailing the Club Chairman. Then the committee must prepare proposals concerning how to wind up the club and present these to members.
