1. The name of the Club is "Templeogue College Bridge Club" hereinafter referred to as "the Club".

 

2. The objectives of the Club are:

(a) to provide funds for the maintenance and welfare of Templeogue College

(b) to encourage the playing of bridge and to provide social amenities in connection therewith, and 

(c) to nominate two members for election to the Committee of the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club

 

In order to secure the proper management of the Club, the intention of the Club is that each of the participating bridge clubs in the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club will have two representatives on the Committee of the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club. Accordingly, and in order to encourage the playing of bridge and to provide social amenities in connection therewith, the Committee will encourage their members to support the nominations of each of the bridge clubs participating in the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club at the Annual General Meeting of the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club.

 

3. Membership is open to any person who undertakes to be bound by these Rules and who is elected as hereinafter provided. Each candidate for membership shall be proposed and seconded by two members of the Club and nomination in the form prescribed by the Committee given to the Honorary Secretary for submission to the Committee. Approval of the nomination shall require a majority vote of the Committee. No person who has been elected or registered shall enjoy any right or privilege until the subscription for the current year has been paid.

4. The Committee shall, from time to time, have power to limit the number of members of the Club.

 

5. The annual membership subscription shall be fixed by the Committee from time to time. The subscription for the current year is payable on or before the 1st October. Any member whose current subscription in any one year is unpaid on the 1st December shall automatically cease to be a member.

 

6. The management and assets of the Club hall be vested in the Committee. The Committee may make such Regulations regarding the payment of table money, hours of play, conduct of competition and the general management and conduct of the Club as it shall from time to time see fit and all such regulations or orders made by the Committee shall be binding on every member.

 

7. The Committee shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, the Master Points Secretary, the Honorary Tournament Director, five other Members, the outgoing President who shall be a member of the Committee for one year after he/she ceases to be President and the two members of the Club elected to the Committee of the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club.

8. The President shall be the previous year's President-Elect. The President-Elect shall be nominated by the Committee each year.

9. The Officers and other Members of the Committee (save the outgoing President) shall retire annually but shall be eligible, subject to 9(a), for re-election. The election, which shall be by ballot, shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. The names of all persons nominated for election to any Office or to serve on the Committee together with the names of their proposers and seconders, shall be given to the Honorary Secretary not later than seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting in each year. The Committee shall have power to co-opt to fill any vacancy on the Committee.

(a) Two of the Officers and/or other Members of the Committee shall not be eligible for re-election and if three or more of the officers and/or other Members shall be equally ineligible for re-election, then in the absence of an agreement being arrived at between them the President for the time being shall decide how the eligibility of the Officers and/or other Members of the Committee shall be determined.

10. The Committee shall meet at such times as the President may direct or on a requisition by three members of the Committee; a quorum shall be four members of the Committee personally present. At all meetings of the Club or of the Committee, the Chair shall be taken by the President or, in his/her absence, by a Member selected at the meeting.

 

11. (a) An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of September or at such time in each year as the Committee may decide.

(b) The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:

(i) to receive reports from the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer

(ii) to receive a report on the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club activities from the two elected members

(iii) to elect a President, a President-Elect, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, a Master Points Secretary, an Honorary Tournament Director, five other Members of the Committee for the ensuing year and to nominate two members for election to the Committee of the Templeogue Castle Community Bridge Club

(iv) to elect an Honorary Auditor

(v) to transact any other business

(c) All notices of Motion shall be sent in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least 14 days prior to an Annual General Meeting.

12. Special General Meetings may be called at any time by direction of the Committee or by requisition to the Honorary Secretary stating the business to be brought forward by at least ten members of the Club.

13. Ten days' notice of an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall be given by the publication on the Club's Notice Board of a notice signed by the Honorary Secretary indication the date and the time upon which the proposed General or Special Meeting will be held.

 

14. The Committee reserves the right to terminate, by a majority vote, any membership of the Club in the event of any member:

(a)  failing to observe the rules and regulations of the Club

(b) conducting himself or herself either inside or outside the Club in a discreditable fashion provided that the Committee shall give the member whose expulsion is contemplated a reasonable opportunity of offering an explanation to the Committee in writing in exculpation of his or her conduct. In the event of the said member failing to offer and explanation in writing or in the event of the Committee finding the explanation inadequate or unsatisfactory, the member shall be notified to this effect by the Honorary Secretary and his or her subscription for the current year (if paid) shall be refunded and the said member shall thereupon cease to enjoy all rights and privileges of membership of the Club.

 

15. The Laws of Duplicate Bridge as adopted by the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland shall apply in all cases.

 

16. These rules shall not be repealed of amended nor shall any new Rules be made except by a vote of the majority of the members present at a General or Special General Meeting of the Club.

17. The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these Rules or any amendment or addition thereto.

 

18. On dissolution or winding-up of the Club, the assets of the Club shall be liquidated and the proceeds donated to Templeogue College in the pursuance of Object 2(a) of these Rules