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 Objects |
| The objects of The Club shall be to provide facilities for playing Contract Bridge in accordance with the rules and principles laid down by the English Bridge Union, to which the Club will be affiliated. |
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| Management |
The Officers of the club shall be the President, Chairman, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer, who shall hold office for one year, together with two other members of the club to form a committee. The officers and committee members can offer themselves for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.
The business of the club shall be conducted by the committee who shall have entire control thereof, and who shall, at their discretion, deal with any matter arising in connection with the club and not provided for in this constitution. The committee will have the power to co-opt at any time, and to replace an officer until the next AGM. A quorum shall consist of any three officers and one other member.
Any alteration to this constitution must be made at an AGM or at a special general meeting of the club. Any proposed alteration must be submitted in writing to the secretary 14 days before the meeting and must be included with the notice convening the meeting.
The committee shall meet when deemed necessary to regulate the business of the club and to approve the financial statement of the Treasurer and the correspondence of the Secretary, including applications for membership and any other matter referred to it by any member of the club.
The secretary shall maintain an accurate record of all meetings, which shall be approved by the committee and signed by the chairman as being an accurate record, after any agreed amendments, as the minutes of the that meeting. The secretary, in consultation with the chairman, will construct an agenda for any committee meetings.
The subscription and financial accounts year will be from 1 June to 31 May and any member whose subscription remains unpaid by the end of August will be deemed to have ceased membership. The subscription and table money to be paid will be determined at each AGM after the Treasurer has reported and given his recommendation as to an appropriate amount.
The treasurer will be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all monies belonging to the club, and will pay all receipts into the club’s bank account as soon as practical, except that a cash float of approximately £30 will be allowed for making small petty cash payments in connection with club business.
All sums paid out by the club and not considered as being from petty cash, will be by cheque, signed by any two of three agreed signatories, who are the chairman, secretary and treasurer. |
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| Membership |
VISITORS AND MEMBERSHIP
A member may invite a guest at any time subject to the following conditions:
(a) There is space available for the visitor to be accommodated
(b) The club is not holding a special "closed to members only" event
(c) Any one visitor can attend four times in a subscription year, and must then apply for membership
(d) Any one member can not have visitors who may be prospective members on more than four occasions in a subscription year; the occasional guest from away will not be included in this rule, ie visitors on holiday whom we should make most welcome, subject to the space limitation rule
(e) a prospective member must fill in an application form and be proposed and seconded by members of at least one year’s standing
(f) Membership is limited according to playing space available, and a waiting list for membership will operate if there are no vacancies. The committee are not obliged to admit new members in order of application, but will consider each application when vacancies arise.
(g) Proposers and seconders are expected to acquaint the applicant with the contents of this constitution, and the application will be posted in a prominent place on club nights on at least four occasions before being considered by the committee.
If the behaviour of any member of the club, in the opinion of the committee (or at least 6 members of 10% of the membership, whichever is greater, and duly submitted in writing), be injurious to the interests of the club, the committee shall be empowered to recommend in writing that such a member resign from the club, and if the said member does not comply within 14 days of such recommendation, the committee shall then call a special meeting of the members. If such a meeting agrees to the expulsion of the member, he/she shall cease to be a member of the Bridge Club. A notice of such an occurrence, giving full written details and statements, shall be sent to the English Bridge Union.
All disputes shall be referred to the committee, whose decision shall be final, except that if it is a matter of interpretation of the laws of the game, then appeal to the Englsih Bridge Union Laws and Ethics Committee will be allowed.
In the event of the cessation of the club, all monies and assets will be disposed of at the discretion of the committee, bearing in mind local charities. |
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| General Meeting |
The Annual General Meeting shall be held during June each year to receive reports and for the election of officers, committee and other officials as may be required, and to deal with matters of the Agenda only. The date of the Annual General Meeting will be determined by the Committee and will be decided early enough to be printed in the club’s programme for that year. This shall be deemed sufficient notice of the AGM to members, although verbal reminders will usually be given at the two preceding weekly club nights.
Any six fully paid up members, or 10% of the membership (whichever is the greater), shall be able to call a special general meeting of the club by giving 14 days’ written notice to the secretary, signed by each of those eligible members calling the meeting, and the business of the meeting shall be confined to the matter(s) in the notice. On receipt of notice to call a special meeting, the secretary shall arrange for a meeting to be held in a place of suitable size at the club’s expense after the fourteen days’ notice has expired, but in any event within a further period of four weeks.
Within 14 days of receipt of due notice, the secretary shall inform all members of the date, venue and time of the sspecial meeting, and the reason for calling the meeting which will constitute the Agenda for that meeting. |
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