Constitution

These rules should be read in conjunction with information held elsewhere on the Website.

   1. The club is a member of Sussex County Bridge Association and is affiliated to the English Bridge Union

   2. The club focus is on Duplicate Bridge. Dates and Times are held on the Website

   3. Membership of the club is at the discretion of the committee(all available at the time of application) and potential members are expected to have played at the club prior to acceptance. Club facilities will also limit membership numbers

   4. A committee of  seven members with the power to co-opt additional members, elected annually, will  oversee the day-to-day business of the club meeting at least three times a year - this will include establishing payments for the following year. Officers of the club are held on the Website

   5. A notice will be posted three weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting for anyone wishing to join the committee

   6. Existing members are expected to renew their subscriptions during the first quarter of the calendar year

   7. Members are expected, at all times, to conform to acceptable standards of fair play and courtesy to others

   8. 'The Club' accepts no responsibility for the property of a member or visitor while they are on the premises

   9. Winding up of the club  - should this be necessary, agreed by two-thirds of the remaining membership at an Extraordinary General Meeting, then the residue of  funds will go in equal parts to a local charity/community and to further the game of Duplicate Bridge

Etiquette

Bridge is an extremely enjoyable game. Courteous behavior is an important part of that enjoyment for most players. This guide is a reminder of how to behave at a Bridge session. Most players naturally follow this code but there are times when concentration and pressure can take their toll and behaviour becomes unfriendly at best. Please remember a courteous player will :-

• Greet others in a friendly manner prior to start of play on each round.
• Make your convention card readily available to your opponents and fill it out completely.
• Give credit for good bid or play.
• Contribute positively to the good management of your club.
• Not criticise partner or opponents at the table or in public.
• Not gloat over good results.
• Not object to a call for the tournament director.
• Not argue about a director’s ruling.
• Keep noise to an absolute minimum while play with boards are still in play.
• If a player at the table behaves in an unacceptable manner, call the director immediately. Annoying behavior, embarrassing remarks, or any other conduct which might interfere with the enjoyment of the game is prohibited specifically by Law 74A. Law 91A gives the director the authority to assess disciplinary penalties.

A mature player will :-

•  On arrival check whether signing in is required (visitors).
• Check whether particular tables are reserved, e.g. for the TD, or a disabled member.
•  Complete the table slip for your partnership and have your table money/voucher ready for collection as quickly as possible.
•  Turn off your mobile phone. If it’s absolutely vital you have it on, set to ‘vibrate'.
•  Bid and play at a reasonable pace. The aim is to be able to play at least 24 boards in a session. Including the time taken between rounds this means an average of less than 8 minutes per board.
•  Explain your system clearly and simply, if asked. Answer any questions clearly.
•  Sort and count your cards quickly, so that you can bid promptly when it is your turn.
•  During the bidding don't ask what a bid means unless you are intending to bid. Ask any questions when the auction is over.
•  Not put your bidding cards away until the initial lead has been made.
•  When making the initial lead, play your card before you write down the contract.
•  Place this card face down on the table first, to check whether partner has any questions about the auction.
•  As dummy, lay out the cards before you write down the contract. Lay out the cards as quickly as possible.
•  As declarer, plan your campaign before you select a card from dummy.
•  As dummy, not play the first card (even if it is a singleton) until declarer has worked out his plan and called for it.
•  As declarer, always call for the card you wish dummy to play (unless dummy is away from the table or has a disability, making the play of cards difficult).
•  As declarer, when you lead to a trick, wait for LHO to play his card before calling a card from dummy.
•  When making a claim, explain your intended line of play clearly.
•  When the hand has been completed, North should fill in the score on the traveler quickly. East confirms it is correct. All may review.
•  Not hold long post-mortems unless you are clearly well ahead of the other tables.
•  Not touch other players' cards - ask them to show you.
•  Thank your opponents at the end of the round and move quickly to your new table if required and when requested to do so by the Director.