(Agreed at EGM 26/10/06)
1. NAME
The Club shall
be called The Royston Bridge Club
2. OBJECTS
The object of
the Club shall be to promote, encourage and provide facilities for its members
to play Contract Bridge
3. HEADQUARTERS
The
headquarters of the Club shall be situated at the premises where the Club
normally convenes.
4. AFFILIATIONS
The Club has no
affiliations but is associated with the Hertfordshire County Contract Bridge
Association and the English Bridge Union. Club competitions will be governed by
the rules laid down by those two organisations, the English Bridge Union taking
precedence.
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1. Membership
shall be open to all bridge players.
5.2. Membership is granted automatically to any player who has attended
four meetings of the club and has paid the differential table fee in force at
the time. During this period, the prospective member will be deemed to be a
Guest. Thereafter, subject to Rule 5.6
below, the Guest will be classed as a full member on payment of the appropriate
annual fee.
5.3. Any Guest(s) wishing to attend a club meeting must notify
intention in advance to a committee member. Whilst every effort will be made to
accommodate such Guests, the requirements of
Health and Safety and of the members will take precedence.
5.4. In
considering applications for membership the Committee shall have regard to the
playing facilities available, and may from time to time decide that the Club
shall be closed to new applications for membership for such period as it may
decide.
5.5. A member
shall cease to be a member of the club immediately if expelled from the club
under the provisions of clause 15, or if his resignation in writing is
delivered to the Secretary.
5.6. A member
whose subscription has not been paid shall cease to be a member on the
expiration of the period of six months from the date on which the subscription
was due for payment.
6. OFFICERS
6.1. The
Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and
Treasurer
6.2. No member
of the Club shall simultaneously hold the office of more than one Officer 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 one of their number to fill such vacancy until
the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
7. COMMITTEE
7.1. The
Committee of the Club shall consist of the Officers of the Club, together with
four 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-opt 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 ten.
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-committees 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 sub-committees shall be regulated in
such manner as the Committee may from time to time decide.
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.
8. MANAGEMENT
8.1. The
Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club, and the Committee shall have
power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club
that is not specifically provided for in this Constitution.
8.2. 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).
8.3 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.
8.4 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.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
9.1. An Annual
General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year no later than four
months after the end of the financial year.
9.2. 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
Secretary, stating the reason for the meeting, and such meeting shall take
place within one month of the receipt of such request.
9.3. A Special
General Meeting of the Club may be convened by the Committee on its own
initiative at any time.
9.4. All
General Meetings of the Club shall be held at the headquarters of the Club
unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.
9.5 The
Chairman, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his
absence the Vice-Chairman or some other member of the Committee shall chair the
meeting.
9.6. Notice of
all General Meetings of the Club shall be given to all members of the Club no
later than two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
9.7. 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.
9.8 The
chairman of the meeting may permit discussion of other business at a General
Meeting if he thinks fit.
9.9. A quorum
at General Meetings of the Club shall be ten members present in person.
9.10. 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), and in the case of a General Meeting which
has been adjourned due to the lack of a quorum (but not of a meeting adjourned
for any other reason) such number of members as are actually present at the
adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum.
9.11. Voting at
General Meetings of the Club shall be by show of hands, and in the event of
parity of voting the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting
vote.
10. NOTICES
10.1. Notices
of any Special General Meeting of the Club, and of an Annual General Meeting at
which in the opinion of the Committee any business of a non-routine nature is
likely to be discussed, shall be given to members by post or email to the last
address of each member notified to the Secretary.
10.2. Notices
of any Annual General Meeting at which in the opinion of the Committee no
business of a non-routine nature is likely to be discussed, may be given to
members either by post or email to the last address of each member notified to
the Secretary, or by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the
headquarters of the Club and on the web site.
10.3. Notices
of any other matters to be brought to the attention of members shall be made by
displaying a notice in a prominent position at the headquarters of the Club and
on the web site.
11. NOMINATIONS
11.1.
Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members may come from the
floor of an AGM and shall require a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall
be members of the Club, and also acceptance by the person nominated.
12. SUBSCRIPTIONS and FEES
12.1. 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 by end of May in each year in respect of
the year to the following financial year-end (April). Unless the Committee
decides otherwise, any member whose subscription remains unpaid after the due
date shall pay table money at the rate applicable to visitors until his
subscription has been paid in full.
12.2. Each
member of the Club, and each guest and visitor, shall pay table money on each
occasion when he plays at the Club, the basic amounts of which for the time
being shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting of the Club.
12.3. 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.
12.4 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.
12.5 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.
13. ACCOUNTS
13.1. The
Committee shall arrange for accounts to be prepared in respect of the financial
affairs of the Club for each year ending on 31st March.
13.2. The
accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the
Club for approval.
14. GUESTS and VISITORS
14.1. 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.
14.2. Visitors
may be permitted 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 the guests of members.
14.3. 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.
14.4. 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.
15. CONDUCT
15.1. In the
event of a complaint being made to the Committee about the conduct of a member
of the Club the Committee may (and if a written complaint is received signed by
at least three members of the Club, it shall) investigate the complaint.
15.2. On
investigating such a complaint the Committee shall give the member about whose
conduct the complaint has been made an opportunity to be heard.
15.3. If on investigating
such a complaint the Committee is of the opinion that the member has behaved in
an unacceptable manner or in such a manner as to cause injury to the interests
of the Club, then the Committee may reprimand the member, suspend the member
from the privileges of membership for such period as it may think fit, or expel
the member from the Club.
15.4. The
Committee shall forthwith notify the member of any decision made on the
investigation of a complaint about his conduct, and may if it thinks fit publicise
the decision by displaying a notice at the headquarters of the Club.
15.5. An appeal
shall lie to a General Meeting of the Club against any decision to reprimand,
suspend or expel a member of the Club following the investigation of a
complaint about his/her conduct.
15.6. Notice of
such an appeal must be in writing, and delivered to the Secretary within two
weeks of the notification to the member of the decision of the Committee.
15.7. In the
event of an appeal being made against it, the decision of the Committee shall
not be put into effect until the appeal has been determined.
15.8 On the
appeal being heard by a General Meeting of the Club, the General Meeting shall
have power to overrule the conclusion of the Committee, or to uphold it, in
which event the sanction imposed by the Committee may be confirmed or varied
(to any sanction which the Committee was empowered to impose, or to none).
16. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
16.1. No
alterations shall be made to this constitution except at a General Meeting of
the Club.
16.2. In order
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.
17. WINDING-UP
17.1. In order
for a resolution that the Club shall be wound up to have effect at least
two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution must be in favour, and in
addition the number of votes cast in favour of the resolution must exceed
one-half of the number of members of the Club entitled to attend and vote at
the General Meeting at which the resolution is put.
17.2. 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, and unless the
winding up has been initiated with a view to amalgamating the Club with some
other club (in which case any surplus assets and funds may be transferred to
such other club), any surplus assets and funds shall be transferred to the
Royston Community Association.