NAME & OBJECTIVES

1.         The Club shall be called Brierfield Bridge Club.

2.         The objectives of the Club shall be :-                                                                           

            a)  to play, to teach and to promote Duplicate Contract Bridge,                                  
 b)  to raise money for charitable bodies,                                                 

 c)  to promote the interests of all age groups and in particular those of the elderly and the disabled and to encourage racial integration in the local community; and 

 d)  to carry on other lawful activities which are considered by the Club’s Committee to be in the interests of the members.

MANAGEMENT

3.        a)  The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee
consisting of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-Chairman (“the Officers”) and five other members.     

b)  The Officers shall each be elected to serve for a two-year period, with two Officers retiring each year.

c)  All other members of the Committee shall each be elected to serve for two years, with three members retiring one year and two the next.

d)  Nominations for the posts of Officers or other Committee members shall be made by entering the names on a list which shall be posted on the Club Notice board.  The list shall specify a closing date for nominations.

e)  Nominations must be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom must be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated.

f)  All retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.

g)  In the event of a vacancy arising during the year among the Officers  the Committee shall choose one of their number to fill such vacancy until the ensuing Annual General Meeting.  If this should prove impracticable, a Club member from outside the Committee shall be co-opted to serve. Such a co-opted member shall have voting rights.

h)  In the event of a vacancy arising during the year among the Committee members who are not Officers, a Club member from outside the Committee may be co-opted to serve until the ensuing Annual General Meeting.  Such a co-opted member shall have voting rights.

i)  The Committee may invite any Club member to act as an adviser within a meeting. Such an adviser shall not have voting rights.

j) The Competitions Director shall be empowered to appoint assistant directors as required.

COMMITTEE

4.          a)  A quorum shall consist of four members of the Committee, including at least two Officers.

b)  Voting shall be by show of hands.

c)  Before discussion by the Committee of any matter in which any Committee member present at the meeting has or seems to have a personal interest, that member shall declare such interest.  He or she may then contribute to the discussion, but shall not vote on any related proposal.

d)  If fifteen minutes after the time fixed for a Committee Meeting no quorum is present, the meeting shall be adjourned.  If such an adjourned meeting is re-convened, the meeting shall proceed even if no quorum is present.

GENERAL MEETINGS

5.          a)  The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year no later than four months after the end of the financial year.

b)  An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened by the Committee on its own initiative at any time.

c)  An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club shall be convened by the Committee if a request for such a meeting signed by at least  25 members of the Club or one fifth of the membership, whichever is the smaller, is  delivered to the Secretary.  The request shall  state  the reason for the meeting, and such meeting shall take place within one month of the receipt of the request.

d)  Notice of all General Meetings shall be by a notice posted on the Club notice board no later than three weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

e)  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 two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

f)   Voting at a General Meeting shall be by a show of hands or ballot at the discretion of the Committee.  A postal-vote facility may be made available in certain circumstances.

MEMBERSHIP

6.        a)  Application for membership must be supported by a proposer and  seconder from among current Club members.  Acceptance of this written application must be approved by the Committee, which is empowered to refuse the application without  explanation.  Any such application must be displayed on the Club notice board for two weeks prior to consideration by the Committee.

b)  Yearly subscriptions shall become due on 1st January, and be paid within two months.

c)  New members shall be required to pay the joining fee.

CONDUCT

7.        a)  Each member of the Club shall conform to the International Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge and to standards of fair play, courtesy and behaviour acceptable to the Committee.

b)  The Committee shall be entitled to take disciplinary action should the above standards not be met.  The options available shall be:

i)            a verbal warning

ii)           a written warning

iii)          expulsion from the Club.

c)  Any member so warned or expelled shall have the right to appeal to the Committee, which shall invite the member to attend its next meeting to state his or her case.  The Committee shall then review and consider its decision and the Secretary shall within seven days of the meeting advise the member of the Committee’s decision, which shall then be final and binding.

d)  Any allegation of unacceptable behaviour must be made in writing to the Secretary and signed by two members.

TRUSTEES

8.        a)    All freehold and leasehold property of the Club shall be vested in a group of members (the Trustees).

b)   The Committee shall appoint the Trustees to hold office until death, resignation or removal from office by a resolution of the Committee.

c)   The number of Trustees shall be not more than four nor less than two.

d)   Any new Trustee shall be appointed by the Committee.

e)   The Trustees shall hold and deal with the freehold and leasehold property of the Club    for such powers, for such purposes and in such manner  as the Committee shall from time to time by resolution direct, and the relevant entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence of the validity of any such resolution.                 

f)   The Trustees shall be fully indemnified out of the assets of the Club against all risks, liabilities, losses and expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustees’ compliance with any direction of the Committee.

g)  A list of the Trustees shall at all times be displayed on the Club notice board.

ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

9.        a)  No alteration or addition to this Constitution shall be made except at a General Meeting of the Club.

b)  In order for a proposal to alter or add to this Constitution to have effect at least two thirds of the votes cast on the proposal must be in favour.

WINDING-UP

10.      a)  No proposal to wind up the club shall be made except at a General Meeting of the Club.

b)      In order for a proposal to wind up the club to have effect at least two thirds of the votes cast on the proposal must be in favour.

This Constitution formally accepted at Annual General Meeting on 23 February 2005 with an amendment to paragraph 6(b) approved and passed at the 2014 Annual General Meeting.