Article 1 Name
1.1 The name of the club shall be the "Phuket Bridge Club" hereinafter called the Club.
Article 2 Aims and Objectives
i. The Club is a Not-For-Profit organization;
ii. It seeks to provide a place and the opportunity for playing duplicate bridge;
iii. It seeks to preserve, and to stimulate interest in competitive bridge;
iv. It wishes to offer opportunities for learning bridge playing skills;
v. It encourages the highest standards of conduct and ethics and enforces such standards during play;
vi. It seeks to promote a pleasant atmosphere for the enjoyment of the game.
Article 3 Membership
3.1 Membership shall be open to all bridge players who ascribe to the aims and objectives of the Club. An individual may become a Member in Good Standing (a "Member") once they have paid the appropriate annual membership fee and are not currently suspended for any reason, or as otherwise determined by the EC.
3.2 Only paid-up members have voting rights.
3.3 The annual Membership dues shall be determined by the Club’s EC (the "EC") and ratified by Members at the Annual General Meeting.
3.4 Members are eligible and encouraged to participate in club operations, membership on the EC or in any other capacity required for the operation of the Club.
3.5 All members are expected to abide by the Club’s Code of Conduct, a copy of which shall be posted on the Club’s website. A Member may be disciplined for any unacceptable behavior as outlined in the Club's Code of Conduct. Any disciplinary action taken by the Club shall be for cause and the individual involved shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard before such action is taken.
3.6 The Club is self-financing. The principal sources of revenue are membership fees and the table fees paid by members and visitors participating in bridge events. These fees are set by the committee.
Article 4 Rules of Order
4.1 All Club meetings shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order.
Article 5 Fiscal Year
5.1 The fiscal year of the Club shall be from February 1st to January 31st.
Article 6 General Meetings
6.1 An Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") shall be held once a year in mid-January of each year.
6.2 The purpose of this AGM is:
i. For the President to report on the condition of the Club;
ii. For the Treasurer to present a report on the Club’s finances;
iii. To receive nominations for a new EC for the coming year;
iv. To receive feedback from the members and to conduct any other business.
6.3 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the membership may be convened as necessary by the President or EC or by a petition supported and signed by at least 5 members in good standing.
6.4 No business shall be conducted at any General Meeting unless a quorum of at least five Members are present at the commencement of business, at least two of which are not currently serving on the EC.
6.5 Except as provided by Article 12 - Amendments to Bylaws, all motions, at all meetings shall be decided by a simple majority vote of Members in attendance at the meeting or represented by a proxy.
6.6 Notice of the time, place and the purpose(s) of the business to be transacted at all General Meetings shall be posted in the form of an Agenda on the club's web site, at all locations where the Club holds bridge games, posted by email to all current members and shall be announced at bridge games at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting.
Article 7 Executive Committee
7.1 The EC shall consist of President, Treasurer, Secretary and Website Manager.
7.2 No person may hold more than two positions on the EC at any one time.
7.3 Decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote when consensus cannot be reached.
7.4 The EC is empowered with complete authority to conduct the business of the Club except that policy decisions made at General Meetings may only be changed with approval at a subsequent General Meeting.
7.5 All expenditures shall be authorized by the President or the Secretary except that:
i. expenditures in excess of THB30,000 (except as provided for in Article 7.5.iii shall require approval of the membership,
ii. unusual expenditures in excess of THB3,000 shall require approval of the EC,
iii. if in the opinion of the EC the financial health of the Club is sufficient, the EC in its sole discretion, may authorize an expenditure in excess of THB3,000 for an annual outing or party wherein the Club will pay all or part of the cost of participation for Members attending that event. Non-Members are welcome to attend the event provided that any non-Member pays for their own participation.
iv. if in the opinion of the EC, the financial health of the club is sufficient the EC in its sole discretion may authorize " Free Play " events for all members in good standing in attendance at that event.
7.6 No business may be conducted at any EC meeting without a quorum of at least two members including the President or if the President is unavailable, the Secretary.
7.7 In a case of urgency the EC may conduct business by telephone or electronically subject to ratification at the next meeting.
7.8 The EC shall meet at least one time between each AGM and the first such meeting shall be called within 3 months of the AGM.
7.9 The President shall:
i. preside at all General and EC meetings,
ii. ensure that the policies and procedures of the Club are followed and shall be responsible for the implementation of the duly passed decisions of the EC and of the membership.
7.10 The Secretary shall, during the absence or incapacity of the President, exercise all the responsibilities of the President. The Secretary shall also perform additional duties as the President or EC may designate.
7.11 The Secretary or their designate shall record minutes of all General and EC meetings. The Secretary or their designate shall post the minutes of the AGM, all General Meetings and all EC meetings on the Club’s website. The Secretary shall retain all Club records and forward them to the succeeding Secretary.
7.12 The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate books of account in which shall be recorded all receipts and disbursements of the Club and under the direction of the EC shall control and safeguard the Club’s funds, and arrange for the disbursement of the funds of the Club. The Treasurer shall provide a semi-annual financial statement to the EC and year-end financial statements to the membership at the AGM. It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to maintain all financial records and forward them to the succeeding Treasurer.
7.13 EC members wishing to resign their position should give written notification to the EC. The remaining EC members may take action to fill any vacancies. They are authorized to act without reverting to the general membership for permission. The membership shall be informed of any such resignation and subsequent appointment.
Article 8 Election of Executive Committee
8.1 One month before the AGM, the EC shall meet and prepare a slate of names to be placed in nomination at the AGM for the positions of President, Treasurer and Secretary/Website Manager. The Secretary shall send out a copy of the proposed AGM agenda, including the list of nominees proposed by the outgoing EC, to all members by email together with proxy forms and nomination forms allowing members to nominate any additional persons for the positions of President, Treasurer, Secretary and Website Manager at the AGM. All persons being nominated must agree to being nominated prior to the election.
8.2 Only full Annual Members are eligible for election. In addition to committee meetings, elected committee members are expected to help with the work of the Club, including the considerable work behind the scenes (e.g. dealing cards, giving lessons, purchasing, directing games, etc.). Consequently, only those who are mainly resident in Thailand are eligible. Members who expect to be out of Thailand for uninterrupted periods greater than approximately 3 months are not eligible.
8.3 Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the AGM provided each nominee gives consent.
8.4 Any person nominated for any position must be a Member.
8.5 Each Member is entitled to one vote for each position to be filled.
8.6 All voting shall be conducted by secret ballot.
8.7 The nominee receiving the most votes for each position shall be declared elected.
8.8 Members elected shall take office on the first day of February immediately following the AGM.
Article 9 Committees
9.1 Except as directed by these bylaws the EC may appoint committee(s) to serve during its term of office in order to effect or maintain operation of the Club.
9.2 The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Article 10 Club Discipline Committee
10.1 The EC shall be responsible for reviewing allegations of unacceptable behavior and deciding what action if any, beyond any penalty assessed by the Director, is required.
10.2 Any Member or non-Member that is the subject of a disciplinary hearing has the right on reasonable notice, to appear before the EC and be heard prior to the EC deciding to ratify, alter or vacate any decision of the EC.
10.3 Any person, having received reasonable notice, who chooses not to appear at a hearing before the EC will forfeit the right to do so.
10.4 No record pertaining to a disciplinary action shall be made public until the hearing processes provided pursuant to Article 10.2 have been completed.
Article 11 Annual Review of Financial Statements
11.1 The EC shall appoint a person, not currently on the EC, to review the Club's annual financial statements and recommend their acceptance or if appropriate recommend to the EC that a full and proper audit of the financial statements be conducted.
Article 12 Amendments to the Bylaws
12.1 Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by the EC or at least ten percent of the Members and submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 30 days before the AGM or any special general meeting called for that purpose. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to incorporate the text of any proposed amendments in the notice of the meeting.
12.2 All votes to amend the Bylaws shall be by secret ballot.
12.3 In order for any amendment to the Bylaws to pass, the amendment requires the concurrence of at least two thirds of all votes cast.
12.4 Amendments become effective upon adoption or at such later date as provided in the amendment.
Article 13 Members’ Complaints
13.1 Club members may raise complaints regarding any issues relating to the Club’s activities. All complaints shall be recorded and addressed to the Club’s President. A formal response shall be given.
Article 14 Dissolution
14.1 Upon dissolution of the Club, the assets remaining after payment of any debts and liabilities shall be distributed as determined by the Members in attendance at the General Meeting in which the Club is dissolved.
Formally adopted on January 23, 2025
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