1.             NAME

The Club shall be called Witney Bridge Club.

2.                OBJECTS

The object of the Club shall be to provide facilities for its members for playing Duplicate Bridge.

3.                HEADQUARTERS

The headquarters of the Club shall be situated at rented accommodation deemed suitable by the Committee.

4.                AFFILIATIONS

The Club will be affiliated to the Oxford Bridge Association and to the English Bridge Union.

5.                MEMBERSHIP

5.1.          Membership shall be open to all.

5.2.          Any person wishing to become a member of the Club shall apply for membership by completing and forwarding to the Membership Secretary such form as may be prescribed from time to time by the Committee.

5.3          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.

5.4         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.

5.5        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.

5.6       A former member of the Club who wishes to rejoin as a member may do so without the necessity for a further formal application for membership, unless the Committee decides otherwise.

6.                OFFICERS

6.1.          The Officers of the Club shall be the Chair, 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, ideally, 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. The Committee shall meet as required.

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 affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee, and the Committee shall have power to determine any issue arising in connection with the affairs of the Club which 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 venue of the Club unless circumstances arise which render this impracticable.

9.5           The Chair, if present, shall chair all General Meetings of the Club, and in his absence another 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 Chair 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 Chair 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 email to the last address of each member notified to the Secretary. (where no email address is held by the club, the notice will be sent by Royal Mail)

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 email to the last address of each member notified to the Secretary, or by displaying a notice in a prominent position at the venue of the Club. (where no email address is held by the club, the notice will be sent by Royal Mail)

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 venue of the Club.

11.                NOMINATIONS

11.1.         Nominations for the posts of Officers or Committee members shall be in writing, and shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom shall be members of the Club, and also by the person nominated.

11.2.         Nominations must reach the Secretary no later than one week prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.

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 1st April in each year in respect of the year to the following year.  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 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 investigate the complaint. Law and ethics advisers will be consulted in the case of any misunderstanding.

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 and put forward evidence in their defence (this includes witnesses if appropriate). If a live Hearing takes place the member may be accompanied by a friend or representative who need not be a member of the club.  Additionally, the member has the right to have questions put to the complainant and supporting witnesses (if any) by the Committee.

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 venue 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 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).

15.9         Nothing in this Constitution shall preclude the Committee from referring a matter of conduct to the Conduct Committee of the County Contract /Duplicate Bridge Association, or to the Laws & Ethics Committee of the English Bridge Union if it considers it appropriate to do so.

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.

16.3         This Constitution supersedes any previous Constitution relating to the Witney Bridge Club.

17.                RECORDS

17.1         The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining appropriate records of committee meetings, general meetings and pertinent correspondence for no less than 6 years. The only exceptions to this will be that a copy of each version of the Club Constitution and Rules and a copy of the minutes produced from all General Meetings shall be maintained indefinitely. The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining appropriate records of al types of income, expenditure and pertinent correspondence for no less than 6 years.

18.                WINDING-UP

18.1.        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.

18.2.        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 divided equally between all fully paid up members as at the time the winding up resolution is agreed.

Amendments agreed at the AGM on 24 April 2019 and signed on behalf of the Witney Bridge Club.

Alexander Bain Chair

Dated 9 May 2019