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BERKS AND BUCKS CONTRACT BRIDGE ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION: JULY 2002

1    NAME

The Association shall be called the “Berks and Bucks Contract Bridge Association’.

2    OBJECTS

2.1    To promote and further the interest of Bridge in the Counties

2.2    To employ the funds of the Association in such a manner as the Committee may deem to be in the best interests of the game, having regard to the fact that the Association is a non-profit making body

2.3    To organise all forms of competition in the Counties and matches with other Counties

2.4    To be affiliated to the English Bridge Union

3    MEMBERSHIP

3.1    Any person who has not chosen another County Association as his or her county of primary allegiance is eligible to become a member.

3.2    Any person who has chosen another County Association as his or her county of primary allegiance may only apply for Dual membership.

3.3    Each member of the Association shall be required, in connection with the game of Contract Bridge and variations thereof, to conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed in the Bye-Laws and regulations of the English Bridge Union. The Association shall have the powers and the procedures for the enforcement of this requirement which are set out in the Schedule of this Constitution (which shall stand part of the Constitution and be subject to the same provisions as the Constitution for its amendment)

3.4    Life Members

The Association may honour members for service to the Association by electing them to life membership.. Such elections shall be carried out at the time of, and in the manner of, the election of members to the Committee. The Association shall pay the English Bridge Union subscriptions of Life Members and waive payment of the Associations subscription. At no time shall there be more than five Life Members.

3.5    English Bridge Union

Membership of the Association shall carry with it membership of the English Bridge Union. All members of the Association shall observe the rules, regulations and bye-laws of the English Bridge Union.

3.6    Selection

No member may be selected to represent the Association unless he

3.6.1    is a current member whose subscription is not for the time being unpaid, and

3.6.2    has not represented any other county association during the year in question.

Subject thereto, the Committee (or its Selection Sub-Committee) shall conform to such criteria for eligibility for selection as the Committee, or the membership in general meeting, may from time to time determine.

4.    AFFILIATED CLUBS

Any bridge Club in Berks or Bucks or in neighbouring counties may apply to the Committee for affiliation to the Association, and shall pay the relevant subscription. This amount shall be increased by the annual subscription to the English Bridge Union as determined by the Union. Those clubs whose first allegiance is not to the Association shall, provided that they have paid their English Bridge Union's subscription via another county, only be required to pay the Association's own subscription. The Committee, in its absolute discretion, may refuse to accept or renew the affiliation of any Club. In the event of a refusal, the Secretary shall, within seven days of the Committee's decision notify the Committees decision in writing to the Secretary of the Club concerned.

5    SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription to the Association shall fall due on 1st April each year. The various categories of membership and the amount of each of their subscriptions shall be determined by the Committee. This amount shall be increased by the annual subscription to the English Bridge Union as determined by the Union. Those members whose first allegiance is not to the Association shall, provided that they have paid their English Bridge Union’s subscription via another county, only be required to pay the Association’s dual members subscription.

6    ACCOUNTS

6.1    An independent accountant shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting to hold office until the next Annual General Meeting for the purpose of reviewing and certifying the accounts of the Association. In the absence of any such appointment, or if the office falls vacant for any reason, the Committee shall appoint an independent accountant to hold office until the next general meeting. The independent accountant shall retire at each Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for reappointment.

6.2    The financial year of the Association shall be a period of 12 months ending on 31 March. Accounts for each year, certified by the said independent accountant, shall be submitted to the Annual General Meeting next following the end of that year. Copies of such certified accounts shall be sent to club secretaries at least fourteen days prior to the date appointed for the Annual General Meeting, and shall be obtainable on request during that period from the Treasurer.

7    PRESIDENT

The Association may at any Annual General Meeting elect a President (by secret voting on a ballot in the event of there being more than one candidate) for a period not exceeding three years. At the end of the period of appointment a retiring President shall be eligible for a further period not exceeding three years provided that no person may hold the office of President for more than six successive years. The President for the time being (if any) shall have the right to introduce all General Meetings of the Association and to attend Committee Meetings in a non-voting capacity. The Committee may nominate a candidate. Any other nomination must be in writing signed by the proposer, seconder and nominee and must be lodged with the Secretary not less than forty two days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

8    MEETINGS

8.1    Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the second Sunday in July following the end of each financial year. At least twenty-one days’ written notice of this meeting shall be given to all members

8.2    Special General Meetings

The Committee may at any time for any special purpose call a Special General Meeting and shall do so within fourteen days upon request in writing by any twenty members, stating the purpose for which the meeting is required. The full text of any resolutions to be proposed shall be given. At least fourteen days’ written notice of such meetings shall be given to all members. This notice shall be in the form of a letter from the Secretary to the secretaries of all affiliated clubs.

8.3    Ordinary and Special Business

The ordinary business of an Annual General Meeting shall be to receive the chairman’s report, to consider the annual accounts, to elect a President (if nominated), independent accountant and Life Members (if nominated), and to elect members of the Committee in any case where the number of nominees exceeds the number of vacancies. All other business at an Annual General Meeting, and all business at a Special General Meeting, shall be deemed special business.

8.4    Agenda items requisitioned by members

Any five or more members may require a matter to be placed on the agenda of an Annual General Meeting PROVIDED THAT written notice of such requisition, including the text of any resolution to be proposed thereon, signed by at least five members of the Association, is received by the Secretary not later than forty two days before the date appointed for the meeting.

8.5    Notices

8.5.1    The notice of every general meeting shall specifically identify special business and shall set out the text of every resolution to be proposed in relation thereto. The notice of an Annual General Meeting shall include the names of all nominees for membership of the Committee, whether or not the number of nominees exceeds the number of vacancies.

8.5.2    Notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given by its being included in or with an issue of the Association’s Bulletin which is despatched to all members not less than 21 days before the date appointed for the meeting. If for any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Committee (such as postal strikes) it is not possible to despatch a Bulletin as aforesaid, notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be sufficiently given if copies of the notice thereof are delivered to the secretaries of affiliated clubs.

8.6    The Chair

At all General Meetings of the Association, following introduction by the President, the Chairman of the Association shall take the Chair. If the Chairman of the Association is not present, the Vice Chairman shall act as chairman; if neither of them is present, the meeting shall by show of hands appoint another member present to act as chairman of the meeting.

8.7    Quorum

The quorum at all General Meetings shall be forty members. If a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned for two weeks, to a time and place appointed by the Chairman. At such an adjourned meeting, those present shall constitute a quorum.

8.8    Voting at General Meetings

8.8.1    Every member shall be entitled to one vote on each resolution. The votes of those present at the meeting will be aggregated with votes cast by signed forms of absentee voting to determine the number of votes for and against each resolution. In the case of equality the chairman will have a second and casting vote.

8.8.2    Those present at the meeting will vote by a show of hands.

8.8.3    A form of absentee voting will be available, for each member unable to attend the general meeting, by individual written application to the Secretary of the Association in such form as shall be published in the Notice of an Annual General Meeting detailed in 8.2.5 above.

8.8.4    Signed forms of absentee voting must be received by the Secretary of the Association not later than three days before the day appointed for the meeting. In the event of a general meeting being adjourned under the provisions of 8.7 above, such signed forms of absentee voting will be carried forward.

8.8.5    A form of absentee voting will be rendered null and void if the member identified on the form is also present at the meeting.

8.9    Amendments to resolutions

The chairman of a general meeting may in his discretion allow amendments to be made to resolutions of which the text has been included in the notice of the meeting PROVIDED THAT such amendments do not materially alter the general purport of the resolution concerned.

9    MANAGEMENT

9.1    The Management of the Association except where otherwise provided by these rules shall be deputed to a Committee (as far as possible representative of the members and clubs in the two counties) which shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and not more than nine other members. The Committee shall have power to co-opt additional members. All members of the Committee must be members of the Association.

9.2    Before the Annual General Meeting the retiring Committee shall elect a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary for the coming year, normally from within the Committee. At its first meeting the new Committee shall elect a Vice-Chairman from one of its number.

9.3    Except for the officers appointed under subclause 9.2, the Committee shall retire at the Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.

9.4    Nominations for the Committee for the following year, proposed and seconded by members of the Association, must be in the hands of the Secretary not later than forty-two days before the Annual General Meeting. Consent in writing of the nominees must have been secured before nomination.

9.5    In the event of a ballot being necessary, the election of the Committee shall take place by postal vote. The Secretary shall distribute to all members, twenty one days before the Annual General Meeting, uniquely numbered voting papers which must be returned to the Secretary, duly filled in, at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting. The names of the proposed candidates shall be listed in an order determined by lot on the ballot papers. The Association will, if requested, enclose a statement about each candidate of up to fifty words written by his or her proposers. The Committee shall appoint two scrutineers, who are not themselves Committee Members, to count the votes.

9.6    Ballot papers shall be sent to each member direct. Other notices and documents required to be given or sent to members shall be deemed to be sufficiently given if published in the Association’s Bulletin and delivered to the secretaries of all affiliated clubs

9.7    The Committee shall have power to appoint a member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting

9.8    At a meeting of the Committee five members shall form a quorum

9.9    The Committee may appoint such sub or special Committees as it may think fit. Any member of the Association who is not a member of the Committee may be appointed to serve on a special Committee, provided that at least one member of each special Committee is a member of the Committee

10    AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

This Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual or Special General Meeting, by valid decision of an affirmative vote of two thirds of those present in person or by absentee vote. A copy of the Constitution, as amended, shall be lodged with the English Bridge Union.

Schedule

1 This Schedule is required by Section 3.3 of the Constitution of the Association and prescribes the powers and procedures for enforcing it.

2 The Committee of the Association shall appoint a Conduct Committee comprising the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and shall have power from time to time as it may think fit to vary the composition of that Committee. A quorum for any meeting of the Conduct Committee shall be all three of its members. It shall act by simple majority vote and its appointed Chairman (or whomsoever in his absence the Committee shall select to chair its meeting) shall have a second and casting vote in the event that there is parity of voting.

3 (i) The Association shall act by its Conduct Committee for the enforcement of the standards prescribed in the said Section 3.4 of its Constitution.

(ii) The procedures of the said committee shall conform mutatis mutandis to those prescribed in the Bye-Laws of the English Bridge Union for enquiry by its Laws and Ethics Committee into allegations of misconduct by individual members. It shall have powers to make findings and decisions consequent thereon in respect of allegations brought to its attention: to be entertained and considered by the said Conduct Committee an allegation that an individual member of the Association has not conformed to the said standards in (i) herefor shall be made in writing, lodged with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Secretary of the Association and referred to its said Conduct Committee.

(iii) At any time after it has duly received an allegation in the aforementioned manner the Conduct Committee shall have power (whether it has commenced any procedure in respect thereof or not) to refer that allegation to the English Bridge Union for the consideration of its Laws and Ethics Committee in the manner prescribed in the said Union’s Bye-Laws, and in so doing it shall have fully discharged its responsibilities under this schedule.

(iv) Where the Conduct Committee does not use its power in (iii) above and after it has duly enquired into an allegation concerning an individual member and has found him to be in default of the before mentioned standards, the Conduct Committee shall have powers to decide as it may think fit to select and give effect to one or more of the following provisions in relation thereto:

(a) that the said individual member shall be admonished

(b) that the said individual member shall be barred from all or such as it shall specify of the competitions sponsored or licensed by the Association for such period as it shall determine

(c) that the said individual shall be suspended from membership of the association for such period as it shall determine

4 (i) The findings and decisions of the Conduct Committee under Section 3 above shall be delivered to the individual member in writing and shall have effect 21 days thereafter EXCEPT that the said individual member shall have the right to appeal the said findings and decisions other than the exercise of powers in 3 (iii) above within the said period of 21 days. Such appeal shall be put in writing and delivered to the Secretary of the Association within
the said period.

(ii) In the event of such appeal any decision to apply the foregoing sections (iv) (a), (b) or (c), shall not take effect until the appeal has been determined.

(iii) Any such appeal shall be referred to an Appeal Committee to be appointed by the English Bridge Union acting by its Laws and Ethics Committee. The said Appeals Committee shall be fully empowered to consider and enquire into the matter appealed in such manner as it shall think fit to determine the outcome of the Appeal and to confirm or vary the findings and decisions of the Conduct Committee in relation to the matter appealed (but not to impose any penalty which it was not within the power of the Conduct Committee to impose). Alternatively the Appeal Committee shall have the power to decide that the allegation is one that shall be referred to the said Laws and Ethics Committee as an allegation of misconduct under the Bye-Laws of the Union relating to Conduct whereupon such referral shall occur, the prior findings and decisions of the Conduct Committee in relation to the matter shall be nullified, and the individual member shall be so informed.