Club Constitution
DEFINITIONS
a. ACBL means American Contract Bridge League.
b. Board means the Club’s Board of Directors.
c. Game Director means the individual, or individuals placed in charge of a game(s) authorized by the Club.
d. General Meeting shall mean any Special or Annual Meeting at which all members are authorized to be in attendance.
e. LPBC means The Let’s Play Bridge Club
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL AND PURPOSE
The LPBC, club number 243766 of the ACBL is a not for profit organization that is sanctioned under the Regulations and Bylaws of the ACBL. The playing site of the Club will be a location determined by the Board.
The objectives of the Club are to:
a. provide a friendly and comfortable atmosphere to play sanctioned duplicate bridge;
b. preserve, promote and stimulate interest in duplicate contract bridge by offering games with stipulated masterpoint limits;
c. prescribe eligibility rules for club trophies and special games;
d. encourage the highest standards of conduct and enforce same; and
e. promote the development of the Club’s players.
ARTICLE 2. MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
a. Annual General Meetings shall be held no later than 90 days following the end of the Club’s fiscal year.
b. Special General Meetings may be called by the Board or will be called by the President within 30 days, if so demanded by petition from a minimum of 25% of paid up members with a specific matter for resolution.
c. Notices of Meetings will be given at least 14 days prior to a General Meeting by posting a notice at the place club games are played and to the extent practical, by electronic means.
d. Quorum. A quorum at any general meeting shall be 25% of all Club members in good standing as of the day prior to the called General Meeting.
e. Proxies. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed at any General Meeting.
ARTICLE 3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
a. Powers and Duties. The management of all business, property, and interests, and other affairs of the club shall be vested in its Board of Directors. It may impose sanctions upon members in accordance with ACBL Rules and Regulations. It may take such action as it feels necessary to correct situations which it feels are detrimental to the Club.
b. Nomination and Election of Directors. The Board, in advance of an Annual General Meeting shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chairperson who will form a committee which shall determine and present to the members a list of nominees who are members of the club. Nominations may also be made from the floor.
c. Term of Office. Directors shall be elected or appointed for a maximum term of one year to expire at the next Annual General Meeting. All Board members may stand for reelection but may not hold the same office for more than three consecutive terms.
d. Composition of the Board. The Board shall consist of a maximum of 8 members or such other number as the membership may determine from time to time. Any vacancy caused by resignation, death or other reason may be filled by appointment by the Board from the general membership. In addition to the elected 8 board members the board itself may appoint to the Board, with full voting privileges, the Club Manager if not already a Board director. Game Directors may be invited to attend Board meetings as ex-officio non-voting members to provide advice to the Board.
e. Voting by Proxy will not be allowed at Board meetings.
f. Voting by Telephone Conference Call will be allowed at Board meetings.
g. Board Meetings may be held as often as deemed necessary by the Board or at the call of the President.
h. A Quorum shall be a simple majority of the Board Members duly elected or appointed at the time of the meeting.
ARTICLE 4. OFFICERS
a. Election. As soon as practical but no later than 14 days following the election of the Board Members at the Annual General Meeting the Board Members shall appoint among themselves, a President, a Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer and such other appointments as they consider necessary.
ARTICLE 5. BRIDGE ACTIVITIES
a. Fees. The annual membership fee shall be $10 or such other amount as the Board may decide. Fees for scheduled games shall be $4.00 or such other amount as the Board may decide. An additional fee may be charged to non members.
Honorary Life Memberships may be granted by the Board and “Free Play” games may be awarded by the Board for service to the club.
b. Game Formats and Structure. The Board shall determine the number and time of games to be played. It will also control the stratification levels of such games. Changes to a master point maximum level at any game (other than for temporary periods not to exceed four consecutive games on a specific night) will be decided by the membership by majority vote at a General Meeting.
ARTICLE 6. FISCAL
a. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Club shall be November 1st to October 31st or such other period as the members may decide at a General Meeting.
b. Audit. The Board shall present to the members at each Annual General Meeting a financial statement to include the cash balance and other liquid assets carried forward from the previous year, all revenues and expenses for the year being reviewed and the balance of liquid assets on hand as at the end of the last fiscal year. Such statement will be prepared by the Treasurer, reviewed and approved by the Board and certified correct without formal audit by at least one independent member of the Club.
c. Expenditures. The Board will present for approval to the members at each Annual General Meeting a budget for the new fiscal year. The Board shall be limited to individual expenditures of a maximum of $750 when such expenditures are not clearly and specifically set out in the budget. Any expenditure outside budget and individual control guidelines must be approved by the members at a General Meeting.
d. Assets. The Club’s assets shall remain in the joint ownership of all current paid up members.
e. Banking. The Club funds shall be kept on deposit with a Schedule 1 Canadian Chartered bank and withdrawals shall require the signatures of 2 out of 3 authorized Board Directors. The Treasurer shall be one of the 3 authorized to sign withdrawals.
ARTICLE 7. DISCIPLINE
Liquor. No liquor may be consumed on club premises during play sessions, except when authorized by the Board on special occasions.
ARTICLE 8. MISCELLANEOUS
a. Advising Members. The Club Members shall be promptly advised of any changes in Club rules, Club policy or game fees or other changes which would alter the operational methodology of the Club.
b. Visitors may participate in club trophy events and obtain ACBL master point awards but they and their partner shall not be eligible for the club trophy.
c. Liability. The Club shall not be responsible for personal injury to members or visitors or for the loss of or damage to the property of members or visitors.
d. Directors and Officers Liability. The Club and its individual members will not hold the Board Directors responsible for any loss or damage, physical or otherwise, relative to the Clubs affairs and assets where it can be shown he/she acted in a responsible manner given the information available to him/her at the time.
e. Amendments to this Constitution shall require the approval of two thirds of the attending membership at a General Meeting.
f. Dissolution of the Club. If it is resolved by at least two-thirds of the Club membership that the Club should be dissolved, the President or a Board Member acting in that capacity shall use his/her best efforts to inform all members of the Club, ACBL, CBF, District 19 and Unit 571 at least thirty days prior to such dissolution. He/she shall then ensure that all outstanding claims by and against the club are settled, liquidate all tangible assets for cash and contribute the remaining cash assets to a local registered charity on behalf of the club.
ARTICLE 9. ADOPTION OF THIS CONSTITUTION AND RECISION OF ALL PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS
This revised Constitution became effective with the affirmative vote of two thirds of those members present at a general meeting on -------------- (date). All previous Constitutions and amendments thereto are therefore rescinded.
PRESIDENT
THE LET’S PLAY BRIDGE CLUB
(Date) - - - - - - - - -
Revised June 6, 2008