Guildford Duplicate Bridge Club Rules

  1. The name of the Club shall be Guildford Duplicate Bridge Club.
  1. The object of the Club is to provide suitable facilities for Duplicate Bridge and to further the interests of Bridge in Guildford in a friendly atmosphere.
  1. a) Membership of the Club shall be restricted to 100 paid up members.

b) Applicants for membership may go on a waiting list and may play as visitors but take priority over casual visitors.

c) Visitors may be introduced by members on payment of a visitor’s fee inclusive of normal table fee, but such payment shall not entitle the visitor to any of the rights and privileges of members.

  1. The ordinary membership subscription shall be approved by the members of the Club at a General Meeting. All subscriptions are due and payable by 31st May. Any member whose subscription is overdue, having been previously advised in writing by the Treasurer shall, except in special circumstances agreed and accepted by the Committee, automatically cease to be a member.
  1. The business if the Club shall be conducted by the Committee which shall consist of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and five other members, all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall implement the Rules of the Club, employ the funds of the Club in the best interests of the members and suspend or ask for the resignation of any member (under Rule 14 and the Disciplinary Procedures) whose conduct is considered prejudicial to the best interests of the Club.TheCommitteemayappointsub­committeestoundertakeonitsbehalf suchaspects oftheadministrationoftheClubas itshallthinkfit,andmembers ofsuchsub­committees mayincludemembers oftheClubwhoarenotmembers ofthe Committee.
  1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year not later than 30th April. To form a Quorum, 15 members must be present in person or by proxy. All members shall be entitled to attend and vote. The Chairman shall have the casting vote in addition to his original vote.
  1. Any member shall be entitled to appoint another member to act as his or her proxy at any General Meeting of the Club, but all such appointees shall be notified to the Secretary not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting.
  1. Nominations and Election of Officers. Nominations shall be in writing proposed and seconded by members and displayed on a notice board for two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting. The consent of the nominee must be obtained. Any nomination for the Secretary or Treasurer shall, if unsuccessful, be considered a nomination for the Committee. Voting for the election of the Committee shall be by ballot. Voting on all other matters shall be by a show of hands, unless five members present at the meeting demand a ballot.
  1. Special General Meetings may be called by the Committee at any time, or on the signed requisition of at least 10 members. On receipt of such a requisition, which shall be addressed to the Secretary and which shall specify its purpose, the meeting shall be held within 28 days of the request.
  1. The accounts of the Club shall be made up annually to 31st March.
  1. An auditor, to be appointed by the Members at each Annual General Meeting shall make a report in writing in respect of the Annual Accounts. The committee shall lay before the Members at the Annual General Meeting the Annual Accounts of the Club for the last financial year before the date of that meeting together with the report of the auditor on those Annual Accounts.
  1. These rules shall not be amended, altered or rescinded, except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting and any alteration proposed by a member shall be given in writing to the Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting. All alterations, whether proposed by a member or by the Committee shall be displayed for 14 days prior to the meeting.
  1. The Committee shall have the power to suspend a rule, when the procedure indicated by rule 9 would automatically apply.
  1. Each member of the Club shall be required in connection with the game of Duplicate Contract Bridge, to conform to the standards of fair play, courtesy and personal deportment prescribed by the Bye Laws and regulations for the time being of the EBU. The Club shall have the powers and the procedures for the enforcement of the requirement of this rule. They are set out in the Schedule of Disciplinary procedures and shall stand as part of the rules and be subject to the same provisions of the rules for any amendment.
  1. On all questions of interpretation of these rules the decision of the Committee shall be binding, any points not covered by the Rules shall be decided by the Committee.

GDBC April 2015 (Revised)