NAME
1. The name of the Club shall be the "Whanganui East Bridge Club", and it is hereinafter referred to as the "Club".
2. The objects of the Club are:
(a) To establish and carry on a Bridge club, to promote and foster the playing of the game of contract Bridge in all or any of its forms and to organise and conduct contract Bridge matches, competitions tournaments and social gatherings in connection therewith without intention of pecuniary gain.
(b) To purchase, take on lease or in exchange or otherwise acquire any real or personal property and rights and privileges which the Club may think necessary for the purposes of the Club and to sell exchange or otherwise deal with such property.
(c) To let lease or hire any of the real or personal property of the Club.
(d) To borrow any money required for the purposes of the Club with or without securities and to execute mortgages and other securities over any of the real or personal property of the Club or to issue bonds and debentures as securities for the repayment of any such moneys.
(e) To erect buildings upon any land acquired or leased by the Club and to alter add to or pull down any buildings acquired by the Club.
(f) To enter into any arrangements for the hire or tenancy of any rooms or premises for the purposes of the Club.
(g) To invest and lend moneys of the Club not immediately required upon such investments as are from time to time authorised by law for the investment of trust funds.
(h) To pay for or make donations towards the cost of conducting any Bridge tournaments, matches or competitions in New Zealand or elsewhere including the cost of a player or players travelling in or to New Zealand or travelling from New Zealand overseas.
(i) To affiliate with NZ Bridge (Inc.) or any other association or society having similar objects.
(j) To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the foregoing objects.
3. The Registered Office of the Club shall be at the Club's premises, 3 Parsons Street, St Johns Hill, Wanganui, 4501 or such other place as the Committee may from time to time determine. Notice of any change in the Registered Office shall be given to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.
4. The Seal of the Club shall consist of the name of the Club inscribed in a circle and shall not be affixed to any instrument except in pursuance of a resolution of the Committee and in the presence of the Secretary and one other member of the Committee for the time being. The Seal shall be kept in the custody of the Secretary.
5. The membership of the Club shall consist of the following classes all of whom shall be entitled to the privileges of membership set out below.
(a) ORDINARY MEMBERS
(b) LIFE MEMBERS - elected by the Club in the General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee.
(c) ASSOCIATE MEMBERS - entitled to play on Wednesday and Friday daytime sessions, any Social events and a limit of three Club playing nights or as the Committee shall from time to time determine.
(d) SECONDARY MEMBERS - entitled to play as Ordinary members, however, these members hold affiliation to NZ Bridge through another (home) club. The annual subscription for Secondary Club Members is reduced by the NZ Bridge affiliation fee component.
6. All candidates for election shall be nominated by being proposed by one member and seconded by another member on a form approved by the Committee and every such candidate shall sign the form consenting to nomination.
7. Ordinary and Associate members shall be elected by the Committee which shall have power from time to time to limit the number of members.
8. Every new member shall as soon as possible after the election be notified thereof by the Secretary and shall on election be bound by the Rules and By-laws of the Club.
9. Any Ordinary member may with the consent of the Committee become an Associate member or vice versa. Rule 6 shall have no application to any such change of membership.
10. Any member changing his or her address shall as soon as possible notify the Secretary in writing of the change.
11. The Committee shall have the power to classify members into grades and to set aside days or evenings on which play is restricted to members in one grade.
12. (a) Visiting members
Visitors to Wanganui who are members of an affiliated club shall subject to any rules and restrictions the Committee may impose, be entitled to play at the Club on not more than three (3) occasions in any one playing year of the Club, unless authorised by resolution of the Committee.
(b) Guest
Any member shall be entitled with the consent of a Committee member, to invite a guest (no matter where resident) to play at the Club on not more than three (3) occasions in any playing year of the Club, unless authorised by resolution of the Committee.
(c) Table money
All visitors and guests shall be liable to pay Table Money for any session played.
13. All new members joining the Wanganui Contract Bridge Club Inc. shall pay an entrance fee of such sum as the Club at any General Meeting shall from time to time decide.
14. Subscriptions shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall be payable on or before 1st February of each year. Subscriptions for new members shall be a pro-rata amount of the annual Subscription and shall be paid within fourteen (14) days after notification of election.
Life members shall not be liable to pay any annual subscription or entrance fee.
15. The Committee shall have power in its absolute discretion to refund, dispense with or make reductions in the subscription paid or payable by any member.
16. If any member's subscriptions shall remain unpaid after the expiration of three months from the due date the Treasurer may send by post to such member at his last known place of abode notice of his or her default and if the amount due is not paid within one month after the posting of such notice such member shall no longer be entitled to exercise any of the privileges of membership and his membership may be terminated by the Committee at its discretion without releasing such member from liability for payment of any moneys then due to the Club. Any member whose membership has been so terminated may at the discretion of the Committee be re-elected upon payment of all sums due to the Club.
17. In addition to the annual subscription members shall pay a fee for each session on which he or she attends the Club's premises to play, such fee to be known as table money. The Committee shall have the power to fix the amount of table money payable by each member and may vary the amount as between different classes of play.
18. The Committee shall consist of:-
(a) The Officers of The Club
Consisting of a Patron, President, Immediate Past President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Club Director and Tournament Secretary.
(b) Committee Members
The six (6) Committee members consist of at least one representative from each grade of playing members existing at the time of the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall have powers to make other appointments, such as Assistant Secretary, Recorder, Head Convenors etc. as necessary, but should the appointee not be a member of the Committee, then he or she shall be deemed an ex officio member with no voting rights.
19. The Patron and Immediate Past President shall ex officio be members of the Committee. The Immediate Past President shall only serve for one year. The Patron shall be nominated and elected at an Annual General Meeting and shall serve at their pleasure. The other members of the Committee shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. All members of the committee shall be Ordinary or Life members of the Club and shall hold office until the conclusion of the meeting at which their successors are appointed. Except in the case of the immediate Past President nominations for any office on the Committee may be made in writing signed by the proposer and seconder, delivered to the Secretary before the time for the commencement of the Annual Meeting and posted by the Secretary on the notice board as soon as possible after receipt. In the event of the written nominations being insufficient further nominations may be made at the meeting by the proposer and seconder. If the nominations for any office on the Committee exceed the required number the members present at the meeting shall select the officer or officers by ballot in such manner as the Chairman of the meeting shall direct and in the event of an equality of votes selection shall be by lot drawn in such manner as the Chairman shall direct.
20. Any casual vacancy on the Committee may be filled by the Committee but any member so chosen shall retain office only for such period as shall be determined by the Committee on his appointment and not in any event for a period extending beyond the next Annual General Meeting.
21. The management and control of the affairs of the Club shall be vested in the Committee who may exercise all powers and do all acts and things which may be exercised or done by the Club and which are not expressly directed or required to be exercised or done by the Club in General Meeting PROVIDED HOWEVER that the Committee shall not purchase lease or otherwise acquire any real property nor dispose of any real property registered easements or rights without the authority of a General Meeting of the Club.
22. The Committee shall meet at least once in every month except December and January and in addition as required. Meetings may be summoned by the President or the Secretary. Any three members of the Committee may sign and serve on the President a requisition for a Committee Meeting. If such meeting is not summoned and held within 14 days after service of the requisition the requisitions shall be entitled to summon such meeting.
If any member shall be absent from three consecutive meetings without due cause sustained by the Committee, he shall cease to be a member thereof and the Committee may fill the vacancy as provided in Rule 20.
23. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as it thinks fit and may appoint thereto persons who are not members of the Committee and may delegate any of its powers to any such sub-committee. The President shall ex officio be a member of all sub–committees.
24. At any General Meeting of the Club ten and at any Committee Meeting five members shall form a quorum. Any General Meeting of the Club or Committee Meeting at which a quorum shall not be present may be adjourned by the members present to such day within one month as they may appoint.
25. The Reviewer shall be a suitably qualified person and preferably be a member of a recognised accountancy body and must not be a member of the Committee. The Reviewer who may be a member of the Club shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting. If in any year the Reviewer is unable to act for some reason, the Committee may appoint another Reviewer as a replacement.
26. The Club may pay such honoraria as the members in the Annual General Meeting, on the recommendation of the Committee, may approve.
27. The Committee may make, repeal and amend any such regulations or bylaws not repugnant to these Rules as they may from time to time consider necessary for the wellbeing of the Club but any such regulations or bylaws may be set aside by a General Meeting of the Club. A copy of any such regulations or by-laws or of any alterations thereto shall be posted on the Club notice board or sent to members as soon as convenient after the making thereof.
28. All moneys received by the Club shall be paid within seven (7) days of the receipt thereof by the Treasurer into the account of the Club at its bank. All payments out of the funds of the Club shall be made by the authority of the Committee. The account of the Club at its Bank shall be operated upon by the Treasurer and one other member of the Committee or by such other persons as the Committee shall from time to time determine. All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments may be endorsed by the Secretary or Treasurer or any member of the Committee duly authorised by resolution of the Committee. All funds of the Club not required immediately for the ordinary purposes of the Club may be deposited by the Committee in a Savings Bank or invested in the name of the Club in such other authorised investment as the Committee may think fit (The treasurer may pay petty accounts between meetings of the Committee up to an amount that shall be decided by committee resolution). The Committee may appoint an acting Treasurer to act during any period when the Treasurer is not available to sign cheques or other documents or to perform his duties through absence or illness or from any other cause. During his appointment, the Acting Treasurer shall have and may exercise all the powers and authorities conferred on the Treasurer.
29. The Committee may from time to time raise or borrow such sum of money as it may think necessary or expedient and may secure the payment of such sums by mortgage or sub-mortgage of any real or personal property of the Club or by bonds, debentures or other securities or by bills of exchange, promissory notes or other negotiable instruments and such mortgages or other securities may contain such covenants powers and obligations as the Committee may think proper PROVIDED THAT no sum exceeding twenty-five per cent of the previous year's gross income may be borrowed under the provisions of this clause without the previous authority of a resolution of the members passed at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose but the Committee may without such authority renew any existing mortgage or debenture or borrow for the purpose of replacing any existing mortgage or debenture.
30. The financial year of the Club shall end on the 30th day of September in each year.
31. The Committee shall present at each Annual General Meeting of the Club a Report and a reviewed Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Financial Performance for the preceding financial year. A copy of the Annual Report, Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Financial Performance shall be available to members at the Clubrooms at least seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
32. The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in the months of November or December.
33. The Committee may call a Special General Meeting of the Club whenever it thinks fit. Ten or more members entitled to vote may sign and deliver to the Secretary a requisition for the calling of a Special General Meeting of the Club stating the object of the meeting and within seven days from the receipt of any such requisition by him the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting of the Club for a date not more than four weeks from the date of receipt of such requisition. If the Secretary refuses or fails to summon a meeting within such period of seven days the members signing the requisition may themselves summon such meeting.
34. A notice must be affixed to the Club notice board and advertised in a local newspaper at least fourteen days before the date of any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. The Committee may also advertise such meetings on any other media as they see fit. Such notice shall set out the place, date and time of the meeting and the business to be transacted.
35. At all General Meetings of the Club the Chairman shall be the President or in his absence the Vice-President, or if neither of them be present some other member selected by the meeting.
36. At all General Meetings of the Club the Chairman shall ascertain the decision of the meeting on any question on the voices or by show of hands or by taking a division in such other manner as shall be deemed by him most convenient. Every member present at a General Meeting shall be entitled to one vote and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman shall (except on the election of Committee members) be entitled to a second or casting vote.
37. Any member may at any time by notice in writing to the Secretary resign his membership of the Club and such resignation shall take effect upon receipt of such notice by the Secretary, but such members resigning shall be liable for all subscriptions due for the playing year in which the resignation takes effect.
38. If in the opinion of at least two-thirds of the members present at a Committee Meeting any member shall have been guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of the Club or detrimental to the interests of the Club or shall have failed to observe any rule or by-law of the Club other than by failure to pay subscriptions, the Secretary may send notice to such member at his last known place of abode containing particulars of the allegation or complaint against him and calling upon him within fourteen days to make an explanation to the Committee either in writing or by personal appearance at a Committee Meeting to be called for the purpose at the request of such member and if such member shall for the said period of fourteen days fail to give any explanation either in writing or by personal appearance as aforesaid or shall give an explanation which is not satisfactory to at least two-thirds of the members present at the Committee Meeting which considers such explanation then the Committee may by resolution of at least two-thirds of the members present at such meeting expel or suspend such member from the Club. Any member so expelled or suspended from the Club shall have the right of appeal to a Special General Meeting of the Club to be summoned by the Secretary within twenty-one days from receipt by the Secretary of a requisition so to do from such member. If the expulsion or suspension is not confirmed by a majority of at least two-thirds of those present and voting at such Special General Meeting the expelled or suspended member shall be reinstated.
39. No rule of the club shall be repealed or amended and no new rule shall be made save by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at a General Meeting of the Club in the notice calling which particulars of the proposed alteration shall have been given. Except where an alteration in the Rules is proposed by the Committee notice of the intention to propose the repeal or amendments of any rule or the making of any new rule shall be given to the Secretary by the member proposing same at least one calendar month before the meeting at which-such member intends to bring forward his proposal.
40. The decision of the Committee on the interpretation of any of these Rules shall be binding on all members until revoked at a General Meeting of the Club. The notice calling such a General Meeting shall clearly set out the subject matters the interpretation of which has been challenged.
41. Every member shall be deemed to agree to be bound by the rules and bylaws of the Club and the payment of an annual subscription shall be conclusive evidence of such agreement.
42. In the event of any question arising which is not provided for in these rules the question shall, subject to the provisions of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908, be decided by the Committee with reference to the Constitutions of NZ Bridge (Inc.) and Central Districts Region Bridge. However, where matters are not covered in the aforementioned Constitutions the decision of the Committee shall be final and binding upon all members.
43. In the event of a resolution being passed that the Club be wound up under Section 24 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 the property of the Club shall be applied first in discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club and the balance shall be disposed of in such manner as may be decided by a resolution of by distribution to a registered charitable institution or community / not for profit organisation.
44. These rules shall come into operation on the 1st day of January 2018 from which date the previous rules of the Club shall be repealed and cease to have effect provided however that all appointments and elections made, things done, and powers exercised under the previous rules and in force on the coming into operation of these rules shall enure for the purposes of these rules as fully and effectually as if made, done or exercised under the corresponding clauses of these rules.
Alterations and additions having been advertised as per Rule 39 were confirmed accordingly at the Annual General Meeting, 17 November 2022 with the necessary two-thirds majority.
Confirmed:-
1 Whanganui East Road Whanganui East Whanganui P: 021 165 1882