Southport Chess Club Rules
These rules were approved and adopted at the AGM of 11th June 2012.
Southport Chess Club Rules
1. The Club shall be known as ’The Southport Chess Club’.
2. The Club season shall commence on the first Monday in September each year. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in May each year, or in the latter end of April if thought desirable.
3. The Officers shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting and shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Match Captains for each team, Tournament Secretary, Effects Officer & Librarian, Press & Publicity Officer, Junior Organiser, Junior Representative and up to three Committee members. The Committee shall be empowered to co-opt members to fill any vacancy.
4. A quorum shall consist of at least ten members for an Annual General Meeting and at least half of the Committee members for a Committee Meeting.
5. The Committee may appoint Sub-Committees as it thinks fit and may delegate such powers to Sub-Committees as it thinks fit.
6. The Committee shall be empowered to make such Bye-Laws and Regulations from time to time as they may deem advisable in the interests of the Club, and all such shall be considered binding on every member until revoked by the Committee or at the Annual General Meeting.
7. A Special General Meeting, of which seven days notice (stating its purpose) must be given to all members, may be called by the President:
a) When he/she so desires, or
b) At the direction of the Committee, or
c) By him/her at the request of six members, who shall in this case be responsible for the notification costs associated with the meeting.
8. All new members must be proposed and seconded by a member of the Club and the Committee shall be empowered to refuse admission without giving any reason.
9. Anyone introduced by a member may visit the Club and use the equipment on not more than three occasions in any one season, and they will then be invited to join the club.
10. The Club Subscription shall be determined at each Annual General Meeting, and shall be due for payment on 1st September, and in any case not later than 30th September in each season. Members whose subscriptions are unpaid after that date shall be deemed to have lapsed their membership.
11. Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Committee may appeal to an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of the Club, to be called by the President after the receipt by him/her of a requisition signed by not less than six members of the Club in accordance with rule seven, such requisition to be received by the President within fourteen days of notice of the decision of the Committee being given. At such meeting, a Resolution shall be moved on behalf of the Committee that the decision shall be confirmed and if the Resolution shall be carried by a majority, the decision of the Committee shall be upheld. The decision of the Committee shall be final and binding and no person shall have right of appeal against the decision of an Extraordinary General Meeting.
12. No alteration of Rules may be made at an Annual General Meeting unless fourteen days notice of the intention to propose an alteration has been given to all members.
13. The Committee is responsible for maintaining the assets of the Club to ensure that members of the Club continue to have access to adequate facilities and that the future of The Southport Chess Club is assured.
14. Income accrued from the disposal of redundant or surplus equipment or materials is for the future benefit of The Southport Chess Club, not for individual members. Dissolution of The Southport Chess Club and the subsequent dispersal of its assets may only be agreed by not less than ninety percent of the total club membership, excluding Junior members. Any changes to, or the deletion of, this rule may only be made if agreed by not less than ninety percent of the total club membership, excluding Junior members.
15. Only those members present at an Annual General Meeting are entitled to vote; proxy voting is not permitted.
Misconduct
If there shall be brought to the notice of the Secretary:
a) Any action on the part of a member which in the opinion of the President, Treasurer and Secretary discloses a case of conduct, either on or off Club premises, which is improper and likely to injure the reputation and social standing of the Club or to be an annoyance to other members of the Club; or
b) Any intentional or flagrant breach of the rules of the Club by a member
Then and in either such cases the Secretary shall call a Special Meeting of the Committee with five clear days’ notice at least, in writing, being given to each member of the Committee stating the nature of the business to be transacted thereat.
The Secretary shall forward to the alleged offending member a notice, in writing, stating the grounds of complaint and giving such member an opportunity of being heard.
The Committee shall have the power at such Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, by majority resolution, to request the member resign from the Club, or in the alternative to expel such member there from upon such terms as they think proper.
Southport Chess Club Bye-Laws
All Club tournaments shall be subject to such rules as may from time to time be determined by the Tournament Secretary (and as ratified by the Committee). All games shall be played according to F.I.D.E. rules unless the Competition Rules specifically provide otherwise (any dispute being decided by the Committee). All games in the Club Championship must be completed and the scores recorded by 10pm. on the last Monday in April of each year, or such earlier time as the Tournament Rules may dictate. If in the opinion of the Tournament Organiser, of any Club tournament, the number of completed games is too low then the matter will be referred to The Southport Chess Club Committee for a ruling regarding the tournament winner.
2. Members using equipment are responsible for seeing that it is put away safely in the cupboard when they have finished using the equipment.
3. No member who is in arrears with his subscription shall be permitted to represent the Club in a competitive match.
The Southport Chess Club Junior Section
1. The Junior Club shall be called ‘The Southport Chess Club Junior Section ’. No amendment to this name can be made without the approval of a majority of Committee members, following a Committee meeting.
2. ‘The Southport Chess Club’ assets shall be subdivided between the Senior and Junior sections of the Club as felt to be appropriate by ‘The Southport Chess Club ‘ Committee. All assets, however administered or generated, shall be deemed to belong to ‘The Southport
Chess Club’.
3. The person/persons responsible for the control of the Junior Section will define the rules of this section and provide ‘The Southport Chess Club’ committee with a copy of these rules for their approval. Any amendments to these rules must be approved by a majority of committee members.
4. The person/persons responsible for the control of the Junior Section will make available an annual financial statement which will be presented to the Annual General Meeting of ‘The Southport Chess Club’ in April/May each year.
5. The person/persons responsible for the control of the Junior Section will ensure that it is run on a sound financial footing; being self-supporting in each financial year. In extra-ordinary circumstances those responsible for the Junior Section may request financial support from ‘The Southport Chess Club’ committee and this may be provided if approved by a majority of committee members.
6. In the event of the Junior Section disbanding, or closing down, any assets of the Junior Section, be they physical of financial, shall revert to ‘The Southport Chess Club’.
7. In the event of a dispute between a Junior Section Member (or his/her parents) and the person/persons responsible for the running of the Junior Section the matter may be referred to ‘The Southport Chess Club’ committee for consideration. Written statements from both parties would be considered by the committee, following withdrawal from the meeting of any committee member with any involvement or responsibility for the Junior Section. The decision of the committee, decided by a simple majority, will then be conveyed to both parties in writing.
Voting Rights
Senior Club members will be entitled to vote at a General Meeting. Only the Junior Representative on ‘The Southport Chess Club’ committee will be entitled to vote at a General Meeting. Juniors become full club members on reaching sixteen years of age and until such time will be unable to vote at ‘The Southport Chess club General Meetings’