NAME

1 The name of theAssociation is "WEST AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE CLUB"

DEFINITIONS

2 In these rules unless the contrary intention appears
"Annual General Meeting" is the meeting convened under rule 27
"financial year" means each period commencing 1 July and ending on the 30 June of the following year.
"ordinary resolution" means resolution other than a special resolution
"Special General Meeting" means a general meeting other than the Annual General Meeting
"Special resolution"means a resolution which is passed by a majority of not less than three
fourths of the members of the club who are entitled to vote and vote in person or by proxy, at
a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a
special resolution was given in accordance with those rules.

At a meeting which a resolution proposed as a special resolution is submitted, a declaration by the person presiding that the resolution has been passed as a special resolution shall be evidence of the fact unless, during the meeting at which the resolution is submitted, a poll is demanded by at least 3 members of the Club present in person or, by proxy.

If a poll is held a declaration by the person presiding as to the result of a poll is evidence of the matter so declared:

"The Act: means the Association Incorporation Act 1987.
"The Club" means the Association referred to in Rule 1
"The Committee" means the Committee of Management of the Club referred to in Rule 15

OBJECTS

3 The objects of the Club are:
(a) To promote and foster the game of bridge among members
(b) To provide and maintain suitable premises for the activities of the Club
(c) To provide amenities for the benefit and entertainment of the members.
(d) To do such other things as are incidental or conducive to the above objects.

4 Income and Property of the Club
The income and property of the Club must be applied solely to the promotion of its objects
and no part of that property or income will be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way
of dividend bonus or otherwise by way of pecuniary profit to the members provided that
remuneration may be paid in good faith to officers and servants of the Club or other persons in
return for services actually rendered to the Club.

MEMBERSHIP

5 Application for Membership
A person who wishes to to become a member must:
(a) Apply for a membership in writing
(i) signed by that person and both of the members referred to in paragraph (b)
(ii) In such form as the Committee from time to time directs
(b) Be proposed by one member and seconded by another member

6 Election to Membership
The Committee must consider each application for membership and either accept or reject
that application. The Committee may refuse to accept any application without giving any
reasons for such refusal.

7 Life Membership
Life membership may be conferred on a member for outstanding work done for the Club over a
number of years if recommended by the Committee and confirmed by a resolution of the majority of the members present and voting at a General Meeting. Life Members will not be
required to pay any subscription.

8 Honorary and Temporary Membership
The Committee may admit visitors to Western Australia to Honorary Membership for such periods and subject to such conditions as to payment or otherwise as it thinks fit.

9 The Committee may admit individuals to Temporary Membership for such periods and subject to such conditions as to payment or otherwise as it thinks fit.

10 Honorary and Temporary Members will have all the privileges of members except that they may not:
(a) be members of Committee
(b) vote at General Meetings
(c) propose or second individuals for membership

11 Entrance Fees and Subscriptions
(1) Entrance fees and annual subscriptions will be reviewed and the amount determined by the Committee at least one calendar month prior to the end of the financial year.
(2) Each member except a Life Member must pay to the club, annually on or before 1 July or such other date as the Committee from time to time determines, the amount of the subscription determined by the Committee under sub Rule (1)
(3) The Committee may waive the payment of the whole or any part of the subscription of any member who, because of sickness, absence from the metropolitan area or for any other reason, is unable to use the facilities of the Club for a period of six (6) months or longer.

12 Cessation of Membership
(1) Membership of the club may be terminated upon -
(a) receipt by the Secretary or another Committee member of a notice in writing
from a member of his or her resignation from the Club.
(b) non payment by a member of his or her subscription within three (3) months
of the date fixed by the Committee for subscriptions to be paid unless the
Committee decides otherwise in accordance with Rule 13.
(c) expulsion of a member in accordance with Rule 24
(2) No person who ceases to be a member of the Club shall have any claim monetary or otherwise upon the Club, its funds or property except to the extent of any debt owing by the Club to such person.

13 Reinstatement
The Committee may reinstate, subject to such conditions, if any, as it thinks fit, any member who has resigned, whose membership was terminated, or who was expelled under Rule 24.
14 Register of Members
The Membership Secretary on behalf of the Club, must comply with section 27 of the Act by keeping and maintaining in an up to date condition a register of the members of the Club and their postal or residential addresses, and upon the request of a member of the Club, will make the register available for the inspection of the member and
the member may make a copy of or take an extract from the register but will have no right
to remove the register for that purpose.

THE COMMITTEE

15 Committee of Management
(a) The affairs of the Club will be managed exclusively by a Committee of
Management consisting of:
a. a President
b. a Vice President
c. a Secretary
d. a Treasurer
e. a Membership Secretary
f. a Tournament Committee Convenor
g. up to 5 other persons all of whom must be members of the Club
h. 2 other persons as may be appointed by the Committee from time
to time in accordance with Rule 15(e)
(b) Subject to this rule, Committee members must be elected to membership of the
Committee at an annual general meeting.
(c) The President, Secretary and Treasurer will be elected to office at an Annual
General Meeting.
(d) The Vice President, Membership Secretary, and the Tournament Convenor will
be appointed by the Committee from those of their number elected to the Committee.
(e) In addition the Committee may in its absolute discretion appoint a member or
members to be:
(i) House Manager and/or
(ii) Social Secretary,
and members will hold office as ordinary members of the Committee as if elected at
the Annual General Meeting prior to his or her appointment.

16 President and Vice President
(1) Subject to this rule the President must preside at all general and Committee meetings
(2) In the event of the absence from a general meeting of the President, the Vice President will preside
(3) In the event of the absence of both the President and Vice President, a member
elected by the other members present at the general meeting, must preside at the
general meeting
(4) In the event of the absence from a Comittee meeting of the President, the Vice
President will preside
(5) In the event of both the President and the Vice President, a Committee member
elected by the other Committee members present at the Committee meeting must
preside at the Committee meeting.

17 Secretary
The Secretary must, subject to the control of the Committee:
(a) Convene all meetings, general and Committee.
(b) Attend all meetings and keep full and correct minutes of all proceedings of
the Committee and the Club.
(c) Co-ordinate the correspondence of the Club.
(d) Comply on behalf of the Club with
(i) section 28 of the Act by keeping and maintaining in an up to
date condition the Rules of the Club, and upon the request of a member of the club, must make available those rules for the inspection of the member and the member may make a copy of or take an extract from the rules but will have no right to remove those rules for that purpose; and
(ii) section 29 of the Act by maintaining a record of the names
and addresses of the persons who hold the offices of the club
provided for by these rules, including all offices held by the persons
who constitute the Committee and persons who are authorized to use the common seal of the Club under rule 35 and the secretary
must upon request of a member of the club, make available the record for the inspection of the member and the member may make a copy or take an extract from the record but will have no right to
remove the record for that purpose.
(e) Have custody of all books, documents, records and registers of the Club other than
those required to be kept and maintained by these rules in the custody of the
Membership Secretary or Treasurer; and
(f) Perform such other duties as are imposed by the Committee

18 Treasurer
The Treasurer will, subject to the control of the Committee:
(a) Comply on behalf of the Club with section 25 and 26 of the Act by keeping such accounting records correctly recorded and explain the financial transactions and
financial position of the Club. Keep correct accounts and books showing the financial affairs of the Club.
(b) Collect and bank all monies received and issue proper receipts for those monies in the name of the Club.
(c) Arrange for all payments and disbursements authorised by the Committee and obtain
and keep proper receipts for such.
(d) Prepare and submit financial statements to the Committee as required by it
(e) Prepare and present the Treasurer's Report to the Annual General Meeting as
required by Rule 27and the Act.
(f) Have custody of all securities, books and documents of a financial nature and
accounting records of the Club
(g) Perform such other duties as are imposed by the these rules and/or the Committee.

19 Tenure of Office
(1) The Committee members will:
(a) Be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting unless appointed as
provided for under Rule 15 or Rule 21
(b) Each hold office from the declaration of his or her election at the Annual General Meeting until the delcaration of the results of the elections at the next Annual General Meeting, but he or she is eligible for re-election to
membership of the Committee.
(2) The President will be restriced to three (3) consecutive terms of office.

20 Election of the Committee
(1) At least 42 days prior to the Annual General Meeting in each year the Secretary will post on the notice board at the Club premises a notice calling for
nominations for the office of President, Treasurer, Secretary and ordinary membership of the Committee for the ensuing year.
(2) The notice will specify a date 21 days prior to the Annual General Meeting on
which nominations close.
(3) Nominations must be in writing on forms provided by the Club and must be signed
by the candidate and by a proposer and a seconder each of whom must be a member entitled to vote
(4) If more than the required number of candidates is nominated election will be by ballot, which will be conducted as follows:
(a) As soon as possible after the close of nominations the Secretary must send
one ballot paper to each member entitled to vote
(b) The ballot will close at noon on the day of the Annual General Meeting, and only ballot papers received at the Club premises by that time will be included in the count.
(c) The count will be made by two returning officers appointed by the Committee.
(d) The results of the ballot will not be disclosed to anyone prior to the Annual General Meeting at which one of the returning officers will inform the Chairperson of the results.
(e) Any tie in the ballot will be settled by resolution of those present, entitled to vote and voting at the meeting.

(5) The Chairperson will declare the results of the elections at the Annual General Meeting.

21 Casual Vacancies in membership of the Committee
(1) A casual vacancy ocurs in the office of a Committee member and that office becomes
vacant if the Committee member:
(a) dies
(b) resigns by notice in writing to the Committee
(c) is absent from more than three (3) consecutive Committee meetings without
satisfying the Committee that he or she had good reason for such failure to
attend
(d) ceases to be a member of the Club
(e) is convicted of an offence under the Act
(2) The Committee may appoint any member of the Club other than an Honorary or a Temporary Member to fill any vacancy on the Committee however occurring.

22 Committee Meetings
(1) Ordinary meetings of the Committee will be held once a month
(2) Six (6) Committee members at a Committee meeting will constitute a quorum.
(3) Each Committee member has a deliberative vote
(4) A question arising at a Committee meeting must be decided by a majority of votes,
but if there is no majority, the person presiding at the Committee meeting will have a
casting vote as well as a deliverative vote.
(5) The Chairperson may adjourn the meeting from time to time.
(6) Proxy votes will not be valid at these meetings.
(7) As required under sections 21 and 22 of the Act, a Committee member having any
direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, or a proposed contract, or in the contemplation of the committee, must as soon as he or she becomes aware of that
interest, disclose the nature and extent of his or her interest to the Committee and
not take part in any deliberations or decisions of the Committee with respect to that contract. The Secretary must record the disclosure in the minutes of the meeting of the Committee
(8) The secretary must give each member of the Committee at least 48 hours notice of
the date, time and place of every Committee meeting, ordinary or special, provided
that any member may waive the necessity of notice to himself/herself
(9) The Secretary will immediately convene a Special Meeting of the Committee if directed to do so -
(i) by the President; or
(ii) by written requisition signed by three(3) members of the Committee stating
in that request the purpose for which the special meeting is required.

23 Committees
The Committee may appoint sub committees for such purposes and with such powers as it thinks fit; the President will be an ex officio member of all committees.

24 Disciplinary Powers of the Committee
(1) The Committee may of its own volition or upon receipt of a complaint in writing hold an enquiry concerning the conduct of any member and may in its discretion and without giving any reasons for its decision, expel, suspend, caution, or otherwise deal with such members as it thinks fit.
(2) The member concerned will have the right to be heard by the Committee before its
decision is made.
(3) If the Committee decides to expel the member, the member may by notice in writing to the Secretary within seven (7) days of the communication to him/her of the decision of the Committee refer the decision without delay to a general meeting, but the decision of the Committee to expel will prevail unless reversed by resolution of the majority of those present and entitled to vote at the meeting; if so reversed the expulsion will become void.

25 Additional Powers of the Committee
(1) Without affecting the generality of the powers conferred upon it by this Constitution or by the law or otherwise, the Committee will have the following additional powers, authorities and discretions:
(a) To control the finances of the Club
(b) To purchase, lease, hire or otherwise acquire or dispose of any real or personal property, provided that should the Committee form an intention to acquire or dispose of property, or incur an expense in excess of $5,000 (five thousand dollars) which sum will be adjusted annually on 1 July in line with the Consumer Price Index (all groups) as published in August of each year the Committee must publish notice of its intention on the notice board of the club premises for a period of ten days (10) prior to the acqusition, disposition or expenditure; and if in response to this notice the members will call a General Meeting pursuant to Rule 28 the Committee will not proceed with the acquisition or expense withour first having obtained the approval of at least half the members present, and entitled to vote and voting at the meeting.
(c) To borrow or raise upon loan any sum or sums of money and for the purpose of securing repayment thereof to execute or give any mortgages, charges, bonds, debentures, bills of exchange, promissory notes or other securities over all or any of the property of the Club as may be deemed necessary and to liquidate, redeem or pay off such obligations and securities or any of them.
(d) To invest and deal with the monies of the Club not immediately required upon such securities and in such manner as may be from time to time determined.
(e) To authorise the affixation of the Common Seal of the Club documents requiring to be executed by the Club under seal provided that all documents to which the Common Seal is affixed will be signed by the duly authorised person or persons in whose presence the seal is affixed.
(2) Unless the Committee otherwise directs the persons so authorised are any two of the
President, the Treasurer and the Secretary
(3) The Secretary will have custody of the Common Seal

GENERAL MEETINGS

26 Quorum and proceedings at general meetings
(a) The President will preside if present; in his or her absence the Vice President if present will preside; in the absence of the President and the Vice President those present and entitled to vote will elect a Chairperson
(b) 25 members present in person and entitled to vote will form a quorum.
(c) The Chairperson will have a casting vote as well as a deliberative vote.
(d) The Chairperson may with consent of a general meeting at which a quorum is
present and must, if so directed by such a general meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time.
(e) All voting will be by a show of hands.
(f) An ordinary resolution put to the vote will be decided by a majority of votes cast by
a show of hands.
(g) A special resolution put to the vote will be decided by a majority of not less than three
fourths of the members of the Club who are entitled to vote in person or by proxy

27 Annual General Meeting
(a) The Committee will each year fix a date as soon as convenient after 1 July for the Annual General Meeting but in any event within 4 months after the end of the Club's
financial year.
(b) The Secretary will give each member at least fourteen (14) days notice of the date, time and place of the meeting.
(c) The order of business at the meeting shall be:
(1) The confirmation of minutes of previous meetings requiring confirmation (2) The President's report
(3) The Treasurer's report which will contain a duly audited statement of
receipts and expenditure and balance sheet showing all assets and liabilities The Treasurer's report will be available to members for inspection.
(4) The election of a patron and an honorary auditor
(5) The declaration of the election of the Comittee
(6) Any other business set out in the notice to members

28 Special General Meetings
(a) The Secretary will immediately, but in any event within 30 days of receiving a notice convene a Special General Meeting if directed to do so -
(i) by resolution of the Committee; or
(ii) by written requisition signed by at east 25 members of the Club; such
resolution or requisition will specify the purpose or purposes for which
the meeting is to be convened.
(b) The Secretary will give each member at least fourteen (14) days notice of the date, time place and purpose or purposes of the meeting unless the meeting is to
consider an amendment of the Constitution by special resolution in which case the notice will be at least twenty one (21) days.
(c) No business will be considered at such meeting other than business relating to the purpose or purposes for which the meeting has been convened.

29 Voting rights of members of the club
(1) A member in this Rule called ("the appointing member") may appoint in writing
another member who is a natural person to be the proxy of the appointing member and to attend and vote on behalf of the member at any special or general meeting.
(2) Each member present in person or by proxy at a special or general meeting is entitled
to a deliberative vote
TOURNAMENTS

30 All events and tournaments will be conducted under the International Code Laws of Contract Bridge and Laws of Duplicate Bridge subject to such supplementary regulations as the Committee may make.

31 No member will conduct or be concerned in the conduct or control of any event, instruction or function of any sort purporting, expressed or held out to be under the auspices or authority of the Club except with the prior approval of the Committee and subject to such terms and conditions imposed by the Committee

THE CONSTITUTION

32 Notice of Rules
(1) All members of the Club are bound by these Rules and are deemed to have notice of it.
(2) A copy of the Rules as amended from time to time will be posted by the Secretary on the general notice board.
(3) The Secretary will provide copies to any member upon request and payment per copy of such amount as the Committee from time to time determines.

33 Amendment of the Rules
(1) These Rules may be amended or rescinded only by a special resolution at a general meeting or a special general meeting but not otherwise in accordance with the Act.
(2) Within 1 month of the passing of a special resolution altering its Rules, the Club must lodge with the Commissioner notice of the special resolution setting out
particulars of the alteration together with a certificate given by a member of the
Committee certifying that the resolution was duly passed as a special resolution and
that the rules as so altered conform to the requirements of the Act.
(3) An alteration of the Rules does not take effect until Rule 33(1) is complied with. (4) An alteration of the Rules which has the effect of changing the name of the Club and or the objects and purpose of the Club does not take effect until clause
33(1) and 33(2) and 33(3) are complied with and the approval of the Commissioner
is given to the change of name

34 Liquor Licence
Within fourteen days (14) after the making of any amendment or alteration to the Rules
of the Club, the Committee will send or deliver to the Director, Liquor Licensing
Division a certified copy of the amendment or alteration.

35 Common Seal of the Club
(1) The Club must have a common seal on which the corporate name appears in legible
characters.
(2) The common seal must not be used without the express authority of the Committee
and every use of the common seal must be recorded in the minute book.
(3) The affixing of the common seal of the club must be witnessed by any two of the
President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.
(4) The common seal of the Club must be kept in the custody of the Secretary or of such
other person as the Committee from time to time decides.

36 Interpretation of the Rules
The Committee will be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Rules, and the decisions of the Committee on questions of interpretation will be final and binding on all members.

37 Dissolution
(1) The Club may be dissolved or wound up by a resolution at any General or Special Meeting called for such purpose.
(2) If upon the dissolution or winding up of the club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same must not be paid to or distributed amongst the members of the Club but will be given or transferred either:
a. to some other body having similar objects, and which is not carried out for
the purpose of profit or gain to its individual member, or
b. to some other charitable object or objects; such body or charitable objects will be selected by the members of the club at or before the time of dissolution or winding up provided that in default thereof or if in so far as effect cannot be given to such determination then payment or distribution will be made as directed by a Judge of the Supreme Court