Southport Chess Club

Southport Chess Club Rules

• The Club shall be known as The Southport Chess Club.
• 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.
• 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 Representative and up to three Committee members. The committee shall be empowered to co-opt members to fill any vacancy.
• A quorum shall consist of at least ten members for a General Meeting, and at least half the Committee members for a Committee Meeting.
• The Committee may appoint sub-Committees as it thinks fit and may delegate such powers to sub-Committees as it thinks fit.
• 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 General Meeting.
• A special General Meeting, of which seven days notice (stating its purpose) must be given to all members, may be called by the President:

• 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 therefore.
• Anyone introduced by a member may visit the Club and use the equipment on not more than three occasions in any one season, and the fee (as determined by the Committee) for each occasion shall be payable to the Treasurer or any officer of the club before play commences.
• The Club Subscription shall be determined at each Annual General Meeting, and shall be due for payment on the 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.
• Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Committee may appeal to an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club, to be called by the President after the receipt by him of a requisition signed by not less than six members of the Club in accordance with Rule 7, such requisition to be received by the President within 14 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.
  Save as aforesaid, the decision of the Committee shall be final and binding, and no person shall have the right of appeal against the decision of an Extraordinary General Meeting either to a court of law or otherwise.

Misconduct:

• If there shall be brought to the notice of the Secretary:

  • 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;
  • Any intentional or flagrant breach of the rules of the Club by a member;

  Then and in either of such cases the Secretary shall call a Special Meeting of the Committee of which five clear days' notice at least, in writing, shall be 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 to resign from the Club, or in the alternative to expel such member therefrom upon such terms as they think proper.

No alteration of Rules may be made at a General Meeting unless fourteen days notice of the intention to propose an alteration has been given to all members.

Southport Chess Club By-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 10 p.m. on the last Monday in April of each year, or such earlier time as the Tournament Rules may dictate. Any player not completing 50% or more of his games in the Club Championship shall have his score deleted, and also his opponents scores.

• Members using equipment are responsible for seeing that it is put away safely in the cupboard, when they have finished using the equipment.
• No member who is in arrears with his subscription shall be permitted to represent a Club Team.