CENTRAL PENN BRIDGE UNIT 168
AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall
be the Central Penn Bridge Unit 168.
ARTICLE II: PRINCIPAL OFFICE
The principal office of this
organization shall be
from time to time, be designated by
the members of the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSES
The purposes of this organization are:
A.
To preserve and promote the best interest of, and to stimulate
interest in, the art of playing competetive duplicate contract bridge
and modifications thereof;
B.
To cooperate with and assist the American Contract Bridge League in
the promotion and conduct of contract bridge tournaments.
C.
To encourage the highest standards of conduct and ethics by its
members, and to enforce such standards.
D.
To promote the development and organization of affiliated clubs
within the Unit
E.
To cooperate in the American Contract Bridge League's Charity
Program, and to sponsor and conduct Charity events with the object of
realizing funds to be devoted to worthy humanitarian causes; and
F.
To conduct such other activities as may be in keeping with its
principal objectives.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
The jurisdiction of this Unit shall include:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Section 2
All Unit members will be listed
with the American Contract Bridge League, which automatically shall
make them members of the Unit. Each member of the Unit shall be
considered a member of the area in which his place of residence is located.
Section 3
Members shall meet the requirements
of the standards and conduct set forth by the American Contract
Bridge League.
Section 4
The privileges of the members in
good standing shall be as follows:
(a)
To vote in person at the annual meetings for the Board of Governors,
and on any matter placed before the membership for a vote at any
annual or special meeting of the members.
(b)
Each member shall be eligible to election as a member of the Board
of Governors of the Unit or for appointment as a member of any of its committees.
Section 5
For the purpose of the above
section of the By-Laws, a member shall be considered in good standing
if his/her dues are paid for the current year and he/she is not under
suspension either in the American Contract Bridge League or the Unit.
Section 6
Subject to the restrictions
contained in the Constitution, By-Laws, and Regulations of the
American Contract Bridge League, the Board of Governors may, at their
own discretion, revoke membership in the Unit, or may suspend it for
a definite or indefinite period of time.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
The annual meeting of the members
of the Unit shall be held in the month of October, November, or
December at a time and place designated by the President or Board of Governors.
Notice by mail of such meeting shall be given by the Secretary at
least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting. Such notice shall
include the nominees for the Board of Governors chosen by the
nominating committee pursuant to the provisions of Article VII and
shall also include any proposed amendments to the By-Laws proposed by
the Board of Governors under the provisions of Article XV.
ARTICLE VI: GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
The Unit shall be divided into five
geographic areas, determined by proximity to the following
metropolitan areas:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS
Section 1
Each area shall elect at the annual
meeting, by majority vote of its members present, the members of the
Board of Governors to which it is entitled under Section 2, below. A
Governor so elected shall serve a term of three years. No one who has
been elected to, and has served a term of three years shall be
eligible to succeed himself/herself by re-election.
Section 2
(a) Each area shall be
entitled to elect from its members one (1) Governor for
the Board and, in addition thereto, one(1) Governor for each 100
members
or major fraction thereof. Approximately one-third of each
areas repre-
sentatives shall be elected each year..
(b) The number of
Governors to which area shall be entitled shall be
determined by the area's membership status as of March 31st
of each year.
Section 3
(a)
On or before May 15th of each year, the President shall
appoint a nominating committee of at least five(5) members to include
at least one from each area of the Unit, whose duty it shall be to
select a nominee for each position of the Board of Governors to which
a member of the Unit is to be elected.
(b)
The list of nominees proposed by the nominating committee shall be
posted thirty (30) days prior to the election in the various clubs of
the Unit.
(c)
Nominations shall be permitted from the floor, but five (5) members
of any area may nominate a member from their area by submitting his
name, in writing, to the Secretary, at least fifteen (15) days prior
to the election meeting.
(d)
Newly elected members of the Board of Governors shall assume their
duties immediately following the annual meeting.
(e)
Newly elected or approved Officers shall assume the duties of their
respective offices at the beginning of the new year.
Section 4
Immediately following the annual
meeting, the Board of Governors shall meet for the purpose of
electing a President, two (2) Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a
Membership Chairman, and for the purpose of approving the
appointment of a Secretary. Only members of the Board and
persons having served three (3) years on the Board shall be
eligible for election as President;
provided, however, that no one shall serve more than two (2)
successive terms as President. The Vice-Presidents, who shall
not be from the same area as the President, shall be elected from the
membership of the Unit. Subject to the aproval of the Board,
the President shall appoint from the Membership of the Unit, a
Secretary and a Unit Tournament Coordinator. One person may not
hold two (2) or more of the offices.
ARTICLE VIII: THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Section 1
The Board of Governors shall
consist of members elected as specified in Article VII, and
in addition thereto, any and all unit members of either the National
Board of Directors or of the National Board of Governors of the
American Contract Bridge League or who are current officers of
District 4 plus the immediate Past President, President, Treasurer
and and Membership Chairman of the Unit, if they are not elected
members of the Board.
Section 2
Among the powers conferred upon the
Board of Governors are:
(a) To acquire, hold,
administer, and maintain the property of the Unit;
(b) To appropriate the
funds of the Units for the Unit purposes;
(c) To engage employees
and discharge same at will; to supervise their
conduct and fix their compensation;
(d) To audit all receipts
and disbursements of the Unit;
(e) To conduct Tournaments
under the sanction of the American Contract
Bridge League; select the times and places for holding such
Tournaments,
and determine the entrance requirements of the participants therein;
(f) To decide on the
general policies of the Unit;
(g) To elect officers of
the Unit;
(h) To propose amendments
to the By-Laws;
(i) To set the
number of members of the Board of Governors.
Section 3
In the event of a vacancy occuring
on the Board of Governors caused by a member of the Board assuming
the office of President, by death, or for any other reason, the Board
of Governors shall have the authority to elect a member from that
geographical area of the Unit to fill the unexpired term or vacancy.
Section 4
Whenever a member of the Board of
Governors misses three (3) meetings within a calendar year, the
Secretary shall report the same to the Board at which time the seat
of the member shall be deemed to be vacated unless the Board shall
determine, by majority vote, that because of extenuating
circumstances, the member shall remain on the Board. No person so
removed from the Board shall be eligible for election to the Board
for a period of one (1) year.
ARTICLE IX: DUES
The annual dues for membership
shall be that amount collected by the American Contract Bridge League
and rebated to the organization as Unit dues.
ARTICLE X: DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
Section 1
The President shall preside at all
meetings of the Board of Governors. He/she shall
supervise the management of the affairs of the Unit, and perform all
other duties incidental to his office. He/she shall be a member
ex-officio of all committees, and shall be Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Section 2
The First and Second
Vice-Presidents shall, in rotation, as occasion may arise, assume the
duties of the President during his absence, or during his inability
for any legitimate reason to act.
Section 3
The Secretary shall keep the books
and records of the Unit (except membership records), including the
minutes of all regular or special meetings, and shall handle all
official and such other correspondence as he may be ordered to
conduct by the President of the Board of Governors.
Section 4
The Treasurer shall have the care,
custody of, and the responsibility of all the funds, securities, and
property of the Unit and shall deposit such funds in a bank
designated by the Board of Governors. He/she shall keep
accurate books of account of all receipts and disbursements, and
shall submit a financial report at the Annual Meeting, and at such
other times as may be required by the President or the Board of
Governors, and shall perform all such other duties as may be
incidental to his office.
Section 5
The Membership Chairman shall
process membership applications and dues payments, as necessary,
maintain membership records, keep current the mailing list of the
Unit membership, and perform such other duties as may be incidental
to his/her office.
Section 6
The Unit Tournament Coordinator
shall, in conjunction with Tournament Chairpersons, decide on
dates for Unit Sectional Tournaments, schedule Unit special events,
Unit games, Unit-Wide games, so that there is no conflict with nearby Tournaments.
All decisions of the Unit Tournament Coordinator must be
approved by the District Four Tournament Coordinator.
ARTICLE XI: COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS
The Board of Governors
is hereby specifically empowered to fix compensation to be paid to
the Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chairman of the Unit,
the amounts to be within the discretion of the Board of
Governors, and the ability to pay.
ARTICLE XII: ORDER OF BUSINESS
The order of business shall be as follows:
1. Reading of minutes of
previous meetings
2. Treasurer's report
3. Correspondence
4. Reports of Officers
5. Reports of Committees
6. Unfinished business
7. New business
8. Elections
9. Resolutions
ARTICLE XIII: CONDUCT OF MEETING
The rules contained in the current
edition of Robert's Rules Of Order Newly Revised
shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this
Constitution and By-Laws and any special rules of order the
organization may adopt.
ARTICLE XIV: SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings of the membership
may be called by a majority vote of the members of the Board of
Governors or upon a petition of ten percent (10%) of the members of
the organization. The Secretary shall provide at least thirty
(30) days notice of such special meetings in writing to all
members of the organization and shall provide a copy of such notice
to each club of the Unit for posting. No business shall be transacted
at a special meeting of the Membership except that for which notice
has been given.
ARTICLE XV: AMENDMENTS
Section 1
Amendment of the By-Laws of the
Unit may be proposed by any of the following:
(a) The Board of Governors
at a regular or special meeting, two-thirds (2/3)
of those present concurring.
(b) The membership of the
Unit at a regular or special membership meeting,
two-thirds (2/3) of those present concurring.
Section 2
Proposed amendments shall be
provided to each club of the Unit for announcement and posting and
shall be voted on at the next regular or special membership meeting
held not less than thirty (30) days after provision thereof, and
upon two-thirds (2/3) of those present concurring
shall become a By-Law of the Unit.
ARTICLE XVI: DISSOLUTION
This organization shall be
dissolved and its affairs wound up by a majority vote of the
organization's members at a duly organized meeting of the membership.
In the event of dissolution, the property of the organization shall
be distributed to the ACBL Charity Foundation, Inc.
As Amended