Western Arkansas Bridge Association

A.C.B.L. – Unit 247

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

Election of Directors

Section 1. The Unit shall be divided into districts and each district shall elect one or more members to the Board of Directors, in November or December.

Section 2. The Board of Directors may change the districts if two-thirds of the members approve. Section 3.  Board members will be elected for two years, except in the election for the 1981 board when position number one, three, and five will be for a one year term.

Section 4.  Districts and number of Board Members from each area are defined as follows:

Area One                   Benton and Carroll Counties

  • Benton County – Two (2) Members
  • Carroll County – One (1) Member

Area Two                   Washington and Madison Counties

  • One (1) Member

Area Three                Boone, Marion, Newton and Searcy Counties

  • One (1) Member

Area Four                  Baxter and Stone Counties

  • Two (2) Members

Area Five                  Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Pope, Sebastian, Logan, Yell, Scott, Poke and Montgomery Counties

  • Two (2) Members

Section 5. The nominating committee shall recommend a person in each area for each position to be filled. The committee will be a three person committee appointed by the President and to have a report ready by November 1. The committee may have only one board member on it and may not nominate themselves.

Section 6. Any member may run for a position on the board by presenting a petition with twenty signatures of members in good standing and have it in the secretary’s hands by November the first. (Must live in area)

Section 7. The election will be by mail when more than one person is running for a position. When only one person runs for a position the election may be held at a club in each area or at the general meeting.  If a ballot is used the names will appear on the ballot without differentiation.

Section 8. The President and Vice-President shall be elected by the membership for a period of two years.

Section 9. The Board may elect one of its members to serve as the Secretary-Treasurer or may elect to hire or appoint someone for these duties.

Section 10. Any member of the board shall be eligible for re-election.

Section 11. The Board may appoint someone to fill an un-expired term of a board member who moved from the area or one who misses three board meetings in a row.

Section 12. The Board may ask for a recall election of the President or Vice-President when seventy-five percent of all members vote for a recall. The general membership may remove a President or Vice-President from office when sixty percent or more of the members voting by mail, vote to remove the officer.

ARTICLE II Meetings

Section 1. The annual meeting of the members of the Unit shall be held during a tournament selected by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. The Board of Directors may meet at each tournament in the Unit, at a time an place specified by the President.

Section 3.  Special meetings may be called by the President; or upon written request of not less than a majority of the Board of Directors; or upon request of not less than five per cent of the members of the Unit.

ARTICLE III Membership

Section 1. Annual membership dues shall be that specified by the A.C.B.L. for the period beginning January first of each year, and ending December thirty-first of that year.

Section 2.  Members joining at any time during the year shall be required to pay dues for the current year.

Section 3. All Unit members will be listed within the American Contract Bridge League, which automatically shall make them members of the League. Application for membership may be made through the officers of the member chapters of the Unit, or of the Unit’s Secretary, directly.

Section 4.  The privileges of members of good standing shall be as follows:

  1. To vote in person at the annual meeting for the election of members for the Board of Directors:
  2. To participate in any tournament and other activities conducted by the Unit and the American Contract Bridge League:
  3. Each member shall be eligible to election as a member of the Board of Directors of the Unit, or for appointment as a member of any of its committees, subject to the restrictions hereinafter imposed.

Section 5. A member shall be considered in good standing if his dues for the current year are paid and he is not under suspension, either in the American Contract Bridge League or the Unit.

Section 6.  Subject to the restrictions contained in the Constitution, the Board of Directors may, at their discretion, revoke in the Unit, or may suspend it for a definite or indefinite period of time.

ARTICLE IV Board of Directors

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the duly elected nine members, the President, the Vice-President and the retiring President.

Section 2. Among the powers conferred upon the Board of Directors are:

  1. To discuss and decide on the general policies pertaining to the Unit.
  2. To initiate amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, as herein provided.
  3. To fix all dates and locations of the tournaments conducted and promoted by the Unit.

Section 3. The Board of Directors is the governing body for the Unit and the President is the executive head who puts into operation and carries out the Board’s instructions.

Section 4. Voting by proxy is not permitted at Unit Board of Director meetings.

ARTICLE V Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. He shall supervise the management of the affairs of the Unit, and perform all other duties incidental to his office. He shall be a member ex-officia of all committees, and shall be Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President during his absence, or during his inability for any legitimate reason to act.

Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have the care, custody of, the responsibility for all funds, securities and property of the Unit, and shall deposit the funds in such bank as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer 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 of the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the books and records of the Unit, including minutes of all regular and special meetings, and shall handle all official and such other correspondence as he may be ordered to conduct by the President or the Board of Directors, and he shall perform all such other duties as may be incidental to his office.  The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer may be delegated to an employee or appointee who does not have to be a member of the Board or Unit.

ARTICLE VI Compensation of Officers

Section 1. The Board of Directors is hereby specifically empowered to fix compensation to be paid to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Unit, the amount to be fixed to be within the discretion of the Board of Directors, and at such time in the future that the Board of Directors deems it advisable.

Section 2. The Board of Directors is hereby specifically empowered to fix compensation to be paid so that the President and Vice-President may attend District 15 Board Meetings.

ARTICLE VII Standing Committees

Section 1. The following standing committees shall be appointed by the President:

  1. A Tournament Committee to plan, arrange and exercise general supervision over Sectional and other tournaments conducted or sponsored by the Unit.
  2. A Conduct and Ethics Committee to receive and inquire into any complaint or charge against any member involving conduct or ethics at any tournament and to report its findings of fact and its recommendations to the Board of Directors for such action as the Board shall consider proper and to the best interests of the Unit and the game.
  3. A Membership Committee to stimulate interest among new players, increase the membership.
  4. A Publicity Committee to publicize the Units tournament activities and the advantages of membership in the Unit.
  5. An Executive Committee. This committee shall consist of three(3) members of the Board of Directors of the Unit. The functions of this committee shall be those of a steering committee with whom the President shall confer on all current matters as they may arise which require a collective discussion and prompt decision. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Committee and the other two members shall be appointed by the President. As a matter of expediency and for practical purposes, the personnel of this committee shall be centralized so that they may be available on short notice. Among the powers hereby conferred upon this committee are: to suspend, censure, drop or expel any member for conduct improper and prejudicial to the welfare and reputation of the Unit, subject to the restrictions set forth in the Constitution.

ARTICLE VIII Order of Business

Section 1. The Order of Business shall be as follows:

  1. Reading of Minutes of previous meeting
  2. Treasurer’s Report
  3. Correspondence
  4. Reports of Officers
  5. Reports of Committees
  6. Unfinished Business
  7. Old Business
  8. New Business
  9. Elections
  10. Resolutions

ARTICLE IX

Rules of Order

Section 1.  Roberts Rules of Order, revised, shall be accepted as the governing authority for this organization in all matters not specifically covered by the Constitution and By-Laws.

ARTICLE X Quorum

Section 1.  Four (4) per cent of the membership of the Unit in good standing shall be considered as a quorum for the transaction of business. Six (6) members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE XI

Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to the By-Laws may be made in the manner provided in article V of the Constitution.

Section 2. The concurrence of two-thirds (2/3) of all members present and voting shall be required to pass an amendment.