Constitution

Contents

1. Name

The Association shall be called the Norfolk County Chess Association and hereinafter referred to as NCCA within this document.

2. Work of the NCCA

The object of the NCCA is to organise, encourage and promote adult and junior chess throughout Norfolk, including appropriate surrounding areas, and to represent players and clubs from that area by affiliating to the British Chess Federation (BCF) and the East Anglian Chess Union (EACU).

The NCCA may, subject to resources:

1. organise teams to compete in the EACU Championship;
2. organise competitions between clubs and individuals of all strengths, for which the NCCA shall offer trophies and prizes;
3. organise an annual chess congress also open to players from other counties;
4. organise an annual event for the purposes of deciding the NCCA Individual Champion;
5. publish a newsletter, which is supplied to all subscribing Officers, Vice-Presidents, ordinary subscribers and Club Secretaries.

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3. Membership

Any chess club that has its meeting place in the County of Norfolk, including appropriate surrounding areas, and any other chess clubs as shall be admitted by the NCCA in General Meeting, may (subject to any ruling pursuant to Article 8) affiliate to the NCCA.

Affiliated Club members shall (subject to any ruling pursuant to Article 8) be those members of an Affiliated Club whose names are contained in its official list of members, which must be sent to the Secretary of the NCCA if so requested. If any individual is a member of two or more Affiliated Clubs he shall elect by 30 September each year through which he derives his membership of the NCCA: failing this the appointed Officer of the NCCA may make the election on the individual’s behalf. For the purposes of this (but not the Rules), the individual shall not be deemed to be a member of any other Affiliated Club.

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4. Committee

The NCCA shall consist of Chair, Honorary Life Vice-Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Full Members and members of Affiliated Clubs. It shall elect each year from its members a Committee.

The NCCA shall be governed by a Committee composed of:

1. Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer;
2. such other Office holders as deemed necessary
3. up to six such other members as the AGM shall elect.

The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy occurring during the year and to co-opt up to three additional members.

Committee shall meet three or more times a year.

The Chair shall, if present, be Chair of Committee and shall be responsible for the smooth running of the NCCA, and, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, and subject to any powers specifically reserved to another Officer or Subcommittee, shall have the authority to take such actions as may be necessary to achieve this.

Seven members of Committee shall form a quorum. If within an hour from the time appointed for holding a Committee meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to another day, within 21 days, to be fixed by the Secretary. And if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within an hour from the time appointed for holding the meeting, those members present shall form a quorum. If any Committee member is unable to attend a meeting, he may give any other Committee member a proxy vote in writing to be used as he directs, provided written notification is also given to the Chair. Each member shall have one vote except the Chair who in the event of an equality of votes shall have the casting vote only.

Committee shall manage all tournaments and competitions arranged by the NCCA, and shall, if necessary, appoint Controllers and/or Arbiters.

Any member of the Committee wishing to submit an item for inclusion on the Agenda shall inform the Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting. The Secretary shall give members 14 days notice of the date of each meeting together with an Agenda detailing all items to be discussed and the Minutes of the previous Committee Meeting.

The Secretary of each Affiliated Club shall send to the appropriate Officer any such information concerning membership as Committee may from time to time decide.

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5. General Meetings

The Secretary shall send notice of any General Meeting to all Vice-Presidents, Officers, Committee Members and Affiliated Clubs at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.

The Chair shall, if present, chair any General Meeting.

5.1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of members shall be held on or about the first Friday of June each year.

5.2. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary:

1. upon a resolution of the Committee
2. upon a requisition signed by 20 individual members of affiliated clubs.

Such a resolution or signed requisition shall state clearly the reason for calling such meeting, which shall be the only business transacted at that meeting. The Secretary shall call the meeting within 21 days of the resolution or receipt of the requisition except where the purpose of the meeting is the proposal of a change to the Constitution or the Rules, in which case the meeting shall be called within the month following the notice period specified in Article 11.

A quorum for an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 12 for the purposes of (a) and (b) above, and in the case of (b) above shall include at least ten of the signatories to the requisition. If a quorum is not present within an hour of the time called for the meeting, no further meeting shall be called and the resolution shall be held to be abandoned.

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6. Subcommittees

The NCCA shall elect such Subcommittees as required for the smooth running of the NCCA.

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7. Smoking

Smoking shall not be permitted at any of the following:

General Meetings, Committee Meetings, Subcommittee Meetings and home county matches.

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8. Conduct

The NCCA relies on the good conduct of members and others playing in events organised by it, and appropriate sanctions may be taken against individuals of Affiliated Clubs whose conduct is unsatisfactory or whose actions are detrimental to the NCCA. The NCCA or appointed Subcommittee shall rule on such matters.

Where not specifically covered by the NCCA rules the following shall apply:

1. Any members or an Affiliated Club acting through its Secretary, may notify the appropriate Competitions Controller/Officer in writing of any complaint regarding the conduct of one or more individuals and/or Affiliated Clubs, hereinafter known as the Individual.
2. The Officer concerned shall notify the Individual (the Secretary in the case of an Affiliated Club) in writing of the complaint and ask for their reply to the accusation in writing within 7 days.
3. The Officer concerned shall bring the matter to the attention of the NCCA Committee the Chair of which shall appoint/elect a Complaints Subcommittee. No person involved in the complaint, nor any member of either club, shall sit at any meeting of the Complaints Subcommittee to consider the complaint.
4. A Complaints Subcommittee will be convened and may consider such written and other evidence it thinks fit and may invite any person to submit written evidence, or to appear. The Individual (The Secretary or his nominated representative in the case of an Affiliated Club) shall have the right to submit written evidence and to appear before the Subcommittee.
5. The Complaints Subcommittee may impose sanctions against the Individual to the extent that it finds the complaint to be proved in whole or in part. Sanctions may include (but are not limited to) suspension of or exclusion from membership (for an individual), suspensions or loss of affiliation (for a club), and the exclusion from one or more competitions or teams organised by the NCCA, and may be for a fixed or an indefinite period. The ruling of the Complaints Subcommittee shall be communicated in writing to the Individual (Secretary in the case of an Affiliated Club) within one week of the decision, which shall be final.

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9. Finance

The NCCA’s financial year shall run from 1 May to 30 April.

The assets of the NCCA shall vest in the Treasurer, who shall hold them as trustee for its members. The Treasurer shall keep proper records of the NCCA and shall present a statement of the finances of the NCCA to all Committee Meetings. At the Annual General Meeting, the Treasurer shall present, and report on, audited accounts of the NCCA for the year just ended.

Vice-Presidents (other than Honorary life Vice-Presidents) shall pay annual subscriptions. Affiliated Clubs shall pay affiliation fees and entry fees as determined by the NCCA for club competitions. This shall be paid either in full (for which a discount will be allowed) or by deposit by 31 July with the balance due by 30 September. Fees for competitions other than club competitions shall be paid for before play commences in that competition and no competitor may play unless the entry fee is paid in advance.

The Treasurer shall by 30 September issue each Affiliated Club an invoice for any outstanding dues in respect of the current season’s affiliation and club competition fees. Payment not received by that date would be denied any discount and fees paid after 30 September will incur a 5% surcharge per month or part thereof. Failure to pay before 31 December may be considered unsatisfactory conduct within the scope of Article 8.

(Note the above payments/discount and surcharge were set 03 June 1994 at AGM.)

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10. Trophies

The NCCA shall maintain:

1. Trophies called the Terrett Cup, Silver Knight, Presidents Cup, Bill Nunn Cup, Esso Cup and NCCA Division 3 Runner Up Trophy for the Affiliated Clubs Leagues.
2. Trophies called the Williamson Cup and Williamson Plate for competition on the Knockout principle by Affiliated Clubs Teams.
3. A Trophy called the Norfolk Handicap Rapidplay Trophy for Affiliated Clubs Teams Rapidplay Competition.
4. A Cup called the Norfolk County Individual Championship Cup competed for annually to decide the Norfolk Chess Champion.
5. A Clock called the Baxter Clock to be awarded at the discretion of the Competitions Controller to any team/club not otherwise receiving a trophy.
6. A Trophy called the Norfolk Chess Personality Of The Year to be awarded at the discretion of the NCCA Committee from nominations received.
7. A Trophy called the Captains Rose-Bowl awarded at the discretion of the NCCA County Teams Captains for outstanding achievement or contribution to the County team(s).
8. A Cup called the Austin McDonnell Cup awarded for the best % increase over grade to a senior player in the Norfolk Individual Championship/ Challengers graded under 150.
9. A Shield presented in the memory of the late Peter Vivian awarded to the highest scoring Norfolk registered player in any section of the Norfolk Open.
10. An, as yet unnamed, spare Trophy to be used as and when required by the NCCA Committee.

With the exception of (d), (h) and (i) above, these trophies shall be presented to the winners or their representatives at the AGM following a date set for the completion of the competition, or if this is not practicable, at an occasion suitable by NCCA.

These trophies shall be returned to the NCCA by 30 April immediately succeeding that AGM at which the presentation was made. The holders of the trophies shall be responsible for their safe conduct and return, and in the case of loss or damage to the trophies, shall pay to the NCCA the cost of making good such loss or damage. Failure to return any trophy on time may be considered unsatisfactory conduct within the scope of Article 8.

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11. Amendments

Notice of any proposed amendment shall be put in the form of a resolution, the exact wording of which shall be sent to the Secretary, for consideration by the NCCA Committee as to being proper for an AGM, for inclusion on the AGM Agenda, no later than 14 April.

Either the proposer or seconder of any resolution put before a General Meeting must be present otherwise the motion is automatically lost.

The notice period shall be two months for all other proposals.

Adopted 8 June 2001