(As
adopted by the General Meeting of the Association 9 October
1982 and amended by the Annual General Meetings held:
23
March 1985, 22 March 1986, 14 March 1992, 15 March 1997, 13
March 1999, 17 March 2001, 2 March 2002 and 20 March 2004).
1.
NAME
The
name of the Association shall be: "Braille Chess Association"
(hereinafter referred to as "the Association").
The
registered address of the Association shall be the address
of its Secretary.
The
Association shall be affiliated to:
The
British Chess Federation.
The
British Postal Chess Federation.
The
International Braille Chess Association.
The
Association may affiliate to any other body whose Objects
are compatible with those of the Association, such an affiliation
to be determined by a simple majority of those present and
voting at a properly convened General Meeting of the Association.
The
Association shall be guided in all its activities by the principles
of equality and non-discrimination on racial, religious or
political grounds.
The
Association's financial year shall run from 1st October to
30th September.
2.
OBJECTS
The
Objects of the Association shall be the furtherance of education
amongst the blind in relation to the game of chess by:
(A)
The promotion of chess tournaments and chess competitions
amongst the blind by over-the-board play, correspondence and
cassette;
(B) The publication and distribution of magazines, books,
reports and other chess literature for its members;
(C)
The provision of a tape service by the distribution on magnetic
tape of any material which is or might be published and distributed
under paragraph B of this Clause;
(D)
The encouragement of the participation of blind chess players
in tournaments and events not limited to the blind;
(E)
The maintenance and development of a library of Braille books
and magnetic tapes for the distribution of chess material;
(F)
The carrying on of any other activity connected with the promotion
of chess among the blind.
3.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership
of the Association shall be open to any visually handicapped
person on application to the Secretary and, subject to Clauses
5, 5B and 6 below, on payment of the first annual subscription,
or appropriate proportion thereof, to the Treasurer.
The
Committee is empowered to refuse an application for membership.
4.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Any
person who is not visually handicapped may apply, or be nominated,
to be an associate member of the association.
Subject
to the provision of this Constitution, and to any resolution
passed by a General Meeting of the Association, an associate
member shall enjoy all the rights and be subject to all the
obligations of an ordinary member of the Association.
5.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP
Any
member or associate member shall, on payment to the Treasurer
of the life membership subscription, become a life member
of the Association.
The life membership subscription shall be an amount equivalent
to ten times the annual subscription for the year of application,
or such other amount as may be determined by resolution of
a General Meeting of the Association.
In
the event of a life member resigning from the Association
no part of the life membership subscription shall be repayable.
5B.
"JUNIOR B.C.A.".
"Junior
B.C.A." will be a section within the overall structure
of the Association.
Membership
of "Junior B.C.A.". will be open to any visually
handicapped person under the age of 21, subject to Clause
3 above. Members of "Junior B.C.A." will be entitled
to all the benefits and subject to all the obligations of
other members of the Association.
When
"junior B.C.A." reaches ten or more members it will
be entitled to elect one of its members to serve on the Committee
of the Association.
6.
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
A
General Meeting may elect one or more honorary members of
the Association.
An
honorary member shall not be obliged to pay a subscription,
but in all other respects shall be entitled to the same rights
and subject to the same obligations as an ordinary member
or, if he or she is not visually handicapped, an associate
member
7.
OFFICERS
The
Officers of the Association shall be:
(A)
Chairman;
(B)
Secretary;
(C)
Treasurer;
(D)
Publicity Officer;
(E) Postal Tournament Director;
(F)
Gazette Editor;
(G)
Cassette Librarian;
(H)
Membership Secretary;
(I)
"Junior B.C.A." Representative;
(J)
Website Co-ordinator.
They
shall be elected by the Annual General meeting, and shall
hold Office until the following Annual General Meeting.
A
retiring Officer shall be entitled to seek re-election, and
any two Offices, other than those of Chairman, Secretary or
Treasurer, may be held by one person.
Any
Officer may have an Assistant appointed for the purpose by
the Committee.
Officers
and their Assistants shall not be entitled to any remuneration,
but shall be reimbursed out of Association funds for their
out-of-pocket expenses.
8.
COMMITTEE
The
Officers together shall constitute the Committee, which shall
meet from time to time for the purpose of discharging the
affairs of the Association, and carrying out its policy in
accordance with the Objects set out in Clause 2 above, and
any resolution passed by a General Meeting.
The
Committee shall have the power to co-opt, and to appoint Sub-committees
for the purpose of discharging any of its functions.
It
may, for any specific purpose, request any member of the Association
to attend any of its Meetings.
The
Committee shall take decisions by a simple majority of those
members present and voting at a Meeting, and in the event
of there being an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have
a second or casting vote.
In
the interval between Meetings of the Committee, the Secretary
may, where a decision is urgently required on any matter,
seek the views of all members of the Committee, and may act
in accordance with the view expressed by the majority. The
action of the Secretary in any such case shall be endorsed
by, and be recorded in the Minutes of, the next Meeting of
the Committee.
All
those attending a Meeting of the Committee shall be reimbursed
in respect of expenses reasonably incurred by them in travelling
to and returning from the place at which the Meeting is held.
A
quorum of the Committee shall be four.
9.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
The
annual subscription shall be fixed by a simple majority of
those present and voting at an Annual General Meeting. The
subscription rates so fixed shall become payable on 1st October
in each year.
If
a member or an associate member, other than a life member,
life associate member, junior member, or an honorary member,
has not paid the appropriate annual subscription within a
period of two months after the date on which it became due
the Committee may terminate his/her membership after giving
that person 28 days' notice in writing of its intention to
do so.
A
person applying for membership or associate membership after
31st March in any year shall pay half of the current annual
subscription to cover his/her membership until 30thSeptember
in that year.
10.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Beginning
with the year 1st October, 1983, to 30th September, 1984,
there shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The
Annual General Meeting shall be held at such place, and on
such date not being later than 30th April in any year, as
the Committee may determine, and it shall be the duty of the
Secretary to notify all members, associate members, junior
members and honorary members of the Association of the date,
time and place of such Meeting.
Notice
in the Association's Gazette shall constitute notice for the
purpose of this Clause.
The
Annual General meeting shall, in addition to electing the
Officers in Clause 7 above, lay down the general policy of
the Association and the manner in which it is to be carried
out. It shall have power to over-rule any decision of the
Committee.
11.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
Upon
receipt of a request by twelve or more members, other than
associate members, the Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary
General Meeting to take place not more than eight weeks after
the receipt of the request; the Secretary shall inform all
members of the date and venue of such Meeting not less than
21 days before such a Meeting is to take place.
12.
PROPERTY OF THE ASSOCIATION
Subject
to Clause 14 below, the ownership of all the Association's
property shall be vested in the Officers for the time being,
who shall hold it as Trustees of the Association.
13.
SECRETARY
The
Secretary shall be responsible for the general running of
the affairs of the Association.
14.
TREASURER
The
Treasurer shall hold all the Association's monies.
He
shall keep them in an account or accounts at a bank or banks
to be nominated by the Committee, and in any other securities
or investments as the Committee may from time to time determine.
Any
such bank account or accounts shall be opened in the name
of the Association, and shall be separate from the Treasurer's
personal bank account.
Monies
shall only be withdrawn from the Association's account or
accounts on the signature of the Treasurer and another Officer
nominated by the Committee.
15.
ACCOUNTS
For
the financial year commencing 1st October, 1997, and all subsequent
financial years, the Association's accounts shall be independently
examined in compliance with the requirements set by the Charity
Commissioners or prepared in such manner as may from time
to time be required by statute.
The
Association's accounts shall be published as soon as they
have been approved by an Annual General Meeting.
16.
AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION
This
Constitution may be amended by a resolution passed by a vote
of those members, other than associate members, present at
a General Meeting.
The
vote must be at least two-thirds of those present and voting
in favour of the resolution before it can be presented to
the Charity Commissioners for ratification.
17.
DISSOLUTION
The
Association may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a majority
of at least three-quarters of members, other than associate
members, of the Association present and voting at a General
Meeting.
Upon
dissolution, the assets of the Association shall be distributed
to any charity for the blind or charities for the blind which
may be approved by the Charity Commissioners.