Table of Contents
The
Preamble and Mission Statement
The Sanctioning
Bodies
Article
I - The Benefits
of Membership
Section A - Paid
Membership
Section B - Complimentary Membership
Article
II - The Club
Officers
Section A - Nominations and Elections
Section B - The Office of GCC President
Section C - The Office of GCC Vice President
Section D - The Office of GCC Secretary
Section E - The Office of GCC Treasurer
Section F - Malfeasance
Section G - Reasonableness
Article
III - Rated Club
Events
Section A - The Organizer and the Director
Section B - Special Rules for Swiss-Paired Club
Events
Article
IV - The Code of
Conduct
Section A - Adult and Teen Members
Section B - Child Members
Article
V - Committees
Section A - Official Committees
Section B - Unofficial Committees
Article
VI - The Business
Meeting
Section A - The Elements and Format of the Business
Meeting
Section B - The Rules of Order
Section C - Committees in the Business Meeting
Amendments
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The Preamble and Mission
Statement
We, a group of
individuals from the Greenville and
surrounding
areas of upstate South
Carolina,
do ordain and establish ourselves as the Greenville Chess Club (GCC).
It is our
mission and purpose to gather together on a regular basis to enjoy
chess on a
social and competitive level, to promote and participate in chess in
our
schools and community, to provide for our longevity by actively seeking
new
members, to be an active and visible part of our community, to always
be an
organization of good report in the eyes of all who visit or join us,
and to
provide a place of belonging for all who like to participate in the
game of
chess. We do solemnly swear to never refuse membership to anyone based
upon
race, religion, sex, nationality, or creed. All individuals of good
report are
welcome among us for the purpose of more and better chess.
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The Sanctioning Bodies
This
constitution, at many points, refers to sanctioning bodies. These
organizations
officially govern and rate the chess events played under their
auspices.
Furthermore, no one may play in a sanctioned (rated) event unless they
are a
member of the sanctioning body. Several sanctioning bodies exist; here
is a
list of some of the most important ones:
At the time this
constitution was drafted, the GCC has had dealings with only the USCF and the WBCA. It is safe to
assume that
any reference to a sanctioning body in this document refers to one of
these two
organizations. Members of these sanctioning bodies are expected to know
and
abide by the official rules of that organization.
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Article I - The Benefits of Membership
Section A - Paid
Membership
Membership dues
cover from the day of payment to the end of that month the following
year. For
example, if a member paid his/her membership on March 15th, the
membership
would expire at the end of March the following year. A paid club member
may
participate in all of the club's activities and business. If the
membership of
a participant in a club event will expire during the event, the
participant
MUST renew before the event or they will not be allowed to register. An
early
renewal of this kind will maintain the original expiration date so the
member
will not "lose days" on his/her current membership. The cost of
membership for a given year is decided by the elected club officers.
However,
it may be overturned by majority vote of the club members. This section
defines
the benefits that a paid member of the Greenville Chess Club is
entitled to:
- Participation in "members only" club
events.
- A discount on USCF membership.
- Rated chess without having to go the
expense of weekend tournaments.
- Voting and participation privileges in
club business meetings.
- The privilege to run for club office.
- Club mail-outs.
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Section B - Complimentary Membership
It is understood
that while rated, serious chess is the mainstay of a good chess club,
there
will always be those who only play chess on a social level, or just for
fun.
This type of player is not interested in a discounted USCF membership
or
running for club office, they just want to play casual chess. In
recognition of
this, the GCC features a complimentary membership that is free. The
complimentary member will still have his/her information in the club's
records
and receive club mail-outs, but they are not permitted to play in
"members
only" club events and may not participate in the club's business
affairs.
This type of membership requires no renewal, just the one-time
completion of a
membership application.
NOTE: Any
reference to
"members" in this constitution refers to Paid Members only, not
Complimentary Members, unless stated otherwise.
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Article II - The Club Officers
Section A - Nominations and Elections
Nominations, barring unusual
circumstances, are to
be held on the last club meeting in December. They will be in open
forum where
a member states who they would like to nominate for a particular office
out
loud for all to hear. It is optional to require a second motion to the
nomination before it is offered to the nominee. Members have the right
to voice
opposition to any nomination so long as it is done tastefully and in
compliance
to the Rules of Order (see Article VI, Section B - The Rules of Order).
The
nominee has the choice to either accept or decline the nomination. A
nominee
need not be present to be nominated, but the nomination would be
pending the
nominee's acceptance, and it must be accepted before elections if they
are to
appear on the ballot. A nominee has the right to recant an accepted or
declined
nomination, but only one such recantation is permitted and it must be
done no
later than two days before election night.
Elections are to be held on the first
non-holiday
meeting night in January. It will be done by secret ballot. The polls
will open
and close at specific times to be set by the old officers. The polls
will be
closed at exactly the specified moment, at which time, the one or ones
designated to count the votes will be secluded from the rest of the
club
members, not to be disturbed or spoken to until the votes are counted.
A new
counter must be designated if the current counter is interacted
with by anyone in anyway. If possible, a neutral and mutually trusted
individual (preferably a non-member) will count the votes and report
the
results to the club membership no later than the next meeting night. If
no such
person can be found, two club members who are not running for office
will be
appointed by random means. They will both count the votes without
interaction
with one another until they have both finished counting. If both
members
produce the same results, the results are final. If the two turn in
conflicting
results, there will be a recount until both counters arrive at the same
results. The nominees that receive the most votes for their particular
office
has earned the right to hold that office and is required to execute the
duties
of that office for a one year term beginning from election night of the
current
year to election night of the following year. Any nominee who loses an
election
by two votes or less has the right to call for a run off between them
and the
winner, to be held the same night if possible. Counting procedures are
the same
as the full election. The results of the run off are final, no matter
how close
the results.
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Section B - The Office of GCC President
The other
members and club officers of the Greenville Chess Club look upon the
President
for leadership. It is not meant to be a figurehead office, but a highly
functional one. The President is responsible for accomplishing and
promoting
the club's mission through both action and delegation. The President
should be
one who has the future of the club at heart and has ideas to improve
the clubs
efficiency and growth. He/She should also see that the members of the
GCC are
enjoying their experience at the club and work to expand and maintain
that
enjoyment. Below is a list of the general responsibilities of the
President:
- Presiding over the business meetings and
keeping them in order, including yielding the floor to one person at a
time, seeing that all business is presented to the floor, using the
gavel to bring the floor to order, etc.
- Presiding over the officers meetings,
including making an effort to notify all the officers of the meeting
and to remind them to attend.
- Presenting club business to the membership
and officers in a way that encourages input and participation.
- Representing the club in any interaction
with a sanctioning body other than that of tournament director, though
it is recommended that the President be qualified for that as well.
- Delegating the responsibilities for
running the club's affairs to the other officers while preserving some
duties for himself/herself.
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Section C - The Office of GCC Vice President
The Vice
President (VP) of the Greenville Chess Club is very similar to that of
the
President. The VP primarily serves in a "right hand" capacity to the
President, and the two should be able to work together well. While the
VP is
not called upon to preside over meetings, he/she will do so if the
President is
unable to. The VP should be the individual that the most work is
delegated to
by the President, but this is not a requirement. The primary functional
responsibility of the VP is the directing, overseeing, and scheduling
of the
club's events and activities. For example, the VP must produce the club
calendar of events and arrange for all scheduled tournaments to have a
TD and
organizer. The general functions of the Vice President are as follows:
- Serving as Activity Director which
includes preparation of the club's calendar of events, arranging for a
TD and organizer for club tournaments, and seeing that a variety of
activities are evenly spread over the year to appeal to all kinds.
- Answering any questions and addressing any
problems regarding the club's activities.
- Being present at the club's meetings as
much as humanly possible to oversee and observe the various activities
as well as to receive feedback in regard to them.
- Presiding over the business meetings in
the event that the President is unable to do so.
- Assuming the office of President in the
event that office becomes vacant during the term.
- Generally serving as a "right hand" to,
and working closely with, the President to promote and achieve the
club's mission.
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Section D - The Office of GCC Secretary
The Greenville
Chess Club Secretary is a very important role in the club's overall
management.
In general, the Secretary keeps the informational, non-financial
records of the
club as a whole, as well serving as the club's communicator with the
community
and outside business entities. The responsibilities of the Secretary
are as
follows:
- Keeping membership records on all club
members for informational purposes.
- Maintaining contact and dialog with all
advertising entities.
- Either serving as newsletter editor or
appointing the newsletter editor.
- Stuffing envelopes, making and applying
address labels, applying postage stamps, and mailing all club mail-outs.
- Retrieving the clubs mail and e-mail and
bringing it to the club.
- Keeping track of all business contacts
including names and phone numbers.
- Assuming the office of Vice President
should that office become vacant during the term.
- Keeping the minutes at the business
meetings as well as reading the officer's items of business out loud to
the floor.
- Serving as a business contact for the club.
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Section E - The Office of GCC Treasurer
The Treasurer of
the Greenville Chess Club is responsible for managing all aspects of
the club's
financial affairs. This includes, but is not limited to, recording and
reporting on all income, recording and reporting on all transactions
and
expenditures, managing the budget, and having an all-inclusive budget
report
for each member at all business meetings. An individual of integrity
and
accountability, whom the club members know and trust implicitly, must
hold the
office. It should be noted that the Treasurer does not control any of
the
club's spending, he/she only reports on and keeps track of it. The
Treasurer's
input is valued, however, when the spending of money is being
considered. The
following responsibilities apply to this office:
- Keeping the club members and the other
officers notified of the club's financial standing at regular intervals
and upon request.
- Being accountable for all club funds at
all times without prior notice.
- Ensuring that no action is taken with club
funds without the knowledge and approval of the club officers and/or
the club membership.
- Managing the club's bank accounts and
checkbooks.
- Advising the club officers and members
when the use of club funds is an issue.
- Ensuring that all club funds adhere to a
clearly defined budget that is approved by the club members and
managing such a budget.
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Section F - Malfeasance
The officers are
accountable to the club members at all times. In the event that a
number of
club members feel that an officer is not performing his/her duties
properly
and/or ethically, a formal charge of malfeasance must be brought before
the
club when it is officially called to order. A "formal charge" is
defined as a verbal charge, with a second and third motion, given in an
official business meeting, whether it is the regular meeting or a
special
meeting called for the purpose of the charge. In this manner, no less
than
three members may bring a charge of malfeasance; any less than three
members
bringing the charge are out of order and the charge should be stricken
from the
record. If the charge meets these requirements, a representative of the
accusing party is then recognized by the presiding officer to address
the club
on the reasons for the charge for no longer than three minutes. The
meeting
will then recess for five minutes. The accused is then recognized for a
rebuttal time of no more than six minutes. A vote of secret ballot is
taken
immediately following the rebuttal in the presence of both the accused
and the
accusers, both of whom may vote. A vote of Yea
meaning
that the accused is guilty and a vote of Nay meaning the accused is not
guilty.
If the majority vote finds the accused guilty of malfeasance, immediate
discharge from office for the remainder of the term is carried out.
Vacant
offices are then filled as described in the sections defining the club
offices
(i.e. VP becomes President, Secretary becomes VP). If the accused is
found not
guilty, no changes in the club offices are implemented and the charge
may not
be repeated for at least two months. At that time, no more than one of
the
three members bringing the original charge may support the same charge
again.
This is to prevent railroading and mud slinging.
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Section G - Reasonableness
In many places
this constitution makes the statement that "reasonable exceptions
apply". It should be understood that there must be a stopping point for
disputes over what is reasonable. In order to provide for this, it is
the
responsibility of the four elected officers to deliberate and decide on
what is
reasonable should there be a dispute of this nature.
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Article III - Rated Club Events
Section A - The Organizer and the Director
Rated events at
the GCC shall be initiated and managed by a club member known as the
organizer
and a club member, who is certified by the sanctioning body, called the
director. All official responsibilities in these events rest upon one
or both
of these individuals in one capacity or another. Participants in these
events
shall be sufficiently notified of the names of these individuals before
the
start of the event. The amount of advance notification required is to
be
decided by the club officers. The functions of organizer and director
are given
in the following sections, and may be performed by a single certified
director
if no others are able to assume one role or the other. There is a
special
consideration if the director of the event is also a participant and it
is
given below. Also, more than one individual may serve as organizer or
director
so long as those individuals meet the aforementioned requirements.
Part I -
The Functions and
Responsibilities of the Organizer
Any adult
member of the GCC who
is familiar with Article III may be an organizer. The organizer of a
rated
event for the GCC is responsible for the following:
- Conducting all business with the
proprietor of the playing site, including, but not limited to, securing
the site with proper funds, and maintaining all necessary communication
between the GCC and the proprietor.
- Managing and initiating all publicity and
advertisement for the event. This includes ensuring that prospective
players know all the important information about the event, including,
but not limited to, dates and times, entry fee, site address and
contact information. For example, the organizer would be responsible
for sending the Tournament Life Announcement to Chess Life magazine.
- Ensuring, to the best of his/her abilities
and foresight, that the most ideal and professional playing conditions
will be exhibited at the playing site during the event, including, but
not limited to, low noise level, comfortable and adjustable climate,
sufficient space for chess equipment, sufficient and reasonably
comfortable seating, accommodation of players with special needs
(wheelchair access, blind player's equipment etc.), convenient
restrooms, and a lack of overall distraction.
- Establishing the date and time that player
registration for the event will end, and conducting and/or seeing to
the registration of each participant prior to the registration
deadline. The organizer is NOT required or expected to register any
participant after the registration deadline. Registration for the event
is not complete until any and all entry fees as well as any and all
required information is collected from all players. The organizer has
the right, and is expected, to withdraw any player who does not produce
the proper entry fee or required information before the registration
deadline.
- Establishing any and all rules regarding
smoking and/or a designated smoking area.
- Assisting the TD if needed, wherever and
whenever possible, EXCLUDING making any official rulings on the behalf
of the TD in regard to any issues that only the TD is authorized to
rule on. It is the responsibility of both TD and organizer to see that
this exception is enforced.
- Attending the event for all games.
- Adhering to any official rules or
arbitration regarding any of these responsibilities by the event's
sanctioning body.
These listed
responsibilities are meant to serve as guidelines for the organizer. It
assumes
common sense and maturity of all those involved and it is understood
that
reasonable exceptions will apply. Any player complaints regarding these
issues
should be directed, first, to the organizer, then to the TD, then to
the club
officers, then to the sanctioning body as needed until the dispute is
resolved.
In the event of an unresolved dispute the sanctioning body (and/or any
entity
they identify) has final rule. Part II - The Functions and
Responsibilities
of the Director (TD)
An adult club
member wishing to
be a TD must have the certification of the sanctioning body of any
event he/she
wishes to direct. If a TD does not meet with the approval of the club
members,
that TD may be barred from directing any club events by majority vote.
The TD
of a rated event for the GCC is responsible for the following:
- Having a printed copy of the official
rules of the event's sanctioning body present for all games during the
event. The TD is also expected to have a working knowledge of these
rules prior to the start of the event.
- Attending the event for all games.
- Maintaining a character that is mature,
respectful, fair, and above ethical reproach.
- Making a fair and official ruling that is
supported by the sanctioning body in print or by arbitration for all
disputes as soon as a ruling can be made, pending appeal to the
sanctioning body which has final rule in all disputes.
- Maintaining all necessary communication
with the sanctioning body prior to, during, and after the event.
- Being readily available (barring unusual
circumstances) to immediately attend to the player(s) at any board in
any round requiring the intervention of a TD.
- Ensuring that the event crosstable is correct, sending the crosstable and rating fees to the sanctioning
body, verifying that the official crosstable
(the one from the sanctioning body) matches the actual event results,
and correcting any errors in the official crosstable.
- Dealing with any player(s) or factor(s)
causing a disruption to the event.
- Pairing all players for, and properly
recording all results from, all boards in all rounds of the event.
The
Alternate TD
- Ensuring before the event that another
certified, club-approved, TD (called the alternate TD) can stand in
should he/she be unable to perform his/her duties during the event for
any reason, and ensuring that all players will know who the alternate
TD is. The alternate TD has no authority until appointed by the TD to
stand in and should NOT be consulted by any players until that time.
The
following responsibility applies if the TD is also a participant in the
event
that he/she is directing:
- To ensure that the alternate TD (see
alternate TD above) intervenes on any disputes regarding his/her games.
The TD has NO AUTHORITY over such disputes and it is solely the
responsibility of the alternate TD to resolve them. If the TD and the
alternate TD are both participants in the event they are directing and
the possibility exists that the two will play each other, and thus
creating the possibility of a dispute between the two, a second
alternate TD must be designated before the start of the event to
resolve that dispute if necessary. The second alternate must meet all
the requirements for TD stated in this constitution.
These listed
responsibilities are meant as guidelines for the TD. It assumes common
sense
and maturity of all those involved and it is understood that reasonable
exceptions will apply. Any player complaints regarding these issues
should be
directed, first, to the TD, then to the club officers, then to the
sanctioning
body as needed until the dispute is resolved. In the event of an
unresolved
dispute the sanctioning body (and/or any entity they identify) has
final rule.
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Section B - Special Rules for Swiss-Paired
Club Events
There are some
special guidelines that will be adhered to in general for all rated
club events
using the Swiss pairing system that are not addressed specifically in
the
official rule books. This section ties up these loose ends. Reasonable
exceptions to these guidelines will be allowed.
In most chess
tournaments, a missed round without notification
prior to the
start of the event, even under emergency or extenuating circumstances,
constitutes
a loss by forfeit. Ideally, all club players who register and pay to
participate in a club event should make the very best effort to keep
that
commitment by showing up for all rounds. It is understood, however,
that this
is too much to expect of our club members who have other, more
pressing,
concerns outside of the GCC. In round-robin events, missed rounds are
less of a
burden since the pairings are fixed. This is not the case under the
Swiss
system. The TD must have a result for all boards in a round before the
next
round can be paired.
Club members
are asked to pardon
the tone of strictness that these rules exhibit. Prudence demands that
the
rules attempt to address the worst possible scenarios. While most club
members
will not cause many problems, these rules are here to deal with those
who do.
To solve the potential problems in a Swiss event, the following
guidelines are
given to the club tournament directors and all players are expected to
abide by
them without dispute:
- All entry fees must be paid before the
start of the first round. Anyone who has not paid the required entry
fee by this time will be withdrawn.
- The following item has been changed by
Amendment I. It is listed here for historical purposes. At the discretion of the organizer and/or
TD, byes may be requested before the start of the first round. It is up
to the organizer and/or TD to determine how many byes, if any, are
allowed, but they must be requested prior to the start of the event
without exception.
- If one or both players know ahead of time
that an upcoming round will be missed, (assuming that a bye is not an
option) it is the "offending" player(s) responsibility to notify the TD
of the event as far ahead of the missed round as humanly possible.
Failure to notify the TD will allow the game's clock to be started at
the normal time, and both players have one hour from the start time to
show up and begin play. After one hour, the player who has not arrived
receives a loss by forfeit. If neither player shows up by that time,
the game is a double forfeit.
- Players who miss a round are expected to
make the very best effort to make the game up before the start of the
next round so that pairings can be made. The TD is to be kept informed
of this effort at all times by both players. It is emphasized that at
least some effort must be made. "Effort" is defined as communicating
with both the opponent and the TD regarding possible make-up times.
Failure of both players to make an effort to make up the game before
the start of the next round results in double forfeit. If the TD only
hears from one of the players, the TD must assume that the other player
has not participated in any make-up efforts. If one player makes an
effort to make up the game and the other player does not, the player
who neglected their responsibility loses by forfeit.
- If a missed game is not made up before the
next round despite the best effort by both players to do so, then the
players may make the game up at the earliest convenience, so long as it
is made up by no later than one week following the final round.
However, both players will be paired for the next round as winners.
This is to prevent abuse of the system to get weaker opposition and
thus better winning chances.
- If a game is adjourned, the players are
expected to make the very best effort to play out the adjournment
before the start of the next round. The adjourned position MUST be
submitted to the TD at the time of the adjournment. The position is to
be entered into a chess computer program and evaluated. If the players,
despite their best effort, are unable to play out the adjournment
before the next round, they may play the adjournment out at the
earliest convenience so long as it is played out no later than one week
after the final round. In addition, pairings for the next round are to
be made as follows: The computer's evaluation of the adjourned position
is used to anticipate the winner of the game with best play. The side
with a 0.5 pawn unit advantage or greater is paired as a winner since
the computer gives that player the advantage. If the position is
evaluated as dead even or the advantage is evaluated at less than 0.5
pawn units, the players are paired as drawn.
- Players who make up a missed game or play
out an adjournment MUST REMEMBER that a game is not "made up" nor an adjournment "played out" until
the result is reported to the TD no later than the day before the next
round. Failure to do so will force the TD to pair the players for the
next round according to the methods described above.
- Any missed games that are not made up by
one week after the final round will result in double forfeit.
Adjournments that are not played out by this time are ruled as
"abandoned" by both players and also result in a double forfeit.
- Computer evaluations of adjourned
positions are NOT under any circumstances to be revealed to anyone but
the TD(s) of the event. These evaluations should be done with the
strongest computer or software available that uses the pawn unit system
of evaluation.
Players are
strongly encouraged not to make missed rounds a problem where it is
preventable. To skip a game wantonly without regard for the opponent or
the
pairings will not be tolerated. This will, in the very least, result in
forfeiture and may be punishable by withdrawal from the event without
refund
and/or report of the player's name and action to the sanctioning body
for
whatever penalty they see fit to impose.
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Article IV - The Code of Conduct
Section A - Adult and Teen Members
The GCC is
highly concerned about the quality of our membership and the impression
we make
upon those that visit or join us. Therefore let it be known that any
and all
impropriety, malcontent, or contemptible and inappropriate behavior
does not reflect
the standard of conduct for GCC membership. Deliberate persistence in
such
behavior is punishable by revocation of membership and its privileges
indefinitely and authorities will be notified if necessary. It is
expected of
all adult members to be mature, respectful, polite, and obedient of the
rules
at all times, doing unto others only what they would have done unto
themselves,
and continually exhibiting to others the respect and patience that they
would
want for themselves. Members should understand that this code cannot
cover
every possible violation of this general rule. Whether or not a
particular act
is in violation of good, mature, and respectful behavior is at the
discretion
of the elected club officers. The following is a list of guidelines
that
generally outline what is expected of our members, but is not intended
for
rigid interpretation.
- Have respect for any equipment and
property that is not yours to do with as you please. This includes the
opponent's, another member's, or the club's sets, boards, and clocks.
Do not use such items without permission of the owner, as this may
delay the owner in leaving or using them himself/herself. Club-owned
equipment may be used by anyone so long as it is respected.
- Maintain a character that is above ethical
reproach at all times. Expect disciplinary action for any act that is
ruled as unethical by a TD or the club officers.
- Endeavor to be tolerable of other people's
mistakes. It's only a matter of time before you make one of your own.
- Please respect those who are playing
serious, rated chess by keeping as quiet as possible in the playing
area, being sure to only socialize and conduct post-mortem analysis or
non-serious games in areas designated for that purpose.
- Understand that it's impossible to
eliminate all possible distractions in rated play. Members are expected
to bear with them the best they can and refrain from outward
expressions of anger or frustration that may themselves become a
distraction.
- Profanity should not be used, especially
in the presence of children. Open vulgarity and lewdness is not welcome
and will not be tolerated.
- Protests and disputes should be conducted
in a professional, mature, and respectful manner. Any protest that can
be reserved for the business meeting, when the floor is recognized for
business, should be.
- Regarding personal disputes with another
member or individual in attendance; conduct any confrontation with that
individual out of sight and out of earshot of everyone else, preferably
at some time other than a club meeting. Fights and personal arguments
for all to see and hear are an embarrassment to the club as a whole.
The authorities will be called in the event of any violent or malicious
disturbance.
- Common sense and good judgment are
required at all times.
- In rated events, abide by all rulings of
the sanctioning body in print (the rule book) and arbitration, as well
as all rules and stipulations in this constitution regarding rated
play. All members are responsible for knowing them before playing in a
rated event.
- Unreasonable displays of anger and
frustration are inappropriate.
- Let this constitution and your common
sense be your guide. When in doubt about
what is appropriate, consult the club officers.
- The following item was added by Amendment
II The use of
intoxicating substances including, but not limited to, alcoholic
beverages, marijuana and other illegal drugs, is strictly prohibited on
the club premises. Anyone doing so, will be
required to leave immediately and the authorities may be notified with
or without that person's knowledge. While there is nothing to stop
members from consuming intoxicating substances before a club meeting or
off the club premises, intoxicated indivduals
are an embarrasment to the club, and, at
the discretion of the club officers, may be required to leave.
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Section B - Child Members
The GCC welcomes
children 7 years and up to participate in our events and activities and
for
membership. It is understood that children will be children. The code
of
conduct for adults generally applies to children as well, but with
reasonable
lenience. However, any child that persists in deliberate disruption
must have
parental supervision during attendance.
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Article V - Committees
Section A -
Official Committees
The club
officers have the option, if a majority of them agree to do so, to form
committees made up of club members to meet a specific, on-going need of
the
club that would not best be met by neither the officers themselves nor
by
amendment to the constitution. The committee's size, purpose, and life
span are
up to the club officers. The officers pick the members of these
committees and
the officers themselves may serve on them if necessary. The club
members may
not dismiss specific committee members by vote, but may appeal to the
officers
to have specific members removed. The club members may dissolve or
overturn the
forming of an official committee by majority vote. Official committees
may be
recognized as a governing entity at any club business meeting. For more
information on the role of official committees in the business
meetings, see Article VI, Section C - Committees in the
Business Meeting.
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Section B - Unofficial Committees
The club members
themselves may form committees of any size, purpose, or life span of
their
choosing, so long as the committee meets the following standards:
- The committee serves a functional purpose
and is not merely a lobbying group.
- Neither the formation nor purpose of the
committee may lead to divisive or offensive ends.
- No member may be refused membership for
personal, unreasonable, or illogical reasons. This is to prevent
elitism and the formation of cliques.
- The purpose of the committee may not be to
replace or take over club leadership. For guidelines on removing
ineffective or inadequate club leadership, see Article
II, Section F - Malfeasance.
Unofficial
committees have no more authority in club business than it's
individual members. For more information on the role of unofficial
committees
in the business meeting, see Article VI, Section C -
Committees
in the Business Meeting.
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Article VI - The Business Meeting
Section A - The Elements and Format of the
Business Meeting
A business
meeting has two main elements; the officers (consisting of the
President, who
is the presiding moderator, the Vice President, the Secretary, who
keeps the
minutes for the meeting, and the Treasurer) and the floor (consisting
of all
paid members who are not included among the officers). The general
format of a
typical business meeting is as follows:
- Meeting begins when officers are seated
and the moderator calls the floor to order, informing the floor that a
regular business meeting for a specified period is taking place (i.e.
"I call to order the Greenville Chess Club for the regular business
meeting of January.").
- Moderator recognizes the Secretary to read
the minutes from the previous meeting. Once the Secretary has read the
minutes in their entirety, the Moderator asks the floor if there are
any corrections that need to be made to the minutes. If so, the
Secretary is to make note of them. Once this is done (or if there are
no corrections to be made) the minutes are approved by the Moderator.
- Moderator recognizes the Secretary for
items of business from the officers. Any voting or discussion of these
items of business is carried out as needed.
- Moderator recognizes the floor for any
further items of business. Any voting or discussion of the items of
business from the floor is carried out as needed.
- Moderator asks if everyone has a copy of
the Treasurer's report and if there are any questions or discussion in
regard to it. If so, these concerns are addressed.
- Barring any further business, discussion,
or announcements, the Moderator makes a motion that the meeting be
adjourned. The motion must receive a second motion from the floor (not
the officers). Once this is done, the Moderator asks if there are any
that are opposed to adjourning the meeting. If so, any further business
that needs to be addressed is brought to the floor. When this is done
(or there is no objection), the meeting is adjourned.
This format need
not be strictly followed, lest the meeting become a mere rhetorical
formality.
The focus of the business meeting is club business, not a specific
routine or
cycle. It is further noted that the time used in the business meeting
must be
used wisely, and the Moderator is responsible for keeping club business
at the
center of attention and putting a stop to any wasting of time. After
all, the
purpose of having a chess club is playing chess, not long business
meetings.
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Section B - The Rules of Order
The purpose of
the regular club business meeting is primarily to keep the members
informed and
involved in the issues and events that affect the club and it's
well being. In order to achieve this, a strict format will be adhered
to so
that progress can be made and so that the meeting does not turn in to a
"free-for-all". All members are, therefore, required to abide by this
format which is henceforth referred to as the Rules of Order.
The Rules
of Order:
- The presiding moderator, usually the
President of the club, is in charge of the meeting at all times. All
members are to come to order at the moderator's command, which may
include the use of the gavel to quiet a noisy room.
- Only one person, who is recognized by the
presiding moderator, may address the floor at any one time. Any one
else who speaks out while this person has the floor is out of order and
their remarks are not to be kept on record.
- Issues of the club's government are
resolved with proposals. Any member or the club officers may give a
proposal. Once a proposal is given it is put to the floor for approval
for vote by motion. Once the proposal has received sufficient motions,
the moderator will call for a vote by all members in attendance on
whether to enact or reject the proposal.
- Proposals from the members on the floor
require a first and second motion of approval from the floor before the
proposal may be brought to a vote.
- Proposals from the elected club officers
require only a first motion of approval from the floor before the
proposal may be brought to a vote. This is because the members elected
the officers for the purpose of governing the club through such
proposals.
- A proposal is withdrawn if it does not
receive sufficient approval from the floor for vote, or if the member
making the proposal verbally withdraws it.
- Once a proposal is presented to the floor,
whether it is approved for vote or not, no other proposals may be
brought to the floor until the initial proposal is resolved (either
withdrawn or voted on). A counter-proposal may be made to the initial
proposal, but it may not be approved for vote until the initial
proposal is withdrawn. If the initial proposal is approved for vote
(meaning it was not withdrawn) the counter-proposal is withdrawn.
- The moderator is to ask and allow for all
motions, discussion, and questions regarding a proposal before the
proposal is voted on or ruled as withdrawn. Only one question on the
current proposal may be on the floor at any one time. Any other
questions that are presented while the current question is on the floor
are out of order.
- Once a proposal is approved for vote, the
standard voting procedure is, first, a show of hands by all in favor of
the proposal, followed by a show of hands by all opposed to the
proposal. The Secretary is in charge of counting the votes, and may
call for a repeated show of hands to verify his/her numbers. A secret
ballot format may be used if it is deemed necessary.
- Items of business not requiring a vote are
to be preceded by "For information only".
These guidelines
are meant as a standard to keep the business meeting structured,
orderly, and
productive. This should always be kept in mind as the purpose of these
rules,
and they should not be followed to the letter if doing so is
counterproductive.
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Section C - Committees in the Business
Meeting
Committees are
defined and regulated in Article V of this document. Official
committees are
recognized as governing entities and may present proposals to the
floor. Since
official committees are appointed by the elected officers, proposals
from such
committees only require a first motion from the floor to be approved
for vote.
Unofficial
committees are not
recognized as governing entities and therefore may not make proposals
as such.
However, there is nothing to stop the members of such committees from
making
any proposals their committee wishes to make. Such proposals are
considered
proposals from the floor and require a first and second motion from the
floor
before they are approved for vote.
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Amendments
Amendment I
to Article III, Section B
By majority vote of the officers and membership, the text in Article
III,
Section B that currently reads:
At the
discretion of the
organizer and/or TD, byes may be requested before the start of the
first round.
It is up to the organizer and/or TD to determine how many byes, if any,
are
allowed, but they must be requested prior to the start of the event
without
exception.
Should now
read as follows:
At the
discretion of the
organizer and/or TD, byes may be requested before the start of the
fourth
round. It is up to the organizer and/or TD to determine how many byes,
if any,
are allowed.
Amendment
II to Article IV,
Section A
By majority vote of the officers and membership, the following item was
added
to Article IV, Section A:
The use of
intoxicating
substances including, but not limited to, alcoholic beverages,
marijuana and
other illegal drugs, is strictly prohibited on the club premises.
Anyone doing so, will be required to leave
immediately and the
authorities may be notified with or without that person's knowledge.
While
there is nothing to stop members from consuming intoxicating substances
before
a club meeting or off the club premises, intoxicated indivduals
are an embarrasment to the club, and, at
the
discretion of the club officers, may be required to leave.
