ACBL DISTRICT 13 BRIDGE ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

NAME
ARTICLE I.

This organization shall be incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and shall be referred to as the District 13 Bridge Association (the "District").

PURPOSE
ARTICLE II.

The purposes of this organization shall be

  1. to promote and foster contract bridge throughout the area of the United States referred to by the American Contract Bridge League ("ACBL") as District 13;
  2. to conduct directly, or to assign to a Member Unit (as defined below), such regional tournaments as are allocated by the ACBL to be held within the geographical limits of District 13;
  3. to conduct directly, or to assign to a Member Unit any North American Bridge Championship which the ACBL directs or permits to be held within the geographical limits of District 13;
  4. to conduct such other activities as may be assigned to it by the ACBL, and as may be in keeping with its own principal objectives.


MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE III.

All duly recognized units of the ACBL within the geographical limits of the District as designated by the ACBL from time to time shall be members of District 13 of the American Contract Bridge League ("Member Units"). The initial charter members shall be the Chicago Contract Bridge Association (Unit 123), Greater Milwaukee Bridge Association (Unit 222), and Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Bridge Association (Unit 149).

REPRESENTATION
ARTICLE IV.

  1. The management and direction of the affairs of the District shall be vested in a Board of Directors.
  2. Each Member Unit shall be entitled to: (a) two directors on the District Board for the first 500 members (b) two additional directors for any membership between 501 and 1000 (c) one additional director for membership between 1001 and 1500 (d) one additional director for membership between 1501 and 2000 (e) one additional director for membership between 2001 and 2500 (f) one additional director for membership between 2501 and 3000 (g) one additional director for an fraction of 1000 thereafter.

    Membership calculations and recalculations shall be made biannually as of October in each odd numbered year based on the prior year's calculations. Membership calculations shall be made from the data provided by the American Contract Bridge League. Any change in the number of directors resulting from membership recalculation shall become effective from and after the date of the next Annual Meeting.
  3. Each director on the District Board shall serve a two-year (2) term commencing at the Annual Meeting in odd numbered years and ending just prior to the Annual Meeting held in the next odd numbered year.
  4. Each Member Unit shall appoint its directors in such manner as it sees fit and shall advise the District Secretary of the names of its directors at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.
  5. The District Director shall be an ex-officio voting member of the District Board. The Chairman of the District Disciplinary Committee shall serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the District Board.
  6. Each director shall be entitled to one vote on all questions coming before the Board; this may be cast in person or by written proxy.
  7. Proxies may be delivered with power of substitution and may be discretionary or directed.

OFFICERS
ARTICLE V.

  1. The officers of the District shall be elected from among the directors and shall consist of a President, Vice-president, Treasurer, and Secretary. The offices of Treasurer and Secretary may be combined upon a majority vote of the District Board.
  2. The officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting (defined below) for a term of one year commencing on the date of election and expiring just prior to the next Annual Meeting.
  3. Officers shall be eligible for re-election to their respective positions for a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms.
  4. The duties of the officers are as follows:
    1. The President shall preside over all meetings, take necessary steps to implement the decisions and orders of the Board, shall act on all matters of urgency in consultation with the Executive committee (as provided in Article VII), shall appoint all committee chairmen, and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
    2. The Vice-president shall assume the duties of the President during his/her absence or inability to serve.
    3. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or owing to the District and shall make all necessary payments. The Treasurer shall endorse for deposit all funds of the District in an account in the name of the District, as established by the District Board. All checks on the same shall be drawn by the Treasurer and countersigned by either the President or another member of the District Board so designated by such board for such purpose. The treasurer shall also report at each Annual Meeting on the financial performance during the prior year.
    4. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings, shall give notice of all meetings, shall conduct and preserve correspondence of the District, and shall perform such other duties pertaining to this office as the President of the District Board may require.

MEETINGS
ARTICLE VI.

  1. There shall be a regular annual meeting (the "Annual Meeting") of the District at the site of the regional run directly by District 13 (as opposed to regionals which are delegated to the member units). If District 13 no longer directly runs such a regional, the Annual Meeting shall be held in April of each year. If District 13 directly runs more than one regional, the Annual Meeting shall be held at the earliest of such regionals.
  2. In addition to the Annual Meeting, there shall be such other regular or special meetings as the President may deem necessary or desirable, at places and times fixed by him/her and after due notice to the District Board at least fifteen days prior to said meeting.
  3. Special Meetings of the District Board may be called by 40% of the voting directors by delivery of a written notice to all directors at least fifteen days prior to said meeting.
  4. Presence in person and not by proxy of at least 51% of the directors of the District Board shall constitute a quorum.

COMMITTEES
ARTICLE VII.

  1. The chairpersons of all committees shall be appointed by the President. Only directors on the District Board shall qualify as committee chairpersons except that any ACBL member residing in District 13 may serve as District Recorder or as chairperson of the District Disciplinary Committee or the District Appellate Committee.
  2. The President may authorize any chairperson to select the remaining members of the committee.
  3. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the District plus the immediate past president and the District Director. Its function shall be to execute the decisions and orders of the District Board, to conduct routine administrative matters, and to advise the President on all matters of urgency. The President may call a meeting of such committee at any time and such committee may meet telephonically.
  4. The Tournament Committee shall be responsible for all arrangements for any regional tournaments conducted directly by District 13. The sites and dates of all regional and sectional tournaments, including, but not limited to, GNT's, NAOP's, and Unit annual meetings and dinners, must be reported to and approved by the District Tournament Coordinator, who shall advise the Executive Committee of any conflicts.
  5. The Disciplinary Committee shall be responsible for all arrangements for adjudicating all matters referred to it under the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations, as amended from time to time, including,
    1. matters referred by the District Executive Board;
    2. matters referred by the District Board,
    3. matters referred to it by a Member Unit or appeals from a ruling by a Member Unit's disciplinary committee.
    4. appeals from a ruling of a tournament appeals committee at District 13's regional tournament.
  6. The Appellate Committee shall be responsible for adjudicating all matters referred to it as provided in the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations, as amended from time to time. Such committee may decline to adjudicate any matter it deems to be without merit, frivolous or outside its scope as defined by ACBL regulations.

REGIONALS
ARTICLE VIII.

  1. The first three regionals allocated to District 13 shall be allocated as follows: two shall be allocated to Unit 123 and one in each alternate year to Units 149 and 222. The fourth regional each year shall be run directly by District 13. Any additional regionals allocated to District 13 shall be run as determined by the District Board.

FINANCES
ARTICLE IX.

The District Board shall have the power to assess Member Units for specific contributions as necessary on an annual basis, provided such assessments have been approved by two-thirds of the District Board.

FISCAL YEAR
ARTICLE X.

The fiscal period for District 13 shall terminate on the 31st day of each December in each and every year.

AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE XI.

These By-laws may be amended by a vote of directors, whether in person or by proxy, by vote of two-thirds of the District Board. Such vote may be had at any Annual Meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose. Directors shall receive notice of any proposed amendments at least thirty (30) days in advance of any meeting held to vote on any such amendments.