Greenville Chess Club - Club Constitution

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Constitution

The Greenville Chess Club Constitution

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

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.

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:

United States Chess Federation (USCF)
World Blitz Chess Association (WBCA)
American Postal Chess Tournaments (APCT)
Federation Internationale Des Echecs (FIDE)(International Chess Federation)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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