BRAILLE CHESS ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION
REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 263049
(As adopted by the General Meeting of the Association 9 October 1982
and amended by the
Annual General Meetings held:-
23 March 1985, 22 March 1986, 14 March 1992, 15 March 1997, 13 March 1999,
17 March 2001, 2 March 2002, 20 March 2004, 3 March 2007, 7 March 2009,
5 March 2011, 3 March 2012, 8 March 2014, 17 March 2018, 10
April 2021, 16 March 2024 and 15 March 2025).
1. NAME:-
The name of the Association shall be: "Braille Chess Association" (hereinafter referred to as "the Association").
The registered address of the Association shall be the address of its Secretary.
The Association shall be affiliated to:-
The English Chess Federation.
The English Federation for Correspondence Chess.
The International Braille Chess Association.
Chess
The Association may affiliate to any other body whose Objects are compatible with those of the Association, such an affiliation to be determined by a simple majority of those present and voting at a properly convened General Meeting of the Association.
The Association shall be guided in all its activities by the principles of equality and non-discrimination on racial, religious or political grounds.
The Association’s financial year shall run from 1st October to 30th September.
2. OBJECTS:-
The Objects of the Association shall be the furtherance of education amongst the blind in relation to the game of chess by:-
(A) The promotion of chess tournaments and chess competitions amongst the blind by over-the-board play, correspondence and cassette;
(B) The publication and distribution of magazines, books, reports and other chess literature for its members;
(C) The provision of a tape service by the distribution on magnetic tape of any material which is or might be published and distributed under Paragraph (B) of this Clause;
(D) The encouragement of the participation of blind chess players in tournaments and events not limited to the blind;
(E) The maintenance and development of a library of Braille books and magnetic tapes for the distribution of chess material;
(F) The carrying on of any other activity connected with the promotion of chess among the blind.
3. MEMBERSHIP:-
Membership of the
Association for one year, five years, or the member's lifetime, shall be open
to any blind or partially sighted person on application to the Membership Secretary
and, subject to Clauses 5A, 5B and 6 below, on payment of the appropriate
subscription to the Treasurer.
The Committee is empowered to refuse an application for any class of membership, including the classes referred to in Clauses 4 and 5 below.
The Committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend the membership of any class of member or to exclude any member from any event whom it considers guilty of a breach of this Constitution or of misconduct or offensive behaviour to any other member, visitor or employee, whether at a B.C.A. event or wherever it involves B.C.A. matters.
The member has the right of appeal. This must be made in writing to the Secretary giving the grounds for the appeal within 14 days of the exclusion or suspension. It will be considered by the Committee within 14 days of receipt, and the decision made after due consideration of the written details presented. The Committee may at any time restore membership to or discontinue the exclusion of any such member.
4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP:-
Any person who is not blind or partially sighted may apply, or be nominated, to be an associate member of the Association.
Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, and to any resolution passed by a General Meeting of the Association, an associate member shall enjoy all the rights and be subject to all the obligations of an ordinary member of the Association.
5A. LIFE MEMBERSHIP:-
Any member or
associate member shall, on payment to the Treasurer of the life membership
subscription, become a life member of the Association.
In the event of a
life member resigning from the Association no part of the life membership
subscription shall be repayable.
5B. "JUNIOR B.C.A.":-
"Junior B.C.A." will be a Section within the overall structure of the Association.
Membership of "Junior B.C.A." will be open to any blind
or partially sighted
When "Junior B.C.A." reaches ten or more members it will be entitled to elect one of its members to serve on the Committee of the Association.
5C. AFFILIATED CLUBS:-
Any Club, whose main aim is for the benefit of
Subject to Clause 9 of this Constitution, the annual subscription shall be set, from time to time, by the Association’s Annual General Meeting.
Members of Affiliated Clubs shall be entitled to attend
B.C.A. General Meetings and Affiliated Clubs shall be entitled to cast one vote
for their
Affiliated Clubs and their members shall receive such benefits as, from time to time, are approved by the B.C.A. Committee.
6. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP:-
A General Meeting may elect one or more honorary members of the Association.
An honorary member shall not be obliged to pay a subscription, but in all other respects shall be entitled to the same rights and subject to the same obligations as an ordinary member or, if he or she is not blind or partially sighted, an associate member.
7. OFFICERS:-
The Officers of the Association shall Be:-
(A) Chairman;
(B) Secretary;
(C) Treasurer;
(D) Publicity Officer;
(E) Correspondence Chess Director;
(F) Gazette Editor;
(G) Audio Librarian;
(H) Membership Secretary;
(I) "Junior B.C.A." Representative;
(J) Website Co-ordinator;
(K) Junior Development Officer;
(I) Chair of Tournament Subcommittee.
They shall be elected by the Annual General Meeting, and shall hold office until the following Annual General Meeting.
A retiring Officer shall be entitled to seek re-election, and any two offices, other than those of Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer, may be held by one person.
Any Officer may have an Assistant appointed for the purpose by the Committee.
Save as is permitted by the Charities Act 2006 or any re-enactment thereof, Officers and their Assistants shall not be entitled to any remuneration, but shall be reimbursed out of Association funds for their out-of-pocket expenses.
8. COMMITTEE and TRUSTEES:-
The Officers together shall constitute the Committee, which shall meet from time to time for the purpose of discussing the affairs of the Association, and carrying out its policy in accordance with the Objects set out in Clause 2 above, and any resolution passed by a General Meeting.
The Committee shall have the power to co-opt, and to appoint
Sub-committees for the purpose of discharging any of its functions.
It may, for any specific purpose, request any member of the Association to attend any of its Meetings.
The Committee shall take decisions by a simple majority of those members present and voting at a Meeting, and in the event of there being an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
In the interval between Meetings of the Committee, the Secretary may, where a decision is urgently required on any matter, seek the views of all members of the Committee, and may act in accordance with the views expressed by the majority. The action of the Secretary in any such case shall be endorsed by, and be recorded in the Minutes of, the next Meeting of the Committee.
All those attending a Meeting of the Committee shall be reimbursed in respect of expenses reasonably incurred by them in travelling to and returning from the place at which the Meeting is held.
A quorum of the Committee shall be four.
When the AGM has
appointed a new Committee the tenure of existing Trustees shall cease and each
member of the new Committee who is eligible according to the Charity Commission
rules and is aged 18 or over shall have the right to become a Trustee.
The new Chairman,
Secretary and Treasurer would be expected to become Trustees; other committee
members would have the option of becoming trustees or declining that role.
The new Trustees should
elect a Chair of Trustees and a correspondent to the Charity Commission. If some members of the newly elected committee
have declined the role of being a Trustee, the new Trustees may decide to
invite up to three non-committee members to become Trustees
but the total number of Trustees should not exceed the number of committee
posts elected by the AGM.
All the new
Trustees should continue to act as Trustees until the next AGM has elected the
members of a new BCA committee. The
Trustees may choose to hold a meeting if circumstances arise that cause them to
deem it necessary. A quorum for a
meeting of Trustees shall be four.
Notwithstanding the
normal rules of tenure, a Trustee may cease to hold the status of Trustee if at
a Trustees' meeting a two-thirds majority of the Trustees at the meeting
support a motion that he or she relinquishing his or
her role as a Trustee would be in the Association's best interests. Likewise, a Committee
post holder may cease to hold his or her post if at a Trustees' meeting a
two-thirds majority of the Trustees at the meeting support a motion that he or
she relinquishing his or her post would be in the Association's best interests.
9. SUBSCRIPTIONS:-
The annual,
five-yearly and lifetime subscription fees shall be fixed by a simple majority
of those present and voting at an Annual General Meeting. The subscription rates so fixed shall become
payable on the expiry of a member’s previous subscription, or when a new or
lapsed member wishes to join the association.
If a member, an
associate member, or Affiliated Club, (other than a life member, life associate
member, junior member, or an honorary member) has not paid the appropriate
current renewal subscription within a period of two months after the date on
which their membership expired, the Committee may terminate that person's or
club’s membership after giving that member 28 days’ notice in writing of its
intention to do so.
10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:-
Beginning with the year 1st October, 1983, to 30th September, 1984, there shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such place, and on such date not being later than 30th April in any year, as the Committee may determine, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify all members, associate members, junior members, honorary members and Affiliated Clubs of the Association of the date, time and place of such Meeting.
Notice in the Association’s Gazette shall constitute notice for the purpose of this Clause.
The Annual General Meeting shall, in addition to electing the Officers in Clause 7 above, lay down the general policy of the Association and the manner in which it is to be carried out. It shall have power to over-rule any decision of the Committee.
Occasionally an issue might be considered to be of such importance that consultation needs to involve a wider number of members than those attending the AGM. In such a case, after general consultation, the committee is empowered to carry out a vote via post, telephone or email in order to arrive at a decision. A two-thirds majority would be required to accept a decision.
The committee recognises that members may hold strong views on issues of policy and welcomes free and vigorous debate on such matters.
There is a clear difference between disagreeing with an individual’s view on policy matters and launching a personal attack on that individual. No member will use the AGM to insult any member.
Those attending the AGM who do not observe these standards of behaviour shall be asked to leave the room.
Normally the AGM will be open to members only. Committee members and non-committee members may invite guests and must give the Chair or Secretary as much notice of their intention to do so as is reasonably practical. The decision on whether a guest may attend will be made by the Chair who must satisfy him- or herself that the guest’s attendance at the AGM will not be detrimental to the association and that the guest will not disturb the smooth running of the meeting.
11. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING:-
Upon receipt of a request by twelve or more members, other than associate members, the Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to take place not more than eight weeks after the receipt of the request; the Secretary shall inform all members of the date and venue of such a Meeting not less than 21 days before such a Meeting is to take place.
12. PROPERTY OF THE ASSOCIATION:-
Subject to Clause 14 below, the ownership of all the Association’s property shall be vested in the Officers for the time being, who shall hold it as trustees for the Association.
13. SECRETARY:-
The Secretary shall be responsible for the general running of the affairs of the Association.
14. TREASURER:-
The Treasurer shall hold all the Association’s monies.
He/she shall keep them in an account or accounts at a bank or banks to be nominated by the Committee, and in any other securities or investments as the Committee may from time to time determine.
Any such bank account or accounts shall be opened in the name of the Association, and shall be separate from the Treasurer’s personal bank account.
Monies shall only be withdrawn from the Association’s account or accounts on the signature of the Treasurer and another Officer nominated by the Committee.
15. ACCOUNTS:-
For the financial year commencing 1st October, 1997, and all subsequent financial years, the Association’s accounts shall be independently examined in compliance with the requirements set by the Charity Commissioners or prepared in such manner as may from time to time be required by statute. The Association's accounts shall be published as soon as they have been approved by the board of trustees and certified as examined by an independent examiner. They will be presented at the following AGM.
16. AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION:-
This Constitution may be amended by a resolution passed by a
vote of those members present and voting at a General Meeting, including all
currently serving Trustees whether full or associate members, subject to Clause
17, but excluding associate members who are not serving as Trustees.
The vote must be at least two-thirds of those present and voting in favour of the resolution before it can be presented to the Charity Commissioners for ratification.
17. DISSOLUTION:-
The Association may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a majority of at least three-quarters of members, other than associate members, of the Association present and voting at a General Meeting.
Upon dissolution, the assets of the Association shall be distributed to any other charity for the blind or charities for the blind which may be approved by the Charity Commissioners.