REVISED
AND ADOPTED AT CARACAS, VENEZUELA, 2001
ARTICLES
1.
Constitution, Name and Nature
2.
Aims, Objects & Purposes
3.
Jurisdiction
4.
Official Language
5.
Membership
6.
Board of Governors
7.
Power and Duties of Board of Governors
8.
Meeting of the Board of Governors
9.
Officers
10.
Financial Administration
11.
Tournaments
12.
By-Laws
13.
Amendment of Constitution
ARTICLE 1 CONSTITUTION, NAME AND NATURE
1.1 There shall be established a Federation
of National Contract Bridge Organisations (hereinafter referred to as “NBO’s”)
in the geographical area designated Zone 5 by the World Bridge Federation
(hereinafter referred to as “WBF”) to be known as the Central American and
Caribbean Bridge Federation (hereinafter referred to as “CACBF”).
1.2 CACBF shall be a
non-profit organisation and its resources shall be applied exclusively in
furtherance of its beneficial purposes and no part of its resources or earnings
shall inure to the benefit of any private person except in accordance with the
provisions of the By-Laws of CACBF (herein after called the “By-Laws”).
ARTICLE 2 AIMS, OBJECTS AND PURPOSES
2.1
The Aims, Objects and Purposes of CACBF shall be:
(1)
To promote, foster and propagate the game of Bridge
throughout
Zone 5.
(2)
To affiliate and continue to be affiliated with WBF.
(3)
To render assistance in the formation of new NBO’s in
countries within Zone 5 where such organisations do not exist and to affiliate
them with CACBF.
(4)
To devise and administer a Master Point Scheme for Zone 5.
(5)
To advise NBO’s in general on the game of Contract Bridge
played under competitive conditions in countries affiliated with CACBF.
(6)
To participate in any International Master Point Scheme in
keeping with the Aims, Objects and Purposes of this Constitution.
(7) To enter into
bilateral and/or multi-lateral arrangements with other Zonal organisations
particularly with reference to the inter-changeability of Master Points, but
more generally with reference to any matter that may be beneficial to Zone 5
and that is in keeping with the Aims, Objects and Purposes of the Constitution.
(8)
To organise and conduct Tournaments and other Bridge
Contests and events.
(9)
To select teams to represent Zone 5 in the Bermuda Bowl, and
Venice Cup Tournaments and other Tournaments in keeping with the Aims, Objects
and Purposes of this Constitution.
(10) To foster
friendly relations between NBO’s generally.
ARTICLE 3 JURISDICTION
3.1
CACBF shall exercise jurisdiction over the geographical area
designated Zone 5 by WBF from time to time (herein after called the “Zone”).
ARTICLE 4 OFFICIAL
LANGUAGE
4.1
The official language of CACBF shall be English
4.2
Notwithstanding sub-section 1 of this Article the Board of
Governors of CACBF in its discretion may accept texts in other languages as
co-official with the English text provided such texts are duly authenticated.
ARTICLE 5 MEMBERSHIP
5.1
The officially recognised NBO of any country in the Zone
shall be eligible to apply for membership of CACBF in accordance with the
provisions contained in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE 6 BOARD OF
GOVERNORS
6.1
There shall be established a Board of Governors of CACBF (hereinafter
called the “Board”) comprising the officers of CACBF and the members of CACBF,
each represented by a duly appointed representative.
ARTICLE 7 POWERS AND
DUTIES OF BOARD
7.1
The Board shall exercise supreme executive and administrative
powers over the affairs of the CACBF in accordance with the provisions
contained in this Constitution and the By-Laws.
7.2
The management of the affairs, the property and the business
of the CACBF shall be vested in the Board.
7.3
In addition, the Board may exercise such other powers and do
all such things, as it deems beneficial to CACBF provided that the exercise and
the doing of such things are not forbidden by law and/or by this Constitution
and/or the By-Laws.
7.4
Without limiting or affecting the operation of sub-sections
1, 2 or 3 of this Article, the Board’s functions are:-
(1)
To carry out the Aims, Objects and Purposes of this
Constitution.
(2)
To elect officers and define their powers in accordance with
this Constitution and the By-Laws.
(3)
To fix dues and fees.
(4)
To apply the funds of CACBF to its lawful purposes.
(5)
To fix the dates, sites, eligibility requirements and
conditions for all contests held under the sanction and/or supervision of CACBF
and to establish appropriate Rules and Regulations governing such contests.
(6)
To exercise final appellate jurisdiction from acts and
decisions of all Committees and to rule on or refuse to hear an appeal from the
act or decision of a Committee.
(7)
To accept or reject an application for membership on such
terms as it deems fit from any NBO; to suspend any member from membership of
CACBF: and to terminate the membership of any NBO in accordance with this
Constitution and the By-Laws.
(8)
To receive reports from Committees and Officers of CACBF.
(9)
To adopt a set of By-Laws and to make amendments thereto in
accordance with Article 13 hereof.
7.5
The Board shall perform its functions through Committees
whenever it deems it fit appropriate to do so and in accordance with the
Constitution and the By-Laws.
ARTICLE 8 MEETINGS
OF THE BOARD
8.1
The Board shall meet every two years at the same time and
place as when and where CACBF is holding its Championship Tournament. Provided, however, that at any time between
its annual meetings the President and/or the Secretary may by Postal Ballot in
accordance with the By-Laws seek the votes of members on any matter in
accordance with this Constitution and the By-Laws and such ballot shall be
deemed to be a meeting.
8.2
Ten members shall constitute a quorum. Provided however that at least one but not
more than three of them must be officers of CACBF.
8.3
Subject to the By-Laws, the Board may regulate its own
procedures.
ARTICLE 9 OFFICERS
9.1
The officers of CACBF shall be:-
(1)
President
(2)
First Vice-President
(3)
Second Vice-President
(4)
Honorary Secretary
(5)
Honorary Treasurer
9.2
The terms of the officers shall be for a period of two years
and until their successors are elected and qualified. The same person shall be eligible to be re-elected.
9.3
Except for the Second Vice-President, the officers of CACBF
shall be elected by a simple majority of the Board by secret ballot in
accordance with the By-Laws.
9.4
The President of the NBO entrusted with the hosting of the
next CACBF Tournament shall appoint a person to the office of Second Vice-
President for the term of two yeare, such term to commence at the end of the
Tournament at which the appointment is made and to terminate at the end of the
next Tournament.
ARTICLE 10 FINANCIAL
ADMINISTRATION
10.1
The Honorary Treasurer shall receive all monies on behalf of
the CACBF, make payments on behalf of CACBF and keep all records of such
receipts and payments.
10.2
The financial year of CACBF shall commence on the 1st
day of January in each year and end the 31st day of December in each
year to which date the accounts of CACBF shall be balanced.
10.3
At the Annual Meeting of the Board, the Honorary Treasurer
shall present a financial report including a Statement of Accounts.
ARTICLE 11 TOURNAMENTS
11.1
CACBF has the sole right to conduct Zonal Championship or
other International Championships of a higher status.
11.2
CACBF has the sole rights to rule finally on the eligibility
of any person nominated as a participant in any contest conducted or sanctioned
by CACBF whether before or during the contest and to bar any player from
participating in such contest for cause by a two-thirds majority of the members
of the Board present and voting to whom prior notice of such proposal shall
have been given.
ARTICLE 12 BY-LAWS
12.1
The Board shall adopt a set of By-Laws providing for the
regulations and management of the affairs of CACBF
12.2
The Board may amend the By-Laws by the affirmative vote of
two-thirds of all its members who are entitled to vote.
ARTICLE 13 AMENDMENT
OF CONSTITUTION
13.1
Any proposal to amend this Constitution may be put before
any meeting of the Board by giving at least two calendar months prior notice in
writing to the Honorary Secretary who shall forthwith circulate such proposals to
all members and it shall be adopted by the Board if passed by not less than a
two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
13.2
Notwithstanding sub-section 1 of this Article any NBO
entitled to attend and vote at meetings of the Board if it cannot attend a
meeting at which a proposal to amend the Constitution forms part or the whole
of the agenda may cast its vote with regard to such proposed amendment by
sending the same to the Honorary Secretary in writing and it shall be deemed
that such NBO was present and voted at such meeting.
13.3
A proposal to amend this Constitution shall not be the
subject of a Postal Ballot either in part or in the whole.