Membership shall be open to all chess clubs approved by the Annual General Meeting (referred to as "AGM" hereafter). Individual members of member clubs shall be associate members of the Association.

(b)

Individual membership shall be open to all players approved by the AGM or the Executive Committee, whether or not they are members of member clubs. Individual members are not eligible to vote except by virtue of holding office.

(c)

In these Rules, the word “member” denotes an individual or associate member, and the words “member club” denote a club in membership of the Association.

THE OFFICERS

(a)

The Officers of the Association shall be as follows: a President, Past-Presidents, Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a General Secretary, a Tournament Controller, a Bulletin Secretary, (a Chair of the Executive -deleted, 2019), a Webmaster, a University Chess Supervisor, one Secretary for each division in the League, a Secretary for the Richardson Cup and associated Plate competition, and a Secretary for the Summer League.

(b)

The Officers (except the Past-Presidents) shall be elected at the AGM, from among the members; or, if a vacancy arises during the year, by the Executive.

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

(a)

The AGM shall be held not later than September 15^th in each year.

(b)

The agenda shall include the following:

(i) minutes of the previous AGM, a hard copy of which, signed by the chair of the meeting if approved by the meeting, shall be filed in a Minute Book for future reference

(ii) financial statement for the previous financial year

(iii) election of Officers, Auditors, Archivist and Match Captains

(iv) fees and subscriptions for the ensuing season

(v) election of teams to League

(vi) proposed alterations to the Constitution or Rules

(vii) election of four members to serve on the Executive

(viii) organisation of the teams into divisions, and

(ix) any Other Business, covering minor items taken at the discretion of the Chair.

(c)

The AGM shall be open to all members.

(d)

Nine voting members shall form a quorum.

(e)

The AGM may appoint sub-committees for special purposes, and may co-opt any member to serve on such sub-committees.

(f)

The AGM will normally be chaired by the president.

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a)

Special General Meetings shall be called when requested by the Executive, or on 21 days’ written notice being given to the General Secretary, signed by 20 members.

(b)

Business at a Special General Meeting shall be limited to the business for which the meeting was called.

(c)

A Special General Meeting shall be open to all members

(d)

Nine voting members shall form a quorum.

(e)

A Special General Meeting will normally be chaired by the President (2019).

THE FIXTURE MEETING

(a)

The Fixture Meeting shall be a General Meeting held in September, after the AGM, to:

(i) distribute fixture lists in accordance with Rule 16(a)

(ii) make the draw for the first two rounds of the Richardson Cup competition

(iii) register players, in accordance with Rule 17

(iv) handle business delegated by the AGM

(v) take Any Other Business, covering minor items taken at the discretion of the Chair.

(b)

The Fixture Meeting shall be open to all members.

(c)

Nine voting members shall form a quorum.

(d)

The Fixture Meeting will normally be chaired by the President

THE EXECUTIVE

(a)

The Executive shall consist of The President, the Treasurer, the General Secretary, the Divisional Secretaries, the Summer League Secretary, the Webmaster, the Tournament Controller and four members elected annually by the AGM.

(b)

The Executive shall meet when required by a General Meeting, when deemed expedient by the General Secretary or when petitioned by ten members.

(c)

The Executive may:

(i) authorise expenditure for any purpose within the scope of Rule 2

(ii) make arrangements for successive rounds of the knock-out competitions

(iii) interpret and apply the Rules of the Association and the F.I.D.E. Laws of Chess and decide any matter not covered therein

(iv) deal with complaints from, or disputes between, officers, clubs or players, and where appropriate, impose penalties

(v) investigate defaulted or unreported matches and, where appropriate, impose penalties

(vi) transfer players, according to Rule 18(c)

(vii) carry out such other functions as may be delegated to it by a General Meeting

(viii) appoint sub-committees for special purposes, and co-opt any member to serve on such sub-committees

(ix) investigate non-payment of the Annual fees and impose such penalties as are appropriate. (See also Rule 11(b)).

(d)

A quorum for the Executive shall consist of half the members or five members, whichever is the less.

PROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS

(a)

The General Secretary shall give at least fourteen days’ written notice to all member clubs, officers and individual members of all General Meetings. The notice shall include a full agenda and details of any proposed changes to the Constitution or Rules. For the AGM the notice shall be 30 days. E-mail shall be acceptable notification to those who have provided an e-mail address.

(b)

The General Secretary shall give at least seven days’ written notice to all members of the Executive of all Executive Meetings, except that in an emergency, the Executive may be called together without formal notice. Where Executive meetings are called together in this way, the General Secretary shall, as far as possible, notify all members of the Executive of the time and place of the meeting.

(c)

At General meetings, each officer and member club shall have one vote, except that on matters relating to team competitions, including proposed alterations to the Rules for team competitions, non-competing member clubs shall not be eligible to vote.

(d)

At Executive meetings each member shall have one vote.

(e)

If voting is tied, the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

(f)

No votes by proxy shall be allowed.

(g)

Provided that the procedure in (a) or (b) above has been followed no decision reached at any meeting shall be invalid because of the failure of any member to receive notice of that meeting.

10.

ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION OR RULES

(a)

Any member may propose an alteration to the Constitution or Rules at the AGM, provided notice of the proposed change has been given to the General Secretary by 30th June before that AGM.

(b)

In the event that a member makes more than three proposals to an AGM, it shall be at the discretion of the AGM whether to take more than the first three proposals received chronologically by the General Secretary from that member.

(c)

A proposal for alteration of the Constitution or Rules shall, in order to be carried, be supported by at least two thirds of the votes cast.

11.

FINANCIAL

(a)

All the fees and subscriptions shall be fixed at the AGM. The Association may levy:

(i) annual club membership fees

(ii) annual individual membership fees

(iii) annual League team entry fees

(iv) annual fees for Richardson Cup teams, other than the first entered by each club

(v) match fees, payable by players who represent the Association

(vi) entry fees to the individual tournaments

(vii) such other fees or levies as may be imposed by a General Meeting

(viii) such fines as may be imposed by the Executive or are incurred under rule 11(b) below.

(b)

Annual fees shall apply from one Fixture Meeting to the next, and must be paid before 31st December. Any clubs, which have not paid all annual fees before 31st March following, shall be reported to the Executive for action.

(c)

All payments out of Association funds shall be authorised by a General meeting or approved by the Executive.

(d)

The Association’s financial year shall end on 30th June.

(e)

Audited accounts for the previous financial year shall be circulated to all member clubs at least 14 days before the AGM and presented to the AGM.

(f)

The Treasurer, President, General Secretary (and Chair of the Executive Committee - deleted 2019) shall be appointed as trustees for the bank accounts, the signatures of any two being necessary for the authorisation of withdrawals and payments.

12.

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES

(a)

Association teams may be entered in any competition, with the approval of the AGM, at which Match Captains shall be elected and match fees fixed.

(b)

The General Secretary may arrange friendly fixtures for Association teams, for which he may appoint Match Captains and fix match fees, subject to confirmation by the Executive.

(c)

Match arrangements, including the selection of teams and the collection of match fees, shall be entirely the responsibility of the Match Captain.

(d)

Members representing the Association in matches played outside the Sheffield area may claim a refund of reasonable travelling expenses. Such refunds shall be at the discretion of the Match Captain.

13.

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION

(a)

The Association shall effect official communication normally, as detailed below, by means of one or more the following:

(i) e-mail,

(ii) the Association Website,

(iii) an external website updated by League Secretaries,

(iv) printable or printed Bulletins; and only in emergency shall a telephone be used.

(b)

At the start of the season, the Association shall arrange for the publication, via the Association website, and/or in a Bulletin (or “Hand Book”), of the following:

(i) names and appropriate contact details of those elected or appointed by the Association;

(ii) details of fees and subscriptions fixed for the ensuing season;

(iii) details of club officials, match venues &c, supplied by competing clubs.

(c)

As appropriate, throughout the season, the Association shall arrange for publication, via e-mail or post, and also the Association website and/or Bulletins, of the following:

(i) pairings for the team knock-out competitions;

(ii) pairings for individual tournaments;

(iii) such other news and information as the Secretary may decide.

(d)

Regularly, throughout the season, the Association shall arrange for publication via an external website, and/or the Association website, and/or periodic Bulletins, of the following:

(i) results of representative matches, detailed game by game;

(ii) results of League and of team knock-out competition matches, detailed game by game;

(iii) results of successive rounds of individual tournaments.

(e)

When the requirements of 13(d) are not met by periodic Bulletins throughout the season, a single, all-embracing Bulletin (or “Year Book”) may be produced.

(f)

Any Bulletin (or “Hand Book” or “Year Book”) shall be distributed free of charge to the Officers, members of Executive, the secretaries of member clubs, individual members, captains of Association teams and such other persons as the Executive may decide.