Constitution

WOLVERHAMPTON & DISTRICT CHESS LEAGUE CONSTITUTION

1. TITLE

The league shall be called 'The Wolverhampton and District Chess League'. This league is now affiliated to the Staffordshire Chess Association.

2. OBJECT

The object of the league shall be to arrange Chess Championship Contests among the clubs associated and generally to promote the interests of chess within the district.

3. OFFICERS

1. The officers of the league shall consist of:-
1. A President
2. A Deputy President
3. A Secretary
4. A Records Secretary
5. A Tournament Secretary
6. A Treasurer
7. A Publicity Officer
2. The President shall be elected at the A.G.M. and shall hold office for a term of two years. He shall not be eligible for immediate re-election. The Deputy President shall also be elected at the AGM for a term of two years.
3. All the other officers shall be elected annually at the A.G.M. and shall be eligible for re-election.
4. An Auditor shall be appointed at the AGM.
5. All officers shall comprise the Executive Committee of the league, which committee shall have power to co-opt, and shall meet as often as necessary to carry on the business of the league.

4. AREA

All clubs within a radius of 20 miles of Queen Square, Wolverhampton shall, subject to a consent of the A.G.M., be eligible for association.

5. ENGLISH CHESS FEDERATION (ECF)

The league is a Member Organisation (MO) of the ECF and has entered into a Membership Agreement with it, requiring the WDCL to encourage its players to become ECF Direct Members

6. LEAGUE FEES

Changes to fees shall be determined at the AGM. They shall include in addition the residual ECF game fees and any adjudication fees for each club from the previous season.

7. SUB-COMMITTEES

1. The A.G.M. shall have power to constitute sub committees to fulfil particular tasks. The members of the sub committee shall be elected, except as hereinafter provided, and shall be eligible for re-election. The sub committee shall have power to co-opt. If any sub committee holds any funds, details thereof shall be supplied to the treasurer for inclusion in the statement of accounts presented to the A.G.M.
2. The A.G.M. shall constitute a Rules and Disputes Sub-committee. This committee shall comprise the members of the executive ex-officio and three other members who shall be elected at the A.G.M.
3. The functions of the Rules and Disputes committee shall be to make recommendations to the A.G.M. on any proposed alteration of this constitution or the competition rules and to deal with disputes arising as hereinafter provided.
4. If a dispute arises either out of a league match, a team competition match or an individual competition match, any party feeling aggrieved (hereinafter called ‘The Appellant’) may appeal to the sub committee to resolve the dispute.
5. The appellant shall within seven days of the dispute arising (which period may be extended in appropriate cases by the sub-committee at the hearing of the dispute) give notice of the full particulars of the dispute to the league secretary and shall send copies of such notice to the following parties:
   1. In the case of a dispute arising out of a league match to the records secretary and the secretary of the opposing club
   2. In the case of a dispute arising out of an individual competition match to the tournament secretary and his opponent.
   3. In the case of a dispute arising out of a team competition match, to the tournament secretary and the secretary of the opposing club.
6. The league secretary shall, as soon as is reasonably convenient after receipt of the appellant's notice, convene a meeting of the sub-committee to hear the dispute and shall give not less than seven days notice of the meeting to the appellant and the parties to whom the appellant should have sent copies of his notice in accordance with paragraph 7(e) hereof. The failure of the parties to attend the meeting shall not affect the power of the sub-committee to decide the dispute.
7. Subject to the right of the parties to the dispute to object to the composition of the sub-committee, the composition thereof shall be settled by the league secretary in the following manner:-
   
   1. The sub-committee shall comprise an odd number of which a quorum shall be three.
   2. The members of the sub-committee shall not have an interest in the dispute, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing an interest shall be deemed to include membership of the club involved or being records secretary if the dispute arises out of a league match or being tournament secretary if the dispute arises out of an individual competition match.
8. The procedure at the meeting of the sub-committee shall be as follows:-
   
   1. The records secretary, if the dispute arises out of a league match, or the tournament secretary, if the dispute arises out of an individual competition match, shall report on all matters within his knowledge affecting the dispute.
   2. The appellant shall present his case.
   3. The other party to the dispute shall present his case.
   4. The appellant shall have a right of reply.
   5. The sub-committee shall consider the appeal in private and shall deliver its decision either verbally or in writing at a time to be appointed by it.
9. The dispute shall be decided in accordance with the rules laid down in the authorised edition of the laws of chess published by the International Chess Federation and the tournament rules of the English Chess Federation, unless otherwise provided for in this constitution and the competition rules.
10. There shall be no appeal from the decision of the sub-committee on issues of fact, but with the consent of the sub-committee an appeal may be made to the English Chess Federation (and thence to the International Chess Federation) upon a question involving the laws of chess, provided that the appellant to the English Chess Federation shall furnish the English Chess Federation with a statement of the facts prepared by the sub-committee.

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. The A.G.M. of the league shall be held during the month of May unless it is not possible to present all the facts, in such case the A.G.M. will be held as soon as these are available.
2. The league secretary shall give not less than twenty eight days notice thereof to the officers of the league, the members of the sub-committees of the league and the secretaries of the associated clubs.
3. At the A.G.M. the secretaries of the league and the sub-committees of the league shall present their reports and the treasurer shall present a statement of accounts.
4. All players registered in accordance with the competition rules shall be entitled to attend the A.G.M. or a special meeting and to speak and vote upon all issues save as hereinafter expressly provided.
5. No proxy votes shall be allowed at either the A.G.M. or a special meeting.

9. ALTERATION TO THE LEAGUE CONSTITUTION AND COMPETITION RULES

1. This constitution and the league competition rules may be added to or amended at the A.G.M. or at a special meeting called for that purpose provided that the proposed addition or amendment is stated in the notice calling the meeting. Any such additions or amendments for the notice calling the AGM must be sent in writing to the Secretary by the 31st March.’
2. All registered players attending the A.G.M. or special meeting shall be entitled to speak upon the proposed addition or amendment but voting shall be limited as follows
   1. One vote each member of the executive committee,
   2. Two votes for each associated club represented at the meeting.
3. For the purpose of voting only, the composition of division shall be treated as an amendment of rules.

10. SPECIAL MEETINGS

A special meeting of the league must be convened by the league secretary upon receipt of a written request from at least three clubs, or at the request of the executive committee, and he shall give not less than seven days notice thereof to the same people to whom notice must be given at the A.G.M.

Updated July 2013 MG