Our Constitution

1. Name and Objectives

• The club shall be called Auld Riichi Mahjong Club (ARMC). The objectives of the ARMC shall be to enable, facilitate and promote the playing of Riichi mahjong in Edinburgh. It shall also seek to collaborate with other clubs to help promote the wider playing of Riichi mahjong in the United Kingdom (UK).

2. Composition and Membership

• The ARMC shall consist of individual members, active and inactive.
• Active membership is automatically awarded to anyone who participates in a game at club events.
• A participant in club events may waive their right to membership and members may revoke their own membership at any time.
• Active members will be considered inactive if they do not participate in a club event after a period of 6 months.
• Members should maintain proper decorum at club events.

3. Governing Body

• The governing body of ARMC shall be an elected Executive.
• The executive shall be made up of the Chair.
• The holders of these posts must be distinct individuals, and active members of the club.

4. The Executive

• Members of the executive have the power to:
  • Deal with all business of the ARMC and decide on policy.
  • Ensure that the objectives of ARMC are carried out.
  • Be the final authority for interpretation of the game and the rules at all events held by the club.
  • Form sub-committees for any purpose.
  • Appoint, if needed, further members of the executive.
  • Deal with urgent business of the ARMC. If needed, these should be ratified at a subsequent General Meeting.
  • Do anything ancillary to or connected with the above powers.
  • Attend ex-officio any sub-committee meeting.
• Duties of the Officers forming the Executive:
  • The Chair:
    • The Chair shall be responsible for calling all meetings of the Executive and General Meetings and shall act as chairman at said meetings.
    • They shall have unlimited authority over every question of order, unless challenged by a simple majority of the members present.
    • On all voting matters, in the case of a tie, the Chair shall have a casting vote in addition to their ordinary vote.
    • The Chair shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive and of General Meetings.
    • The Chair will be responsible for all correspondence of the ARMC.
    • The Chair shall act as the ARMC representative for UKMA (or other equivalent national or international groups) meetings, AGMs or correspondence.

5. General Meetings

• The quorum of a General Meeting shall be three (3) active members, including the executive.
• All members present at a General Meeting are entitled to one (1) vote.
• An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held once a year (usually in January).
• An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be held at the request of at least two active members. This must be held within a month of being received.
• Both EGMs and AGMs require that notice is given one week in advance of the meeting to all active members of the club, including the time, venue, and agenda of the meeting. In EGMs changes to the agenda or a reduction of this notice period may take place if necessary.
• Motions may be proposed either in advance of a meeting, or during Any Other Business. These must be seconded by another member to be voted upon.
• Motions require a simple majority to pass, unless they involve a change to the constitution, in which case a two-thirds majority is needed.
• All posts in the executive will be up for election at each AGM. The incumbents will vacate their post (unless re-elected) at the end of a handover period of one week to ensure proper continuity of the ARMC functions.
• The minutes for all General Meetings shall be distributed to active members within one week of the meeting.

6. Alterations to the Constitution

• Changes to the constitution may only be made at a General Meeting, as described above.

7. Conditions Governing Players

• The Executive has full power to suspend any player who fails to comply with any of the following conditions:
  • A player must at all times abide by the constitution and authority of the ARMC.
  • When playing at an event in the jurisdiction of another authority, a player is required to abide by the rules of that authority.

8. Dissolution

• Upon dissolution of the ARMC its assets, after all debts and liabilities are paid, shall be distributed in accordance with the wishes of those voting at a General Meeting.

The ARMC Committee
Aaron Smith – Chair