CCLNY
CONSTITUTION
(Effective May 2006 as amended November
2007)
Article
I -
Name and Purpose
Section 1
This organization shall be known as the Commercial Chess League of New York (CCLNY).
Section 2
The purpose of CCLNY is to promote chess play, good fellowship among players; to contest
annually for the team championship and the individual championship of CCLNY; and to
engage in other chess activities.
Article II
- Membership
Section 1
Membership shall consist of teams having at least four players, each player being at least
eighteen years of age. Each team shall select the team captain, who shall be the sole
representative of such member team in all CCLNY transactions. For possible new entrants,
special consideration is to be given first to teams representing a single company or
governmental agency over club or ad hoc teams, especially if the new company team has a
playing site. All teams must be located in
provide quarters for home matches in that area or be willing to play all their matches at a
suitable site provided by CCLNY in that area.
Section 2
Application for membership shall be
made to the Secretary who
will solicit a vote of existing
members either at a
CCLNY business meeting, by telephone or by email. New members
must be approved by more than one-half of the existing members.
Section 3
A team ceases to be a member if (a) it does not enter the annual tournament, or (b) it
withdraws for any reason from the tournament, or (c) it fails to pay the membership fee by
the half way point of the annual tournament, thus forfeiting the second half of the season, or
(d) more than two-thirds of the other members request a resignation.
Article III - Officers
Section 1
The CCLNY shall have a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Tournament Director, and such other
officers that the captains shall nominate and elect. The team captains of each member team
will collectively function as a de facto CCLNY President.
Section 2
The officers shall be elected by the team captains and then installed annually at the autumn
business meeting and hold that office up to the next autumn meeting. Team captains may also
serve as officers. Any officer is eligible for reelection in subsequent years.
Section 3
If any office is vacated, the team captains shall appoint a new officer for the balance of the term.
Section 4
The Secretary shall be responsible for establishing a date and preparing the agenda for each
CCLNY business meeting. The Secretary shall preside at all business and special meetings.
The Secretary shall complete and circulate an accurate record of all meetings to the team captains.
The Secretary shall be responsible for receiving and circulating the results of all matches in
CCLNY tournaments.
Section 5
The Treasurer shall receive all moneys due CCLNY. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial
report to the team captains at the spring and autumn business meetings. The Treasurer shall preside
at any meeting where the Secretary is absent.
Section 6
The Tournament Director shall organize and conduct CCLNY’s annual individual tournament. The
Tournament Director shall maintain CCLNY’s player ratings and the records of the tournaments he
directs. The Tournament Director shall rule on all disputes concerning games and matches, subject
to appeal or a protest to the team captains.
Section 7
The member team captains shall enforce the Constitution and all rules and regulations of CCLNY.
Disputes are to be resolved by majority vote of the captains. In cases of a tie vote, the three officers
will be asked to vote in order to break the tie. An officer who is also a team captain shall not be
prevented from voting twice; first in his capacity as captain, and second, if necessary, in his capacity
as CCLNY officer.
Article IV - Meetings
Section 1
There shall be two business meetings each year; one in the spring, prior to the annual dinner, and one
in the fall, prior to the commencement of the team tournament. The spring meeting may be conducted
by email, but the autumn meeting to establish officers and set the new season must be in person.
Dues or fees for each membership season shall be determined at the autumn business meeting.
A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2
Special meetings may be called by a majority of the team captains. The Tournament Director may call
a special meeting to discuss a protest of one of his rulings. This type of meeting should be done by email.
Section 3
Each team may have an alternate at any meeting, who shall not have voting power, except in the absence
of his captain, who shall give him voting authority.
Article V - Amendments
Section 1
This Constitution may be amended at a meeting by more than two-thirds vote of existing members
provided written notice of the proposed amendment was submitted to each member at least 14 calendar
days before the meeting.
Section 2
An amendment may also be made at any meeting, without notice to the membership, by a unanimous
vote of all the members present.
Article VI - Rules of Play
Section 1
Eligibility and rules of play for the individual tournament will be determined by the Tournament Director.
Section 2
Rules of play are described in the “Regulation for Team Tournaments”. These rules may be changed at
any meeting by more than two-thirds vote of existing members