The official Club Charter can be found in pdf form here.

Cincinnati Chess Club Charter (revised January 2014)

Article 1 - The name of this organization shall be “Cincinnati Chess Club” (CCC).

Article 2 - The club shall hold weekly meetings. The day, time and location will be determined by the current Officers, and will be communicated to all members.

Article 3 - The purpose of the CCC shall be to promote the game of chess in the Cincinnati area by offering a place to play, hosting tournaments, and promoting the United States Chess Federation.

Article 4 - The Officers of the club may include the following:

  1. A President, who plans calendar events and coordinates with the other Officers;
  2. a Vice President, who assists the President;
  3. a Membership Secretary, who collects fees and keeps track of memberships;
  4. a Treasurer, who administers the club’s finances and maintains the checking account;
  5. a Communications Director, who maintains the club’s Website and sends global e-mail announcements to members;
  6. a Tournament Director, who runs and organizes club events.

All Officers shall be elected by a majority vote (secret ballot if necessary) of a quorum of paid club members at the annual business meeting, the date of which will be announced by the President – usually being the third week in January.

  1. A quorum is defined as the square root of the total membership of the club, in the meeting room, for the quorum to be established.
  2. Only paid and current members’ votes will be counted at club meetings or at elections.
  3. Only paid and current members may be Officers.
  4. The new Officers elected will take over after the close of the annual meeting.
  5. The President is allowed to appoint liaisons to the club with title; these appointments shall be paid members but not have the full rights of an Officer.
  6. The club President and Vice President can nominate people to fill Officer positions, subject to the approval of the club.
  7. If an Officer resigns after elections are held, or is removed (per Article 8), then the other Officers may appoint someone to complete the term, until elections are held during the next annual meeting. A 2/3 vote of the other Officers is needed to appoint a replacement Officer.
  8. Officer votes are typically conducted in person during scheduled meetings. A majority vote is needed for a motion to pass. Votes may be collected by the President via e-mail; in that case, all Officers must receive and reply to the e-mail for the vote to be binding. The vote will be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.

Article 5 - Annual membership dues will be established by the Officers and approved at the next annual meeting. Dues are used to pay for the meeting space and other legitimate expenses of the club. A detailed treasury report will be presented to all members at the annual meeting.

Article 6 - The club Officers shall be fiscally responsible for all facets of the club’s operation, including debts incurred, rent, losses on tournaments, mailers, etc. In the event that the club dissolves, the Officers are responsible for any and all debts; if any balance remains in the club account, the club will have a full meeting to decide how to distribute the funds, if any.

  1. The Treasurer shall confirm the treasury amount by providing a bank statement for the President/Vice President to witness at all Officer meetings.

Article 7 - Amendments to the charter may be made at the annual meeting, or if they are called by the President and ratified by a two-thirds vote of all current paid members. The Vice President may solicit written (including e-mail) proxy votes as needed.

Article 8 - Members are expected to conform to USCF standards of good sportsmanship and deportment at all times. Our club respects the USCF membership suspension and TD revocation lists. The following activities will not be tolerated at the Chess Club: gambling, alcohol or drug use, uncivil behavior, physical or verbal abuse, or ethnic slurs. These may be punished by sanctions including a loss of club membership and a letter of complaint to the USCF.

  1. To remove an Officer from his position, a 2/3 vote of the Officers and majority of the members in attendance is required.
  2. A 2/3 vote of the Officers and majority of the members in attendance is required for a person to suffer lost of membership and removal from the club.
  3. Reinstatement of a banned member can occur only at the annual meeting with 2/3 of the Officers and 2/3 of the members of the meeting approving.

Article 9 - The CCC will sponsor an annual event called the Cincinnati City Championship. One winner (to be determined by tie-breaks if necessary) shall be awarded the traveling trophy.

Article 10 - Lifetime memberships may be awarded at the annual meeting based on service to the club or lifetime achievement

Article 11 - All personal property left or found at the club, or at club events shall be held by the club until the time an owner can be identified. An official of the club (Officer, Sgt. of arms, etc.) shall take possession for storage. Unclaimed items become the property of the club after 6 months.