I) GENERAL

In this paragraph are included all the various items that are not "special", but general, i.e. rules and guidelines that apply to all the Members of the Executive Committee, Committee members, Zonal Representatives and other IBPA appointees.

1) "He" in this document implies "he or she".

2) "The President" in this document implies "The President or a proxy, authorized by the President".

3) Collection of dues.  All membership details shall be received by the Membership Secretary. Zonal dues collectors may be authorized to receive such on behalf of IBPA and should forward the details monthly to the Membership Secretary, and the money normally quarterly.  Any membership details or money not received by an authorized Zonal Collector or the Membership Secretary shall not be the responsibility of the IBPA, so any person in receipt of such must without delay transfer such money and details to an authorized Collector or the Membership Secretary.

4) Filing.  Copies of all significant letters or written items written or received by an Officer, an Executive Member or an IBPA appointee, should be sent without delay to the Secretary for filing.

5) Allowances. The Executive Committee may authorize in advance an annual allowance for all Officers, Executive Members and IBPA appointees, to cover appropriate postage, telephone, telex and other miscellaneous expenditure. The amount may be exceeded if the President and one other Officer approve, subject to ratification by the Executive Committee.

6) Journeys. Journeys on IBPA business, for which reimbursement is required, shall normally be authorized in advance by the Executive. In an emergency the individual making the journey should obtain the consent of a) Two other officers AND b) Two executive members. Such consent shall be in writing, but may in emergency be by telephone with written consent to follow.

7) Other Expenses. All expenses incurred due to the work for the IBPA will be reimbursed, subject to the consent of the Executive Committee. Such extraordinary expenses must be authorized in advance by a) the President, one Officer and one Executive Member or b) the two Vice-Presidents and at least two Executive Members.

8) Increase of Membership. All IBPA Executives are official IBPA contact persons.  They shall receive Membership Forms from the Membership Secretary, and do their best to increase the membership of the IBPA. The formerly called "Zonal Vice-Presidents" are regarded as IBPA Zonal Representatives, and are also requested to make every effort to increase our membership.

9) Sponsors. It is of great importance to the IBPA to find new sponsors. All Executive Members, Zonal Representatives, Committee Members, Dues Collectors and other IBPA Appointees should act as IBPA ambassadors toward potential sponsors.   The discovery of any potential sponsor should be reported promptly to the Chairman of the Sponsorship Committee or direct to the IBPA President, who will appoint a suitable person, to conduct liaison. 

II) THE PRESIDENT

A) RESPONSIBILITIES

  The President of the IBPA is the highest-ranking elected Officer and head of the organization. He is responsible for summoning and chairing all Executive Meetings. If the President may need to have a free hand in the debate, he may call upon one of the Vice-Presidents or the Chairman to chair Executive Meetings.

  The President is the official spokesman of the IBPA on matters of policy.  He is in charge of discussions with other bodies, such as the EBL or the WBF.  With his signature, he closes any deal with sponsors.  He  authorizes all press releases on behalf of the IBPA.

  The President is the financial leader of the IBPA, and it is his resposibility to ensure that the organization remains financially sound.  Together with the Treasurer, he is responsible for the planning of finances, for budgeting, and for seeing that expenses stay within the limits of the budget.

  The President is the organizational leader of the IBPA.  It is his responsibility to see that decisions made by the Executive Committee and by the AGM are carried out, and to see to it that these decisions are in accordance with the Constitution and Amendments of the IBPA.

B) ORGANIZATION

1) Administration

As the administrative leader of the IBPA, it is the duty of the President to organize an efficient administration of the Executive Committee. He is to ensure that every Executive has clearly defined responsibilities and assignments, so that the running of the organization is smooth. He should plan and organize report routines, so that he always knows what is going on within the IBPA.

  It is important that the President stays in close contact with a) the Executive Vice-President and b) the Organizational Vice-President, for if something should happen to the President, this is the order of succession and replacement. Therefore, these two officers should be kept especially well-informed about the running of things, so that they can take over the President's responsibilities at short notice. He should also keep the Chairman fully advised.

  The President should see to it that he is kept informed by the Chairman, the  Secretary, the Membership Secretary, the Editor, the Treasurer, the Awards Secretary and by the members of the Executive Committee. He is to see that their given assignments are carried out in accordance with the By-Laws.

  The President may if he wishes give guidance to the Chairman in connection with the nominating process.

2) Meetings

The President works out meeting schedules, summons the Executive Committee, and, together with the Editor, publishes the forthcoming AGM in the IBPA Bulletin.  He should make an agenda ahead of each meeting, which should be sent/given to those concerned at least one day ahead of an Executive Meeting and at least a month ahead of the AGM.

  The President chairs the meetings of the Executive Committee.  The President will normally want one of the top two officers (Executive Vice-President; Organizational Vice-President) to chair Executive Meetings (EMs) in his absence or if he should want a "free hand" in the EM. If neither of them is present, the EM should be chaired by the Chairman, or any Executive Committee member upon election. It is the responsibility of the President, or in his absence the top-ranking IBPA Officer, to see that minutes of the EM are taken by the Secretary, or in his absence, by any appointed Executive Member, and distributed to those concerned within two weeks.

  The President is required to prepare a written annual report outlining the work of the IBPA during the current year. This report should be prepared at least two months before the AGM, printed in the IBPA Bulletin, and presented to the AGM. He is responsible for collecting all written reports from IBPA Appointees and Committee Chairmen, and to publish them not less than two days before the AGM.  It is the responsibility of the President, or in his absence the top-ranking IBPA Officer, to see that minutes of the AGM are taken by the Secretary, or in his absence, by any appointed Executive Member, and published in the next edition of the IBPA Bulletin.

3) Representation

In order to allow the President to represent the IBPA, his hotel and travel expenses to AGMs, (whether at a World Championship or European Championship) shall normally be reimbursed when not covered by other sources. Where there is no AGM, there shall normally be no reimbursement. (For other journeys: see I,6)

4) Dealing with other bodies

The President is the head negotiator of the IBPA, and no formal agreement should be made by IBPA Officers or Executive Members with officials of other bodies unless authorized in advance by the President.

  The President should see to it that minutes of such negotiations are taken and provided, with a copy of the signed agreement, if any, to the Executive Committee not later than two weeks after the conclusion of the negotiation.    If the agreement suggests or involves any major changes as to the policy, finances or organizational structure of the IBPA, the President should not sign any documents without the consent of a majority of the Executive Committee.  The Executive may require ratification by the next AGM.

5) Finances

The President is responsible for seeing that the Treasurer fulfils the tasks specified in these regulations. He should receive quarterly reports from the Treasurer, and collaborate with the Treasurer in the preparation of the Budget for the next fiscal year.

6) Delegation of authority

The President's designee may act for him in any of the functions set out above.  The President should not designate a person other than an Officer or Executive Committee member without obtaining approval in advance by either the Executive Vice-President or the Organizational Vice-President.  Designation should normally follow the order shown above under representation, but if such designation involves major expenses (e.g. long journeys etc.), one of the Zonal Representatives will normally be the best IBPA designee.

III) THE EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT

The Executive Vice-President is an elected Officer, who is second-in-command within the IBPA. If the President's position falls vacant between elections, it passes to the Executive Vice-President and, failing him, to the Organizational Vice-President.

  Though not given any particular formal duty or work-load, the Executive Vice-President should be kept duly informed by the President of everything that happens of importance within the IBPA.  He should discuss with the President possible areas of delegation, and remind the President, as necessary, of matters requiring attention.  He is the President's primary adviser.

  In the absence of the President, it is the duty of the Executive Vice-President to chair Executive Meetings and to undertake all the other responsibilities of the President.

IV) THE ORGANIZATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT

The Organizational Vice-President is an elected Officer, who is third-in-command within the IBPA.  If the President's office falls vacant, and the Executive Vice-President is not available, the Orgainzational Vice-President assumes the title.  Failing that, the Executive Committee will select another Officer or one of the Executive Members.

  It is the duty of the Organizational Vice-President to be the leader of the former "Zonal Vice-Presidents" and the Zonal Representatives. The Organizational Vice-President shall try to find capable IBPA Zonal Representatives, and aim at covering all the WBF Zones.

  The Zonal Representatives will be appointed by the Executive Committee, and ratified by the AGM. There may be more then one Zonal Representative from each Zone.  The Organizational Vice-President should stay in contact with the Zonal Representatives, and induce them to fulfil their obligations to the IBPA (as described under Zonal Vice-Presidents and Zonal Representatives).  He should be the normal channel of contact between the Zonal Representatives and the IBPA. However, the President may chose to transfer these duties to the Executive Vice-President.

V) THE SECRETARY

The Secretary is one of the five elected Officers of the IBPA.  The main task of the Secretary is recording and filing.  The secretary is to take the minutes of every meeting of the Executive Committee, of the AGM, and of other meetings if so directed by the President.

  The minutes must be written out and photocopied normally no later than three days after such a meeting, and delivered and sent to the Executive Committee members and others concerned without delay.

  The Secretary is responsible for filing and retrieving all significant letters or official documents concerning IBPA matters going to or from the organization or its Officers.  This should include one complete set of copies of the IBPA Bulletin.

  In order to facilitate the filing and retrieving of filed items, the Secretary should keep a diary of incoming and outgoing filed papers.  This diary should contain a brief description, the item's date and its filing location.

  On the request of any Officer, the Secretary should produce memos, letters and other documents and distribute them to members of the Executive Committee and others concerned.  The aim is to keep members of the Executive informed between meetings.

  The Secretary is to keep track of time schedules on behalf of the IBPA, and send out appropriate reminders in due time.  These should include Bulletin publication of a forthcoming AGM, proposals for new Officers and Executive members, and appointment of a Nominating Committee.

VI) THE TREASURER

The Treasurer is the fifth and final IBPA elected Officer.  The main task of the Treasurer is budgeting and accounting.

  The Treasurer is responsible for all money coming in to or being paid by the IBPA. He must have a bank account, from which only he can draw money.  There should, however, be a clause attached to this account providing that the Executive Committee can have the money transferred to another account if the Treasurer dies, is totally incapacitated, or is superseded.

  The Treasurer should keep contact with the Membership Secretary and the Zonal collectors of dues, so that all transactions can be recorded in his cash-book.

  There should be no more than two persons operating official IBPA accounts, the Treasurer and the Membership Secretary. The Treasurer's account could be divided into two accounts (the high-interest Investment Account should only be operated on the counter-signature from the President).  The Treasurer and Membership Secretary should consult from time to time about transfers of funds between the accounts, which may be needed to keep both accounts healthy.  Such transfers should be reported to the President.

  The Treasurer is responsible for IBPA invested funds, if there are any. In this respect, he may only act upon authorization given in advance by the Executive Committee.

The Treasurer should send quarterly reports on the financial situation to the President, and the President may direct further distribution, directly or via the Secretary, to other Officers and Executive Committee members.

  Every fiscal year, not later than two months after it ends, the Treasurer must give a written account of the previous fiscal year.  This account must be distributed to all Officers and Executive Committee members and the Auditor. When audited, it should be published in the Bulletin prior to the AGM.  The entries in the accounts should be compared with similar items from the previous two years, using one currency only.

  The accounts, vouchers and all bank statements must be sent to the elected Auditor for auditing. The Auditor will return the accounts, the vouchers, the bank statements and his own report to the Treasurer in due time before the AGM. A copy of the Auditor's report should also be sent to the President well ahead of the AGM.

In collaboration with the President, the Treasurer is also responsible for preparing a budget for the next fiscal year in time for presentation to the AGM.  The entries in the budget should be compared with the similar items in the current year's accounts and the previous year's budget, and should be presented in one currency only.

VII) THE CHAIRMAN

"Chairman" is an honorary title given to an individual who has done outstanding service for the IBPA. The title is awarded by resolution of an AGM upon prior recommendation of the Executive Committee. The Chairman is ex officio an Officer of the IBPA. He is summoned to meetings in the Executive Committee, and has full voting rights.

  The Chairman selects and heads the Control Committee (CC), which is to check and balance both the financial situation and any other matter or decision dealt with by the Executive Committee. It is therefore important that also the Chairman is kept regularly informed by the President, the Treasurer and all other Officers.

  The Chairman selects and heads the Nominating Committee (NC) to determine annual nominations for Officers and the Executive Committee. He shall keep in contact with the President and the Executive Committee, and pay attention to their advise. If necessary for any reason at all, the NC may refuse to re-nominate any elected Officer or Executive Member. As the head of the NC, he is to  verify the willingness of potential nominees to serve.

  The Chairman should take immediate action if any infractions or violations of the Constitution of the IBPA or its Amendments have occurred.  He should keep in contact with the members of the Control Committee, and he should once every year prepare a written statement about the "state of the realm", to be presented to the AGM.

  The Chairman has the right to call an Extraordinary General Meeting with the consent of at least two other members of the Control Committee and at least two Executive members.  Notice of such an EGM must be published in the IBPA Bulletin at least two months in advance.

  In the absence of the Presidents or at the invitation of the President, the Chairman may head any IBPA meeting.

  If the Chairman incurs any expenses in connection with his position, the Executive Committee shall arrange for his reimbursement.

VIII) THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee (EC) consists of the five elected Officers, the Chairman and nine elected Executive Members.  Each Executive Member is elected for a period of three years, overlapping, so that three Executive Members will stand for election/re-election each year. Although most of the Executive Members have no specific constitutional work-load, each of them may be called upon to do a job by the President and/or by the Executive Committee. Each Executive Member may be designated to chair any EM or AGM, to supervise Prize-giving Ceremonies or to take the minutes from any Meeting in the absence of the Secretary.

  The Bulletin Editor will normally be a member of the Executive, as will the Membership Secretary, the Awards Secretary, the Clippings Secretary and normally also Committee Chairmen and those in charge of the preparation of the Handbook or liaison with the WBF and the EBL. Executive Members who hold important positions, such as Committee Chairmen, etc., must send his Annual Report to the President at least two weeks before the AGM.

  The Executive Committee meets at every major championship, and discusses all current issues.  The Executive Committee checks and balances the organization, so it must be fully informed by the President and Officers.

  It is the duty of every Executive Member to do his best to increase the IBPA membership and to try to find new sponsors for IBPA awards and/or events.

IX) THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

The Membership Secretary is appointed by the President, subject to the ratification of the Executive Committee, and deals with all members.  He is the one who should know how many members there are of each category at all times, and who have paid their dues.  The Membership Secretary appoints and is the head of all the Zonal Dues Collectors, and must be kept fully and promptly informed by them.

  When he receives payment, either directly or via the Zonal Collectors, he must advise the Treasurer promptly so that the information can be recorded in the cash book.

  The Membership Secretary, like the Treasurer, operates one of the official IBPA accounts.  There should be a clause attached to the account stating that the Executive Committee can transfer the funds to another account if the Membership Secretary dies, is totally incapacitated or is superseded.

  The Membership Secretary should receive all paid dues to his account in order to pay for the editing, printing and distribution of the IBPA Bulletin.  He mus pass all relevant vouchers to the Treasurer without delay.

  The Membership Secretary is responsible for the printing and the distribution of the membership form, and should seek opportunities to revise and improve it.  Officers, Executive Members, Zonal Representatives and other appointees should receive 10 such forms annually, to facilitate their endeavour to recruit new members.

  The Membership Secretary is responsible for printing a sufficient number of Membership Cards. He is responsible for the distribution of duly filled-in cards, either directly or through the Zonal Collectors.

  Every year, the Membership Secretary should prepare a written report to be submitted to the AGM. This report must be sent to the President no later than three weeks prior to the AGM.

  Three months before the AGM, the Membership Secretary should mail an updated list of paid memberships to the Awards Secretary, so that IBPA awards are not distributed to non-members.

  The Membership Secretary should keep himself  informed through the Editor as to how many of the Sponsored Members who fulfill their obligations to the IBPA annually, and prepare a list of those Sponsored Members who no longer deserve to be sponsored. Together with the Eastern Members' Secretary he should report to the EC every year who should be sponsored for the next year.

X) THE AWARDS SECRETARY

The Awards Secretary is appointed by President, subject to the ratification of the Executive Committee, and deals with all the awards organized and presented by the IBPA.

  These are:

1) The IBPA Personality of the Year

2) The Solomon Award for the Best Play

3) The Romex Award for the Best Bid/Auction

4) The Precision Award for the Best Defence

It is the task of the Awards Secretary to find candidates for each of these prizes.  In the selecting process he may include deals from the IBPA or other Bulletins, or clippings sent by members.  Journalist candidates for awards must be IBPA members, and the Awards Secretary should verify membership with the Membership Secretary if in doubt.

  The Awards Secretary will usually call upon panels of IBPA members to assist in the selection process, which must be completed, ready for Executive Committee ratification, normally at least one month before the AGM. The President is automatically a member of all the panels, unless he himself is one of the competitors, and, as such, he should receive a copy of everything going out from the Awards Secretary to the Panel Members. The selections should remain confidential until the awards have been handed out.

  All IBPA Award Winners shall receive a printed Diploma in a glass frame. Such diplomas will be issued both to the players and to the journalists, in addition to potential cash- and/or other prizes. The Awards Secretary is responsible for organizing that the prepared Diplomas are available, printed and framed and ready for handing out at the Awards Presentation at the AGM.

  The Awards secretary should prepare a short presentation of the award winners every year, to be published in the IBPA Bulletin together with the article describing the award-winning play, and an Awards Report, which should be sent to the President no less than three weeks before the AGM.

XI) THE CLIPPINGS SECRETARY

The Clippings Secretary is appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, and deals with the preparation of a clippings book whenever such a book is required according to sponsorship agreements.

  The Clippings Secretary will normally be appointed among the members of the Executive Committee, and is responsible for collecting, receiving and filing clippings for IBPA sponsors.  However, this duty may be delegated to other persons in when the President finds it necessary.

  There should be one separate book of clippings for each sponsor each year.  For each sponsor the Clippings Secretary must assure himself of the final date for receipt of clippings from the members. When the date expires and the book is completed, the Clippings Secretary should inform the President who may request that the book be sent to the sponsor.

  The Clippings Secretary is responsible for the preparation and drawing of prize winners when this is necessary. Normally this will take place at the AGM under "Other Competent Business".

XII) THE EASTERN MEMBERS' SECRETARY

The Eastern Members' Secretary is appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, and deals with the IBPA members from the Eastern countries, and with Sponsored Members from the Eastern countries.

  It is the duty of the Eastern Members' Secretary to act as liaison officer between the IBPA and potential members from the Eastern countries. He should keep in contact with the Editor and the Membership secretary as to whom should be sponsored each year.

  The Eastern Members' Secretary should inform every sponsored member of his obligation to send in at least one annual report to the IBPA Bulletin, translated into English, and, that failing to do so, he will risk losing his sponsored membership next year.

  The Eastern Members' Secretary should prepare an annual report, which should be forwarded to the President no later than three weeks before the AGM.

XII) THE EDITOR

The Editor of the IBPA Bulletin is appointed by the Executive Committee, and should normally be one of its elected members. He reports to the President, and in cases of printing of controversial material, he is to consult the President before doing so.

  Unless otherwise directed by the President or the Executive Committee, the Editor, either by himself or through a third party, is responsible for the contents, the keeping of time-limits and for the actual production of masters of the IBPA Bulletin, ready for printing.  In addition to the normal monthly issues he will usually, on the instructions of the President or the Executive Committee, prepare a special issue at the end of major championships. Together with the Executive Editor he is responsible for the lay-out of the IBPA Bulletin.

  It is therefore important that a large part of the Editor's travel and hotel expenses at major championships be paid for by IBPA if he is not there in another paid capacity. The Editor will also be paid according to the agreement of the Executive Committee.

  It is the duty of the Editor to keep informed about the time limits for publication of the AGM, and he is to follow the President's specifications concerning the publication of awards, clippings competitions, sponsorship agreements and other things he is asked to publish.

XIII) THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

The Executive Editor of the IBPA Bulletin is appointed by the Executive Committee.

  Unless otherwise directed by the President or the Executive Committee, the Executive Editor is responsible for the keeping of time-limits, for the lay-out (in collaboration with the Editor and the President) and for the printing and distribution of the IBPA Bulletin.

  The Executive Editor must keep in close contact with the Membership Secretary, to know to whom each Bulletin should be sent, and he must also pay attention to orders from either the Editor or the President.

  The Executive Editor will be paid according to the written agreement he has with the Executive Committee.

XIV) THE ZONAL COLLECTORS

The Zonal Collectors are appointed by and headed by the Membership Secretary, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. They are responsible for collecting subscriptions and initiation/ reinstatement fees (when appropriate) from new and existing members. Unless otherwise directed by the Membership Secretary, the Zonal Collectors issue membership cards as receipt for the money collected.

  They are considered IBPA Zonal Representatives, and as such they should endavour to perform such tasks as described under "Zonal Representatives". The Zonal Collectors are also responsible for supplying the Membership Secretary with information and money collected in the manner he directs.

XV) THE ZONAL VICE-PRESIDENTS

"Zonal Vice-President" was formerly an honorary title given to an individual who had done outstanding service to the IBPA. The title was awarded by resolution of an AGM upon prior recommendation of the Executive Committee.  It has been decided by the Executive Committee, and agreed by the AGM that this title is to expire with the holders of the title. No more members will be appointed Zonal Vice-Presidents. In its place, the Executive Committee will appoint Zonal Representatives.

  The Zonal Vice-Presidents may attend IBPA Executive meetings when when thay are present, but have no voting rights.

  The Zonal Vice-President is an official IBPA contact person in his zone.  He should receive Membership forms from the Membership Secretary, and do his best to increase membership.

  Once a year the Zonal Vice-President should supply the Bulletin Editor with a report of developments in his zone, particularly reporting from zonal championships, and he should include at least one good hand.  A condensed version of this should be submitted to the AGM via the Organizational Vice-President, who controls and coordinates all zonal activity.

  It is of great importance to the IBPA that Zonal Vice-Presidents act as IBPA ambassadors toward potential sponsors.  The discovery of any potential sponsor should be reported promptly to the Organizational Vice-President and the President, who will appoint a suitable person, often the Zonal Vice-President, to conduct liaison.

XVI) THE ZONAL IBPA REPRESENTATIVES

Zonal IBPA Representatives are appointed by the Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Organizational Vice-President, and are ratified by the AGM.

  A Zonal Representative is an official IBPA contact person in his zone. He should receive Membership forms from the Membership Secretary, and do his best to increase membership.

  Once a year the Zonal Representative should supply the Bulletin Editor with a report of developments in his zone, particularly reporting from zonal championships, and he should include at least one good hand.  A condensed version of this should be submitted to the AGM via the Organizational Vice-President, who controls and coordinates all zonal activity.

XVII) THE CONTROL COMMITTEE

The Control Committee (CC) consists of at least three members. The Chairman selects and heads the Control Committee, which is to check and balance both the financial situation and any other matter or decision dealt with by the Executive Committee.

  The Control Committee should take immediate action if any infractions or violations of the Constitution of the IBPA or its Amendments have occurred.  The Chairman should once every year on behalf of the CC prepare a written statement about the "state of the realm", to be presented to the AGM.

  The Control Committee or the Chairman with the consent of at least one other member of the Control Committee and at least two Executive members, has the right to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).  Notice of such an EGM must be published in the IBPA Bulletin at least two months in advance.

  If members of the Control Committee incur any expenses in connection with their positions, the Executive Committee shall arrange for their reimbursement.

XVIII) THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee (NC) consists of at least three members. It is headed by the Chairman and appointed by him. 

  The NC are to determine annual nominations for Officers and the Executive Committee. They shall keep in contact with the President, the Control Committee and the Executive Committee, and pay attention to their advise.

  If necessary for any reason at all, the NC may refuse to re-nominate any elected Officer or Executive Member. As the head of the NC, the Chairman is to  verify the willingness of potential nominees to serve.

XIX) THE SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE

The Sponsorship Committee (SC) consists of at least four members. Its Chairman is appointed by the Executive Committee and both the President, the Editor and the Treasurer are permanent members of this committee.

  The Sponsorship Chairman is responsible for finding new sponsors for the IBPA, to organize and publish clippings competitions together with the Editor, to negotiate sponsorship agreements together with the President and to organize payment for IBPA services together with the Treasurer.

  Sponsorship agreements are not valid until signed by the IBPA President.

XX) THE AUDITOR

The Auditor is elected for each fiscal year by the AGM.  He must receive from the Treasurer, not later than two months after the end of the fiscal year, a written account of the last fiscal year with accounts, vouchers and bank statements.    After straightening out doubtful points, he should return these to the Treasurer, and send his own statement to the President, in due time before the AGM.  His report will be submitted to the AGM by the Auditor or his proxy.

XXI) THE GENERAL COUNSEL

The General Counsel is appointed by the Executive Committee, subject to the approval of the AGM, and deals with all matters concerning the Constitution, the Amendments and any other legal matter involving the IBPA.

  The General Counsel interprets the By-Laws and the Constitution, whenever it is considered necessary. He suggests, as necessary, amendments and modifications to the Constitution.

  The General Counsel represents and advises the IBPA in all matters needing an attorney at law, including law suits against the IBPA and the operation of contracts with sponsors. The General Counsel should file major documents with the Secretary. 

  He may be reimbursed, with the approval of the Executive Committee, for any personal expenses incurred in carrying out his duties as Counsel.

XXII) IBPA MEMBERS

IBPA members are bridge columnists or editors and authors and publishers of bridge books, pamphlets, etc. There are four main categories of membership:

Full members are those in good standing who pay their dues on time, and who qualify according to the introduction to this point. Full members have the right to receive the IBPA Bulletin free of charge, they have the right to use the Press Room during major championships, and when accredited, they will normally be invited by the organizers to the Victory Banquet, and to attend lunches and dinners given to the journalists during major championships. They may attend, speak and vote during AGMs, and they may play in the IBPA World Championship for journalists (the Salsomaggiore Cup) and in the IBPA European Championship for journalists (the Damiani Cup), which are held biennially. They also have the right to receive the IBPA Handbook (sponsored by the Tirion Company), to be included in postal registers with the major Bridge organizations (WBF and EBL), to receive the WBF News (Europeans also the EBL Review). New members will receive an IBPA pin and when they have paid their dues, a membership card. Full members will also enjoy the privilege of receiving new bridge books to review from publishers whenever the Executive committee can make such a deal, but then they should send clippings to the clippings secretary, so that we can convince the publishers of the importance of sending new books to our members. Full members are also requested to pay "a little something" in addition to their annual dues, in order to help sponsored members.

Sponsored members are regarded as full members, except from the fact that they cannot afford to pay their dues. The number of sponsored members varies annually, depending on how much extra money the full members have paid and what kind of service they have rendered the organization. Sponsored members are required to write at least one article every year and send an English translation to the IBPA Editor. Failing to do so, they risk losing their sponsored membership.

Associated members are members who do not have anything to do with bridge journalism, but who want to  support the IBPA financially or to subscribe to the IBPA Bulletin. They do not have any other rights than receipt of the IBPA Bulletin, but they will be allowed to play in the Salsomaggiore Cup and in the Damiani Cup. Associated members pay the same dues as full members.

Bulletin members are members who receive the IBPA Bulletins in bulk to one address in their country, and these are distributed on from there. They do not have any other rights than Associated members. Bulletin members pay half the dues of full members.