RULES FOR BILLIARD CLUBS

WE have been so often asked for hints and suggestions as to the formation of billiard clubs and subscription rooms, that we publish for the benefit of our inquirers the rules in force at the Metropolitan Club, Pentonville-road. It is hereby agreed as follows:

1. That this Club be called The Metropolitan Club.

2. The objects of the Club shall be to afford to its members the means of social intercourse and rational recreation.

3. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by the President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Committee.

4. The President shall be Chairman of all General and Committee Meetings at which he shall be present.

In the absence of the President, a Chairman shall be elected by the meeting from the members present, and entitled to vote at such meeting.

5. The Committee shall consist of twelve members, five of whom shall form a quorum. The President, Treasurer, and Secretary, shall be ex-officio members of the Committee, with power to speak, but not to vote; but in case of equal division, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

6. The Committee (but not the President, Treasurer, or Secretary) shall retire annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, to be held as hereafter mentioned, but shall be all eligible for re-election. The present Committee shall hold office until the first Annual General Meeting of the Club, which shall be -held on the first Monday in November of the year 1874.

7. The Committee shall have power to enter into any lease or agreement for tenancy of premises for the use of the Club; to engage a manager at such remuneration as they may consider reasonable; to fix the remuneration of the Secretary for the period up to the first Annual General Meeting of the Club; to vote any sums necessary for defraying the expenses of and incidental to the formation of the Club; and to enter into any other contracts or engagements which they may deem advisable for the conduct of the affairs of the Club.

8. The Committee shall have exclusive and absolute power to fix, and from time to time alter, the tariff of prices to be charged to members for refreshments, and for use of the Club billiard tables, and such tariff shall be at all times exhibited in a conspicuous place in the Club-room.

9. All contracts and engagements in writing affecting the property of the Club shall be made in the names of the Committee for the time being, three at least of whom shall sign the same on behalf of all the Committee, and such contracts and engagements shall thereupon be binding on all members of the Committee in the same way as if they had severally signed the same; but no contract or engagement shall be entered into except in pursuance of a resolution of the Committee, after notice of motion sent by post to each member of the Committee, at least seven days prior to the Committee meeting at which the motion is intended to be brought forward.

10. The Secretary shall have power in pursuance of any standing or special resolution of the Committee to order or purchase any stores or supplies for the use, and at the expense of, the Club; and shall be indemnified by the Committee from any liability incurred by him from time to time by reason of such orders or purchases.

11. All moneys of the Club, by whomsoever received, shall, within seven days of the same being received, or within 48 hours of the same amounting to £20, be handed to the Treasurer, who shall be at liberty to retain in hand from time to time a sum not exceeding £10 for petty cash disbursements, and subject thereto shall, whenever the moneys in his hands at any one time amount to £30 or upwards, forthwith pay the same into the Club's bankers to the credit of the Club.

All payments on account of the Club for amounts of £5 and upwards shall be made by cheque. Every cheque shall be signed by the President, in pursuance of a resolution of the Committee passed for the purpose, and shall be countersigned by the Treasurer. At every Committee meeting the Bankers' Pass Book shall be laid upon the table, and the entries therein since the preceding Committee meeting shall be checked by the Chairman, and the balance be noted on the minutes.

12. The Committee shall hold a meeting at least once a month to transact the current business of the Club. In the event of a vacancy in the Committee occurring, the members of the Committee shall have power to fill up the vacancy from the other members of the Club. The President, Secretary, or Treasurer, or any two members of the Committee, shall, at any time, have power to call a special Committee meeting.

13. A balance-sheet of the affairs of the Club shall be made up to Michaelmas in each year, and audited; and shall be presented to the Committee at their next meeting, and be submitted to the next Annual General Meeting of the Club.

14. The Annual Subscription of each effective member shall be 10s. 6d., payable on admission, and renewable at Michaelmas in each year, at whatever part of the year the member shall have originally joined the Club. No member of the Club, except the Committee, shall incur any pecuniary liability or responsibility whatever, by reason of his membership, except for his subscription, and for refreshments and other matters supplied, and as hereinafter provided.

15. Each candidate for membership shall be elected by the Committee, after being proposed and seconded by members of the Club, and paying the annual sub scription in advance. The name and address of the proposed member, with the names of his proposer and seconder, shall be exhibited in a conspicuous place in the Club-room for at least one week previously to the same being voted upon by the Committee. The Secretary shall report to each Committee meeting, as part of the ordinary business, the dates and particulars of all outstanding proposals for membership, and the Committee shall forthwith proceed to vote upon the proposals in respect of which the preliminary conditions have been complied with. The voting shall be by ballot, one black ball in six or two over seven to exclude. In the event of any proposed member being black-balled, his subscription will be returned in full.

16. A register of members shall be kept by the Secretary, and the name and address of each member of the Club shall be entered therein at the time of his election. Changes of address of members are to be notified by them to the Secretary, and entered in the register, and every notice shall be deemed to be duly served by sending the same by post to any member at his last address appearing on the register.

17. Members of Masonic lodges, and other kindred institutions, may be elected honorary members of the Club on payment of a fee of 2s. 6d. each per annum, to be included in the annual subscription payable by such member to such lodge or institution. Honorary members shall only be entitled to the privileges of this Club on the occasion of their using the Club premises for the purposes of their meetings, and on no other occasion whatever.

18. Every member shall, after his election, receive a card of membership, on which shall be entered the receipt for his subscription from year to year. Every member shall show his card of membership on entering the Club, or when requested to do so by any member of the Committee, or by the Manager. No member will be allowed to use the Club if his subscription is in arrear. Should any member fail to pay his subscription within three weeks after it has become due, he shall be served with notice that his subscription is in arrear, and if the subscription shall afterwards remain unpaid, he shall, at the end of one week from the date of such notice, cease to be a member, and shall be deemed to have retired without notice, and shall be liable accordingly.

19. Any member intending to retire from the Club must give notice of his intention, in writing, to the Secretary, on or before Michaelmas day in the current year. In default of such notice he shall pay the sub scription for the ensuing year.

20. Members must not reprimand the servants, but in the event of cause of complaint arising, must communicate their grievance to the Committee, through the Secretary.

21. No member shall introduce more than one friend on the same day, nor the same friend more than three times in any quarter of a year.

22. Members shall pay all expenses incurred for themselves or their friends before quitting the Club premises. All refreshments supplied are to be consumed on the premises.

23. The game of Hazard shall not be played, and Dice shall not be used in the Club.

24. No gambling, betting, drunkenness, profane or offensive language, or disorderly conduct, shall be allowed. Any member infringing this or any other Rule shall be liable to instant expulsion from the premises of the Club, and shall forfeit all rights of membership until the next meeting of the Committee, when the Secretary shall lay the case before them for their decision, and the Committee shall be at liberty to expel the offending member, and in case of expulsion, his subscription shall be absolutely forfeited.

25. The Manager shall have power to call upon any member to make good forthwith any damage done by him to any property of or used by the Club, and in case of refusal by such member, the same shall be reported to the Committee for their decision.

26. The Club premises shall be open daily, except on Sundays, from ten o'clock in the forenoon until one o'clock in the morning. The Club premises shall be open on Sundays from ten o'clock in the morning to two o'clock in the afternoon.

27. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall take into consideration the balance-sheet, and any report submitted by the retiring Committee, elect a Committee, two of the Auditors, and fix the remuneration of the Secretary for the ensuing year. The newly-elected Committee shall, at their next meeting, nominate one Auditor for the ensuing year. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held on the first Monday in November of each year.

28. In case any Auditor shall be unable or unwilling to act, the Committee shall have power to nominate any other member of the Club to act in his place, and shall cause notice of such nomination to be fixed in a conspicuous place in the Club-room for seven days consecutively, and the member nominated shall be then deemed to be duly appointed an Auditor, unless in the meantime notice of objection, signed by not less than three members of the Club, shall have been sent to the President or Secretary.

29. A Special General Meeting of the Club may at any time be convened by seven days' notice to every member of the Club, either in pursuance of a resolution of the Committee or of a requisition in writing signed by not less than fifteen members of the Club, and delivered or sent by post to the President or Secretary, stating the object for which such meeting is desired. A copy of every such resolution or requisition shall be exhibited on the notice-board in the Club-room, every day, from the notices being sent out, to the meeting being held. A Special General Meeting convened for that purpose shall alone have power to remove the President Treasurer, or Secretary, or to alter any rule of the Club, or to make any additional rule. Every Annual General Meeting shall have all the powers of a Special General Meeting of discussing and dealing with any matters brought before it, of which due notice shall have been given in the manner hereinbefore prescribed, with respect to the business to be conducted at any Special General Meeting.

30. Any member desiring to propose any alteration of, or addition to the rules, must send by post to the President and Secretary a copy of such proposed alteration or addition at least fourteen days before the meeting at which the same is to be brought forward.

31. The Committee shall have power to make such bye-laws as they may deem conducive to the comfort of members and the welfare of the Club. Such bye-laws shall be at all times exhibited in a conspicuous place in the Club-room.