Regulament

Art. 1. Any changes to the BTDL rules can be made in one of two ways:

• By a General Meeting of Teams (“GMT”). For a convocation to a GMT to be valid, in the absence of the unanimous approval of all teams, notice of a GMT must be given at least 7 days in advance by e-mail to all team Captains and Vice Captains, including details of the time and place of the GMT, together with the full text of the proposed change/(s). A GMT can be convoked by any member of the BTDL Committee, or by two or more teams. When a GMT has been convoked, any team may submit their proposed alternatives to the proposed changes to the rules, by email to all team captains and vice-captains, including the full text of the proposed alternatives, at least 3 days in advance of the GMT, or as soon as possible if unanimous approval has been given to waive the 7 days notice. A GMT has a quorum if a simple majority of teams is present. A team’s presence at a GMT requires the presence of the team Captain and/or Vice Captain, or representative nominated in writing by the team Captain. GMT decisions must be approved by a simple majority of teams present.
• BTDL rule changes can be made via an email vote of team Captains or Vice Captains or representative nominated in writing by the team Captain. In this case, any proposed change/(s) will be sent in writing to the leagues committee in good time. The League Secretary will then forward the proposed changes on to all team Captains, Vice Captains and others who aid in the duties of captain for their team but whom are not actually captains. The League Secretary will fix a reasonable time frame for the vote. The approval or rejection of the proposed change/(s) will be made by a simple majority unless a set majority for a vote is first fixed.

Art. 2. League membership is limited to a maximum of 20 teams. Member teams from the previous season have priority right of renewing their membership, provided that they have submitted their membership form and fee by a date to be agreed by either a GMT or by the leagues treasurer. Additional teams may be accepted for membership within the limit of available places, on a first come, first served basis within a reasonable time frame to the beginning of the season. New teams entering the league ‘mid-season’ is at the discretion of the committee providing venue requirements are first met.

Art. 3. The BTDL league committee (known as the Committee) consists of three persons, two League Directors/Treasurers and a League Secretary.
The committee positions of Director/Treasurer and Secretary will be chosen or reconfirmed by vote of teams participating in a season or re-participating in a new season.

Art. 4. To be eligible to be a member of the Committee, the person must have at least two full seasons membership of the league. Team may nominate person(s) for committee positions but committee members must represent different teams in the league.

Art. 5. The league Committee’s responsibilities are the day to day running of the BTDL.

Art. 6. The BTDL Committee is responsible for ensuring that Venues, in particular new Venues meet the league’s Venue requirements. It is the responsibility of the league secretary to have preseason checks conduct on venues to assess whether or not they meet the BTDL requirements. The majority decision of the Committee as to the suitability of Venues is final. Detailed venue requirements can be found in section IV – VENUE REQUIREMENTS of these rules and regulations.

Art. 7. League Secretary: Responsibilities include scheduling and organising league matches, distributing these and team lists to all teams and for distributing league tables to all teams each week during the course of the league. She/he shall also distribute updated team lists, schedules and venue details to all teams in case of changes.

Art. 8. Director/Treasurer: Responsibilities include ensuring that all teams have paid their fees and for regularly accounting for all income & expenditure and cash balances and for producing a full report at the end of each season of income, expenditure and cash balances, which will also be distributed to all teams. The league Treasurer is personally responsible for any missing cash or for expenditures that are not fully documented and justified as league expenses. If certain expenses cannot be justified with tax invoices or tax receipts, these must be approved in writing by the leagues Ethics & Disciplinary committee members (see §V. BTDL CODE OF CONDUCT), and signed for by the Treasurer.

Art. 9. The current league Committee is as follows:

Art. 10. The entry fees for each team to enter a BTDL season shall be announced by the leagues director/treasurer’s at the pre-seasons meeting of team Captains’/representatives if held or via email to all team captains, vice captains and representatives. The entry fees are to be paid to the leagues director/treasurer’s no later than the date stipulated by them. This money is not refundable. • The fee for the current season is fixed at 250 RON per team.

Art. 11. Team requirements are normally, a minimum of 6 members and maximum of 10. However, if mitigating circumstances prevail, both the minimum and the maximum are flexible. However, if a team feels that it needs more than 10 registered members in order to be reasonably sure of being able to have at least 4 or 5 present for any match, then this is permitted at the League Secretary's discretion. However, a team with more than 10 registered members must be reasonable in its end of season party allocation and the numbers of players that attend. While of course all can attend the party, the number covered by the team’s league entrance fee will be regulated. The Registration Form will be issued by the League Secretary and is to be completed by team Captains’ or Vice Captains’ and returned in good time. • The Full names of each team member is required along with any ‘nick-name’ they wish to be known by. • Both team Captain and Vice Captain MUST supply both a telephone number (preferably mobile) and an email address. • Other team members may supply phone numbers and/or email addresses if they wish to do so. • The BTDL does suggest and encourage dual sex teams

Art. 12. New members can sign up for teams during the duration of the season, but the league secretary must be notified, by phone or e-mail, by 7pm the day prior to the new member playing their first match. If a new member is replacing a previously registered, the League Secretary must also be informed of this.

Art. 13. A member of a team may not change teams during the season, unless there are justifying reasons. Examples are but not limited to: both teams are in agreement; their original team drops out of the BTDL.

Art. 14. Each team must have a Captain and a Vice-Captain. Their names and contact details will be made available to all other Captains and Vice-Captains.

Art. 15. Each team must have a “Home Venue” and the management of that venue must be aware of the requirements to be a home venue in the BTDL (see §IV. VENUE REQUIREMENTS). Individual teams are responsible for their venue. They must ensure that the venue Manager/Owner knows and accepts the BTDL minimum requirements of a BTDL venue and also accepts the team in question to play there. Each venue must have a copy of these rule and regulations on site during the season and made readily available to BTDL members on request.

Art. 16. The team registration fees will cover prizes and an end of season party. Any surplus monies will go towards any other events (E.G. pre-season gathering. mid-season gathering, ETC) arranged. Any excess team registration fees can also be carried over to subsequent BTDL seasons. Any part of the registration fees proposed to be used for non-BTDL events or schemes (E.G. charitable) MUST first be approved at a GMT, neither committees alone can authorise such payments. No payment will be made to any of the BTDL Committee members for services to the BTDL.

Art. 17. DIVISIONS “RED” and “BLUE”

• At the beginning of each season, the league will be split in to two divisions named “Red” and “Blue” consisting of ten (10) teams each. Teams will be split equally on league positions in to the two divisions based on the previous season’s league positions, but with venue constraints due to venues hosting more than one team taken in to consideration.
• Teams in each division will play each other once. The league Secretary will complete a schedule so that all teams in each division play a minimum of 4 matches in their home venue.
• On the completion of all matches in both “Red” and “Blue” divisions, the top five placed teams in each division will progress in to Division “A(lfa)”. The remaining 5 teams in each division will progress in to Division “B(oozers)”.
• For scheduling reasons but only if necessary, there will be a one-week break from league matches. Teams in both “Red” and “Blue” divisions are required to complete ALL their initial nine matches by the date of the ninth matches.

Art. 18. DIVISIONS “A(LFA)” AND “B(OOZERS)”

• Teams in both divisions, A and B will play a home and away fixture against all the other teams in their division.
• The BTDL League Champions will be the winning team in division A after all matches have been completed.

Art. 19. League table standings in ALL divisions (“Red”, “Blue”, “A” and “B”) will be based on the following order of merit:

1. Individual games difference (games won minus games lost)
2. Individual games won (descending)
3. Matches won (descending)

Art. 20. POSTPONEMENT OR RESCHEDULING OF MATCHES

• A match cannot be postponed or rescheduled by a team later than 24 hours before the start time of the match. Preferably, both team Captain’s/Vice Captain’s should be in full agreement.
• Postponed/rescheduled matches must be played not later than 14 days after the scheduled match date. The team captains must inform the League Secretary of all changes as soon as possible. The team that asks for a match to be rescheduled must accept one of two dates offered to them by the opposition within the 14-day period. This selected date is then final. Either team then wishing to not play on this date forfeits the match and a walkover of 9-0 is awarded to the opposing team. No team can be any more than 1 game behind which they themselves postponed, unless authorised by the League Secretary.

Art. 21. A team can postpone a maximum of 3 (three) times in a season. After 3 postponements, a team will automatically forfeit any game thereafter by a walk-over of 9-0 if a match is not played on or by the scheduled date.

Art. 22. Teams may not unreasonably refuse agreement to rescheduling a match. The BTDL Secretary MUST be informed by email (btdl.secretary2012@gmail.com) of all and any matters what so ever concerning game scheduling.

Art. 23. Match time is 8.00 PM for each scheduled match and is when all team members should be present at the match venue. If both teams concerned agree to a match time different to 8.00 PM, the time differences are applicable to other rules pertaining to times.

Art. 24. The match score sheet should be completed by 8.15 PM with the names of all players to play.

Art. 25. 8.30 PM is the latest permissible start time. A no-show and a 6-3 walk-over is awarded to a team if their opposition do not have a minimum team requirement by this time, while the team that did not or could not play is awarded a 0-9 match loss, and all their members are awarded a loss in both singles & in doubles.
Players may arrive and play after a match has commenced if this is agreed upon by the opposing team, where certain player/game rules will be breached (E.G. the late player may not be involved in the team game ETC), but they must have been written on the match sheet. If they have not shown by the time that their double/single game is due to start, they lose this game automatically.

Art. 26. While all teams should endeavour to show with at least 6 players, a minimum of 5 players are required to play all games. If a team has only 4 players present, they automatically lose the last double & the last single, while if players from the other team have been named for those games, those players are not credited with a win in the stats. Therefore if a team shows with less than four players for a match, they automatically lose the match by a walk-over of 9-0.

• Teams showing with 6 or more players: All players must play the team game and depending on the number of players, at least one of the other games.
• Teams showing with 5 players: 1 of the 5 players will play ‘an extra doubles game’. Five tickets should be made; four should be left blank and one marked as follows: DOUBLE. The 5 players then draw the tickets, one each. The player drawing DOUBLE plays the extra doubles game. The Captain/sheet filler then fills out the match score sheet. Doubles partnerships must be different pairs for all doubles game and the player playing two doubles games cannot play back to back games.
• Teams showing with 4 players: All four will play 1 doubles & 1 singles game each.
• Statistics: Individual player statistics are scored on the second game of the type played. EG: if a player plays two singles, their statistics are taken from the second singles game played. THIS RULE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.

Art. 27. If both teams fail to show with a minimum of 4 players by 8.30PM, the teams involved will decide their best course of action. If Rules 20 and 21 are not infringed, the match can be postponed to a later date.

Art. 28. If a team fails to show they lose by a walk-over of 9-0. If neither show in any capacity, the match is scored 0-0.

Art. 29. Once play has commenced (the first dart thrown), no changes can be made to the match sheet under any circumstances.

Art. 30. If a team has more than 6 members present for a match, each player MUST play in the team game and at least one of the singles or doubles game. THIS RULE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE; breaches will be picked up by the League Secretary and acted upon. Injured or totally smashed members will be allowed to watch the match without playing any games but cannot involve themselves in any way.

Art. 31. Each player in a game is entitled to throw a maximum of 9 practise darts before the start of a game. Nonetheless, players are expected to practise before the team game is called, and normally team players not involved in the current game are expected not to practise once the team game is called regardless of whether other boards are available. If both teams agree, a late arrival may be allowed to join in the team game after it has started, and in this case he is allowed to throw three practise darts before throwing his first scoring darts. Players in the current game are not allowed to practise during the course of the game, even if other darts boards are available, unless the player to throw is taking a “pit stop” or answering the phone, with the latter being strongly discouraged.

Art. 32. Game structure and order is as follows:

A match consists of nine (9) game; one team game, 3 doubles & 5 singles.

The following order will prevail:

• First Game – Team Game (1 set of 1001)
• Second Game – First doubles game (1 set of 501)
• Third Game – Second doubles game (1 set of 501)
• Fourth Game – Third doubles game (1 set of 501)
• Fifth Game – First singles game (1 set of 501)
• Sixth Game – Second singles game (1 set of 501)
• Seventh Game – Third singles game (1 set of 501)
• Eighth Game – Fourth singles game (1 set of 501)
• Ninth and final Game – Fifth singles game (1 set of 501)
• If both team captains agree, alterations of this order are permissible. The playing order for each game (which team starts first) is set by “diddle for the middle” (nearest to the Bulls-eye). All games are played straight in, double out (SIDO).

Art. 33. For each individual game, the away team has the right to choose whether to throw first or second in the “diddle for the middle” (closest to the bull to see who throws first). In throwing “diddle for the middle”, if a dart thrown does not remain in the board, or wall (in some cases), it shall be re-thrown. If the first thrower hits the bulls-eye (centre bull), the second thrower may ask for the dart to be removed. If the second thrower hits the same bull (centre or outer), it counts as a tie regardless, and a re-throw will be made (double bull beats single bull). If the second dart dislodges the first, both darts will be re-thrown. Usually the person nominated to diddle for the middle for a game is the person written first on the score sheet for that game.

Art. 34. All players must throw with their leading foot not protruding over the front of the throw (Oche) line. The throw (Oche) line is fixed at the same distance regardless of sex, creed or drunkenness. If a foot fault is called, the dart is void and may not be re-thrown.

Art. 35. A throw, consists of three darts. For a dart to score, its front point has to be in or obviously touching the front face of the board and in a scoring area of the board. A dart that is stuck to or stuck in another dart but not touching or in a scoring part of the board scores zero. A dart scores when the thrower has finished his or her throw and walked over the throw (oche) line. A dart or darts that falls out of the board before this score zero.

Art. 36. If a dart or darts thrown fail to hit the board or the wall the board is fixed to or bounces off the board (or wall), it is considered thrown and may not be re-thrown regardless of where it comes to rest.

Art. 37. Darts already thrown may not be touched during a throw, or removed from the board at the end of the throw UNTIL THE SCORE HAS BEEN CALLED AND AGREED! A team who is throwing the darts (in turn) at the time, who breach this rule will record an automatic score of zero for the throw, except when such an offence is committed when a player is going for a double to finish and has not bust. In this case, the team in turn automatically lose the game. If the team not in turn makes a breach of this rule, they automatically lose the game.

Art. 38. Errors in score calculations not detected by the beginning of the same team’s next throw shall remain as written.

Art. 39. During a game, team members and their supporters are not allowed to disturb players of the opposing team in any way while they are throwing their darts. Any breach of this rule will result in the offending team losing the game in progress.

Art. 40. The home Captain is responsible for notifying the league Secretary of results, no later than 24 hours after the match has been played. Original score sheets can be handed directly to the league Secretary if possible otherwise and preferably the score sheet should be scanned or photographed and emailed to btdl.secretary2012@gmail.com If photographing or scanning facilities are not available, the score sheet can be completed manually on the Excel score sheet template. Leaving the original score sheet behind the bar wherever or faxing it is discouraged. If it is left behind a bar or faxed there and is then lost it is the full responsibility of the teaming doing so and a 9-0 walk-over will be awarded to the other team regardless. FOR THIS REASON – EMAIL IT!

Art. 41. Each team captain is responsible for informing team members of changes of time or venue. A no show due to lack of communications is the Captain’s fault alone.

Art. 42. If a venue is not available, the team Captain/representative must report the fact to the League Secretary and the away team Captain (Vice Captain if not available) no later than 48 hours before the match and both teams must then agree an alternative time and/or venue. The Captain’s/Vice Captain’s are responsible for informing their team members and the League Secretary of the changes.

Art. 43. The playing order as recorded on the match sheet may not be contested after the start of the match. The only possible exception to this is a question as to whether a player for the opposing team is registered. All disputes between two teams resulting from any interpretation of match rules, etc, must be resolved by the two teams in question at the time of the match, with games replayed, etc, as appropriate, before the score sheet is signed, and only in unusual circumstances will the League Secretary and/or Committee and/or Ethics and Disciplinary Committee adjudicate on match disputes.

Art. 44. The League Secretary and/or Committee and/or Ethics and Disciplinary Committee will only hear any complaints against other teams, venues or venue managers if lodged by a team Captain, Vice Captain or a Venue Manager. If a team member has a complaint, their only course for redress is to inform their team Captain.

Art. 45. If any team makes more than 2 unannounced no-shows during the season, the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee will review their league status. If the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee deem that the no-shows are unexplainable and/or unreasonable, the offending team will be ejected from the league. An unannounced noshow occurs when the opposing team Captain and/or Vice Captain have not been notified in any way, by phone or in person, before 7.00pm on the day of the match.

Art. 46. If a team withdraws or is ejected from the league during the season, the following rules apply:

• A team withdrawing or ejected during the first part of the season (divisions “Red” & “Blue”): All their matches will be eliminated from the league tables regardless of the result and teams played. o A new team wishing to enter the BTDL before the beginning of divisions A & B and space is available will be considered. In this case, they will enter the league directly in to division B.
• A team withdrawing or ejected during the second part of the season (divisions “A” & “B”):
  • If the team has not completed at least 50% of their matches in their division, all their matches will be eliminated from the league tables regardless of the result and teams played.
  • If the team has completed 50% or more of their matches in their division, the scores for matches played during the first half (first nine matches or first 50% of matches will stand. Any matches played after (match 10 onwards) will be eliminated from the league table regardless of the result and teams played.

Art. 47. If both teams are agreeable and/or reasonably drunk, they may relax the rules of the league, provided only that both teams agree to such relaxation. However, if it is decided to play matches where doubles and single games are played over the best of more than 1 leg, only statistics from the FIRST leg of a game will count towards statistics (“Tons Scored, 180’s, High Finishes”) regardless of how many legs the game is played over. However, the relaxation of the scoring of games is not allowed. Team games are set at 1001, doubles at 501 and singles at 501.

Art. 48. It is customary for the winner/(s) of a game to thank/shake hands/or otherwise acknowledge the losers before indulging in any unseemly team over-exuberance.

Art. 49. It is customary for the winning team to offer the losing team a round of drinks. This is part of the “price of victory”. The customary BTDL drink is a large medium priced beer, such as URSUS, or in exceptional cases a soft drink. If the losing team ask for expensive drinks, such as Guinness, spirits, etc, you are perfectly entitled to suggest an alternative, or to decline to buy. It is also customary for the losing team to exercise judgment and a sense of fair play, and unless the teams are very good friends, a team with 10 players present (for example) that has been beaten by 4 players is expected to accept no more than about 4 drinks. If you are much wealthier than the victors, you can also thank them for their kind offer, and buy them drinks instead. If the losing team have behaved badly, then it may be fair not to offer them drinks.

Art. 50. BTDL Challenge Cup

During the season, Challenge Cup competition will be held. The date(s) for this competition will be announced hopefully in good time. The format and venue(s) for this competition will be announced closer to the time of playing.

Please Note: Statistics (I.E. tons, 180’s, high outs etc) from the cup competition do not count towards the over-all league and individual statistics.

Art. 51. A venue must have a darts area and one proper dartboard for each separate match. This area and dartboard must be reserved for competing teams from 19.30 of the day of the match.

Art. 52. Each board must be in good, acceptable condition.

Art. 53. Each board must be fixed securely at a height of 5 feet, 8 inches/172.72 centimetres from the floor to the centre of the bulls-eye.

Art. 54. Each board must have a clearly marked and immovable “throw line (Oche-line)” that is 7 feet, 9¼ inches/237.83 centimetres from the front of the “throw line (Oche-line)” to the front of the board. This “throw line (Oche-line)” must be parallel with the board with its central part middle/in line with the bulls-eye on the board. The “throw line (Oche-line)” must be at least 60 cm wide (preferably 100cm). A player’s foot/feet can be on the “Oche-line” but never over the front of the “Oche-line” when a dart is thrown. If a player’s foot/feet are over the front of the “Oche-line” when a dart is thrown, a foot fault can be called.

Art. 55. Each board must have a minimum of 50 centimetres of clear space on either side.

Art. 56. Each board must be adequately lit.

Art. 57. There absolutely must be no “public right of way” between the throw line (Oche-line) and the board.

Art. 58. There must be sufficient space at the throw line (Oche-line). There must be at least 150 centimetres of space behind.

Art. 59. The minimum ceiling height should be 2.2 metres.

Art. 60. Each board in a venue must have proper protection on the floor, in front of the board in the case a dart or darts bounce/fall from the board. This protection must be at least 3 metres out from the board and at least 100 centimetres wide (preferably 200cm). E.G. Carpet or rubber matting.

Art. 61. A venue must have available, sufficient supplies of alcohol and soft drinks for the total duration of the visiting team’s duration in the venue.

Art. 62. A location should be easily accessible from central Bucharest.

Art. 63. If a venue falls below the required standards set by the league at any stage during the season, and cannot immediately (within two days of notification) rectify any such deficiencies, teams playing there will be required to find a new venue that meets the standard requirements set by the league.

Art. 64. Each venue manager should provide a table or tables of sufficient size for each team playing a match at their venue.

Art. 65. If the playing room/area becomes too crowded for the players to play professionally, the venue manager’s support in clearing the area is required. To this end, each venue manager is required to keep order in his establishment, in order to allow the match to be played professionally.

Art. 66. It is the responsibility of the team Captains’ of their chosen home venue to inform the venue owners/manager of all matches to be played at their premises.

Art. 67. A venue owner/manager may cancel/postpone a dart match only if they give the Captain/representative of their venues team a minimum of 48 hours notice that the venue will be unavailable. If this is not done, and a venue is not available for any reason when the players arrive at the venue (or during the course of their match), the venue may be barred from holding further BTDL darts matches at its premises.

Art. 68. The venue must not allow music to be played in the playing area at a volume that may disturb play during a match.

Art. 69. It is the responsibility of the team Captain to address any problems that may arise with their home venue with the venues owner/manager to get them rectified. If problems are not rectified in good time the venue will be referred to the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee whose decision regarding the venue will then be final and binding.

Art. 70. The objective of the BTDL code of conduct is to promote friendly and competitive darts evenings. It is of course the choice of each BTDL member, and team, as to whether the competitive element refers mainly to beer drinking, friendly good behaviour or the darts games, but a balance of all three is strongly recommended. The BTDL code of conduct is based on the principal of respect. Respect for the game of darts, respect for the rules and customs of the BTDL, respect for your opponents (and also your team-mates) and for the venue and its personnel. The code of conduct must be followed before, during and after all BTDL matches, but also should be followed, perhaps to a less rigorous degree at all times that BTDL members are together especially if in a BTDL venue.

Any breaches of the code of conduct, unless they can be resolved amicably on the spot, should be reported to the BTDL Committee. The Committee look at all breaches of the code and then based on the nature of any breach, taking into account its gravity and also whether it is a first offence, the Committee will decide what action is appropriate. Appropriate action, although not limited to, can include a “quite chat” with those involved or to issue a private warning. However, if the breach is or breaches are severe the matter/(s) will be handed to the Committee for Ethics and Discipline. The Committee for Ethics and Discipline is totally independent but any decisions they conclude are final and binding. Though not limited to, action could range from a public admonishment, a temporary suspension, points penalty or an expulsion from the BTDL, applying as appropriate, either to an individual or a team.

Please note, neither Committee’s will tolerate frivolous complaints; they will be considered as a breach of the code of conduct.

The code of conduct, as defined above, has been deliberately left quite general. However, on the basis of comments from various members and teams, some examples of breaches of the code are presented below. In no circumstances should this be considered as being a complete and exhaustive list of what will not be allowed.

We all know what is fair so let us hope that there is no need for either Committee to have to judge any breaches:

• Physical violence
• Racist or sexist abuse, comments or innuendoes
• Photography of participants before, during or after a match, without their explicit approval, and in no circumstances in a lewd, pornographic or demeaning manner
• Team celebrations prior to thanking the loser(s), unless very restrained, or in the case of an exceptionally important or unlikely win
• Failing to thank the loser(s) of a game or match
• Failing to congratulate the winner(s) of a game or match
• Deliberately losing a game or match
• Not submitting score sheets in due time
• Failing to offer the losing team the customary drinks, unless their behaviour has been bad or they failed to offer drinks last time they beat you.

Art. 71. Serious matters pertaining to Ethics and Discipline for the Bucharest Thursday Darts League will be reviewed and adjudicated on by the leagues Committee for Ethics and Discipline.

The Committee for Ethics and Discipline will be completely independent of any and all other BTDL entities and will always consist of 5 members, so any and all potential votes are clear.

Each member of the committee must be a Captain or Vice Captains of a BTDL Team. The selection of the 5 members of this committee for the season 2013-2014 was conducted by the BTDL Secretary. The future selection of any and all replacement members will be made by the committee itself.

In the case a member of this committee leaves for whatever reason, the League Secretary will have vote on the replacement member if the vote for a replacement is split equally between the other four members of the committee.

A maximum of one player of any team is allowed to retain a position on this committee at any one time.