NORTH HERTS BOWLS CLUB
CLUB CONSTITUTION (revised March 2015).
1. The Club
The club will be known as the North Herts Bowls Club. Its colours will be Silver and Cambridge Blue.
The Club shall be affiliated to Bowls England
The objective of the club is to promote the playing of bowls as amateurs amongst the people who live in and around North Hertfordshire. The club will be open to all people without discrimination regardless of; sex, ethnicity, nationality, disability or age.
Nominations for appointment to the positions on the Committee, each properly proposed and seconded and with confirmation of the nominee’s agreement, must be returned to the Secretary not less than three days before the Autumn General Meeting. If an election is necessary, it shall be by paper ballot with tellers appointed by the Committee.
Only fit and proper persons will be allowed to stand as committee members.
2. Conduct of Business
Meetings
Two General Meetings will normally be held each year; the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in mid March and the Autumn General Meeting (AuGM) in October. The AGM will deal primarily with constitutional matters, triple groupings and other competition draws. The AuGM meeting will deal primarily with elections, finance and membership applications
Officers of the Club.
The club shall appoint the following officers by elections at the AuGM, such officers taking-up their positions with effect from the following AGM :-
(a) Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Match Secretary, each for a period of 3 years.
(b) Captains in such number as is appropriate having regard to the size of the playing membership and the anticipated number of competitions, each for a period of 1 year.
Organising Committee
The business of the club shall be conducted through an Organising Committee (the Committee) the membership of which shall comprise the elected officers of the club and two other playing members elected for that purpose at the AuGM to serve for a period of one year from the following AGM.
There shall be no fewer than two meetings each year, usually held in January and September. Additional meetings may be called at the Chairman’s discretion.
The committee may, as it sees fit, establish one or more sub-committees in respect of specific issues or projects. Any sub-committee shall meet as required for the proper conduct of its business as agreed by the committee.
Competition Sub-Committee
To ensure the proper and efficient progress of the Club competitions the Chairman shall appoint at each AGM, four playing members (normally captains) to assist him/her deal with any problems that may arise during the course of those competitions. The sub-committee shall, before the commencement of the competition, identify a ‘Substitutes Secretary’ to assist in the administration and monitoring of the Harry Adams Shield (triples) competition.
Elections
Nominations for appointment to the positions on the Committee, each properly proposed and seconded and with confirmation of the nominee’s agreement, must be returned to the Secretary not less than 3 days before the AuGM. If an election is necessary, it shall be by paper ballot with tellers appointed by the Committee.
Quorum
A quorum for any business meeting of the club shall be half of those entitled to be present. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
Young Players
The club will apply the policy of the English Bowling Association in respect of membership or tuition of persons under the age of 18 years.
3. Membership
a) Playing members
Playing membership will be encouraged to participate in representative matches when selected. Save for the exception of the Cairn’s Cup, which is a scheduled date in the competitions calendar, such matches should always be given priority over competition matches, including the club’s internal competitions.
Playing members will also be expected to participate in and actively support club competitions, although ensuring that their commitments are realistic having regard to the competitions’ timetable and their own availability
Applications for new membership or for re-admission shall be subject to confirmation by the Committee.
b) Associates
Playing members who through health or work/family related time constraints wish to take a break from their playing commitment, may apply to the committee for Associate membership. Subsequent application for re-admission to playing membership will be granted automatically in all but the most exceptional circumstances.
From time to time, on application, individuals who do not aspire to playing membership may be granted Associate Membership at the discretion of the Organising Committee, in recognition of their prior support to or involvement in the club.
Associate Members will be welcome to take part in any Charity or Fund Raising match and may, exceptionally, if expressly invited to do so by a Captain who is unable to appropriately fill vacancies in a representative team, play as a substitute in that team. They may also act as markers for club competitions if requested to do so and those who meet the eligibility criteria for the club’s over 75s competition, may participate in that competition.
Associate Members will have no voting rights at the Club General Meetings.
c). Intermediate Membership
If a potential member wishes to join the club, having missed the date for being selected for club competitions, they may be offered intermediate membership. This will give them all the rights of a full member but at a reduced rate bearing in mind their limited access to club competitions
4. Dress Code
For representative matches, charity games, Finals Day, Cairns Cup games and district competitions, members will be expected to observe the club’s adopted dress code as defined in the club’s rules.
5. Subscriptions
The recommended annual subscriptions for playing, intermediate and associate members shall be agreed at the October/November meeting of the committee, having proper regard to the advice of the Treasurer. Such recommendations shall be subject to ratification by the Autumn General meeting. They will become due by 1st February payable to the Treasurer and in no instance later than the date of the annual general meeting
Associate members and occasional visiting bowlers will be required to pay a rink fee per person for casual use of the green (‘roll-ups’) or where expressly invited to play by a representative match captain (see 3b). The rink fee shall be not less than £1.00 and may be subject to review at the AGM. At all Charity or Fund raising events all members present will be expected to donate the equivalent of the rink fee toward the Charity or club fund.
6. Accounts
The annual accounts of the club will be made up for the year to the 31st December preceding an AGM and will be presented to the AGM for acceptance, having previously been subjected to independent scrutiny.
7. Amendment
No part of this constitution may be changed other than by a vote of two thirds of the majority of playing members present at an open general meeting.
8. Winding up
If the committee vote to terminate the activities of the club, then it shall be put to a properly authorised meeting of the whole club and require a two thirds majority of those present and authorised to vote. The committee will be charged with the winding up. Any assets left after settling all the liabilities of the club, will be disposed of to a similar club chosen after consultation with North Herts District Council
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