CONSTITUTION AND RULES

GEDDINGTON AND NEWTON BOWLING CLUB

 

OPENING STATEMENT

The Constitution and Rules of the Geddington and Newton Bowling Club (referred to below as ‘the Club) take account of the framework (including guidance and Appendices) as outlined in the Bowls England Model Constitution revised in April 2017.

 

OBJECTS OF THE CLUB

1             The Club shall be called ‘Geddington and Newton Bowling Club’ and shall be affiliated to Bowls Northamptonshire.

2a           The Club is formed to provide facilities for and to promote participation of the whole community in the sport of                                                bowls under the Rules and Regulations of Bowls England.

2b           Notwithstanding Rule 2a, the Club shall be a non-profit making organisation and its members shall be deemed to be                                     amateurs who play the game wholly as a non-remunerative or non-profit-making sport or pastime.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB

3a           The business of the Club shall be controlled by a Management Committee (referred to below as ‘the                                                                      Committee’) consisting of the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, any two of whom                            should ideally be resident members as defined in Rule 7b, and  any two of whom may be non-resident members                                              as defined in Rule 7c;  and a further seven (7) members who shall include all Club Team Captains.  All Officers and                                           Committee members shall  be elected annually.

3b           The Committee may be supplemented by two councillors appointed by Geddington and Newton Parish Council.

3c           The retiring President shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee for a period of three (3) years.

4a           Annually, the Club shall elect an Auditor or independent examiner with relevant accounting/financial experience,                                           who  will be invited to examine and sign off the Club’s end of year accounts.  That person shall not be eligible to be a                                        member  of the Committee, nor shall they necessarily be a member of the Club.

4b           The financial year of the Club shall run from 1st October to the following 30th September each year.

5              The Committee shall be empowered to borrow money from a properly authorised lender to make improvements to                                      the facilities of the Club.  All monies borrowed shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Club, or at                          a Special Meeting of the members of the Club, called in accordance with these Rules.  If they wish to, individual                                                 members of the Club may act as guarantors for any money borrowed.

6a             The Honorary Secretary shall keep a record of all business transacted, and carry out all other secretarial duties                                                in accordance with decisions and the directions of the Club and the Committee, and shall submit to the Annual General                             Meeting a report of the proceedings of the Club covering the period since the previous AGM.

6b            The Honorary Treasurer shall provide a written statement of accounts at each meeting of the Committee.  Additionally, a                           full financial report showing a precise account of income and expenditure to the 30th September shall be provided to                                 members at the AGM.  These accounts will have been audited and signed off by the elected Auditor (see Rule 4a above).                           The Treasurer shall act in accordance with the decisions and at the direction of the Club and the Committee.

                  The elected President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, and upon the decision of the Club,                              one other member of the Committee, shall be deemed to be Trustees of the Club’s funds.

6d            Whereon at the direction of the Club or the Committee, the whole or part of the Club’s funds are deposited with a Bank(s)                       and/or Building Society(ies), or like investment organisation(s), any withdrawals of such funds can only be made on the                               joint authorisation of any two (2) of the Trustees.

 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE CLUB

7a           Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or                               beliefs; or age, gender or disability.  The Committee may refuse membership (or expel from membership) only for good                               and sufficient cause (such as conduct or character likely to bring the sport or the Club into disrepute).  In reaching a                                     decision in any such case, the Committee shall take full account of the protocols and guidance issued by the relevant                                   governing body(ies). Appeal against any such decision may be made to the Club’s members and decided by a majority                                   vote.  However, in undertaking any such action, the Committee and the Club shall take full account of the                                                              protocols and guidance issued by the relevant governing body(ies). 

7b            Resident members shall be those paying the full Club membership subscription and resident in the parishes of                                                  Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley.

7c            Non-resident members shall be those paying the full Club membership subscription who are not resident in the above                               parishes.

7d           Junior members shall be those persons who are under eighteen (18) years of age, or who are in full time education and                                who pay a reduced subscription.

7e            Social members shall be non-playing members who pay a reduced subscription.  The reduced subscription shall entitle a                            social member to attend all social events. However, social members are not eligible to vote on club matters, nor enjoy                                   full  access to club premises. Social members may play a maximum of four (4) sessions at a pre-determined fee and                                         must be signed in by a full member. 

7f              Life members may be appointed by unanimous vote of the Committee and shall pay no subscription.  The granting of Life                           Membership of the Club is an exceptional award, the framework for which is set out in the relevant Committee paper.

7g            Priority for membership of the Club shall be given to residents of the parishes of Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley.

8              Visitors may use the facilities of the Club if introduced by a member.  That member shall be responsible for paying the                                  visitor’s fees and signing the visitor into the Club Visitor’s Book.  Visitors will be expected to observe the Club Rules and                            their conduct shall ultimately be the responsibility of the member who introduced them.  No visitor will be allowed more                          than four (4) visits to the Club in any one season.

 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

9               Annual subscriptions are payable by the 1st March each year.  Non-payment by the due date may result in forfeiture of                               the right to participate in Club competitions.

10            On joining the Club, new members accepted by the Committee shall be required to pay a subscription fee as decided by                             the Committee. 

11            All annual subscriptions, joining fees, match fees and visitor’s fees shall be reported upon and approved annually within                              the Honorary Treasurer’s financial report at the AGM.

 

CLUB MEETINGS

12a          At the AGM and any Special Meetings all full members except junior members shall have one (1) vote.  The President or                            Chairman of the  meeting shall have a casting vote.

12b          The AGM shall be held within sixty (60) days of the end of the financial year.

13a          The Committee shall hold meetings as and when they are deemed to be necessary.  The Honorary Secretary shall be                                     responsible for notifying all committee members of the date and time of planned meetings and for issuing copies of the                               agenda.

13b          The Honorary Secretary shall convene a meeting on the request of five (5) members of the Committee.

13c           A quorum of the Committee shall consist of seven (7) members.

13d           The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees, co-opt, or invite any Club member to a Committee                                    meeting, to deal with such matters as they decide and may fix the quorum thereof.  No sub-committee, co-opted or                                        invited member is authorised to commit the Club to expenditure without the approval of the full Committee.

13e           In respect of co-opted members, the Committee shall have the power for them to serve for a period of one (1) year. 

14              Fourteen (14) days’ notice of the AGM and any Special Meeting shall be notified to each member and such notice shall

                    set forth the business to be transacted.

15             The Committee may call a Special Meeting for any matter of urgent importance and shall be bound to do so on receiving a                          requisition signed by ten (10) members of the Club, within twenty eight (28) days of receiving such requisition.

16             The quorum at an AGM shall be one third of the current full membership.

17             At all Committee, sub-committee, annual general and special meetings, a simple numerical majority of members                                             present and authorised to vote shall be deemed  sufficient to carry a motion with the Chair of the meeting having a

                  casting vote.

18            The Honorary Secretary shall be given thirty (30) days’ notice of any proposed amendment to the Club Rules, or any                                     motion to be included in the agenda of the AGM in order to comply with Rule 14.

19             No alteration of these Rules shall be made except at an AGM.  Notwithstanding Rules 16 and 17, any amendment to the                             Club Rules shall require a two thirds majority in a vote by full members only.  Junior members are disqualified from                                       voting on any amendment to these Rules.

 

WINDING UP

20a         The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present who are eligible to vote,                                      support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting.

20b         The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.

20c          After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of all net assets remaining to one (1) or more of the                              following:  (i) to another Club with similar sports purposes, which is a registered charity or Community Amateur Sports                              Club (CASC), and/or (ii) to the Club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports.

 

GENERAL

21           The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Clubs’ objects as set forth in this                                   Constitution, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly, or indirectly, to Club members.

 

November 2020