Club Constitution

ST. GEORGE’S BOWLING CLUB CONSTITUTION

1.   Name

The Club will be called St. George’s Bowling Club and is hereafter referred to as the Club.  

The Club will be affiliated to the British Crown Green Bowling Association, Shropshire Crown Green Bowling Association and any other National or County Association to whom affiliation is necessary to enable the Club to play in their affiliated Leagues or competitions at all playing levels / age groups within the Club. 

2.   Aims and objectives

 The aims and objectives of the Club will be: 

•     To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in Crown Green Bowling;

•     To promote the Club within the local community and Crown Green Bowling;

•     To operate and maintain playing facilities that are representative sufficient for the purposes of playing Crown Green Bowling in all age groups, of all age groups within    such that    the Club and that  is considered an exceptional facility within Crown Green Bowling;

• To ensure that the facilities are made available to those of all age groups;

•     To ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club; and.

•     To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.

3.   Membership

To ensure all present and future members in all age groups receive fair and equal treatment, . 

Membership should consist of officers and members of the Club. 

 All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the Club has adopted.

 Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories: 

•        Full member;

•        Senior member above the national retirement age;

•        Junior member, under the age of 18;

•        Students over the age of 18 in full time education;

§         Associate member, (see Section 14 – Appendices for explanation); or

•         Life member

4.   Membership fees:

 Membership fees will be recommended annually by the Management Committee and agreed at the Annual General Meeting and displayed on the Club noticeboard. Fees will be paid by 30th April each year. 

Match levies will be set annually by the Management Committee and displayed on the Club noticeboard. 

Fees will be paid by 30th April each year.

 Members who have not paid their fees by 30th April will not be eligible for selection in any club team until the fees have been paid in full, including a Club fine of £3.50 for every month of non-payment. 

 Membership of any player or players disregarding this rule will only be continued at the discretion of the Management Committee. 

 Match levies will be set annually by the Management Committee and displayed on the Club noticeboard. 

 The members shall have the power at an Annual General Meeting to elect Honorary Life Members who shall have the same voting rights as ordinary members. 

 All members shall be entitled to vote at all Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings. 

 On payment of Club Membership Fees, each member must either prove membership of or pay their membership fee to become a member of the St. George’s Sports & Social Club. (These fees are Ppayable in person direct to the St. George’s Sports & Social ClubSGS&SC.)  

5.   Officers of the Club

 The officers of the Club will be: 

•         President

•         Chair

•         Vice-Chair

•         Secretary

•         Treasurer

•         Green Manager(s)

•         Welfare Officer

•         Health & Safety Officer

 The Management Committee will also include the elected Captain from each Club team plus other members nominated and elected at the Annual General Meeting. Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

 All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment. 

6.        Committee

The Club will be managed through the Management Committee consisting of : 

Only named posts and members elected at the Annual General Meeting.

Each member will have the right to vote at meetings of the Management Committee, with the exception of the Chair, who shall only have the right to vote if there is a split vote.

The Management Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the Club and held on the first Wednesday of each month after the Sports & Social Club monthly meeting (Suggest removal of text highlighted in Green). at the discretion of the Management Committee.

The quorum required for business to be agreed at Management Committee meetings will be 5 plus the Chair

The Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the Club.

 The Management Committee will have powers to appoint Sub-Committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Management Committee as necessary in order to fulfil its business.

The Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the Club rules, regulations or Constitution. The Management Committee may appoint a Sub-Committee to hear any such disciplinary matters.

The Sub-Committee may recommend any disciplinary actions to be taken, which must be ratified by the Management Committee before implementation.

7.        Finance

All Club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club.

 The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Club. The captain of each Club team will be responsible for collection of match fees, refreshment fees and Club raffles on match nights, for paying to the Treasurer each week during the playing season.

 The financial year of the Club will end on: 31st October (31st December) of each year. Members who have not paid outstanding fees by this time will not be considered eligible for playing the following year until all debts have been paid. 

 An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. (Auditor to be part or fully qualified under a recognised accountancy qualification, where possible).

 8.        Annual General Meetings

Notice of Annual General Meetings (AGM) will be given by the Club Secretary. Not less than 21 clear days notice to be given to all members.

 The AGM will receive a report from officers of the Management Committee and a statement of the audited accounts.

 Nominations for officers of the Management Committee will be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM.

 Elections of officers are to take place at the AGM.

 All members have the Sight to vote at the AGM.

 The quorum for AGMs will be 10 and the Chair.

The Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) outside the AGM. The pProcedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.  

 9.        Discipline and appeals

  All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and young people will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the Club’s child protection policy and procedures.

The club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.

 The club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.

All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Secretary.

 The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 7 days of a complaint being lodged. The Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing. 

There will be the right of appeal to the Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 7 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal.  

10.      Dissolution

A resolution to dissolve the Club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership. 

In the event of dissolution, any assets of the Club that remain will become the property of the St. George’s Sports & Social Club St. George’s Sports & Social Club.  

11.      Amendments to the Constitution and Rules

The constitution and rules will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.   

12.      Rules Of St. George’s Bowlingthe Club                            

I.         Flat shoes only to be worn on the greens at all times.                               

II.           Any keys to the pavilions, equipment buildings or lockers must be returned to the Management Committee on leaving the Club.                          

III.          Visitors may use the greens only if accompanied by a Senior Member and on payment of £0.50 per game, o (Or by prior alternative arrangement agreed by the Management Committee).                              

IV.          Club woods must be returned as soon as possible after a match and are not to be retained by any member.                      

V.           There will be no practice allowed before Club competitions.                  

VI.          All St. George’s Bowling ClubClub members must also be members of St. George’s Sports & Social Club.                   

VII.        The closing and opening of the greens will rest in the hands of the elected Green Manager(s) and their decision will be final and binding.                       

VIII.        In any dispute arising within the Club the Management Committee’s decision will be final.                              

IX.          Outside competition sheets, where available or required, should be completed by players wishing to enter said competitions.and handed in, together with the relevant fees to the Honorary Treasurer by the date specified on the competition sheets The Club Treasurer, on behalf of the member, will return the competition sheets to the appropriate external arranger and will pay the competition fees  due.

Competition entry fees will be billed to each applicable member at the end of the season and ahead of the close of the annual accounts.

Club Subscriptions (And the applicable late fines due), should be paid as soon after the cut-off date as is possible, but if not already paid, must be paid with the competition fees at the end of the season. Failure to do this will result in non-entry of competitions and the removal of Club Membership for the following season.         Suggest we amend this to reflect members entering competitions and being billed for those entries, by the Club, at the end of the season. Any suggestions for wording would be appreciated.

13.      Declaration

St. George’s Bowling Club The Club hereby adopts and accepts this Constitution and Club rules as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.  

 14.      Appendices 

(i)           Membership Details

Club members are categorised for annual membership fees (ii) as follows: 

• Full Member – all members aged 18 or over at 1st January each year. This includes full and part time students (where a discount to Club fees may be offered at the discretion of the Management Committee);

• Senior Member – all members over the National retirement age at 1st January each year.

• Junior Member – all players aged under 18 at 1st January each year.

• Student Member – all members aged 18 or over at 1st January each year who are in full time education.

• Associate Members – all players playing less than 5 matches for the Club, at the behest of Club captains

• Life Member - all members whose contribution to the Club has been recognised and passed by a majority vote at the Annual General Meeting

 (ii)         Membership Fees as at 2nd February, 2024

• Full Members - £35.00

• Senior Members - £25.00

• Junior Members – No Fee

• Student Members – No Fee

• Associate Members – No Fee unless exceeding the a 5 game5-game threshold. in whichIn such cases, case £5.00 will be charged to that Associate Member–. Management Committee discretion will be used after this exceedancethereafter if this limit is breached further.

• Life Members – No Fee