Longthorpe Bowls Club Constitution

1. NAME

The Club shall be known as Longthorpe Bowls Club and is a member of the Longthorpe Community Association.

The Club green is adjacent to the Longthorpe Village Hall.

2. OBJECTIVE

To foster and promote the sport of flat green bowls at all levels, providing opportunities for recreation and competition.

3. CLUB COMMITTEE

a) Election of Club Committee members will take place at the AGM. Once elected, members of the Club Committee shall serve for three years.

b) The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club. It will comprise of ten full subscription paying members who will appoint officers to include: Chairman, Vice-Chair, General Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Club Captain and other positions as deemed necessary.

c) Other members may be co-opted onto the Club Committee at its discretion in a non-voting capacity.

d) A committee member who fails to attend five consecutive meetings or is no longer able to fulfil their obligation will be deemed to have resigned. A new member, with full voting rights, may be co-opted to serve until the next AGM.

e) An assembly of five Club Committee members shall constitute a quorum when all elected members have received notice of the meeting.

4. PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT

Longthorpe Bowls Club will have a President and Vice President.  The President will have first served a period of one year as Vice President and he/she will serve a single term of one year and be succeeded by the Vice President; on taking office the President will become an honorary member.   The Club Committee will nominate a member, having first gained their agreement, to be Vice President and submit a proposal to the AGM for adoption. The President and the Vice President will be ex-officio, non-voting, committee members.

5. GENERAL MEETINGS

The AGM shall be held during March.  Notice of this meeting will be issued at least one month before the date of the AGM and will include nomination slips for any vacancies on the Club Committee.  Any motions for the AGM should be signed by both the proposer and seconder, and submitted to the Chairman or Secretary at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.  Extraordinary General Meetings or Special Meetings may be called at any time by the Club Committee or on the request of a motion signed by not less than 50% of the membership.   All notices of such meetings to be made in writing to all members one month prior to the date of any meeting.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription shall be agreed at the AGM and should be paid by the opening of the    outdoor season and before playing in any league or friendly match representing the club. Members failing to pay their subscriptions by the opening of the outdoor season, may have their membership terminated.   In the event of a member joining the Club after the 30thJune their subscription may be reduced accordingly.

7. CLUB FINANCE

Specimen signatures from three members of the Club Committee will be held by the Bank/Building Society which holds the Club’s account, and all cheques over £500.00 tendered must bear the signature of two of these.   Any payment by electronic bank transfer over £500.00 requires the written approval of two signatories. The Treasurer and General Secretary shall be authorised to hold a sum of petty cash to cover the day-to-day running of the Club.

8. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

The Club Committee may award the honour of Honorary Life Membership to members who have rendered outstanding service to the Club.

9. LEAGUE & FRIENDLY MATCHES

a) League matches

A Selection Committee shall comprise of the Club Chairman, Club Captain, Club Vice Captain as well as the Captains of each league team.  They will meet in the closed season and select each league team from the members who have indicated that they wish to play.

b) Friendly matches

Fixture sheets for friendly matches will be displayed one month in advance.

10. CLUB COMPETITIONS

The Club shall run a number of one-day and knockout competitions for which awards will be presented.

11. MISCELLANEOUS

a)No member of the Club shall pledge any cash or Club property or make any contact on behalf of the Club without the authority of the Club Committee.

b) The Club Committee shall have power to expel any member of the Club who, in its opinion, make themselves objectionable, or bring the Club into disrepute.

c) The standard of dress will be white above the waist (shirt/blouse bearing the Club Logo), bowling grey below – neither charcoal grey or black is permitted. Shorts will be only be accepted if they are tailored World Bowls Grey and accompanied by white or grey socks. Members are expected to conform to this requirement at all League and Friendly matches and also at such other events as Gala Days and Club Competition Days as detailed on the Fixture Card.

d) Players, umpires and markers will wear white, brown, grey or black smooth soled heel-less bowling shoes while playing on the green. No other person will be permitted on to the green unless they are wearing the correct footwear.

e) Smoking anywhere on Longthorpe Bowls Club premises, including E-cigarettes, is prohibited. Any complaints concerning breaches of this rule must be reported to a committee member.

12 RINK FEES

a) A rink fee, of an amount to be agreed at an AGM, will be charged to all members participating in home and away matches, roll-ups and on any other occasion when they play on the green, other than on Gala Days and in specified Club Competitions where an entry fee is collected.

b) Visitors will be subject to a rink charge of twice the amount paid by Club members, to be collected by the hosting member.  Visitors may play up to a maximum of five times per season; if this number of visits is exceeded these persons are expected to join the Club and pay the annual subscription.

c) Skips shall be responsible for collecting rink fees at matches.

13. RINK BOOK

a) A rink book is to be located in the Home Pavilion showing when the green is in use for matches, roll-ups and social and competition events. The rink book will also indicate periods of time, allocated by the Greenkeeper, for maintenance purposes.

b) A list of members’ and their telephone numbers will be displayed in the Home Pavilion.

c) At all other times members may use the rinks, for example, for club competition preliminary rounds and any other games they might arrange, provided they record their booking in the rink book.

14. DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB

a) In the event of a decision made by the membership, at an Annual General Meeting, to discontinue the activities of the Club, all buildings and structures would become the property of the Longthorpe Community Association.

b) All equipment would be put up for sale, after repayment of debts, any surplus financial assets would be donated to those local charities nominated by the committee.

Updated 12.03.22