FOUNDED 1969

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OLD NEWTON BOWLS CLUB

OLD NEWTON BOWLS CLUB

RULES

1) NAME

Shall be known as Old Newton Bowls Club here and after referred to as “The Club”

2) OBJECT

2a. To foster and promote the sport of flat green bowls at all levels, providing opportunities for recreation and competition.

2b. To provide bowling facilities to the standards required by Bowls England, The English Bowling Federation, English Women’s Bowling Federation, Suffolk County Bowls Association, Suffolk County Women’s Bowls Association for all.

3) POWERS

Subject to the provisions of Rule 21 hereof, The Club shall have power to do all things necessary and proper for the accomplishment of the objects specified above including the purchase of freehold or leasehold land or property in the name of The Club and the borrowing of money in accordance with the provision of Rule 21 hereof.

4) ADMISSION OF MEMBERS          

Membership of the Club shall be open to any person, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief or ability, who completes a membership application form and pays the relevant subscription/joining fee as determined by the Club.

CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

FULL MEMBER - A full member must be over the age of 18 and pay the full subscription fee as determined by the Club.  Full members have full voting rights.

SOCIAL MEMBER - A social member must be over the age of 18 having previously been a full member, or alternatively, nominated by a full member, and pay the relevant subscription fee as determined by the Club.  Social members have no voting rights.

JUNIOR MEMBER - A junior member must be under the age of 18, or be in full time education, and pay the relevant subscription fee as determined by the Club.  Junior members have no voting rights.

5) REFUSAL OF MEMBERSHIP

The Committee, on behalf of The Club, may refuse membership where it has good reason to believe that the applicant would be a disruptive influence or prejudice the good conduct of The Club. There shall be no discrimination in such a decision. Any refusal of membership shall be confirmed in writing by the Club Secretary, to the applicant, within 14 days of the decision being taken. The applicant shall have the right to appeal this decision, but any such appeal must be made in writing, to the Club Secretary, within 28 days of receiving notification of membership refusal. Any such appeal would be heard at a General Meeting of the Club, and the appellant shall have the right to address the meeting, with the decision to refuse membership being confirmed or reversed by majority vote of those members present at the General Meeting.

6) MANAGEMENT

The management of The Club shall be entrusted to a Committee composed of The Club’s officers elected by a majority vote of the members in open meeting. They shall consist of: The Club President, Senior Vice Presidents, The Club Chairman and Vice Chairman, The Club Captain and Vice Captains, The Honorary Secretary, The Honorary Ladies’ Secretary, The Honorary Treasurer and The Match Secretary. The constitution of the Committee shall be reviewed annually at the A.G.M. and the members’ term of office shall be for one year from A.G.M to A.G.M. The Committee may co-opt additional members of The Club to the Committee but not exceeding four in number. All the members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. The Committee shall meet every other month and at such other times as the Committee shall determine and at all meetings of the Committee, six shall form a quorum. The Committee shall have power at any time and from time to time, to fill any casual vacancy among the Officers and the Committee. Any Officer or Member of the Committee so appointed, shall hold office only until the next following Annual General Meeting, but shall then be eligible for re-election.

7) PURCHASE AND SUPPLY OF LIQUOR


The purchase for The Club and the supply by The Club of intoxicating liquor shall be at the absolute discretion of a Sub-committee of not less than 5 members, being members of the Committee appointed for that purpose. In the event of any member, for any reason, ceasing to be a member of the Committee, he/she shall automatically cease to be a member of such Sub-Committee and another member of the Committee shall be appointed in his/her place. Such Sub-committee shall in no way be restricted in freedom of purchase.


8) AMATEUR STATUS


The Club shall be run as an Amateur Bowls Club and no member of the Club shall receive payment for playing matches at or on behalf of the Club.


9) COMMISSION


No person shall at any time be entitled to receive at the expense of The Club (or any member of The Club), any commission percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchases of intoxicating liquor by The Club; nor shall any person directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of intoxicating liquor by or on behalf of The Club to members or guests, apart from any benefit accruing to The Club as a whole and apart also, from any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise to or contributing to a general gain from the carrying on of The Club.


10) APPLICATION OF PROFIT


All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.


11) ACCOUNTS


Full accounts of the financial affairs of The Club duly audited by the Auditor(s) shall be made available to every member attending the Annual General Meeting.


12) SUBSCRIPTION IN ARREARS


If any member shall fail to pay his/her subscription by 31st March in any year and the Honorary Treasurer sends him/her a notice in writing to his/her address as recorded in the books of The Club calling on him/her to pay the subscription within seven days, then, if he/she shall fail to pay, the Committee shall be entitled to terminate his/her membership without further notice.


13) GENERAL MEETINGS


An Annual General Meeting of The Club shall be held in the month of October in each year and fifteen months shall not elapse without a general meeting. At the annual General Meeting the following business shall be conducted:


13.1 The presentation and (if accepted) the passing of the accounts for the previous financial year ended on the 30th day of September prior to the meeting, which accounts shall first have been audited by The Club’s Auditor(s).

13.2 The election of the Officers and the Committee

13.3 The election of Auditor(s)

13.4 Such other business as shall have been communicated to the Honorary Secretary and included in the notice of the meeting sent by him/her to the members.


14) EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS


An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at any time and shall be convened within twenty-one days on the requisition of at least one fifth of the members of The Club for the time being or thirty members, whichever is the least. Such requisition must state the purpose for which such a meeting is required.


15) NOTICE OF MEETING


The Honorary Secretary shall, at least fourteen days before any general meeting, send to every member at his/her address as recorded in The Club’s books or post in a conspicuous place in The clubs premises, a note of the meeting stating the start time when and the place where it will be held and the business to be conducted.


16) BUSINESS AT A GENERAL MEETING


The business at a General Meeting shall be limited to that provided by these rules and those further matters set out in the notice convening the meeting. The quorum at any General Meeting or at any meeting of the Committee shall be six.


17) VOTES


At all meetings of The Club and of the Committee, each member over the age of eighteen years shall have one vote. The Chairman of any such meeting shall have his one normal vote plus one casting vote, if required.


18) DUTIES OF OFFICERS


President

The President may attend and vote at all Committee Meetings.

Chairman

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings.

Vice-Chairman

The Vice-Chairman shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Chairman.

Club Captain

The Captain shall, in conjunction with the vice Captains and the Honorary secretary, make arrangements for such inter-club bowls matches etc. as shall be decided by the Committee and shall generally supervise the conduct of the matches etc.

Senior Vice-Captain

The Senior Vice-Captain shall officiate in the absence of the Club Captain.

Honorary Secretary

The Honorary Secretary shall act upon the proposals of the Committee in the interests of The Club and shall, with the Match Secretary, the Captain and Vice-Captains’ assistance arrange matches etc. and deal with correspondence.

Honorary Treasurer

The Honorary Treasurer shall receive all monies due to The Club and shall pay all debts of The Club under the direction of the Committee and the Secretary conduct the banking arrangements of The Club and shall be responsible for the production of the audited balance sheet at the A.G.M.


19) POWER TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL MEMBERS


The Committee shall have the power to reprimand, suspend (for a period not exceeding 28 days) or expel any member who shall offend against the rules of The Club or whose conduct, within or without The Club’s premises, shall in the opinion of the Committee render him/her liable for such censure, suspension or unfit for membership of the Club. Before any such member is expelled, the Honorary Secretary shall give him/her seven days written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and shall inform him/her of the complaints made against him/her. No member shall be expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the Committee and answering complaints made against him/her and unless at least two thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his/her expulsion.
Any expulsion of a member shall be confirmed in writing by the Club Secretary, to the member, within 14 days of the decision being taken. The member shall have the right to appeal this decision, but any such appeal must be made in writing, to the Club Secretary, within 28 days of receiving notification of expulsion. Any such appeal would be heard at a General Meeting of the Club, and the appellant shall have the right to address the meeting and present any evidence relating to the expulsion, with the decision to expel being confirmed or reversed by majority vote of those members present at the General Meeting.


20) TRUSTEES


There shall be not more than four Trustees of The Club.

The first Trustees shall be appointed by the Committee and the property of The Club (other than cash which subject to the provisions of Rule 27 shall be under the control of the Treasurer) shall be vested in them to be dealt with by them as the Committee shall from time to time direct by resolution (of which an entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of Club property. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by a resolution of the Committee which may for any reason which may seem sufficient to a majority of the members of the Committee present and voting at any meeting remove any Trustee or Trustees from the office of Trustee.

Where by reason of any such death, resignation or removal it shall appear necessary to the Committee that a new Trustee or Trustees shall be appointed or, if the Committee shall deem it expedient to appoint an additional Trustee or Trustees, the Committee shall by resolution nominate the person or persons to be appointed the new Trustee or Trustees. For the purpose of giving effect to such nomination as the person to appoint new Trustees of The Club within the meaning of the Trustee Act 1925 Section 36 and he/she shall by Deed appoint the persons so nominated by the Committee as the new Trustee or Trustees of The Club and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment. Any statement of fact in any such Deed of Appointment shall, in favour of a person dealing with bona fide and for value with The Club or the Committee, be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.


21 BORROWING POWERS


If at any time The Club in general meeting shall pass a resolution authorising the Committee to borrow money, the Committee shall be empowered to borrow for the purposes of The Club such amount of money either at one time or from time to time and at such rate of interest and in such form and manner and upon such security as shall be specified in such resolution and the Trustees shall at the direction of the Committee make all such dispositions of The Club property or any part of The Club property and enter into such agreements in relation to The Club property as the Committee may deem proper for giving security for such loans and interest. All members of The Club, whether voting on such resolution or not, and all persons becoming members of The Club after passing such a resolution, shall be deemed to have assented to the resolution as if they had voted in favour of it.


22) PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY


Members of the Committee are not to be held personally or financially responsible for actions taken in good faith whilst acting in their capacity as administrators.


23) INSURANCE


The Club’s property shall be insured to the satisfaction of the Committee and all members and visiting players attending The Club premises are to be held indemnified against personal accident incurred whilst upon such premises. The Club is to insure against all Third Party Claims.


24) SUB COMMITTEE


Sub Committees may be formed for specific purposes at the discretion of the Committee.  Any Sub Committee shall normally comprise of five members and the Chairman shall be of their choosing from amongst their number.


25) MATCHES


Matches, other than those appearing in the fixture list and arranged privately by members, will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances and then subject to sanction by the Committee and groundsman.


26) CLOTHING


All male bowlers should dress in accordance with the SCBA’s Dress Rules.  All female bowlers shall dress in accordance with the SCWBA’s Standard Dress Rule.

27) BANKING


The bank account of The Club shall be operated by the Chairman, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer. The joint signatures of any two of these officials being authority for any withdrawal of The Club’s funds.


28) SELECTION


All members of The Club shall inform the Captain as soon as possible if they are not available for selection.


29) CLUB COMPETITIONS


The first member of each pair drawn will be issued with a card stating the name of his or her opponent/s, he or she shall be responsible for arranging and playing the game by the date given; failing to do this will result in the offending person being disqualified from that competition.


30) MODIFICATION


No alteration or addition to these rules shall be made except by a resolution carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present at a general meeting, notice of which shall have contained particulars of the proposed alteration or addition. The Honorary Secretary shall as soon as possible and in any case within twenty-eight days of the making of any such alteration or addition to these rules given written notice of such alteration or addition to the Chief Officer of the Police and to the proper Officer of the Local Authority of the district in which the Club is situated.


31) HEADINGS


The headings to these rules are for ease of reference only and shall not be taken into account in their interpretation.


32) DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB


32a. If, at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution is passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the Honorary Secretary shall immediately convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held not less than 21 days thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.


32b. If, at that Extraordinary General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Members present, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.


32c. After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered Community Amateur Sports Club, a registered charity or The English Bowling Federation, for use by them in related community sports.


Issue 6 – November 2023