Constitution of Norfolk Bowls
Association
1. Title.
The Association shall be called
‘Norfolk Bowls Association’ [the Association]
2. Objectives.
The objectives of the Association
shall be
(a) To
promote, foster and safeguard the level green game of Bowls in the County of Norfolk.
(b) To
be a member and guarantor of the company ‘Bowls England’ and to conform to its
rules and regulations.
(c) To adopt and enforce the laws of the game
as laid down by World Bowls as amended for ‘domestic
play’ by Bowls England and the Association.
(d) To promote, organise and superintend
various competitions amongst the members of the constituent clubs in accordance
with rules and by-laws as approved in the Association Rules and Regulations of
each gender.
(e) To promote organise and superintend
inter-county Matches National competitions and friendly matches.
(f) To interpret, when called upon by
Affiliated Clubs or members thereof, difficult or doubtful questions of law and
practice, and to arbitrate in all disputes referred to the Association between
and among the Affiliated Clubs and members thereof.
(g) The Association is committed to promoting
a safe environment in which children and vulnerable adults can enjoy taking
part in games of bowls. It will seek to
underpin and ensure this commitment by following and promoting the joint Child
and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy and Procedures of ‘Bowls England’ - see
the Association Rules and Regulations of each
gender.
3. Membership.
(a) Membership will comprise all Existing
Clubs affiliated to the Norfolk County EBA Association and/or the Norfolk
Women’s Bowling Association on the 9th December 2012.
(b) Membership of the Association shall also
be open to Clubs in the County of Norfolk possessing level greens, having banks
and ditches in accordance with World Bowls Laws of The Sport of Bowls and
having been approved by the Association Greens Committee.
(c) Clubs playing on greens connected with
licensed premises must be managed by an Executive Committee, and must have sole
and exclusive use and control of the funds of the clubs and greens on which
they play.
(d) Clubs playing on Municipal, or other
public greens, must possess a permit from the Municipal or other public
authority allowing them the use of rinks for competitive purposes. No club playing or intending to play on a
Municipal or other public green upon which an Affiliated Club or Clubs is or
are playing shall become affiliated to the Association until the existing club
or Clubs using the said green has or have been consulted by the County
Association, and, in the opinion of the Association, has or have offered no
bona fide objection to its affiliation.
(e) Clubs admitted to membership shall be
eligible to enter the Association’s competitions in accordance with Association
Rules and Regulations of each gender as appropriate.
(f) Affiliated Clubs are required to play
all friendly or other matches in accordance with the Association Rules and Regulations of
each gender as appropriate.
4. Fees
and Subscriptions
(a) Every
Club applying for affiliation shall pay the Association a Joining Fee and
Annual
Subscription
as may be fixed from time to time and any Association levy, which may be agreed
at the Annual Meeting.
(b) All affiliated clubs must pay the Annual
Subscription per bowling member as may be determined from time to time by Bowls
England. A bowling member is any member
of a club entitled to play on the green.
(c) The Annual Subscription and Fees shall be
paid no later than 30th November in each year, and any club failing
to pay the subscription by the date named shall forfeit all the rights and
privileges of membership until the whole of the arrears have been discharged.
5. Administration.
The affairs of The
Association shall be managed by
(a) The
Executive Board who will be the members elected to the
following positions, see note below.
1. Executive
Officer/Chairperson
2. President
Norfolk Bowls Association (Men)
3. President
Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
4. Honorary
County Administrator
5. Honorary
Treasurer of Norfolk Bowls Association (Men).
6. Honorary
Treasurer of Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
7. Honorary
Secretary of Norfolk Bowls Association (Men)
8. Honorary
Secretary of Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
9.
Bowls England Representative (Men)
10.
Bowls England Representative (Women)
plus any Executive
Officer or Non Executive Officer as listed in Rule
5(b) requested to attend.
The role, function and responsibilities of the Executive Board shall be
(a). The Association Constitution
(b). Grievances and Discipline referred by gender management
Committees
(c). Liaison with ‘Bowls England’
(d). Set Affiliation and Competition fees in accordance with Norfolk
Bowls Association
Constitution
Paragraph 4.
(e). Pay Affiliation fees to ‘Bowls England’
(f). Annual and other Special Meetings.
NOTE The Executive Officer/Chairperson
and Honorary County Administrator shall be elected at the Annual Meeting each
for a period of three years except for the first period when the Administrator shall serve for a period of 4 years, and all other
positions above shall be ratified after election, within the Association Rules
and Regulations of each gender as appropriate. If the Chairman or Administrator
should be unable to complete their term the Executive Board shall have the
power to fill the vacancy for the remainder of that term.
The formation
of the Executive Board will be reviewed annually at the AGM. Nominations for the position of Executive
Officer/Chairperson and Honorary County Administrator must be submitted in
writing to the Honorary County Administrator not later than the 31st
December in every year, accompanied by the written consent of the candidate.
(b) Non
Executive members of the Executive Board will be County League Chairman, the
Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Officer, County Coach, Youth Development
Officer, Middleton Cup & Eastern Counties League Manager, Under 30’s
Manager, Visiting Tourist Liaison Officer, Honorary Benevolent Fund Secretary,
Eastern Counties Co-ordinator, County Tour Managers, Press Officers, Green
Maintenance Advisory Officer.
(c) The
Board will meet in February and October of each year, and at any other time the
business of the Association demands. In
the absence of the Chairperson, another member of the Executive Board shall be
elected to conduct the business. At the
October meeting the Senior Vice President of each gender Management Committee
shall be invited to attend.
(d) Sub
Committees
The Executive
Board shall be empowered to establish and appoint sub-committees and working
parties for specific purposes from time to time and to determine the terms of
reference thereof, including to what extent such sub-committees shall have
executive powers.
(e) Norfolk
Bowls Association Men’s Management Committee comprising
1) Chairman
2) President
3) Senior
Vice President
4) Junior Vice President
5) Honorary Secretary
6) Honorary Assistant Secretary
7) Honorary Treasurer
8) Honorary Match Secretary
9) Honorary Assistant Match Secretary
10) Honorary League Secretary
11) Honorary Competition Secretary
12) Immediate Past President
13) Bowls England Representative
14) Four members nominated from Group
Meetings (one from each Group, who shall be
Called the
Group Representative as set out in the Men’s Rules and Regulations
15) County Administrator (with no vote)
(f) Norfolk Bowls
Association Women’s Management Committee comprising
1) President
2) Senior Vice President
3) Junior Vice President
4) Honorary Secretary
5) Honorary Assistant Secretary
5) Honorary Treasurer
6) Honorary Benevolent Fund Secretary
7) Honorary
Competition Secretary
8) Immediate Past President.
9) Bowls England Representative
10) County Administrator (with no vote)
Nominations
for all positions to the above Management Committees must be submitted in
writing to the respective Honorary Secretaries not later than the 31st
August in every year, accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. The role and responsibilities of the Men’s
and Women’s Management committees are defined in the Association Rules and
Regulations of each gender.
(g) Women’s Council
comprising
Women’s Management Committee
together with two delegates from each Women’s
affiliated club
The Council will meet as required
to ensure necessary liaison and exchange of information between the Management
Committee and affiliated clubs.
(h) Honorary Life Members
All Past Presidents and Honorary
Life members of the Norfolk County EBA Association and the Norfolk Women’s
Bowling Association shall become Honorary Life Members of the Association
(HLM). The gender Management Committees shall also have power to elect HLMs for
special services rendered to the game. All past County Presidents shall be
elected HLM. All HLMs shall be entitled to attend General or Special Meetings
6 Matters of Urgency and Resolution
of Disputes
Any
matter of urgency or any dispute arising between or amongst affiliated clubs or
members thereof, as to the meaning or interpretation of the laws of the game,
or any of the rules, bye-laws, regulations or conditions, or any point not
covered by the laws, rules, bye-laws, regulations and conditions or any matter,
of practice, policy or complaint, which it shall hold to be within its
jurisdiction, shall be referred to the respective Management Committee, who
shall be empowered to resolve and adjudicate.
Seven members of the Management Committee shall form a quorum.
7 Executive
Board in Appeal
If any party is dissatisfied with
the decision of the Management Committee in paragraph (6) they may appeal to the
Executive Board. The subject of
reference or appeal must be stated in writing to the County Administrator,
within 14 days of receiving written notification of the decision. The County
Administrator shall within 14 days of the appeal or as so soon thereafter as
shall be practicable call a Special Meeting of the Executive Board to discuss
and determine the appeal. Seven members of the Executive Board shall form a
quorum. The parties affected by the appeal shall be entitled to attend the
meeting and to be heard. The decision of the Executive Board shall be final,
notwithstanding any right of appeal to Bowls England (Bowls England Regulation
11(1)).
8 Severance
of Membership
It shall be competent to the
Executive Board after due investigation of the facts, and if need be, the
examination of witnesses and relevant evidence, to suspend or terminate the
membership of any Club or member thereof, but such Club or member shall have a
right of Appeal to the Annual Meeting against any decision, provided the Appeal,
is made on behalf of the Club, be signed by its
Honorary
Secretary and lodged with the Administrator of the County Association within 21
days of the Executive Board decision. Such appeal shall state the ground or
grounds on which it is made.
9. Expenses
Amounts
of expenses for the forthcoming year shall be decided upon at the AGM and paid
by the 1st October. Any Officer being
considered for such payments must withdraw from the meeting whilst discussion
takes place.
10 Annual
and Other Special General Meetings
The Annual Meeting of the
Association shall be held on or before the second Sunday in March in each year.
Twenty eight days notice of it and of all General
Meetings shall be given and 15 members shall form a quorum. Recommendations and
Notices of Motion for the Annual Meeting shall be submitted to the Honorary
County Administrator no later than 31st December Later submissions
will not be accepted for the Agenda but may be discussed at the discretion of
the Chairperson under Any Other Business without a decision being made. Such
accepted Notices of Motion shall be submitted by the Honorary County
Administrator to all affiliated clubs/sections for the consideration of their
members at the Annual Meeting of the Association. Every item, which appears on
the Agenda, will be discussed and put to the vote.
If the
Executive Board shall determine that sufficient cause has been shown, a Special
Meeting of the Association must be summoned on the requisition of an affiliated
club/section to consider the business or grievance set forth in the
requisition. The requisition must state clearly the nature of the matter at
issue, and be signed by the Honorary Secretary of the club/section. The notice calling such a Special Meeting
shall state the purpose for which it has been summoned, and no other business
shall be transacted at that meeting.
At Annual and
at other Special General Meetings of the Association, voting shall be otherwise
than by show of hands when considered necessary by the Chairperson.
Each
affiliated club shall be entitled to be represented at the Annual or other
General Meetings by their Men’s Club Delegate and Women’s Council Delegate or
their appointed representatives Members
of all clubs may attend any General Meeting and take part in business but only
Delegates, Honorary Life Members and members of the Executive Board will be
allowed to vote.
11 Standing Orders
At
the General Meeting and the Council Meetings the mover of a motion, but not the
mover of an amendment, shall have the right of reply, immediately after which
reply the question shall be put and a vote taken. No other person shall be
allowed to speak more than once on the same motion, unless permission to
explain is given by the Chairperson, or, in exceptional circumstances, by the
consent of three quarters of those voting.
The
mover of a motion, when exercising his right to reply, shall not introduce new
matters, but confine his reply to questions raised in the discussion. The
seconder of a motion or an amendment thereto, may do so formally, and exercise
his right to speak at a later period of the discussion. A seconder must be from a different club than
the mover. A direct negative to a motion is not a legitimate amendment. All
amendments must be relevant to the motion under discussion. If an amendment be negatived, then another amendment may be moved to the
motion under discussion, but only one amendment shall be submitted to the
Meeting at one time.
12. Team Selections.
The selection of teams for both
County Friendly and National Competitions is as set out in the Association Rules and Regulations of
each gender
13. Insurance
The Association will obtain and effect Policies of Insurance for all County Trophies and
against Public and Civil liabilities.
Indemnity:- Each member of the Association (to the extent that such
person is not entitled to recover under any policy of Insurance) shall be
entitled to be indemnified out of any and all funds available to the
Association, which may lawfully be so applied against all costs, expenses and
liabilities whatsoever incurred by such person in the proper execution and
discharge of duties undertaken on behalf of the Association arising therefrom
and incurred in good faith in the purported discharge of such duties
14. Liquidation
In the event of the liquidation of
the Association the funds and assets of the Association remaining after its
debts and liabilities have been satisfied, including the costs and expenses of
liquidation, shall be distributed by the Association in a General Meeting to a
sporting body which is established substantially or primarily for the purpose
of promoting any game or sport, providing that the game or sport is conducted
for the recreation and benefit of the general public of the County of Norfolk
and no part of the income or other funds of the body corporate operating such
sport is used or available to be used for the pecuniary profit of any
proprietor, member or shareholder.
15. Disciplinary
Matters
The code of Practice to deal with
any disciplinary matters as set out in the Rules and Regulations of Bowls
England.
16. Honorary
Treasurer and Honorary Secretary
(a) The Gender Honorary Secretaries
shall keep a record of all the business transacted at the Gender Annual and
Management Committee meetings and shall submit to the Gender Annual Meeting
reports of the proceedings of the Association since the previous Annual
Meeting.
(b) The Gender
Honorary Treasurers shall submit to the Gender Annual Meeting a precise account
of the income and expenditure to 30th September ‘Subject to Audit’.
(c) A
professional Auditor will be elected at the Annual Meeting.
(d) Copies of
the Statement of Income and Expenditure Account shall be sent to the Gender
Officers of each Management Committee, the Delegates and the Honorary Secretary
of each affiliated club 28 days before the Annual Meeting
17. County
and National competitions
All
County and National competitions shall be confined to such clubs as have joined
the Association.
They shall be played under the
rules and regulations of Bowls England and shall be under the control of the
Association, who shall determine all questions of dispute that do not come
within the scope of the umpires decision.
The general rules covering the playing of these competitions are set out
in Bowls England Regulation 31, and the Association Rules and Regulations of
each gender as appropriate.
18. County Colours
The County colours of the
Association shall be Red Blue and White for Men and Red Yellow and Black for
Women.
19. County
Badges
The qualifications for the award of
a County Badge are set out in the Association Rules and Regulations of each
gender
20. Amendments
to Constitution
This Constitution may be rescinded,
amended or added to only by a proposal when at least two thirds of the eligible
votes are cast in favour by Delegates present and voting at the Annual Meeting
or a Special General Meeting of the Association convened for that purpose. Notices of motions shall be given in writing
to the Honorary County Administrator no later than 31st December for
any Annual Meeting. At any other time upon receipt of a Notice of Motion the
Administrator will discuss the subject matter with the Executive Board and if
advised by them will give 28 days’ notice of a Special General Meeting to
members. Any amendments to the Constitution will not come into effect until
thirty days have passed after such amendments have been approved by the
Association.