Club Constitution

Stewartby Bowls Club

Club Constitution

Proposal 1 for 2022 AGM

INDEX

Name of the Club

Purpose and Object

Membership

Officers of the Club

Committee

Finance

Annual General Meetings

Discipline and Appeals

Dissolution

Amendments to the Constitution

Sale of Alcohol Act 2003

Declaration

Stewartby Bowls Club

Constitution

Name of the Club

The club will be called STEWARTBY BOWLS CLUB and will be affiliated to Bowls England and Bowls Bedfordshire.

2.  Purpose and Object

The main purpose of the Club is to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of Bowls in Stewartby and surrounding area.

To offer competitive and non-competitive opportunities in bowls.

To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club.

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

To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment.

3.   Membership

Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, or other beliefs, subject to available facilities on a non-discriminatory basis.

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 conduct that the club has adopted and the policies and rules of bowls.

Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories on a non-discriminatory and fair basis.

Full Member

Junior Member – (Under 18 years of Age)

Life Member

Social Member

Members Subscriptions will be set annually and determined at the Annual General Meeting and will be paid by annual subscription. Subscriptions will be increased by £1 per year unless overridden by the Committee.

The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the management committee and will be managed under Section 8 of the constitution – discipline and appeals.

Life Membership may be granted to a deserving member of the club by a majority vote of the Management Committee and confirmation by the membership at an AGM.

Proposals for new Life Members must be sent to the Secretary no less than 10 days prior to the October management committee meeting for consideration.

4. Officers of the Club

The officers of the club will be:

President

Chairperson Secretary

 Treasurer

Fixtures Secretary

Club Captain

Club Vice-Captain

Ladies Captain

Ladies Vice Captain

Over 60’s Captain

Over 60’s Vice Captain

Greenkeeper

Membership and Welfare Secretary

Bar Manager

Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

5. Committee

The Club will be managed through the Management Committee consisting of a combination of the above named. Only these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the management committee.

Voting at committee meetings will be conducted as a Show of Hands or a Secret Ballot as appropriate to the situation.

All members of the Management Committee will be allowed one vote even though a member may hold multiple positions within the Management Committee.

The Chairperson will have the casting vote if the vote is tied.

The Management Committee will be convened by the Secretary of the club.

The quorum required for business to be agreed at management Meetings is 25% of the management committee officers

Committee meetings will be not less than 6 (six) per annum.

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

The Management Committee will have powers to appoint sub committees as necessary.

The Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members

who infringe the club rules / constitution.

6.   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 financial year of the club will end on the 31st October. The Annual General Meeting to be held in November each year.

An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.

Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of the treasurer plus up to two other officers.

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

7.  Annual General Meetings

Notice of the Annual General Meeting (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 the officers of the Management Committee and a statement of 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 right to vote at the AGM. (Excluding Social Members)

Voting for the AGM / EGM will be conducted as a “Show or Hands” or a Secret Ballot as appropriate to the situation.

Voting is conducted on a “One Member One Vote” basis

The Chairperson will have the casting vote if the vote is tied.

Proxy Voting is allowed at the AGM. All proxy votes must be lodged with the Secretary prior to the AGM in a sealed envelope.

The quorum for AGM's will be 25% of the club’s membership.

All Members must sign into the meeting prior to the Commencement of the AGM

The Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings

(EGMs) outside of the AGM. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.

8.  Discipline and appeals

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

All Disciplinary matters will be handled under the Bowls England Regulation 9 Rules

  9.   Dissolution

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

Upon dissolution of the club, any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity or sport's governing body for use by them in related community sports.

10.  Amendments of the constitution

      The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or

   EGM.

11.  Rules – Sale of Alcohol

The club will satisfy the following conditions for the sale of Alcohol.

Sale of Alcohol Act 2003

Section 62

Condition 1 is that under the rules of the club persons may not—

(a) be admitted to membership, or

(b) be admitted, as candidates for membership, to any of the privileges of membership,

without an interval of at least two days between their nomination or application for membership and their admission.

Condition 2 is that under the rules of the club persons becoming members without prior nomination or application may not be admitted to the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their becoming members and their admission.

Condition 3 is that the club is established and conducted in good faith as a club.

Condition 4 is that the club has at least 25 members.

Condition 5 is that alcohol is not supplied, or intended to be supplied, to members on the premises otherwise than by or on behalf of the club.

63 Determining whether a club is established and conducted in good faith

(1) In determining for the purposes of condition 3 in subsection (4) of section 62 whether a club is established and conducted in good faith as a club, the matters to be taken into account are those specified in subsection (2).

(2) Those matters are—

(a) any arrangements restricting the club’s freedom of purchase of alcohol;

(b) any provision in the rules, or arrangements, under which—

(i) money or property of the club, or

(ii) any gain arising from the carrying on of the club,

is or may be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the club as a whole or for charitable, benevolent or political purposes;

(c) the arrangements for giving members information about the finances of the club;

(d) the books of account and other records kept to ensure the accuracy of that information;

(e) the nature of the premises occupied by the club.

(3) If a licensing authority decides for any purpose of this Act that a club does not satisfy condition 3 in subsection (4) of section 62, the authority must give the club notice of the decision and of the reasons for it.

Section 64

The purchase of alcohol for the club, and the supply of alcohol by the club, are managed by a committee whose members—

(a) are members of the club;

(b) have attained the age of 18 years; and

(c) are elected by the members of the club.

No arrangements are, or are intended to be, made for any person to receive at the expense of the club any commission, percentage or similar payment on, or with reference to, purchases of alcohol by the club.

(3) No arrangements are, or are intended to be, made for any person directly or indirectly to derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of the club to members or guests, apart from—

(a) any benefit accruing to the club as a whole, or

(b) any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise or

contributing to a general gain from the carrying on of the club.

12. Declaration

STEWARTBY BOWLS CLUB hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

NAME ________________________________                               Date ___________

Position - Club President

SIGNED _______________________________

NAME ________________________________                               Date ___________

Position – Club Chairperson

SIGNED _______________________________