Rules & Regulations

CONSTITUTION

1 NAME

The Club will be called Stepps Bowling Club, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Club’. The Club is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be used to maintain, improve or develop the Club’s facilities or to carry out its objectives.

2 OBJECTIVES

2.1 The objectives of the Club will be to encourage the promotion and provide facilities for the practice of the sport of lawn bowls in Stepps and District and undertake other activities to support these objectives. 2.2 The Club is committed to encouraging the highest ethical standards. All individuals involved in the Club will conduct themselves with integrity, transparency, accountability and in a fair and equitable manner all in accordance with the Club’s Code of Conduct.

3 MEMBERSHIP

3.1 The membership will consist of the following categories:

Full Membership : Open to anyone over the age of 18;
Junior Membership: Open to anyone between the ages of 8 and 18
Life Membership: Over 70 years of age and with 30 years continuous full membership;
Non Playing Membership: Limited to 30 in number.

3.2 Members in each category will pay Membership fees as fixed at each Annual General Meeting. 3.3 Fees will be due for payment by the 31st March Membership will be deemed to have lapsed if payment of said fee has not been made by that date 3.4 Any person seeking to join the Club will submit an application to the Committee. Members will be admitted by the Committee. Membership is open to all and no application for membership will be refused on other than reasonable grounds. There will be no discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation and political or other opinion. 3.5 It will be a condition of any person becoming a member of the Club that they accept and agree to be bound by the terms of this Constitution, the Club’s Code of Conduct and any bye-laws from time to time adopted by the Club, including the requirement to conduct themselves in accordance with the above.

4. MANAGEMENT

4.1 The affairs of the Club will be conducted by the Committee which will consist of

President
Vice-President
Immediate Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Match Secretary
Green Convenor
Bar Convenor
Social Convenor
One representative from each of the Seniors’ and Ladies’ Sections,
Convenor representing the Junior Section
Two ordinary committee members

All of whom will be elected at the Annual General Meeting (excluding the Immediate Past President who automatically retains a seat on the Committee.) The Committee shall meet monthly throughout the year.

4.2 The Officers of the Club will be the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Bar Convenor and Green Convenor. If the post of any officer or ordinary committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Committee will have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting. 4.3 All Committee members must hold full membership of the Club. 4.4 Any property relating to the Club will be held in the name of the said Officers as trustees ex officiis in trust for the members of the Club and the Officers will further be entitled to sue and be sued on behalf of the Club as trustees ex officiis. In their capacity as trustees ex officiis the Officers will all be entitled to be personally indemnified out of the funds of the Club where they are acting bona fide in their capacity as Officers of the Club. 4.5 The Committee will have full power to deal with all matters relating to the Club not reserved to an Annual General Meeting in terms of this Constitution, including power to make public and enforce such byelaws as the Committee feels necessary to govern the activities of the Club (including those relating to discipline).

5. GENERAL MEETINGS

5.1 Annual General Meeting : The Club will hold an Annual General Meeting in the month of February to:

Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM
Receive a report from the President
Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts
Receive a report from those responsible for certifying the Club’s accounts
Appoint someone responsible for certifying the Club’s accounts
Fix the subscription for the coming year
Elect the committee
Consider changes to the constitution

5.2 Extraordinary General Meeting: An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 20 signatures of Club membership. The Committee will also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of its members. EGMs may be called to change the Constitution or for other matters of importance between AGMs.

5.3 Notices : At least 14 days’ notice and the Agenda will be given to all voting members of any AGM. No business will be conducted unless fair notice thereof is contained in the Agenda.

5.4 Voting 5.4.1 With the exception of changes to the Constitution, decisions put to a vote will be resolved by a simple majority at the AGM. 5.4.2 The President of the Club will hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at AGMs and committee meetings, in each case at the time the meeting commences its business. There is normally no need for any complicated voting procedures. 5.4.3 Only Full and Life Members will be entitled to attend and vote at an AGM or an EGM

5.5 Quora : The quorum at General Meetings will be 20% of the full and life members and the quorum for Committee Meetings will be 40% of the members.

5.6 Changes to the Constitution : 5.6.1 Any change to the Constitution will require a simple majority by ballot of those present eligible to vote and voting at a General Meeting. 5.6.2 A proposal to change the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary who will circulate the proposal to all members and allow seven days for submission of any amendments before calling a meeting in accordance with rule 5.3 above. 5.6.3 All proposals for changes to the Constitution will be signed by two members eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

6. FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS

6.1 The financial year will run from 1st January to 31st December each year. 6.2 The Treasurer will be responsible for the preparation of Annual Accounts of the Club 6.3 The Accounts will be certified by an appropriate independent person elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. 6.4 All cheques drawn against the Club’s funds will be signed by the Treasurer and one other nominated office-bearer. 6.5 All members of the Club (excluding Junior Members) will be jointly and severally responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club. 6.6 Any expenditure over £20,000 needs the approval of the Membership at an AGM/EGM

7. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership may be terminated by the Committee in accordance with the procedure set out in the Club’s Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure.