WINDSOR BOWLING CLUB
FOUNDED 1912
CONSTITUTION
• APPROVED AT A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 6 JUNE 1997
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 25NOVEMBER 1999
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 30 NOVEMBER 2000
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 27 NOVEMBER 2003
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 30T NOVEMBER 2006
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 27TH NOVEMBER 2008
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 27IW NOVEMBER 2014
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 30H NOVEMBER 2017
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 29NOVEMBER 2018
• AMENDED AT A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 25TH NOVEMBER 2021
• AMENDED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 24 NOVEMBER 2022
Clause 1 NAME
The Club shall be called "The Windsor Bowling Club."
Clause 2 OBJECTS
The objects of the Club are to provide facilities for the playing of bowls, and the provision of social and recreational activities.
Clause 3 MEMBERSHIP
Membership is divided into five categories:•
a) Honorary Life Members b) Full bowling members
c) Former bowling members who have completed a minimum of ten years as a full bowling member
d) Junior members who are under the age of eighteen years on the 1° of April each year e) Social members
Full facilities are extended to all categories of members except d) but voting rights are confined to categories a) b) and c) above (hereinafter referred to as "voting members").
Applications for membership must state clearly the class of membership requested and be proposed by one member and seconded by another member, both proposer and seconder to be deemed to vouch for the applicant's fitness for membership.
Completed application forms shall be exhibited in a conspicuous place in the Club pavilion for seven
days.
Any objection must be lodged during that time with the Club Secretary who will produce such objection to the Management Committee when the application is considered. No reason shall be given to any applicant in the event of rejection and no further application will be accepted until the following year unless by sanction of the Management Committee.
The Management Committee shall have power to limit the membership of the Club.
Clause 4 THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Club shall be managed by a Management Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. Subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise, its members shall remain in office until the next Annual General Meeting where they shall be required to resign. Retiring members of the Management Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
The Management Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur.
The powers of the Management Committee to co-opt members to the Committee shall be as prescribed by the Club Regulations.
The Management Committee shall have the power to control all the affairs of the Club, except such as are in the hands of the Trustees, to incur any necessary expense and to make Regulations consistent with this Constitution, subject to any resolution passed by members at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
The Management Committee shall consist of:- The President, Vice-President, Club Secretary, Club Treasurer, Men's Captain, Men's Bowls Secretary, Ladies Captain, Ladies Bowls Secretary, Chair of House Committee, Chair of Greens and grounds Committee and Chair of the Club Social Committee.
At its first meeting following the Annual General Meeting, the Management Committee shall elect from its members a Chair and a Vice-Chair. A person may not serve as Chair or Vice-Chair of the Management Committee for a period longer than three consecutive years and thereafter cannot be elected as Chair or Vice-Chair for a period of three years.
Honorary Life members, bowling members and social members shall be eligible for election to the Management Committee
The Management Committee shall meet at least once every calendar month.
Members of the Management Committee absenting themselves from three consecutive meetings of the 1 Committee without reasonable cause shall be deemed to have resigned and the Management Committee shall appoint a voting member to fill the vacancy.
Clause 5 SUBSCRIPTIONS
The annual subscription payable by all members shall be considered by the Management Committee and a recommendation made to the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting for approval. Junior members aged 14 and under 18 years of age and Bowling Members under the age of 25 and in Full-time Education shall pay one third of the annual subscription. Bowling Members over the age of 18 who pay a reduced Subscription will considered Full Bowling Members in all other respects.
Junior Members under 14 years of age shall pay an annual fee as approved from time to time by the Management Committee but there shall be a requirement that a parent or guardian shall also be a member (playing or social) and shall accompany the child (or children) each time they visit the Club. Details of subscriptions shall be displayed on the Club noticeboard.
Notice requiring payment of subscriptions shall be delivered to each member at least ten days before the
Club Opening Day. Subscriptions are due on or before Opening Day each year.
Any member whose subscription is unpaid on the 31 May shall not be eligible to enjoy any of the facilities or privileges of the Club and shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club.
The Management Committee has the discretion, at any time, after the I° June each year to post in the Club pavilion, a list of those whose subscriptions are unpaid, after notice has been given or delivered to such person.
Subscriptions for bowling members include the rent of a locker and fees for all Club competitions. Applicants admitted to membership after Opening day shall pay for that year a proportion of the annual subscription as the Management Committee shall decide.
Clause 6 DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE AND APPEALS
If and when necessary, three members of the Management Committee shall be appointed to form a Disciplinary Committee.
The Disciplinary Committee shall have the authority to suspend or expel a member who breaches the Constitution or Regulations of the Club, or whose conduct, in the opinion of that Committee, renders that person unfit for membership of the Club.
The Club Secretary shall give that member seven days' written notice to attend a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee, the notice to contain sufficient information as to the nature of the complaint as will enable the member to respond to the complaint at the meeting of the Disciplinary Committee.
A person suspended or expelled by a decision of the Disciplinary Committee may appeal to the Management Committee against the decision. The members of the Management Committee considering such an appeal shall not include those persons who were members of the Disciplinary Committee which suspended or expelled the appellant. The Management Committee shall have the power to over-rule or vary the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.
No member whose membership has been terminated under this rule or who owes money to the Club shall be introduced by any other member as a visitor to any part of the Club premises.
Clause 7 HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP
The Management Committee shall have power to recommend the election as an Honorary Life Member any member who, in the opinion of the Management Committee, has rendered exceptional services to the Club. Such recommendation shall not take effect until confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting. An Honorary Life member so elected shall not be required to pay any further subscriptions.
Clause 8 REGULATIONS
The Management Committee shall have power to make Regulations governing the conduct and affairs of the Club, provided the same are not inconsistent with the Constitution. Such Regulations shall be posted on the Club notice board and shall be binding on all members.
Clause 9 POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
The Management Committee shall be the sole authority for interpreting the Constitution and Regulations of the Club, settling disputes relating to the affairs of the Club and the conduct of members or visitors. Any resolution passed by the Management Committee within the scope of its powers and any resolution or amendment of the Constitution and Regulations passed by members at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall become operative immediately on the passing thereof.
Clause 10 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held on the last Thursday in November or as soon as reasonably practical thereafter in the opinion of the Management Committee but not later than 14 days after the last Thursday in November. All members shall be entitled to attend:-
(1) To receive and adopt:-
a) The Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
b) The annual report of the Management Committee to be presented by the retiring President
c) The audited statement of accounts for the preceding year d) The recommendation for annual subscriptions
(2) To consider any proposed alteration to the Constitution
(3) To appoint the officers and other members of the Management Committee as set out in Clause 4 of the Constitution
(4) To appoint members of the Men's Selection Committees as set out in Regulation 6
(5) To appoint members of the Ladies' Bowls Committee as set out in Regulation 7
(6) To appoint officers as set out in Regulation 8
(7) To appoint an auditor or auditors
(8) To consider any other business as the Chairman may allow for discussion at an Annual General Meeting.
Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all members not less than ten days before
the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
Clause 11 NOMINATIONS
Nominations, duly proposed and seconded by bowling or social members, shall be submitted for all
officers and members of the Management Committee as set out in Clause 4 hereof, the members of the Men's and Ladies Bowls Committees and the members of the Ladies Social Committee; such nominations shall be submitted to the Club Secretary by the 30" September each year.
A notice shall be prominently displayed in the Club pavilion for this purpose by the 1September each
year inviting the submission of nominations. The nominees shall be bowling or social members and signify their agreement to stand for office by signing the notice of nominations. If there are still vacancies when Nominations close, the Management Committee can nominate (propose and second) to fill such vacancies. The names of all the Nominees shall be embodied in the notice convening the Annual General Meeting.
Clause 12 PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
The office of President shall be for a period of one year from the date of election but the office holder shall be eligible for re-election provided that a member may not serve as President for a period longer than three years and thereafter cannot be elected as President for a period of three years. The office of
Vice-President shall be held for a period of one year but the office holder shall be eligible for re-election provided that a member may not serve as a vice President for a period longer than three years and thereafter cannot be elected as Vice President for a period of three years.
A member must have served on the Management Committee before being eligible for election as President.
A member must be a bowling or social member of the Club to be eligible for election as President or vice-President.
Clause 13 PROCEDURE AT GENERAL MEETINGS
The President or, in the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall normally preside at all General and Special Meetings.
Subject to the provisions of Clause 20, all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple
majority of those members present and entitled to vote. No member shall have more than one vote. In the event of equality of voting the Presiding officer shall have a second or casting vote.
Voting at all General Meetings shall be by a show of hands, except where voting is necessary for the election of officers and the Management Committee which shall be by secret ballot.
Clause 14 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting shall be convened by the Club Secretary within twenty-one days from the receipt of a request in writing signed by not less than ten members specifying the object of the meeting. Notice convening a Special General Meeting shall be sent to all members not less than seven days before the meeting and shall specify the matter(s) to be dealt with at the Meeting.
Clause 15 MINUTES
Minutes of all General Meetings and meetings of the Management Commi ttee and the Disciplinary Committee shall be kept by the Club Secretary who shall record all proceedings and resolutions arising.
Clause 16 QUORUM
Five (5) members shall form a quorum at meetings of the Management Committee and twenty members shall form a quorum at General Meetings of the Club.
Clause 17 FINANCE
All subscriptions and money raised by and on behalf of the Club shall be handed to the Club Treasurer and paid into a bank account in the name of the Club.
The Club Treasurer shall keep proper records of the finances of the Club and the books shall be closed on the 30" September each year and thereupon audited.
An audited statement of the accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted to the Management Committee before submission to the Annual General Meeting.
The Management Committee shall have the power to borrow in the name of the Club. Such borrowings shall be commensurate with the objects and normal operation of the Club. The Borrowing Powers of the Management Committee shall be limited to £20,000.
Bank or Building Society Accounts shall be opened in the name of the Club with such Bank or Building Society as the Management Committee may decide. Including any borrowing arrangements.
The Management Committee shall authorise the Club Treasurer, Club Secretary and two other members of the Management Committee to sign cheques and make other payments on behalf of the Club. All such payments may be authorized by any one such authorized person. The Management Committee shall put in place regular checks by a second authorized person. The Management Committee will approve the signing arrangements of Subsidiary Bank Accounts ensuring that proper controls are in place.
Clause 18 TRUSTEES
The title to all real property which may be acquired by or for the purposes of the Club shall be vested in Trustees who shall be appointed by the Management Committee and who shall enter into a Deed of Trust setting out the purposes and conditions under which the Trustees hold the said property in trust for the Club. The number of Trustees shall be not less than three and shall remain in office until death or resignation or until a majority of members, voting at a General meeting, shall vote for the removal of them or any of them
The Trustees shall deal with the property and assets of the Club as directed by resolution of the Management Committee (of which an entry in the Minute book shall be conclusive evidence) except under the provisions of Clause 19 hereof where they shall deal with the property and assets of the Club as directed by the members in General Meeting. The Trustees shall be entitled to be indemnified against risk and expenses out of the Club property and assets.
Clause 19 DISSOLUTION PROCEDURES
If the Management Committee, by a simple majority, decides at any time that on the grounds of expense
or otherwise, it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Club, it shall call a Special General Meeting of all members of the Club. For such a meeting, not less than twenty-one days' notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed thereat) shall be delivered to all members. If such decision shall be confirmed by a simple majority of those present and voting at such meeting, the Trustees shall dispose of any assets held by or in the name of the Club as directed by the members at such General Meeting after payment of all proper debts and liabilities
Clause 20 AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION
Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be delivered to the Club Secretary not later than twenty• eight days before the date of the General Meeting at which it is to be considered. Alteration of this Constitution shall not be competent except such as may be adopted by three-fifths of those present and voting at the General Meeting. Notice of such meeting must have been given in accordance with normal procedure and the wording of the proposed alteration must be contained within the Notice convening the meeting.
Clause 21 LIABILITY
Neither the Club nor any officer thereof shall be liable to any member, or guest of a member, for any loss or damage to any property occurring from whatever cause, in or about the Club premises, nor for any injury sustained by any member or guest of any member, whilst on, entering or leaving the Club premises. A notice to this effect shall at all times be displayed in a prominent position in the Club premises.