SUFFOLK COUNTY INDOOR BOWLING ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

 

1. Title

The Association shall be called Suffolk County Indoor Bowling Association and shall be affiliated to the English Indoor Bowling Association Ltd.

 

 

2. Objectives

a. To uphold the good name of the English Indoor Bowling Association Ltd.

b. To promote the amateur game of Indoor Bowls for all affiliated clubs and members in the County of Suffolk as laid down by the English Indoor Bowling Association Ltd.

c. To arrange Inter-County matches and Annual Championships.

d. The Association shall abide by the rules laid down by the English Indoor Bowling Association Ltd. and enforce these rules to any club affiliated to this County Association.

e. In addition to the above, the Association has the right to bring in their own rules and regulations where necessary.

 

 

3. Membership

That the Association shall consist of Indoor Bowling Clubs and Clubs with Indoor Bowling Sections within the County of Suffolk, and who are in Affiliation with the English Indoor Bowling Association Ltd.

a. That such clubs play on greens whose playing surface in the direction of play must be between31 metres and 40 metres (with banks and ditches at each end), width of rinks to be between 4.6 metres and 5.8 metres for indoor play

b. Application for affiliation shall be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary of this Association and shall be accompanied by a list of the Club’s Officers together with the address of the Club’s Honorary Secretary along with a copy of the Club’s Constitution, Rules, and Regulations.

c. The Secretary of each club shall be responsible for forwarding to the Honorary Secretary of this Association any changes in their constitution/rules/regulations or names of their approved representatives who will then go forward to form the general Council of this Association, immediately after their club’s A.G.M.

d. It shall be within the power of the Association, duly proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting, to elect Honorary Life Members of this Association for special services rendered to the game of Bowls and this Association in particular. 

 

 

4. Subscriptions                                                                                                                                                                                 

An Annual Affiliation Levy fee at the rate fixed by the Annual General Meeting and based on the number of playing members as at the 1st of November of each year and be paid not later than 30thNovember in each year. A playing member is any person who is a member of a Club and who is entitled by virtue of his or her membership to use the indoor playing facilities of the Club. 

Any club failing to pay the Levy by 30th November in each year shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership until the whole of the arrears have been paid.

 

 

 

5. Administration

The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Executive Committee, which shall consist of the following.

 

a. The President

b. The Vice President

c. The Immediate Past President

d. The Honorary Secretary

e. The Honorary Treasurer

f. The Honorary Match Secretary

g. The Honorary Competition Secretary/Secretaries and League Secretaries.

h. Safeguarding Officer(s)

i. Two delegates per affiliated club, one male and one female (1 vote only per club)

j. Honorary Life Members.

The role of President shall alternate between a Male and Female annually, as shall the role of Vice-President, to ensure that the President and Vice-President are not both Male or both Female. In odd years the President will be female and the Vice President male. In even years it will be reversed.

If a delegate from a club is unable to attend an Executive Committee Meeting, then the Club may appoint an alternative person to represent it.

The Executive Committee may appoint such Sub-Committees as it may deem necessary and may delegate such of its powers as it may think fit upon such terms and conditions as shall be deemedexpedient, minimum of three. Such Sub-Committees shall consist of such members of the Executive Committee or members of Affiliated Clubs as the Management Committee may think fit.

6. Honorary Secretary

The Honorary Secretary will deal with all correspondence and shall keep records of all business transacted at all meetings and shall submit to the Annual General Meeting a report of the proceedings throughout the year since the last Annual General Meeting.

 

7. Honorary Treasurer

The Honorary Treasurer shall report at every meeting with an update of the Association’s finances and shall submit a precise account of the receipts and expenditure to the Annual General Meeting each year.  The accounts shall be up until 31st March. Copies of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to every Affiliated Club 14days before the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer must every year bring to the Executive Committee recommendations for alterations to the Officers’ expenses, affiliation levy fees and competition fees.

Three cheque signatories will be nominated by the Executive Committee, one of which will be the Honorary Treasurer. The signatories shall not be related to each other.

The accounts shall be submitted to an Auditor/Independent person appointed by the AGM.

 

8. The Honorary Match Secretary

The Honorary Match Secretary shall report at every meeting with an update of county matches played. They shall have the task of organizing county matches with other County Associations and organizing teams.

 

9. Safeguarding Officer(s)

If a safeguarding incident is reported in an event or administrative matter under the auspices of the Association the Safeguarding Officer will be responsible for collating all relevant information from the appropriate people. Once collated the Safeguarding Officer will contact the English Indoor Bowling Association’s Safeguarding Lead and supply all the information.

 

The EIBA’s Safeguarding Lead will then review the information and advise the Safeguarding Officer if the matter needs to proceed to an Official Hearing.

 

The hearing panel will be made up of:  Vice President {Chairman}, Secretary and one other member of the Executive. The appeal panel will be made up of The President (Chairman), Treasurer and one other member of the Executive. Both panels will be serviced, and minutes taken by the Safeguarding Officer.

 

The Safeguarding Officer will notify the EIBA Safeguarding Lead of the decision and or any appeal.

 

10. County Competition Secretary/Secretaries

The Competition Secretary/Secretaries is/are responsible for holding the County Competition draw after the 1st May each year for the ensuing season and collating all results and producing a Semi-finals and Finals Programme and shall attend both events.

 

 

11. Annual and Special General Meetings

a. The Annual General Meeting will be held in the month of April/May each year and will be chaired by the President.

b. Propositions. All propositions for the Annual General Meeting must be submitted in writing. This must be done through the County Secretary or Club Secretary and duly seconded in writing from another Club Secretary and sent to the Honorary Secretary no later than 18thMarch each year preceding the Annual General Meeting.

c. All propositions received will be circulated to all Affiliated Clubs by 29th March preceding the Annual General Meeting.

d. Any amendments to the above propositions must be made in writing and sent to the Honorary Secretary by 10th April preceding the Annual General Meeting.

e. The Honorary Secretary will publish the final agenda for the Annual General Meeting at least 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

f. Members of the Executive Committee and members of Affiliated Clubs may attend the Annual General Meeting and SGM and take part in the business. Only two delegates, one male and one female from each club will be allowed to vote. Each member of the Executive Committee in attendance may have one vote regardless of the number of positions held. Voting will be by a show of hands. In the event of equality of votes the Chairman will have a second and casting vote.

g. No proposal for alteration(s) or addition(s) to the Constitution shall have been deemed to have been passed at any Annual General Meeting unless at least two-thirds of the votes are cast in favour thereof.

h. The Executive Committee or any Affiliated Club, may submit in writing to the Honorary Secretary, notice of any nominations for the positions of Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Match Secretary, Honorary Competition Secretary/Secretaries, League Secretaries and U25’s CP and VP officer not later than 18th March each year. If more than one nomination is received for any Executive Committee position, a “paper vote” shall be held at the Annual General Meeting.

i. A Special General Meeting may be called by the Executive Committee or on the request of not less than three Affiliated Clubs.  Fourteen days’ notice shall be given before calling a Special General Meeting, such notice to specify the purpose for which the meeting has been called.  Only items on the agenda can be discussed.

j. The Quorum for any meeting will be seven.

 

12. Appeals

The Executive Appeals Committee shall be empowered to adjudicate upon any disputes referred to it, arising between or among affiliated clubs to this Association, as to the meaning or interpretation of any of the County’s Rules, Byelaws, Regulations and Conditions, or on any other matters of practised policy or complaint, which it shall hold to be within its jurisdiction. The subject of reference or appeal must be stated in writing to the Honorary Secretary who shall call an Executive Appeals Committee Meeting to deal with the matter. It shall be competent for the Executive Appeals Committee, after due investigation of the facts, if need be, the examination of witnesses and relevant evidence, to suspend the membership of any club or member thereof. Right of appeal to the next Executive Committee Meeting shall be reserved to the club or member.

 

 

 

13. Conditions of Play

Indoor games will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Sport of Bowls as published from time to time by the current World Indoor Body.

 

14. Competitions and Matches

The Executive Committee shall have entire control of all County Matches and other competitions and may appoint sub-committees to select teams. 

a.  The County will not require bowls to be stamped with the new W.I.B. stamp in order to compete in any of the County Competitions. The new W.I.B. stamp is required if a member qualifies for National Championship Finals. Bowls used in County matches and County Competitions must comply with the “EIBA Guidance on Stamping of Bowls”.

b.  Representative teams will be selected by their appropriate Team Manager who will be appointed by the Executive Committee.

c.     The Executive Committee to appoint League Managers as necessary.

 

15. Regulations

a. The Executive Committee may make, vary and revoke Regulations/Bye Laws, provided that they are not inconsistent with the Constitution, for the administration and control of the day-to-day internal affairs of the Suffolk County Indoor Bowling Association.

b.   All competition regulations and dress code regulations are set by the Executive   Committee. Alterations to these regulations will be voted on by the Executive Committee and shall not beeffective unless agreed to by a two-thirds majority.

c.   If a Club member enters County Competitions from a club and pays the entry fee to that Club and the Club pays the levy to this Association for the ensuing year, but afterwards decides to change clubs, they cannot take part in any County Competitions or County Leagues until the following season.

d.   All Rules and Regulations shall be enforced.

   16.  Dissolution Clause

If, at any General Meeting of the Suffolk County Indoor Bowling Association, a   resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the County Association, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.

If, at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of those entitled to vote at the meeting, the Executive Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the County Association and discharge all debts and liabilities of the County Association.

If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the County Association, there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same be paid to the Member Clubs at the time.

 

Dated: April 29th., 2023.