Constitution

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 & safeguard the game of outdoor flat green bowls in the County of Norfolk
b) to be a member and guarantor of the company ‘Bowls England’
c) to adopt and conform to Bowls England Rules & Regulations and the Crystal Mark Laws of the Sport (Third Edition) or a subsequent revision issued by World Bowls as amended for domestic play by Bowls England & the Association
d) to promote, organise and superintend various competitions within the County of Norfolk for constituent clubs & its members 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 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 to act on all matters of misconduct in accordance with Bowls England Regulation 9
g) to provide a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy of Bowls England
h) to effectively manage the financial affairs of the Association
i) to advise on the preparation and maintenance of greens
j) to be aware of all legislation that might relate to outdoor flat green bowling

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
b) Subscription as may be fixed from time to time and any Association levy, which may be
c) agreed at the Annual Meeting.

d) 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.

e) The Annual Subscription and Fees shall be paid no later than 30th April 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 the Executive Board who will be the members elected to the following positions, see note below:

• Executive Officer/Chairperson
• President Norfolk Bowls Association (Men)
• President Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
• Honorary County Administrator
• Honorary Treasurer of Norfolk Bowls Association (Men)
• Honorary Treasurer of Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
• Honorary Secretary of Norfolk Bowls Association (Men)
• Honorary Secretary of Norfolk Bowls Association (Women)
• Bowls England Representative (Men)
• 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 each for a period of three years except for the first period when the Executive Officer shall serve for a period of four years, and all other positions above shall be ratified after election, within the Association Rules and Regulations of each gender as appropriate.

If the Executive Officer/Chairperson 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.

The effective date for the beginning of the term of office of the Honorary County Administrator and the Executive Officer/Chairperson shall be 15 March in any relevant year. Member clubs shall be advised no later than 1 January in any such year that the office will be falling vacant and will be asked to submit nominations no later than 1 February.

If only a single nomination is received, the Executive Committee shall declare that person elected, but should more than one nomination be received, a General Meeting shall be called by the Executive Committee to determine the outcome. Any nomination must be accompanied by the written consent of the candidate that he/she is willing to stand.

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.

The Board will meet in February 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.

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.

a) Norfolk Bowls Association Men’s Management Committee comprising

• Chairman
• President
• Senior Vice President
• Junior Vice President
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Assistant Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer
• Honorary Match Secretary
• Honorary Assistant Match Secretary
• Honorary League Secretary
• Honorary Competition Secretary
• Immediate Past President
• Bowls England Representative
• 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
• County Administrator (with no vote)

b) Norfolk Bowls Association Women’s Management Committee comprising

• President
• Senior Vice President
• Junior Vice President
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Assistant Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer
• Honorary Benevolent Fund Secretary
• Honorary Competition Secretary
• Immediate Past President
• Bowls England Representative
• 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.

c) Women’s Council

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.

d) 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 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.

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

There shall be no fixed Annual General Meeting of the Association but, should the need arise, a Special General Meeting may be called at any time by a decision of the Executive Committee or at the request of one or more member clubs of the Association.

Twenty-eight days’ notice of any such General Meeting shall be given and 15 members shall form a quorum. At any such General Meeting, only items on the agenda may be discussed.

At Special General Meetings of the Association, voting shall be otherwise than by show of hands when considered necessary by the Chairperson.

Each affiliated club will be entitled to be represented at Special General Meetings by their Men’s Club Delegate and Women’s Council Delegate or their appointed representatives. Members of all clubs may attend any Special 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 a Special 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 Examination’.

c) An Examiner of Accounts shall be appointed at the Gender Annual Meetings.

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 rellow and rlack 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 a Special General Meeting of the Association convened for that purpose. Notices of motions shall be given in writing to the Honorary County Administrator and 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.