Welcome to Burford Town Bowls Club

generously sponsored by Peter Smith & Son

...if you're looking for some gentle exercise with a competitive edge in beautiful surroundings,
come and join us, you will be glad you did...
Nominated charity

 

About Us

Club Constitution

Hits: 1611

BURFORD TOWN BOWLS CLUB – CONSTITUTION & CLUB RULES

(updated on 16 November, 2020)

(Club competition revision 20 Nov 2024)

 

 

The club shall be called “BURFORD TOWN BOWLS CLUB”

Objective

The club is constituted for the purposes of playing club and competitive bowls.

Members

All persons shall be eligible for membership of the club and every candidate for membership shall be proposed and seconded by a club member. His/her full name, address, contact details and the names of the proposer and seconder shall be communicated in writing to the secretary who should cause these particulars to be displayed prominently in the club premises in a part frequented by the members for a period of at least three weeks before his/her election as a member. Until a candidate is elected as a member, he/she shall not be entitled to any privileges of the club.  A complete list of club members, addresses and contact details shall be held securely by the club secretary following data protection requirements. 

Persons between the ages of ten and eighteen will be deemed junior members and will not be eligible to vote.

Candidates for membership shall be elected by a committee at its discretion.

Election

The management of the club shall be entrusted to a committee consisting of the President, Deputy President, Secretary, Treasurer, Captain, Vice-Captain, Fixture Secretary and three other members of the club which may include the Bar manager and Greenkeeper if members of the club, elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

The committee shall meet at such times as the committee shall determine, and at all meetings five members shall form a quorum. A majority vote will be accepted, except for matters of finance when a two-thirds vote in favour by the committee will be required.

Casual Vacancies

The committee shall have the power at any time and from time to time, to fill any casual vacancy among officers and committee. Any officer or member of the committee so appointed shall hold office until the following AGM but shall be eligible for re-election.

National Emergency situations

In times of a national emergency, the normal situation can change very quickly and good communication and decision making is essential. In such situations a temporary management committee will have full authority to manage the club’s affairs. The Emergency committee will consist of six members who have telephone, text and Email facilities and will normally be the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Captain, Greenkeeper (if a member) and one other person to represent club members. All decisions and the thought process behind the decisions will be documented through this period and made available at the Annual General Meeting.

Annual Subscriptions

Every member shall pay, on being admitted to the club, an annual subscription to be set on agreement of the AGM which shall be due on the 30 May each year. 

Subscription arrears

If any member shall fail to pay his/her subscription within the allotted time it is due, the Treasurer shall send him/her a reminder in writing requesting payment within seven days. If he/she fails to pay his/her subscription, the committee shall be entitled to terminate his/her membership without further notice.

Application of profit

No money or property of the club or any gain arising from the carrying on of the club shall be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the club as a whole or for some charitable, benevolent or other purpose chosen by resolution of the AGM.

Accounts

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the custody, receipt and disbursement of all monies belonging to the club. Full accounts of the financial affairs of the club duly audited by the Auditors to every member with the notice convening the AGM. Bank cheques on the club account shall be signed by two of the following: Treasurer, Secretary or President.

Commission

No member shall make profit from any of the club activities.

Purchases and supply of Liquor

The purchases for the club and the supply by the club of intoxicating liquor is at the absolute discretion of a sub-committee which shall consist of four members of the clubs committee to include the Secretary. The Bar Manager, appointed at the AGM, shall have delegated responsibility to run the bar. In the event of any member for any reason ceasing to be a member of the sub-committee, another member of the club committee shall be appointed in his/her place. Such sub-committee is in no way restricted in freedom of purchase.

Sale of Intoxicating Liquor

Intoxicating liquor may be sold to persons attending the club premises for social or other functions organised or authorised by the club, provided the number shall not exceed twelve in any one year, which is the limit imposed by our license. 

  1. The club may supply intoxicating liquor to its members and bona fide guests and may supply intoxicating liquor to members and officials of teams visiting the premises for the purposes of playing matches.
  2. Intoxicating liquor shall not be supplied to persons under the age of eighteen years.  No member shall pay for or attempt to buy liquor for consumption in the bar of this club for a person under the age of eighteen.
  3. No person under the age of fourteen will be permitted to enter and remain in the bar designated area during the licensing hours, that is the area of the premises used for the sale of intoxicating liquor.

Opening of the club

The clubhouse and grounds may be open daily during such hours as the general committee may from time to time determine.

The permitted hours for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor in pursuance of the

Licensing Act 2003 shall be as from time to time agreed and authorised by the West Oxfordshire District Council Licensing Department as set out on the club certificate displayed in the clubhouse adjacent to the bar.

General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club shall be held in the month of November in each year, fifteen months shall not elapse without an AGM.

At an AGM the following business shall be conducted:

  1. The presentation of the previous year’s accounts which have been audited independently.
  2. The election of officers and committee
  3. Such business as shall have been communicated to the secretary and included in the notice of meeting being sent to members.

Extraordinary meetings

An extraordinary general meeting may be convened at any time and shall be convened within 21 days on the requisition of not less than five members of the club and state the purpose for which such meeting is required.

Notice of Meeting

The Secretary shall at least 14 days before any general meeting, send to every member at his/her address as recorded in club books a notice of the meeting stating the time and the place where it will be held and the business to be conducted (An Email may be sent as an alternative to posting a notice for those members with an email address).

Business at General Meeting

The business at a general meeting shall be limited to that provided by these rules and those further matters set out in the notice to convene a meeting. A quorum at any general meeting shall be five committee members together with 10 other members of the club. 

At all meetings of the club, each fully paid-up member shall have one vote. Social and paid-up junior members shall not have the right to vote. At no time shall the number of non-voting members exceed 33% of the total membership.

 

President

The President of the club shall, where possible, preside at all meetings of the club, but if he/she is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting or has signified his/her inability to be present at the meeting, the Deputy President will chair the meeting.

Expulsion of members

The committee shall have the power to expel any member who shall offend against the rules of the club or whose conduct shall in the opinion of the committee render him/her unfit for membership of the club. Before any such member is expelled, the Secretary shall give him/her notice to attend a meeting of the committee and shall inform him/her of the complaint against them. No member shall be expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the committee and answering complaints made against them, then at least two thirds of the committee present a vote in favour of expulsion.

Guests

Any member shall be entitled to introduce guests to the club provided that they have not been declined membership or been expelled in the past. The member introducing a guest shall enter the guests name and address together with his/her own name in a visitors’ book which shall be kept at the club premises. No member shall introduce more than three guests at any one time.

Members and officials visiting the club for match or social events may enjoy the privileges of the club. 

Modification of rules

No alteration or addition of these rules shall be made except by resolution carried by a majority of at least two thirds of members present at a general meeting, the notice of which shall have contained particulars of the proposed alteration or additions. 

The secretary shall as soon as possible, and in any case within 21 days of making any such alterations or additions, send copies of the agreed wording to the Licensing Officer of the West Oxfordshire District Council, who will send a copy to the Police Licensing Officer.

Complaints

Members who have a complaint against the club shall make the complaint, in writing, to the

Secretary for submission at the next management committee meeting. The management committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the club rules. The Management committee may make additional rules if thought necessary for the proper conduct of the club. 

Competition trophies

All trophies shall remain the property of the club. Trophies may be displayed in the trophy cabinet provided and will be insured for loss or damage. If winners choose to take trophies home after being presented with them, they are liable for their safe-keeping and return within a year.

Competition rules

  1. First name drawn in all competitions will be the challenger who must give 3 reasonable dates to their opponents.
  2. In the event of a suitable date not being agreed by the opponents the challenger will be deemed the winner.
  3. If the challenger fails to contact the opponent by the closing date, then the opponent will be deemed the winner.
  4. All games must be played by the date stated on the schedule,
  5. All games to be played in club shirts and colours or greys.
  6. All entries must be by paid up members on their first game and there is no requirement for members to have represented the club in any league or friendly match in order to play in any club competition.
  7. Scoreboards must be used during the game for spectators wishing to watch the game.
  8. All singles matches must have a marker for that game.
  9. In the event of an opponent/team not turning up or cancelling without suitable notice will forfeit their game.
  10. In the event of any dispute please contact the competition secretary.

 

Child Protection Policy

Burford Town Bowls Club is committed to promoting a safe environment in which children and vulnerable adults can enjoy taking part in the game of bowls. It will seek to underpin this commitment and ensure that the committee is following and promoting the joint child protection policy and procedures of the national Governing bodies. Any complaints from children or vulnerable adults or relating to inappropriate comments or behaviour at the club must in the first instance be referred to the appointed Child Protection Officer at the club.

Data Protection Act

Changes to the Data Protection Act apply from April 2018, which mean Bowls clubs may only hold personal data with the member’s permission and must protect this from third party access.  Personal information may include their address, phone number, Email address etc. All members will be asked to agree to the club holding their personal details discreetly when collecting subscriptions.  A form requiring a signature has been created for this purpose. A member is at liberty to deny this request.