CONSTITUTION (2024)

PART 1

1. Title

The name of The Club shall be “The Laurieston Bowling Club” (hereinafter referred to as “The Club”) and shall consist of Honorary, Ordinary, Restricted and Junior Members.

The Ordinary Members alone shall have equal rights in the property and assets of The Club, and they shall also be liable for debts and liabilities.

All other members (except Honorary members, Section 11) have no entitlement in management of The Club.

2. Aims & Objectives

The AIMS of the Club shall be:

  1. To foster, promote and provide facilities for the playing of the game of bowls.
  2. To permit social activities and entertainment subject to the authority and satisfaction of the Committee of Management of The Club (as hereinafter defined).

3. Affiliation

The Club shall be affiliated to Bowls Scotland, and shall play under the rules of that body.

4. Place

The Club shall be based, carry on business and operate on:

  1. The land and buildings owned by The Club as delineated by District Surveyor and enumerated in Title Deeds.
  2. On that piece of land situated to the east of (a) above and owned by The Club (under title dated 29/6/62).

5. Membership

  1. Membership of The Club shall comprise:
    1. Bowling Club – Honorary Members (Gents and Ladies).
    2. Bowling Club – Ordinary Members (Gents and Ladies).
    3. Bowling Club – Restricted Members (Gents and Ladies).
    4. Bowling Club – Junior Members (age under 18 at 1st May of current season).
  2. The committee of Management (as hereinafter defined) shall:
    1. Regulate the number of members while ensuring that membership is open to all who wish to apply. Should there be an excess of applications the Secretary will maintain a waiting list based on date of application.
    2. Approve new members, who must submit an application form obtained from The Club Secretary.
    3. Not refuse an application without a significantly good reason being identified. Should there be a decision to exclude such an application by the Committee, this should be intimated by letter to the applicant with clear reasons for exclusion. The letter will also stipulate a right of appeal.
    4. In the event of an unsuccessful application, give the applicant the right of appeal. This appeal will, in the first instance be in writing to The Club President, who will convene a three person panel to consider the appeal. The appeal should be lodged within 3 weeks of the original decision. The applicant has a right to attend an Appeal Hearing and offer their grounds for such an appeal. The decision of the panel will be final and notified to the applicant within 5 working days.
    5. Have powers to suspend or expel any member for repeated infringement of The Club’s rules or for any serious misdemeanour.

6. Office Bearers

The following Honorary Office-bearers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (after-mentioned), viz:

  1. President;
  2. One or not more than two Vice-Presidents;
  3. Secretary;
  4. Treasurer;
  5. Minute Secretary;
  6. Match Secretary.

The Annual General Meeting may appoint any additional Office-bearers which The Club may from time to time deem desirable.

The Office-bearers shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when they shall be eligible for re-election.

The retiring President shall invest their successor with the badge of office.

7. Committee of Management

The affairs of The Club shall be conducted and managed by a Committee of Management, which shall consist of a minimum of twelve (12) Ordinary Members, inclusive of Office Bearers.

The Committee shall have power to fill vacancies during the year by co-option from members of The Club. Any members so co-opted shall serve only for the remainder of the term of the retiring member, subject to the ramification where necessary at the next Annual General Meeting.

8. Committee: Powers & Meetings

  1. The Committee shall meet at least once every two weeks during the playing season, and at least once a month at other times, when seven members shall form a quorum. At other times urgent and immediate problems, not affecting policy, may, however, be determined forthwith by not less than two Committee members present at the time and any action taken must be reported at the next Committee Meeting.
  2. The President, or in their absence a Vice-President, shall preside at all meetings of The Club and of all Committees other than sub-committees, and if those are all absent the members present shall appoint one of themselves to act as Chairperson ‘pro-tempore’.
  3. In the event of equality of voting the Chairperson shall be entitled to exercise in addition to their deliberative vote, a second or casting vote.
  4. The Committee shall be entitled to appoint Sub-Committees and to remit business thereto for discussion and report back.
  5. The Committee shall appoint a Convener for the purpose of looking after the welfare of the green.
  6. All decisions by Committee shall be binding on all members until rescinded by same authority, or by an Annual or extraordinary general meeting.
  7. The Committee shall appoint a Convener with powers to authorise and supervise or arrange social activities and entertainment within the terms of paragraph 2(b) of this constitution.
  8. Nominations for alterations to Committee must be proposed and seconded by Ordinary Members and posted on The Club notice board twenty one days prior to the Annual General Meeting. No other nominations will be accepted. A committee member being absent from five successive committee meetings without valid reason automatically retires from the committee.

9. Finance

  1. The Treasurer shall keep proper books and accounts of all transactions, and shall prepare annually a financial statement made up to 31st October in each year. These shall be audited and examined annually by the Auditors (as hereinafter appointed).

    All funds of The Club shall be lodged in a Bank as approved by the Committee of Management, in the name of The Club, and all withdrawals therefrom shall be signed by any two of the named signatories.

    All proposed expenditure must be authorised by the Committee of Management, and no commitment entered into by any member will be binding on The Club unless so authorised. All claims or accounts against The Club shall be submitted to and passed by the Committee of Management.

  2. The amount of the Entrance Fee, if any, and the amount of the Annual Subscription (including competition entry fees) of members of all Sections (see Section 5) shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting, and the latter shall be payable in advance not later than the last day of March in each year.
  3. Should a reduced membership fee be available for new members, a previous Club member who has not renewed their membership for a period of 3 years or more may qualify for the reduced fee.
  4. The financial records of The Club will be audited annually prior to the Annual General Meeting by a registered Chartered Accountant.

10. Annual General Meeting

  1. An Annual General Meeting shall be held on the first Monday in February of each year, at which 25% of the Ordinary Members shall be present. Notices of Motion for consideration at such Meeting shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the date of such Meeting. All Ordinary Members shall be given seven clear days’ notice of this Meeting by circular or through local press.
  2. At the Annual General Meeting the President shall make a statement reviewing the state of The Club; the Secretary shall give a report on the results of the season’s play; the Green Convener shall give a report on the state of the green; financial reports shall be given by The Club Treasurer.
  3. Election of Officials. The following shall be elected:
    1. All Office-Bearers.
    2. Members to fill vacancies arising in the Committee of Management.
  4. A Premise Manager shall be appointed to control the licensed premises of The Club as registered under paragraph 2(c).

11. Honorary Elected Persons

The members present at any Annual General Meeting may elect Honorary members in recognition of past service to The Club. Such persons so elected shall be entitled to all the privileges of Ordinary membership.

12. General Rules

  1. The President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary shall have the power to call a General Meeting for any special purpose, and each of them shall be bound to call and hold such meeting within twenty-one clear days upon receipt of a requisition to that effect signed by ten Ordinary Members (5(a) (1)) of The Club, and such requisition as well as the Notice of the Meeting shall contain a distinct specification of the business to be considered, and it shall not be competent to discuss or deal with any business other than specified in such Requisition and Notice.
  2. Members are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with The Clubs’ Code of Conduct within The Club’s curtilage and no member considered the worse of liquor will be admitted. All complaints shall be made in writing to the Committee. The Committee shall be bound to investigate any such complaint or breach of the aforementioned rule and deal with the offender with power to expel any member if necessary.
  3. The Green will be open to visitors introduced by Ordinary and Restricted Members. The Committee shall have the power to regulate the occasions upon which visitors may be permitted to play upon the Green or to terminate such privilege if it considers the privilege is being abused.
  4. Restricted Members pay a reduced entrance fee and cannot compete in internal singles, pairs, triples or rinks competitions, nor represent the club in external competitions. Restricted Members are not entitled to take part in management of The Club.

PART 2

13. Excisable Liquor

No member of the Committee or employee of The Club shall have any personal interest in the sale of excisable liquors therein or in the profit arising from such sale.

14.

No excisable liquor shall be supplied or sold to a person under 18 years of age.

15.

The hours during which excisable liquor may be sold or supplied in The Club premises shall be within the permitted hours of the Licensing (Scotland) Act, or subject to amendments as made by the appropriate authority, or as stipulated by Committee of Management within the terms of the above act.

16.

Every member shall, before leaving The Club, pay any charges they have incurred. No excisable liquor shall be supplied on credit.

17. Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved by resolution at a special meeting of Ordinary Members, and twenty-one (21) days’ notice shall be given in writing to each of such members; provided that such resolution is carried by not less than three-quarters (3/4) in the aggregate of (a) those members present and voting and (b) those members recording their vote in a prior letter to the Secretary. (See also the second sub-paragraph of Section 1).

In the event of dissolution, the Committee will in the first instance ensure that all debts or liabilities are resolved in a financially appropriate manner.

The Club is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club’s facilities. No profit or surplus will be distributed other than to another non-profit making body on winding up or dissolution of the Club.

18. Supersession & Ratification

This Constitution supersedes any Constitution or amendment thereof, or rule or regulation therewith, made prior to the date of ratification of this Constitution, when it becomes binding on all members.

19. Amendment

No part of this Constitution shall be amended except at the Annual General Meeting of The Club and written notice of any proposed amendment must be given to the Secretary at least 21 days before the date of such Meeting so that due notice thereof may be included in the circular calling the Meeting.

SPONSORS