Constitution

CONSTITUTION

1 NAME

The name of the Club shall be Lichfield Museum and Recreation Grounds Bowling Club, popularly known as Lichfield Museum Bowling Club.

2 AIMS

The aims of the Club shall be:

2.1 To provide facilities for members to develop and exercise their crown green bowling skills.

2.2 To provide competitive games in the form of ladies and gentlemen’s singles and doubles, mixed doubles and social competitions.

2.3 To establish teams to compete in league bowling.

2.4 To offer facilities for recreation and social interaction for members.

3 MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone who has been recommended by a Club member and whose nomination has been sanctioned by a Committee member.

4 COMMITTEE

4.1 The policy of the Club shall be determined, and its affairs conducted, by the Committee.

4.2 The Committee shall consist of six Officers and four Ordinary Members.

4.3 The Officers of the Club shall be:

The President

The Vice-President

The Secretary

The Treasurer

The Club Captain

The Vice-Captain

4.4 All Members of the Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. There shall be no limit to the number of terms a member of the Committee may serve, subject always to their being elected at the AGM. The AGM shall be held, and in normal circumstances chaired by the President, no later than the last day of February in any year.

4.5 A quorum for Committee meetings is five members.

4.6 In the event of a tied vote, the President will have the casting vote.

4.7 The Committee shall be empowered to make Standing Orders to take immediate effect. Such orders shall remain effective unless rejected by a two-thirds majority at an AGM (or EGM called for that purpose by a minimum of five Members).

4.8 The Committee is empowered, under this Constitution, to take whatever measures it deems appropriate in order to sanction any member(s) who, by word or deed, has or have, in the judgement of the Committee, damaged the ethos or reputation of the Club.

5 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

5.1 The business of an AGM shall consist of:

The President’s report

The Treasurer’s report

The Club Captain’s report

Other activity reports

The election of a Committee

Any other business

5.2 The Treasurer shall maintain Public Liability Insurance

5.3 An EGM may be requested in writing by a minimum of five Members.

5.4 With the exceptions detailed in Sections 4.7, 6.2 and 9.2, decisions made at an AGM or EGM shall be by a simple majority of votes of all members attending the meeting. Neither postal nor proxy votes will be accepted.

5.5 Members shall receive a minimum of fourteen days notice of an AGM or EGM.

5.6 Members may submit to the Secretary items for Any Other Business at least seven days prior to the AGM.

5.7 A quorum for a general meeting shall be 25% of members of the club.

6 THE CONSTITUTION

6.1 The Constitution will be absolute in guiding all actions and decisions taken by the Committee and Club Members.

6.2 Proposed changes to the Constitution shall be presented at an AGM or EGM and shall be adopted if no fewer than two thirds of Members present vote in favour of adoption.

7 CLUB REPRESENTATIVES

7.1 The following positions are normally filled by invitation although an election will be held if necessary. The holders of these positions do not automatically sit on the Committee.

Ladies’ Captain and Vice-Captain

All Leagues Captains and Representatives

The relevant County Crown Green Associations Representatives

Fundraising Officers

Housekeeper

Archivist

Publicity Officer

Auditors

Spoons Organiser(s)

8 CLUB ETHIC

8.1 The Club shall be non-profit making.

8.2 No member shall make any financial gain from his or her membership of the Club, save for any subsidy agreed by the Committee in respect of reducing the cost of Green Fees for all club members.

9 DISSOLUTION

9.1 If, at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution, with a minimum of fourteen days notice.

9.2 If, at that Extraordinary General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Members present, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.

9.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary organisation as determined by the Committee.

APPENDIX 1

COMPETITION AND PLAYING RULES

(i) The Club’s bowling season will begin and end on dates determined by Greens Maintenance Co./ Club Captain.

(ii) The rules of the game are those published by the British Crown Green Bowling Association.

(iii) Club Competitions:

Club competitions are to be organised by the Club Captain and/or other members of the Committee. The Captain’s decision (or that of his/her deputy) is final in all matters relating to Club competitions

Endeavour Cup: To be played by members who have previously never won a trophy, 21 up.

Jack Brookes Trophy: previous winners of this trophy are not eligible to enter, 21 up

Fred Houghton Trophy: Ladies v Gentlemen - format to be agreed by Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Captains. Result determined by aggregate scores.

Frank Axten Trophy: all members, singles, maximum 18 ends

Bill Downs Trophy: all members, singles. 21 up

Fred Button: mixed doubles, 21 up

Ladies Individual: singles, 21 up

Nan Hollender Trophy: ladies doubles round robin, 21 up

George Tyson Shield: mixed doubles, 21 up

Horace Wilson Trophy: gentlemen members, singles, 21 up

Museum Trophy: gentlemen’s doubles, 21 up

Marjorie Bowen Rose Bowl: lady members, doubles. 21 up

The Currier Cup: all members, singles, 15 ends, played within half of green.

There will be six Spoons competitions each year.

With the exception of mixed doubles, which shall be drawn two days previous to the competition, the draw for all competitions shall take place on the day of the competition and shall be made in the vicinity of the green. The draw may be observed by any competing Member.

The Finals of all competitions (except the Currier Cup) will normally be held on Finals Day.

All Club competition winners and league averages winners are invited to compete on Champion’s Day. The winner of this event (singles, 21 up) will be declared Club Champion.

Members competing in any club competition or league match are required to pay a fee determined by the Committee.

On the day of a competition members shall not play on the green at any time prior to the start of that competition.

Casual play. Any waiting player should be invited to join a game at the first reasonable opportunity.

Flat shoes must be worn on the green and sandals are not permitted.

It is expected that white and grey will be worn in competitions and when representing the Club.

Smoking or vaping is not permitted on the green and mobile phones should be switched off.

Please observe correct etiquette when on the green.

APPENDIX 2

SPENDING LIMITS

(i) Regular expenditure, eg. for catering needs by members or similar items, may be paid by the Treasurer out of Petty Cash to a maximum of £50.

(ii) Requests to spend in excess of the £50 limit must always be agreed at a full Committee Meeting, prior to the spend being made.

(iii) In respect of the need for emergency expenditure above the £50 limit, that occurs between Committee meetings, committee members should be contacted individually with a view to ensuring there is a majority agreement on the expenditure.

Original adoption: 05.03.2018

Revised: 07.11.2023