CLUB CONSTITUTION

 

1. Name

The club shall be called Gelli Park Community Bowls Club (hereinafter called the ‘Club’).

 

2. Affiliation

The club shall be affiliated to the Welsh Bowling Association / Welsh Bowls and Mid Glamorgan County Bowling Association - Rhondda Borough Bowling Association)

 

3. Aims and Objectives

 The club shall aim to play and promote Lawn Bowls to its members and offer coaching and competitive opportunities to all those members (junior/senior/all) who wish to play. 

Provide duty of care and protection to all Club members. 

 Make sure all Club members are treated equitably. 

 

4. Equality Statement

The club is fully committed to the principles of the equality of opportunity.

No participant, Player, volunteer, of the club will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, parental or marital status, religious belief, social class or sexual preference than any other.

The club will ensure that there is open access for all those who wish to participate in the activities of the club, in whatever capacity and that they are treated fairly. The club recognises its legal obligations not to discriminate and will regard discrimination by any member, participant or volunteer as grounds for disciplinary action under the relevant club rules. 

 

5. Welfare Statement

The club recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults who are in membership of the club. The club will aim to provide good quality coaching in lawn bowls in a safe environment by adopting the procedures and working practices of the Welsh Bowling Association.( Welsh bowls)

https://www.welshbowls.co.uk/images/Safeguarding/BowlsWales_Safeguarding_Policy.pdf 

 

6. Membership

6.1 The club shall consist of the Officers and the members.

6.2 In accepting membership, a person agrees to abide by the Constitution of the Club and the decisions of the Club Management Committee. 

6.3 All members are also required to abide by the appropriate 

 Code of conduct of Welsh Bowls https://www.welshbowls.co.uk/about/documents-policies 

6.4 The Management committee shall be responsible for considering whether applications for membership should be accepted. This decision shall be made in accordance with the Equality statement in paragraph 4.

6.5 Members under the age of eighteen shall be considered as junior members.

6.6 Junior team members shall not have the right to vote at Committee meetings but are entitled to elect one representative who shall have the right to vote.

 

7. Membership Fees

7.1 Membership fees shall be set at the Annual General Meeting. The level of fees shall distinguish between those members who are in full-time employment, members who are unemployed or in full-time education and junior members.

7.2 Annual membership fees shall be collected in [May] of each year and are payable to the Club Treasurer. No member will be eligible to represent the Club if he/she has not paid the agreed membership by the start of the playing season.

 

8. Management Committee

8.1 The Management Committee will act for the members of the club and shall be comprised of the following nominated Officers: Chairperson, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Officer, Club Captain, [others].

These Officers shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting and hold their posts for a calendar year but may seek re-election at the following year’s AGM.

Any liabilities incurred shall fall upon the membership of the club providing the Management Committee acts in accordance with the Constitution, in honesty and good faith.

The Management Committee shall meet bi-monthly (or when determined by the Chairperson) and the Secretary will convene all meetings.

The quorum necessary for Management meetings shall be 4. 

The Management Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Club Constitution in relation to the operation of the club’s affairs. Proposed amendments to the Constitution can only be agreed at the AGM.

Responsibility for all property owned or leased by the club rests with the Management Committee.

 

9. Finance

9.1 All monies raised by, or on behalf of the club shall be applied to further the aims and objectives of the club and for no other purpose.

9.2 The Club Treasurer is responsible for collecting membership subscriptions and maintaining the financial accounts of the club detailing all income received and expenditure made.

9.3 The financial year of the club starts on [1st October ] and ends [Sept 30th.]

9.4 The funds of the club shall be lodged at a bank or building society in an account in the name of the club. All cheques, drafts, etc. drawn on this account shall be signed by two of the following officers, Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.

 

10. Annual General Meeting and other meetings

 

10.1 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club shall be held in [October]] of each year or within three months of the end of the club’s financial year. At this meeting the annual report of the Management Committee and the audited statement of accounts up to the end of the financial year shall be presented.

 

10.2 The Secretary shall give no less than 21 days notice of the date of the AGM to all members.

 

10.3 All elections of Officers shall be confirmed at the AGM. The Secretary should receive all nominations for Officer’s posts not less than fourteen days prior to the AGM. Nominations shall require two supporting signatures from members of the club eligible to vote. No nominations can be accepted from the floor of the meeting.

 

The dates of the AGM and the Management Committee meetings shall be determined at the previous meeting. In addition, the Chairperson may call a meeting when he or she considers it necessary or desirable, or upon the written request of at least three members of the Management Committee.

 

The quorum for general meetings shall be [number] members present who are eligible to vote.

 

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary signed by not less than [number] members. The Management Committee shall have the discretion to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of its members.

 

11. Voting Procedures for all meetings

 

11.1 All members entitled to vote at meetings shall have equal voting rights.

 

11.2 A motion shall be carried by a simple majority of those present and voting, except when the motion is a Constitutional amendment, which shall require a two-thirds majority.

 

11.3 In the event of equal votes being cast, the Chair shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote.

 

12. Discipline and Appeals

 

12.1 The Management Committee shall have the authority to take appropriate disciplinary action against any member or employee of the club and the discretion to terminate membership or employment if any person is found guilty of conduct deemed detrimental to the club.

 

12.2 Should a disciplinary issue involve the Welfare of a child or vulnerable adult then the National Governing Body will be informed.

 

12.3 All individuals have the right of Appeal to any disciplinary decision made by the Management Committee. 

 

12.4 Any request made for an Appeal Hearing should be made to either the Secretary or Chairperson within 14 days of the Disciplinary decision.

 

12.5 An Appeal Hearing should be convened within 14 days of the request for an Appeal being submitted.

 

12.6 An Appeal Hearing should be convened by a member of the Management Committee and no more than four additional Club members who are independent of the original Disciplinary Hearing and subsequent decision.

 

13. Dissolution procedures

 

13.1 In the event of the club ceasing to exist and following the discharge of all debts and liabilities, any assets at the time of dissolution shall become the property of [Welsh Bowling Association]. No member shall obtain any asset from the club.

 

13.2 The club may be wound up upon a motion proposed and seconded by club members and passed by a two-thirds majority at a special meeting convened for that purpose following a written request signed by [number] members of the club. 

 

14. Review of the Constitution

 

This Constitution should be reviewed a minimum of once every two years.

 

  Any amendments to the Constitution can only be agreed at the Club’s AGM.

 

Proposed additions to, or alterations of the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary not less than 21 days before the date of the AGM. All suggested amendments should be signed and seconded. No motion involving an amendment to the Constitution may be proposed from the floor of a meeting.

 

In the event of a proposal for amending the Constitution being submitted, the Secretary shall inform the membership of the proposed motion not less than 14 days prior to the AGM.

 

Any amendments to the proposed motion duly proposed and seconded shall be submitted not later than seven days before the meeting.

 

Any alteration to the Constitution shall require a two-thirds majority of members voting and present.

 

All matters arising that are not provided for by the Constitution will be dealt with by the Management Committee, whose decision shall be final.

 

Reviewed October 2025