1.NAME
The Club shall be known as The East Calder Bowling Club and during its connection with the Scottish Bowling Association shall adhere to the rules of that Association except insofar as otherwise decided by the Club.
2. OBJECTS
- (a) The objects of the Club are to provide bowling facilities for the recreation of the Members and for the fostering of the game of flat-green bowls.
- (b) The Club shall be Non-Sectarian, Non-Political, Non-Sexist and Non-racist.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The Club shall consist of Ordinary Members, Pensioner Members, Temporary Members, Juvenile Members, Associate Members, Honorary Members and Life Members and shall include all Members at the date of approval hereof and all such Members as may hereinafter be admitted in accordance with the Rules. The number of Members shall, at all times, be regulated by the committee.
4. DEFINITION OF MEMBERS
- (a) Ordinary Members: An Adult who has paid the Full joining fee and Full subscription and has Full Voting rights within the Club.
- (b) Pensioner Members: A Member who has reached the State Pension Age i.e. 65
(Male) and 65 (Female). Pensioners pay a reduced subscription but enjoy the Full rights of an Ordinary Member. Any person wishing to join who is already of Pensionable Age must pay three years subscriptions as an Ordinary Member or pay three years back-money at Ordinary Members rate.
- (c) Temporary Members: The Committee are empowered to elect as Temporary Members for a period not exceeding three months, persons of a good repute residing temporarily in the area. The subscription for such Membership shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting of Members. Temporary Members shall be subject to the Rules of the Club but have no voice in the running of the Club.
- (d) Juvenile Members: A Member who is over 10 but under 18 years of age. Juvenile Members pay a reduced subscription and no joining fee. They have no voice in the running of the Club. After reaching 16 years of age they may enter adult competitions.
- (e)Â Associate Members: An adult who supports the Aims and Objects of the Club may, at the discretion of the Committee, be admitted as an Associate Member. Such Members are not allowed to enter any Competitions and shall have no voice in the running of the Club.
- (f) Honorary Members: The Club may elect as Honorary Members persons of Public eminence who have rendered special services to the Club or the game of bowls. Honorary Members shall be elected by Members of the Club in a meeting. A two-thirds majority of those present and voting is required to secure election. Honorary Members have no voice in the running of the Club.
(a) Life Members: The Committee shall have the power to award Life Membership to a Member in recognition of outstanding service to the Club. Life Members have all the rights of an Ordinary Member.
5. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS
An application for Membership of the Club shall be made in writing to the Secretary and such application shall be signed by the applicant, his / her proposer and seconder who must be Ordinary or Pension Members of the Club. A notice containing the full name and address of the applicant and the names of the proposer and seconder shall be displayed on the Club Noticeboard for at least one week. A period of not less than two weeks shall elapse between such application and election. At expiry of this period the said applicant shall be considered at any General, Special or Committee Meeting. Membership is open to all. No application will be refused i.e. there will be no discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, occupation, religion or political beliefs. If an application is refused the Committee shall, if called upon, state the reason. Any objections to the application must be made in writing to the Secretary.
6. SUBSCRIPTIONS
The subscriptions shall be fixed each year by the Members at the Annual General Meeting and shall be paid before the first day of May. Any Member who has not paid by this date shall forfeit their rights as a Member of the Club. The Subscriptions of New Members shall be payable on their date of admission to Membership.
7. WITHDRAWAL
Any Member may withdraw from the Club on giving Notice to the secretary of their intention to do so at any time before the Annual General Meeting. Members failing to give such notice shall be held liable for that years subscription.
8. RE-ADMISSION
It shall be at the discretion of the Committee to re-instate on payment of any sums due any person who may inadvertently have omitted to pay their subscriptions by the due date.
9. MANAGEMENT
- (a) The whole affairs and business of the Club, including the sale of excisable liquor, shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Green Ranger, Match Secretary and seven other Members.
- (b) The Committee shall meet as often as is necessary to transact the day-to-day business of the Club.
- (c) The Committee shall be elected by the Members of the Club at the Annual General Meeting. All Office-Bearers to be elected for a two year period, the Secretary and Treasurer to retire in alternative years but shall be eligible for re-election. The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy in their number occurring during the year. Nominations for all Committee positions vacant must be displayed and posted on the Notice Board fourteen days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
- (d) All differences between Members shall be referred to the Committee in writing and the Committees decision shall be final.
- (e) No Member of the Club serving or having served a suspension within the previous 2 (two) years shall be eligible for election to the Committee.
10. SECRETARY
The Secretary shall attend all the business meetings of the Club and its Committee, conduct the correspondence, keep the Minute Book, issue notices of Meetings and generally transact the business pertaining to their Office.
11. TREASURER
The Treasurer shall conduct the financial affairs of the Club under the direction of the Committee and shall keep correct Accounts and Books showing the financial affairs and intromissions of the Club. He/she shall submit to the Annual Meeting of the Club, a statement of the Accounts for the previous year which shall be audited by an independent Auditor and witnessed by two Members of the Committee. Such Balance Sheet shall be available at least seven days prior to the Annual Meeting.
12. MEETINGS
- (a) A General Meeting of the Club shall be held annually on any date in March to be fixed by the Committee for the purpose of electing Office-Bearers and transacting any other business in connection with the Club. Notice of such meetings to be advertised in the Press and on the Club Notice Board.
- (b) Special Meetings of the Club may be called, on the requisition of the President, the Committee or of seven duly qualified Members. In the case of the latter, the signed requisition (which must state clearly the purpose for which the Meeting is called) shall be sent to the Secretary, who shall convene a meeting to be held not less seven but not more than fourteen days from thereafter, and shall cause a Notice of the said meeting to be displayed on the Notice Board for a period of at least seven days before the meeting.
- (c) Except in the case of alterations to the Constitution, all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of those present and voting thereat.
- (d) Five Committee Members shall form a quorum at meetings of the Club.
- (e)Minutes shall be kept of all Meetings of the Club and shall be entered by the Secretary.
- (f) Any alterations to the Constitution shall be considered at the Annual General meeting or a Special Meeting, called for that purpose. Fourteen days notice shall be given for such meetings. In the case of alterations to the Constitution a two-thirds majority is required for change.
- (g) At any Meeting the Chairperson shall have a casting vote and a deliberative vote.
13. TRUSTEES
The property of the Club heritable and movable shall be held by five Trustees who shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Green Ranger for the time being and their successors in office. The Club shall not borrow or invest money without the approval of the Trustees.
14. VISITORS
No visitor shall be supplied with alcoholic liquors unless on the invitation of, and in the company of a Member of the Club. Before such Visitor is supplied with alcoholic liquors their name and address shall be entered into the Visitors Book which shall show the date of each visit. It is expected that no private matches shall be played on the Green unless with the consent of the committee. All visitors when playing must give way to Members as required. Members shall be held responsible for the conduct of their guests. Any person granted the privilege of playing on the Green for a specified short term period and any Member, Official or supporter of a visiting team playing a fixture at the Club, accorded Temporary Membership for the Duration of the above specified periods, shall have no voice in the affairs of the Club and may not introduce Visitors.
15. BOWLING RULES
- (a) Each Member shall provide themselves with a pair of overshoes or bowling shoes. Any Member of the Committee shall have the power to order off the Green anyone not wearing such shoes. Spitting, the throwing of matches or cigarettes on the green is prohibited. The carrying of drink on the Green is prohibited.
- (b) The Committee shall have full power to determine which matches shall be played by the Club and shall adopt such regulations for the Club Competitions and the playing of Ties as they deem proper.
- (c) The Green Ranger shall superintend the Green and if they consider the Green unplayable he shall notify the same by putting up a notice marked Green Closed.
- (d) No bowling will be allowed before 10 am on Sundays.
16. EXCISABLE LIQUORS
- (a) The sale of excisable liquor in the Club premises shall be under sole jurisdiction of the Club.
- (b) No Visitor to the Club shall be supplied with excisable liquor unless on the invitation of, and in the company of, a Member and not until the visitors name and address and that of the member introducing him/her has been entered into the book kept for that purpose.
- (c) No excisable liquor shall be supplied to any person under 18 years of age.
- (d) No member of the committee, and no Official Manager or Servant employed by the Club shall have any interest in the sale of liquor therein, or in any profits arising from such sale.
- (e) Only liquor bought in the Club to be consumed on the premises.
17. BAR PRICES
The Committee shall have the authority to alter bar prices when deemed necessary.
18. PUBWATCH SCHEME
- (a) East Calder Bowling Club are not part of the Pubwatch Scheme but reserve the right to not allow person(s) currently listed on the banned list to apply for Membership of this Club.
- (b) We also reserve the right to not allow guests of Members who are currently on the banned list entry to the premises as a signed in visitor.
19. GENERAL
- (a) Any member who persistently acts in contravention of the Rules after being warned to desist by any Office Bearer and who by their conduct renders themselves obnoxious to their fellow Members, shall be subject to suspension by the Committee after being given an opportunity to justify their actions or to expulsion from the Club by a three-fourths vote at a General Meeting of Members of the Club providing notice of such expulsion has been given in the Notice calling the Meeting.
- (b) No football scarves to be worn in the Clubhouse.
- (c) The Rules of the Club shall be binding on every Member and every entrant shall be held as ascribing to them and shall not be entitled to plead any exception there against and shall be further bound to take a copy of the Rules so that they may not plead ignorance.
- (d) The Committee shall have the power to frame such Bye-Laws as may be deemed expedient for the interests of the Club, but they must not be inconsistent with these rules.