Constitution and Rules
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
1. Title
The Club shall be called the ‘Ruislip Bowls Club’.
2. Home Green
The ‘Home Green’ shall be the Manor Farm Green, Ruislip. Members must conform to all the Rules and Regulations made by Bowls England, the English Women’s Bowling Association, the Club and the Local Authority concerning the use of the Green.
3. Objectives
To foster and promote the sport of flat green bowls at all levels, providing opportunities for recreation and competition.
4. Bowls England Affiliation
We will be affiliated to Bowls England and we adopt and follow all policies and guidelines approved by them and UK Anti-Doping. We will follow all procedures
set out in Bowls England Regulation 9, 9A and 9B and we will abide with all sanctions, recommendations and/or decisions from the Case Management Panel or National Disciplinary Panel.
5. Membership
5.1 Class of Membership: Full Member, Junior Member (aged under 18), Social Member, Provisional Member, Life Member.
5.2 Applications for membership shall be made on the Club Application Form, only available from the Secretary, who will number and date same.
5.3 The election of the applicant to be by ballot of the Main Committee.
5.4 The total membership shall be at the discretion of the Main Committee.
5.5 Application for membership as a Full Member or Junior Member (as defined in 4.1) shall be open to any person, regardless of race, age, (minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times), gender, sexual orientation, religious belief or ability. A ‘responsible adult’ is regarded as being a: parent or legal guardian; relative; RBC club member with a current DBS check; or other named person agreed by a parent or legal guardian.
5.5.1 Application for membership as a Social Member will only be accepted from previous members or a relative or friend of an existing Full Member, Life Member or Junior Member.
5.6 Each applicant (for Full Membership) will be required to attend a training course, run by one of the Club Coaches. The outcome of this training course will be the basis for a decision regarding acceptance into the Club. Where an applicant is unable to successfully complete the training course, the matter will be referred to the Main Committee for a final decision.
5.7 Members and prospective members will be issued with the Club’s Code of Conduct
and they will be asked to confirm in writing that they have read and understood it, and will abide by it as a member of the club.
5.8 New Members will not be eligible to enter Club Competitions during their first year of membership.
5.9 Visitors, including those persons who are trying out the game of bowls, are to sign the Club’s Visitors Book and be classed as ’Provisional Members’.
5.10 Social Members pay a reduced annual membership fee. They are not able to use the green for bowling purposes, they have no voting rights and they cannot stand for any elected positions.
5.11 The Main Committee can decide on the awarding of Life Membership status. Life Membership can be awarded in recognition of the exceptional contributions of an individual to the Club. Accordingly, a Life Member will have consistently contributed to the Club over an extended period of time, and will have demonstrated a significant and sustained commitment toward the enhancement and reputation of the Club. Life Members are not required to pay an annual subscription fee. Life Members will have full voting rights.
5.12 Junior Members have no voting rights and they cannot stand for elected positions.
6. Subscriptions
6.1 The annual subscription shall be determined by the Main Committee and paid to the Treasurer not later than 1st April immediately preceding each playing season.
6.2 The subscription will include a season ticket covering all Bowling Greens under the control of Hillingdon Borough Council and will be issued on request to members at the start of the season.
6.3 When a member brings a visitor to play, it is the member’s responsibility to ensure that the appropriate green fee is paid to the duty Greenranger, unless the visitor holds a valid Hillingdon Bowling Green ticket.
6.4 In addition to the annual subscription, a new member shall pay an entry fee to be determined by the Main Committee.
7. Lockers
7.1 Lockers, when available, may be rented for the season by paying the appropriate fee to the Treasurer.
8. Footwear/Dress Code
8.1 All members must wear smooth-soled, heel-less, footwear or overshoes, when playing on the Green and must conform to the decision of the Main Committee regarding dress for all Club activities.
9. Election of Main Committee and other Officers
9.1 The property and management of the club shall be vested in a Main Committee consisting of Chairperson, Captain, Two Vice Captains (one Lady and one Gentleman), Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Chief Green Ranger and two other members (one Lady and one Gentleman).
9.2 Each member of the Main Committee shall have one vote. Decisions will be made on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the event of an equal vote, the Chairperson shall be entitled to a second and casting vote.
9.3 The Main Committee to meet monthly from January to October, at least. Six Committee members are required to form a quorum.
9.4 The President will be an ex-officio member of the Main Committee and will chair the Annual General Meeting and any Special General Meeting. He/she may attend Committee Meetings and advise the Committee, but will not have a vote.
9.5 The Main Committee will be elected at the Annual General Meeting, together with the positions of Competition Secretary, Catering Officer, Safeguarding Officer and President.
9.6 All nominees must agree to serve and be proposed and seconded.
9.7 Each Committee Member will be elected for one year only, then seek re-election. There is no limit to the number of times they may hold the post.
9.8 Sub-Committees will be formed as appropriate and will report back to the Main Committee.
9.9 In the event of any vacancy occurring among the Officers or Committee Members, the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the next AGM.
9.10 A Head Coach and Deputy Head Coach will be appointed by the Club Coaches; this to be endorsed by the Main Committee.
9.11 Any matter not otherwise provided for in these Rules may be determined by the Main Committee.
10. Agreement between Club and London Borough of Hillingdon Council
10.1 The Club has an agreement with the Borough of Hillingdon covering the use of the Pavilion and Green. This agreement places duties and responsibilities on all Club Members for such matters as payment of rent, maintenance and use of the property.
10.2 The agreement requires the appointment of two Trustees who will be selected by the Main Committee.
10.3 Members of the Club are expected to assist the Committee in meeting the Club’s obligations under the terms of the agreement, and in the smooth running of the Club generally, by giving their fullest co-operation to duty rosters and in supporting voluntary working parties, whenever possible.
10.4 It is a condition of membership that all members carry out their allocated Green Ranger and Tea Duties, unless the Committee has granted exemption from these duties in special circumstances, such as health issues.
11. Match Selection
11.1 The selection of teams for all matches shall be by the Captain and Vice Captains, or in line with other arrangements agreed by the Main Committee or agreed at an Annual General Meeting.
11.2 Members selected for matches must inform the Captain as soon as possible if they cannot play.’
11.3 Members selected as Reserves must attend the match venue.
12. Accounts
12.1 The Treasurer shall prepare an Account showing Receipts and Payments for each year ended on 31 October, including a Statement of the Funds of the Club at that date.
12.2 The Accounts shall be examined by a member to be appointed at the AGM.
13. Annual General Meeting and Special General Meetings
13.1 The AGM shall be held before the end of the calendar year, when all Officers and Committee Members shall automatically retire.
13.2 The notice convening the AGM shall be accompanied by a copy of the Agenda and shall be sent to members at least fourteen days prior to the meeting.
13.3 Copies of the Club Accounts for the financial year preceding the AGM will be made available to members at that meeting. Members not attending the meeting may request a copy of the Accounts to be sent to them.
13.4 In the event of a written ballot, each Full Member and Life Member will be entitled to one vote. Ballot papers will be sent to members with the Annual General Meeting Agenda. These papers should be completed and placed in the Ballot Box at the AGM, or returned before the meeting to the Secretary, in a sealed envelope.
13.5 Members must advise the Secretary in writing of any business to be considered at the AGM (and not included in the Agenda), at least 7 days prior to that meeting.
13.6 Decisions made at an AGM or SGM (other than those covered by 13.1) shall be by a simple majority of votes from members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the President shall be entitled to a second and casting vote.
13.7 A quorum for an AGM and an SGM shall be 25% of the Club Membership.
13.8 A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the committee or on receipt by the Secretary of a requisition signed by not less than ten members. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given of any Special General Meeting, so convened, and the precise nature of the business to be transacted shall be stated.
14. Alterations to these Rules
Alterations to these Rules may be made only at the AGM or Special General Meeting and then only provided that written notice of the amendment, signed by the proposer and seconder, is handed to the Secretary in time for inclusion in the Agenda. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of the membership present at that meeting (assuming a quorum is present).
15. Safe and Equitable Environment
15.1 Ruislip Bowls Club is committed to promoting a safe environment in which children and Adults at Risk can enjoy taking part in games of bowls. It will seek to underpin and ensure this commitment by following and promoting the Child and Adults at Risk Safeguarding Policies and Procedures of the National Governing Bodies. This commitment will be outlined in the Club’s Safeguarding and Equality Policies and in its Procedures and Guidelines for Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Adults at Risk.
15.2 Safeguarding Policy Statement
We acknowledge our duty of care to safeguard the welfare of all young people (defined as those under 18) and Adults at Risk (defined as any person aged 18 years and over who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental health issues, learning or physical disability, sensory impairment, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of him/herself or unable to protect him/herself against significant harm or serious exploitation) involved in club related activities.
We will endeavour to ensure the safety and protection of all young people and Adults at Risk involved with the club through the Child and Adults at Risk Safeguarding Policies, Procedures and Guidelines adopted by the Main Committee of the club.
15.3 Equality Policy Statement
The club is committed to ensuring that equality is incorporated across all aspects of its activities.
The club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of the sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status. The club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy the sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
16. Liability and Indemnity
The Club, Main Committee, Sub-Committees, individual officers and members do not accept any liability for loss or damage to any property of persons using the Club facilities or for any injury however caused.
16.1 Each member of the Club shall (to the extent that such person is not entitled to recover under any policy of insurance) be entitled to be indemnified out of all funds available to the Club which may lawfully be so applied against all costs, expenses and liabilities whatsoever reasonably incurred by such person in the proper execution and discharge of duties undertaken on behalf of the Club arising therefrom, or incurred in good faith in the purported discharge of such duties. Save in any such case where any such costs, expenses and liabilities arise in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust. This provided that any such member so indemnified has been properly authorised in relation to the duties undertaken on behalf of the Club by the Main Committee.
17. Procedure following incidents or allegations of misconduct or grievance
In the event of any complaint or allegation of misconduct against one of the members, the procedures set out in Bowls England Regulation 9 and, where applicable, additional guidance provided by Bowls England, will be followed.
18. Circulation of Constitution
All members shall be provided with a copy of these Rules and a copy shall be displayed in the Club Pavilion. Copies will be provided to members in any of the following ways:
- Club website
- Electronic Mail
- Issued to those members who request a paper copy
- Issued to new members on joining
19. Dissolution
19.1 If, at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
19.2 If, at that Special 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.
19.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets shall be distributed as decided by the Main Committee.
20. Force Majeure and events beyond our control
20.1 ‘Force Majeure’ means one of the following types of event:
a) acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake or other natural disaster;
b) epidemic or pandemic;
c) terrorist attack, civil war, civil commotion;
d) any law or any action taken by a government or public authority.
20.2 The Committee/Officers will not be liable for any breach of the Club’s Constitution and Rules by decisions or actions taken, not taken or delayed as a result of an event of Force Majeure or other unexpected external event which was beyond their control.
RBC Constitution and Rules November 2023
CONDITIONS FOR CLUB COMPETITIONS
Entries shall close on the date detailed on the competition entry form .
The Captain, Vice-Captains and Competition Secretary shall comprise a Competition Sub-Committee (three to form a quorum) to be responsible for:
a) Making the draw for all competitions prior to the commencement of each season.
b) Adjudicating on all matters concerned with the conduct of competitions or arising from disputes between competitors.
c) Allocating and adjusting members’ handicaps.
Any competitor who wishes to do so may appeal to the Club Committee in writing through the Secretary, in regard to any decision of the Competition Sub-Committee.
Competitors shall mutually agree to a date on which they are prepared to play-off their ties. The ties must not interfere with normal Club activities. If either competitor fails to play on the date arranged, the Sub-Committee shall decide whether or not a bye will be given to the opponent.
Normal club activities and afternoon roll-ups shall take precedence over Club Competitions.
COMPETITION RULES - GENERAL
- ‘Conditions for Club Competitions’ are laid down in the Club Rules and the Competition Sub-Committee is responsible for running the competitions.
- All competitions are to be played strictly in accordance with EBA rules except where variations are specifically stated.
- A member may not enter the club competitions if he/she is a member of another club and is proposing to enter outdoor competitions of that club.
- It is essential that all matches are played by the due dates. An extension is allowed only in exceptional circumstances and then only by prior approval of the Competitions Secretary or the Competition Sub-Committee. The onus is on the challenger, i.e. the first named in each match, to contact his/her opponent and where necessary to provide the marker. The date and time for the match must be agreeable to both parties. Where members are unable to make themselves available, they must forfeit the match. Any disagreement to be resolved by the Competition Sub-Committee.
- Rinks cannot be booked in advance for competitions. Once players have agreed on a date they enter it is the Rink Diary on Rink 1, if theirs is the first entry for that date, if it is the second entry put it on Rink 2, and so on. On the day of the competition, the Greenranger will select a numbered disc from the bag which will display the rink number they will play on. The first disc out will be for the competition listed under Rink 1 and so on. The Greenranger will only put in the bag rink numbers 2, 3, 4 & 5. The numbered discs will be kept in the Competitions Box in the Main Locker.
- One match only may be played in the afternoon roll up session.
- Where a player withdraws from a team event, i.e. pairs or triples, any proposals for a substitute must be submitted to the Competitions Sub-Committee, bearing in mind that in drawn events every effort has been made to produce balanced teams.
- All competitions must be completed within the season that they are commenced.
1. MEN’S SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP (Championship Cup) 4 Bowls 21 Shots
2. LADIES SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP (Shanks Cup) 4 Woods 21 Shots
3. CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Birkett Cup) 4 Bowls 21 Shots
Match played between the Ladies and Men’s Singles Champions.
4. JUNIOR COMPETITION (Gower Cup) 4 Bowls 21 Shots
Open to all members who have not previously won a singles competition of any description at the time entry is made.
5. TWO WOODS COMPETITION (Ewer Cup) 2 Bowls 21 Shots
6. HANDICAP COMPETITION (Lavender Cup) 4 Bowls 21 Shots minimum
The competitor with the lower handicap must get 21 shots to win and his/her opponent additional shots equal to the difference in their handicaps.
e.g. 1. In a match between two players handicapped equally, the first to reach 21 shots wins.
e.g. 2. In a match between two players handicapped 16 and 14, the player with 14 must get 21 shots to win, the player with 16 must get 23 shots to win.
7. OPEN PAIRS (Hilburn Cup) 4 Bowls 21 Ends
An extra end to be played in the event of a tie.
Members choose their own partner whose name should be entered on their application form.
8. DRAWN PAIRS (Pairs Cup) 4 Bowls 18 Ends
extra end to be played in the event of a tie.
Handicaps are to be applied in this competition by comparison of the totals on each side.
e.g. If one pair have handicaps of 16 and 14 (total 30) and the other pair have handicaps of 14 and 12 (total 26), the pair totalling 30 must subtract 4 shots from their total score.
9. 100-UP COMPETITION (Derrick Catlin Cup)
Drawn Pairs 2 Bowls each. Scoring to be on points system.
On each end 4 points are awarded for the shot bowl, three for the second, 2 for the third and 1 for the fourth; normally a total of 10 points. However, where bowls tie, each is awarded the appropriate points, adding to the total for that end.
The team with the shot bowl sets the jack on the next end in all cases.
Should there be more than one tie on any end; further additional points are awarded on the same basis.
The team to reach 100 points wins the match.
Where both teams reach or exceed 100 shots on the same end, the team with the highest total wins. In the event of a tie an extra end or ends are played.
A special scoreboard and score cards are available for this competition. In the event the scoreboard is being used by another competition, use two normal scoreboards to show the score.
10. OPEN 3 WOODS SINGLES (3 Woods Trophy)
3 Bowls, Best of five sets, first to seven shots in each set.
Players toss for the mat at the beginning of the match, the loser has the mat in the second set. If the match goes to five sets, toss again for the mat.
11. MIXED PAIRS (Memorial Cup) 4 Bowls 18 Ends
An extra end to be played in the event of a tie.
Members choose their own partner whose name should be entered on their application form.
12. DRAWN TRIPLES COMPETITION (Alfred Bruniges Cup)
Teams to be drawn from entries received.
The number of matches to be played, the teams each team to play against and the number of ends to be played in each game to be determined by the Competition Sub-Committee based on the number of people entering. The draw to ensure, as far as possible, that each team play the same number of matches and ends and play each match on a different rink.
After each game the winning team will be awarded two points, with one point for a tied game.
The two teams with the highest number of points to go through to the final. If this fails to produce two finalists then shot difference will apply. In the unlikely event of finalists still not being determined, the team winning the greatest number of ends will prevail.
The finalists to meet in the final over eighteen ends to be played on Finals Day or such other day as the Competition Sub-Committee shall determine.
Apart from the final, all games will be played on the same day as fixed by the Fixture Secretary or the Competition Sub-Committee, unless the weather decrees otherwise.
13. NOVICES SINGLES CUP (Doug Williams Trophy) 4 Bowls 21 Shots
Open to all newly trained bowlers who, at the time of competition entry, have been a member of RBC for three full years or less. Exclusions – new members with more than 3 years’ experience gained at a previous club
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RBC Constitution and Rules - November 2023