NCBA Three A Side Constitution

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY BOWLING ASSOCIATION (Three-a-side)
CONSTITUTION

1. Title

1.1 The Association shall be called “The Northumberland County Bowling Association”
(Three-a-side). Hereafter called ” The Association”.

2. Objects

2.1 To affiliate to the English Bowling Federation. All games shall be played under
Federation laws of the game.

2.2 To adopt rules for governance of the Game. Championships and Tournaments.

2.3 To appoint or act as arbiters in cases of dispute.

2.4 To do all such things as may be advisable for the encouragement and regulation of the Federation game of bowls.

2.5 Protection Of Children And Vulnerable Adults. The Association is committed to promoting a safe environment in which children and vulnerable adults can enjoy taking part in games of bowls. it will seek to underpin and ensure this commitment by following and promoting the joint protection policy and procedures of the national governing bodies

3. Membership

3.1 Membership of the Association shall be open to those bowling clubs, leagues and
tournament committees whose Headquarters or playing greens are situated in the County of Northumberland and of other clubs elected by the executive committee as affiliated to the Association.

3.2 Each club or tournament committee seeking affiliation to the Association shall forward a copy of its rules or programme to the Honorary Secretary of the Association. Each such
application for affiliation to the Association shall be submitted to, considered by, and
voted on for election by the County Executive Committee.

3.3 All clubs participating in affiliated leagues shall be affiliated to the
Association.

3.4 Any club, league or tournament committee whose subscriptions is not paid by 16th March
shall forfeit all privileges of membership so long as the subscriptions remain unpaid.

3.5 All clubs , leagues and tournament committees affiliated to the Association shall be bound by the Constitution and Rules of the Association and by the Laws of the game as
published by the English Bowling Federation.

3.6 No player shall be allowed to be a playing member of more than one Association club in the Association competitions in any one season (i.e. Indoor season or Outdoor season)
and must have been a member of the club he represents at least seven days. Special cases
to be considered by the Executive Committee.

3.7 The Association Secretary shall forward each year to all clubs, a form to be completed by The club for affiliation to the County, also entry to Minor, Senior, Mixed and Potts Cup Leagues. The Four Wood, Two Wood Club Champion and Secretaries Cup and the total club membership from the previous year.

3.8 All clubs to pay a levy charge per club member to the Association as fixed by the County
Executive.

3.9 New clubs joining the Association cannot enter their Four and Two Wood Champions until the following year, which will be played under E.B.F. rules.

3.10 New clubs joining the Association will be subject to payment of the said affiliation fees,but will not be subject to National or County levy fees until the following season.

4. Finance

4.1 Accounts shall be made up to the 30th September each year.

4.2 Accounts shall be audited by the auditors elected at each Annual General Meeting.

4.3 An audited account of Income and Expenditure for the year shall be presented by the Honorary Treasurer to the Association Annual General Meeting. A copy of such account
shall be sent to each member of the Executive Committee, and to the Secretary of each
affiliated club.

4.4 All subscriptions and levy fees payable to the Association shall be fixed by the County
Executive Committee, shall be notified to the Annual General Meeting, and shall be payable on or before the 16th March in each year.

4.5 The Association shall pay to the English Bowling Federation such fees, subscriptions
and levies as the National Executive Committee shall decide.

4.6 Each club shall receive two English Bowling Federation handbooks at cost price.

4.7 Each club shall receive and pay for Association annual year books according to the
membership, the cost of which will be fixed by the County Executive.

5. Administration.

5.1 The following officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting: President;
President Elect; Junior Deputy President; Chairman; Vice-Chairman; Honorary
Secretary; Honorary Treasurer; League Secretary; Competition Secretary; and a Match
Secretary. There shall be appointed two Auditors, a Press Secretary and a delegate to the
National Delegate Council. All such post-holders shall be approved and agreed by the
County Executive Committee.

5.2 Election of Junior Deputy President.

The Junior Deputy President is to be elected from one of the Associations Clubs on a
rotation basis. The following year he will become Deputy President and President of the
Association the year after. Order of rotation to be: ALC., AXP., ASH., BSH., BW., BOM.,
BURR., C&C., GEM., HP., LIN., L&E., ND&N., SB. Should a club not wish to put anyone forward for Junior Deputy President then the honour will go to the next club on the list until a nomination is received. Clubs which do not put anyone forward will miss their turn.

5.3 As the role of President is that of a figurehead, nomination from their club and
subsequent election to the office of Junior Deputy President and subsequently Deputy
President and President will not preclude anyone from being elected to any other office
within the Association.

5.4 The Honorary General Secretary shall keep a record of all business transacted at the
General and Committee meetings, and shall report thereon at the Association Annual
General Meeting.

5.5 The County Executive Committee shall have powers to adjudicate in County Competitions
as to the meaning or interpretation of the laws of the game or upon any point not covered
by them that may arise; the subject of dispute must be in writing and forwarded to the
Honorary General Secretary within three days, together with a fee of £5.00 which shall be returned if the complaint is upheld, or forfeited if the complaint is dismissed. The
Honorary General Secretary shall call a meeting of the County Executive Committee,
which for its consideration; each party with any witness may be heard, and the decision
of the County Executive Committee, which shall be final, shall be communicated to the
parties concerned. Should a member of the County Executive Committee be a member of
a club involved in a dispute under consideration, the said member shall retire during such times as the dispute is being dealt with.

5.6 The Executive Committee shall have power to adjudicate in any dispute between an
individual member and the Association; the subject of dispute must be in writing and
forwarded to the Honorary General Secretary, together with a fee of £5.00 which shall be
returned if the complaint is upheld, or forfeited if the complaint is dismissed.

6. County Executive Committee.

6.1 The County Executive Committee shall consist of the officers elected at the Association Annual General Meeting, together with a delegate from each club, all life members and the immediate Past President.

6.2 Seven members of the County Executive Committee shall form a quorum.

6.3 An Emergency Committee of five members of the County Executive Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman and Honorary General Secretary at any time to deal with matters of urgency, and its decision shall be final; three members of the Emergency Committee shall form a quorum.

6.4 Any elected member of the County Executive Committee who misses three consecutive
meetings without just cause and tendering of apologies shall be deemed to have resigned,
any club having a resigned delegate, it will be their responsibility to elect a replacement
delegate.


6.5 The County Executive Committee shall elect from among its members a Captain for
each of the County Teams.


6.6 The arrangements for all finals in the County shall be made by the County Executive
Committee.

6.7 An Association Annual Presentation Evening shall be arranged by, and on a date
decided by, the County Executive Committee.

6.8 The County Executive Committee may at any meeting set up sub-committees as found
necessary. These committees will sit in an advisory capacity and report back to the
Executive Committee.

6.9 Card vote may only be cast by the nominated County Executive Delegate of each club.

6.10 Any Federation member may be co-opted on, as necessary, by the Executive Committee
to act as non-playing Captain of any of the County Teams ie; Adams, Newton Reg Wright (under 25s) or Derbyshire Trophy.

6.11 The County Executive shall have the power to co-opt any person(s) having special skills,
knowledge, experience or expertise which it commends desirable to serve on sub-committees. Such co-opted members shall have the power to speak and vote.

6.12 The maximum number of co-opted persons may not exceed one on any sub-committee.

6.13 A co-opted person(s) shall not be entitled to a County badge.

6.14 Associated members may attend Executive meetings but shall not be allowed to speak
or vote.

6.14a Co-opted person(s) may attend Executive meetings and shall have the power to speak, as
requested, but not to vote.

6.15 A two thirds majority of votes shall be required for any amemdment decided at County
Executive level.

6.16 Any delegate who has attended three or more consecutive County Executive Committee
meetings shall be entitled to purchase a cloth blazer badge.

7. Finance Committee

7.1 The Finance Committee shall consist of the Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary
General Secretary and four members appointed at the first County Executive Meeting after the Association Annual General Meeting.

7.2 The Finance Committee shall act in an advisory capacity.

7.3 The main terms of reference of this committee shall be considered to be the forward
planning of Association finances.

7.3 The President may attend all meetings of the Finance Committee, but may not vote.


8. Selection Committee.

8.1 The County Selection Committee shall consist of five selectors appointed from the
County Executive Committee at the first Executive meeting after the Annual General
Meeting together with the non-playing Captains of both the Adams and Newton Trophy teams. Selection of the Reg Wright Trophy team be left to the team Captain and two other
Members of the County Executive Committee. All the aforesaid members shall have full powers at their meetings. It will be the responsibility of the selectors to ensure that all
County games are covered.

8.2 The County Chairman, or in his absence, the County Vice-Chairman, shall chair
meetings of these committees.

8.3 The Selection Committee shall, at the discretion of the Chairman, be called to a meeting for the purpose of selecting players for trials and teams for County games for the purpose
of selecting teams for subsequent games.

8.4 The committee is not bound by any nominations of players, and may select any player worthy of inclusion in any County game.

8.5 Players selected shall be notified of their selection. Reserve players shall also be selected and notified of their selection as reserves.

8.6 All players in the County teams shall be charged a match fee as decided by the County
Executive.

8.7 Any player who has played three times for the County in Adams Trophy or Newton
Trophy games shall be presented with a metal County badge. A blazer badge may also be
purchased after three County games.

8.8 Any player who has played three times for the County in the Reg Wright Trophy team shall receive a metal County badge. A cloth blazer badge may be purchased after three
County games.

9. Past Presidents.

9.1 The immediate Past President will in his ex officio year be entitled to attend County
Executive Committee meetings where they are allowed to speak but will not be allowed
to vote.

9.2 The immediate Past President will have the responsibility of briefing the Junior Deputy
President on the duties he will be expected to carry out in the future and to introduce him
to the ‘County Scene’.

9.3 At the Association Annual Presentation night the final duties of the Past President in his Ex officio year will be to call out names of County Competition winners.

10. Life Membership.

10.1 Life membership may be granted to certain individuals who, by reason of loyal service or other meritorious action, are recommended by the County Executive Committee to be deserving of this honour.

10.2 Nominations for life membership shall be approved by the County Executive Committee
before being placed before the Association Annual General Meeting.

10.3 Life members may attend meeting of the County Executive Committee with powers to
speak, but not to vote, they are also entitled to attend, speak and vote at the Association
Annual General Meetings.

11. Vice-Presidents.

11.1 The Association encourages the election of Honorary Vice-Presidents, who shall apply to
the Association to the County Secretary at the Association November Annual General Meeting.

11.2 A Vice-President is in no way entitled to any voting powers or executive status.

11.3 The minimum annual subscription of Vice-Presidents shall be £2.00.

11.4 The annual subscription of Vice-Presidents shall be decided by the County Executive.

12. Association Annual General Meeting.

12.1 The AGM of the Association shall be held in the month of November at the discretion of
the County Executive Committee, together with a Spring meeting to be held in the month
of March.

12.2 Notices of Motion to be considered by the Association Annual General Meeting must be
received by Honorary General Secretary not less than forty-two days before the date of the
Association Annual General Meeting.

12.3 The Honorary General Secretary shall circulate to all affiliated clubs details of such notices of motion received by him in accordance with article 12,2 by convening an Executive Meeting at least twenty-eight days before the date of the Association Annual General Meeting.

12.4 Any club wishing to amend any of the notices of motion circulated to it in accordance witharticle 12.3 shall, not less than twenty-eight days before the date of the Association Annual General Meeting, give notice in writing to the Honorary General Secretary of its intention so to do , indicating in such notice the wording of the amendment.


12.5 Not less than fourteen days before the date of the Association Annual General Meeting
the Honorary General Secretary shall give notice of the meeting to all affiliated clubs, and with such notice shall indicate the final agenda for the meeting, showing the amendments, if any, of which notice has been given.

12.6 Only notices of motion and amendments circulated in accordance with article 12.5 shall be permitted at the Association Annual General Meeting or Spring Meeting.

12.7. Votes may only be cast by up to two nominated delegates of each club, and Past Presidents and Life Members.

12.8 Clubs are requested to advise the Honorary General Secretary of the names of delegates appointed to attend the meeting.

12.9 A two thirds majority of votes cast shall be needed for the carrying of any notice of motion.

13. Special General Meeting

13.1 A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the County Executive Committee and, where it certifies the subject matter to be a case of urgency, shall be called within fourteen days by the Honorary General Secretary on receipt of a written request from six affiliated clubs so to do so. Such request to be signed on behalf of each club by a properly authorised official.

13.2 The Honorary General Secretary shall give fourteen days notice of such Special General Meeting to all clubs, and shall with such notice state what business is to be discussed.

13.3 At any Special General Meeting only the business of which such notice has been given in accordance with article 13.2 shall be discussed.

13.4 In all other aspects the procedure for voting at a Special General Meeting shall be as at an Association Annual General Meeting.

14. Conduct of Meeting

14.1 Only one member may speak at any time.

14.2 All members must stand when speaking and address the Chairman.

14.3 A member wishing to speak must state his name, and the name of the club he represents.

14.4 All motions must be proposed and seconded before any discussion is allowed.

14.5 Each member shall only speak once on any motion, although the proposer of a motion has the final right to reply.

14.6 Motions for the closure of debate, e.g. “that the question be now put” if properly
seconded, shall be voted on immediately.


14.7 At an Association Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting a two thirds
majority of votes cast shall be needed for the carrying of any motion or amendment.

15. Voting Rights

15.1 There shall be no proxy voting.


15.2 C0-opted members are entitled to a vote a sub-committee meetings only.

15.3 Except as otherwise stated in this constitution, voting shall be that at any committee or sub-committee meeting, each delegate is entitled to one vote only, in the case of equality of votes the Chairman of that committee shall have a casting vote.

16. Constitutional Powers

16.1 The Association may, in General Meetings, make such rules and regulations for the conduct of its meetings, competition rules and dress, or otherwise as it, from time to time, may decide.

16.2 A two thirds majority of votes cast shall be required for any addition or amendment to this Constitution or any rules.