West Lothian Bowling Association

Constitution

WEST LOTHIAN BOWLING ASSOCIATION   –   CONSTITUTION AND RULES

Instituted 1882 as “Linlithgowshire Bowling Association

Renamed 1999 “West Lothian Bowling Association”

Unification 2020 to incorporate WLLBA and West Lothian Young Bowlers Association

NAME

  1. The name of the Association will be “WEST LOTHIAN BOWLING ASSOCIATION”, hereafter referred to as “WLBA”. WLBA is an unincorporated association “not for profit” association and is affiliated to Bowls Scotland or any successor.

OBJECTIVE

  • The objective of WLBA will be to foster and promote the level green game of bowls on outdoor greens.

MEMBERSHIP

  • WLBA will consist of the 34 Clubs which are at present affiliated and be open to any other Bowling Clubs in West Lothian and surrounding district.
  • Application by a Club for admission to WLBA will require to be made in writing to the Secretary not later than the first day of February in any year. Applications will be considered at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM will at its discretion grant or refuse membership.
  • All Clubs in membership of WLBA will pay an annual subscription to the Treasurer not later than the first day of April each year. In the event of any Club failing to pay the subscription within the time stated such Club will forfeit all rights and privileges of membership so long as its subscription remains unpaid including loss of access to any competition draws made before their payment is received.

ANNUAL and SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

  • The AGM of WLBA will be held on the last Friday of February each year when the following will be elected:

A management Committee consisting of:

  1. A Chairperson.
  2. A Secretary
  3. A Treasurer
  4. A Competitions Convenor (which will be one of the following: gents match secretary, ladies match secretary or seniors match secretary)
  5. A Development Convenor (which will be one of the following: Head Coach, Head Umpire, Youth Development Officer)

            There must be a minimum of one of each gender on the management committee. Terms of office will last three years with the maximum term of office in any one role being two terms.

            The following further appointments by election will also be made at the AGM.

a.   Any Honorary Presidents as proposed by the WLBA management committee.

b.   A Gents President and a Vice-President (existing club rotation) each of whom will hold office for 1 year;

c.   A Ladies President and a Vice-President (existing club rotation) each of whom will hold office for 1 year;

d.   A Gents Match Secretary

e.   A Ladies Match Secretary

f.    A Gents Seniors Match Secretary

g.   A Sponsorship Convener;

h.   Two independent examiners for the financial accounts;

i.   Young Bowlers Match Secretary.

A Head Coach, A Head Umpire and Youth Development Officer will be appointed by the management committee

The newly elected Management Committee will appoint 5 Selection Committees with responsibility for selecting Association teams to participate in the Scottish Cities and Counties Championship (Hamilton Trophy), All Under 25 team events; All under 17 team events; The Matt Purdie; All Ladies team events; each Selection Committee to comprise a Team Manager and 3 other Selectors with the Team Manager chairing the meetings and having both a Deliberative vote and a Casting vote.

  •  The Secretary’s, Treasurer’s, Match Secretaries and Sponsorship Convener’s remuneration will be fixed at the AGM.
  • Each member Club will be entitled to have 2 delegates attend all General Meetings. All delegates must be an affiliated member of their club. Each club will only have one vote. No member of the current management committee can be appointed as a club delegate.
  • Any Club not in attendance at the AGM without having provided written notification to the secretary in advance of the AGM will be fined £50.
  1. Special General Meetings (SGM) will be convened in the following circumstances:-

a.   requests from Clubs that must be made in writing to the WLBA Secretary and must be signed by a minimum of 3 member Clubs. The Secretary after consultation with the chairperson will call such a meeting. Such requisitions must state the nature of the business and the resolution(s) to be proposed which must be included in the notice calling the meeting. No other business other than that specified in the notice will be considered at a SGM; and,

b.   called by the Management Committee along identical lines to these specified at para. 10a above.

11. Two thirds of member Clubs will form a quorum at all General Meetings and two thirds of appointees will constitute a quorum at all Management Committee meetings.

 Decisions at all meetings will be carried by a majority vote. The Chairman will have both a deliberative and casting vote.

12. In the absence of both the Chairman and Secretary the Meeting will appoint a Chairman.

MANAGEMENT

  1. The Management Committee will have full powers to transact the whole business and affairs of WLBA. The Association is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be used to foster and promote bowling. No profit or surplus will be distributed other than to another non-profit making body or to members on winding up or dissolution of the Association.
  2. Any vacancy occurring in Committees during the year will be filled by the Management Committee co-opting replacement members.
  3. The Management Committee may appoint Sub-Committees with special powers and for such time as deemed necessary.
  4. The Secretary will provide a written report prior to the AGM.
  5. The Treasurer’s Financial Statement, duly independently examined, for the year ending 31 December will be submitted to the AGM with an Abstract sent to member Clubs prior to the AGM.
  6. The Secretary will keep a record of the business transacted at all General and Committee meetings. Any appointed sub committee will keep minutes of any meetings.
  7. The Treasurer will keep a record of all income and expenditure and report these to the Management Committee.
  8. Any Club can withdraw from WLBA on giving written notice to the Secretary before the first day of February in any year.

Amendments to the Constitution

  • No alteration will be made to the Constitution unless at the AGM. Notice of any proposed amendment must be sent by the Club proposing the change to the Secretary one month before the AGM, and intimation will be sent to member Clubs with the agenda calling the meeting.

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR COMPETITIONS

  • WLBA will be entitled to the use of greens of member Clubs for all Competitions.
  • WLBA will have power to make a levy on member Clubs for all such Competitions to provide prizes for the winners and runners-up, with such sums being reviewed by the Management Committee on the recommendation of the Secretary and Treasurer.
  • All players must be members of the Club for which they play in the Competition.
  • No player is, under any circumstances, eligible to play for more than one Club in one of the Competitions. Any Club infringing this Rule will be disqualified from the Competition.
  • The respective WLBA trophies will be played for annually with all Competitions open to all member Clubs. However, in any Competition qualifying for an Inter-Counties play-off (e.g. Top Ten) a member Club cannot compete in more than one Association’s qualifying Competition.
  • Competitions will have various formats (knock out, league or a combination of both) which will be decided by the Management Committee.
  • The Club whose player(s) win the Competition will be entitled to the custody of the respective trophies for one year, and for their return to the Secretary when called upon. Such Clubs will be responsible for the appropriate engraving of trophies and for their proper keeping.
  •   In all WLBA tournaments players should wear either trousers, tailored shorts of a reasonable length, skirts, cullottes or three-quarter length trousers in either black or grey. Players can wear a club bowling shirt, white polo shirt or shirt and club tie. No football emblems political or religious symbols are allowed. All teams must wear the same or similar top. No jeans or tracksuit bottoms are allowed. Any complaints about the dress code of a team or player should be made to the secretary within 28 days of the match.
  • The Club on whose green a Competition is to be played will appoint an umpire unless one has been appointed by WLBA. He or she will decide all disputed points which may arise in the course of the game and all questions relative to the laws of the sport, and his or her decision will be final.
  • The Management Committee will decide all disputes that may occur in connection with any of the Competitions and their decision will be binding on all parties. No protest or appeal by a Club will be entertained unless notice has been sent to the Secretary of WLBA not later than 3 days following the occurrence.
  • The draws for all Competitions together with the allocation of neutral venues, other than for finals will be the responsibility of the appropriate WLBA competitions convenor. Finals venues will be decided by the Management Committee.
  • All ties must be played on the greens and on the dates and time decided by either the competitions convenor or Management Committee.
  • In the event of any Club failing to appear after the game has been duly fixed such Club will be disqualified unless in the opinion of the Management Committee a satisfactory explanation is forthcoming. The Management Committee will also decide whether any further penalty is appropriate.
  • When a tie has been played the Umpire will pass the scorecards to the host Club, which will then be responsible for the immediate telephoning of the result to the WLBA Match Secretary (gents, ladies, youths or seniors depending on the competition) or appropriate Tournament Convener. The cards should be retained by the host venue for 7 days unless requested by the tournament convenor.
  • That all clubs must participate in all free to enter WLBA Tournaments unless intimating they will not be entering on the entry sheet; failure to participate without approval will result in a £50 Club fine being imposed. Any appeals must be made within 14 days and resolved by the management committee within 14 days of the appeal.
  • Each WLBA Tournament will have a conditions of play (COPS) specific to that competition. Copies of these COPS will be issued to each member Club, with the WLBA Competitions appropriate Convener responsible for any clarification of the COPS that may be required on an on-going basis. Requests from Clubs for any changes to any competition’s rules should be submitted to the appropriate Competitions Convener whose decision will be final.
  •  The foregoing Constitution, Rules and Regulations were confirmed at the AGM held in

Linlithgow Bowling Club on 28th of February 2020.

Keith Mitchell, Secretary

Gary Smith, Chairperson

28th February 2020