ISLE OF THORNS AND DISTRICT BOWLING CLUB
Club Constitution
(as agreed at AGM 5th November 2025)
1. The Club is called the Isle of Thorns and District Bowling Club
2. The object of the club is to provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community in the sport of bowls.
3. Admission of Members
3.1 Application for membership shall be displayed on the Club notice board for a period of two weeks. Each new member shall be proposed and seconded by two existing members of the club. In the absence of any objection, from whatever source, membership will become automatic. However, if an objection is received, two thirds agreement of the Management Committee must be obtained for membership to go forward.
Persons may not:-
a) be admitted to membership, or
b) be admitted, as candidates for membership, to any of the privileges of membership, without an interval of at least two days between their nomination or application for membership and their admission.
3.2 The candidate’s full name, address must be communicated to the Membership Secretary.
3.3 The numbers of members shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting.
3.4 Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of bowls as a particular sport.
3.5 The club Management Committee may refuse membership or expel (reference Rule 13) from membership only for good and sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the club or sport into disrepute.
3.6 Appeal against such a decision may be made to the Club’s members and decided by a majority vote.
4. Management
4.1 The Management of the Club must be entrusted to a Management Committee consisting of a Club President, Chairperson, Minutes & Administration Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Ladies Captain & SCB(WS) Delegate, Men’s Captain & SCB(MS) Delegate, Green Keeper, Internal Competitions & Leagues Representative, External Competitions & Leagues Representative, Marketing/ Publicity & Recruitment Representative, Facilities & Supplies Representative and other members of the Club co-opted by the Management Committee from time to time as required up to a maximum of fifteen
.4.2 All members of the committee are eligible for re-election.
4.3 The committee shall meet within fourteen (14) days before the AGM and SGM and other occasions deemed necessary by the Chairperson or Hon. Secretary.
4.4 At all meetings of the committee, seven (7) members form a quorum.
4.5 All officers shall be elected annually at the AGM.
4.6 The ‘Internal Competitions & Leagues Representative’ shall have full powers to administer the competition rules and to deal with any dispute arising from the competitions.
4.7 All decisions need to be endorsed by at least two thirds of the members present. Voting shall be a show of hands.
5. Chairperson
5.1 The chairperson of the club shall preside at all meetings of the club but if he/she is not present within ten minutes of the appointed time for the meeting, or has signified his/her inability to be present, then the members present may choose one of their number to chair the meeting.
6. President
A President shall be elected and take up office at an AGM to serve for a term of three years (maximum two terms). Should a vacancy occur, a new President will be appointed at the next AGM.
7. Annual General Meeting
7.1 An AGM of the club must be held each year before the end of December.
7.2 At each Annual General Meeting:-
7.2.1 The officers and committee must be elected.
7.2.2 Examined accounts shall be presented either at the AGM or the following Spring Meeting.
7.2.3 An examiner must be appointed either at the AGM or following Spring Meeting.
7.2.4 Any other business that has been communicated to the Secretary and included in he notice of the meeting may be conducted.
7.3 The details of all proposed resolutions should be submitted to members at least 14 days prior to the AGM or EGM and any members not able to attend for any reason may submit a postal vote on one or more of the resolutions to be addressed at the AGM/EGM. The postal vote may be submitted by any means, including email, so long as it is in written form, to the Hon. Secretary prior to the AGM/EGM.
7.4 All resolutions need to be passed by at least two thirds of the members present and those submitting postal votes.
8. Extraordinary General Meeting
8.1 Any EGM may be convened at any time, and must be convened within twenty one (21) days on the written request to the Hon. Secretary signed by twenty (20) members, or by the committee.
8.2 The requisition must state the purpose for which a meeting is required.
9. Notice of Meeting
9.1 At least fourteen (14) days before any general meeting the Secretary must send to every member, or post in a conspicuous place in the club’s premises a notice of the meeting.
9.2 At least seven (7) working days notice shall be given for a committee meeting.
9.3 Any meeting appearing on the club fixture card shall be deemed as notice of the meeting.
10 Business at a General Meeting
10.1 The business at any general meeting must be limited to that provided for by those rules and any further matters set out in the notice convening the meeting.
10.2 The quorum at any general meeting is fifteen (15).
10.3 A ballot shall be held to decide any matter on the request of at least one third of members present.
11. Votes
Each member shall have one vote at all meetings of the club.
12. Disciplinary proceedings
Following an allegation of misconduct by a member, the Club shall follow the procedure as laid down in the Bowls England Rules and Regulations, Regulation 9 Disciplinary.
13. Guests
13.1 Any member may introduce guests to the club, provided that no one whose application for membership has been declined, or has been expelled from the club.
13.2 No one may be admitted as a playing guest on more than four (4) occasions in any year without payment of the current membership fee.
14 Modifications of Rules
No alteration or addition to the rules may be made except by a resolution carried by at least two thirds of the members present at a General Meeting, notice of which contains particulars of the proposed alteration or addition
15 Application of Surplus
15.1 As a not for profit Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) the income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club’s objectives as set forth in these rules and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to the members of the Club.
15.2 In the event of the dissolution of the club any assets remaining after all debts and liabilities shall not be paid or distributed among the members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:
1. A registered charitable organisation(s).
2. Another club which is a registered CASC.
3. The sport’s national governing body for use by them for related community sports.
16 Accoun
The financial year shall run from 1st October through to 30th September. Full accounts of the financial affairs of the club, duly examined by the examiner, must be made available to every member at least fourteen (14) days prior to the AGM or the following Spring Meeting.
17 Spring Meeting.
The meeting shall be held at least one month before the start of the outdoor playing season, the date for which shall be agreed at the preceding AGM.
18 Entrance Fees and Subscriptions
18.1 The entrance fee for new members shall be decided at the AGM.
18.2 The annual subscription for the following year shall be decided at the AGM.
18.3 The annual subscription shall be due on or before the Spring General Meeting.
18.4 If any member fails to pay the subscription by the due date the Secretary shall notify him/her to pay the subscription within seven (7) days. Upon failure to pay the subscription the committee may terminate his/her membership without further notice.
19. Dress on the Green.
19.1 All persons using the green must wear flat-soled shoes at all times.
19.2 Dress for club matches shall be white trousers, white skirts, or white tailored shorts with coloured club shirts.
19.3. Dress for specified matches and competitions shall be grey trousers/skirt with coloured club shirt.
19.4 Dress for competition finals shall be whites with coloured club shirt.
19.5 For casual play any smart casual appropriate clothing may be worn.
19.6 Markers should whenever practical wear clothing similar to the players.
20 Eligibility to enter Club competitions.
All members are encouraged to participate in the annual internal Club competitions. The Management Committee may veto participation if a member’s participation is deemed to be against the spirit and ethos of the club. Any member barred from participation may appeal to the full membership at an EGM and whose decision, based on a majority vote, will be final.
21 Attendance at Matches
Members should endeavour to be present at all matches fifteen (15) minutes before play is due to commence.
22 Fit and Proper Persons
22.1 Following the appointment of the ‘Management Committee’ at the AGM those members of the Management Committee willing and able to do so should sign the ‘Model Declaration for Fit and Proper Persons’ and then act in that capacity for the following year.
22.2 The Chairman of the Management Committee should ensure that a minimum of 3 members are acting as ‘Fit and Proper Persons’ at all times, one of whom should be the Hon Treasurer.
22.3 The ‘Fit and Proper Persons’ will have general control and management over the expenditure and running of the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).
22.4 2026 – Fit and Proper Persons = John Bowes, Michael Kershaw and John Harriyott.
23. Affiliation
The club shall be affiliated to Bowls England, Sussex County Bowls (Men’s Section) and Sussex County Bowls (Women’s Section).
24. All Officers of the Club are considered as Unpaid Volunteers not employed by the Club.
25. All Club members’ information held by the Club shall remain confidential to the Club and its members. Each year the records will be checked and any unnecessary information cleared.
26. Civil Liability and Director’s Insurance
The Club will purchase annual Civil Liability and Director’s Insurance from Bowls England.
27. Bar – Club Premises Certificate for Sale of Alcohol
27.1 The Management of the Bar will be delegated to a ‘Bar Committee’ (consisting of no less than 3 and no more than 5 members, who must be over 18 years old) by the membership annually at the AGM. The Bar Committee for 2025/26 season to be Jackie Irvine, Michael Willicombe & Geoff Edler.
27.2 The purchase of alcohol and range of alcohol available will be controlled by the Bar Committee.
27.3 Should membership fall below 25 members then the bar must close as the ‘Club Premises Certificate’ will lapse.
27.4 Alcohol will not be supplied, or intended to be supplied, to members on the premises otherwise than by or on behalf of the club.
27.5 No arrangements are, or intended to be, made for any person to receive at the expense of the club any commission, percentage, or similar payment on, or with reference to, purchase of alcohol by the club.
27.6 No arrangements are, or intended to be, made for any person directly or indirectly to derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of the club to members or guests, apart from: –
a) any benefit accruing to the club as a whole, or
b) any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise or contributing to a general gain from carrying on of the club.
Signed:-
………………………………………………………………………………
Alan Johnson (Club Chairman)
5th November 2025