- The name of the Club shall be Fordbridge Park Bowls Club and the club pavilion and bowling green are located in Fordbridge Park, Kingston Road, Ashford, TW15 3SJ.
- The objectives of the Club are:-
(a) To promote the game of Bowls and social activities relating thereto in a safe and caring manner, in accordance with all current legislation and we adopt and follow all policies and guidelines approved by Bowls England and the UK Anti-Doping. We follow all procedures set out in Bowls England Regulation 9, 9A & 9B. We will abide with all sanctions, recommendations and/or decisions from the Case Management Panel or Disciplinary Panel.
(b) To promote and hold, either alone or jointly, with any other association, club or person, meetings, competitions and matches for the playing of bowls.
(c) To establish, promote or assist in establishing or promoting and to subscribe to or become a member of any other association or club whose objects are similar to the objects of the Club or the establishment or promotion of which may be beneficial to the Club provided that no subscription be paid to any such association or club out of the funds of the Club except bona fide in furtherance of the objects of the Club.
(d) To invest and deal with the monies of the Club not immediately required in such a manner as may from time to time be determined.
(e) To do all such other lawful things as may be considered are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects at any time.
All the foregoing objects shall be read and construed as separate and distinct objects and the generality of any such objects shall not be abridged or cut down by reference to any other objects of the Club. - The income and property of the Club, whencesoever derived, shall be applied solely towards the promotion and the objects of the Club.
- If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club, there remains, after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall be divided equally among its paid-up members.
- Upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club, no personal liability shall be attached to any member except for such funds of the Club as may be in his possession at the time.
- Membership.
(a) All members shall be members of the Fordbridge Park Bowls Club.
(b) The Club shall consist of playing members, social members and Honorary Members.
(c) Application for membership to the Club shall be made to the Secretary of the Club on the official application form proposed and seconded by two playing members and then referred to the Committee for approval or refusal at their absolute discretion at the next scheduled committee meeting. Applications received within one week of a scheduled committee meeting will be referred to the following meeting.
(d) Application for social membership shall be limited to such members as defined by the Committee in the best interests of the Club and at their absolute discretion at the next scheduled committee meeting. Applications received within one week of a scheduled committee meeting will be referred to the following meeting.
(e) The rights and privileges of a member shall not be transferable.
(f) A member shall cease to be a member :-
(i) If he or she resigns by one months notice in writing to the Committee
(ii) If his or her membership is terminated by a resolution of the disciplinary committee or
(iii) If his or her annual subscription remains unpaid at the expiration of one calendar month from the due date.
(g) All fully paid up members shall be entitled to one vote if present in person at any General Meeting.
(h) Honorary Life membership may be recommended and approved by the Committee. - Conduct of Members shall be in accordance with the FPBC Rules.
(a) If the Committee considers that any members conduct is contrary to the interests of the Club and/or injurious to its reputation, they will refer to a disciplinary committee who may terminate that person’s membership. The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of the Chairman, Secretary, the Captain and two other playing members.
(b) Any person whose membership is so terminated shall be immediately excluded from the Club and shall have no claim against the Club, the Committee, or any member thereof, except that any unexpired portion of their subscription shall be refunded.
(c) Any member so dealt with shall have the right of appeal to a special General Meeting called for that purpose. - The control of the Club shall be by a Chairman and a Committee of seven, all of whom shall be full members of the Club and over eighteen years old. The officers of the club shall be the Chairman, the Secretary & the Treasurer. They, together with the Captain, Match Secretary, Competition Secretary and Safeguarding Officer, shall form the Committee. At every Annual General Meeting all members shall retire from office. Any member so retiring shall be eligible for re-election. The club shall elect a non-executive President as required. Other members may be co-opted onto the committee for special tasks as appropriate.
(a) The Committee shall hold meetings as required to manage and control the affairs of the Club, five members to form a quorum.
(b) The Committee shall exercise all such powers contained in the Constitution currently in force, or that are required to be exercised by the members at General Meeting.
(c) The Committee may delegate any of its powers to such Sub-Committee as it deems necessary for the well running of the Club. Any such Sub-Committee shall conform to any regulation that may be prescribed by the Committee.
(d) The Committee shall have the power to make bye-laws for the purpose of proper conduct and control of the affairs of the Club provided that such bye-laws are not inconsistent with the Constitution of the Club.
(e) Only members of the Bar Committee are permitted to open the bar within the designated ‘opening hours’ and only then when games are being played or on social occasions. - The Committee shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to:-
(a) The assets and liabilities of the Club.
(b) The sums of money received and expended by the Club and the manner in respect of which receipts and expenditure take place. - Income
(a) Club Subscriptions.
Annual subscriptions for playing and social membership shall be fixed annually by the Committee. Payments for members coming due on dates quoted in the Rules.
(b) Club Green fees.
Green fees shall be fixed annually by the Committee. - Once at least every year the Committee shall bring before the Club in General Meeting, an income and expenditure account for the period since the last preceding account made up to a date not more than six weeks before, together with a balance sheet made up to the same date.
- Meetings
(a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held once every calendar year at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee, provided that every General Meeting shall be held not more that 13 months after the previous meeting.
(b) The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. - The above mentioned General Meetings shall be called Ordinary Meetings, all other General Meetings shall be called Extraordinary.
- An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by :-
(a) The Committee.
(b) Not less than 10 playing members of the Club giving notice in writing to the Committee.
No business may be discussed at any Extraordinary Meeting other than that which is shown on the Agenda. - All business shall be deemed to be special that is transacted at an Extraordinary General Meeting and also all that is transacted at an Annual General Meeting with the exception of the consideration of the accounts balance sheets and reports of the Committee.
- No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum of playing members is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. Save as otherwise provided, 10 playing members present in person shall constitute a quorum.
- 21 days notice in writing shall be given to all members in the case of an AGM. In the case of an Extraordinary Meeting, 14 days notice in writing shall be given. In writing means:- Written, printed, lithographed, or partly one and partly another and other modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form.
- If within one half hour of the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum of playing members is not present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of the members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, it shall stand adjourned to the same day, time and place, in the following week and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum of playing members is not present within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, the playing members present shall be the quorum.
- The Chairman of the Committee shall preside at every General and Committee Meeting. If at any Meeting the Chairman is not present 15 minutes after the time appointed for the Meeting, the members shall select one of their number present to be Chairman at that Meeting.
- The Chairman may, with the consent of the Meeting, adjourn such Meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at the adjourned Meeting, other than the business left unfinished at the Meeting from which the adjournment took place.
- At any General Meeting, unless a poll is demanded by at least one third of the playing members present, a declaration by the Chairman that the resolution has or has not been carried, and an entry to that effect recorded in the Minutes, shall be conclusive proof of the fact without evidence of the number of votes recorded.
- If a poll is demanded, it shall be taken by ballot, and the result shall be deemed to be the resolution of the Meeting at which the poll was taken.
- A notice may be given by the Club to any member, either personally or by sending it by post to his/her registered address. Where a notice is sent by post, service of that notice shall be deemed to have been effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and posting a letter containing the notice and shall be deemed to have been effected at the time at which the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.
- Once in every year the accounts of the Club shall be examined and the correctness of the income and expenditure account and balance sheet, ascertained by one or more auditors.
- Auditors shall be appointed by the Committee.
- The Committee of the Club shall be fully indemnified by the Club for any losses, damages, action costs and charges, which they may incur for anything done or omitted, in connection with the execution of the duties of their respective offices.
Updated October 2024