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CONSTITUTION OF THE SCOTTISH SHORT MAT BOWLING FEDERATION

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1.   NAME

The name of the governing body for the game of indoor bowls played on the short mat in Scotland shall be the Scottish Short Mat Bowling Federation, hereinafter referred to as the SSMBF.

 

2. OBJECTIVES

The objects of the SSMBF are

  1. to promote and foster the game of short mat bowls in Scotland;

  2. to pay particular attention to developing short mat bowling among all classes and categories of people;

  3. to organise and promote Scottish Championships and Scottish Open competitions as appropriate;

  4. to organise the participation of the short mat bowling national team in international events;

  5. to oversee the selection of the short mat bowling national team;

  6. to organise coaching courses for short mat bowling players and officials;

  7. to authorise the appointment of short mat bowling officials;

  8. to administer the rules under which the game of short mat bowls is played in Scotland, ensuring that these remain compatible with the rules approved by other nations.

 

3. MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership is open to all and no application for membership will be refused on other than reasonable grounds.

  2. There will be no discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, political or other opinion.

  3. Members shall be registered through an affiliated club in one of the following categories:
         Adult;
         Junior (under 18 years of age).

  4. Honorary membership may be bestowed on those persons who, in the opinion of the SSMBF committee, have made a significant contribution to the development of the short mat game in Scotland.

  5. All applications for membership shall be accompanied by the appropriate annual membership fee, which shall thereafter be payable on demand.

  6. The SSMBF shall set the registration fees for all members and clubs wishing to be affiliated.

  7. All members shall receive free access to the SSMBF’s Safeguarding Policy and the SSMBF’s Constitution.   

  8. No portion of the income and property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, distribution, bonus, honoraria or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the members.

 

4. SUSPENSION, REFUSAL OR TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

The committee shall be entitled:

  1. to refuse any application for membership on the grounds that such membership would be prejudicial to the objectives of the SSMBF as set out in Article 2 of this constitution.

  2. for good and sufficient reason to refuse renewal of any existing membership or terminate or suspend any membership provided that the member concerned shall have the right to be heard by the full management committee before a final decision is made.

  3. Any reason for refusal or termination must be communicated in writing to the individual and can be appealed to a body other than the committee making the original decision. (See Appendix A – Appeals Committee.)

  4. Any member under suspension shall be barred from taking part in any match or event under the control of the SSMBF.

 

5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

  1. The business of the SSMBF shall be carried out by a committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The committee will meet as they deem necessary.

  2. The committee will consist of 5 officers plus 4 ordinary members. Additional members may be co-opted, at the discretion of the committee, to carry out special duties, e.g. records or tournament officer, coaching officer, public relations officer, chairman of umpires.

  3. Registered members of any affiliated club may be elected to serve as officers or ordinary members of the committee.

  4. The officers’ roles are as follows: President, who shall chair General and committee meetings; Vice President, who shall substitute for the President if the President is unavailable; Junior Vice President, whose responsibility is to learn and understand the roles of the President and Vice President with a view to moving into these roles in due course; Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of information and papers; Treasurer, who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts.

  5. Terms of office are: President, 4 years; Vice President, 4 years, all other officers, 1 or 2 years as deemed suitable; ordinary committee members, 1 year.

  6. In the event of officers standing down during their term of office, a replacement will be elected by the members at the next General meeting.

  7. The committee may co-opt any member to any vacant post until the conclusion of the following AGM, providing that the number of co-optees shall not exceed one third of the total number of persons serving on the committee at that time.

  8. The committee may appoint any sub-committees it deems necessary to deal with the matters of the SSMBF, until the conclusion of the following AGM. The proceedings of all such committees shall report to the management committee by a representative elected by that sub-committee.

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6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held close to the start of February each year or as soon as possible thereafter if unforeseen circumstances should prevent a timely meeting.

  2. The AGM shall be held at a venue arranged by the committee.

  3. All affiliated clubs shall be notified in writing at least 3 weeks before the date of the AGM, giving venue, date, time, and agenda. 

  4. All members registered with the SSMBF shall be entitled to attend the AGM.

  5. The quorum for the AGM shall be 50% of the maximum number of voting members possible.

  6. Two members representing each club shall be entitled to vote.

  7. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

 

At the AGM, the chair of the meeting shall present a report of the work carried out by the committee over the past year. The Treasurer shall present the audited accounts of the SSMBF for the year (1st December to 30th November). Officers for the next year shall be elected. Any proposals appropriately notified to the Secretary shall be discussed and, where necessary, voted upon. 

 

7. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. The Secretary shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at the request of the majority of the committee or at least 10 other members submitting a written request to the President or Secretary stating the reason for their request.

  2. The EGM shall take place within 2 months of the request.

  3. All affiliated clubs shall be given at least 3 weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time, and agenda. Notice may be by telephone, email, or post.

  4. All members registered with the SSMBF shall be entitled to attend the EGM.

  5. The quorum for an EGM shall be 50% of the maximum number of voting members possible.

  6. Voting shall be as for the AGM.

 

No business other than that for which the EGM has been called shall be formally discussed at the meeting.

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8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committee meetings shall be called by the President or Secretary. Committee members must receive at least 7 days’ notice of the meeting. The quorum for committee meetings is 50% of committee members.

 

9. RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS

All questions that arise at any meeting shall be discussed openly and the meeting shall seek to find general consensus that everyone present can agree to.

 

If a consensus cannot be reached, a vote shall be taken and a decision shall be made by a simple majority of voting members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

 

10. FINANCES

The income and property of the SSMBF, however derived, shall be applied solely towards the objectives of the SSMBF as set out in Article 2 of this constitution.

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An account shall be maintained on behalf of the SSMBF at a bank agreed by the committee. Three cheque signatories shall be nominated by the committee (one to be the Treasurer). The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.

 

For all payments (such as cheques, BACS payments, cash withdrawals, debit card payments, or cash payments) a confirmation note shall be required from two designated Officers, copied to the President, Secretary and Treasurer, and held by the Treasurer along with the accounts.

 

Records of income and expenditure shall be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each meeting.

 

11. BREACH OF RULES OR UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR

Any protest about a member’s breach of rules or unacceptable behaviour must be made in writing to the Secretary of the SSMBF without undue delay. The Secretary shall then send a copy to the third party and convene, if necessary, a meeting of the committee to deal with the matter.

Any protest about a serving committee member must be made in writing without undue delay but may be to any SSMBF officer. That officer shall then send a copy to the third party and convene, if necessary, a meeting of the committee to deal with the matter. The committee member under scrutiny may attend the meeting only to present his or her case and shall have no other input to the meeting.

 

12. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Amendments to the constitution shall be made only at the AGM, or at an EGM called for that specific purpose.

 

Any proposal to amend the constitution must be submitted to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of the meeting, or sooner if deemed appropriate.

 

Any proposal to amend the constitution shall require a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote.

 

Amendments to the constitution shall be presented as detailed in appendix B.

 

13. DISSOLUTION

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Any resolution to dissolve the SSMBF may be passed at any General Meeting provided that:

  1. the terms of the proposed resolution are received by the Secretary at least forty two days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward, and that

  2. at least twenty eight days of the proposed resolution shall be given in writing by the secretary to all members, and that

  3. such a resolution shall receive the assent of two thirds of those present and entitled to vote.

 

If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the SSMBF there remains after the satisfaction of all the SSMBF’s debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall be given or transferred to some other organisation or organisations having objects (that is, aims and activities) similar to the objects of the SSMBF by Resolution passed at a General meeting at or before the time of the dissolution, and in so far as effect cannot be given to such provision then to some charitable objects.  

 

 

 

Declaration

It is hereby certified that this document represents a true and most up to date version of the Constitution of the SSMBF.

 

 

SIGNATURES -

 

 

 

Chair:________________________________________ Date:____________

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Secretary:_____________________________________ Date:____________

 

 

Appendix A – Appeals committee

 


1. Objective

 

The Appeals committee shall consider an appeal by any person refused membership, or renewal of membership, of the SSMBF.

 

2. Committee

 

  1. The Appeals committee shall comprise 5 members drawn from affiliated clubs. There shall be no more than one member per club.

 

  1. Members serving on the SSMBF committee shall be excluded.

 

  1. The chair of the Appeals committee shall be selected by the Appeals committee.

 

  1. The quorum for meetings of the Appeals committee shall be 5 members.

 

3. Authority

 

The Appeals committee is authorised by the SSMBF to investigate any refusal of membership, or refusal to renew membership, and subsequent appeal. It is authorised to seek any relevant information it requires from any member of the SSMBF or relevant third parties, and all SSMBF members are directed to co-operate with any reasonable request made by the committee.

 

4. Duties

 

  1. The Appeals committee shall convene as soon as reasonably practicable after an appeal has been received.

 

  1. Evidence supporting the refusal of membership or renewal must be provided in writing by a member of the SSMBF committee. Evidence supporting the appeal must be provided in writing by the person who is appealing the decision. Copies of such evidence shall be circulated to the Appeals committee members at least 5 days in advance of the meeting. The Appeals committee shall fully consider arguments from both parties but also reasons leading to, and substance of, the complaint against the person, any relevant additional documents, any relevant representations or statements, the extent to which any rules have been breached, any past precedents, the person’s general record (if known) or any past services to the SSMBF, and any special circumstances which may be appropriate.

 

  1. The Appeals committee shall undertake any further investigations which it considers necessary as soon as reasonably practicable and, if so required, convene a further meeting to consider any additional evidence.

 

Failure by the Appeals committee to achieve a unanimous vote to uphold the the SSMBF committee’s decision shall result in the decision being overturned.

 

The Appeals committee’s decision shall be final and shall be communicated to both the SSMBF committee and the person requesting the appeal.

 

Expenses incurred by members in the process of serving on the Appeals committee may be met by the SSMBF.

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Appendix B – Presentation of Amendments to the Constitution

 

 

Amendments to the Constitution should be submitted in the following format:-

 

  • State the precise article of the constitution to which the amendment refers and quote the existing wording in sufficient length that it is intelligible.

 

  • State precisely how the wording is to be changed, including the paragraph numbering and any subsequent renumbering that may be needed.

 

  • Quote the wording of the revised article.

 

  • State the rationale for the proposed change explaining why it is needed and/or what it will achieve.

 

Remember to consider whether the change will affect any other articles of the constitution and, if necessary, propose consequential changes needed if the main proposal is carried.

 

Example:

 

Amendment to Constitution Paragraph 5 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS subparagraph (5)

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“The quorum for the AGM shall be 10% of the membership or 10 voting members, whichever is greater.”

 

Delete “10%” and replace with “5%”.

 

This sub-paragraph will then read –

“The quorum for the AGM shall be 5% of the membership or 10 voting members, whichever is greater.”

 

 

Rationale:

Increased membership in recent years means that it is becoming difficult to accommodate sufficient players at AGMs to achieve a quorum.

 

Note: This is an example only and does not indicate any possible future change.

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