Association Rules & Bye-Laws
NAMES,
OBJECTIVES AND CONSTITUTION
1:-
The Association is to be known as the 'Warwickshire and Worcestershire
Counties Bowling Association' and is to be affiliated to the British Crown Green
Bowling Association.
2:
The objectives and powers of the Association are to encourage, control,
manage and regulate the game of Crown Green Bowling in the Counties under the
direct jurisdiction of the Association.
Committees
3:-(A)
The business of the Association shall be a transacted by a Management
Committee consisting of a President, Deputy President, Chairman, Past Presidents, Life Members, Association Secretary, Assistant Secretary,
Treasurer, League, Referees, Coaches and Competitions Secretaries, a Development
Officer and a Publicity Officer and 12 other members all of whom shall be
elected at the January Annual General Meeting. Member clubs and Affiliated
Leagues/Associations will be invited before the January AGM to submit
nominations for Management Committee membership which will be considered along
with retiring committee members seeking re-election. Nominations will also be
invited from the floor at the AGM.
(B)
Half the elected twelve members of the Management Committee shall retire
on alternate years and (if they so desire) can seek re-election together with
other nominees duly proposed and seconded; election to be made by paper vote.
(C)
The Management Committee may fill Management Committee vacancies by
co-opting voting members should the need arise after having first exhausted the
nominations list generated at the last AGM. Co-opted members will retire at the
next AGM but may make themselves available for election.
(D)
A quorum shall be formed when seven or more members are present.
4:-(A)
The following sub-committees shall be formed by and from the Management
Committee at a meeting to be called on a Monday immediately following the Annual
General Meeting, and each of the 12 elected Committee Members must
serve on either the League Sub-Committee or the Competitors Sub-Committee
and each Sub-Committee shall select its own Chairman at that meeting viz:
(i) A
League Sub-Committee of three members, plus secretary.
(ii) A
Competitions Sub-Committee of nine members, plus secretary.
(B)
Additionally, the following Sub Committees shall be formed from the total
Management Committee, such Sub-Committees to elect their own Chairmen.
(i) A
Senior County Selection Sub-Committee consisting of seven members, together with
the option of the addition of two co-opted voting members.
(ii) A
Junior County Selection Sub Committee consisting of six members.
(iii) A
Veterans
(iv) A
Disciplinary Sub-Committee consisting of five members.
(v) A
Referees Sub-Committee, consisting of four members, together with four co-opted
voting members elected annually from the Referees’ Society.
(vi) A
Development Sub-Committee of 8 members comprising of the Development Officer
(acting as Chairman), the Association Secretary, the Publicity Officer, the
Competitions Officer, the Coaches Secretary, League Secretary, the Referees
Secretary and one other elected member.
(C)
The Senior, Junior and Veterans County Selection Sub-Committees will be
responsible for setting and enforcing a policy on attire. For administrative
purposes the sub-committees will be serviced by the Association Secretary and/or
the Assistant Secretary.
(D)
Each Sub-Committee shall be empowered to co-opt further members should the need
arise.
(E)
The officers of the Association, i.e. the President, Deputy President, Chairman,
Association Secretary and Treasurer, shall be ex-officio members of all sub
committees,and they, together with elected members only, shall be entitled to
vote. Past Presidents and Life Members wishing to have power of vote must gain
election to a sub committee.
(F)
Finance, Rule Book, Social and Entertainment matters shall be dealt with by the
full committee.
(G)
Management members wishing to hold a voting seat on a Sub-committee must be in
attendance at the election meeting or, have submitted an apology
to the Association Secretary indicating their wish to seek election.
Absent/non-apology members will be placed on a sub-committee as deemed
appropriate by the Management Committee.
(H)
The League, Competitions, Referees, Senior, Junior and Veterans County Selection
Secretaries shall be responsible for all matters appertaining to the respective
competitions during the playing season.
(I)
All other matters will be dealt with by the Association Secretary.
Membership
5:-(A)
Any bona-fide bowling organisation which may be deemed by the Management
Committee to be of 'Club' status, shall be eligible for membership but must be
accepted by the Management Committee; only such approved Member Clubs shall be
allowed to take part in the Association League Competitions. Other Clubs and
bona-fide Organisations wishing to be affiliated for the purpose of promoting or
taking part in competitions other than League bowling, within the framework of
the Association, shall also be accepted by the Management Committee.
(B)
New clubs wishing to participate in the Premier league, Mixed league or
existing clubs wishing to field a second team in the
(C)
It is the duty of the Host Club to ensure that every effort is made to provide a
green of acceptable quality. The Management Committee may terminate the
membership of any club that does not agree, when instructed by the Management
Committee, to implement a ‘Green Improvement Plan’ deemed necessary,
following inspection, by the League Sub Committee.
Meetings
6:-
Two General Meetings shall be held annually, one in January for the
presentation of the Balance Sheet and consideration of financial matters (which
shall not require notice of motion) together with the election of Officers and
transaction of business for the ensuing season; the other in September/October
for consideration of Association Rules and Bye-Laws, League, Cup and Merit
Rules, which shall require notice of motion. Standing Orders will be applied.
Additionally a General Secretaries Meeting shall be held annually in March or
April for the distribution of relevant paperwork for the ensuing season and the
transaction of other related business. Each club shall be required to be
represented at all three meetings and any club failing to be represented at any
of these three meetings shall be fined £10.00.
7:-
Each Club shall be entitled to send one delegate to each meeting,
together with a representative, exclusive of Members of the Management
Committee, but only the delegate together with Members of the Management
Committee shall be eligible to vote.
8:-(A)
The Association Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting at any
time on receiving a requisition to that effect signed by the Secretaries of not
less than three Clubs belonging to the Association, but such special General
Meeting shall have no power to amend or alter these rules.
(B)
The Management Committee shall have power to convene a Special General
Meeting for any purpose including the amendment or alteration of any Rules or
Bye-Laws.
9:-
Annual General Meetings, the Secretaries Meeting and any other Special
General Meetings shall be non-smoking meetings.
Subscriptions
and Finance
10:-
(A) The Annual Subscription for Member Clubs shall be:
(i) a
fee of £40.00 for Premier Teams, and/or Mixed ‘A’ teams.
(ii) a
fee of £30.00 for Alliance Teams,
and/or Mixed ‘B’ teams.
(iii) a fee
of £7.50 per team for the Cup Competitions.
(iv) a levy
of £0.50 for each registered member, of all Member Clubs, to be used for a
Junior Development Fund.
(B)
The annual affiliation fee for Clubs and other Organisations not taking part in
the Association League Competitions shall be £10.00. All Clubs whether
affiliated to another county or not which play in leagues which are directly
affiliated must affiliate to the Association. All Affiliated Leagues shall
provide the Association Secretary, by the end of May each year, with a complete
list of clubs competing within their Associations and a current list of their
rules and/or regulations.
(C)
All Organisations of ‘Club’ status wishing to take part in the Cup
Competitions shall pay an entrance fee of £7.50
(D)
All Member Clubs will take and pay for a minimum of 10 Official Year Books per
team annually at the appropriate fee.
(E)
All Member Clubs will participate in a Personal Accident Insurance Scheme and
will pay annually a fee, to be determined by the Management Committee, per
registered player in accordance with the list of registered players required by
Rule 15. All Affiliated Clubs, Leagues and Associations may participate in the
Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.
(F)
All Member Clubs will be required to pay any fines imposed by either the
Management Committee or an appropriate Sub- Committee within one calendar month
of due date of the issue of a fine statement. In the event of clubs failing to
comply the fines will automatically be doubled and must be paid to the
Treasurer, otherwise membership will be considered as ceased and re-entry into
the League will be at the lowest Division.
(G)
All clubs are responsible for their methods of payment of subscriptions,
registrations or fines. Any charges incurred by revoked cheques will be the
direct responsibility of, and be passed on to, the submitting club for payment
in addition to the original sum.
11:-
All Fees shall be forwarded to the Hon. Treasurer of the Association not
later than the 1st June each year. If any monies due to the Association are
unpaid by 3lst October in any year, the Management Committee will, by ordinary
resolution, terminate that organisations membership of the Association. Should
such organisation wish to continue its membership dues for the past year,
together with fees for the ensuing year, must be paid to the Treasurer prior to
the January General Meeting, otherwise membership will be considered as ceased
and re-entry into the League will be at the lowest Division.
12.-
The Accounts shall be audited by an independent firm of
Chartered Accountants and the printed Balance Sheet sent to each Club
belonging to the Association, together with notices calling the January Annual
General Meeting.
Mode
of Altering Rules and Bye-Laws
13:-
(A) With the exception of financial
matters, notice of any proposed amendment or alteration of the Rules and
Bye-Laws of the Association, together with the names of the proposer and
seconder of every such amendment or alteration shall be given in writing to the
Association Secretary 28 days at least before the General Meeting at which such
amendment or alteration is to
be considered.
(B)
The proposer (any Member Club or Management Committee Member) must obtain a
seconder (another Member Club or Management Committee Member) to be identified
in accordance with (A) above.
(C)
Notices containing all valid amendments and alterations are to be circulated to
all Clubs within the Association 10 days before the General Meeting by the
Association Secretary.
(D)
The Chairman of any General Meeting at which amendments and alterations to Rules
and Bye-Laws are considered, shall allow an amendment or alteration to be moved,
by any delegate or Management Committee member, to any notified amendment or
alteration, providing such amendment is relative to and does not alter the
context of the notified amendment or alteration unduly, and in the event of the
same being seconded by another delegate or Management Committee Member and being
carried by a bare majority of those present, and entitled to vote, shall be
considered as a notified amendment or alteration.
14.-
No Rule or Bye-Law, League Competition Rule, Cup Competition Rule or
Individual Merit Rule, shall be altered, rescinded or added to, without the
consent of the majority of those present, and entitled to vote, at the General
Meeting.
Membership
and Affiliation for Individual Players
15.-A
list of all members of Association Clubs must be forwarded to the Treasurer of
the Association each year before such members take part in any Association
Competition, and all players selected or taking part in such competitions must
be from the list furnished. It is the responsibility of the submitting club to
ensure that any new member who has joined them is a fully paid member of the
previous club. Failure to establish that any new member is a fully paid member
of the previous club will, if proved, lead to the loss of any shots scored in
League and/or Cup matches by that player for the new club, also making the
player liable to be debarred from all Association competitions until any
previous debt is fully paid. Supplementary registrations can be made at any time
during the playing season and shall become effective immediately such
registration is received by the Association Treasurer. All registrations to be
on the official forms provided and all listed members of Association Clubs will
each pay an annual registration fee to be determined by the Management
Committee. Competitions shall be confined to males, other than the Mixed Leagues
and Mixed Cup Competitions which shall provide for mixed gender bowling. It
shall be a condition of Membership that all clubs will allow properly registered
players of member clubs to participate on their greens as visitors in
competitions under the control of the Association.
16:-
Transfers
An
official transfer form will be provided by the Association Secretary on request.
Transfer requests will be considered by the Management Committee at any time
during the league bowling programme period subject to:
(i)
the player being a fully-paid member of the Club from which he/she is
transferring.
(ii)
the player having deposited his/her membership fee with the Club to which he/she
is transferring.
(iii)
the player having obtained the support of both Clubs in writing on the
official transfer form and having submitted the form to the Association
Secretary.
(iv)
the player paying a transfer fee of £5.00 to the Association which will be
returned if not approved by the Management Committee.
(v)
the player waiting a period of 14 days from the date of the Management
committee meeting at which the transfer request is approved or waiting one
calendar month from the receipt of all the requisite transfer paperwork by the
Association Secretary which is subsequently approved by the Management
Committee.
(vi)
the player not playing in the current league programme for his/her new club on a
green on which he/she has played a league game, Premier,
17:-
Any player taking part in League or Cup matches for two Clubs in the same
season shall be suspended from the Association for twelve calendar months. This
rule does not apply to an authorised transfer.
Promotion
of Contests
18:-(A)
Member or Affiliated Clubs and Associations organising competitions and inviting
entries from outside their Club or Association but not from outside the
W&WCBA must apply to the County authority for affiliation and approval and
pay a fee of £6.00 BEFORE they advertise the event in any way. Any advertising
literature MUST state 'Approved by and affiliated to the W&WCBA'.
(B)
Member or affiliated Clubs and Associations organising competitions and
inviting entries from outside the W&WCBA must apply to the County authority
for approval BEFORE the event is advertised in any way. Further they must send
to the W&WCBA a remittance of £6.00 which, if approval is granted, will be
forwarded to the BCGBA for affiliation under their Rule 11b. Any advertising
literature MUST state ‘Approved by W&WCBA and affiliated to the BCGBA’.
(C)
Member or affiliated Clubs and Associations organising merit competitions,
whether restricted or open, MUST invite the Referees Society to provide
qualified referees to control final stages. A referees fee as determined by the
Referees’ Society will be paid by the organising body to the Secretary.
Referees will be provided with travelling expenses, lunch and tea. The
organisers will be responsible for providing all measuring equipment likely to
be required by the referees.
(D)
PENALTY - Any Club or Association who fails to comply with Rules 18a,18b and 18c
may be barred from running any competition, other than one involving its own
members only, for a period of not less than one and no more than five years.
Penalty for a subsequent offence under these rules may lead to the offending
Club or Association being barred from running competitions sine die. Further,
any player who knowingly takes part in any event which is not affiliated and
approved under these rules may be suspended for a period of not less than one
year. Any subsequent offence under these rules may lead to the offending player
being barred from the Association sine die.
(E)
Only properly licensed Betting Book facilities will be allowed to operate
atW&WCBA controlled events, and then only with the prior written consent of
the W&WCBA Management Committee following a written application and
the payment of a fee of £20.00. The fee payable will be reviewed and
determined annually by the Management Committee of the W&WCBA.
Postponement
of League, Cup and Merit Competitions
19:-
League, Cup and Merit Competitions cannot be called off and postponed due
to weather conditions, before 17.00 hours on the scheduled date. Players
involved in the appropriate competitions should assemble at the scheduled venue
by the normal time to start; failure to observe this rule will result in the
respective competition rules being applied.
Appeals
20:-
An enquiry into any suspected breach of these Association, League, Cup or
Merit Rules and Bye-Laws, by a Player, Club or Affiliated Organisation may be
instituted by the Management Committee:-
(A)
at the request of the Player, Club or Affiliated Organisation which may lodge a
complaint provided that such complaint is in writing and has been submitted to
the Secretary within 3 calendar months of the alleged offence,etc.,taking place.
(B)
at its discretion.
21:-
In the event of any enquiry being instituted on the complaint of any
Affiliated Organisation, Club or Player, such Affiliated Organisations, Club or
Player shall forthwith deposit with the Association Secretary the sum of
£10.00, which will be returned if the complaint is upheld. On the
deposit being made and a written statement of the facts placed with the
Association Secretary, an enquiry shall be instituted by the Management
Committee.
22.-
The Management Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend, fine or expel
any Player, Club or Affiliated Organisation, who shall infringe any Rule or
Bye-Law, or whose conduct shall, in their opinion, render him/her or them unfit
for membership but no Player, Club or Affiliated Organisation shall be dealt
with, without first being summoned to appear before the Management Committee to
explain his or their conduct, and given opportunity to advance his/her or their
defence. In the case of such breach of conduct meriting suspension or expulsion,
at least two-thirds of the Management Committee then present must vote in
support for suspension or expulsion. Anyone so summoned to appear before the
Management Committee shall be entitled to receive at least seven days notice in
writing by Recorded Delivery from the Association Secretary, giving particulars
of the breaches of conduct being the subject of complaint.
23:-
The Management Committee may demand the production of any books, documents or
other evidence deemed necessary in dealing with any complaint or enquiry. Should
any Affiliated Organisation, Club a Player refuse to furnish such evidence as
may be required or refuse to attend the enquiry, the Management Committee shall
have power to suspend such Affiliated Organisation; Club or Player.
Reinstatement
24:-
Any Affiliated Organisation, Club or Player suspended or expelled by the
Association shall automatically be reported to the BCGBA for confirmation, and
if confirmed, reinstatement shall be by written application, to be in the hands
of the Association Secretary not later than the last day of January in each
year.
25.-No
application for reinstatement shall be entertained, under any circumstances
whatever, from a Player who has once been reinstated.
Eligibility
26:-
With the exception of normal team changes, where Premier and Alliance
teams are competing in corresponding Premier and Alliance leagues (i.e. in a
Premier Division 1 and Alliance Division 1) no visiting player shall be allowed
to compete in a Warwickshire and Worcestershire league or cup match on a green
where he/she has practised or played in other competitions during the preceding
14 days, otherwise than when such competition has been a County Match
Warwickshire and Worcestershire Cup or Merit competition or a Local League, Cup
or Merit Competition directly affiliated to the W & W CBA or the BCGBA.
Awareness
27.-
It is the duty of every member of every club affiliated to this
Association to acquaint himself/herself with the Rules and Bye-Laws of the
Association, and of the Rules and Bye-Laws governing the League, Cup and Merit
competitions. The Management Committee of the Association will at no time accept
a plea of ignorance when considering any breach of the Rules and Bye-Laws as
laid down in this Manual.
28.-
Each Club shall be furnished with a copy of the British Crown Green
B.A.’s Official Handbook each year, and each Club and every member thereof
shall be bound by the Rules and Bye-Laws of the Association in like manner, as
though such Club and each member thereof had
entered into, and signed, an agreement with the Association to that effect.
Interpretation
29:-
The Management Committee shall have powers to deal with any matters not
provided for in these Rules and Bye-Laws.
30:-
The Warwickshire and Worcestershire C.B.A. shall be the interpreter of
these Association Rules and Bye-Laws governing the League, Cup and Merit
Competitions, and from its decision there shall be no appeal other than where a
player makes a complaint and fails to get satisfaction from his/her Club, League
Association or County Association, he/she shall have the CENTER to appeal to the
British Crown Green Bowling Association on depositing £10.00, which shall be
refunded at the discretion of the Management Committee of the B.C.G.B.A.
31:-
The Management Committee shall at all times have authority to select any
green belonging to Member Clubs for the purpose of promoting
32:-
Heeled foot-wear of any kind should not be worn by participants on greens
where league, cup a merit events are played under the jurisdiction of the
Association. Nothing in this rule shall apply to any player who suffers a
disability.
Captains to act as
Ajudicators
33:-
In League matches and Cup matches (except the finals) the Captains, or
their nominees, will act jointly as Referee. They are allowed on the green
during play and will act as measurers. No other persons other than the players
are allowed on the green.
Merit
& Cup Finals - Players Clothing
34:-
On all association finals’ days (Merits and Cups) players are to wear
conventional clothing and are not permitted to wear tracksuit bottoms, denims or
shorts. In the Junior Merit Final, this dress code will apply from the quarter
final stage onwards. Any player failing to conform to this standard will be
prevented from playing in the competition and may be liable to forfeit any prize
money earned in the competition. In the case of team contests, any offending
player failing to comply with the dress standard must be substituted before the
start of the game. Enforcement of the dress code will be the responsibilty of
the Officer in charge and/or the Referee.
Club
Closure/Amalgamation
35:-
A Club or Associated Club on application to the Association may by
agreement amalgamate with another Club. The receiving club may if so desirous
retain the league status of the merging club only if the number of merging club
members exceed the registered playing membership of the receiving club. The name
of the merging club, if retained, will only be used in conjunction with the
above arrangement for one year, after which time the name will revert to that of
the receiving club.
Dissolution
36:-
Should the Management Committee decide, by a majority, on the grounds of
expediency or otherwise, to dissolve the Association, the Committee shall call a
Special General meeting of the Association, giving 21 days notice to Member
Clubs. At this Special General meeting, if a two-thirds majority of those
present and eligible to vote decide to dissolve the Association, the Management
Committee shall have power to dispose of the assets of the Association after all
liabilities and debts have been cleared. The beneficiaries of such assets shall
be the Member Clubs.