Rottingdean Bowls Club

1. Control of the Club
The general control of the Club shall be vested in a Management Committee, the principal function of which shall be to serve as a liaison committee coordinating the best interests of the Men's Section and the Ladies' Section. It shall control the finances of the Club and promote the mixed social events. The usage of the green shall be controlled by the Management Committee according to the interests of all members of the Club The Men's Section and the Ladies' Section shall each have its own committee, which will be responsible for all matters of actual play in their respective sections. Representatives of each of these two committees shall control, in association, mixed bowling events The legal and contractual business of the Club is vested in the trustees / the Directors of Rottingdean Bowling Club Limited appointed by the Management Committee.

The Management Committee shall consist of the Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Men's Captain, Vice-Captain, Men's Hon. Secretary, Men's Hon. Match Secretary, Ladies' Captain and Vice-Captain, Ladies' Hon. Secretary, Ladies' Hon. Match Secretary, Club Trustees and four other members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. In the event of a member being elected to dual offices or having a dual entitlement to sit on the Management Committee, an additional member shall be elected.
The Committee shall elect from its members a Chairman and Vice Chairman and shall have the power to appoint sub-committees and to co-opt. Seven members shall form a quorum.

2. Election of President and Hon. Life Members
At the A.G.M., the Management Committee alone may recommend the election of a President. Recommendations may be submitted to the Hon. Secretary by September 30th for consideration by the Management Committee. The member recommended should have given outstanding service to the Club for at least ten years. No President shall hold this office for more than a total of two years. The Management Committee may, at the A.G.M., recommend the award of Honorary Life Membership to members who have given special service to the Club over the duration of their membership. This would normally be a period of at least fifteen years, but in exceptional cases could be less.

3. Nominations for Management Committee
Nominations for the Management Committee shall be entered on the form provided on the Club Notice Board not later than 30th September. Nominations to have the signature of the proposer and seconder, and the agreement of the nominee to serve if elected. In the event of insufficient nominations, proposals to fill vacancies will be accepted at the Annual General Meeting.

4. Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than the 28th February of the following year, on a date to be fixed by the Management Committee. Propositions for the A.G.M. shall be submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary not less than 28 days before the Meeting. Notice of the A.G.M., Agenda, Propositions, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts shall be circulated to all members at least seven days before the Meeting.

5. Special General Meetings
A Special General Meeting may be convened by the Management Committee, or by not less than fifteen members of the Club, on notifying the Hon. Secretary in writing, setting out in detail the grounds upon which such a meeting shall be convened. Discussion shall be confined to the business as set out in the agenda, which shall be circulated to all members at least seven days before the meeting.

6. Equality of Votes
In the event of equality of votes at any Club Meeting, the Chairman may exercise a second or casting vote.

7. Subscriptions and Fees
Members' Subscriptions and other Fees shall be reviewed annually by the Management Committee. Members will be notified with the captain’s letter of any changes. Subscriptions are payable by 15 May.

8. Club Membership
The joint playing membership of the Club shall be determined by the Management Committee. Every candidate for membership of the Club shall be nominated in writing on a form to be obtained from the Club Hon. Secretary, the Men's Hon. Secretary or the Ladies' Hon. Secretary, such candidate to have a proposer and seconder. All applications shall be considered initially by the Membership Sub-Committee and their findings reported to the Management Committee, who shall take the final decision. The Membership Sub-Committee shall comprise the following members of the Management Committee: the captains, the Vice-Captains, the Sectional Secretaries, and the Hon. Secretary, with not less than four forming a quorum. All applications so endorsed shall be brought to the attention of members by exhibiting them on the Club's main notice board for seven days during the outdoor playing season or by direct circulation, giving seven days’ notice, at any time. If objections in writing are received by the Hon. Secretary, they shall be considered by the Management Committee, whose decision shall be final. Associate Members may be admitted to the Club under the same entrance procedure at reduced fees. Associate Members are not eligible to serve on Committees or to vote.

9. Dress
Anyone using the playing area must wear the correct bowling shoes. Players' dress shall be as defined by the Management Committee.

10. Conduct and Discipline
Every member shall conduct themselves properly both on the green and within its precincts. Should the conduct of any member be called in question, then that member may be required to appear before a disciplinary panel and be dealt with by them in such manner as that panel deems expedient. Any complaint should be made to the Chairman, unless the complaint is about the Chairman, in which case it shall be made to the Vice Chairman. All disciplinary matters shall be dealt with in accordance with Bowls England Regulation 9 entitled Disciplinary Regulations, a copy of which shall normally be filed in the club-house.

11. Interpretation of Rules
When any doubt of the interpretation of any rules of the Club is debated at any meeting, the decision of the Chairman thereof shall be final.

12. Tripartite Consultation
In the event of a controversial matter being difficult to decide, a tripartite Committee consisting of the Management, the Men's and the Ladies' Committees may be called by the Chairman of the Management Committee to give wider consideration to the question. Subject to being carried by a two-thirds majority, the finding of the Tripartite Committee must be accepted by the Management, the Men's and the Ladies' Committees. The quorum for such a Committee shall be two-thirds of those eligible to attend.

13. Protecting Children and The Vulnerable
The Club is committed to promoting a safe environment in which children and vulnerable adults can enjoy taking part in the game of bowls. It will seek to underpin and ensure this commitment by following and promoting the joint Child Protection Policy and Procedures of the National Governing Bodies.

14. Equality
The club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status. The club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse. All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behavior and promote equality of opportunity. The Club will seek to underpin and ensure this commitment by following and promoting the Equality Policy and Procedures of the National Governing Bodies.

15. Privacy Statement
When members supply any personal information to Rottingdean Bowling Club, the club has legal obligations towards its members in the way the club deals with such data. Rottingdean Bowling Club shall therefore follow its Data Protection Policy and: • collect the information fairly; • let our members know what we keep and how we will use it. • not pass the information on to any third party, unless legally required to do so; ( the County Association and Bowls England (Governing bodies) are NOT third parties - but are part of the same organisation in this aspect), • let our members know in advance if reasonably required to pass the information on to anyone else; • not transfer Personal Data as defined by the Data Protection Act outside UK borders. • Store information securely and only for as long as necessary.

16. Member Indemnity
Each member of the Club shall (to the extent that such person is not entitled to recover under any policy of insurance) be entitled to be indemnified out of all funds available to the Club which may lawfully be so applied against all costs, expenses and liabilities whatsoever [reasonably] incurred by such person in the proper execution and discharge of duties undertaken on behalf of the Club arising there from, or incurred in good faith in the purported discharge of such duties save in any such case where any such costs, expenses and liabilities arise in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust.

17. Alteration of, or addition to Rules
No alteration of, or addition to, these Rules shall be made except at a General Meeting, and any notice of the proposed alterations or additions shall be given in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least 28 days prior to such Meeting.

All agreed alterations or additions shall be posted on the Notice Board until the next reprint.