NORFOLK COUNTY SHORT MAT BOWLS ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

1.                    TITLE

a)                    The Association shall be called the Norfolk County Short Mat  Bowling Association (N.C.S.M.B.A)

b)                    It shall be affiliated to the English Short Mat Bowling Association

  (E.S.M.B.A), who shall be the governing body.

2.         OBJECTS    

               a)                To foster, promote and encourage the sport of short mat bowling

                                  within the county of Norfolk under the guidelines, rules and 

                                  regulations of the E.S.M.B.A.

b)                To control, administer and promote Leagues and Competitions within

                  the County on behalf of its Member Clubs.

c)                 To arrange Matches and/or Competitions with other Short Mat

                                  Bowling Associations or Leagues for the promotion of the sport or for

                                  the benefit of its Member Clubs.

d)                To liaise with its governing body and act at all times in the interest of

                  its Member Clubs.

3.             MEMBERSHIP

a)                    Membership of the N.C.S.M.B.A shall be open to all clubs playing the

   game of Short Mat Bowls in Norfolk as well as any clubs whose geographical situation makes it appropriate under 3(g) of the           E.S.M.B.A Constitution.

b)                   Individual players of such Member Clubs must be registered to the 

  N.C.S.M.B.A & the E.S.M.B.A.

c)                    Any individuals who wish to be registered as players with the

   N.C.S.M.B.A & E.S.M.B.A but are not members of a Member Club

   may apply through the N.C.S.M.B.A Membership Secretary but any

                                   such individual granted registration will not be entitled to voting rights

                                   at any meetings held by the N.C.S.M.B.A as membership of the

                                  Association is restricted to Member Clubs.

4.             FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

a)                  A yearly subscription shall be fixed at each N.C.S.M.B.A Annual

  General Meeting for all Member Clubs and individual players.

b)                 Any Member Club, or individual player, who has not paid their

  subscriptions by the 1^st October in any year will forfeit all rights and privileges until the whole of the arrears have been paid.

5.             ADMINISTRATION AND STRUCTURE

a)                    The Office Bearers of the Association will be elected each year at the

  Annual General Meeting. The members shall hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting at which they are     appointed to the conclusion of the following Annual General Meeting.

b)                   Office Bearers of the Association

  President, Vice-President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary,

  Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Membership

  Secretary, Assistant Membership Secretary, Competition Secretary,

  Assistant Competition Secretary, Press & Web Secretary, Assistant

  Press & Web Secretary, Records Secretary, Umpires Officer, Safeguarding Officer, Assistant Safeguarding Officer

c)                   The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a Management

  Committee.

d)                   The Management Committee shall consist of the Office Bearers and

  two delegates from each of the recognised leagues formed which are the Breckland League, The Bure League, The City of Norwich    League, The Coastal League, The N.C.S.M.B.A Summer League, The South Norfolk League, The Tens League, The Thurne League & the  Wensum League.

e)                    Five Office Bearers must be present at any meeting to form a quorum.

f)                    The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy.

g)                    The Management Committee shall have the power to set up special Sub-Committees at any time to deal with specific matters.

h)                   The Management Committee shall have the power to elect any suitable person to serve on any such Sub-Committee.

i)                     Each Member of the Management Committee present other than the Chairman shall have one vote. The Chairman at the Meeting shall    have a casting vote.

j)                     A Register of Attendance at all Meetings shall be kept and submitted for scrutiny at every Annual Meeting.

k)                   The Management Committee or Sub-Committee(s) shall meet as often as business of the Association requires. The Secretary shall  consult with the Chairman and give as much notice as possible to those entitled to attend.

l)                    Recognised Leagues must provide the N.C.S.M.B.A with a copy of their Constitution for the N.C.S.M.B.A records. Any such League must notify the N.C.S.M.B.A of any changes to their Constitution and provide a copy of the revised Constitution within 140 days of any change.

m)                Any League formed that wishes to be recognised by the N.C.S.M.B.A must in the first instance apply to the N.C.S.M.B.A for recognition and provide a copy of their Constitution. If the N.C.S.M.B.A Management Committee supports that application the N.C.S.M.B.A Management Committee will submit a motion to add the Leagues name to 5d of the Constitution for the following Norfolk A.G.M.

6.            ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

          a)                 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in June each year. Twenty-                      

                              one (21) days notice shall be given by the Secretary to all Member   

                              Clubs.

          b)                 The Annual and Special General Meetings shall be open to all Member

                              Clubs and individuals registered as players with the N.C.S.M.B.A.          

                              Each Member Club shall be entitled to send two (2) delegates with the power to vote.

In the event of equality of voting the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote. 

Proxy voting will not be allowed and only the votes cast on the day will count.

c)    Notices of Motions and Nominations for Officers must be received by

The Secretary on or before the last day of March in each year. If no valid Nominations have been submitted by the end of March then they may be made on the day of the meeting.

d)                 A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the Management Committee. A Special General Meeting must also be called by the Secretary within 56 days of the receipt by the Secretary of a request for such a meeting supported by at least twelve (12) Member Clubs.

            e)               The notice calling for a Special General Meeting must specify the

                              purpose for which it has been called and no other business shall be

                              transacted.

7.              THE SECRETARY

a)               The Secretarys’ position shall be honorary. The Secretary shall keep a record of all business transacted at all meetings.

b)               The Secretary shall submit a report at the Annual General Meeting of

 all the relevant business conducted by the Association for the past year.

8.              THE TREASURER

                               The Treasurer’s position shall be honorary. The Treasurer shall submit

                               a  Financial statement to the Annual General Meeting which has been

                              duly audited and must be prepared to answer any questions relating to

                              the financial affairs of the Association. The financial year will end

                              3oth April.

9.              DISPUTES AND APPEALS

a)             Any Member Club, official of the County or individual may charge another Member Club or official of the County or individual under one  of the headings below – subject to the Committee agreeing that there is a case to answer.

· Unsporting behaviour

· Misconduct

· Violent Conduct

· Conduct deemed likely to bring the sport into disrepute

b)               On receipt in writing, any charge, claim or complaint will be dealt with

  in accordance with the E.S.M.B.A Disciplinary Procedure.

c)                Any charge will be heard by a Committee of three nominated by the

Chairman and that committee will act on behalf of, and in the name of, the N.C.S.M.B.A Management Committee. No person involved in the

complaint or alleged offence or with direct connections with the

complainant or alleged offender shall sit on this Committee.

d)               The Committee of the N.C.S.M.B.A will conduct any disciplinary

matters delegated by the E.S.M.B.A in accordance with the rules of

the E.S.M.B.A Disciplinary Procedure.

e)              Any appeal against the decision of the Norfolk County

Committee must be lodged with the E.S.M.B.A in accordance

With the E.S.M.B.A Appeals Procedure.

f)               Any breach of the County Squad Code of Conduct may be dealt

with by the Team Manager not through the above procedure.

Players can appeal against the Team Manager’s decision by lodging an appeal in writing to the Secretary. Any appeal will be heard by a

Committee of three appointed by the Chairman and will be conducted in accordance with the E.S.M.B.A Appeals Procedure. 

10.            SEVERANCE OF MEMBERSHIP

a)              The Management Committee shall have the power to suspend or

  terminate the membership of any Club.

b)             The Management Committee shall have the power to suspend or

  terminate the registration of any Individual Player.

11.            CONDITIONS OF PLAY

                               The E.S.M.B.A Laws of the Game shall apply to all games. These rules

                               can be varied or modified to enable the easier running of any Competition.

                               Any such modifications may only be done with the approval of the

                               Association and will only apply to that Competition or League.

12.            ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

                               Changes to the Constitution shall require a majority of at least two thirds of

                               the votes cast.

13.            POWERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

                               The Management Committee shall have the power to interpret the rules and

                               Constitution of the N.C.S.M.B.A and deal with all matters not specifically 

                               provided therein.

14.            NOTICE OF CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT PROTECTION   

                POLICY

                                Norfolk County Short Mat Bowls Association fully accepts its legal and

                                moral obligation to exercise its duty of care and to protect all children and

                                vulnerable adults participating in its activities, and to safeguard their welfare.

                                 We are committed to do this by acknowledging that:

                                 ·  the welfare of the individual is paramount;

                                 ·  each individual irrespective of age, gender, religion, race or disability has

                                    the right to protection from abuse;

                                 ·  each individual has a right to be safe, and to be treated with respect and

                                    dignity.

                                    We shall use our best endeavours to ensure that:

                                 ·  all allegations of abuse are taken seriously;

                                 ·  the response to them is swift and appropriate;

                                 ·  the effectiveness of our policy is reviewed annually;

                                 ·  a responsible person shall be appointed annually as Safeguarding Officer

                                    to whom members can address any concern.

                                    The N.C.S.M.B.A is committed to promoting a safe environment in which

                                    children and vulnerable adults can enjoy taking part in short mat bowls.

                                    The Safeguarding Officer and the Assistant Safeguarding Officer shall have                    

                                    the right to keep confidential any information regarding allegations made or

                                    received without having the requirement to bring the matters to the attention

                                    of the Management Committee.              

    APPENDIX TO NORFOLK C.S.M.B.A CONSTITUTION

For the information and reference of Norfolk C.S.M.B.A Member Clubs, Recognised Leagues & registered players

THE PROCEDURE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NORFOLK COUNTY TEAM MANAGER AND ASSISTANT MANAGER

The post of Norfolk County Team Manager, which can be a playing or non-playing role, is a two-year appointment starting on April 1^st 2000 and appointed every two years thereafter. All clubs affiliated to the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A will be notified in writing by the seventh of January of the year in which the post is due to be filled. Applications for the post must be received by the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A Secretary by the seventh of February. The only exception to this will be the current holder of the post whose application will be assumed unless the Secretary is informed otherwise. Applicants may be requested to attend an interview that will be conducted by the Management Committee. The Management Committee will then vote on the position of the County Team Manager.

VOTING PROCEDURE FOR THE COUNTY TEAM MANAGER

All applicants take part in the first round of voting. When this is complete the lowest scoring candidate will drop out and the process will continue until there are only two candidates left. There will then be a straight vote between these candidates to determine the winner. If, however, one candidate receives 51% of the vote in any round of voting the process will stop and that candidate will be declared the winner. If the Management Committee is of the opinion that they do not have a suitable candidate for the post of County Manager they may appoint a caretaker Manager with a view to filling the post at the earliest opportunity. Any proposal made that no suitable candidate has applied must be made prior to the first round of voting. All voting for the position of County Manager will be by means of a written ballot.

APPOINTMENT OF THE ASSISTANT MANAGER

Following the appointment of the County Team Manager, the Management Committee will appoint the Assistant County Team Manager. This post will run for the same two-year period as the County Team Manager. The Management Committee will consult with the successful applicant for the Team Manager’s post before appointing the Assistant Team Manager.

Procedure adopted 5-5-99

Amended 17-9-03, 9-11-05 & 20-1-10

NORFOLK COUNTY TEAM MANAGER – JOB DESCRIPTION

1.                   To select the Norfolk County Squad (within the boundaries outlined in the Norfolk County Squad Selection Procedure set by the Management Committee) prior to the commencement of each winter season and issue squad list to the Norfolk Secretary prior to the opening match.

2.                   To be ultimately responsible for selecting both Norfolk Premier and “A” teams in the winter season and for selecting the Norfolk team in the summer.

3.                   To ensure players selected for matches are aware of their selection and any travel arrangements for games.

4.                   To liaise with the E.S.M.B.A Inter-County Competition Secretary.

5.                   To ensure that once the E.S.M.B.A fixture lists are published all home venues are booked without delay.

6.                   To ensure that result sheets and scorecards are available for county games and that they are correctly completed.

7.                   To liaise with opposing teams point of contact concerning venues, meals and refreshments as well as any other matters relating to games and to liaise with Lakeside regarding meal requirements.

8.                   To ensure squad members receive a copy of the County Squad Code of Conduct prior to the start of the winter season.

9.                   To deal with any minor infringement of this code by any player and take appropriate action in conjunction with the Assistant Manager and County Captain. In the event of what the Manager decides is a serious breach of the code of conduct, the Manager will report the matter to the Management Committee of the Association for their consideration.

10.                A scale of charges relating to playing and travelling are currently in operation. The County Team Manager will arrange a meeting with the Assistant Manager and the County Captain prior to each winter season to review this scale.

11.                To ensure that all squad members and the County Secretary are supplied with a copy of charges prior to each winter season.

12.                To appoint a County Captain and Vice Captain prior to each winter season.

13.                To liaise with the County Treasurer on County fund matters including banking, payments, receipts etc and to supply paperwork to County Treasurer as required as well as ensuring a raffle takes place at home games for fundraising purposes.

14.                To supply result information to Press Officer after each game.

15.                To supply I.T Officer with selected teams to post on website.

16.                To provide County Manager’s Reports for N.C.S.M.B.A Committee Meetings and for the Norfolk A.G.M.

17.                To ensure that the Competition Secretary is supplied with county squad invitations for presentation to County Champions at presentation ceremonies.

18.                To liaise with the N.C.S.M.B.A Management Committee regarding any entries into the E.S.M.B.A organized Inter-County Competitions.

NORFOLK COUNTY SQUAD SELECTION PROCEDURE

1.             All Norfolk County Champions from previous winter season to receive invitation.

2.             Any Norfolk registered England National Champions from previous winter season to receive invitations.

3.             Any Norfolk registered current England squad members to receive invitations.

4.             The Top 30 players in the County Squad Qualification Points List issued at the end of  the previous winter season to receive invitations. The remainder of squad places to be made up by direct selection by the County Team Manager.

NORFOLK COUNTY SQUAD CODE OF CONDUCT

The following requirements apply to all Norfolk County Team Squad Members

Disciplinary action may be taken against any Norfolk County Team Squad Member who fails to comply with these requirements

CONDUCT

Norfolk County Squad Members must

(a) at all times behave in an impeccable manner, show courtesy to opposing teams, fellow team players, management and spectators, including whilst using social networking sites

(b) play to current ESMBA rules, or as modified for the event, and not manipulate rules to gain advantage

(c) without question accept all umpiring and line decisions, and not deliberately time waste

(d) play in a competitive manner, but be fair and sporting

(e) accept all Team Management decisions, including the right to change or move players

DRESS

As detailed below, or such other dress as jointly agreed by the Norfolk County President, the Norfolk County Team Manager and the Norfolk County Assistant Team Manager

(a) Male dress tailored mid grey trousers, white shirt with collar, Norfolk County tie (currently green)

(b) Female Dress mid grey skirt (not split or above the knee) or tailored mid grey trousers or culottes, white blouse, Norfolk County cravat (currently green)

All selected team players must comply with the above dress requirements and in addition after playing their third game for a Norfolk County Team, will wear a Norfolk County blazer (currently green)

After playing their third game for a Norfolk County Team, the player will be presented with County colours, either in the form of a badge, which must be appropriately attached to the blazer, or a framed certificate. No more than four lapel or similar badges may be worn.

EQUIPMENT

Only current Norfolk County bowls stickers may be attached to bowls whilst playing for a Norfolk County Team. No other bowls stickers are allowed.

MATCH DAY

On match days, selected team players must

(a) dress immaculately, including whilst travelling to and from the match venue

(b) be in a fit state to bowl at the high level expected of Norfolk County players

(c) arrive at the match venue by the time indicated by the Team Management, and to be punctual for agreed travel arrangements  

MOBILE PHONE AND PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

All such equipment may not be used in halls or areas used for matches, and must be switched off or silent. The use of such equipment is only permitted away from these playing areas.

(above code amended 22-2-12 and as amended on 14-5-12)

NCSMBA Policy on League Committee Officers and League Delegates

Only NCSMBA registered players can serve as Officers on any League Committee formed to administer Leagues consisting solely of Member Clubs of the NCSMBA. Only NCSMBA registered players can serve as Officers, or League delegates, on the NCSMBA Management Committee.

NCSMBA Policy on copyright of NCSMBA information published on web-sites.

Copyright of league tables, league results and cup results is retained by the NCSMBA. Any recognized Norfolk League or Member Club is allowed to freely publish it’s results and tables on any web-site it wishes but it must be made clear to any web-site owner or web-master that the NCSMBA retains copyright of all such information. Any such web-site owner or web-master should confirm their acceptance of this fact in writing to the league or club concerned and a copy sent to the NCSMBA Secretary to be kept on file.

For Information of Casual Users of NCSMBA Equipment

1.                   Contact the County Chairman, Selwyn Goldsmith, to check if any other short mat bowls event is arranged at Lakeside, and if the equipment is available, on the proposed date of your event.

2.                   All arrangements for your event must then be made directly with Lakeside Country Club. Contact Alex Manson 01603-879443

3.                   A letter should then be sent to the Norfolk Secretary, Jane Frary, requesting use of the equipment.

4.                   YOU MUST arrange with a key-holder to obtain a key for the equipment box that contains the jacks, blocks and foot-mats. Please note; Lakeside do not hold a spare key for this box. There have been two previous occasions when casual users have failed to arrange to obtain a key for the box and have then forced entry and damaged the lock. If this occurs again the user will be charged for replacement of the lock and keys and the repair of the box if necessary.

5.                   Please note where items of equipment are stored when removing them from the storeroom. Ensure that items are put back in the same locations after use. All Verde mats are numbered (in the ditch area) and also have their own numbered covers. They must be put back in their own covers to avoid inconvenience to other users. Mats must be correctly rolled up so that they do not sustain any damage when in storage.

6.                   Leagues/clubs/individuals are responsible for the equipment while in their care and for ensuring all equipment is correctly stored away after use. Please take care not to mix Norfolk’s short mat bowls equipment with Lakeside’s own equipment. It is advisable to move any Lakeside equipment such as delivery mats and jacks away from the rinks you are using before getting out NCSMBA equipment.

Equipment Box Keyholders