Internal Rules (amended 10th April 2022)

1. NAME:
The name of the Club shall be the Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club (hereinafter called ‘The Club’) with the address Calle Holanda 13, Gran Alacant, 03130 Santa Pola, Alicante (Junto Plaza Centro Commercial Monte Mar.)
2. OBJECTS:
The object of the Club shall be to promote and foster the game of flat green bowling and other sporting, leisure and social activities.
3. AFFILIATION:
The Club shall be affiliated to the Levante Lawn Bowls (LLB formally CBBA) and registered with the Federation Teritorial Valencia de Bolas, the latter whose Statutes shall govern the Club.

4. MEMBERSHIP:
a) The Management Committee, hereinafter called ‘The Committee’ shall be empowered to admit applicants to the Club, upon written application, but such application may be refused at the discretion of the Committee. Membership runs from 1st September to 31st August. Members who wish to rejoin must do so between 1st September and 30th September each year.

b) If membership be withdrawn for whatever reason, the Member concerned may reapply for membership on the 1st September of the following bowling year(s) when Rule (4(a) of the Internal Rules shall apply.

c) All members should respect whatever decisions their Committee make for the good running of the Club.

d) Life Members may be appointed where the person so nominated has been a Member of the Club AND/OR has been exceptionally supportive to the Club – such nominations may be considered by the Management Committee and be decided by a majority decision at a General Meeting.
e) A list of Club members shall be maintained by the Membership Secretary, Treasurer and Secretary.

f) Social media sites are not to be used to make offensive or other unfair comments about the Committee or other Club members.
5. PRESIDENTS:
Under the Spanish Constitution the Chairman is legally the President.

6. MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB:

a) The Club shall be managed by a Committee which includes Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Captain, Vice-Captain, Club Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Competition Secretary, Membership Secretary, Press Officer..
b) The Committee shall be elected by a secret majority vote at the A.G.M., which will be held in early April each year. In the case of a draw the candidate pronounced as winner will be the one with the longest unbroken membership. All Committee Members shall be eligible for re-election for a term of office of one (1) year. (Constitution Articles 25 and 56 apply). The Committee shall have the power to co-opt further persons as a member of the Committee.

c) Social members will be allowed to vote on all matters, including those which are exclusively bowling issues, at an EGM or an AGM.

d) The Committee shall have the power to propose alterations to these Rules of the Club, providing they are consistent with the Constitution (Estatutos) and Rules of the Club. Such Rule changes shall be posted on the Club notice board and shall be binding on all Members and agreed at the next General Meeting.

e) Open Forums may be called by the Committee or by written request to the Club Secretary from at least ten percent (10%) of the voting Members. They will be advised as soon as possible of the outcome.

f) The owners should be invited to attend Committee Meetings and any other meeting where it is felt that their presence is necessary or desirable.

g) Agreements and discussions between the Club and the owners shall be conducted by at least two (2) Members of the Committee, one of which should be the Chairman. There should also be an interpreter present. Members wishing matters to be referred to the owners should request the Committee to take appropriate steps. The Committee has sole discretion as to what matters are so referred.

h) Members wishing to be considered for the Committee must be a current member of the club.

7. MEETINGS:
a) The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held annually during early April. It shall be open to all currently paid-up Members of the Club. They shall be given at least fourteen (14) days notice of the date of the meeting.

b) The following business shall be conducted at an Annual General Meeting (Constitution Article 20):
To Elect the Chairman and Committee by means of a personal free, direct and secret vote of members present.

i) Presentation of Reports and Accounts,

ii) Election of Officers,

iii) Election of Auditors.
c) Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Committee OR on the written request of at least ten percent (10%) of the Membership with a right to vote. They shall state the reason for calling such a meeting and this will be the only item(s) for discussion. (Constitution Articles 19 and 21)

d) The Secretary shall give at least fourteen (14) days notice of all General Meetings by posting a notice on the Club Notice Board.

e) All nominations for the management Committee must be in writing with the Secretary fourteen (14) days prior to the General Meeting. Proxy votes will be limited to two(2) per Member.

f) Members wishing to suggest alterations to these Rules shall give notice, in writing, to the Secretary of the Club at least fourteen (14) days prior to the General Meeting. The Committee may also suggest rule changes which must be accepted by a majority vote at the AGM.
g) That the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting be available at the first Committee Meeting for perusal.

h) Any Member of the Club who represents the Committee on External Committees is to be invited to give a report at the start of the monthly Committee Meetings where possible.

8. FIXTURES AND COMPETITIONS:

a) The Match Secretary should arrange internal club events, matches with touring teams and inter-club matches other than league matches. In addition the Match Secretary would arrange for notice of any club days at least fourteen days before the change. The Competition Secretary will arrange the Club Championships and the entries for the Champion of Champions.

b) Details of all fixtures and competitions will be published on the notice boards for members’ perusal for at least fourteen (14) days before those fixtures and competitions.

c) All open tournaments and internal competitions shall be subject to the Rules of the L.L.B (formally CBBA), the Governing Body, whichever shall apply and in accordance with the rules of the World Bowls Board.

d) Entry fees, as agreed by the Committee, will be paid to the relevant Match or Competition Secretary prior to the commencement of the first game. These fees will be used to defray any costs incurred and to provide trophies or awards as authorized by the Committee.

e) The formats and rules for internal competitions will be agreed with the Competition Secretary and the Bowling Sub-Committee.

9. CONDITIONS OF PLAY:
a) Club Days shall be Tuesdays and Thursdays unless otherwise stated by the Committee.

b) All players are required to be suitably attired. Club Days white or cream must be worn above the waist and grey or light coloured below the waist. League Games, matches against other Clubs, domestic championship finals – all white or cream must be worn.

GENTLEMEN: Shirts or tops with collars, trousers or shorts of a reasonable length and design.

LADIES: Blouses or tops (not low cut) with collar, skirts, trousers, culottes or shorts of a reasonable length and design.

For all Club Matches, League Matches and Domestic Championships, Ladies will wear Club cravats, it will be optional for Men to wear Club ties. For the Winter League a shirt specifically designed for that League must be worn. (No ties or cravats necessary).
Tracksuits, shell suits or jeans are not permitted at any time.

c) Members and Visitors must wear flat heel-less footwear with smooth soles. No other form of footwear or bowling in bare feet is acceptable.

d) Smoking including e-cigarettes or other electronic devices will not be permitted anywhere inside the entrance to the green, or on the green.

e) Bowlers property on the green, or within the Sports Complex, is their responsibility. The Club will not be responsible for any loss or damage howsoever arising.

10. SOCIAL MEMBERS AND VISITORS:

a) Social members and visitors who are not fully paid up bowling members may be permitted to play on the rinks. Social members and non-affiliated visitors are not permitted to reserve a rink in advance. Social members and visitors must pay the appropriate green fees and may have on loan bowls and footwear, subject to making a donation to the defibrillator fund. They are required to wear the correct clothing in accordance with the rules of the club. The social members and visitors may take part in the bowling activities of the club except for league games or unless local competition rules state otherwise until their application to become a bowling member has been approved and membership fees have been paid in full.

b) The Club Members, guests and visitors who are known bowlers may bowl in ‘Fun Days’ .

11. SUB-COMMITTEES
a) Bowling: Decisions made by the Bowling Sub-Committee are to be ratified by the Management Committee. Members of the Bowling Sub Committee must be 12 month members.
League teams need to have Captains and Vice-Captains and provide details of these to the LLB before the league seasons begin. In order to comply with the requirements of the LLB at least one of the selection panel of any team must be able to complete all pre and post-game documentation and keep reasonable records.

Notices requesting nominations for the team Captains and Vice Captains will be posted by the Club Captain and/or the Vice-Captain. If there is more than one nomination for the post(s) a squad meeting will be arranged to elect the successful applicant.

Selection panels for each team will comprise the team Captain, the Vice-Captain and a third selector. In order to ensure that as many of the squad as possible take a turn in choosing teams the third selector will be invited from the squad for the current selection meeting. This should ensure that there is a different third selector for each selection meeting and, whenever possible, the same squad member should not be used for two consecutive meetings.

If the Team Captain or Vice-Captain is missing for a selection meeting, then two squad members will be invited to select at that meeting. If both team Captain and Vice-Captain are missing, then the matter will be referred to the Club Captain for consideration by the Bowling Sub Committee.

Escalation Procedure: Any problems and/or conflicts with team selection should firstly be referred to the team Captain and Vice-Captain. If this does not resolve the problem, then it should be referred to the Bowling Sub Committee via the Club Captain.
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b) The Social Sub Committee will consist of two members of the Management Committee and a minimum of two fully paid up members of the Club. The Sub Committee may co-opt additional member(s) if it was felt necessary.

c) Any Sub Committee created by the Management Committee will consist of two members of the Management Committee and a number of fully paid up members of the Club, the number of which will be determined by the Management Committee at the time

12. FINANCIAL MATTERS:

a) The financial affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee. The Treasurer will present a Financial Report to the Members at a Committee Meeting, the A.G.M. or, if required, at an E.G.M.

b) A Bank Account will be maintained for the Club and two (2) of the three (3) authorised signatures
will be required for payment of cheques and withdrawal of monies for Club business.

c) No payment will be made to any Member except for out of pocket expenses or any other Management approved services, such payments to be authorised by the Treasurer.

d) In the event of the Club dissolution, and after all debts and liabilities have been paid, the remaining assets shall NOT be shared amongst the Members but by resolution, be given to another such voluntary organization (Constitution Article 43 refers).

13. JOINING FEE/ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION:

a) These shall be determined by the Committee and shall become payable from 1st September to 30th September in each year. If Membership renewals have not been completed by 30th September then Membership will be deemed to have lapsed. Members will therefore have to re-apply as a new Member. All new members will have their applications reviewed by the Committee for approval.
b) Club Membership/Social fees to be paid by all members.

14. DISCIPLINE:

All matters concerning disciplines are covered by Constitution Article 15c) 24, 45 and 58.

15. ADMINISTRATION:

a) Minutes shall be taken of all meetings of the Committee and General Meetings and held by the Secretary, all of which shall be available for examination by Club Members and posted on the notice board.