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Tsawwassen Lawnbowling Club Constitution 

TSAWWASSEN LAWN BOWLING CLUB

 

 

“CONSTITUTION” 

 

Article  1     NAME

 

                    The Society shall be known as the Tsawwassen Lawn Bowling Club

  

Article  2    PURPOSE

 

                   The purpose of the Society is to provide and maintain the facilities necessary

                    to make a healthful, pleasant, recreational activity available to the

                   community through active participation in lawn bowling. This non-profit

                   organization is not and will not become a social club.

  

Article  3   DISSOLUTION

 

                  In the event of the winding up or dissolution of the Club, all the funds and

                  assets of the Club remaining after the payment or satisfaction of all costs,

                  charges, expenses, debts and liabilities of the Club shall be given, or

                  transferred and distributed to such organizations that are registered charities

                  pursuant to the provisions of the Income Tax Act that shall be designated by

                 the members of the Club at the time of the winding up or dissolution of the

                 Club.

 

                  The aforesaid Article shall be unalterable 

 

 TSAWWASSEN LAWN BOWLING CLUB BYLAWS 

 

Article 1.      INTERPRETATION

 

  1. In these Bylaws, unless the content otherwise dictates,

  1. “Active or Associate Member” means any member who is capable of participating in all the activities of this Club.

  2.  “Social Member” means any member who is unable to enjoy all the Benefits of Active or Associate membership.

  3. “Junior Member” means any member who is under the age of 19 years as of April 30.

  4. “Club” means Society within the meaning of the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia.

  5. “Director” means a member of the current Executive Board.

  6.  “Executive Board” or Board” takes the meaning shown in Article 4-paragraph 4.1  in the Bylaws

  7. “Officers” takes the meaning shown in Article 5, paragraph 5.1 in the Bylaws.

  8.  “Society Act” means the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia, from time to time in force, and all amendments to it.

  9.  “Registered address of member” means his address as recorded in the Register of Members.         

  10.  “Special resolution” means a resolution passed in General meeting by a majority of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the votes of those members of the Club who, being entitled to vote, do so in person.

 

  1. The definitions of the Society Act on the date these Bylaws become effective apply to those Bylaws. Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa, and words importing a male person include a female person and a corporation.

 

 

Article 2       MEMBERSHIP

 

  1. The members of this Club are the applicants for incorporation of the Club under the Society Act and include those persons who have subsequently become members in accordance with these Bylaws and in either case have not ceased to be members.

 

  1. There shall be four classes of members, that is, Active, Associate, Social and Junior.

 

  1. The Executive Board shall from time to time determine the requirements which must be met in order for a person to be granted membership as an Active, Associate, Social or Junior Member and shall make those requirements known to the membership. The Executive Board may grant an applicant membership either as an Active, Associate, Social or Junior Member.

 

  1. A member may apply to the Board in order to change his membership status from Active to Associate or to Social or vice versa.

  

  1. The Board may rule on the membership status of any member designating whether he is an Active, Associate, Social or Junior Member, subject to an appeal if requested by the member at a General meeting.

 

  1. Every member shall uphold the Constitution and comply with these Bylaws and Club rules.

 

  1. A person shall cease to be a member of the Club:

  1. By delivering his resignation in writing to the Secretary of the Club or by mailing or delivering it to the address of the Club.

  2. On his death, or in case of a corporation on dissolution.

  3. On being expelled by the Board.

  4. If he remains a member not in good standing over (12) consecutive months.

 

  1. If a member expelled by the Board appeals the Board’s action within fourteen (14)days of the event, the Board must issue a Notice of Special Resolution for Expulsion to be presented at a General meeting held within one (1) month of the request.

           

  1. The Notice of Special Resolution for Expulsion shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reason or reasons for the proposed expulsion.

 

  1. The person who is the subject of the proposed Resolution for Expulsion shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the General meeting before the Special Resolution is put to a vote.

 

  1. Any member who is suspended or expelled and fails in his appeal shall not be eligible for reinstatement until the next Annual General Meeting and shall forfeit all rights, dues and privileges of membership.

 

  1. All members are in good standing except a member who has failed to pay his current annual membership fee or any other subscription or debt due and owing by him to the Club by the due date, which shall be April 30 of

each year, and he is not in good standing as long as the debt remains unpaid.  Members not in good standing shall not be entitled to participate in Club activities, including bowling on the green, except with written permission of the Executive Board.

 

 Article 3      MEMBERSHIP DUES

 

          3.1   Annual membership fees shall be determined by the Executive  Board.

    

  1.   Membership fees must be paid by April 30 of each year.

 

 Article 4     EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

  1. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and seven (7) Standing Committee Chairmen.

 

  1. All Officers shall serve a one (1) year term of office.

 

  1. No member shall hold office as President for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

 

  1. After the initial year, all Standing Committee Chairmen shall serve a two (2) year term of office.

 

  1. The immediate Past President may be invited to attend Board meetings in an advisory capacity. He shall not vote nor be counted in any quorum.

 

  1. The Board may exercise all the powers and commit all the acts that the Club may exercise and commit and which are not by these Bylaws or by statute or otherwise lawfully directed or require to be exercised or done by the Club in General meeting, but subject nevertheless to:

  1. The Society Act.

  2. These Bylaws

  3. All other laws affecting the Club

  4. Rules not being consistent with these Bylaws which are made from time to time by the Club in General meetings.

 

  1. No rule made by the Club in a General meeting invalidates a prior act of this Board that would have been valid if that rule had not been made.

 

  1. The number of Directors shall be eleven (11) or a greater number as determined from time to time at a General meeting.

 

  1. The Board may at any time and from time to time appoint a Director to fill a vacancy in the Executive Board.

 

  1. A Director so appointed shall hold office only until the conclusion of the next following Annual General meeting of the club, but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.

 

  1. If a Director resigns his office or otherwise ceases to hold office, the remaining Board shall appoint a Director to take his place.

 

  1. No act or proceeding of the Board is invalid only by reason of there being less than the prescribed number of Directors in office.

 

  4.13 The members may, by Special Resolution passed in a General meeting, remove a Director before the expiration of his term of office and may elect a successor to complete the term of office.

 

 4.14  No Director shall be remunerated for being or acting as a Director, but a  Director shall be reimbursed for all expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by him while engaged in the affairs of the Club.

 

4.15   Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, the Board shall:

  1. Supervise and conduct all the general business of the Club.

  2. Suspend or expel any member for cause.

  3. Appoint any official umpire.

  4. Amend from time to time the ground rules governing play on the premises of the Club. The International Bowling Board laws shall be used to decide any issue not covered by the Club rules.

  5. Rule on any matter of policy that may arise between Extraordinary general, Semi -Annual or Annual General meetings.

 

4.16  The decision of the Board with respect to complaints of the membership,

   forwarded to them through the Secretary shall be final.

 

4.17  The Board shall form and determine the terms of reference of any Executive Committee as the need arises.

 

 

Article 5   OFFICERS

 

  1. The Officers of the Club shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer.

 

 

Article 6   DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

  1. The President shall

  1. Preside at all General and Executive Board meetings.

  2. Supervise the other Directors in the execution of their duties in the capacity of the Chief Executive Officer.

  3. Be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

  4. Appoint all committee chairmen except the Nominating Committee chairman and those elected under Article 7.1 and 7.2

 

  1. The Vice President shall carry out the duties of the President in his absence.

 

  1. The Secretary shall:

  1. Conduct the correspondence of the Club.

  2.  Issue notices of all General and Board meetings.

  3. Keep minutes of all General and Board meeting.

  4. Have custody of all records and documents of the Club except those required to be kept by the Treasurer.

  5. Maintain the Register of Members.

  6. Receive complaints of the membership and submit them to the Board for decision.

 

  1. The Treasurer shall:

  1. Receive all monies payable to the Club and deposit same in the name of the Club in a Chartered Bank, Trust Company or Credit Union duly authorized by the Board

  2. Pay all accounts and bills of the Club by check signed by any two of the President,Vice President and Treasurer.

  3. Keep the financial records, including books of account, necessary to comply with the Society Act.

  4. Render financial statements to the Board, members and others when required.

 

  1. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by one person who shall be known as the Secretary/Treasurer.

 

 

Article 7    COMMITTEES

 

          7.1    There shall be seven (7) Standing Committees:

  1. Coaching

  2. Entertainment

  3. Fund Raising

  4. Games

  5. Greenskeeping

  6. House

  7. Membership/Publicity

 

7.2    The Standing Committee chairmen shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

 

7.3   Standing Committee chairmen shall appoint as required members of their committee.

 

7.4   Special Committees and other Standing Committees may be appointed by the President as circumstances may require.

 

7.5  Standing and Special Committees shall report to the Executive Board.

  

Article 8    MEETINGS

 

  1. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of October on a date set by the Board at a time and place specified in the Notice of Meeting.

    

  1. The Semi-Annual General Meeting shall be held in April on a date set by the Board at a time and place specified in the Notice of Meeting

 

  1. At all General Meetings:

  1. The President of the Club, or in his absence the Vice President shall preside as Chairman. If neither the President nor Vice President be present the members present shall choose one of their numbers to be Chairman of the meeting.

  2. The quorum shall be twenty percent (20%) of the membership and shall not at any time be less than three (3) persons.

  3. Each Active or Associate member present and in good standing shall have one (1) vote.

  4. The chairman shall not vote except to exercise the casting vote.

  5. Voting by Proxy shall not be permitted.

  6. Questions shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the members, except votes taken on Special Resolutions.

  7. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by a minimum of five (5) persons.

  8. A secret ballot shall also be required during elections if two or more persons are nominated for the same office.

  9. Every General meeting other than a Semi-Annual or Annual General meeting is an Extraordinary General meeting.

  

  1. The Board shall be bound to call a General meeting without delay on receiving a requisition signed by ten percent (10%) or more of the voting members of the Club.

 

  1. The Board at its discretion, may call an Extraordinary general meeting when in its opinion, any question of urgent importance shall arise.

 

  1. At all Board meetings

  1. The quorum shall be six (6)

  2. The immediate Past President shall not vote nor be counted in the quorum.

  3. The President shall not vote except to exercise the casting vote.

  4. Motions need not be seconded.

  5. The Chairman may make motions and speak in discussion.

 

Article 9    NOTICE OF MEETINGS

 

9.1   The Secretary shall, at least fourteen (14) clear days before the proposed date

        of any General meeting, give notice to all members of the place, date and time

        of such meeting, personally, by mail to him at his registered address or by

        email to him at his email address if one has been given to the Club by the

        member.

 9.2   A Notice of Meeting sent by mail shall be deemed to have been given on the  second day following that on which the Notice is posted, and in proving that notice is properly addressed and put in a Canada Post receptacle and, if sent by

       email, on the day after the email was sent.

 

   9.3   Notice of General meeting shall be given to:

  1. Every member shown on the Register of Members in good standing on the day notice is given.

  2. The Auditor if an auditor has been appointed.

 

9.4   No other person is entitled to receive a Notice of the General meeting. 

 

Article 10    NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

 

10.1  A Nominating Committee of three members shall be appointed by the Board  not later than the first day of August each year for the purpose of selecting a slate of nominations for the succeeding Executive Board.

 

10.2  The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall normally be the immediate Past President or the outgoing President, as determined by the Executive Board.

 

10.3  The Nominating Committee shall ensure each of their nominees accept their nomination before issuing their report.

 

10.4  Commencing on the first day and ending on the fourteenth of August each year, mbers at large may also submit nominations for office to the Secretary, who  will post them in the clubroom.

 

10.5  Members must have assurance of their nominee’s willingness to serve in office  before submitting his name to the Secretary.

 

10.6  The report of the Nominating Committee, together with those names of the  candidates submitted by members at large, must be circulated with the Notice of the Annual General meeting.

 

10.7  The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall present the names of all Committee nominees and those of members at large in alphabetical order for  election at the Annual General meeting.

  

10.8   The Nominating Committee Chairman, after calling for and receiving all nominations from the floor, shall declare nominations closed.

 

10.9   Separate elections shall be held for each office to be filled. Nominees shall be elected by plurality vote.

 

       10.10 When there is only one nominee for an office, the President shall declare that nominee elected by acclamation.

 

10.11 When two or more persons are nominated for the same office, members shall elect the candidate of their choice by ballot.

 

10.12  If no successor is elected the person previously elected or appointed shall continue to hold office. 

 

10.13  Each Active or Associate member in good standing shall have one vote in elections.

 

10.14   Social members shall not vote in elections. 

 

Article 11    REGISTER OF MEMBERS

 

11.1   The Secretary shall maintain a Register of Members indicating the members 

  1. Full name and resident address (including Postal Code)

  2. Date of admission as a member

  3. Date of cessation as a member

  4. Class of membership.

 

11.2   It shall be the responsibility of the member to inform the Secretary of any changes of address.

 

 

 

Article 12    ALTERATION OF BYLAWS

 

12.1  The Club may change its Bylaws by a Special Resolution and the resolution is  effective on the date of its acceptance by the Registrar as being in compliance with the Society Act, providing that if the resolution is accepted by the  Registrar and a later date is specified in a resolution, it shall become effective on the later date.

  

Article 13    BORROWING

 

13.1  In order to carry out the purpose of the Club, the Board may, on behalf of and  in the name of the Club, raise or secure payment or replacement of money in  the manner it decides, and in particular, but without limiting the foregoing, by 

         issuance of debentures.

 

13.2  No debenture shall be issued without the sanction of a Special Resolution.

 

13.3  The members may, by Special Resolution, restrict the borrowing powers of the  Board, but a restriction so imposed shall expire at the next Annual General  Meeting. 

 

Article 14    ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY

 

14.1  The Club may acquire property, real and personal and dispose of same in accordance with the Society Act.

 

 Article 15    CUSTODY AND USE OF SEAL

 

15.1  The Board may provide for a Common Seal of the Club and may destroy a Seal and substitute a new Seal in its place.

 

15.2  The Common Seal shall be kept in the custody of the Treasurer and shall be affixed only when authorized by a resolution of the Board and then only in the presence of persons prescribed in the resolution or if no persons are prescribed,  in the presence of the Treasurer and one of either the President or Vice  President.

 

 Article 16    FISCAL YEAR

 

16.1  The fiscal year of the Club shall begin on the first day of October and end on the last day of the succeeding September in each year.

 

Article 17    AUDITOR

 

17.1  The first Auditor shall be appointed by the Board who shall also fill all vacancies occurring in the office of the Auditor.

 

 

17.2  At each Annual General Meeting  the Club shall appoint an Auditor to hold  office until he is re-appointed or his successor is appointed at the next Annual General Meeting.

 

17.3  The Auditor may be removed by ordinary resolution.

 

17.4  No Director and no employee of the Club shall be Auditor.

 

17.5  The Auditor may attend General meetings.

 

17.6  All documents including accounting records of the Club shall be open to the inspection of a Director or member on reasonable notice to the Club.     

 

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