RULES

RULE 1. TITLE   

a)   The name of the Association shall be 

       'The South Yorkshire County Crown Green Bowling Association'.

RULE 2. AIMS     

a)   The objects of the Association shall be to organise and encourage competition bowling on any day of the season.  Bowling    throughout South Yorkshire will be prohibited on County Match days exceptions may be considered by the South Yorkshire County          Management Committee.

RULE 3. ADMINISTRATION         

a)     The Association shall be governed by an Executive Management Committee, which shall be elected annually and shall consist of    a President, Deputy-President, Registrar, Secretary, Treasurer, Competition Secretary, County Coaching/Development Officer,             Safeguarding Officer, County Referee Representative, B.C.G.B.A. Management Representative and three representatives from each         District.  Life Members shall be considered ex-officio members of the South Yorkshire County Management Committee, with power to vote, as long as they take an active interest in the Association but must attend at least three meetings per year.

b)    Nominees for the above posts to be sent to the secretary 28 days before the January Annual General Meeting.

c)    The Secretary shall send post by e-mail where possible if not possible use second class post.

d)     The three representatives from each District shall make up the South Yorkshire County Management Committee.  Their respective District shall nominate the three representatives at the January Annual General Meeting. The President and Secretary to be in attendance at all meetings, and the Deputy-President and Competition Secretary to stand in for their absence.

e)     Dates shall be fixed at the beginning of each season for all South Yorkshire County Management Committee Meetings.  At least two from the three delegates from each district to be in attendance, unless by a valid reason. Districts who fail to comply with this rule to be fined £5.00 for each meeting not attended.                

f)     At South Yorkshire County Management Committee Meetings, six members being present shall form a quorum.                

g)     Life members may only be elected at a Annual General  Meeting of the Association.                

h)    The accounts of the Association shall be audited annually and a printed copy of the Balance Sheet sent to the Secretary of each Club or Organisation in Membership, together with a notice of the General Meeting at least seven days prior to the date agreed upon by the South Yorkshire County Management Committee..                

i)      As a General Rule the South Yorkshire County Management Committee may delegate any business to a Special Committee of the South Yorkshire County Management Committee except in the case of the ‘Selection of County Teams.’

RULE 4. COUNTY TEAM SELECTION              

a)     County Teams: Senior Men, Senior Ladies, Juniors and Veterans.  A General Manager for each of the County teams shall be elected at the January Annual General Meeting.                 

b)      Nominees for the above posts to be sent to the Secretary 28 days before the meeting, once elected, the General Manager of each County team will then select a Home and Away team Manager to assist in the selection of teams                 

c)     Teams and venues to be handed to the General Secretary when the selection has been agreed.

d)     Host club of any county match to cancel all home league matches  one week prior to county game.

RULE 5. MEMBERSHIP

a)    Any South Yorkshire Bowling Club, District Association or District League shall be eligible for membership.  Any Club wishing to   become a member of the S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. must affiliate to their relevant district and must be duly proposed and seconded and approved by the South Yorkshire County Management Committee before being admitted.

b)    Any Club playing in a league, which is affiliated, to a County other than its own must also affiliate to that County.               

c)     A condition of membership or affiliation to S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. is that your bowling green and facilities is to take precedence above all other fixtures or events except those of the B.C.G.B.A. 

RULE 6. SUBSCRIPTION

a)   The Annual registration for each District Association, League and Affiliated Club shall be decided at the County Annual General Meeting.

b)    Any club which has not affiliated or paid fees due on the date given to its County Association shall be suspended, along with all its registered members from playing any form of competitive Crown Green Bowls until the affiliation fee is paid.                

c)     All club registrations must be received by the 31st March each year and invoices must be paid 7 days after invoice date.                

d)    All clubs in membership with the Association shall purchase annually not less than six copies of the Year Book plus one B.C.G.B.A. Year Book. Any club wishing any more Yearbooks can do so.

RULE 7. AFFILIATIONS AND REGISTRATIONS

a)      All clubs playing competitive Crown Green Bowls under the rules of the British Crown Green Bowling Association shall be affiliated to their respective County Association.               

b)  All clubs must register all their players to the S.Y.C.C.G.B.A.  General Secretary before playing any competitive Crown Green Bowls by the 31st March each year; if a club is found to have played a unregistered player then they are liable to a suspension, fine or both.       

c)       Should any player, within the County, be a registered player of more than one Club and are in different Affiliated Districts, then the player must inform the secretaries of those clubs of the fact, and state to each which of those districts shall be their preferred choice for affiliation.  The player may then be eligible to play in any county representative event for that preferred district only, relinquishing all rights to represent any other district.  The secretaries of involved clubs must clearly notify to the County Secretary/Registrar of the player’s preference.  Under no circumstances will any player be allowed to affiliate through or represent more than one district.  Any attempt to do so, or the foregoing will lead to the offending player being disqualified without recourse from the event so entered.

d)      All Affiliated Clubs shall supply an annual list of all their registered players, this to include social and pleasure bowlers.  The County registration fee shall only be required from a player’s principal club with a record of any other clubs with whom they may also play.                              

e)     The County registration fee will only be required from a player’s principal club.  However, non-registration will mean that any club which plays an unregistered player will be subject to a fine not exceeding £5 per player per game plus a recommendation that the League in question negate the players score in any matches that have been played.                

f)     Clubs may register new players then or any time thereafter throughout the year along with the additional BCGBA membership fee.

g)     Player’s registration fees shall be decided at the County Annual General Meeting.                

h)    Only registered players will be eligible to play any form of competitive Crown Green Bowls in South Yorkshire.                

i)      Non-payment of player’s registrations by 31st March for the current year will result in a fine of £10 per player.                

j)     Registrations to be sent electronically not later than 31st March.

k)    All members will be issued with their own registration number and card.  They must produce their current registration number/card when joining any District Association, League, Competition or any form of competitive bowling approved by

 S. Y.C.C.G.B.A.

l)   If any member is unable to produce their current registration number/card they will not be able to play in any District Association, League, Competition or any form of competitive bowling approved by the  S.Y. C.C.G.B.A.

RULE 8. COUNTY COMPETITIONS

a)     All competitions organised by the Association with the exception of the South Yorkshire Senior County Merit shall be open to male and female members of the clubs in membership with the Association.

b)   The South Yorkshire Senior County Merit shall be open only to male members of clubs in membership with the Association.

c)   The South Yorkshire Junior County Merit shall be open to all players of affiliated S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. clubs that have not reached the age of 18 on the 1st  January of that year.               

d)    In all Singles and Doubles Competitions run by the S.Y. C.C.G.B.A. players must be registered members of an affiliated club, any bowler opting for another County Association as their Main County other than the S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. shall not be eligible to play.

e)     All County Competition winners will be paid on the day and then presented with trophy at Annual General Meeting.               

f)     All players entitled to competition winnings must be present at the end of the competition to receive their prize money (Last 8), failure to do so will result in forfeiting their prize money which will be returned to S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. funds.

g)    Any player failing to compete in the final of any S.Y. C..C.G.B.A. (except one day events run by S.Y.C..C.G.B.A.) except by a valid reason approved by the South Yorkshire County Management Committee, shall be automatically suspended from entering any S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. competition for period of 12 months, subsequent offences will carry a penalty of 3 years.       

h)      All S.Y. C.C.G.B.A. Finals to be played on greens approved by the Management Committee.

 i)       In All County Competitions, players are to adopt The British Crown Green Bowling Association dress code.

RULE 9. ‘OPEN’ COMPETITIONS

a)     Any club proposing to promote an 'Open' Competition whether or not entries are confined to bowlers within the County area, must first apply to the S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. Competition Secretary for approval of their proposed competition dates.  But must come from club secretaries only.  Along with the fee for both S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. and B.C.G.B.A. certificates (fee to be determined by S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. and B.C.G.B.A. committees).                

b)    The Competition Secretary must receive the application at least 14 days before the commencement of the contest, if the club fail to notify the S.Y. C.C.G.B.A. Competition Secretary they will be liable to a fine of £20.

c)     Clubs must display on the entry form and all forms of publicity relating to the event, the words 'AFFILIATED TO AND APPROVED BY THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY CROWN GREEN BOWLING ASSOCIATION'.

d)   All invitation competitions must get S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. approval and certificate and if invites outside of S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. must also obtain B.C.G.B.A. certificate via S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. competition secretary.

e)     The club  must  display on the entry form and all forms of publicity relating to the event, the words 'AFFILIATED TO AND APPROVED BY THE BRITISH CROWN GREEN BOWLING ASSOCIATION AND THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY CROWN GREEN BOWLING ASSOCIATION' . Must also display both S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. and B.C.G.B.A. certificates.            

f)     All 'Open' Competitions approved by the S.Y.C.C.G.B.A. must have a standard handicap of 3 points for home players these to be on the card at the start of the game and play up to 21.

g)     Any player knowingly taking part in any contest where approval has not been obtained in accordance with bye-law 9 shall be suspended for a period of not less than one year and be reported to the B.C.G.B.A. for confirmation of such suspension.               

h)    No final stage of 'Open Competition’ to be contested on the date nominated as the final day of the B.C.G.B.A. Merit.

RULE 10. ALTERATIONS TO RULES

a)     Notice of proposed amendments to the Rules or County Cup, Mason Cup and Match Rules of the Association may be given by South Yorkshire County Management Committee or any Club (secretary only), in writing, and received by the County General Secretary on or before the 28th November.  The County General Secretary will then notify all Clubs of the proposed rule changes, by no later than 21st December.

b)    Clubs if they so desire should then send any amendments to the new proposed rule changes to the County General Secretary by the 28th December at the latest. 

c)     No amendments put forward at the Annual General Meeting will be allowed.

d)    A seconder for the proposal shall be requested at the Annual General Meeting.  Copies of the proposals to be sent to the Clubs and Organisations in Membership with the Association.

e)  One GENERAL MEETING will be held annually on the fourth Saturday in the month of JANUARY for the election of Officials, consideration of Rules and the transaction of business for the ensuing season.  Non-attendance of the A.G.M. will result in a fine of £10                              

g)     Any proposal to alter a Rules must achieve 60% vote in favour of those present at the General Meeting.  Any proposal to alter a competition rule must achieve a majority vote in favour of those present at the General Meeting.              

h)    Each Club and Organisation shall be furnished with a copy of the Rules and Laws of the Game.              

RULE 11. VOTING ENTITLEMENTS

a)     Registered Clubs/Organisations, County Managers, Life Members, committee members shall be entitled to one vote only

b)    When matters are required and are to be decided by a vote, each club will be entitled to one vote, to be cast by a bona fide member of that club via a voting card.        One Person One vote.

RULE 12. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

a)     The General Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting at any time on receiving requisitions to that effect, signed by the Secretaries of not less than two Districts.

RULE 13. APPEAL               

a)     If a player makes a complaint and fails to get satisfaction from his Club, League, Association or County Association, he shall have the right to appeal to the British Crown Green Bowling Association.

RULE 14. CODE OF CONDUCT

 a)     Please see British Crown Green Bowling Association  additional pamphlet.

RULE 15. POWERS

 a)   South Yorkshire county management committee shall have powers to apply and act upon and enforce the rules of the association and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the association including any not provided for by rules.

                Decisions of the South Yorkshire county management committee shall be final and binding.

 RULE 16. DISSOLUTION CLAUSE

 a)    Should the management committee of the Association, by a majority, decide, on grounds of expediency or otherwise, to dissolve the Association, it shall call a meeting of all members of the Association (as defined in Rule 5) giving 21 days notice.       

b)    At this meeting, if a two thirds majority of those present, entitled to vote and voting decide to dissolve the Association, the management committee shall have the power to dispose of the assets of the Association after all liabilities have been cleared.             

c)     The beneficiaries of such assets shall be the member clubs of the Association or such charities as decided by a majority of the members of the Association.