The European Bowls Union

	The EBU Constitution

	Revised MARCH 2004

1.	NAME
	The organisation shall be called the "European Bowls Union", hereinafter referred to as EBU.

2.	OBJECTS
	The objects of the EBU shall be -

	2.1	to promote, foster and safeguard the level-green sport of bowls for men and women and to encourage the growth of the sport, free from the use of performance-enhancing drugs, in every legitimate way;

	2.2	to maintain good relations with all Bowls Authorities throughout the World;

	2.3	to consider and deal with all matters submitted to the EBU in accordance with this Constitution;

	2.4	to control, manage and conduct bowls championships and competitions between Members;

	2.5	to control, manage, conduct and participate in bowls championships and competitions between the EBU and other representative Bowls Authorities throughout the World;

	2.6	to regulate the holding of, and lay down the conditions of, all bowls championships and competitions within the EBU's jurisdiction;

	2.7	to select and control teams or sides to represent the EBU;

	2.8	to promote good relations with other sporting bodies and sports-related organisations, world-wide;

	2.9	to affiliate to, or otherwise liaise with, World Bowls and other international bowling organisations as may be desirable.

3.	MEMBERSHIP
		There shall be the following classes of membership -

	3.1	Full Members - National Governing Bodies affiliated to World Bowls;

	3.2	Associate Members - a Bowling Club, or an Association of Bowling Clubs, in those countries where a National Governing Body does not yet exist and which are affiliated to World Bowls;

	3.3	Honorary Life Members - any person who has rendered exceptional service to the EBU and whose standing among bowlers shall entitle the person to such distinction;

	3.4	Applications for membership must be submitted in writing to the Secretary; they shall then be considered and either accepted or refused by the Executive Committee.

4.	RESIGNATION

	4.1	A Member wishing to resign shall give the Secretary two months' notice of intention to do so;

	4.2	Resignation shall not release the Member from any obligation to the EBU, monetary or otherwise, contracted during membership;

	4.3	The resigning Member shall forfeit all rights of membership upon the resignation being received by the Secretary.

5.	SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION

	5.1	When a charge or complaint against any Member has been lodged with the Secretary the Executive Committee is empowered, after 14 days notice to the parties involved, to undertake due investigation of the facts presented and if it considers necessary the examination of witnesses and/or documentary evidence, and to recommend suspension or expulsion of that Member;

	5.2	Any recommendation for suspension or expulsion shall be put to a General Meeting, or a Special Meeting, by way of a Notice of Motion and shall be put into effect only if passed by two-thirds of the votes cast

6.	APPEALS

	6.1	A Member under suspension or expulsion as in clause 5 shall have the right of appeal to the Sports Dispute Disciplinary Panel of World Bowls or its successor, whose decision shall be final and binding on both the Member and the EBU.

7.	DELEGATES

	7.1	Each Full Member and each Associate Member shall be entitled to appoint one Delegate to attend General and Special Meetings;

	7.2	Honorary Life Members shall be entitled to attend all General and Special Meetings and to take part in any debate but shall not be entitled to vote in their capacity as Honorary Life Members.

8.	VOTING

	8.1	Each Full Member, whether represented by a Delegate or by proxy, at any General or Special Meeting shall be entitled to exercise two votes;

	8.2	Each Associate Member, whether represented by a Delegate or by proxy, at any General or Special Meeting shall be entitled to exercise one vote.

9.	OFFICERS

	9.1	The Officers shall be a President, a Senior Vice President, a Junior Vice President, an Immediate Past President, a Development Officer and a Secretary/Treasurer;

	9.2	The retiring President shall assume the office of Immediate Past President immediately on retirement from the office of President;

	9.3	If at any time the President is unable to carry out his/her duties, the Senior Vice President shall act as President and shall exercise all the powers invested in the President;

	9.4	An Officer shall not have a vote unless he/she is also the Delegate of a Member or is exercising a casting vote as Chairman;

	9.5	The President shall Chair all meetings which he/she attends.

10.	ELECTION OF OFFICERS

	10.1	Nominations should be received by the Secretary not less than forty days before the Meeting at which the election of Officers is on the agenda;

	10.2	Nominations should be in writing, signed by the Secretary of the Members submitting the nomination, and must be accompanied by the Nominee's consent in writing to be nominated;

	10.3	The Secretary shall forward copies of all nominations to each Member at least thirty days before the Meeting at which the election of Officers is on the agenda;

	10.4	In the event a nomination for a particular office has not been received by the Secretary in accordance with clause 10.1 above, nominations for that particular office, may be put forward at the Meeting by any person who is present;

	10.5	All Officers when elected shall assume their respective offices at the conclusion of the Meeting at which they are elected.

11.	MANAGEMENT

	11.1	The business of the EBU shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of its Officers and a minimum of three Officers shall constitute a quorum;

	11.2	The Executive Committee is empowered to act on behalf of the EBU;

	11.3	The Executive Committee shall meet as and when necessary;

	11.4	The business of the EBU shall be conducted in the English language.

12.	VACANCIES

	12.1	If the office of President becomes vacant between General Meetings an appointment of either an Officer or a duly qualified Delegate to fill the vacancy until the next General Meeting shall be made by the Executive Committee;

	12.2	If the office of Senior Vice President or Junior Vice President becomes vacant between General Meetings, the Executive Committee shall have the power to leave the vacancy unfilled or may ask the Member from whom the original nomination was made to make a further nomination;

	12.3	If the office of Immediate Past President becomes vacant between General Meetings, the office shall not be filled;

	12.4	If the office of Secretary/Treasurer becomes vacant between General Meetings, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy by way of a temporary appointment tenable until the next General or Special Meeting.

13.	SECRETARY / TREASURER
	As Secretary he/she shall -

	13.1	attend all General, Special and Executive Committee Meetings and meetings with, or of, any other person or body as may be deemed necessary;

	13.2	prepare and maintain all minutes and records of General, Special and Executive Meetings;

	13.3	conduct correspondence on behalf of the EBU;

	13.4	maintain a Register of Members;

	13.5	submit to each General Meeting a report on all EBU activities since the last General Meeting;

	13.6	carry out such other secretarial and clerical duties as may be necessary.

	As Treasurer he/she shall -

	13.7	receive and bank all monies due to the EBU;

	13.8	make payment for all goods and services received by the EBU;

	13.9	invest any surplus monies on behalf of the EBU;

	13.10	keep proper financial records;

	13.11	prepare Financial Statements, comprising an Income and Expenditure Account and a Balance Sheet, for each year to 31 December and arrange for their audit;

	13.12	distribute to each Member a Report on the year to 31 December, together with a copy of the audited Financial Statements to that date, by the following 31 March.

14.	GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS

	14.1	A General Meeting shall be held when deemed appropriate by the Officers but at least once every two years; at least thirty clear days' notice of a General Meeting shall be given in writing to each Member; the Minutes of all General Meetings shall be distributed to each Officer and to each Member within sixty days of the meeting;

	14.2	A Special Meeting may be requisitioned by the Officers or by 60% of the Members by giving written notice to the Secretary together with the reason for calling such a meeting and any Notice of Motion to be debated; any such meeting must be held within 60 days of the Secretary receiving the requisition and each Member is to be given 30 days' notice of the date, venue, time and reason for the meeting together with any Notice of Motion;

	14.3	A Quorum at a General Meeting and at a Special Meeting shall be one more than half the number of Members entitled to vote; provided that, should one-half be a fraction of a number, the Quorum shall be the next higher whole number;

	14.4	The President shall be the Chairman of each General or Special Meeting, or in his absence - in order of precedence - the Senior Vice President or the Junior Vice President or the Immediate Past President; in the event none of these Officers are present, the Meeting shall elect a Chairman;

	14.5	In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman shall exercise a casting vote;

	14.6	On all questions of order, the Chairman's decision shall be final unless dissented from by two-thirds of the votes of those present and entitled to vote;

	14.7	Unless otherwise expressly provided by the Constitution, all questions shall be decided by a majority of votes cast and shall be determined by a show of hands unless the Chairman or at least one Delegate requests that a written ballot is taken, in which case the Secretary or at least one Delegate shall record the names of the Delegates voting for and against the motion respectively;

	14.8	At a General Meeting the business shall include -

	*	approval of the Minutes of the previous General Meeting and of any Special Meeting held since the last General Meeting;

	*	the consideration of Annual Reports prepared by the Secretary;

	*	the consideration of Annual Financial Statements prepared by the Treasurer;

	*	the appointment of an Auditor;

	*	the consideration of any decisions made or action taken by the Executive Committee since the last General Meeting;

	*	any Notices of Motion;

	*	any election of Honorary Life Members;

	*	the fixing of annual subscriptions payable by Members;

	*	the election of Officers;

	*	any other business of which Notice has been given;

	14.9	If in the opinion of the Secretary it is appropriate to do so, Special Meetings may be held by correspondence with, or telephone calls to, Members and in such circumstances Propositions may be determined by Members casting postal votes.

15.	ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

	15.1	At each General Meeting, or Special Meeting convened for that purpose, the EBU shall fix the subscription rates payable by each Full Member and by each Associate Member;

	15.2	Subscriptions are due for payment on 1 January;

	15.3	Members who have not paid their subscription by 31 May may be suspended from membership until the sum due is paid.

16.	ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

	16.1	Alterations or additions to the Constitution may only be made at a General Meeting, or at a Special Meeting convened for that purpose, and when at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favour.

	16.2	Any proposed alteration or addition to the Constitution is to be in the hands of the Secretary 60 days before the meeting and each Member must receive notification of the proposed alteration or addition 30 days before the meeting.

17.	DISSOLUTION

	17.1	The EBU shall be dissolved if a Notice of Motion to that effect at a General Meeting or a Special Meeting is carried by two-thirds of the votes cast;
	17.2	Any outstanding liabilities not covered by the available funds shall be borne by the Members in the same proportion as the last agreed annual subscriptions;

	17.3	Any liquid assets, after the sale of any effects, will be distributed to the then existing Members and distribution will be proportionate to the aggregate subscriptions paid over the previous five years by each Member entitled to participate in the distribution.