Constitution and Rules

1. Title
The name of the League shall be the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League

2. Affiliation
The League shall be affiliated to The Irish Bowling Association.

3. Objects

1. to promote and foster the game of bowls
2. to act in the best interests of its member clubs
3. to maintain liaison with the other Associations in Ireland

4. The Laws Of The Game
The code of Laws of the Game as formulated by the World Bowls Board, with amendments approved by the Irish Bowling Association for use in domestic competitions, shall be binding on all constituent clubs of the League.

5. Membership
(a) A club applying for admission to the League must be in possession of a private green. For the purpose of this Rule, a private green is defined as one maintained and controlled by private enterprise.  Application must be made in writing to the Honorary General Secretary and shall state the name and address of the club together with the names and addresses of the office bearers and committee members.

Whether such application shall be granted shall be determined by majority vote at a meeting of the Management Committee; or, at an Annual General Meeting; or, Special General Meeting.

The General Purposes Committee shall decide the division or league in which the newly elected club shall play.

(b) A club is entitled to enter up to three teams per green in the League Championships and two teams per green in the Midweek League.

(c) A club is entitled to send two delegates to the Management Committee and General Meetings as set out in Rules 8c and 9.

(c) There is no requirement for Clubs entering teams in the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League Challenge Cups, League Championships or Midweek League to provide catering after the matches.

(e) It is a condition of membership that a club must put in place appropriate insurance to cover any public liability that may arise. Evidence of such insurance being in place must be provided to the Honorary General Secretary each year not later than 30th April.

6. Subscription and Entrance Fees For Leagues and Cups
(a) Annual Subscription
The annual subscription for each club shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting. In addition to the annual subscription each club shall be responsible for an annual capitation fee for each member whose membership entitles him to play bowls. The amount of the capitation fee shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting and is payable with the annual subscription.

(b) Leagues and Cups
The entrance fees for the following competitions: League Championships, Midweek League and Challenge Cups shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting.  Application for entries for these competitions shall be made to the Honorary League Secretary who shall be responsible for determining the date by which applications must be received.

(c) Subscription and Fees
The subscription and fees must be paid direct to the Honorary Treasurer before 30 April in each year. In the event of a club failing to pay its annual subscription and fees within the time stated, that club shall forfeit all its rights and privileges of membership as long as the subscription remains unpaid.

7. Discipline and Sanctions
Where the General Purposes Committee determines that the actions of a club or a member of a club has, after due investigation of the facts and examination of witnesses and relevant evidence, contravened the Constitution and Rules or brought the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League into disrepute it shall have the power to sanction the offending club or member.

Sanctions available to the General Purposes Committee are:

1. A letter of warning
2. Suspension of the rights and privileges of membership for a period of time
3. Severance of membership.
4. Any other punishment as deemed appropriate.

Should any of the rules governing the League Championships, Midweek League, Challenge Cups or Championships be broken, or deemed to have been broken, the General Purposes Committee shall have the power to sanction the offending players and / or clubs.

Sanctions available to the General Purposes Committee are:

1. A letter of warning
2. Deduction of league points
3. Expulsion from the competition
4. Any other punishment as deemed appropriate.

8. Administration
(a) Office Bearers
The Office Bearers of the League shall consist of a President, Senior Vice-President, Junior Vice-President, Immediate Past President, Honorary General Secretary, Honorary Assistant General Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Competition Secretary, Honorary League Secretary and Public Relations Officer in whose name the League may sue and be sued. Vacancies for any Officers occurring during the year may be filled by the General Purposes Committee.

The President, Senior Vice-President and Junior Vice-President shall occupy their respective offices for a period of 1 year. The then existing Senior Vice-President shall be appointed President, the then existing Junior Vice-President shall be appointed Senior Vice-President and a Junior Vice-President together with the other Office Bearers shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting.

The Office Bearers shall be ex-officio members, with voting powers, of all committees except the Selection Committee. The retiring President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Selection Committee for one year after his retirement.

(b) Junior Vice-President
The position of Junior Vice-President shall be held in rotation by a member of a Club which must be affiliated to The Irish Bowling Association and which must have at least 10 years continuous membership of the League. Any Club elected to membership shall be added to the existing rota in accordance with the date of application.

The Club whose right it is to nominate shall be notified by the Honorary General Secretary not later than 1 June to submit a name and such name shall be received in writing not later than 1 September of the appropriate year. The name of the nominee shall then be submitted to the General Purposes Committee and if approved shall be ratified at the Annual General Meeting. A Senior Vice-President and a Junior Vice-President shall be nominated in 2018. Thereafter, a Junior Vice-President only.

In the event of a club waiving their privilege, the club next in order on the rota shall have the right to nominate. Every seventh year commencing 1990 the Management Committee shall have the right to appoint a Junior Vice-President who has been nominated by the General Purposes Committee.

ROTA OF CLUBS

(c) Management Committee
The business of the League shall be conducted by a Management Committee consisting of the Office Bearers and two delegates from each club.  Twelve members shall form a quorum.

The Management Committee shall meet on or before fourth Friday in the months of March and September and on such other occasions as may be deemed necessary. Seven days notice of all meetings shall be given to each Club Secretary.

(d) General Purposes Committee
The General Purposes Committee shall consist of the Office Bearers and three Club delegates who are to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Should an Office Bearer hold two Offices, four Club delegates shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

The business of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League shall be conducted by the General Purposes Committee. It shall oversee and assist in the arranging of League Championships, Midweek League, Challenge Cups and Championship competitions and shall adjudicate in any dispute relating to such arrangements. It shall also deal with any matter referred to it by the Management Committee or General Meeting. Five members shall form a quorum.

The General Purposes Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees if it considers this to be advisable. It may co-opt members to any duly appointed sub-committee.

(e) Selection Committee
A Selection Committee consisting of five members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for the purpose of selecting and arranging teams to represent the League in all representative matches. Those elected are not required to be Officers or delegates of clubs.

A club may not have more than two members on the Selection Committee.

With effect from 30th November 2016 a rota, based on the number of years that a selector has served on the Selection Committee, shall be established and each year thereafter the selector at the top of the rota shall retire but shall be eligible for re-selection.  The General Purposes Committee shall determine the eligibility criteria for a selector and communicate this to delegates at the Annual General Meeting. 

(f) Delegates to the Council of the Irish Bowling Association
(1) The President, Senior Vice President and the Treasurer and,
(2) To be elected at the Annual General Meeting: three from the officers and delegates of clubs affiliated to the Irish Bowling Association.

Should an Office Bearer of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League who is a delegate to the Council of the Irish Bowling Association hold more than one of these Offices, or also hold the Office of Honorary General Secretary, four delegates shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(g) Duties of Honorary General Secretary
The Honorary General Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of all business transacted at General Meetings and General Purposes Committee Meeting and for such duties assigned to him by these Committees. He shall also become, by virtue of Office, a member of the Council of the Irish Bowling Association.

(h) Duties of Honorary Treasurer
The Honorary Treasurer shall keep a detailed account of all receipts and disbursements and shall submit a full account thereof, duly audited, at the Annual General Meeting.

(i) Duties of Honorary Competitions Secretary
The Honorary Competitions Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation, organisation and carrying into effect of the League's Singles, Junior Singles, Youth Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours and Senior Fours Championships including the maintenance of proper records of each Championship

(j) Duties of Honorary League Secretary
The Honorary League Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation, organisation and carrying into effect of the League Championships, Midweek League and Challenge Cup competitions including the maintenance of proper records of such leagues and competitions.

(k) Duties of Honorary Assistant General Secretary
The Honorary Assistant General Secretary shall be responsible for such duties as may be delegated to him by the Honorary General Secretary and the General Purposes Committee.

(l) Public Relations Officer
The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for the development and maintaining of the profile of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League, including attracting, maintaining and promoting sponsorship opportunities .

(m) Safeguarding Officer
The Safeguarding Officer shall be appointed by the General Purposes Committee. If not a member of that Committee he shall be entitled to attend meetings but without voting rights.

The Safe Guarding Officer shall liaise with the Irish Bowling Association and the member clubs of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League on all matters relating to the safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults.

(n) Webmaster
The Webmaster shall be appointed by the General Purposes Committee and shall be a member of this Committee.

9. General Meetings
The Annual General Meeting shall be held on or before the last Saturday in November each year, the date, time and place to be arranged by the General Purposes Committee.

The business of the meeting shall be to:

1. Receive reports from the Honorary General Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary League Secretary, Honorary Competitions Secretary and Public Relations Officer
2. Elect office bearers for the following year
3. Elect three members to the General Purposes Committee
4. Elect five members to the Selection Committee
5. Elect three delegates to the Irish Bowling Association Council
6. Elect two Auditors
7. Fix the annual subscription for each club
8. Fix the capitation fee for each member
9. Fix the entrance fee for League Championships, Midweek League and Challenge Cups
10. Fix the entrance fee for Championship competitions
11. Discuss any notice of motion which shall have been given in writing to the Honorary General Secretary on or before 30th September
12. Discuss any other business not requiring a notice of motion.

Notices of motion for consideration at the Annual General Meeting shall be forwarded to the Honorary General Secretary in writing not later than 30 September in each year.

A Special General Meeting may be summoned at the discretion of the Management Committee, the General Purposes Committee or on a requisition to the Honorary General Secretary from an affiliated Club. The Honorary General Secretary shall call the meeting within twenty one days of the summons of requisition and shall state on the agenda the business for which the meeting has been called and no other business shall be transacted at that meeting.

A General Meeting, Annual or Special, shall consist of two delegates from each Club, together with the Office Bearers of the League and fourteen members shall form a quorum. Twenty one days notice of all General Meetings shall be given.

10. Greens
The greens of all Clubs, members of the PGL, shall be inspected at least once every four years by a Greens Sub-Committee, the members of which to be appointed each year by the General Purposes Committee. If the convenor of the Greens Sub-Committee is not a member of the General Purposes Committee he shall be co-opted.

ROTA OF GREENS

11. Alteration of Rules
Alteration of or addition to the Constitution and Rules or the rules governing the several competitions shall not be made except at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose and these shall require a notice of motion.

12. Powers of Committee
The Management Committee shall have the power to interpret the Constitution and Rules and to deal with all matters not specifically provided for therein.

13. Safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults
The Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling Association is fully committed to safe guarding the wellbeing of all its members. Every individual at all times should show respect for and understanding of the rights, safety and welfare of others and particularly young people and vulnerable adults and conduct himself in a way which reflects the principles of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League and the guidelines set out in the Irish Bowling Association Safeguarding policy.

14. Indemnity
Members of the General Purposes Committee shall be indemnified by the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League against all costs, losses and expenses which they may incur, or may become liable for, by reason of any contract entered into or act or thing done in good faith in accordance with the instructions of the General Purposes Committee, Management Committee or a General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League. It shall be the duty of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League to make provision for such costs, losses and expenses to be met out of its funds, or otherwise.

15. Honorary Members
The Management committee shall have the power to elect as an Honorary Member any gentleman whose services in the interests of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League are such as entitle him to that distinction and who has been recommended by the General Purposes Committee for election. An Honorary Member shall be entitled to attend an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meetings of the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League but he shall have no vote unless he also be an Office Bearer or the delegate of a Club. The number of Honorary Members shall not at any time exceed 12.

16. Trophies
All trophies shall be deemed to be the property of the League and shall be vested in the Office Bearers of the League. The trophies shall be presented on a date fixed by the General Purposes Committee and the recipients shall give the Honorary General Secretary a written undertaking for their safe custody and return in good condition on or before 31st July of the following year.

17. Charities
(a) Benevolent Fund (Hugh T. Coulter Trophy)

1. The Trophy presented to the League by the late Hugh T. Coulter, Belmont Bowling Club, in the year 1941 shall be held for one year by the club in accordance with the Rota of Clubs.
2. Object: to raise monies for institutions or charitable organisations not state aided.
3. The disbursal of such monies for benevolent purposes shall be vested in the General Purposes Committee.

ROTA OF CLUBS

(b) Richard Minnis Trophy
The League's Trophy in aid of the blind or those threatened with blindness is 'The Richard Minnis Trophy'. This trophy was presented to the Northern Ireland Private Greens Bowling League and Kenilworth Bowling Club in 1943 by Richard Minnis Esq., Larne, to be competed for annually between Kenilworth Club and the League.
It is the desire of the donor that competition for the trophy may be the medium of aiding institutions or hospitals which have for their object the preserving of sight and relief for the blind