1 Name 

The club shall be known as Bowmen of Malgrave, and referred to hereinafter as "the Club". 

2 Objects 

The Objects of the Club are:

2.1 To practice and promote the sport of Archery. 

2.2 To affiliate to and cooperate with other duly constituted bodies having objects similar to that of the club, such as may be deemed necessary or desirable from time to time. 

2.3 To promote social, cultural and educational activities which are considered of advantage to the club and the sport of Archery. 


3 Membership 

3.1 The club shall consist of Senior members, who are aged 18 years and over. 

3.2 There shall be Junior members, admitted at the discretion of the Committee. 

3.3 Other sections of the Club shall be formed at the discretion of the Committee. 

3.4 Application for membership from Juniors under the age of 14 will not be accepted unless a parent or guardian undertakes in writing to be present, or to arrange for an adult Club member to agree to be present to accept responsibility for the Junior, whenever the Junior shoots. This clause shall not be applied retrospectively. 

3.5 Any person seeking membership shall apply to the Honorary Secretary in writing; acceptance will be subject to ratification by the Committee. 

3.6 All members undertake absolutely to abide by the rules and Constitution of the Club as written or as subsequently amended within the terms prescribed herein. 

3.7 If, in the opinion of the Committee, after investigation and due consideration, any member prejudices the good name of the Club, or of Archery, then the Committee may expel or suspend such member from the Club, or take such other action as it may deem fit. Such action will be ratified within one month and, when ratified, shall be final.


4 Fees 

4.1 The Club Year is defined as September 1st to August 31st. The following fees shall be levied: 

4.1.1 Annual Subscription - annually on September 1st 

4.2 The amount of each fee shall be determined by the Committee annually prior to the Annual General Meeting, to be recommended to the membership for ratification at that meeting. All fees shall be published as agreed as part of the minutes to the Annual General Meeting. 

4.3 Members able to prove individual membership of G.N.A.S. shall have their Annual Subscription reduced by the appropriate amount as determined by the Honorary Treasurer. 

4.4

4.4.1 The Annual Subscription shall be considered in arrear if not paid by September 30th of the new Club year. 

4.4.2 Arrears of Annual Subscription will automatically terminate membership. Re-admission to membership will be subject to any decision by the Committee, payment of all fees in arrear, and any such penalty fee as the Committee may determine. 

4.5 All fees are offered and accepted on the condition that they are not returnable once the due date has fallen. 

4.6 All fees shall be paid to the Honorary Secretary or to such other member as shall be appointed by the Committee. 


5 Management Committee 

5.1 Management of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee, referred to throughout these rules as "the Committee". 

5.2 The Committee shall comprise the Honorary Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and not less than two members. 

5.3 No one person can hold more than one of the Honorary positions at the same time. 

5.4 The Committee shall have powers to define those positions within the Committee as may be required and appoint from among its members accordingly. 

5.5 The committee may co-opt any Senior Club Member to fill a Committee vacancy until the following Annual General Meeting.

5.6 Junior Members are not eligible for election to the Committee. 

5.7 The Committee shall hold meetings as a minimum every other month. 

5.8 Any Club Member may attend the Committee meetings to observe business. However no member not being a Committee member shall take part in discussions unless invited to do so. 

5.9 The Honorary Chairman shall have an extra "casting" vote in the event of a tie in any matter put to the vote. Such casting vote shall be committed to paper and given to the Honorary Secretary at the time a vote is taken, and shall not be declared unless required to reach a decision. 

5.10 Each Committee member present shall have one vote on matters requiring a vote. Club members not being Committee members shall have no voting rights. 

5.11 A simple majority shall decide all matters put to the vote.

5.12 Fifty percent of Committee members shall be required to form a quorum at Committee meetings. No business shall be transacted in the absence of a quorum. 

5.13 All trophies and equipment belonging to or donated to the Club shall become the permanent property of the Club. All Club properties shall be vested in the hands of the Honorary Chairman, the Honorary Secretary, and the Honorary Treasurer as trustees during their term of office. 

5.14 In the event of the dissolution of the Club, the disposal of the remaining Club Assets after payment of all debts and liabilities will be at the discretion of the remaining Senior members. 


6 Associate (Non-Shooting) Members

6.1 The Committee shall have powers to appoint Associate (Non-Shooting) Members for a maximum period of one year. Each and every such appointment shall terminate on August 31st following the appointment, but shall be renewable. 

6.2 Appointments shall be limited to those who, not being members, offer to assist the Club in the discharge of its commitments eg. Social Secretary. 

6.3 Associate members may request or be invited to attend Committee meetings, or General Meetings, but shall not participate in any discussion unless invited. They shall not be permitted to vote. 

6.4 Before appointment, Associate members shall undertake to operate under the direction of the Committee and abide by the Constitution. 


7 President

7.1 The club shall elect a President from among its membership. 

7.2 Nominations for the office shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting, at which the election to the office will be held. 

7.3 Tenure of this office shall not preclude the President from holding any Committee position. 

7.4 Election to the office of President shall terminate on the date of the Annual General Meeting following election, but may be renewed. 

7.5 A Non-Shooting President shall not be required to pay any fee. A Member invited to this office shall pay the normal fees. 

7.6 The President shall not by virtue of this office have the right to attend meetings, to participate in any discussion or vote. They may however be invited to do so. 


8 Honorary Vice President

8.1 The committee shall consider for invitation to the office of Honorary Vice President any person who performs a signal service for the Club. 

8.2 Nominations for the office shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting for confirmation by the members before invitations are issued. 

8.3 Each and every acceptance shall terminate on the date of the Annual General Meeting following acceptance, but may be renewed. 

8.4 Non-Shooting Honorary Vice Presidents shall not be required to pay any fee. Members invited to this office shall pay their normal fees. 

8.5 Honorary Vice Presidents shall not by virtue of this office have the right to attend meetings, to participate in any discussion or vote. They may however be invited to do so. 

8.6 Tenure of this office shall not preclude an Honorary Vice President from holding any Committee position. 


9 Honorary (Life) Vice President

9.1 The committee shall consider for invitation to the office of Honorary (Life) Vice President any person who performs such service for the Club as to warrant this distinction. 

9.2 Nominations for the office shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting for confirmation by the members before invitations are issued. 

9.3 Non-Shooting Honorary (Life) Vice Presidents shall not be required to pay any fee. Members invited to this office shall pay their normal fees with the exception of the Annual Subscription which in this case will be reduced to the affiliation fees only e.g. County, Region, GNAS or such others as may arise from time to time. 

9.4 Honorary (Life) Vice Presidents shall not by virtue of this office have the right to attend meetings, to participate in any discussion or vote. They may however be invited to do so. 

9.5 Tenure of this office shall not preclude an Honorary Vice President from holding any Committee position. 


10 General Meeting

10.1 A General Meeting shall be held once per year during the month of February, which all members are entitled to attend. 

10.2 The purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be: 

The presentation of reports by the officers of the Club.

The presentation of the Accounts for the preceding year.

The election of the President for the ensuing year.

The election of the Committee for the ensuing year

To make, amend or delete elements of the Constitution

To appoint auditors for the ensuing year

Any other business as published in the Agenda

10.3 Before acceptance of the Accounts is proposed, the Honorary Chairman shall be satisfied that the Accounts have been audited and a signed report presented by the auditors. 

10.4 Nominations for election to the Chair and Committee shall be in writing in the hands of the Honorary Secretary before the AGM is declared "open". Each nomination shall have been accepted by the nominee and shall have a proposer and a seconder. If there is no nomination for a particular post, nominations may be accepted from the floor of the meeting. 

10.5 Each and every Club member has the right to propose one Senior member for each Committee seat, but shall not nominate or second a nomination for himself. 

10.6 Nominations shall be for the Honorary Chairman, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer and other posts as appropriate, or simply for the Committee. The Honorary Chairman must be elected as such. The other offices may be elected as such if this is the clear wish of the meeting, otherwise Constitution item 5.4 shall prevail. 

10.7 Twenty-five percent of the total voting Club Membership shall form a quorum. 

10.8 Each Senior member attending the AGM shall have one vote in all matters put to the vote. 

10.9 A simple majority shall decide all matters put to the vote, except for changes to the constitution which will require a two-thirds majority vote. 

10.10 All votes shall be by ballot. Two tellers shall be elected.

10.11 The Honorary Chairman shall have an extra "casting" vote in the event of a tie in any matter put to the vote. Such casting vote shall be committed to paper and given to the Honorary Secretary at the time a vote is taken, and shall not be declared unless required to reach a decision. 

10.12 Any amendment, deletion or insertion to the Constitution must be published by the proposer to all voting members of the club, at least one calendar month prior to the Annual General Meeting, for due consideration. 


11 Extraordinary General Meeting

11.1 A maximum of three Extraordinary General Meetings may be called during the course of the Club Year. 

11.2 A request for an EGM shall be signed by not less than four Senior members, detailing the motion to be put to the meeting, and shall be delivered in writing to the Honorary Secretary.

11.3 On receipt of such a request, the Honorary Secretary shall publish the date, venue and subject of the meeting within two weeks. The date of the meeting will be within six weeks of the delivery of the request. 

11.4 In all other respects the EGM shall be conducted in accordance with the rules relating to the AGM. 


12 Shooting

12.1 The Grand National Archery Society Rules Of Shooting and / or FITA rules shall be observed. 

12.2 No shooting shall take place at the Club unless a Senior member is present. 


13 Finance

13.1 The selection of the Club's Bankers and banking arrangements will be at the discretion of the Committee, and ,may be changed from time to time by unanimous agreement of the Committee. Such decision must be recorded in the minutes of the Committee meeting at which the decision is made, and notified to the membership within one month of the change being made. 

13.2 Any payment required to be made by the Club which exceeds ten pounds shall be paid by cheque. Exceptions to this must be ratified at a committee meeting. 

13.3 All cheques issued by the Club shall bear the signature of the Honorary Treasurer or that of either the Honorary Chairman or the Honorary Secretary. 

13.4 The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare for presentation at the AGM an Income and Expenditure Account and a Balance Sheet as at the end of December prior to the AGM. 

13.5 An auditor shall be appointed at the AGM and shall be responsible for auditing the Accounts and presenting a report or certificate at the AGM. 

13.6 The auditor shall have access to the Accounts at any reasonable time, but without warning for the purpose of carrying out "spot" checks. 

13.7 Any member wilfully damaging Club equipment will be required to pay in full for the necessary repairs, and may be required to pay either in full or in part for replacement, depending on the decision of the Committee. 


14 Publicity

14.1 Publicity of the Club's affairs shall lie with a Public Relations Officer appointed by the Committee. 

14.2 The PRO shall work under the direction of the Committee in the discharge of his duties. 

14.3 Club business shall not be discussed with persons not being members of the Club without the express permission of the Committee. 


15 Club Badge

15.1 The design of the Club Badge is permanent, and will remain unchanged during the existence of the Bowmen of Malgrave Archery Club.



Reprinted February 1998.