The Constitution Of Garnant Park Members Golf Club (Revised January 2007)
1) Name
The Club shall be called Garnant Park Members Golf Club (The Club) or its equivalent in Welsh.
The Club has the use of Garnant Park Golf course, which is owned and operated by Carmarthenshire County Council (The Operator)
2) Affiliation
The Club is affiliated to the W.G.U, W.L.G.U. who are members of the C.O.N.G.U.
All Competitions shall be organised and run in accordance with the rules of golf as defined by The Royal & Ancient Club Of St Andrews.
3) Objectives
(i) To encourage and promote the sport of golf.
(ii) To organise stroke and matchplay competitions for the benefit of club members.
(iii) To organise and encourage social functions within the clubhouse.
4) Membership
Membership shall consist of: -
(i) Adult members having paid full subscription & shall be eligible to vote at meetings & be elected as
officers of the club.
(ii) Junior members having paid full subscription & shall not be eligible to vote at meetings nor be elected
as officers of the club.
(iii) Membership is not transferable.
Membership will only be refused when: -
(i) Directed by the Operator
5) Entrance Fee & Subscription
(i) Subscriptions & renewals shall become payable on the 1st January in every year.
(ii) Any member not fully paid by the end of January will be deemed to have allowed their membership to lapse, & consequently will not be eligible for club competitions.
(iii) From the 1st of February an administration fee of 25% of the annual subscription will be charged to lapsed members wishing to rejoin.
(iv) The Committee is prohibited from increasing the annual membership fee by more than 25% with increases only being ratified by an A.G.M or E.G.M.
(v) A member expelled or suspended shall forfeit all privileges of membership without any claim for any refund of subscription.
6) Committee
The Club Committee shall consist of the following officers: -
(i) President
(ii) Club Captain
(iii) Club Vice Captain
(iv) Secretary
(v) Competition Secretary
(vi) Treasurer
(vii) Lady Captain
(viii) Junior Organiser
(ix) Handicap Secretary
(x) Lady Vice Captain
(xi) Senior Section Representative
The term of office for President shall be Five years whilst the remainder of officers shall be elected annually.
A quorum of five officers must be present to form a meeting with either club or vice captain being present.
7) Election Of Committee
(i) Any two full members of the club shall be at liberty to nominate another member to serve as an officer
on the Committee.
(ii) All nominees to be notified to the secretary fourteen days prior to the A.G.M.
(iii) An alphabetical list of all nominees will be placed on the notice board seven days prior to the A.G.M.
(iv) Each full member present at the A.G.M. shall be entitled to vote for any number of candidates.
(v) In the event of more than one nomination for a post, a paper ballot shall take place individually with those present at the A.G.M.
(vi) All officers elected at the A.G.M. shall assume their posts at the first committee meeting following the A.G.M.
(vii) The committee will fill any vacant posts arising after the A.G.M.
(viii) A further three members may be co-opted on to the committee terminating at the following A.G.M.
8) Powers Of Committee
The members committee in addition to any powers hereinafter specifically conferred upon them, shall have the following powers: -
(i) To provide liaison between the club and the Operator.
(ii) To control & administer Club competitions & handicapping in line with C.O.N.G.U. regulations.
(iii) To provide remit of officers duties.
(iv) To review the club constitution annually.
(v) To collect membership fees & to record with consent, and only process membership details for the purpose of the club within the Data Protection Act guidelines, where all members’ details will be kept under password or other relevant secure means and accessed by committee only.
The secretary is to notify members of details of meetings held in accordance with this constitution.
A.G.M.
(i) The A.G.M. of the club shall be held each year in the month of January.
(ii) The Secretary will inform all members 30 days prior to the confirmed date of the A.G.M. with time, date & venue.
(iii) The agenda will be displayed on the notice board 14 days prior to the confirmed date of A.G.M.
(iv) A quorum of twenty members must be present to hold an A.G.M.
E.G.M.
(i) An E.G.M may be called by an application in writing to the secretary signed by a minimum of twenty
five full club members.
(ii) The members committee shall have the power to call an E.G.M. by decision of a simple majority.
(iii) The E.G.M. shall be held within fourteen days of the secretary being notified.
(iv) A quorum of twenty members must be present to hold an E.G.M.
(v) All E.G.M voting will be paper ballot.
MOTION
(i) A motion shall be carried by a simple majority of those members present, except when a motion is a
constitutional amendment which can only be carried with a 2/3rds majority.
(ii) The chairperson of the meeting shall have the casting vote in addition to the deliberative vote.
(iii) Voting by proxy will be permitted at both A.G.M. & E.G.M.
10) Conduct Of Members
(i) A Member may resign their membership at any time and must notify the secretary in writing in the
first instance.
(ii) All members shall adhere to the golfing etiquette.
(iii) Misconduct will not be tolerated at any time.
11) Complaints Procedure
(i) All complaints shall be made in writing to the secretary.
(ii) The secretary will refer all written complaints to the committee.
(iii) The committee who’s decision will be final, will then investigate the nature of the complaint and advise accordingly their decision.
(iv) The secretary will communicate the committee’s decision in writing within a reasonable & appropriate time on or before the next scheduled monthly committee meeting.
12) Disciplinary Procedure
(i) The committee will undertake all disciplinary procedures.
(ii) A member can be accompanied at this stage.
(iii) If any member is charged with a breach of the rules or any misconduct likely to affect the welfare of the club and its members the committee shall call that member before them to make any statement or give such necessary and applicable explanations.
(iv) The Committee will then investigate as necessary in a fair and judicial manner.
(v) In the event of the complaint being proven the committee shall have the power to dismiss or suspend such dismissal, suspension or removal for any period during the current or following playing season at its absolute discretion.
(vi) All relevant disciplinary minutes to be held in the ‘Disciplinary File’ and not for general access.
(vii) All decisions will be confirmed in writing.
13) Appeals Procedure
(i) All appeals must be registered in writing to the secretary within seven days of the date of the
disciplinary meeting.
(ii) The club President will chair all appeal meetings.
(iii) The President will assemble an additional two members not from the committee to form an appeals panel.
(iv) The two additional members must be agreed by both parties as independent to the process.
(v) In the event of the appeal panel not agreeing with the committee’s decision, the president will report the findings of the panel back to the committee in order that they may take the opportunity to review their decision.
(vi) If the committee decides to uphold the original decision then the matter will be referred automatically to an E.G.M for consideration by the members.
14) Club Property
(i) No member shall take away, or permit to be taken away from the clubhouse members owned property.
(ii) The club shall not be responsible for any loss damage or theft of members / guests / visitors valuables whilst at the facility.
15) Competitions
(i) Competitions shall be held at such time and under such conditions as the committee and the operator
shall jointly determine.
(ii) The suspension, postponement or cancellation of any club competition due to unforeseen
circumstances is entirely the responsibility of the committee.
16) Handicap
(i) Handicapping shall be undertaken under C.O.N.G.U. rules as dictated by the W.G.U & W.L.G.U.
(ii) All members shall submit a minimum of three valid score cards during the period 1st April to the 31st October.
(iii) Failure to submit three valid score cards will lead to automatic suspension of members playing handicap. Reinstatement will be at the discretion of the committee.
17) Auditors & Finance
(i) The club financial year shall be the 1st December to 30th November.
(ii) The committee shall appoint an independent auditor annually not on the Committee.
(iii) Audited accounts shall be presented at the A.G.M.
(iv) All funds raised by club members shall be used following committee approval.
(v) Records shall be kept of all payments and receipts of member’s funds.
(vi) The bank account shall be in the name of Garnant Park Members Golf Club
(vii) All cheques drawn on the account shall be countersigned and only 2 out of the 3 following officials will sign - Club Captain, Club Secretary or Club Treasurer.
