Constitution
CONSTITUTION RULES
1. NAME
The name of the Association shall be THE LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND LADIES’ COUNTY GOLF ASSOCIATION, hereinafter known as the Association.
2. CONSTITUTION
The Association shall consist of ladies’ recognised Golf Clubs and ladies’ sections of recognised Golf Clubs in Leicestershire and Rutland who are affiliated to the EWGA (hereinafter called ‘affiliated Clubs’).
3. PLAYING MEMBERSHIP
FULL MEMBERSHIP
A lady shall qualify as a Full Member of the Association by paying a per capita levy.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Payment of an individual per capita levy shall qualify a full playing member of an affiliated Club of another County Association immediately to be an Associate Member of the Association. Associate membership entitles her to play in events organised by the Association excepting the County Championship or to play for the team in the County Golf Championship.
4. OBJECTIVES
· To further the interests of women’s and juniors’ golf in Leicestershire and Rutland.
· To maintain, administer and enforce the CONGU system of handicapping.
· To apply and uphold the regulations of the EWGA concerning County Golf.
· To maintain, administer and regulate the County Championship and all other competitions held under the auspices of the Association.
· To organise inter-county golf matches.
To make, maintain and publish such regulations as may be necessary for the above purposes.
5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The maintenance and administration of the Association’s affairs shall be carried out by a duly elected committee – ‘Executive Committee’ – consisting of President, Captain, 2nd team Captain, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Competition Secretary, Junior Organiser and EWGA Representative.
The President to be nominated by the retiring President and approved by the Executive Committee and shall hold office for not more than two years. The President to be Chairperson of the Committee and to have the casting vote.
The Captain shall hold office for two years.
The Vice-Captain to be nominated by the Captain and approved by the Executive Committee and shall hold office for two years after which period she shall become Captain.
The 2nd team Captain to be nominated by the retiring 2nd Team Captain and approved by the Executive Committee and shall hold office for two years.
The Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Competition Secretary shall serve for no more than five years consecutively. After serving for five years she shall retire and one year must elapse before she is again eligible for election as an officer.
Each of the Executive Committee to be proposed and seconded by two members of the Management Committee and elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
Nobody may serve as a member of the Executive Committee who is not a member of an affiliated Club.
The Executive Committee may appoint a person to fill a casual vacancy which may arise, such appointment to take effect until the next Annual General Meeting of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall meet not less than three times per annum. Four members to form a quorum.
Officers of the Association shall be entitled to receive an annual honorarium to be approved at the Annual General Meeting.
6. SELECTION COMMITTEE
A Selection Committee, responsible to the Executive Committee, shall comprise three persons to deal with all matters relating to teams, squad selections and coaching. The Committee shall be the Captain, the Vice Captain and another to be approved by the Executive Committee.
7. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Management Committee shall consist of the Executive Committee plus a representative from each of the affiliated Clubs and the Handicap Adviser. The Fixtures Secretary and Club EWGA representatives may be invited to attend the meetings.
The purpose of the Management Committee is to discuss matters brought forward by the Executive Committee plus other matters brought up by the affiliated Clubs, and to vote accordingly.
The Management Committee shall meet a minimum of four times per annum. Ten members to form a quorum.
Minutes of the Management Meetings shall be circulated to the members of the Executive Committee plus the Secretary of the Ladies’ Section of each affiliated Golf Club, or their representative. The Honorary Secretary to be responsible for minute taking and circulation.
CLUB REPRESENTATION
Affiliated Clubs shall be entitled to send one representative to Management Meetings who shall have the right to speak and vote.
VOTING
The Executive Committee shall vote as one person.
A Club representative shall have a number of votes according to the size of her ladies’ section full playing members in the ratio of 1 vote per 50 (or part thereof) members in accordance with the number of members registered on the levy return from each Club at the 31st January in each year.
The President shall have the casting vote.
8. ACCOUNTS
The financial year of the Association shall close on the 30th September in each year and the Honorary Treasurer shall prepare a Statement of Accounts for such year which shall be verified and circulated with the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting to every affiliated Club.
9. FINANCE
The Association shall be financed by a per capita levy on all playing lady members of an affiliated Club.
Such payment shall be the responsibility of each affiliated Club and not of the individuals thereof.
No payment shall be required in respect of a member of an affiliated Club for whom a payment is made by another affiliated Club.
The annual levy becomes due on affiliation and thereafter on 31st January in each year and must be forwarded to the Honorary Treasurer on or before the 1st March in each year.
If any affiliated Club shall fail to pay its annual levy by 1st March in any year it shall not be entitled to be represented on the Management Committee and its members shall not be entitled to play in County competitions.
Any affiliated Club wishing to withdraw from the Association shall give notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary not later than the 31st August of the current year or it shall be liable for the following year’s levy payment. A Club having complied with this Rule and wishing to rejoin shall pay the annual levy payable under paragraph (a) hereof.
Any affiliated Club which has resigned from the Association and wishes to rejoin shall, on rejoining, pay such re-entry as the Executive Committee shall decide from time to time.
The amount of the levy shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting.
10. GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting, chaired by the President, shall be held in early November. The business of such meeting shall be:
To receive the reports of the Executive Committee for the year.
To receive the Honorary Treasurer’s Statement of Accounts.
To elect the President, Captain and Vice Captain.
To elect the Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Competition Secretary and Junior Organiser.
To receive the report of the EWGA representative.
To approve the amount of the annual levy.
To approve the honoraria to be paid to officers of the Association.
To vote on any resolution which may be submitted to the meeting.
RESOLUTIONS
The Executive Committee and any levy paying member of any affiliated Club may bring forward any Resolution or Proposal for Alteration of the Rules at the Annual General Meeting. Such Resolutions or Proposals must be received in writing by the Honorary Secretary before 31st August and must be available to all members 21 days before the Annual General Meeting. Any amendment to a Resolution must be received 14 days before the Annual General Meeting.
ALTERATION OF THE RULES
No new Rule of the Association shall be made and no existing Rule shall be altered or repealed except by a two thirds majority of the votes properly recorded at a General Meeting. Any alteration or addition so made shall take effect as from the date of such a meeting.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
The Honorary Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time by the order of the Executive Committee or on receiving a requisition to call such a Meeting signed by the Ladies’ Secretaries of no fewer than five affiliated Clubs. Every such requisition shall specify the business for which such meeting is to be convened and no other business shall be transacted at such meeting.
QUORUM
At any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, 30 persons present and entitled to vote shall form a quorum.
REPRESENTATION AND VOTING
Every levy paying member shall be entitled to attend General Meetings and vote on any matter arising.
All questions shall be decided by a show of hands, unless a ballot is directed by the President or demanded by not less than six persons present at the Meeting.
In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
11. GENERAL
A copy of the Rules of the Association shall be sent to every affiliated Club.
The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final and binding in respect of any dispute or question over the Rules of the Association.
These Rules are to be read and interpreted in conjunction with and subject to the EWGA’s Regulations for County Golf for the time being in force and in the event of any inconsistency between the Rules and the ELGA’s Regulations the latter shall prevail.
The Executive Committee shall from time to time make such Bye-laws not being inconsistent with these Rules for regulating the conduct and affairs of the Association as it shall deem necessary. Such Bye-laws remain effective until ratified at the following AGM or any other General Meeting. A copy of the Bye-laws currently in force at any time shall be made available to all affiliated Clubs. Every member shall be bound by and submit to these Rules and Bye-laws currently in force.
If at any Annual General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Association (which unless proposed by the Executive Committee must be sent to the Honorary Secretary and signed by the Ladies’ Secretaries of not fewer than ten affiliated Clubs) shall be passed by a majority of two-thirds of the votes properly recorded at the Annual General Meeting, the Executive Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Association and after discharge of all liabilities shall transfer the same to the EWGA, or to such body of women’s golf in England at that time, and upon completion of such transfer the Association shall be dissolved.
Rules adopted April 2003
Revised November 2005 (Financial year end amended to September 30th)
Revised November 2006 (Vice-Captain replaced by 2nd Team Captain on Executive Committee)
Revised November 2008 (ELGA changed to EWGA; no term of office for CJO; juniors required to pay levy)