SHROPSHIRE & HERFORDSHIRE UNION OF GOLF CLUBS

CONSTITUTION - APPROVED MARCH, 1993 (Amended January, 1994)

1 NAME

The Union shall be called the Shropshire and Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs (S.H.U.G.C.).

2 OBJECTS

The objects of the Union shall be:-

(a) To promote and administer amateur golf within Shropshire and Herefordshire.

(b) To encourage and assist member clubs.

(d) To arrange meetings, competitions and matches in order to achieve such objects.

(e) Shropshire and Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs is a non-profit making organisation and shall not make a distribution of any profits or surpluses save to another non-profit

making body. In the event of dissolution of the Union the assets and property of the Union shall be distributed only to non-profit making bodies as directed by the Executive of the Union.

3 AFFILIATION

The Union shall consist of the Clubs who are at present members, together with any additional Clubs who shall be elected from time to time. Applications for membership or

affiliation shall be made in writing and must be approved by the Executive Committee. New Clubs shall be elected following investigation and satisfactory reports by the Development

Committee on receipt of not less than 75% of the votes of Member Clubs present at the meeting when such notice of application for membership is made. Clubs seeking election shall pay an entrance fee to be decided by the Executive Committee, together with fees as required in accordance with this Constitution. Election shall not be complete until all payments have been settled. All members shall comply with the following, unless written dispensation is given by the Executive Committee:-

(a) To abide by the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status as laid down by the

Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A).

(b) To comply with the Rules and Regulations of the S. S. S. & Handicapping Scheme 1983 and any conditions imposed within the scheme by the EGU.

(d) To include provisions that an annual meeting of members of each Club is called to:

(i) Elect officers and a Committee, of whom the majority must be elected members. Such elected members shall appoint a handicap committee to administer the S.S.S. and Handicapping Scheme 1983.

(ii) Appoint or co-opt additional members to the Executive and any sub-committees deemed necessary under this Constitution.

(e) Agree that the Union may have the courtesy of the course and the necessary Clubhouse facilities on at least one occasion per year when requested, provided the Union gives reasonable notice.

(f) Agree to provide the course free of charge for inter-club matches organised by the Union.

(g) Agree to participate in and become members of the County Golf Club.

4 OFFICERS

The Officers of the Union shall consist of the Immediate Past President and the following elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Executive and shall consist of :-

(a) President; (b) President-elect; (c) Captain; (d) Vice-Captain; (e) Secretary; (f) Treasurer; (g) Competitions Chairman; (h) Chairman of Junior Golf; (i) Match Secretary;

(j) Second Team Captain.

5 MANAGEMENT

The governing body shall be the Executive Committee in which shall be vested the management of the Union. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following:-

(a) The Officers of the Union.

(b) Such persons as may be elected, appointed or co-opted to carry out specific activities and functions as required by the Executive Committee.

(d) Two persons nominated by each Member Club, one of whom, it is recommended, should be a member of his Club's Committee.

6 DELEGATES

At the Annual General Meeting of the SHUGC two delegates will be elected to represent the Union on each of the Councils of the EGU and the Midland Golf Union (MGU) in accordance with their regulations.

7 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Annual General Meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held in January of each year, or as near thereafter as possible. In addition, there shall be meetings as follows: (a) a fixtures meeting in July; (b) two further meetings, one of which shall be held in March and the other in November of each year, or as near as possible; (c) such further meetings as may, in accordance with this Constitution, be requested for the conduct of urgent business. The Executive Committee has the power to deal with all matters of discipline, including any breaches of this Constitution, it deems necessary, either directly or through the Disciplinary Committee.

8 ADMIN COMMITTEE

There shall be an Administrative Committee which between meetings of the Executive Committee shall attend to the general administration of the Union. It shall be the body appointed to make decisions on any matter which arises during the golfing functions of the Union between Executive Committee meetings. The Administrative Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Union and any additional persons appointed, or elected, to that Committee by the Executive Committee.

9 SUB COMMITTEES

In addition to the designated officials elected by the Executive Committee the Administrative Committee shall have responsibility to appoint, or co-opt to, sub-committees it deems necessary for the effective administration of the affairs of the Union.

(a) Selection Committee shall consist of: Captain (chairman), Vice-Captain, Second Team Captain, Chairman of Junior Golf, plus others to be nominated annually.

(b) Competitions Committee shall consist of: Competitions Chairman, Secretary, Match Secretary, Treasurer, Junior Committee representative, Selection Committee epresentative..

(c) Finance Committee shall consist of: Treasurer (chairman), Secretary, County Golf Club secretary, plus others to be nominated annually.

(d) Development Committee shall consist of: Development Officer (chairman), Secretary, Treasurer, plus others.

(e) Junior Committee shall consist of: Chairman of Junior Golf, Team Manager, Junior Tournament Administrator, plus others.

(f) Senior Committee shall consist of: Chairman of Senior Golf, Captain of Senior Golf, plus others.

(g) Handicap Committee shall consist of: Handicap Secretary (chairman), Match Secretary, Secretary.

(h) The Executive Committee appoints the Administrative Committee to act in its name for the purposes of carrying out all disciplinary procedures in accordance with the mandate given for it by the English Golf Union.

10 VOTING POWERS

Each Member Club shall have one vote at the Annual or Special General meeting and at any Executive Committee Meeting at which they attend Officers named in regulation 4, together with the Immediate Past President, shall also have one vote, save as set out in this Constitution where specified voting regulations apply, except when they have special interest. All meetings, other than those where the Chairman is defined, the President, if in attendance, shall take the chair and, in his absence, the President-elect or, in his absence, the Immediate Past President. If all three are absent, then the meeting shall appoint a chairman. The chairman of a meeting shall have a casting vote.

11 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Executive Committee shall elect the Officers of the Union. An audited financial statement shall be submitted for approval by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall give notice of not less than 14 days of such meeting to all Officers, Executive Committee members and Club representatives. Any Club wishing to put forward a resolution for consideration must do so in writing to the secretary not less than 28 days prior to the date of the meeting. Reports will be presented by the Secretary, Treasurer, EGU and MGU representatives.

12 SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A special meeting of the Executive Committee may be called at any time on 14 days notice in writing from the date of posting, if requested by any three Officers or by any five member Clubs. Such written request shall state the business, which is to be brought before the special meeting.

13 RULES AND REGULATIONS

No rule or regulation of the Constitution of the Union shall be repealed or altered and no new rule or regulation shall be approved without a majority of at least 75% of the Member

Clubs present. Member Clubs shall be given not less than14 days notice in writing of any proposed resolution intending to amend any part of this Constitution.

14 SUBSCRIPTIONS

Each Club shall pay for all male members on its register (including juniors) on 1st January each year such subscription, as the Annual General Meeting of the Executive Committee shall

decide, together with the amount payable to the EGU and the MGU. Such subscription shall be fixed for the current financial year and shall be payable not later than 31st March. Clubs who have not paid by that date shall be suspended until payment in full has been received. Following imposition of suspension all members of the Club concerned shall cease to have a handicap and be ineligible to play in competitions. On removal of suspension, handicaps shall be restored and the Club and its members shall be entitled to enter future competitions, but there shall be no retrospective reinstatement.

15 FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year of the Union shall be from 1st November to the following 31st October.

16 QUORUM

A quorum for Executive Committee meetings shall be not less than 50% of the Member Clubs. Should there not be a quorum at a meeting the Secretary will reconvene the meeting as soon as possible. A quorum at the Administrative Committee and all other sub committees shall be 50% of those entitled to attend.

17 RESIGNATION

A Club affiliated to the Union shall be entitled at any time to resign by giving notice, such notice to expire on 31st October next after having been given. No affiliated Club, or Club

within the geographical boundaries of the Union, shall be entitled to become a member of any other Union unless it shall receive 75% of the votes of the Member Clubs attending a meeting of the Executive Committee at which such application shall be considered. A Club shall not be removed from membership except by special resolution following the procedure under Rule 13.

18 MAJORITY

Other than where specified in the Constitution, a simple majority shall apply to all decisions taken at Executive, Administrative and Sub Committee meetings.

19 HONORARIA

Honoraria payable to Officers of the Union to cover expenses incurred on behalf of the Union shall be paid as decided by the Executive Committee and these shall be initially reviewed

annually by the Finance Committee.

20 PROCEDURE AND CONDUCT DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEES

The disciplinary procedure shall be as laid down by the English Golf Union and outlined in the current EGU Year Book. In addition the Union will implement the disciplinary procedures as laid down in the conditions of entry to any event it organises. All Member Clubs, their members and all competition entrants shall be so bound. The disciplinary committee shall have the widest possible powers in any decision it makes.

21 APPOINTMENT OF HONORARY LIFE VICE PRESIDENTS

The following guidelines will be used in the appointment of Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Shropshire and Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs:

1 To be nominated from time to time by the County Administrative Committee and voted into Honorary Office by the County Executive.

2 Nominees must be officers or members of county member clubs and deemed to have served the County and/or county clubs with distinction. The award can also be made to an officer of a club, county or national union other than Shropshire and Herefordshire who is deemed to have given service to the county or considered to have earned the honour for services to golf.

3 County Honorary Vice-Presidents will be life members of the Executive without voting rights, unless they are entitled to vote in a capacity other than that of Honorary Vice-President.

4 Honorary Vice-Presidents will be co-opted from time to time to deputise for and/or support county officers while attending or hosting other counties or official organisations and provide assistance when necessary at major county, regional and national tournaments or competitions held within Shropshire and Herefordshire.