1 Title
The name of the Union shall be the Glamorgan County Golf Union (the “Union”).
2 Aims and Objectives
The Union is established to:
Promote and sustain amateur golf within the County of Glamorgan.
Organize such activities, as the Executive considers desirable, for the benefit of member clubs of the Union and their male members.
Arrange a County Championship, other competitions, leagues, fixtures and meetings it considers appropriate for the players of member clubs.
Determine all matters arising from such arrangements.
Co-operate with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Wales Golf on all matters that are considered necessary.
3 The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and Wales Golf
The Union recognises the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as the ruling authority on all matters regarding the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status and accepts to be bound thereby. Wales Golf is recognised as the Handicapping Authority for all member clubs.
4 Membership
Membership of the Union shall be open to all golf clubs situated within the recognised historical County of Glamorgan. If a club is situated in an adjacent District and is a member of the Golf Union of Wales, it may apply for membership, which will be considered by the Executive Committee, whose decision shall be final.
Any club wishing to resign its membership shall give notice in writing before the 31st of December in each year, failing which the club will be liable for the ensuing year’s subscription.
Member clubs must be prepared to make their course/courses available for Union events as and when required.
5 Governance of the Union
The control of the Union shall be undertaken by an Executive Committee, the make-up of which is defined in Rule 8.
6 Officers
The Officers of the Union shall be:
The President,
The Chairman,
The Vice-Chairman
The Secretary
The Honorary Treasurer
Save for the Secretary, the Officers of the Union shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Union. Nominations for Officers shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty-one days prior to the Meeting. The Officers shall hold office until the termination of the next Annual General Meeting.
7 Past-Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Trustees (The Council)
The Council would comprise Past-Presidents and appointed Vice-Presidents and Trustees who would remain in said offices without the need for annual election until they retire or are removed by the Executive.
The Council would meet twice a year under the Chairmanship of the sitting President, firstly to approve the budgets after the AGM and secondly to meet with the Treasurer to review spending at the half-year.
The President and Chairman would consult with the Council as part of the selection process for their successors prior to approval by the Executive and election at an Annual General Meeting of the Union.
8 Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of:
The Officers of the Union
The Seniors’ Chairman
The Juniors’ Chairman
Minimum of Four up to a Maximum of Six persons elected from member clubs.
Two Further Executive members drawn from member clubs as defined in Rule 9.
The Executive Committee shall appoint Sub-Committees to administer Seniors and Juniors golf within the Union, with responsibility for coaching, competitions and matches, including financial responsibility, subject to the over-riding control of the Executive Committee. The appointed Chairmen of the Sub-Committees shall represent their sections on the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may, from time to time and for any purpose, appoint other Sub-Committees.
The Annual General Meeting of the Union shall elect persons from member clubs such that the number of said elected persons is a minimum of four up to a maximum of six. The elected members shall hold office for up to three years. Retiring members may seek re-election.
The Executive Committee may appoint any members of a member club to fill any vacancy that may occur between AGM’s of the Union. Such appointments shall be effective for the remainder of the term of office of the person vacating office.
Two Further Executive members shall be drawn from member clubs as defined in Rule 9. These members shall sit on the Executive Committee for one year after which time they would be eligible to stand for election to the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee may, from time to time and for any purpose, co-opt additional Executive members if necessary for the Proper conduct of the Union’s affairs.
Following election at an AGM of the Union, the Executive Committee is empowered to deal with all business of the Union. It has the right to interpret the Rules, subject to confirmation at the next Annual General Meeting of the Union. It shall consider and decide on applications from clubs for membership of the Union in accordance with the Rules.
The Secretary shall act as secretary to the Executive Committee. He shall summon meetings and keep correct Minutes of the proceedings.
9 Further Executive Members
For the purposes of this category of Executive Members the County shall be divided into two halves of equal numbers of member clubs on a geographical basis, east and west, at the discretion of the Secretary.
All member clubs shall be invited to nominate a County Representative who would represent their clubs at Annual General Meetings of the Union.
At the Annual General Meeting of the Union a County Representative from a club in the west and one from a club in the east shall be invited to sit on the Executive for one year. The clubs would be selected on a rotational, ordered basis in a system as agreed at an Annual General Meeting of the Union.
10 Annual General Meeting of The Union
The Annual General Meeting of The Union (“the Meeting”) shall be held in the month of February in each year at a place determined by the Executive Committee. At least twenty-eight days’ notice of the Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to each member club of the Union. An Agenda shall be sent to member clubs at least ten days before the Meeting. Each member club will be entitled to two voting delegates at the Meeting. Twelve delegates, in addition to the Officers present, shall form a quorum for the Meeting.
The Meeting shall consider the following business:
To receive the Chairman’s Report
To approve and adopt the Statement of Accounts
To consider any motion submitted in writing by a member club. Notice of motion must be received by the Secretary at least twenty-one days prior to the date of the Meeting.
To elect the Officers.
To appoint any new Vice-Presidents or Trustees.
To elect members of the Executive. Nominations to elect members of the Executive Committee must be received by the Secretary at least twenty-one days prior to the date of the Meeting.
To appoint a Reporting Accountant.
To make any other appointment as necessary for the proper conduct of the Union’s affairs.
No Rule of the Union shall be repealed or amended except by a majority of two-thirds of the delegates present and voting at an AGM of the Union. Affiliated clubs shall be given at least ten days’ notice of any proposed alteration or addition to the Rules.
Any matter of general interest raised at the Meeting may be discussed at the discretion of the Chairman but no resolution may be put, nor any vote taken, on issues not submitted formally in accordance with the Rules.
The President, or in his absence the Chairman, shall chair the Meeting. If neither is able to attend the Meeting, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Chairman.
11 Special Meeting of Council
A Special Meeting of the Union shall be convened at any time by the Secretary either at the instance of the Executive Committee or upon receipt of a written request from representatives of any five member clubs. Such a request must state the purpose for calling the Meeting.
Twenty-eight days’ notice of such a Meeting, and the business to be considered, shall be given to all member clubs. Only business of which notice has been received shall be discussed at a Special Meeting. Where the Special Meeting is called at the request of any five member clubs, the Secretary shall set the date within fourteen days (giving not less than twenty eight days’ notice) of the receipt of the request.
Rules for the conduct and voting at Special Meetings shall be the same as those for the Annual General Meetings of the Union.
12 Finance and Subscriptions
All monies raised by, or on behalf of, the Union shall be applied solely to further the aims and objectives of the Union.
Member clubs shall pay such sums as shall be decided from time to time by the Executive Committee as an Annual Subscription. This Subscription will be based on a fixed sum per male Member of all categories of Playing Membership with the exception of Country and Honorary Life members. The Subscription shall be due on election to membership, or annually on the first day of January.
Any member club that has not paid the Annual Subscription required by these Rules may not take part in any of the Union’s affairs and events until such time as the sum demanded has been paid in full. Any member club that fails to pay the annual subscription within thirty days of the due date shall be liable to expulsion from the Union. Any club that ceases to be a member of the Union shall forfeit all rights to, or claim upon, the Union for its property and funds.
The County may also issue County Cards. The Executive Committee will be responsible for the regulation and administration of the County Card Scheme.
The financial year shall commence on the 1st of January in each year. The Honorary Treasurer shall record all financial transactions and prepare an Annual Statement of Accounts in the form of a revenue account and balance sheet made up to the previous 31st of December. The Secretary shall send out to the member clubs the Annual Statement of Accounts after it has been examined by the Reporting Accountant and approved by the Executive. A notice convening the Annual General Meeting of the Union shall be sent out at the same time and shall include a motion to elect a Reporting Accountant.
13 Property of the Union
The property including the trophies of the Union shall be vested in two or more Trustees appointed annually by the Executive. The Trustees so appointed shall invest or otherwise deal with the property of the Union as directed by resolution of the Executive – of which an entry in the Minutes shall be conclusive evidence – and shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Union property.
14 Championships
A meeting shall be held each year at which there will be a Competition to decide the Amateur Champion of the County Union. The Championship shall be in the form of 36 holes medal play (subject to any overriding decision by the Championship Committee), the winner being the competitor returning the lowest gross aggregate score over the 36 holes. In the event of a tie, a play-off shall take place the format of which to be decided by the organising committee. Ties in the Junior Championship shall be decided in the same manner, but in all other events a tie shall be resolved by a card play-off.
County Championships, or any other competitions organised by the Union, shall be open to all male amateur golfers of a member club with a current handicap on the World Handicapping System, including Juniors but excluding Country and Honorary Life Members. In addition to the County Championship, the Executive Committee shall organise such other Championships and Leagues, as it deems appropriate.
Regulations governing the entry and conduct of all the Union’s events will be set out by the Executive Committee.
15 County Colours
County colours may be worn by Officers and members of the Executive Committee and also by players who have represented the County and have satisfied the criteria determined by the Executive Committee.
16 Discipline and Complaints
All matters relating to discipline of persons appointed or selected to represent the Union or competing in a championship or other competition organized by the Union shall, when there is cause to do so, be dealt with by the Executive Committee in accordance with procedures laid down by Wales Golf.
All complaints shall be made in writing to the Secretary who, if he is unable to deal with them himself, shall submit them to the Executive Committee, whose decision shall be final.
17 Dissolution
If, at any Annual General Meeting of the Union, a Resolution for the dissolution of the Union shall be passed by a two thirds majority of those members present and voting, the Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting of the Union within the next twenty eight days, and if at that Meeting the Resolution be confirmed by a further Resolution being passed by a majority of not less than three quarters of members present and voting, the Executive Committee shall thereupon proceed to realize the assets of the Union and after discharge of all liabilities shall not make a distribution of any surpluses save to another non-profit making body or bodies, or charity or charities associated with golf, as shall be agreed by the Executive Committee
