PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB BYLAWS Revised May, 2000
Article I - Organization and Purposes
Section 1. (Name) The name of this organization shall be the
PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB.
Section 2- (Objectives) The objectives of this golf club are:
(a) General - To furnish pleasure and recreation to its
members.
(b) Golf Play - To foster, encourage, promote, advance and create interest
in, practice of and enjoyment of the game of golf. Such objective shall
include enhancing respect for the Rules of Golf, encouraging fair handicapping
consistent with the Rules of Golf, and discouraging slow play as needlessly
limiting the enjoyment of the game by fellow golfers.
(c) Tournaments - To organize and conduct golf tournaments and competitive
play on the City of Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course and elsewhere.
(d) Course Improvement - To cooperate with and assist the City of Palo
Alto in the maintenance and development of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf
Course.
(e) Other Tournaments - To make possible the qualification and participation
in by its members in the golf tournaments of other organizations and associations.
Article II - Location and Operations
Section 1. (Headquarters) The headquarters of the Club shall
be at the City of Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, and at such other place
as the Board of Directors may, from time to time, designate.
Section 2. (Fiscal Year) The fiscal year of the PALO ALTO GOLF
CLUB shall begin on the first day of January each year and shall end on
the thirty-first day of December of that year.
Section 3. (Communications) The Board of Directors will notify
the membership of all upcoming events through the use of an official Bulletin
Board at the golf course, a club website, and general mailings.
Section 4. (Members' Duty) It shall be the duty of each member
to read the Bulletin Board or access the website from time to time and
keep informed as to the activities, rules and regulations of this club.
Article III - Membership
Section 1. (Classes) The membership of the Club shall consist
of the following classes:
(a) Regular
(b) Senior
(c) Junior
(d) Honorary
Section 2. (Regular Members) Regular members shall consist of
such persons eighteen years of age and over who have paid their dues for
the current year.
Section 3. (Senior Members) Senior members shall consist of such
persons sixty years of age and over who have paid their dues for the current
year.
Section 4. (Junior Members) Junior members shall consist of members
under eighteen years of age who have paid their dues for the current year.
Section 5. (Honorary Members) Honorary members shall be members
upon whom honorary membership shall have been conferred by unanimous vote
at any meeting of the Board of Directors, such member having made a particular
contribution to the Club or the game of golf. Dues for such members shall
be waived
Section 6. (Annual Dues) The Board shall establish
annual dues for the various categories of membership. Such dues shall be
in an amount at least sufficient to enroll the member in the Northern California
Golf Association.
Section 7. (Application for Membership) The Board will approve
or deny applications for membership in a fair and equitable fashion. The
Board may establish a maximum number of members beyond which new members
will not be accepted.
Section 8. (Resignation) Any member may resign from the Club
by filing such intention with the Board of Directors in writing, and such
resignation shall not be accepted until all indebtedness to the Club has
been paid. The Board of Directors may, where circumstances warrant, authorize
partial refund of membership dues.
Section 9. (Expulsion or Suspension) Any member guilty of any
misconduct or whose conduct is injurious to the character or interest of
the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB may be expelled or suspended from the Club by the
affirmative vote of not less than eight members of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors may act on its own or in response to a written complaint
signed by any member of the Club in such matters and must deliver a written
specification of the charges to the member or members whose conduct is
in question under this section. The written specification shall also include
the time and place of the meeting of the Board of Directors to consider
the matter and must be delivered at least ten days prior to said meeting.
The member or members so notified shall have the opportunity to present
a written statement on the matter for consideration or to appear in person
before the Board of Directors prior to the Board acting to approve or reject
the proposed expulsion or suspension. Suspension or expulsion shall result
in the forfeiture of all dues and rights of membership until such time
as any reinstatement is effectuated in accordance with the procedures for
accepting new membership applications. The Board of Directors shall be
the sole judge of what constitutes misconduct or of what conduct is injurious
to the character and interest of the Club.
Article IV - Board of Directors
Section 1. (Management) The control and management of the Club
and its affairs and property shall be entrusted to an elected
Board of Directors, consisting of nine members.
Section 2. (Ex-officio Member) In addition to the nine elective
directors, as above provided, the immediate past president of the Club
(if his term has expired) shall serve a one year term as an ex-officio
member of the Board of Directors for the following year with
full voting privileges.
Section 3. (Tenure of Office) The members of the Board of Directors
shall be elected at each annual election for terms of three years each,
so that three members shall be elected annually. No member of the Board
of Directors (including the Ex-officio Member) shall be eligible for re-election
until one full year after the expiration of the term served.
Section 4. (Officers) The President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer shall be elected within forty days after the annual election
at a meeting of the presiding president and the nine Directors and shall
hold their respective offices for one year and until their successors are
elected and qualified.
Section 5. (Duties and Powers) It shall be the duty of the Board
of Directors to carry out the purposes and objectives of the Club, subject
to and in accordance with the by-laws. They shall have the power to admit
members and to suspend and expel members by ballot; to fill any vacancy
that may occur in any office or in the membership of the Board of Directors
until the next succeeding annual election subsequent to which successors
will be elected and qualified to take office, and to make and amend such
other rules and regulations, not inconsistent with these by-laws, as they
deem necessary to provide for the operation of the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB.
Article V - Meetings
Section 1. (Regular Board Meetings) Regular meetings of the Board
of Directors shall be scheduled by the President in order to transact Club
business. A majority of the nine elected members of the Board
of Directors constitutes a quorum for transaction of business at such meetings.
Section 2. (Annual Meetings) There shall be
an annual general meeting of the members of the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB which
shall be held during the first six (6) months of each year. The day, hour
and place of such annual meetings shall be designated by the Board of Directors
and posted upon the bulletin board and the website at least fifteen days
prior to such meeting. At all general meetings of the members of the PALO
ALTO GOLF CLUB, a quorum shall consist of forty members in good standing
or ten percent of the members in good standing whichever is less. The order
of business at all annual meetings of the Club shall be as follows: (1)
Reading of Minutes of the previous year's annual meeting; (2) Treasurer's
Report; (3) Reports of Committees; and (4) General Business.
Section 3. (Special Meetings) Meetings of the members shall be
held at such other times as the Board of Directors may determine, or upon
written request of ten club members in good standing; provided that when
such meetings are called, notice calling such meetings and containing a
statement of the purpose of the meeting shall be posted upon the bulletin
board and the website at least five days preceding the day of the meeting.
No business other than that specified in the call and notice shall be transacted.
Article VI - Officers
Section 1. (Duties of the President) It shall be the duty of
the President to preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Directors;
appoint all committees and remove any member therefrom, subject to the
approval of the Board of Directors, to see that the by-laws and such rules
and regulations as may be adopted by the Directors are enforced, call such
meetings as are herein provided; and to see that reports of general concern
are made to the Club at meetings and/or are posted upon the bulletin board
and the website from time to time.
Section 2. (Duties of the Vice-President) It shall be the duty
of the Vice-President to perform the duties of the President in the absence
of said President, and generally to assist the President in all matters
concerning the Club. Should neither the President nor the Vice-President
be present at any meeting, a Chairman shall be chosen by vote of the Directors
present.
Section 3. (Duties of the Secretary) It shall be the duty of
the Secretary to keep minutes of all meetings of the Club and of the Directors;
to keep a record of the names and addresses of all members of the Club;
to be responsible for the publication of periodic newsletters
whose purpose is to keep the membership informed of upcoming events and
official Club business; to perform all of the duties generally incident
to the office of Secretary; and to perform such other duties as may be
assigned by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. (Duties of the Treasurer) It shall be the duty of
the Treasurer to act as the financial agent for the Club for receipt and
disbursement of its funds. He shall safely keep and account for all funds
that shall come into his hands, and shall deposit the same to the credit
of the Club in the name of the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB in such bank or banks
as the Directors may designate. The Club may bond the Treasurer in such
amount as the Board of Directors shall deem necessary. All checks, drafts
or orders for the payment of money shall be signed by the Treasurer, Assistant
Treasurer or other designee and countersigned by the President, or in his/her
absence the Vice-President or the Secretary. No bills shall be paid or
money disbursed without the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 5. (Assistants) An Assistant Treasurer and an Assistant
Secretary may be appointed by the President from among the membership of
the Board of Directors or the general membership. In such event it shall
be the duty of such assistant or assistants to perform those duties which
the Secretary and Treasurer deem necessary and consistent with the purposes
and objectives of the Club.
Article VII - Committees
Section 1. (Purpose) For the better execution of its powers and
duties the Board of Directors authorizes its President to appoint from
its own number or from members of the Club such committees as occasion
may require and as they deem necessary, provided that all such committees
must include a member of the Board of Directors as Chairman and the President
of the Club as an ex-officio member.
Section 2. (Standing Committees) The standing committees of the
Club shall be; (1) Tournament and Handicap Committee; (2)
Communications Committee; (3) Membership Committee; and (4) Auditing Committee.
Section 3. (Duties of the Tournament and Handicap Committee)
It shall be the duty of the Tournament Committee to arrange matches between
Club members and with outside clubs, and to secure such prizes and trophies
as are advisable under the circumstances. This committee shall establish
rules of play consistent with the Rules of Golf and shall serve as the
Committee for ruling on questions which arise in Club tournaments. The
Committee shall also take an active role in monitoring the computer generated
handicaps of the members from the standpoint of accuracy, fairness, and
the proper posting of scores. If necessary, the Committee has the authority
to adjust the handicap of any member who is not following the handicap
guidelines laid down by the USGA.
Section 4. (Duties of the Communications Committee) It shall
be the duty of the Communications Committee to implement the Board's communications
responsibilities including notifications via the Bulletin Board and the
website of all upcoming events and important policy decisions as well as
producing the periodic club newsletters.
Section 5. (Duties of the Membership Committee) It shall be the
duty of the Membership Committee to seek out competent candidates for membership
in the Club and to investigate and report on candidates for membership
as directed by the Board of Directors.
Section 6. (Duties of the Auditing Committee) It shall be the
duty of the Auditing Committee to audit the books and records of the Club
immediately after the close of each fiscal (calendar) year. A written report
of the findings of the Audit Committee shall be submitted to the President.
The work of such committee shall be concluded by the submission of such
a report and upon approval by the Board of Directors.
Article VIII - Elections
Section 1. (Procedure) The annual election for Directors shall
be conducted by mail ballot in conjunction with the membership renewal
process, with the closing date for receipt of ballots (and dues) to be
determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. (Eligibility) All Regular, Senior and Honorary Members
shall be eligible to be a candidate for the Board of Directors
except that no member of the Board of Directors, including the ex-officio
member, may be placed in nomination, unless he is serving out part of a
vacated term.
Section 3. (Nominations) Nominations for the office of the Director
shall be made by a Nominating Committee appointed by the President and
shall be approved by the Board of Directors prior to the mailing of ballots.
Section 4. (Preparation of Ballots) The Secretary shall thereafter
have prepared a ballot containing the names of candidates placed in nomination
by the Board of Directors and including space thereon for the listing of
three write-in candidates.
Section 5. (Mailing of Ballots) The Secretary and the Treasurer
shall cause the ballots to be mailed to all Regular, Senior and Honorary
Members of the Club along with the annual membership renewal forms and
instructions for marking the ballots and returning them to the Club.
Section 6. (Election) The Secretary shall count and record the
number of ballots cast and the number of votes cast for each candidate,
including write-in candidates. Votes cast for any candidate who, himself,
has not paid his dues by the deadline will be ignored. The three candidates
who receive the highest number of votes shall be declared elected as Directors
of the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB for a three-year term. In the case of a tie
vote, the selection shall be made by lot under the supervision of the Board
of Directors. All Directors shall serve until their successors are elected
or otherwise appointed and qualified. In the event that more than three
vacancies exist to be filled on the Board of Directors, the Secretary shall
modify the procedures outlined above to certify additional candidates receiving
the successively highest number of votes below the three highest as elected
to such additional vacancies to serve the remainder of the term vacated.
Article IX - Interpretation
Section l. (Interpretation) The Board of Directors shall decide
all questions of interpretation of the by-laws.
Section 2. (Procedures) Roberts' Rules of Order, as revised,
shall govern the conduct of meetings.
Article X - Amendments
Section 1. (Meetings) These by-laws may be altered, added to,
amended or rescinded at a special meeting of the PALO ALTO GOLF CLUB or
at the annual meeting of said Club.
Section 2. (Notice Requirements) Notice of any proposed amendment
to the by-laws must be communicated to all Regular, Senior and Honorary
Members at least ten days before such meeting.
Section 3. (Quorum) At any special meeting called to consider
amending the by-laws, a quorum shall consist of 40 members in good standing
or 10% of the general membership in good standing, whichever is less.
Section 4. (Amendments) Amendments shall be approved by an affirmative
vote of not less than two-thirds of the members present at a special meeting
or at the annual meeting, conducted in accordance with the requirements
of this article.
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