OCOEE GOLF ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

ARTICIE I

(Name and Objectives)

SECTION 1.       NAME:  The name of this organization shall be Ocoee Golf Association and in this document will be referred to as OGA.

SECTION 2.       OBJECTIVES:  The OGA subscribes to:

1.      Further participation in organizational competitive golf.

2.      Recognition of individual and group accomplishments in the sport of golf.

3.      Increasing the availability of golf facilities and equipment.

4.      Maintaining a posture of self-sustaining sports participation.  Towards these ends, all efforts of the OGA will be directed.

SECTION 3.       The inception of the OGA shall be dated January 1983.

ARTICLE II

(Membership)

SECTION 1.       REQUIREMENTS:  Any person living in Ocoee or surrounding area who is an amateur golfer with interest in obtaining the above objectives and who will pay an initial membership fee and must be 18 years or older.

SECTION 2.       ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP:  The request of any person desiring membership in the OGA must first apply to the membership at a regular meeting.

SECTION 3.       ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MEMBERSHIP:  Upon receipt of a $10.00 initial membership fee and current annual dues, that person shall be presented by the President to the OGA as a member.

SECTION 4.       TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP:  Membership shall not be transferable.

ARTICLE III

(Dues)

SECTION 1.       ANNUAL DUES:  The annual dues of all members shall be thirty dollars ($30.00).  Dues are to be paid no later than the second month of membership.  The fiscal year shall be the first day of January to the last day of December of said year.  If dues are not paid as prescribed above, member will not be eligible for Tournaments or other special events.

SECTION 2.       NEW MEMBER DUES:  For new members, dues will be pro-rated quarterly – seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) per quarter.  For example, a new member joining in July, dues would be fifteen dollars ($15.00).

ARTICLE IV

(Governing Body)

SECTION 1.       OFFICERS/DIRECTORS:  The Officers of the OGA shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and six (6) Directors.

SECTION 2.       PRESIDENT:  The President shall preside at all meetings of the OGA.  The President shall appoint the Chairman of all standing committees and special committees.  The President shall, with the Treasurer, sign all written contracts or other financial obligations of the OGA.  The President shall formally represent the OGA.  The President shall cast no vote on Membership business except to break a deadlock.  The President shall make special assignments as required.

SECTION 3.       VICE PRESIDENT:  In the absence of the President, the Vice President’s duties shall be to perform the duties of the President.  The Vice President shall supervise the work of all committees and it shall be the Vice president’s duty to see that committees function properly.

SECTION 4.       SECRETARY:  The Secretary shall be present at all meetings of the OGA and shall keep the necessary minutes of such meetings.  The Secretary shall perform such other duties pertaining to the office as may be designated by the OGA.  The Secretary shall be the official historian of the Association.

SECTION 5        TREASURER:  The Treasurer shall receive all monies taken in by the OGA and shall deposit same to the credit of the OGA at such depositories as approved by the Board of Directors; keep book accounts of its receipts and expenditures which shall be submitted for financial audit annually or at the discretion of the President or Board of Directors.  All checks made out by the Treasurer shall bear his/her signature and be countersigned by the President or Vice President if President is unavailable.  A treasury report to be made at every monthly meeting.

SECTION 6        BOARD OF DIRECTORS:  The OGA Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, together with six (6) members hereinafter referred to as Directors, who shall be elected in accordance with ARTICLE V.  The absence of any Officer/Director from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors shall constitute an automatic resignation from the Board, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors shall constitute the governing body of the organization.

ARTICLE V

(Election of Officers)

SECTION 1.       NOMINATION:  The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a Nominating Committee of not less than five (5) members.  The Nominating Committee shall, in the month of September, nominate candidates for each office.  Candidates shall be distributed in writing to the membership at the October meeting.  Additional candidates may be nominated by a write-in or nominations from the floor.  The elections will be held in November.

SECTION 2.       ELECTION:  The Nominating Committee, upon receipt of a ballot from individual members, shall count the ballots and announce in writing to the membership-at-large, the election of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and six (6) Directors – three (3) Directors to serve a term of two (2) years, and three (3) Directors to serve a term of one (1) year.  The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for the office to which nominated will be elected to that office.

SECTION 3.       INSTALLATION:  The new Officers shall be installed and take office at the December business meeting.  This shall be the last order of business at the December meeting.

SECTION 4.       REQUIREMENTS:  All Officers and Directors must be a member in good standing.

ARTICLE VI

(Standing Committee & Their Functions)

SECTION 1.       STANDING CHAIRPERSON:  The Standing Committee Chairperson shall be as follows:

a.      Rules Chairperson

b.      Handicap Chairperson

c.      Tournament Chairperson

SECTION 2.       APPOINTMENT:  All Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be appointed by the President at the beginning of the fiscal year (January) and report all committee happenings to the Board of Directors.

SECTION 3.       RULES CHAIRPERSON:  The Rules Chairperson shall compile and maintain OGA rules and render decisions of dispute concerning rules of play which are governed by the USGA.

SECTION 4.       HANDICAP CHAIRPERSON:  The Handicap Chairperson shall establish and maintain a system of handicapping OGA members.  The Handicap Chairperson shall compile records of players’ performance for purposes of establishing handicaps, and establishing classification of players in tournaments with Tournament Chairperson.  (Establishing Handicaps – see Amendment One)

SECTION 5.       TOURNAMENT CHAIRPERSON:  The Tournament Chairperson shall select tournament courses, select type of tournaments to be played, and negotiate for the OGA with Golf Clubs for tournament facilities.  Tournaments to be played on the third Sunday of each month.  It shall also be the responsibility of the tournament Chairperson to determine the standings of all tournament play.  (What’s called a Tournament -- see Amendment Two)

SECTION 6.       COMMITTEES:  Standing Committees shall be composed of a Chairperson and members on a volunteer basis.

SECTION 7.       FINANCE COMMITTEE:  The Board of Directors shall constitute the Committee on Finance and shall have supervision over the financial affairs of the OGA.

ARTICLE VII

(Meetings)

SECTION 1.       REGULAR MEETINGS:  Regular meetings of the OGA shall be held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

SECTION 2.       SPECIAL MEETINGS:  Special meetings may be requested by any member of the OGA to the Board of Directors.  The Directors shall determine if the meeting is necessary.

ARTICLE VIII

(Amendments)

SECTION 1.       SUBMISSION & APPROVAL:  Amendments must be proposed to the Board of Directors before they are presented to the membership for a vote of approval.  The OGA Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members in attendance at a regular meeting.

SECTION 2.       VOTING:  In voting on any article or amendment, each section shall be voted upon separately.

ARTICLE IX

(Disbursements)

SECTION 1.       LIMITATION:  Disbursements may be authorized by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2.       AUTHORITY:  All checks for disbursements shall be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the President, or Vice President in the President’s absence.

SECTION 3.       AUDITING:  The books of the Treasurer shall be audited at least once annually by a committee of not less than three (3) members appointed by the President.

SECTION 4.       OGA:  Being a non-profit association, shall retain no more than a $200.00 balance at the end of each fiscal year.

ARTICLE X

(Quorums)

SECTION 1.       BOARD OF DIRECTORS:  The meeting must be attended by the President and/or the Vice President and at least five (5) members of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XI

(Filling Un-Expired Terms of Officers)

SECTION 1.       REPLACEMENT:  In the event it becomes necessary to fill an office for an un-expired term, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors.  In such cases, the appointed Officer/Director shall hold office until next regular election.

ARTICLE XII

(Distribution of Club Funds Upon Dissolution)

SECTION 1.       DISSOLUTION:  In the event it becomes necessary to dissolve the OGA, any funds remaining in the OGA Treasury on the date of dissolution, after all outstanding obligations have been accounted for, shall be donated in the name of OGA, to the Big Orange Games for the Physically Impaired Youth.

AMENDMENT ONE

(Establishing Handicaps)

SECTION 1.       ESTABLISHING HANDICAP:  A member must play a minimum of five (5) OGA tournaments, or turn in five (5) scores from regulation golf courses of Par 70, 71, 72; or a combination of the above, so a minimum of five (5) scores are available to establish your handicap.  Until five (5) scores are recorded, you will play scratch golf.

SECTION 2.       HANDICAP SYSTEM:  All OGA members will have their handicaps established by a USGA Handicap System.  Maximum handicap for men will be 36; maximum handicap for ladies will be 40.

AMENDMENT TWO

(Tournaments)

SECTION 1.       TOURNAMENT:  If a tournament is called due to inclimate weather, even though some golfers have completed all 18 or even only 9 holes of golf, it will be the final decision of the Tournament Director to declare it “No Tournament.”

AMENDMENT THREE

(Tournament Registration)

SECTION 1.       SIGN-UP:  All members playing in the OGA Tournament must sign up no later than 9:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the Tournament.

SECTION 2.       CANCELLATION:  Any member canceling their registration in the OGA Tournament must do so by 9:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the Tournament.  Members not canceling their registration by the deadline will be responsible for payment of the tournament fee if the OGA is required to pay that fee.  Failure to pay the fee will result in suspension of playing privileges in all future tournaments until the fee is paid.  (Emergency situations will be reviewed by the Board of Directors.)

AMENDMENT FOUR

(Free Tournament)

SECTION 1.       FEES:  Funds permitting, the fees for the September Tournament will be paid by the OGA.

SECTION 2.       ELIGIBILITY:  Only members whose dues are paid by March are eligible for the free Tournament.

AMENDMENT FIVE

(Club Championship)

SECTION 1.       FORMAT:  The OGA Club Championship Tournament will be played in combination with the January Tournament.

SECTION 2.       ELIGIBILITY:  Only members who have won a trophy for either low gross or low net in one of the five flights (Champ. –A. –B. –C. –D.) in one of the preceding two (2) years are eligible to win the OGA Club Championship.

SECTION 3.       TROPHIES:  Only two (2) trophies will be awarded.  (One for low gross & one for low net.)