League By-Laws

BY-LAWS OF THE SWEET SWINGING SENIORS GOLF ASSOCIATION

I

NAME OF ASSOCIATION: The name of this Association is "Sweet Swinging Seniors Golf Association", herein called the Association. It is unincorporated and does not exist for profits. 

II

PURPOSE: To provide an opportunity for Association members to play golf on a regularly scheduled basis at their convenience, but within the scope of these By-Laws.

III

MEMBERSHIP: The number of members shall be limited to the number specified in Section IX-1. This number may be increased or decreased each year by a majority vote of the members at the Fall Breakfast. To become a member, an applicant must meet the age requirement specified in Section IX-1, shall be a retiree from a job or position, and shall be able to play at least the recommended number of golf rounds each year as stated by these By-Laws. The number of rounds is specified in Section IX-5.

IV

OFFICERS AND DUTIES: The officers of the Association shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Statistician, herein known as the Board. The duties of the Board shall be as follows:

1. CHAIRMAN: The Chairman shall preside over business and Board meetings of the Association, administer and supervise all activities of the Association, except those reserved for the Executive Board. He shall also administer appropriate disciplinary action to a member of the Association when circumstances warrant it. Such action can be a warning, a suspension from play for a period of time, or a recommendation for dismissal from the Association. Except in the case of a recommendation for dismissal from the Association, the disciplinary action taken by the Chairman shall be final. The Chairman shall maintain and keep files of the Association activities.

2. VICE-CHAIRMAN: The Vice-Chairman shall assist the Chairman when requested and shall act for and have all the authority of the Chairman in the absence of the Chairman from golf activities. The Vice-Chairman will automatically assume the Chairman office upon expiration of the golf season.

3. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall receive, deposit in a bank account, and disburse monies for and on behalf of the Association, and keep records thereof.

4. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep non-statistical records, as necessary, concerning the activities of the Association, and receive and initiate correspondence relative to such activities. He shall send cards to incapacitated members (not spouses), appropriate to their circumstances.

5. STATISTICIAN: The Statistician shall accumulate data, periodically compute, and provide figures concerning the handicap of each member of the Association, and such other figures by computations as may be considered necessary and desirable, relative to the activities of the Association.

BUSINESS AND BOARD MEETINGS: 

Association Business meetings will consist of the Association members, the Association’s elected officers and the Executive Board members. The business meetings will be scheduled on the first Tuesday of April (to be called the Spring Breakfast) and the first Tuesday of October (to be called the Fall Breakfast). Membership voting will take place at business meetings as specified in Section IX-2.  The attending membership shall constitute a quorum for business meetings. 

Association Board meetings will consist of the elected Officers and the Executive Board. Board meetings will be scheduled on the first Tuesday of April following the Spring Breakfast and the first Tuesday of October following the Fall Breakfast. 

Association Executive Board meetings may be scheduled at such times as is agreed upon by the Executive Board.  The Executive Board is composed of the current Chairman of the Association, the current Vice-Chairman of the Association and the immediate past three Chairmen. 

VI

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN: The election of Association officers and committee chairmen shall take place at the Fall Breakfast. The Second-year Executive Board member (Section VII-8B) shall form a nominating committee at least 30 days prior to the Fall Breakfast and provide to the Chairman, no later than seven days prior to the Fall Breakfast, a list of the names of members who have either volunteered, or have been selected by the nominating committee, to fulfill the offices of Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Statistician, as well as nominees for chairmen of the Tournament and Food committees, for the following year. All candidates for the various offices and committees must be considered by the Association members who are present at the Fall Breakfast. Except for the offices of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, an incumbent of an office or committee may elect to continue in that position for an additional year or years. In such cases, the nominating committee may either accept the incumbent as the sole candidate or may, in addition, submit the name or names of other members for the office or committee. If there is but a single candidate for an office or committee, a majority vote of the members will elect the candidate to that position. If there is more than one candidate for an office or committee, the highest total of votes of the members present will serve to elect a candidate to the respective position. The selection of a member by the committee for an office or committee obligates the member, if and when elected, to carry out the duties of that position until the next election. If an elected member declines to serve as an officer or committee chairman, that member may be subject to dismissal from the Association, unless that member can provide valid justification for not being able to serve in the Association.  Officers and Committee Chairmen assume their new positions effective November 1st. 

VII

EXECUTIVE BOARD AND DUTIES: The Executive Board shall be composed, each year, of the current Chairman of the Association, the current Vice-Chairman of the Association and the immediate past three Chairmen. The Third-year Executive Board member shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Board.  Any vacancy which occurs on the Executive Board during the Association golf season shall be filled by any ex-Chairman, to be selected by the remaining members of the Executive Board. Any ex-Chairman who is selected to fill a vacancy on the Executive Board will assume the duties of the vacated position. The duties of the full Executive Board are as follows:

1. To review and vote on new member applications.

2. To determine, annually, the dues each member shall pay to the Association. The amount of the dues is specified in Section IX-3. Dues shall be collected no later than the scheduled date of the Spring Breakfast. If a member’s dues are not paid by the scheduled date of the Spring Breakfast, that member shall incur a late fee to be determined by the Executive Board each year at the Fall Breakfast. If a member’s dues are not paid within thirty (30) days after the scheduled date of the Spring Breakfast, that member shall be subject to dismissal from membership in the Association, unless said member can provide valid evidence of extenuating circumstances to the Executive Board that would preclude such action. In such cases, the member will retain their membership in the Association upon payment of the delinquent dues.

3. To review recommendations of the Chairman for dismissal of members from membership in the Association. A majority vote of the Executive Board will result in dismissal of the member. In such cases, the recommending Chairman will not be a voting member of the Executive Board.

4. The Executive Board, on its own authority, may initiate action to dismiss a member. In such cases, the current Chairman will be a voting member.

5. To determine and specify Association policy.

6. To assist the current Chairman of the Association when requested.

7. A majority vote of the Executive Board will prevail on all issues.

8. In addition to the full Executive Board responsibilities, the duties of the individual Executive Board members are as follows

a.    Third-year Executive Board member: Shall review, upon receipt, new applications for membership and determine each applicant’s qualification. Upon qualification, if there are openings on the membership list, the applicant’s name shall be considered in order of receipt of the application, or applications if there are more than one. If there are no openings on the membership list, the names of the qualified applicant(s) shall be placed on a waiting list. The Third-year Executive Board member will be responsible for maintaining and controlling the waiting list. To attain membership in the Association, an applicant must be selected by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Board and pay the initiation fee specified in Section IX-3.

b.    Second-year Executive Board member: Shall have the responsibility of forming and chairing the nominating committee, which will recruit candidates on a yearly basis for the offices of Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Statistician, as well as the Chairmen for the Tournament and Food committees.

c.    First-year Executive Board member: Shall have the responsibility of chairing the starter committee, finding and assigning starters, assembling and distributing starter kits as needed, and assuring that all necessary records and material are submitted to the Statistician.

VIII

DATES, TIMES AND PROCEDURES FOR GOLF PLAY: It is the intent here to establish dates, times and procedures for the play of golf by Association members and to govern their conduct during such play. These are as follows:

Golf will be played on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week during the Association golf season, at courses to be selected by the Executive Board. The courses will be selected because of proximity to most members, desirability of play, and the cost of greens fees.

The Association golf season will commence on the first Monday, Wednesday or Friday in May and end on the last Monday, Wednesday or Friday in September.

Members may play either nine or eighteen holes. All members will be issued a plastic Association identification card (ID card). This card is to be carried and used for the day’s play drawing. When players arrive at the course, those players who are playing nine holes will deposit their ID card into a designated container. If a player has a cart partner, or a guest, only one ID card will be placed into the container and designated so as to represent two players. All ID cards must be deposited by the time specified in Section IX-4. At the appointed time, the Starter will draw and announce each nine-hole foursome and tee assignment in succession. The player’s ID cards will be returned and the foursome will proceed directly to their assigned tee.

Unless notified to the contrary by the Chairman, the starting times for both nine and eighteen-hole players will be as specified in Section IX-4. In no case shall a group tee off before the prescribed time, unless the Chairman gives permission to do so. The specified starting times apply to all three courses played.

Both nine and eighteen-hole players will be responsible for designating a player to keep score for their respective foursome, and to record each player’s score at the conclusion of the day’s round. Eighteen-hole players will have only their front-nine score recorded for each round.

Handicaps will be established starting on the first day of play in May and ending on the last day of play in September. Handicaps will be computed in accordance with the USGA system of determining handicaps, but will be adapted to nine holes of play.

Except as noted in item 8 below and in Section IX, the USGA rules of golf, as may be modified by local rules of golf, will apply to the play of the Association by its members.

A group, which has a clear hole in front of it, i.e., no golfers on said clear hole, will upon request of the following group of golfers permit such following group to play through.

It is recommended that members play the minimum number of Association golf rounds as specified in Section IX-5 during the Association golf season. Failure to do so will subject the member to dismissal from membership in the Association, unless said member can provide satisfactory evidence of extenuating circumstances, such as an illness or disability, to excuse his lack of required participation. Failure in two consecutive years by a member to meet the recommended requirement for golf play will result in automatic dismissal from membership in the Association, regardless of extenuating circumstances.

IX

ASSOCIATION RULES AND POLICY: This section covers Association rules and policy, which can be changed by the Executive Board and/or membership voting at the Business meetings.

1. Association membership is limited to one hundred twenty (120) members. An applicant for membership must be at least fifty-eight (58) years of age, and must agree to serve in an office of the Association, if duly nominated and elected by the membership, as documented in Section VI.

2. Members can vote on motions at both the Spring and Fall Breakfast meetings.

3. The new member initiation fee and the Association’s annual dues will be determined annually by the Executive Board and will be specified in the annual Association newsletter, issued in February.  New member application forms, questionnaires, initiation fees and annual dues must be received by June 1st.  

4. Members who play nine (9) holes must deposit their ID cards in the designated container no later than 8:20 AM, at which time drawings for foursomes will begin. The starting time for 9-holes is 8:30 AM. The starting time for 18-holes will be determined before the start of the Association’s golf season.

5. It is recommended that a member play a minimum of fifteen (15) rounds of Association golf during the Association’s golf season (May 1 thru September 30). A “super senior” classification has been established for members over 80 years of age. It is recommended that a “super senior” play a minimum of five (5) rounds of Association golf per season.

6.      It is recommended that all members play in at least one of the Play Days scheduled for the golf season on the second Wednesday of June, July, August or September.

7. Applicants for membership and member’s guests may play a maximum of four (4) times during the Association’s golf season. To play, applicants and guests must be accompanied by a member.  Applicants or guests may not play on a Play Day. 

8. League local playing rules will be issued as needed. 

X

MODIFICATION OF BY-LAWS: These by-laws, when approved by a majority vote of those members who are present at either the Spring Breakfast or the Fall Breakfast, may be modified or cancelled by the same procedure.

XI

CANCELLATION OF PRIOR BY-LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS: When approved, as prescribed in Section X above, the By-Laws will cancel all prior by-laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Association.

Submitted By:   Chuck Wilson, Secretary, on behalf of the Executive Board & SSSGL Members.
Approved:  The 2023 modifications of the By-laws were unanimously approved by all SSSGL Members attending the Spring Breakfast on April 4, 2023.  The modifications are documented in the Minutes of that meeting.