PAR HOPERS CONSTITUTION & BY LAWS
Revision of 2015
Constitution as approved April 1, 2009
Amended and approved February 5, 2014 and
April 1, 2015 and June 12, 2017
By-Laws amended by the Board on
February 5, 2014 and April 1, 2015 and November 10, 2016
And January 12, 2017 and February 1, 2017 and February 7, 2019 and May 13, 2019 and October 1, 2021
CONSTITUTION
Constitution - Preamble and Articles I-VI
PREAMBLE – The purposes of our CLUB are:
To play golf.
To promote sociability among our members.
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be PAR HOPERS GOLF CLUB and shall be referred to as the CLUB.
The Board will determine the home course as conditions dictate.
ARTICLE II – Membership
The membership is limited to men, at least 60 years of age, with a high code of ethics and a genuine love for golf. Annual dues shall be determined by the Board.
ARTICLE III – Officers
The CLUB officers shall be President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Head Starter, and Statistician. The President and Vice President shall be elected Board members. The appointed members may serve unlimited years as approved annually by the Board. The elected Board members may serve only 3 consecutive years.
ARTICLE IV – Board of Directors
The governing body of the Club shall be ten (10) Directors of which six shall be elected by the Club members. Two (2) new Directors are elected each year to serve a three (3) year term. The remaining four (Treasurer, Secretary, Head Starter, and Statistician) shall be appointed by the Board to serve one (1) year terms. All ten (10) shall have full voting power and appoint committees necessary for the Club operation. The elected members shall wait three (3) years after the end of their term before being eligible to accept a nomination. If an elected Director resigns or is unable to complete their term, a replacement shall be selected by the Board to complete the unexpired term. A member appointed to complete an unexpired term is eligible to accept a nomination at the end of that term.
ARTICLE V – Election
An annual election shall be held to elect two Board members.
Detailed election procedures are covered in the By-Laws ARTICLE IX Section 2.
ARTICLE VI – Duties of the Officers
Section 1 - President – He shall be the chief executive officer of the Club and preside over all Club and Board meetings. He shall have general supervision of the administration of Club affairs. He is an unofficial member of all committees, except the Election Committee. He shall serve as host of all Club social functions. He shall appoint members that are needed for unplanned needs of the Club.
Section 2 - Vice President – He shall assist the President. If the President is unable to perform his duties, he shall be acting President during that period.
Section 3 – Treasurer – He shall have charge of the financial affairs of the Club, subject to the control of the Board. He shall have full authority to collect dues and other accounts due the Club. He shall pay all bills and keep regular records of accounts and transactions. He shall render a statement of accounts when requested by the Board, and at the fall meeting. The financial records shall be annually audited by a committee of three appointed by the Board prior to the fall meeting. Additional audits may be requested by the President or the membership. The funds shall be kept in a Bank insured by the FDIC. Withdrawal of the funds shall be by check or electronic transfer signed by or authorized by the: Treasurer; President; or Secretary, in that order as dictated by availability.
Section 4 – Secretary – He shall attend all Board meetings and keep a detail record of the transacted business in a book kept for that purpose and of which he shall have custody. The book shall be available for inspection by any member. He shall conduct all Club correspondence. He shall only respond to special requests authorized by the President.
Section 5 – Head Starter – He is responsible for operation of the Starters Table. He shall also ensure instructions are given to the score keeper for each group to deposit the card in the box at the end of the round.
He is also to ensure timely posting of pending events and instructions.
Section 6 – Statistician – He shall post scores and calculate handicaps in accordance with methods approved by the Board.
BY-LAWS
By-Laws - Articles VII – XIII
ARTICLE VII – Duties of the Board
The Board shall control and manage all the affairs of the Club and may exercise all the powers not expressly reserved to members.
The Board shall prescribe the rate and conditions of income, such as dues or other assessments that may be required.
The Board may at any time, for due cause, request the forfeiture of any membership in our Club.
The Board may at any time, for just cause, request the removal of any Board Member.
The Board shall, within 10 days of the fall meeting, elect the Officers for the following year. The President and Vice President shall be elected Directors.
The Board may appoint any other committees for new functions or vacancies.
The Board shall hold meetings as called by the President, or requested by 2 Board members.
ARTICLE VIII – Grades of Membership
Membership will be from April of one year to April of the next year. (Membership starts with the first round of play one year to the first round of play the next year.)
All paid up members shall have all Club privileges regarding scheduled play dates. Groups will be assigned on a first come first served basis at the Starters Table.
The Club shall award Life Time memberships to all members who reach age 80 by April 1st and have 15 years of continuous membership. The only special privilege is they no longer pay dues.
SUPER SENIORS are members who are 80 by April 1st, have paid up dues and are in good standing. Their first round each year, they have the option to tee off from the forward or from the white tees. However, whichever set is selected, they must hit from those tees for the entire year as that is the basis for their handicap.
SUPER SENIORS are members who are 80 by April 1st, have paid up dues and are in good standing.
Members who are 75 by April 1st, and have paid up dues and are in good standing, before their first round each year, have the option to tee off from the forward or from the white tees. However, whichever set is selected, they must hit from those tees for the entire year as that is the basis for their handicap.
Honorary Life Membership may be conferred by the entire Board to a member for exceptional service to the Club. The only special privilege is they no longer pay dues.
ARTICLE IX – Standing Committees
Section 1 – Membership
This committee shall provide publication to promote the Club. They also prepare a packet for every new member that contains: the Welcome letter; Constitution/By Laws; Rules of Play; and Schedule.
Section 2 – Nominating
This committee shall submit a list of 2 members for each Director to be elected. These persons must have been contacted to ensure they will serve, if elected. Other members can be nominated at large by a petition signed by five (5) Club members with paid up dues and in good standing. Nominations close the first play date in August to allow time to print ballots, complete with pictures, so voting can begin by the first play date in September. Voting ends the last play day of the year. The Tellers Committee shall immediately count the ballots and advise the President of the winning Candidates. In the event of a tie, the winning candidate shall be determined by a flip of a coin. The results shall remain secret until announced by the President at the Fall Banquet.
ARTICLE X – Other Committees
Section 1 – Club Contest
This committee is responsible for all special events, defining the rules, and, for individual events, the required number of rounds. Also for individual events, the rounds played count shall be 40% or more of the official rounds for the member to be eligible to participate. Due to many Par Hopers missing many rounds due to various ailments, it was approved to allow established members, i.e., those who played at least 40% of the rounds the previous year, to be eligible for championship events if they have played at least 20% of the rounds in the current year. The handicaps and rounds played will be obtained from the Statistician.
This committee is responsible for all special events, defining the rules, and, for individual events, the required number of rounds. Also for individual events, the rounds played count shall be five (5) rounds or more of the official rounds for the member to be eligible to participate. Due to many Par Hopers missing many rounds due to various ailments, those who had played at least five (5) official rounds in the previous year, establishing a handicap, would be eligible to participate in individual and championship events in the current year. The handicaps and rounds played will be obtained from the Statistician.
The Super Senior Tournament will now be a separate event.
Official rounds are defined as those when riding carts are allowed and 20 or more players have submitted a score card for 9 holes.
For those rounds without an individual score, such as scrambles, each playing member’s average score will be recorded as their score for that day.
Any member who has a ‘hole in one’ during an official round will receive $100. The score card must be signed by all members of the group and given to a Board member.
Section 2 – Inter club tournaments.
This has been dropped as the other clubs have decided they no longer want to participate.
Section 3 – Special Events
Any member may propose a special event by submitting the specific details to the Board for their consideration. If the event is other than one for play by our Club, it shall be scheduled on a day that does not conflict with the Par Hoper schedule. If approved by the Board, the member shall be responsible for organizing and operating the event.
Section 4 – Additional Needs
This has been dropped as it is redundant of Section 3.
ARTICLE XI – Meetings
Section 1 – Spring Meeting
A spring meeting shall be held just prior to the start of the season to acquaint members with new Rules of Play, Club plans for the season, and to rejuvenate social contacts for the new season.
Section 2 – Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting shall be held promptly at the end of the schedule. This meeting will be to recognize the winners of the individual events, award prizes, give special recognition to the outgoing Board members, and announce the winning candidates for the Board. Members can also pay dues for next season. Committee reports will be presented as well as any other important Club items.
Section 3 – Summer Picnic
A summer picnic shall be held on a scheduled golf day in commemoration of the new season and sociability.
Section 4 – Additional Meetings
Special Meetings of the Club may be called by the Board upon written request of 10 members with paid up dues and in good standing.
Section 5 – Board Meetings
Board Meetings shall be held only by the order of the President, or requested by two (2) Board members.
During the golf season, Board Meetings will be held the first play date of every month. During the off season, a Board Meeting will be held the first Thursday of February, March, and April.
ARTICLE XII – Amendments
Section 1 – Constitution
The Constitution may be altered, added to, amended, or rescinded only at a meeting of the membership at which a quorum is present (more than half of the membership). Affirmative vote by 2/3 of the members present is required for such amendments to be made.
Section 2 – By-Laws
The By-Laws may be altered, added to, amended, or rescinded at any Board meeting at which a quorum is present (six of the Directors). Affirmative vote by a minimum of five is required for such amendments to be made.
ARTICLE XIII – Parliamentary Authority
Roberts Rules of Order shall be the final authority on all questions of parliamentary law not covered by the Constitution and By-Laws. The Board shall decide all questions of interpretation.