Southeastern Deaf Golfers Association
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SOUTHEASTERN
DEAF GOLFERS ASSOCIATION By-Laws (Effective for SEDGA 2010) ARTICLE 1
Name 1.
The name of this organization is the Southeastern Deaf Golfers
Association (SEDGA). SEDGA is a non-profit organization. 2.
SEDGA is incorporated under the laws of the State of North Carolina. ARTICLE 2
Objectives 2.1 The objectives of the
organization are: a) To have an annual golf tournament in the region known as the southeastern section of the United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania). b) To provide the membership the opportunity to socialize and share their mutual interest of golf. 2.2
The following golf organizations are affiliated with SEDGA; ALDGA
(Alabama), FDGA (Florida), GDGA (Georgia), KDGA (Kentucky), MDDGA
(Mason-Dixon), NCDGA (North Carolina), SCDGA (South Carolina), TDGA
(Tennessee), and WPDGA (Western Pennsylvania). If a club doesn’t donate, this
club shall not be eligible to get any donations from the clubs when they host
the next SEDGA event. 2.3
Each affiliated organization shall host the SEDGA event in its own
state. An expectation can be make for a hosting organization to ask another
organization for permission to host the event in its state. ARTICLE
3
Membership 3.1
Membership is open to all deaf men and women providing they have
reached their sixteenth (16th) birthday by the first day of June
preceding the tournament in which they participate. ARTICLE 4
Entry Fees and Dues 4.1
The annual dues shall be fifteen-dollars ($15.00) for all members
payable with the entry fee as established by the host of the annual
tournament. For the senior citizens
(55 years of age or older), the dues shall be ten-dollars ($10.00). 4.2
The registration package shall include membership dues, registration
fee, greens/cart fees, and entry fee. The group picture and banquet are
optional for members to purchase. The prices in registration package and
optional first have to be approved by the Executive Committee before the host
can send out the flyer/registration packages to golfers. 4.3
The entry form and payment shall be mailed to the SEDGA treasurer. 4.4
If a member has paid an entry fee to participate in the annual
tournament and finds that he/she is unable to attend, a refund is possible if
the host is not bound by contractual agreement with golf course or
caterer. All monies may be refunded
except for annual dues and registration fee. 4.5
The surcharge of three-dollars ($3.00) from the registration fee
shall go to Hall of Fame proceedings. 4.6
If a member withdraws or is disqualified during a tournament, he/she
is ineligible to receive any prize except those, which were given prior to
his/her withdrawal or disqualification. 4.7
A non-golfer may attend an annual meeting of the SEDGA by paying one-dollar
($1.00). They shall be given privilege of the floor but cannot vote. 4.8
Defending champions in all three (3) divisions are waived from paying
for the greens fees. They are responsible for all other fees, though. SEDGA
shall pay for each defending champion’s greens fees for three (3) rounds if
there were at least twelve (12) golfers, two (2) rounds if there were less
than twelve (12) and at least eight (8) golfers, one (1) round if there were
less than eight (8) golfers and at least four (4) golfers and none for less
than four (4) golfers. This applies to all divisions. 4.9
Affiliation organizations except for the host shall pay $125 (one
hundred twenty five dollars) to SEDGA by April 15th of each
year. $100 (one hundred dollars) will
be forwarded to the host organization while $25 (twenty five dollars) will be
used to spend on miscellaneous expenses. ARTICLE
5
Officers 5.1
The officers of the SEDGA shall be a President, a Vice President, a
Secretary, and a Treasurer. 5.2
Any member of the SEDGA in good standing is eligible to run for an
office provided that he/she is present at the meeting and he/she has played
in two of the last three SEDGA tournaments. 5.3
The officers are elected to a two-year term. Elections shall be held
during even numbered year. 5.3.
A .Executive committee shall
be officers, current and next year's chairpersons of SEDGA tournaments, SEDGA
Master, and have representation from the following: one (1) member from each
affliated association; participant in the Open division, participant in the Senior
Open division, and participant in the Women division. Executive committee shall have at least
seven (7) members.Executive Committee shall be part of the Law Committee. B. EC
shall play an early morning practice round on
Monday of the tourney week together. 5.4
The officers shall be reimbursed from the SEDGA treasury for any
meetings or other activities that occur between the annual tournaments. 5.5
SEDGA shall cover the costs for each officer and his/her guest to
attend the banquet and awards presentation and one practice round of golf 5.6
Each officer of the SEDGA is mandated to attend the tourney unless
there is an emergency excuses like a death in the family, is seriously ill or
is in school. 5.7
A standing committee called “SEDGA Master” is a position in which the
person is solely responsible and in charge of our web site. This person is
part of the Executive Committee. 5.8
The officers can’t be a chairman of the SEDGA event. 5.9
An officer must be a member of an affiliated organization and a
resident of any state under the SEDGA umbrella. ARTICLE 6 Duties of the Officers 6.1
The president shall preside at all meetings; appoint committees;
approve of all SEDGA expenses; and make decisions with the consultation of
the Executive Committee when necessary.
The President is an ex-officio member of all committees. 6.2
The Vice President shall take the place of the President when he/she
is not available; chair the law committee; maintain an updated version of the
by-laws; serve on the Hall of Fame committee; and perform other duties as
requested by the Executive Committee. 6.3
The Secretary shall keep an up-to-date list of all members; shall
keep minutes of meetings (he/she may ask a member for assistance); take care
of correspondences related to the affairs of the SEDGA; and serve on the Hall
of Fame committee. 6.4
The Treasurer shall collect dues; keep track of expenditures and
expenses; and submit a financial report, which shall be audited by two
members at the annual meeting. ARTICLE 7 Meetings 7.1
There shall be two (2) meetings on Monday evening of the tournament
week; Executive Committee (E.C.) and general meeting. E.C. meeting shall run
from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the general meeting shall start right after
the E.C. meeting (7:30 p.m.). The president when necessary may call an
emergency meeting. For a more urgent matter, the E.C. may cast vote by mail. 7.2
Executive committee will meet to discuss pressing issues, review
proposals, and prepare for the general meeting. 7.3
Local, SEDGA and USGA rules will be discussed and clarified during
the general meeting. The host committee shall produce and distribute the
copies of the local and SEDGA rules to the members in the registration
packet. 7.4
The order of business of all SEDGA annual meetings shall be as
follows: A.
Call to order B.
Invocation C.
Pledge to the flag D.
Roll Call E.
Reading of the minutes F.
President’s report G.
Vice President’s report H.
Secretary’s report I.
Treasurer’s report J.
Committees reports K.
Unfinished business L.
New Business M.
Selection of SEDGA tournament site N.
Election of officers (even year only) O.
Announcements P.
Adjournment 7.5
The quorum for the annual meeting shall be the number of members
present at the time the meeting is called to order. 7.6
All elected officers before entering upon their duties, shall
subscribe to the following obligation: “I ____________, hereby pledge to
perform to the best of my ability the duties of the offices to which I was
elected, and to uphold the by-laws of the SEDGA.” New officers’ pledge shall
be made during the banquet night. ARTICLE 8
Amendments
8.1
Amendments to the by-laws shall be by two-thirds (2/3) vote of
members at the annual meeting. The written proposing amendment to By-Laws
shall be in the Vice President’s hands by 3:00 p.m. on Monday of the event
week. The proposals can be dropped off at the registration desk at the
headquarters hotel. All approved changes to the by-laws except for Article X
take effect at the next tournament.
Members may propose changes in the by-laws during new business at the
annual meeting, which shall be referred to the law committee for action at
the next annual meeting. 8.2
Article X (Standing SEDGA Tournament Rules and Regulations) will
become effective immediately. A two-thirds (2/3) vote is required. 8.3
A copy of the new updated SEDGA By-Laws shall be sent to each
affiliated golf organization under SEDGA by September 1st. ARTICLE 9
Tournament Host 9.1
Any group wishing to sponsor a tournament shall submit their bid at
least four (4) years preceding their tournament date. Bidders must verify
their intent by officially presenting a letter from the sponsor. There must be at least (3) residents of the
bidding state participating in the tournament at which the bid is
presented. After winning the bid,
successful bidders must pay one-hundred-fifty-dollars ($150.00) for security
deposit on the spot. The deposit shall be refunded to the same organization
providing that all of the requirements as stipulated in Article IX of the
by-laws have been satisfied. 9.2
The host must send at least three (3) representatives that are
residents of the host state to the SEDGA events during a requirement period,
which is the year before hosting, year of hosting and year after hosting the
SEDGA event in order to obtain the security deposit back as well. 9.3
The tournament shall be held three consecutive days in which the
event would begin on Tuesday after the third Sunday of June. Executive Committee can approve changes in
dates if needed. 9.4
The host shall pay SEDGA five-dollars ($5.00) for each golfer entered
in the tournament. This shall be in
addition to the SEDGA annual dues. The
host may donate any profit that it realized to the SEDGA. 9.5
Merchandise and/or cash prizes must be totaled at least
$2,000(effective in 2009) in addition to the total prize fees. 9.6A. The inspection of the golf course and facilities by the inspection
committee for next year’s tournament shall take place preceding the upcoming
event. B. The inspection committee shall be made up of three (3) members;
at least one (1) member of current SEDGA officers, one (1) former SEDGA
officer who has played in SEDGA tournament(s) in the past 2 of 4 years and if
needed, an at-large member can be selected by president with Executive
Committee’s approval. The committee members can not be part of the host
committee, too. C. Signing of the contract with the golf course personnel shall
take place at the end of the inspection with the inspection committee present
provided that the golf course and facilities passed the inspection. D. A copy of the signed contracts shall be sent to SEDGA secretary for his/her records. E. Each member of the inspection committee shall be reimbursed of
fifty-dollars ($50.00) for his/her expenses by SEDGA. 9.7
The chair of the host committee shall submit the final prize breakdown of
all three divisions to the SEDGA President and Treasurer no later than ninety
(90) days after the tournament. This
report shall be audited by two members serving on the host committee. 9.8 The host shall include an
updated copy of the results of the last event in the program book. 9.9
The host shall report the final tournament results to the Secretary
of the SEDGA. It shall also turn over
all official scorecards to the Secretary on the last day of the tournament. 9.10 In the event that there is
no bid from a group to host the annual tournament, the Executive Committee of
the SEDGA shall be responsible for hosting the tournament at a site
determined by this committee. 9.11 The name of each golf
tournament divisional shall read as “Southeastern Deaf Open” (SE Deaf Open),
“Southeastern Deaf Senior Open” (SE Deaf Senior Open), and “Southeastern Deaf
Women Open” (SE Deaf Women Open). 9.12 The breakdown of the
prizes money by the host shall be distributed equally to each division
according to the number of participants in each division out of the grant
total of entrees. And that one hundred percent (100%) of the golfer’s entry
fee shall goes with him/her to his/her division in which he/she is
participating in. The formula shall be: entry fees shall go to the golfer’s flight and
the host’s prize fund divided (/) by the total number of golfers. 9.13 For more details, refer to
Tournament guidelines ARTICLE 10
Standing SEDGA Tournament Rules and Regulations 10.1
Administration of play during the annual
three (3) day stroke play tournament shall be the responsibility of the
Executive Committee and a member of the host committee. Any decision made by this body shall be
final. 10.2
In general, the latest USGA rules apply to
all SEDGA sponsored tournaments with the following exceptions: a. Winter
rules are in effect at all tournaments. b. The
procedure for hitting the golf ball into water hazard (yellow stakes) calls
for the golfer to go around the hazard to drop and play his/her next ball
from the Drop Area at the front and side of the hazard nearest to the cart
path set up by SEDGA’s EC. A penalty of one (1) stroke shall be assessed to
the score of the hole. c. Lost
balls, unplayable lie, out-of-bounds, and balls in lateral water hazards are
played with one of the three options listed below. Each option carries a penalty of one (1)
stroke. I.
You may play as near as possible at the spot
you played your original shot. (If the
original shot was a tee shot, you may retee the ball.) II.
You may drop the ball within two club-lengths
of the spot where the ball lies in any direction but not nearer the hole. III.
You may drop a ball on an imaginary line
extending from the hole to the point where the ball last crossed the margin
of the “hazard” with no limit on how far back you can go. IV.
If a Drop Area has been established by either
golf club or SEDGA’s EC, drop and play your next ball from this area. NOTE: If a golfer declares
a ball unplayable in a bunker, he MUST drop within the bunker unless he/she
chooses option I. 10.3
If a golfer uses profanity or shows
disrespect for a marshal, a local committee member, or an officer of the
SEDGA who attempts to give advice to the golfer on the course, the penalty is
two (2) strokes. 10.4
Any complaints or protests regarding the
conduct of any SEDGA member on the course must be submitted to the secretary
in writing with signatures of two (2) witnesses. The Secretary shall notify those members of
the Executive Committee who are nearest to the situation. If the problem is not solved immediately,
the Executive Committee shall conduct an investigation and take whatever
action it deems necessary. 10.5 Any violation(s) of USGA rules that calls
for disqualification of a golfer shall be instead penalized four (4) strokes
for each violation with an exception that if a golfer is found to purposely
lower the score on a hole, he/she shall be disqualification as written in
USGA Rules Book. Executive committee has the right to modify penalties if
needed. 10.6 The maximum strokes for Par 3, 4, and 5 are
to be 6, 8, and 10, for the whole tournament (1st, 2nd,
and final round). If the golfer fails to finish the hole, add an extra stroke
and as for the number of putts, it shall be counted as four (4). ARTICLE 11
Hall of Fame 11.1 The purpose of the SEDGA
Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor those golfers and golf leaders who
have established outstanding records as participants in SEDGA tournaments
and/or who have contributed exceptional services to the SEDGA. 11.2 Hall of Fame committee
shall consist of officers and hall of fame members. Each member shall vote once on the list of
eligible Hall of Fame inductees. Top
five Hall of Fame eligible members shall move on to the second round. Committee will then vote again to induct
one member into the SEDGA Hall of Fame.
A Hall of Fame member can nominate and explain why a golfer shall be
in the Hall of Fame even when he/she does not meet the points requirement. 11.3 SEDGA shall reimburse the
Hall of Fame committee members for reasonable expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties. 11.4 The Chairman shall report
to the members of the SEDGA at the annual meeting regarding activities of the
Hall of Fame Committee. 11.5 A candidate for the Hall
of Fame must have entered at least ten (10) tournaments, held an office in
the SEDGA or served on a local tournament committee and accumulated
seventy-five (75) points in order to be eligible for nomination to the Hall
of Fame. The committee may waiver this
requirement for exceptional individuals whose names may be placed on the
ballot by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the committee. 11.6 Points are awarded as
follows: Each tournament
participated in 2 points Tournament Champion 10 points Tournament Runner-up 5 points Played in Championship
Flight 3 points Flight Champion 5 points Flight Runner-up 2 points Tournament Chairman 10 points Tournament Committee
Member 3 points SEDGA President (per term)
5 points SEDGA Vice President (per
term)
5 points SEDGA Secretary (per term)
5 points SEDGA Treasurer (per term)
5 points SEDGA Committee 3 points EDITOR of SEDGA News 5 points SEDGA Master (every 2
years) 5 points 11.7 The person who is selected
to the Hall of Fame shall be awarded lifetime membership in the SEDGA and
receive free admission to the banquet.
This does not include green fees, prize fees and other costs that the
host may decide upon. ARTICLE 12
Dissolution of Organization Dissolution of Organization” and a statement to
read “In the event that SEDGA ceases to exist, any monies left behind are to
be divided equally among the affiliated organizations. In the event of no
affiliated organization being in existence, monies shall be given to a
charity with strong ties to the Deaf community. |
