Southeastern Deaf Golfers Association
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SOUTHEASTERN DEAF GOLFERS ASSOCIATION By-Laws 1.1 The name of this organization is the Southeastern Deaf Golfers Association (SEDGA). SEDGA is a non-profit organization. 1.2 SEDGA is incorporated under the laws of the State of North Carolina. 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, New Jersey, 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), NJDGA (New Jersey), KDGA (Kentucky), MDDGA (Maryland), NCDGA (North Carolina), SCDGA (South Carolina), TDGA (Tennessee), and WPDGA (Western Pennsylvania). 3.1 Membership is open to deaf men and women providing they have reached their sixteenth (16th) birthday on the first day of the tournament in which they participate. 4.1 The membership dues shall be ten dollars ($10.00) for all members payable with the entry fee as established by the host of the annual tournament. 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 should 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 membership dues and registration fee. 4.5 The registration fee shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00). The surcharge of seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) 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 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 green 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. In case of ties, SEDGA will split cart/green fees evenly. 4.9 Affiliation organizations except for the host shall pay $125 (one hundred twenty-five dollars) to SEDGA by May 30 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. 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. 5.1 The officers of the SEDGA shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Ex-Officio. 5.2 Any member of the SEDGA in good standing is eligible to run for an office if 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. 5.4 Executive committee shall be officers, current and next year's chairpersons of SEDGA tournaments, SEDGA Webmaster, SEDGA Scoring/Handicap Statistician, SEDGA Social Media Chairperson and have representation from the following: one (1) member from each affiliated association; participant in the Open division, participant in the Senior Open division, participant in the Super Senior 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. A) EC shall play an early morning practice round on Monday of the tourney week together. B) Tournament guidelines can be edited with Executive Committee approval with the changes announced at the general business meeting. 5.5 The officers shall be reimbursed from the SEDGA treasury for any meetings or other activities that occur between the annual tournaments. 5.6 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 5.7 Each officer of the SEDGA is mandated to attend the tourney unless there is any reason like a death in the family, is seriously ill or is in school. 5.8 SEDGA Webmaster, SEDGA Scoring/Handicap Statistician and SEDGA Social Media Chairperson are on standing committee. They shall be part of the Executive Committee. 5.9 The officers could not be a chairman of the SEDGA event. 5.10 An officer must be a member of an affiliated organization and a resident of any state under the SEDGA umbrella. 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. 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 executive board meeting. 6.5 The previous President shall be Ex-Officio. He shall be consultant to all officers as needed. 6.6 SEDGA Webmaster 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. 6.7 Scoring/Handicap Statistician shall take care of scorecards and handicap indexes for all golfers who played in SEDGA tournament. This person is part of the Executive Committee. 6.8 Social Media Chairperson shall update the members via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other media outlet about SEDGA Tournament and any golf related subject. This person is part of the Executive Committee. 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 short time 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 e-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 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. 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 10 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 Standing SEDGA Tournament Rules and Regulations (listed in Tournament Guidelines) 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. 9.1 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. 9.2 Hall of Fame committee shall consist of officers, Hall of Fame Chairman and Hall of Fame members. The HOF committee shall vote their choices from the list of eligible Hall of Fame inductees. A Hall of Fame member or an officer can nominate and explain why a golfer shall be in the Hall of Fame even when he/she does not meet the points requirement. 9.3 There will be a ballot. Hall of Fame member shall vote by picking their top three choices from the list of eligible Hall of Fame candidates to Hall of Fame chairman and SEDGA Secretary via email. The top three choices from each HOF members and officers will get points. First choice will get five (5) points. Second choice will get three (3) points. Third choice will get one (1) point. The top five candidates including ties by most points from the first round will go to final round. Hall of fame committee shall vote by picking their top three choices from the list of top five candidates including ties and the golfer who accumulate the most points shall be inducted into SEDGA Hall of Fame. 9.4 SEDGA shall reimburse the Hall of Fame committee members for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 9.5 The Hall of Fame Chairman shall report to the members of the SEDGA at the annual meeting regarding activities of the Hall of Fame Committee. 9.6 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 to be eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame. The committee may waive this requirement for exceptional individuals whose names may be placed on the ballot by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the committee. 9.7 If the golfer accumulated one hundred (100) points, the golfer automatically gets in the Hall of Fame with understanding the golfer meets the requirement of the criteria mentioned in Article 9.6. 9.8 Points are awarded as follows: Each tournament participated in 3 points 9.9 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. Dissolution of Organization” and a statement to read “If 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. |