CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Adopted September 26, 2007
ARTICLE I
Name
Section 1
The name of this organization will be the PUBLIC LINKS GOLF ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA, INC., hereinafter referred to as PLGA or the Association.
ARTICLE II
Objectives
The objectives of the Association will be:
1. To protect the right of public golfers to form clubs and play together at public facilities;
2. To ensure that the highest of standards of golf and the public sector remain mutually compatible concepts by ensuring that the pursuit of golf’s ancient and honorable traditions reach every level of golfer and every segment of the golfing community;
3. To pursue the spirit, traditions, and etiquette of the game as promulgated by the United States Golf Association through the enforcement of the USGA Rules of Golf and the provision of the USGA Course Rating and Handicapping Systems;
4. To grow the game by working every day to keep golf an affordable and accessible activity – an everyman’s game;
5. To conduct championships as well as competitions for the recreational player; and
6. To assure that the principles underlying the public game are protected and defended in the public arena at all times – keeping public golf public.
ARTICLE III
Government & Management
Section 1
The Board of Delegates (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “Delegates”) is the basic unit of government of this Association. Comprised of the President of each member golf club, or in the alternative a designated representative, the Board of Delegates exercises its governing authority in the following six (6) specifically enumerated manners: 1) At the Annual Meeting and / or when circumstances require a Special Election, it elects from within the ranks of those eligible the nine (9) members of the eleven-member (11) Board of Directors designated as directly elected by operation of ARTICLE VIII (Elections) of this Document; 2) At any regular or special meeting of the Board of Delegates by two-thirds (2/3) vote of those Delegates present, it may overturn or veto any prior action of the Board of Directors, but such veto action must commence within 75 days of the Board of Delegates’ discovery of the Board action that is the subject of the veto; 3) by majority vote of the Delegates present at any Regular or Special meeting, it may reject any changes to the Per Capita Dues structure proposed by the Board of Directors; 4) by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Delegates present at any Board of Delegates meeting, it may repeal or amend these By-Laws, provided that such amendment has been presented to the Board of Delegates at its immediately preceding Regular Meeting; 5) by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Delegates present at any Board of Delegates meeting, it may amend the PLGA Articles of Incorporation; and 6) on all questions of construction and / or interpretation of these By-Laws, it will act as the final arbiter per the procedures outlined in ARTICLE X, Section 2.
Section 2
Comprised of the four (4) elected Officers, the five (5) elected Committee Chairpersons, the Immediate Past President and the Executive Director, the Board of Directors (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “Directors”) is responsible for setting the policies, establishing the practices, otherwise generally managing the affairs of the Association, and making regular reports thereon to the Board of Delegates. The four (4) Officers are President (Chief Executive Officer), Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. They serve two-year (2) terms. The President and Vice-President will be elected on odd calendar years. The Secretary and Treasurer will be elected on even calendar years. The five (5) Committeepersons will stand for direct election to the Chairpersonships of the following five (5) Standing Committees: Course Rating, Handicap, Rules & Competition, Public Affairs and Communications. They serve two-year (2) terms. The Course Rating Chair and Public Affairs Chair will be elected on odd calendar years. The Handicap Chair, Rules & Competition Chair, and the Communications Chair will be elected on even calendar years.
Comprised of the Executive Director and the employees and interns of the Association, the Executive Staff (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “Staff”) is responsible for executing the policies, practices and affairs of the Association as established by the Board of Directors. As Head of the Executive Staff, the Executive Director (Chief Operating Officer) is responsible for executing the day-to-day business of the Association, responsible for staffing the meetings of the Directors and Delegates, acting as liaison to the PLGA Foundation, Inc., responsible for articulating and disseminating the Association’s official positions / stances with vendors, governments, media, allied golf associations, etc., and responsible for representing PLGA at any and all meetings. The Board of Directors will set the Executive Director’s compensation package. The Executive Director will recommend the compensation packages of the remainder of the Executive Staff to the Finance Committee, which will finalize such recommendations and transmit them to the Board of Directors for final approval.
No later than the Annual Meeting of the preceding year, each Member Club will register the names, addresses, phone numbers and E-mail addresses of their President, designated “Delegate” and if applicable, their Alternate Delegate. In the event of a vacancy in any of the offices eligible for “Delegate” status with the Association, the Club will notify the PLGA office and submit the above information for any successors. In the event that any of the Club’s pre-designated “Delegates” is unable to attend a Regular or Special meeting of the Board of Delegates, the Club President may give authority in writing to an alternate within the Club for the purpose of discussion and voting at that particular meeting. Such a letter of substitution must be presented to the Secretary of the Association, or in the absence of the Secretary either to the Presiding Officer or the Executive Director, and it may be submitted prior to the meeting or immediately after the subject meeting has been opened.
A quorum at any Regular or Special meeting of the Board of Delegates will not be established unless at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Member Clubs’ allotted votes per ARTICLE VI, Section 4 are represented in person by duly constituted Delegates.
At the Annual Meeting the number of Delegates present will constitute a quorum.
The Board of Directors is responsible for the finances of the Association. The President will appoint the Chair of the Finance Committee, which, while it may contain additional Board Members, Delegates and any other PLGA Members the Chair deems fit to appoint, must consist of at least two additional Board Members, the Treasurer and the Executive Director. The Finance Committee will recommend expenditures, policies concerning the disbursement of Association funds, and the annual budgets of the Association to the Board of Directors. The Finance Committee will audit the financial reports of the Treasurer and make reports of those audits to the Board of Directors, which shall pass final judgment thereon. The Board of Directors will establish the annual budget and make a report thereon to the Board of Delegates.
All elections for the Board of Directors will be administered by the Executive Staff under the direction of the Nominating Committee and conducted by secret ballot, which will be tabulated and reported to the Board of Delegates by the Nominating Committee.
While the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in the pursuit of official duties is permitted, other than the Executive Director, no member of the Board of Directors will receive any salary, commission, or regularized form of remuneration from the funds of the Association.
Attendance at Board of Delegate meetings is open to all PLGA members and such guests as authorized by the Directors or Delegates, but discussion at these meetings is limited to members of the Board of Delegates, the Board of Directors, Life Members and those specifically recognized by the Presiding Officer on a case-by-case basis.
All checks, warrants, and / or other instruments in writing necessary for the regular conduct of PLGA business will be signed by at least two of the following: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Executive Director.
In cases deemed expeditious to PLGA business, the Board of Directors may authorize a special fund for disbursement of funds to projects specifically designated by the Directors. Deposits to the fund must be in accordance with standard two-signature protocols, but disbursements from such “special funds” may be executed by one signature of a pre-designated Director. In such cases, such single signature transactions must be reported to the President, Treasurer and Executive Director the next business via E-mail or facsimile transmission. Unused portions of such “special funds” will be returned to the Association’s regular accounts immediately upon completion of the designated project.
ARTICLE IV
Dues and Membership
The annual dues for each member club and the per capita tax for members, including junior members, will be set by the Board of Directors, and changes thereto will be communicated to the Board of Delegates for the purpose of enabling the Delegates to veto such changes in accordance with the powers enumerated in ARTICLE III, Section 1 of this Constitution and By-Laws. Increases to the annual per capita tax will be communicated to the Board of Delegates no later than July 31 of the preceding calendar year. Junior members will receive such benefits of membership as designated by the Board of Directors. Annual dues are due and payable December 1. Per capita taxes* will be invoiced at the beginning of each month for both new and reinstated members. Clubs will be considered delinquent if annual dues payments or per capita taxes are not paid within 60 days of invoice date. Members of such delinquent clubs may be ineligible for PLGA events until such delinquencies are cleared.
* Exception: All per capita taxes incurred for the months of November and December are to be billed in January of the following year.
Any properly organized golf club that is open to public play and located in the State of California is eligible to apply for membership in the Association. While multiple clubs from the same green grass facility may join PLGA, only one golf club will be deemed the “Club of Record” for the purposes of handling Course Rating responsibilities under USGA prescriptions and of administering the Electronic Handicapping System (EHS), except in those instances in which the original “Club of Record” agrees to share such responsibilities with other Association member clubs at said facility.
An eligible club will have a minimum of ten (10) members.
Application for membership will be made in writing and include the following elements:
1. A check, money order, or draft in the amount as set forth in Section 5 of this ARTICLE;
2. A copy of the club’s Constitution and By-Laws;
3. Names, addresses, E-mail addresses, and phone numbers of the club’s officers and directors, and a complete membership roster;
4. Where applicable, a letter from course management authorizing the club to call said course its home golf course; and
5. Where applicable, a scorecard from said home course.
Eligible clubs applying for membership may be assessed an initiation fee as prescribed by the Board of Directors. Per capita taxes will always apply as set forth in Section 1 of this ARTICLE.
An eligible club applying for membership will be admitted by Executive Staff upon receipt and confirmation of the elements prescribed in Section 4 of this ARTICLE, and Executive Staff will transmit information of such admissions to the Board of Directors and Board of Delegates as soon as feasible.
The Association will function on a calendar year basis.
Any person who is properly affiliated with an Association member club is eligible for Association membership, but only those Association members meeting the qualifications outlined in Section 9 of this ARTICLE are eligible for Association sanctioned competitions.
In order to be eligible for PLGA competitions Association members must:
1. Be an Amateur golfer under the Rules of USGA Amateur Status;
2. Meet eligibility requirements as may be prescribed for certain competitions;
3. Demonstrate a valid USGA Handicap Index for Net competitions; and
4. Meet specific age threshold requirements as may be prescribed for certain competitions.
In order to qualify for expense reimbursement as prescribed by USGA Rules of Amateur Status, a player must be a member in good standing of an Association member club.
The allotment to send PLGA members to any team or individual competition permitted by USGA Rules of Amateur Status will be determined by the Board of Directors and reported in a timely manner to the Board of Delegates.
ARTICLE V
Meetings
Notice of the date, time and location of all Regular and Special Meetings of the Board of Delegates will be published by the Board of Directors and transmitted to the member clubs in writing at least ten (10) days in advance.
Notice of the date, time and location of all Regular and Special Meetings of the Board of Directors will be transmitted to the Directors and Executive Staff in writing at least five (5) days in advance.
Section 3
Regular meetings of the Board of Delegates will be held on the fourth (4th) Wednesday of the month, or at a time otherwise designated by the President.
Special meetings of the Board of Delegates may be called on the order of the President, on the order of eight (8) members of the Board of Directors, or on the order of ten (10) members of the Board of Delegates.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at a time designated by the President.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called on the order of the President or on the order of four (4) members of the Board of Directors.
The order of business at all Regular and Special Meetings of the Board of Delegates will be established by the President and / or the Board of Directors in accordance with the powers specifically reserved in ARTICLE III, Section 1.
The order of business at the Annual Meeting will be established by the President and / or Board of Directors, and will always include the installation of newly elected Officers and Committeemen and the installation of continuing Officers and Committeemen.
ARTICLE VI
Elections
The Board of Delegates will at its November meeting preceding odd calendar years elect from those that are eligible a President, Vice-President, Course Rating Chair, and Public Affairs Chair. The Board of Delegates will at its November meeting preceding even calendar years elect from those that are eligible a Secretary, Treasurer, Handicap Chair, Rules & Competition Chair, and Communications Chair. No more than three elected Board of Director members will hail from the same primary club. No eligible Member of the Association will stand for election to more than one (1) Office nor hold more than one elected Office at the same time. Each Delegate of Record will cast his / her allotted vote or votes only for that club for which the Delegate has been duly appointed and properly certified to act as said club’s Delegate of Record. Elections will be determined by a majority of the votes cast. If in the event of the election of Board Members, there are three or more nominees for the same position, and one fails to
receive a majority of the votes cast, there will be a run-off vote for only the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes. In two person contests in which both candidates receive the same number of votes each Delegate of Record will cast his / her allotted vote(s) in a second election, and the election will be determined by a majority of the votes cast. In multi-person contests in which no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast and more than two candidates receive the identical number of highest votes, each Delegate of Record will cast his / her allotted vote(s) in a second election to determine which two nominees with the highest number of votes proceed to a run-off vote. These elected members of the Board of Directors will serve the Association for the ensuing two (2) years and be installed at the next Annual Meeting.
If a vacancy should occur for any reason among the elected offices of the Association, the Board of Delegates will at its next regular meeting following notice of such vacancy elect by ballot an officer or committeeman to fill such vacancy for the balance of the year. Such elected Officer or Committeeman will take office immediately after election. While the Board of Delegates is going through the process of electing an Officer or Committeeman to fill a vacancy for an elected position, the Board of Directors, at either a regular or special meeting, may elect to appoint an interim Officer or Committeeman, who will have all the powers of his / her office. Such an appointed interim Officer or Committeeman will forfeit his / her office upon completion of the Board of Delegates’ election process. In cases where Officers or Committeemen are deemed to be “incapacitated,” the Board of Directors, at either a regular or special meeting, may elect or appoint an acting Officer or Committeeman, who will have all the powers of the office, for the duration of the Officer’s or Committeeman’s “incapacity.” For the purposes of this Section, an “incapacitated” Officer or Committeeman is defined as one who repeatedly misses meetings of the Board of Directors and / or Board of Delegates, and “repeatedly misses meetings” is defined as missing more than one half (1/2) of the combined Directors / Delegates Committee meetings in a 12 month period, or more than three quarters (3/4) of the combined Directors / Delegates Committee meetings in a 6 month period, or all of the Directors / Delegates Committee meetings in a 3 month period.
Nominations for any office may be submitted by any Delegate of Record to the Nominating Committee no later than the September Association Day Meeting. Submittals must include a summary of qualifications and a statement of commitment to fulfilling the duties of the position. Verbal nominations from the floor will be accepted up to and including the September Association Day Meeting. The person nominated must accept or reject the nomination at that meeting, and if accepted, provide the Nominating Committee with a summary of his / her qualifications for the subject office and a written statement of commitment to fulfilling the duties of office within fourteen (14) days of his / her acceptance. The Nominating Committee will be the sole and final arbiter of the qualifications of those so nominated.
Final nominees are to make a presentation of qualification to the Delegates at the October Association Day Meeting.
In order to reconcile the conflict posed by the Association’s commitment to two of its most cherished principles – the club as the basic unit of the game of golf and democratic governance – and to do so while balancing the interests embodied therein, the number of votes allotted each member club’s Delegate of Record, both in elections of Officers / Committeemen and upon questions brought before the Board of Delegates, will be in proportion to the size of the member club’s membership roster as of December 1 of the preceding year. The Delegates of clubs with 100 members or less on that date will receive one (1) vote; the Delegates of clubs 101 – 200 members will receive two (2) votes; the Delegates of clubs with 201 – 300 members will receive three (3) votes; the Delegates of clubs with 301 – 400 members will receive four (4) votes; the Delegates of clubs with 401 – 500 members will receive five (5) votes; and the Delegates of clubs with more than 500 members will receive (6) votes.
Any member may represent more than one club as Delegate of Record or by authorization from the Delegate of Record or club as provided in this Section; however, the number of votes that individual may cast will only equal the number of votes the combined membership of their represented clubs would receive were they a single club.
ARTICLE VII
Officer’s and Committeemen’s Eligibility and Duties
The Officers of the PLGA will be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. To be eligible for nomination to the Offices of President and Vice-President, the nominee must have served at least two (2) years on the Board of Directors. To be eligible for nomination to the Office of Secretary, the nominee must have served as Secretary of a member club or a similarly situated organization, or in the alternative, demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Nominating Committee a high level of proficiency in the written English language. To be eligible for nomination to the Office of Treasurer, the nominee must have financial and / or accounting background, e.g., CPA, accounting, bookkeeping, project management, etc., sufficient to demonstrate to the Nominating Committee the capacity to keep and understand the accounts of a 501 (c) (4) organization.
For the purposes of this Section, two (2) years is defined to include the current term, but it must be a full term.
The President will preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and the Board of Delegates, see to it that the Constitution and By-Laws and such Conditions, Rules & Regulations as may be adopted are enforced, to oversee generally the affairs of the Association and make regular reports thereon to the Board of Delegates. The President will appoint Chairs to all Standing Committees not otherwise elected and will appoint Chairs to all Special (Ad Hoc) Committees and / or Task Forces that the President or a majority of the Board of Directors may from time to time create. The Chairpersons of these Standing and / or Special Committees will appoint the remaining members of their respective committees and make a report thereon to the Board of Directors. The President will serve in an ex-officio capacity to all Standing and Special Committees.
The Vice-President will assist the President with his / her duties and perform the President’s duties whenever the President is absent or otherwise unable to perform them. The Vice-President will act as Tournament Chair for the Annual Pro-President Tournament, and generally make himself / herself available to serve at the pleasure of the duly appointed Chairs of the Standing Committees and Special Committees. He / she will make regular reports thereon to the Board of Directors and Board of Delegates.
The Secretary will keep a record of the proceedings of the Board of Delegates, Board of Directors and the Annual Meeting and make regular reports to the Directors and Delegates thereon. He / she will make a report thereon at the Annual Meeting. He / she will attend to such other business as may belong to the duties of the Office and perform the role of Presiding Officer in the absence or incapacity of both the President and Vice-President.
The Treasurer will be the custodian of the Association’s funds. He / she will deposit them in some depository or depositories under instruction from the Board of Directors. He / she will disburse same upon warrants or checks authorized by the Board of Directors in settlement of accounts payable incurred for current or previously authorized expenditures of the PLGA. The Treasurer will keep the books of accounts of the PLGA and submit a statement of his / her account with the proper documentation to the Board of Directors at its regular meetings and make periodic reports thereon to the Board of Delegates. He / she will render an annual account at the Annual Meeting. He / she will perform such other duties as may properly belong to the Office or as he / she may be directed by the Board of Directors. He / she will prepare the Association’s books and accounts for audit by the Board of Directors and report thereon to Board of Delegates at the complete closure of the previous fiscal year. He / she will perform the role of Presiding Officer in the absence or incapacity of the President, Vice-President, and Secretary.
The Committeemen of the PLGA will be a Chair of the Course Rating Committee, Chair of the Handicap Committee, Chair of the Rules & Competition Committee, Chair of the Public Affairs Committee and Chair of the Communications Committee. The Committeemen will be directly elected to these specific Chairpersonships by the Board of Delegates. To be eligible for nomination as a Committeeman, the nominee must be a PLGA member in good standing and meet the eligibility criteria established below for each specific Office:
Course Rating Chair – Successful completion of a USGA Calibration exercise and certification thereof, and two years of prior service on the PLGA Course Rating Committee, one of which must have been as a Rating Team Leader.
Handicap Chair – Successful completion of the PLGA Handicap Certification Program and at least one (1) year of verifiable prior service as a Handicap Chair of a USGA licensed club or organization.
Rules & Competition Chair – Successful completion of the PLGA Rules & Competition Committee’s Tournament Training Program, and either two years of prior service on a PLGA Tournament Committee or proof of prior service as a major club’s or another state / regional association’s tournament director, chair or coordinator. He / she must also demonstrate a working knowledge of the USGA Rules of Golf.
Public Affairs Chair – Current or prior service on an intermediate institution of public input, preferably a golf commission, golf advisory committee, or general parks commission; however service on a related institution, i.e., a governmental board or commission unrelated to golf / recreation, will suffice. Absent such current or prior service, the nominee must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Nominating Committee a facility with public policy, public relations, and business practice sufficient to indicate the capability to represent PLGA on such intermediate institutional bodies of public input and / or the general public.
Communications Chair – Demonstrable experience in publishing, editing, or otherwise producing written communications of any kind, including web-based publications.
It will be the responsibility of the Standing Nominating Committee to ensure that the requisite numbers of eligible Committeemen are among the nominees for all regular and special elections of the Association.
Elected members of the Board of Directors may be recalled by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Delegates for incompetence or simple failure to carry out his / her duties to the satisfaction of the Delegates, but such “recall” can only proceed at a Board of Delegates meeting subsequent to the filing of the recall petition with the Secretary of the Association.
Elected members of the Board of Directors may be removed by nine (9) members of the 11-member Board of Directors for failure to carry out the duties of their elected Offices, but such “removal” can only proceed upon formal written notice thereof to the subject Directors and a formal hearing thereon at a Board meeting subsequent to the filing of the removal petition with the President of the Association. A Director so removed does not lose his / her Office until he / she resigns Office or until the Board of Delegates is notified of the removal action and 75 days pass from the date of notification or the Board of Delegates upon such notification waives its 75-day window of opportunity for veto.
ARTICLE VIII
Standing Committees
Standing Committees will include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
1. Course Rating [Chair directly elected by Delegates]
a. To administer the USGA Course Rating System on behalf of the Association in conjunction with the Executive Staff;
b. To keep current and valid the Course Ratings of member golf courses by regularly, and / or upon special request when changed circumstances dictate, Rating the courses used by the member clubs;
c. To keep a record thereof;
d. To conduct an ongoing training program for veteran Raters by regularly participating in regional USGA Course Rating Calibration Seminars;
e. To conduct an ongoing academic and field training program for novice and intermediate Raters; and
f. To act as a resource for the member clubs and members seeking continuing education in the USGA Course Rating System.
2. Handicap [Chair directly elected by Delegates]
a. To generally administer the USGA Handicap System for the Association’s member clubs in conjunction with the Executive Staff;
b. To specifically monitor the member clubs to ensure that they meet the USGA criteria necessary to obtain and retain the USGA license required to provide their respective members USGA Handicap Indexes;
c. To specifically oversee the maintenance of a formal process to certify that the Handicap Chairs of member clubs have demonstrated a sufficient working knowledge of the USGA Handicap System to satisfy USGA licensing requirements; and
d. To act as a resource for the member clubs and members seeking continuing education in the USGA Handicap System.
3. Rules & Competition [Chair directly elected by Delegates]
a. To undertake responsibility for all Association sponsored golf competitions in conjunction with the Executive Staff;
b. To codify and constantly update the Association’s General Tournament Policies, Conditions of Competition, and Pace of Play programs;
c. To appoint specific tournament chairs where applicable and ensure that such chairs exercise their delegated authority in a manner consistent with the policies established by the Rules & Competition Committee;
d. To conduct an ongoing training program for both veteran members and budding members in the rudiments of the Association’s tournament policies / practices, the rudiments of tournament administration, and the USGA Rules of Golf;
e. To act as a liaison to outside agencies seeking the assistance of the Association’s Tournament Committees and / or Rules Officials in the conduct of their competitions;
f. To be available to member clubs, members, and outside agencies / organizations as an educational resource in the Rules of Golf and / or tournament administration; and
g. To pass judgment on the Amateur Status and eligibility of member clubs and members, and to process requests for Amateur Reinstatement with the USGA.
4. Public Affairs [Directly elected by Delegates]
a. To maintain a working relationship in conjunction with Staff with the various public agencies that own, operate and / or manage the Association’s municipal golf clubs;
b. To immerse itself in the public policy issues surrounding the local public game and make recommendations thereon to Board and Staff as to how PLGA can better navigate these waters;
c. To represent the Association and the Association’s interests before the various public agencies that own, operate and / or manage the Association’s municipal golf clubs;
d. To represent the Association on commissions, committees or other constituent bodies established to provide organized public input into the operation and / or management of public golf courses;
e. To promote the Association in a positive manner outside PLGA’s confines – the general public, the press, allied Associations, and the golf industry in general; and
f. To act as a resource for member clubs and members seeking continuing education in the relationship between public policy and the fate of the public game and organized public golf.
5. Communication [Directly elected by Delegates]
a. To work with the Board of Directors and Executive Staff in the production and dissemination of PLGA publications, press releases, promotional materials, and advertising;
b. To study and familiarize itself with the internal and external communication practices / institutions of the Association, make recommendations thereon to the Directors, and be authorized to implement such recommendations upon sanction by the Board of Directors; and
c. To act as a resource for those seeking continuing education in the Association’s communication modes and practices.
6. Promotion [Chair appointed by President]
a. To reach out to clubs that are eligible for membership in PLGA and otherwise unaffiliated, and facilitate their membership in the Association;
b. To promote the creation of clubs where a natural community of interest, exists to support a USGA licensed club;
c. To review and report on the Constitutions and By-Laws of Member Clubs; and
d. To act as a resource for those seeking information regarding the benefits of club membership in general and PLGA membership in specific;
7. Finance [Chair appointed by President]
a. To recommend generally to the Board of Directors expenditures of Association funds;
b. To recommend specifically to the Board of Directors the policies guiding the disbursement of Association funds;
c. To recommend specifically to the Board of Directors the annual budget of the Association;
d. To act as a resource to the Member Clubs and members seeking information regarding the financial affairs of the Association; and
e. To always be composed of the Treasurer, the Executive Director, and at least two additional (2) Members of the Board of Directors.
f. To audit the financial reports of the Treasurer and make reports thereon to the Board of Directors.
8. Nominating [Chair appointed by President]
a. To study and familiarize itself with the membership of the Association for the purpose of finding and recruiting persons with the qualifications and prerequisites necessary to stand for election to the Board of Directors;
b. To present a slate of such qualified nominees for the Offices open each November at the September meeting of the Board of Delegates and to present a slate of qualified nominees for other Offices as may occasionally be open by virtue of resignation, incapacity, recall or removal; and
c. To always be composed of seven (7) persons designated as follows: Immediate Past President, two (2) appointees of the Immediate Past President, two (2) appointees of the President, and two (2) appointees of the Executive Director. From among those seven (7) persons the President will appoint the Committee’s Chair. No more than two (2) of the seven (7) members may hail from the same primary club.
ARTICLE IX
Obligation and Discipline
Acceptance of membership in PLGA binds each member club and its individual members to adherence to all the rules, regulations and conditions of the Association, and to all the decisions rendered by the Board of Delegates and Board of Directors.
Member clubs refusing to comply with the rules, regulations and conditions of the Association and / or the decisions rendered by the Board of Delegates and Board of Directors are subject to suspension or expulsion by a 2/3 vote of the Delegates present at a meeting of the Board of Delegates, but such votes of suspension or expulsion cannot be taken until 30 days after formal written charges have been delivered to the subject club and a formal hearing thereon has been conducted before the Board of Delegates. Clubs suspended or expelled under this Section may appeal the decision of the Board of Delegates at any subsequent Regular or Special meeting of the Delegates, but only one (1) appeal will be permitted.
Members refusing to comply with the rules, regulations and conditions of the Association and / or the decisions rendered by the Board of Delegates and Board of Directors are subject to suspension or expulsion. The procedure for such cases will be as follows:
1. No member will proceed to the suspension / expulsion hearing outlined herein without first being issued a verbal warning that absent ceasing and desisting certain specifically defined and proscribed behavior, the Board of Directors will issue the “written charges” necessary to proceed to such suspension / expulsion hearing.
2. No member will lose his / her membership privileges without receipt of formal written charges from the Board of Directors specifying the reasons for the suspension / expulsion action and a hearing thereon before the Board of Directors.
3. Upon an adverse decision by the Board of Directors, the member will be immediately suspended or expelled, but such suspension or expulsion will be stayed upon the filing of an appeal with the Board of Delegates. Such an appeal must be in writing and must be transmitted to the Board of Directors through the Association President or Executive Director within 45 days of the adverse decision.
4. The Board of Delegates may reverse the decision of the Board of Directors upon a 2/3 vote of those Delegates present at the meeting where the appeal is heard.
ARTICLE X
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended or wholly replaced by a 2/3 majority of the Delegates of Record present at any Regular or Special meeting of the Board of Delegates, provided such amendment or replacement has been presented in writing to the Delegates at a previous Regular meeting.
On all questions of construction or interpretation of this Constitution and By-Laws, the Board of Delegates will have jurisdiction to render a final and binding opinion thereon, but only after the conduct of a hearing publicly noticed / posted 30 days in advance in which all contradictory constructions / interpretations submitted by the Board of Delegates, Board of Directors and / or Executive Staff are considered by the Delegates in both written and oral argument.
The Articles of Incorporation of the Association may be amended by a 2/3 majority of the Delegates of Record present at any Regular or Special meeting of the Board of Delegates, provided such amendment has been presented in writing to the Delegates at a previous Regular meeting.
Procedures
Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) will govern procedures at all meetings.
