WAYFARERS SOCIETY
CONSTITUTION
1. Name
The Organisation shall be called “The Wayfarers Society” (hereinafter called the Society).
2. Aims and Objectives
2.1. To promote, both for the benefit of its members and charitable organisations, inter-club competitions, activities and events for golfers within the range 10 to 17 inclusive, who are members of clubs affiliated to the Welsh Golfing Union.
2.2. To develop and promote co-operation between golf clubs in the area through the Society’s activities.
3. Membership
3.1. The Society shall consist of the Officers and the Members. Members are defined as Golf Clubs which have been admitted to the Society, and not the individual members of those clubs. Officers are described in para.6.4 below.
3.2. Applications for membership of the Society shall be open to any Golf Club affiliated to the Welsh Golfing Union, whose members are prepared to accept the Constitution and Rules of the Society and support the objectives of the Society. (Forest Hills Golf Club will retain its special membership status as a non-affiliated club) (Rules of the Society are included at Appendix A, for information).
3.3. Acceptance into membership of the Society requires a minimum three-quarters majority of those present and eligible to vote at the AGM
3.4. In accepting membership, a club (and its participating members) agree to abide by the Constitution and Rules of the Society.
4. Membership Fees & Other Contributions
4.1. Membership fees, payable by member clubs and not individual participants, shall be stipulated by a General Meeting. Annual membership fees shall fall due on 1 January of each year and are payable to the Secretary.
4.2 In addition to the membership fee (2005: £50), contributions are required to be paid by each member club in respect of the Annual Charity Open Day. A contribution in lieu of team entry fees for the Open Day (as set by the host club. 2005: £40) is required to be paid by 1st January, and a minimum purchase of prize draw tickets is to be paid by 30th June or the date of the Open Day (whichever is the earlier) (2005: £50). Both these last two amounts shall be stipulated by the Committee and are payable to the Secretary, regardless of whether a club takes part in the Open Day competition.
4.3. The Committee may decide upon other charges, contributions or subscriptions at its discretion.
5. Annual Charity Open Day
5.1. An Annual Charity Competition for members shall be arranged and hosted by the winners of the Premier League in the previous year. Members are required to make the minimum commitment stipulated in para. 4.2
6. Officers & Committee
6.1. The Officers and Committee shall comprise individuals nominated by member clubs.
6.2. The management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee, whose authority is paramount until over-ruled by a General Meeting of members.
6.3. The Committee shall act for the members. Liabilities incurred shall fall upon the membership provided the Committee acts in accordance with the Constitution, in honesty and good faith.
6.4. The Officers of the Society shall be the President, Chairman, Secretary, Web Site Co-ordinator and Competition Co-ordinator.
6.5. The office of Secretary shall carry an honorarium, to be decided by the AGM.
6.6 The Committee shall consist of the Officers and a further three individuals nominated by member clubs.
6.7. All Committee members (except the President who is elected for three years) shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-appointment at the AGM (see para 9.4), when other nominations will also be considered.
6.8. A candidate for the office of President is recommended to the AGM by the Committee and the Vice Presidents (see para.7.5.)
6.9. The Chairman may call a Committee meeting when he considers it necessary or desirable, or upon the written request of at least four members of the Committee. Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Secretary.
6.10. Any casual vacancy occurring may be filled by the Committee.
6.11. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business at Committee meetings shall be four.
6.12 Every decision taken at a meeting of the Committee shall be determined by a simple majority of the vote of the members present, every member having one vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
6.13. The interpretation of the Society’s Constitution and its Rules shall be vested in the Committee, who shall decide all questions relating to the Society, save those specified in, or involving an amendment to the Constitution (see para. 14).
6.14. The Committee shall be responsible for initial consideration of all applications for membership and shall decide if an application meets the minimum requirements with regard to facilities etc., before submitting it to the next AGM
6.15. The Committee’s powers to expel or suspend any member club or committee member are contained in para.12.
7. Vice Presidents
7.1. The office of Vice President is open to past and present participants from member clubs who have made a special contribution to their own club’s team or the Society as a whole.
7.2. The office is also available to those who have given meritorious and lengthy service in organising the activities of either their own club or the Society as a whole.
7.3. Nominations shall be submitted by the nominee’s club to the Committee for approval. In addition, the Committee may confer the office directly on individuals they consider worthy of the honour. There shall be no limit on the number of Vice Presidents.
7.4. Vice Presidents shall assist the Committee with its responsibilities, when appropriate, especially with regard to the charitable aims of the Society.
7.5. Vice Presidents will meet regularly to ‘enjoy the benefits of office’.
7.6. When the situation arises, Vice Presidents shall meet with the Committee to select a candidate for the position of President. The chosen candidate will be recommended to the next AGM for approval.
8 Finance
8.1. All monies raised by, or on behalf of, the Society shall be applied to further the objects of the Society and for no other purpose.
8.2. The Secretary is responsible for the finances of the Society.
8.3. The financial year of the Society ends on 31st October each year.
8.4. Proper accounts shall be kept of all sums of money received and paid out by the Society.
8.5 An audited Statement of Accounts, up to and including this date, shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
8.6. The funds of the Society shall be lodged at a bank or building society in an account in the name of the Society, and all cheques, drafts etc. drawn on these accounts shall be signed by any two of the following officers: Chairman or Secretary plus one other member of the Committee.
9. Annual General Meeting and Other Meetings
9.1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society shall be held in every year during the month of December, at Mountain Ash Golf Club, when the Annual Report of the Committee and the audited Statement of Accounts up to the end of the financial year shall be presented.
9.2. The Secretary shall give not less than 28 days notice of the date of the AGM to all member clubs.
9.3. The AGM shall elect such Officers and other Committee members of the Society as it may from time to time determine.
9.4. Nominations for officers and other members of the Committee shall be received by the Secretary not less than 21 days prior to the AGM. Nominations shall include details of the nominee and his proposer. No nominations shall be accepted from the floor of the meeting.
9.5. All member clubs shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Society and shall have equal voting rights.
9.6. The quorum for General Meetings shall be one quarter of the members eligible to vote.
9.7. A Special General Meeting (SGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary, signed by not less than two thirds of the members. The Committee shall have the power to call a SGM by decision of a simple majority of its members.
9.8. At Special General Meetings, only business specified on the agenda or included in supporting papers shall be discussed.
10. Voting Procedures
10.1. Every member club shall be entitled to one vote.
10.2. A motion to amend or add to the Constitution or Rules of the Society, put before an AGM/SGM, shall require a majority of at least three quarters of those present and voting. Voting on all other matters requires only a simple majority.
10.3. Voting for the acceptance of a club into membership of the Society requires a minimum of three-quarters majority of those present and eligible to vote at the AGM. A show of hands will suffice. (see para.3.3.)
10.4. Voting for the election of Officers and Committee Members shall be by secret ballot, except when a candidate is unopposed. In this case, a show of hands will suffice. Voting on all other matters shall be by a show of hands.
10.5. The Chairman shall have a casting vote (in addition to a deliberative vote) only at meetings of the Committee.
11. Property and Supervision of Activities
11.1. Responsibility for all property owned or leased by the Society, and for the supervision of volunteers, rests with the Committee.
12. Discipline and Appeals
12.1. Member clubs shall be responsible and answerable for the actions of each of its individual participants.
12.2. The Committee shall have the power to take appropriate disciplinary action against any member club, and shall have the authority to terminate or suspend the membership of any member club guilty of conduct deemed to be to the detriment of the Society, including contravention of the Rules of the Society or the Constitution. (Any member club dealt with in this way will be permitted to appeal against expulsion or suspension at the next AGM, or at a SGM called to hear the appeal).
12.3. The Committee shall have the power to expel or suspend any officer or member of the Committee providing that, after the officer or member has had the opportunity of giving an explanation of his conduct, a majority of Committee members consider such action necessary.
13. Dissolution Procedures
13.1. The Society may be wound up on a resolution of the members, passed by a three quarters majority at a Special Meeting convened for that purpose, upon the request of at least two thirds of the members of the Society. At least 21 days notice of the meeting shall have been sent to all members of the Society.
13.2. In the event of the passing of the resolution to wind up the Society, the members of the Society shall appoint a representative committee that shall be empowered to distribute the assets, including cash and investments in hand, to Charitable Bodies which may have received previous donations from the Society.
14. The Constitution and Rules of the Society
14.1. This Constitution shall be reviewed on a 5 yearly basis.
14.2. Amendments to the Constitution and Rules of the Society shall only be agreed at General Meetings, when all members are invited to attend.
14.3. Proposed additions to, or alterations of, the Constitution or Rules of the Society shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than 28 days before the date of the A/SGM, or with a valid request for a Special Meeting of Society members (see para 9.7).
14.4. No motion involving an amendment to the Constitution or Rules of the Society may be proposed or amended from the floor of the meeting.
14.5. In the event of a proposal for amending the Constitution or Rules of the Society being submitted, the Secretary shall inform the membership of the proposed motion not less than 14 days before the AGM.
14.6. Any amendments to the proposed motion duly proposed and seconded in like manner shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary not later than 7 days before the said meeting.
14.7. Any alteration to the Constitution or Rules of the Society shall require a minimum three quarters majority of members present and voting.
14.8. In the event of any question or matter arising which is not provided in the Constitution or Rules of the Society, such question or matter shall be dealt with by the Committee, whose decision shall be final.
APPENDIX A
RULES OF THE SOCIETY
1. COMPETITION RULES
1.1 RULES APPLICABLE to ALL COMPETITIONS
1.1.1. All players must be aged 18 or over.
1.1.2. All players must be members of Golf Clubs affiliated to the Welsh Golf Union and possess a playing handicap in the range 10 to 17 inclusive.
1.1.3. The rules of the game shall be those of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, subject to local rules in operation at individual venues.
1.1.4. Matches are to be played as Greensomes, match play off scratch.
1.1.5. Teams comprise 5 pairs.
1.1.6. Each winning pair shall be awarded one point. Pairs halving shall be awarded half a point.
1.1.7. It is the responsibility of the home team captain/secretary to communicate the result of the match (by E Mail) within two days of the match.
1.2. RULES APPLICABLE to the LEAGUE COMPETITION
Rules 1.1.1. to 1.1.7. above apply
1.2.1. Clubs shall be divided into 6 Sections, drawn at random from the membership, at each AGM.
1.2.2. In addition, each of the Sectional winners in the previous year shall be promoted to the Premier League and join the previous year’s winners of the Premier League.
1.2.3. The winner of the Premier League shall be declared the overall League Champions
1.2.4. The bottom 6 clubs in the Premier League shall rejoin the Sections in the following year.
1.2.5. All league matches shall be played on a home and away basis, when the home club shall provide the courtesy of the course and after-match refreshments for 10 visiting players, at no charge.
1.2.6. Matches shall be played between April and August (inclusive) by mutual arrangement.
1.2.7. In the event of a tie for League positions, points won away shall be compared to decide the rankings.
1.3. RULES APPLICABLE to the KNOCKOUT COMPETITION
Rules 1.1.1.to 1.1.7. apply
1.3.1. A random draw involving all member clubs shall be made at the AGM, including draws to determine the home and away clubs in each round.
1.3.2. When a match is halved in the Preliminary Round and in Rounds One to Three, the away team shall progress to the next round. The same rule shall apply in matches where competing teams host a Semi-final or Final.
1.3.3. In the event of a halved match in the Semi-final or Final (and that match is held at a venue neutral to both teams), each team shall nominate a pair (who must have been a pair in the match) to compete in a sudden death play-off.
1.3.4. In the Preliminary Round and in Rounds One to Three of the Competition, the away team shall contribute a sum specified by the Committee towards the cost of after-match refreshments (2005: £50). The home team shall have the discretion to waive this contribution or reduce the sum required. In the Semi Final and Final of the Competition, each team shall meet the full actual cost of its members’ after-match refreshments.
1.3.5. Preliminary Round matches are to be played by 31 May, First Round matches by 30 June, Second Round matches by 31 July, Third Round matches by 31 August, Semi-finals in September and the Final in October. Matches not played by the specified date shall be determined by the Committee.
2. GENERAL RULES
2.1. Players who are members of more than one club may play only for their ‘nominated home club’ and off the handicap applicable to that club.
2.2. Players may only play for one club in any given season.
2.3. All matches must be played. It is not permissible for matches to be conceded. Failure to fulfil a fixture may result in deduction of points, suspension or expulsion from the Society.
2.4. Match postponements will be permitted in extreme circumstances (normally only when the course is deemed unfit for play), and may only take place with the mutual agreement of the clubs involved. Where this is a match in the K.O. Competition, a re-arranged match may not take place later than the stipulated date for each round (see 1.3.5. above).
2.5. Members who persistently field under-strength teams in any of the competitions, may be liable to disciplinary action.
2.6. Away team secretaries must contact their home team counterparts at least 7 days before each scheduled match to confirm arrangements, such as tee-off time etc.
2.7. Away teams shall follow the ‘dress code’ of the home team.
2.8. Every member club shall send a representative to the AGM. Failure to do so shall be treated as a resignation from the Society.
2.9. Failure to pay fees (or other sums due) by the due date may result in disciplinary action, including a fine, suspension or expulsion, depending on the circumstances.
2.10 Every member club shall nominate a contact (secretary, captain etc) and the Society’s Secretary must be informed of any changes immediately. Every member club must also provide one official E Mail address, through which all correspondence will be communicated.
RULES
League Competition
1 - All players must be aged 18 or over.
2 - All players must be in the handicap range 10 - 17 inclusive.
3 - Teams comprise 5 pairs.
4 - Matches to be played as Greensomes, matchplay, off scratch.
5 - Each winning pair shall be awarded one point. Pairs halving shall be awarded half a point.
6 - In the event of a tie for League positions, points won away shall be compared to decide the placings.
7 - The winner of the Premier League shall be the overall League Champion.
8 - The winners of each of the six Sections shall be promoted to the Premier League.
9 - The bottom six teams in the Premier League shall be relegated.
Cup Competition
(Rules 1 to 5 of the League Competition shall apply in addition to the following)
1 - In the preliminary round and in rounds one to three proper, if a match is halved the away team shall progress to the next round. The same rule shall apply if a competing team hosts a semi final or final.
2 - In the event of a halved match in the semi-final or final (and that match is at a neutral venue), each team shall nominate a pair (who must have been a pair in the match) to compete in a sudden death play off.