Organisation

Constitution 

1. NAME.
The name of the Union shall be ‘The Cornwall Golf Union’.

2. OBJECTS.
The objects of the Union shall be:
a) To promote the welfare and interest of amateur golf in the County of Cornwall.
b) To act as a central authority for determining all questions appertaining to golf that may arise in the County.
c) To organise County Golf Championships and competitions for amateur golfers and to organise matches with other counties.
d) To liaise with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews through the English Golf Union and with other golf organisations in all matters affecting the game, the Union and the Clubs affiliated to the Union.

3. AFFILIATION.
All recognised Golf clubs in the County whose membership is confined to amateurs shall be eligible for affiliation to the Union providing they comply with the provisions for affiliation made by the English Golf Union. All affiliated Clubs shall comply with the Council of National Golf Unions’ Regulations and Rules of the Standard Scratch Score and Handicapping Scheme 1983, as periodically amended, and any conditions imposed within the Scheme by The English Golf Union.

4. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Union shall be the Executive Committee who shall be responsible for the management of all matters affecting the Union.


5. OFFICERS.
The following shall be officers of the Union:

a) The President, who shall not be eligible for re-election after having served two consecutive years in that office.
b) The Vice-President.
c) The Captain, who shall primarily be responsible for all teams representing the Union and who shall serve for two years in office.
d) The Vice-Captain.

The President and Vice-President shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Union. Nominations for President and Vice-President shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Captain and Vice-Captain shall be elected at the Executive Committee Meeting held in October/November. Nominations for Captain and Vice-Captain shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the October/November Executive Meeting. If there are two or more candidates for any office a secret ballot shall be held of the members present.

6. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
a) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Union, the ex-officio officers, Past Presidents and one member elected by each Golf Club affiliated to the Union.
b) The Executive Committee is empowered to deal with all business of the Union arising between Annual General Meetings; to carry out such duties as may be delegated to it by the English Golf Union, the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU), or any similar body; to elect recognised Golf Clubs to membership within the Union upon such terms and conditions (if any) as the Executive Committee may from time to time decide; to recommend expenditure to meet team and administrative costs; to subscribe from time to time such sum or sums as may be considered appropriate to any Union, Association or similar body connected with golf which the Executive Committee may consider advisable to support from the funds of the Union; to attend to all disputes and disciplinary matters; to elect such Sub-Committees as may be considered appropriate from time to time, the Officers of the Union being ex-officio members of such elected Sub-Committees, but the Executive Committee shall not at any time be empowered to distribute any surplus other than to another non-profit-making body.
c) The Executive Committee shall meet four times a year or as required at places the President may determine. All Executive Meetings shall be chaired by the President, or, in his absence, the Vice-President. A quorum for all Executive Committee Meetings shall be the Officers attending plus six members representing Golf Clubs affiliated to the Union. Notice of all Executive Committee Meetings shall be promulgated by the Secretary to all Secretaries of Clubs affiliated to the Union.

7. COUNTY TEAM SELECTION COMMITTEE
The Selection Committee shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Captain, the Vice-Captain, together with three other persons who shall be selected by the aforementioned officers, such selection to be made with a view to covering the whole area of the County.


8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
The Annual General Meeting of the Union shall be held on the first Thursday in March at a central county location.
At least twenty-eight days notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to the Secretary of each Club affiliated to the Union.
The Annual General Meeting shall consider such business and conduct elections as are required by these rules. In addition it shall consider any motion introduced in writing by a Club affiliated to the Union, providing fourteen days notice of the introduction of the motion has been given to the Union Secretary.
Any matter of general interest raised at an Annual General Meeting may be discussed at the discretion of the Chairman, but no vote may be taken.
The Annual General Meeting shall be chaired by the President, or, in his absence, the Vice-President.

9. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING.
An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Union may be called at any time by the President of the Union or by a written request to the Secretary from any fifteen Clubs affiliated to the Union. At least twenty-eight days notice of the business to be transacted at such Meeting shall be given to all Clubs in the Union and only business of which such notice has been given shall be considered.

10. ALTERATION OF RULES.
No proposed alteration to these Rules shall be considered other than at an Annual General Meeting/Extraordinary General Meeting. A minimum of twenty-eight days notice of any such proposal must be given by the Secretary to the Secretary of all Clubs affiliated to the County. The notice shall contain full specification of any proposed change.

11. QUORUM.
The quorum for all meetings of the Union except Executive Committee Meetings shall be the Officers attending plus ten members representing Golf Clubs affiliated to the Union.

12. VOTING.
At all meetings of the Union, the Executive Committee or any Sub-Committee, each Officer and elected Member present shall be entitled to one vote. In all cases in which there may be equality of voting, the Chairman shall be entitled to a second, or casting, vote.

13. V.A.T. REGULATIONS.
The Union is a non-profit-making organisation and shall not make a distribution of any profits or surpluses save to another non-profit-making body. In the event of the dissolution of the Union, the assets and property of the Union shall be distributed to non-profit-making bodies as shall be directed by the Executive Committee of the Union.

14. DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
The Rules of the English Golf Union Disciplinary Procedure, together with its provisions as to Affiliation shall be incorporated in these Rules. No individual officer or member of the Executive Committee shall take disciplinary action independently. All disciplinary correspondence will be the responsibility of the Secretary.

15. COMPLAINTS.
All complaints shall be made in writing to the Secretary who, if he is unable to deal with them himself, shall submit them to the Executive Committee, whose decision is final.

16. SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Affiliated Clubs shall pay an annual subscription to the Union as laid down from time to time by the Union at its Annual General Meeting. This subscription will be based on a fixed sum per male Playing Member of all categories, Junior Members, Five Day Members and County Members etc.

17. SECRETARY.
a) The Union shall, at all times, have a Secretary to manage the Union’s administrative and business affairs. He shall attend all Executive Committee and any Sub-Committee Meetings.
b) The Secretary shall be appointed by, and shall be answerable to, the Executive Committee of the Union. He shall perform the duties imposed upon him by these Rules and such other duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Executive Committee. Whilst in office, he shall not be entitled to vote on any occasion.
c) On or before any such appointment, the Secretary shall enter into a service agreement. The Executive Committee or any Sub-Committee appointed by it, to act on its behalf, shall approve the terms of the service agreement.
d) If at any time there shall be no Secretary, or the Secretary shall be absent for whatever reason, the duties of the Secretary shall be performed by such other person or persons as shall, for the time being, be deputed for the purpose by the Executive Committee.

18. ACCOUNTS.
The Executive Committee shall appoint an accountant to inspect the Union accounts and produce a financial report annually or more often if ever thought necessary.

19. HON TREASURER.
The Executive Committee shall select a member of a Club affiliated to the Union to be the Hon. Treasurer of the Union.

20. SENIORS CAPTAIN

A Seniors Captain and Seniors Vice Captain shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Seniors Captain shall primarily be responsible for the Seniors team representing the Union and shall serve for two years in office.  

Nominations for Seniors Captain and Seniors Vice Captain will be forwarded to the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the Annual General Meeting.