Constitution and Rules of the Union

The Executive Committee has reviewed the Constitution and Rules of the Union and makes the following recommendations for its updating and amendment.

• To clarify the regulations for the retirement and election or re-election of Club Delegates to the Executive Committee
• To ensure that a retiring President continues to occupy a place on the Executive Committee by the creation of the office of 'Immediate Past President' (instead of one of the existing Vice-Presidents) whose appointment will be confirmed at each Annual General Meeting of the Council.
• To emphasise that the Executive Committee must comprise fifteen Club Delegates (including three officers who must be Club Delegates).
• To ensure that only elected Club Delegates have the right to vote at meetings of the Executive Committee by withdrawing the vote from Past Presidents who are not elected Club Delegates.
• Generally, to improve wording and re-number certain Rules.

There follows a re-print of the existing Constitution and Rules with, alongside, the recommended amended paragraphs.

1. Name
The Union shall be called the "MIDDLESEX COUNTY GOLF UNION"

2. Objects
The objects of the Union shall be:

• To further the interests of the game of golf in Middlesex.
• To operate the handicapping scheme laid down by the English Golf Union.
• To arrange County championships.
• To arrange competitions for handicap players.
• To arrange County matches.
• To co-operate with the Royal and Ancient Golf club of St Andrews through the medium of the English Golf Union, to which Union the Middlesex County Golf Union shall be affiliated.
• To take such action from time to time as it may consider desirable for the benefit of its members.
• The Union is a non-Profit making organisation; all profits and surpluses shall be used to maintain and improve the facilities of the Union for the benefit of the Member Clubs and no distribution of any profit or surplus shall be made except to another similar non-profit making body.

3a) The Council
The governing body of the Union shall be a Council ("The Council") comprising one male representative ("The Club Delegate") of each Member Club. It shall be the duty of each Member Club to appoint its Club Delegate and to notify the Secretary of his name and of any subsequent change. No Member Club shall be entitled to representation on the Council unless the name of the appointed Club Delegate has been notified to the Secretary prior to the day of a meeting of the Council.

A Past President of the Union who is not his Club's Delegate may attend and speak at meetings of the Council but shall not be entitled to vote.

3b) Meetings of the Council

A) Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Council shall be held not later than 31st March each year. Twelve Club Delegates present shall form a quorum.

The President shall take the Chair; in his absence the Vice-President shall take the chair; in his absence the Immediate Past President shall take the Chair; if all three Officers are absent those present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of the Meeting.

Voting shall be by show of hands or ballot as directed by the Chairman when, unless specified elsewhere, a simple majority shall prevail. The Chairman shall have a second or casting vote in the event of equality.

At least fourteen days' notice of the Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to each Member Club specifying the business to be transacted, which shall be as follows:

• To receive a report upon the working of the Union for the year.
• To consider and, if approved, to adopt the accounts of the Union for the year.
• To elect a President and a Vice-President.
• To appoint the Immediate Past President.
• To appoint an Auditor.
• To elect members of the Executive Committee.
• To consider any resolution submitted by Member Clubs or by the Executive Committee.

A copy of the accounts and of any resolution shall be enclosed with the notice convening the meeting together with nominations of candidates for the election to the Executive Committee.

Notice of intention to move any resolution, excepting a resolution proposed by the Executive Committee, shall be given in writing to the Secretary to reach him before the first day of December preceding the date of the meeting.

Nominations of candidates for election to the Executive Committee must be made by the candidate's Club in writing to the Secretary to reach him before the first day of December preceding the date of the meeting.

B) Special Meeting
A Special Meeting of the Council shall be convened at any time by order of the Executive Committee or upon request by not less than six Member Clubs. Any request from Member Clubs must be in writing to the Secretary stating the business to be transacted.

Subject to the provisions of Rule 11 fourteen days' notice of the business to be transacted at such Special Meeting shall be given to member Clubs and only business of which such notice has been given shall be considered.

Such Special Meeting shall be convened within twenty-eight days of an order of the Executive Committee or of a request from Member Clubs except under the provisions of Rule 11 where it shall be convened within forty-two days of the receipt by the Secretary of a proposal to change the Rules.

So far as the same shall be consistent, the Rules for a Special Meeting relating to quorum, Chairman and voting shall be the same as for the Annual General Meeting.

4. Officers
The Officers of the Union shall consist of a President, the Immediate Past President and a Vice-President who shall be selected from amongst the Executive Committee, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Council and shall hold office until the close of the next Annual General Meeting.

5. The Executive Committee
The business of the Union shall be conducted by an Executive Committee of fifteen elected Club Delegates which number shall include the President, the Vice-President and the Immediate Past President. A Past President who is not an elected member may attend and speak at Meetings of the Executive Committee but shall not be entitled to vote.

The Executive Committee is charged with enforcing the Constitution and Rules and ensuring that the Competition Regulations are complied with. The Executive Committee is authorised to deal with any breach of rule or discipline and to impose sanctions upon any Club, player or person deemed to have breached any rule.

Any Club, player or person brought before the Executive Committee for alleged breach of rule or discipline shall, if found guilty, have the right to appeal to the Council of the Union; any appeal must be lodged in writing to the Secretary of the Union within thirty days from the date of the Executive Committee decision to impose sanction.

Of the elected members, excluding the Officers, one third shall retire annually by rotation but shall be eligible for re-election. They shall retire in order of the seniority of their election and in the case of equal seniority the order of retirement shall be determined by lot. If any elected member of the Executive Committee be absent from three consecutive meetings the Executive Committee shall have discretion to declare a casual vacancy. In the event of a vacancy the Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint another Club Delegate who shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting but who shall then be eligible for election. At meetings of the Executive Committee seven shall form a quorum of which not less than four shall be elected members. The President shall take the chair; in his absence the Vice-President shall take the chair; in his absence the Immediate Past President shall take the chair; if all three Officers are absent those present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting. Voting shall be as the Chairman directs, where a simple majority prevails, and shall be on the basis that no Member Club shall be capable of using more than one vote except that the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote in the event of equality. The Executive Committee may from time to time, for any advisory purpose, appoint sub-Committees whether composed of members of the Executive Committee or not.

6. Secretary and Treasurer
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Secretary who shall keep correct Minutes of the proceedings of the Council and of the Executive Committee and shall submit the same to meetings of those bodies. He shall call meetings of both the Council and the Executive Committee when required to do so.

He shall generally administer the business of the Union and, in particular, shall organise and take charge of all championships and other competitions and events in consultation and co-operation with any appropriate sub-Committees appointed for the purpose.

The Executive Committee shall appoint a Treasurer who shall record all financial transactions of the Union and prepare annual statements of account made up to 31st October. He shall submit such statements of account for audit. The Secretary and the Treasurer may be one and the same person.

7. Membership
Membership of the Union shall be available to recognised golf clubs situated in the geographical county of Middlesex as it existed in 1965 and:

• having a constitution and rules approved by the Union
• recognising the Rules of Golf as authorised by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
• operating the handicapping scheme laid down by the English Golf Union.
• undertaking to conform to the Rules and Regulations of the Union.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to accept or reject an application for membership. In the event of rejection the applicant club shall be entitled to appeal to the Council whose decision shall be final. Artisan golf clubs shall not be eligible for membership but may be affiliated to their parent Member Clubs. Any Member Club wishing to resign its Membership must give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary on or before 31st October in any year otherwise the Member Club shall be liable to pay its subscription for the ensuing year.

8. Subscriptions
Each club on being admitted to Membership shall pay an entrance fee of ten pounds.

Each year each Member Club shall pay for each of its male playing members, irrespective of category, such sum as shall be determined by the Executive Committee based on the total declared membership of the Club, such sum to include any fees levied by the English Gold Union or any other senior governing body.

Such annual subscriptions shall become due on the first day of January of each year and shall be payable not later than the first day of March following. Any Member Club then in arrears shall forfeit its right and that of its members to participate in any activity of the Union as long as the subscription remains unpaid; this loss of right shall apply to any competition entries submitted to the Secretary prior to the first day of March.

The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, waive any part of the subscription in special circumstances.

9. Associate County Membership
Members of Member Clubs may become Associate Members of the Union subject to the right of the Executive Committee to refuse Associate Membership to any person without assigning any reason therefore.

Nomination for Associate Membership shall be submitted on an application countersigned by the Secretary of the applicant's Member Club.

The annual subscription shall be a sum from time to time determined by the Executive Committee, payable on nomination and thereafter on 1st January each year.

An Associate Member may alternatively become an Associate Life Member on the payment of a sum from time to time determined by the Executive Committee and shall be entitled to receive an Associate Member's tie gratis. Such Associate Life Membership shall continue if that Member ceases to be a member of a Member Club.

All Associate Members shall receive a County fixture list and yearbook whenever issued. They shall be entitled to purchase and wear an Associate Member's tie and shall be eligible to play in any competition that may be arranged for Associate Members. They shall have the right to attend meetings of the Council but not to vote thereat unless attending as a Club Delegate.

Any Associate Member, not being an Associate Life Member, wishing to withdraw from membership must give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary on or before 31st October in any year failing which he shall be liable to pay a subscription for the ensuing year.

10. Dissolution
If at a Special Meeting of the Council (of which not less than twenty eight days written notice has been given to each Member Club) and at which not less than one half of the Member Clubs' duly appointed Club Delegates are present, a Resolution for the dissolution of the Union is passed by a majority of two thirds of the Club Delegates present and voting the Executive Committee must immediately, or at such future date as is specified in the Resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Union. The proceeds will be used to establish another Union of the same name elsewhere, failing which the proceeds will be donated to such sporting charity or charities as are agreed upon by the Membership. In default of such agreement the sporting charity or charities will be nominated by the President for the time being of the English Golf Union.

11. Rules
No Rule of the Union shall be repealed or altered and no new Rule shall be made except at a Meeting of the Council of which at least twenty-eight days' notice shall be given to each Member Club stating the proposed alteration or addition and then only if not less than two-thirds of Club Delegates attending and voting are in favour.