BOGEYS UNLIMITED

Founded October 19, 1972, at Modesto , California         

 GOVERNING RULES AND BY-LAWS

 PREAMBLE

 WE THE MEMBERS OF BOGEYS UNLIMITED, in order to form a more perfect organization, establish justice, ensure tranquility, provide for our common defense against domestic servitude, promote the general welfare of golf, and to secure the blessings of weekend liberty for ourselves and our friends, do hereby Establish and Ordain this body of Governing Rules and By-Laws.

 ARTICLE I

 NAME

 The name of this club shall be Bogeys Unlimited, a non-profit organization registered with the State of California Secretary of State.

 ARTICLE II

 PURPOSE

 The purpose of Bogeys Unlimited shall be to bring together golfers in order to promote good fellowship and to provide a format for regular tournament play.

 ARTICLE III

 CLUB GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS  

Section 1:         The club shall operate on a fiscal year commencing August 1 and ending July 31 of each year.

 Section 2:         No club monies shall be disbursed for any purpose other than those contained in the club budget, except for funds collected specifically for a tournament on behalf of a tournament chairman, or other purposes first approved by the Board of Directors.

 Section 3:         All routine club business shall be conducted by the Board of Directors, whose duties shall include the adoption of a club budget each year, setting the amount of dues each year, screening and approving all prospective membership applications, acting as final arbiter in all matters of concern to the club, and such other functions as detailed herein.  The Board shall be comprised of the elected and appointed positions described in the following Sections.

 Section 4:         The following officers shall be elected for each fiscal year and their duties shall be as described.

 A.         PRESIDENT: The President shall be the presiding officer and shall have supervision over all club business.  He shall have sole power to appoint and remove all appointed positions subject to the approval of the Board, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.  

B.         PRESIDENT-ELECT: The President-Elect shall act in the President’s absence and shall perform such other duties as the President shall designate.  The President-Elect shall become the President without further vote upon the termination of the President’s term of office, or upon the President’s earlier removal or resignation from office.

 C.         SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep a roll of the membership, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and other required information.  He shall also keep a record of all members present at every meeting, conduct all club correspondence, and keep minutes of all club meetings.

 D.         TREASURER: The Treasurer shall be responsible for all club monies and shall collect and disburse money as directed.  He shall also keep adequate records of all club financial transactions in a form approved by the Board.

 Section 5:         The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the foregoing elected officers and the following positions which shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the other elected officers.

 A.         The IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT, who shall not require Presidential appointment or Board approval.

 B.         TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR: The Tournament Director shall be responsible for scheduling all tournaments except the Annual Championship Tournament.  His duties shall include contacting appropriate courses, reserving tee times, and securing contracts to be forwarded to the individual tournament chairmen.  

C.         HANDICAP CHAIRMAN: The Handicap Chairman shall keep a record of all tournament play for each member, and shall calculate, record and publish an updated list of handicaps on a monthly basis.

 D.         NEWSLETTER EDITOR: The Newsletter Editor shall publish a club bulletin on a monthly basis, advising the membership of future meetings and tournaments, and such other information and material as the Editor shall deem appropriate. All costs for said newsletter shall be an obligation on the club treasury.  

E.         WEBMASTER:  The Webmaster shall maintain the Bogeys.org website, reflecting the yearly tournament schedule, current standings and handicap information, memorabilia, directory information and other items of interest to the club.

Section 6:         The President shall appoint a Sergeant at Arms for each general membership meeting to assist him in keeping order, collecting fines, and performing such other duties as directed.  The President is encouraged to appoint the previous month’s winner of The Hacker award to this position unless there is a volunteer who wishes to do it. The Sergeant at Arms position does not convey any rights to vote as a member of the Board.

 Section 7:         The President may additionally appoint such other officers or committee chairman as he deems necessary to conduct the club’s affairs.  Those so appointed shall not vote at Board meetings.

ARTICLE IV

 ELECTIONS, VACANCIES AND RECALL PROCEDURES

 Section 1:         No later than the month of April of each year, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee, to be chaired by the President-Elect and comprised of no fewer than four (4) active members in good standing.  The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two (2) active members in good standing for each elective office.

 Section 2:         The Nominating Committee shall report their nominations to the club at the regular club meeting in May, and further nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the May and June meetings.

 Section 3:         A vote by secret ballot shall be conducted at the club meeting in July, provided that members unable to attend must be provided the opportunity to vote by mail prior to the July meeting.

 Section 4:         An elected officer may be removed from office only be resignation or by a special election to be held at the direction of the highest ranking uninvolved officer.  The recall election shall be published in the newsletter at least one month prior to the vote, and a two-thirds vote of all active members in attendance shall be required to recall an officer.  

Section 5:         Any vacancy in an elective office other than the Presidency shall be filled by appointment by the President provided a majority of all Board members  approves the appointment.  In the event the Presidency becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall assume office as President for the duration of the term, and shall continue as President the following year, unless he or the Board calls a special election.  

ARTICLE V

 MEETINGS, QUORUMS AND VOTING REQUIREMENTS

 Section 1:         There shall be a regular club meeting each month, held at a time and place as determined by the President and Board.  All members shall be notified of club meetings.  Meetings shall be open to all members, prospective members, and all other adult guests who have not previously been ousted as a member or rejected for membership, and who are of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages.

 Section 2:         At least 25% of all current active members must be present to conduct business at a regular club meeting.

 Section 3:         There shall be a Board of Directors’ meeting monthly, or as often as deemed necessary by the President.  All members in good standing are welcome to attend Board meetings, provided they first notify the President of their intention to attend.  Only members of the Board may vote at Board meetings.  The extent of participation in discussions by non-Board members at Board meetings may be limited by the President.  

Section 4:         At least five (5) Board members must be present to convene a Board meeting, provided that all Board members must be notified of the meeting in advance.  A majority of at least five (5) affirmative votes are required for all Board actions unless a greater majority is required elsewhere in these Governing Rules.  Matters of considerable importance to the club shall be discussed and ratified at a regular club meeting before taking effect.

 Section 5:         Except as otherwise provided in these Governing Rules, all decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote of those members in good standing in attendance when the vote is taken.

 ARTICLE VI

 MEMBERSHIP

 Section 1:         Persons desiring membership in the club must be of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages, and must be of good moral character, must be sponsored by a member in good standing, and must be approved by the Board and the membership at large.  

A.         The prospective member must complete an application for membership and his sponsor must present the application to the Board of Directors for consideration.

 

B.         The prospective member must attend at least three (3) meetings and play in at least three (3) tournaments during a time span of no more than six (6) months AFTER submitting a membership application.  The sponsor is responsible for keeping the Secretary informed of all meetings and tournaments attended by the prospective member.

 

Section 2:         The Board shall review all applications for membership, and the application process shall be as follows:

 

A.         If the application is denied for any reason the Board deems appropriate, the sponsor shall be informed of the reason for denial.  It shall be the sponsor’s responsibility to notify the prospective member of the denial.

 

B.         If the application is approved by the Board, the name of the prospective member shall be printed in the newsletter and thereafter an acceptance vote shall be held at a regular club meeting.

 

C.         The prospective member shall not attend the club meeting at which his application is voted upon by the membership.  The vote shall be by secret ballot, which shall contain two choices: “Yes” or “No”. Three (3) “No” votes are required to deny membership.

 Section 3:         A member in good standing may become an inactive member only by notifying the Board in writing.  A request for inactive status will be valid only for the duration of that fiscal year.

Inactive members who play in tournaments shall play as guests.

 Section 4:         The Board, by unanimous vote, may revoke a membership under the following conditions:

 A.         The member becomes more than three (3) months delinquent in dues or other club financial obligations.

 

B.         The member absents himself from all club activities for more than three consecutive months without applying for inactive status or otherwise requesting a leave.

 

C.         Memberships revoked under this Section may be reinstated by the Board upon payment of all current club financial obligations.

Section 5:         Should it ever occur that a member in good standing has good cause to seek the ouster of another member in good standing, the following procedures shall be followed:

 A.         A petition signed by at least five (5) members in good standing shall be presented to a Board member.  The petition shall contain the name of the member they desire to be ousted and the specific reasons for the ouster.

 B.         The Board shall consider the petition, shall conduct any investigation they deem appropriate, and shall thereafter vote on the proposed ouster.  A Board ouster will occur only upon a unanimous vote of the Board.

C.         If the Board votes unanimously to oust the member, the highest ranking uninvolved officer shall invite the member to resign.

1.         If the member resigns, there shall be no public mention of the ouster proceedings.

 2.         If the member does not resign, the highest ranking uninvolved officer shall privately poll the entire membership to determine their approval or rejection of the proposed ouster and proceed as follows:

a.         If less than 75% of the members polled approve the ouster, the matter shall be dropped and the persons signing the petition shall be so informed.

 b.         If 75% or more of the members polled are in favor of the ouster, the member shall be ousted and notified.

 D.         If the Board does not vote unanimously for the ouster, the persons petitioning for the ouster shall be so informed.  A poll of the membership and further action as described in item C above may be demanded by any one of the petitioners.

 Section 6:         The Board, for reasons they deem appropriate, may confer Life Membership upon any current or former member.  Life Members shall be exempt from paying annual dues or assessments but will continue to enjoy all of the privileges and rights of membership.  

ARTICLE VII

 DUES AND OTHER FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

 Section 1:         The Board of Directors each year shall fix an initiation fee for new members, payable upon acceptance into the club, provided that a new member shall not be required to pay more than the initiation fee in existence when his application was submitted.

 Section 2:         There shall be annual dues for active and inactive members, in amounts to be fixed by the Board each year, payable at the August meeting or at other such times as the Board may determine.   The Board is encouraged to adopt affordable installment payment plans for active members.  New members admitted on or after September 1 of any fiscal year must pay the annual dues on a prorated basis for the remainder of the fiscal year, payable in full upon acceptance into the club.

 Section 3:         The Board may at any time assess the entire membership, in addition to yearly dues, in order to keep the club solvent, or for any other purpose deemed appropriate by the Board and ratified by the membership.

 Section 4:         Any member who becomes more than three (3) months delinquent in the payment of dues or any other assessment shall be deemed to have resigned, and will be readmitted only by Board approval and upon payment of all delinquent obligations.  Delinquent members will be notified by the Treasurer of their delinquency and their presumed “resignation”.

Section 5:         The Board may postpone or suspend the payment of dues or an assessment for any member declared by the Board to be unable to pay for good cause.

 ARTICLE VIII

 HANDICAPS

Section 1:         Handicaps of all members shall be kept by the Handicap Chairman and shall be based solely on play in club tournaments, using a formula approved by the Board.  The maximum handicap allowed for any member shall not exceed 40.

 Section 2:         A member must have at least three scores posted, including guest scores, to be granted a club handicap.

 Section 3:         The club shall be divided into two equal flights, designated A Flight and B Flight, according to an even numerical division of the members with handicaps as of August 1 of each year.  In the event an even numerical division is not possible, the Board shall designate the break between A Flight and B Flight using common sense.  

Section 4:         The flight in which a member is placed as of August 1 of each year, or the flight into which he is placed upon acceptance into the club, shall be the flight in which that member competes for the remainder of the fiscal year, regardless of subsequent handicap fluctuations.

 ARTICLE IX  

TOURNAMENTS

 Section 1:         There shall be a tournament held each month, weather permitting, unless the Board elects to cancel a tournament for good cause.

 Section 2:         The President shall appoint a member to be Chairman of each month’s tournament, who shall be responsible for arranging foursomes, securing prizes, and all other aspects of the tournament.

 Section 3:         Tournament Chairmen are strongly encouraged to use a “blind draw” in selecting foursomes and starting times, except where team-oriented formats require matching handicaps.

 Section 4:         Guests who are legally old enough to consume alcoholic beverages are welcome in all club tournaments, provided that no member shall be denied the opportunity to play in a club tournament due to guest sign-ups, if his desire to play is announced and payment is made to the Chairman prior to the sign-up deadline announced by the Chairman.

 Section 5:         The Tournament Chairman may assess a fee in excess of green fees and cart fees for the purpose of securing prizes.

 Section 6:         In all tournaments, it is strongly recommended that the prize fund will be proportionately divided between A and B Flights based on the number of players in each flight, at the discretion of the tournament chairman.

 Section 7          The tournament held during the month of July each year shall be known as the “Annual Club Championship” and shall be chaired by the outgoing President at courses of particular distinction.

 A.         The Annual Championship Tournament shall be at least a 36 hole format.

B.         In arranging foursomes, the President shall make every effort to afford contenders for the Perpetual Low Gross, Low Net and Hacker Trophies the opportunity to play in “head to head” foursomes on the final day of play.

 C.         In making course selections, Presidents are encouraged to select sites which offer appropriate extracurricular activities for non-golfing guests.

 ARTICLE X

 RULES OF PLAY

 Section 1:         Except as noted in these Governing Rules, all play shall be in accordance with the USGA Rules of Golf, USGA interpretations of the Rules, and local course variations.

 Section 2:         The Tournament Chairman may, in his discretion, declare that the “Bogey Bump” is in effect.  The “Bogey Bump” is a preferred lie which allows the golfer to lift, clean and place the ball within one standard golf club grip length no nearer the hole, anywhere on the course, except within the boundaries of a hazard or on a green.  The “Bogey Bump” may not be used to return a ball which is out of bounds back onto the course.

Section 3:         Inadvertent violations of the Rules of Golf shall be penalized in accordance with the Rules.  Intentional violation of the Rules, cheating, or other unsportsmanlike conduct shall be punished by disqualification from the tournament and any other action deemed appropriate by the Board.

 Section 4:         The resident PGA or LPGA professional at the course being played should be consulted for interpretation of the Rules of Golf in the event of any question.  The Tournament Chairman and at least two Board members, excluding involved parties, shall be the final arbiters of all differences of opinion or application of the Rules.

ARTICLE XI

 TROPHIES AND PRIZES

 Section 1:         At monthly tournaments, there shall be awarded prizes for Low Gross, Low Net, Long Drive, Closest to the Hole and fewest putts in each flight. The Hacker will be awarded to the member who has the highest net score, regardless of flight.

 A.         Tournament Chairmen may award as many places for Gross, Net, Putts and Closest to the Hole for each flight as they can afford, but there shall be only one award in each flight for Long Drive and only one prize overall for The Hacker.

 B.         Tournament Chairmen may devise a separate flight for guests at his discretion, and may award guest prizes in that flight using any combination of awards he desires for gross, net, putts, etc.

 C.         If there is no guest flight, guests may compete for Fewest Putts, Long Drive and Closest to the Hole in the flight in which their NCGA handicap would place them if they were members.  If they have no NCGA Handicap, they must compete in “A” flight. Guests may not compete against members for Low Gross, Low Net or The Hacker.  

D.         Tie Breaking for Monthly Tournaments: If two or more players are tied for a prize, the tie will be broken by comparing scores hole by hole starting with the number one handicap hole, then handicap hole number two, etc. until the tie is broken.  For Low Gross ties, the lower gross score on the hole wins.  For Low Net ties, the lower net score on the hole wins.  For Fewest Putts ties, the lower number of putts on the hole wins.  For Hacker ties, the higher net score on the hole wins.  Ties for Closest to the Hole or Long Drive will be broken by a rolling of the dice, a coin toss, or other chance method chosen by the tournament chairman.

 Section 2:         The Hacker Jacket shall be worn by the current possessor at all club meetings and tournaments, provided that it may be removed on the first tee prior to actual play beginning.

 A.         The Hacker Jacket shall be prominently displayed in the winner’s home, and the Board shall reserve the right to inspect the display of the Hacker Jacket at any reasonable time to ensure compliance.

 B.         The name of the Hacker shall be embroidered or printed on the Hacker Jacket each month.  The winner of the Annual Hacker award shall retain permanent possession of the Jacket.

 Section 3:         There shall be annual plaques, to be purchased by the club, for Low Gross and Low Net in each flight, and one for the Hacker.  The Gross, Net and Hacker winners each month shall have their names inscribed on the appropriate plaque, noting the name, course and month.

 Section 4:         Permanent possession of the annual plaques for Low Gross and Low Net  shall be awarded to the member who has the best annual average score in the respective category based on his best five (5) monthly tournaments (not including the Annual Championship) plus full play in the Annual Championship tournament.

Section 5:         Permanent possession of the annual Hacker jacket shall be awarded to the member who has the highest net score for his best five (5) tournaments during the year, including the Annual Championship. The Annual Hacker does not need to play in the Annual Championship tournament. Those in contention for the Annual Hacker can only improve their score by playing in the Annual Championship tournament.

 Section 6:         There shall also be a Jake Knanishu perpetual plaque awarded to the best putter of the year, regardless of  his Flight. An additional Best Putter plaque shall be awarded to the best putter from the flight which did not win the Jake Knanishu plaque. Both awards will be based on the best five (5) monthly rounds plus full play in the Annual Championship. The late Jake Knanishu was a Bogey Member and one of the finest amateur golfers of his day. He won the Western Open and qualified for the U.S. Open in the 1930’s, but did not have the money to play. Jake was a shining example of the best characteristics of a member of Bogeys Unlimited.

 ARTICLE XII  

NCGA AFFILIATE CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Section 1:         There is within the organization of Bogeys Unlimited, a club designated “Bogeys Limited”, which shall provide a vehicle for interested members in good standing to belong to an affiliate club of the NCGA.

 Section 2:         Bogeys Limited shall be governed under the terms of its separate by-laws by the Board of Directors of Bogeys Unlimited.  The Board shall never impose a financial, social or other burden on the unaffiliated members of Bogeys Unlimited for the purposes of Bogeys Limited.

 ARTICLE XIII

 DISSOLUTION  

In the event Bogeys Unlimited is dissolved as an organization, all club monies, property and other tangible assets shall be donated to an appropriate non-profit organization to be selected by the Board of Directors.  

ARTICLE XIV

 AMENDMENTS  

These Governing Rules and By-Laws may be amended only upon a two-thirds vote of the membership present at a regular club meeting, provided that any proposed amendment is first published in the club newsletter at least one month prior to the vote.

 RATIFICATION

 These revised Governing Rules and By-Laws were ratified by a unanimous vote of the   Bogeys Unlimited members present at its regular meeting on October 7, 2008.