By-Laws
For
The Kingwood Men’s OFWW Golf Association
Of
Kingwood Country Club
ARTICLE I: ORGANIZATION
The Senior Men’s Golf Association at Kingwood Country Club (KCC) will be named the Kingwood Men’s OFWW Golf Association (OFWW refers to “Old Farts with Watches”).
Section 1: PURPOSE
The purpose of this Association is to provide senior men golfers opportunities to participate in golf activities that promote good fellowship and sportsmanship among its members through active participation in playing golf and taking part in other related social activities.
Section 2: ORGANIZATION OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the OFWW Men’s Golf Association (OFWW) are:
- To provide friendly golf competition with other retired members of the Kingwood Country Club.
- To encourage active participation of its members in playing golf and partaking in golf competitions conducted in accordance with the rules of the USGA, except as those rules are modified by local rules.
- To schedule and conduct golf tournaments and social functions.
- To support the Senior Interclub program and encourage the participation of OFWW members in Senior Interclub.
- To offer constructive suggestions and recommendations to the management and staff of the Clubs of Kingwood (COK), the COK Golf Committee and other COK Golf Associations on behalf of the OFWW Members.
ARTICLE II: OFWW MEMBERSHIP & DUES
Section 1: Any male with golfing privileges at the Kingwood Country Club, 50 years or older who has retired at least once from full time employment is eligible to become a member of the OFWW by paying annual dues.
Section 2: Annual dues will be established for the next calendar year based on an annual budget proposed by the Board, then reviewed and approved by the Membership at the Annual Meeting. The amount of annual dues will be an agenda item at the Annual meeting and recorded in the Meeting minutes.
The Club will bill and collect OFWW membership dues in December each year for the following calendar year.
Members joining after January 1 will be billed on a pro rata basis as follows:
Membership Starts |
% Owed |
January – April |
100% |
May – July |
66% |
August – December |
33% |
Section 3: Each member shall have a valid USGA handicap.
Section 4: A Player on the Marsh and Lake Interclub Team must be a Member of OFWW
ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATION
Section 1: Governance
The Board will be the governing body of the OFWW in carrying out its purposes and objectives. It is comprised of the 9 elected officers. The elected Officers of the OFWW shall be President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Tournament Chairman, , IT Support/Membership/Communications Coordinator, Interclub Captains of the Marsh and Lake Teams, and an At-large Position. A quorum of at least 5 Board members present will be required to approve any Board actions. Votes shall be carried by a majority of those present at a Board meeting where voting on Board matters takes place. Any decisions taken on matters that are specifically referenced in the By-Laws and/or require a vote of the membership will require a 2/3 vote of the Board. All other decisions will pass with a consensus or simple majority.
Section 2: Officers Roles & Responsibilities
The designated roles established for the Board define specific responsibilities and accountabilities for each Board position. Overall, the make-up of the Board will be maintained to ensure that a broad range of necessary skills and experience is maintained for continuity and that eligible candidates support the purpose and objectives of the Association.
Section 2a: The President shall preside at all meetings of the OFWW and shall have general supervision of all affairs of the OFWW. The President will represent the OFWW on the Clubs of Kingwood Golf Committee. He will work with the Head Pro to develop the Playday, Tournament and Senior Interclub schedules for the following year. . He will develop a plan for OFWW social activities for review and approval by the Board., He has the primary role of gathering input/feedback from the Members
Section 2b: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence. He will be responsible for ensuring that the KCC golf staff maintains an updated USGA handicap listing for all OFWW playing members, and for providing starters for playdays. He will have overall responsibility for Play Day scoring and for ensuring that all Playday results are posted on the website and handle any issues associated with the current Playday schedule. .
Section 2c: The Treasurer shall collect and keep all monies of the OFWW and disburse them as directed by the OFWW Board. He shall keep accounts and books belonging to the OFWW and they shall be always available for review by the OFWW Board. He shall propose an annual budget for Board endorsement, make a quarterly report to the OFWW Board and a yearly report on the general financial conditions of the association to the general membership at the annual meeting. The Annual Budget shall be based on Board approved expenditures projected for Playdays, Bashes, Social Activities, golf related charitable donations and general treasury items and income projected from annual dues and golf and Social fees as detailed in these By-Laws.
Section 2d: The Secretary shall keep the record of the OFWW Board meetings and membership meetings and have responsibility for ensuring significant Board decisions are highlighted in the monthly newsletter and posted on the OFWW Website/Portal.
Section 2e: The Tournament Chairman will be responsible for organizing each monthly Bash for the OFWW membership. He will determine the tournament format and will be responsible for running the tournament. The Tournament Chairman will give notice of all tournaments in the monthly OFWW newsletter and with postings on the OFWW web site. The Tournament Chairman shall be responsible for ensuring that starters are provided for Monthly Bashes and that results are posted on the OFWW Website after each Bash.
Section 2f: The Information Technology/Membership Coordinator will be responsible for administering the OFWW Web Site/Golf Genius Portal, publishing new content and making routine maintenance updates. He will ensure updated forms are available to register for the monthly Bashes, Playdays, Divot Days and any other forms needed for polling the membership or voting. He will be the primary contact with the Pro Shop on the administration and appropriate utilization of Golf Genius. He will be responsible for maintaining the master membership roster and e-mail addresses for the general membership and notifying Accounting to bill membership dues. He will be the focal point for collecting, editing and distributing information to the membership and ensuring the monthly newsletter is distributed and posted on the web site.
Section 2g: Interclub Captains Marsh and Lake Teams. The Captain of each team shall be responsible for coordinating all Senior interclub activities for their Teams. This includes:
- Representing their Teams and KCC at all meetings of the North Houston Retired Senior Men’s Golf Association.
- Soliciting for team members who are members of OFWW before the Interclub season starts in February.
- Soliciting for players for the weekly matches.
- Ensuring that entry fees are collected, scoring/payouts are completed for each match and collecting fees for individual interclub events.
Section 2h: The At-large Board Member will be responsible, at the direction of the President, for gathering input/feedback from the membership for review and discussion with the board. He will be a member of the Social Committee, chaired by the President.
Section 3: Staffing Board Positions
The OFWW will elect officers to fill positions with expiring terms for the next year at the Annual Meeting. Officers elected at this meeting will take office on January 1, of the following year. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote by the membership in attendance at the annual meeting.
Prior to that meeting, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least two members with approval by the OFWW Board. One member of the Nominating Committee can be on the OFWW Board if their term does not expire at the end of the year.
The Nominating Committee will solicit the membership for interest in filling open Board positions at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting and vet potential board members consistent with nominee eligibility guidelines to recommend a slate of officers that represents an overall balance and mix of skills that best serve the overall Board. In the case of a contested election (more nominees than open positions), additional nominees will be accepted by petition in writing prior to the Annual Meeting endorsed by 5 members.
Section 4: Vacancies and Non-Board Positions
To provide continuity in Board Membership, elections of officers will be staggered over a two-year period utilizing one-year and two-year terms so that certain key positions do not turnover in the same year. The Nominating Committee will be responsible to identifying a slate of officers that avoids paired replacements in Group A and Group B in the same year.
Group A |
Group B |
President |
Vice-President |
Treasurer |
Secretary |
|
IT /Membership Coordinator |
Lake Team Captain |
Marsh Team Captain |
Tournament Chair |
|
At-Large (1 year term) |
Section 4a: Officer vacancies, other than annual elections, are filled by the following procedure: If for any reason the President’s position is vacated, the Vice President will become the President for the remainder of that year and can be elected the following year. The OFWW Board shall appoint all other officer vacancies for the duration of the current elected term. Should any officer of the current Board be unable to complete his duties, or resign from his position during the calendar year, that officer must give a minimum of 60 days’ notice to the OFWW Board to allow sufficient time to find a replacement.
Section 4b: The Board may assign some duties to other OFWW Non-Board members, such as statistician, monthly newsletter coordinator, volunteer activities coordination, Divot Day Coordination of other duties, as necessary. The Board may also establish sub-committees and appoint members to help manage special activities such as member social events, competition considerations, etc.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
The OFWW will recognize three types of meetings which will include an Annual Meeting, Special Member Meetings, and Board meetings. All meetings of the Membership of OFWW shall be held at the Kingwood Country Club. All OFWW meeting notices will be posted on the OFWW website and sent to all members via email.
A quorum for the annual meeting or Special Meeting will be defined by the members present. If a meeting is not held in person, the quorum is defined by the number of members voting on-line during the voting period.
Any changes specifically referenced in the bylaws will require a 2/3 majority of the quorum to pass. All other votes will require a simple majority of the quorum. Specifically, the election of officers, membership requirements, annual dues, play day and bash fees, annual Social Plan, annual Budget and modification of the By-Laws changes can only be changed by a vote of 2/3 of the members at the Annual Meeting or Special Meeting.
Section 1: Annual Meeting
The Board may call an Annual Meeting at any time during November or December of each calendar year. An agenda including the topics to be discussed and/or voted on by the Membership will be posted on the OFWW web site two weeks before the meeting. Minutes from the meeting will document the results of the meeting and will be posted on the website. Any member shall have the right to request the Board in writing that a topic be added to the Agenda for the Annual Meeting provided that either:
Prior to such meeting:
- 2/3 majority of Board approves such addition or
- Member has 5 (five) co-member signatures on its written request or
During the Annual Meeting:
- Majority of those present at the meeting approve to discuss such topic
Section 2: Special Meetings
A Special Meeting of the membership may be called at any time by order of the President or Vice President in the absence of the President. Additionally, any three members of the OFWW Board may also call a special meeting. The Secretary shall give fifteen days’ notice to the general membership for special meetings.
At the discretion of the OFWW Board of Directors, a “Special Meeting” as required by the By-Laws may be called and members asked to vote by electronic means. The Board may propose amendments to the By-Laws and members may vote using such means as will be described in the Notice of Special Meeting transmitted via electronic means, including but not limited to Electronic Mail (i.e., “email”), with links to the OFWW website for vote gathering and tabulation of the votes. If the Special Meeting is not held in person where discussion can occur, a two-week on-line discussion period may be utilized to solicit feedback from members before a final vote is taken,
Section 3: OFWW Board Meetings
OFWW Board meetings are open to members. Meetings are generally held after the Monthly Bash at KCC or online. Members that attend the meeting shall have no standing to participate in the meeting unless recognized by the President. Any changes to the date or location of the board meeting will be posted on the website. The monthly Board Meeting Minutes will be posted on the OFWW website prior to the following Board meeting.
ARTICLE V GOLF ACTIVITIES
Section 1: Playdays and monthly Bash tournaments shall be every Tuesday and Thursday unless otherwise stated on the monthly calendars posted on the OFWW website and sent to all members via email.
Section 2: Each player will be charged an entry fee at the end of each Playday. Playing fees for the Playdays for the upcoming year will be proposed by the OFWW Board for membership approval at the Annual Meeting or a called Special Meeting.
Most of the fee is used for prizes with a small percentage going to the OFWW treasury to support OFWW functions. Prizes will be awarded for Low Net and Skins in each of three handicap flights. Payoff spots in each handicap flight will be based on the number of players in that flight. Payout of low net and skins on Playdays and Hole in one proceeds will be with Club Credit
Any player who makes a hole-in-one on a given playday will receive $10 from the OFWW Treasury, and, if he is a participant in the hole-in-one pot, the proceeds of that pot.
Section 3: A special OFWW Tournament, called the Bash, is usually scheduled each month. Signup for the Bash will be done electronically on the OFWW website or Golf Genius portal. Each player who is signed up to play will be charged a tournament fee and a Social Fee prior to the start of each Bash. Payoff for the tournaments will be with Club Credit. Playing and Social fees for the Bashes for the upcoming year will be proposed by the OFWW Board for membership approval at the Annual Members meeting or Special Meeting, if necessary.
Section 4: The procedures for sign-ups and scoring for regular and limited play days, as well as Bashes will be posted on the OFWW website. These procedures may need to be adjusted occasionally due to weather or course conditions / closings. Changes will be communicated via emails and the monthly newsletter and posted on website.
Section 5: Golf Genius will be utilized for on-line scoring for all playdays and Bashes. The Proshop will provide results after each event for posting on the OFWW website
Section 6: The primary Tee will be the white tee markers. Island Silver Tees are allowed for all Members. Members may play from any Tee and elect to play from the forward tees in Playdays and Bashes if they are at least 70 or if Age plus Handicap Index totals 90 or more. Playing handicaps for each course are automatically calculated by the USGA handicap system when playing from different tees.
Section 7: Play will be according to USGA rules, local KCC rules, and additional special OFWW rules which will be posted on the OFWW website. Any changes to the Special OFWW rules, including scoring rules and payout schedules will be reviewed by a Competition Committee lead by the Vice President with two other members. Proposed rule changes that are endorsed by a 2/3 majority of the Board can be put to the Membership for an endorsement vote at a special meeting, requiring a simple majority to implementation or elimination. The Board will have the authority to temporarily make changes to the processes covered in ARTICLE V to address unusual/extraordinary events until a permanent change can be voted on by the membership.
ARTICLE VI: SOCIAL FUNCTIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Social events may be planned and scheduled throughout the year consistent with the Annual OFWW Budget to encourage participation, develop camaraderie amongst the members, and to solicit new members. In addition, the Board may also sponsor member funded events, such as an annual Holiday Banquet, including spouses, as part of a recognition and/or celebration event
Revised & Approved 11/14/2023
Revised 11/8/2021
Revised 1/1/05
Revised 1/1/06
Revised 1/1/07
Revised 1/1/08
Revised 6/30/09
Revised 11/11/11
Revised & Approved 11/08/12 (Art3Sect2; Art3Sect3; Art3Sect4; Art4Sect3; Art4Sect5)
Revised & Approved 11/13/14 (Art2Sect2; Art3Sect3)
Revised & Approved 11/17/16 (Article3Sect3)
Revised & Approved 2/2/2018 (Article2Sect2; Article2Sec3)
Revised & Approved 12/6/2018 (Article 2-Section 4; Article 3-Section 4)
Revised & Approved 11/8/2021 (Multiple Changes – Re-write)