RULES
(Adopted on 22 March 2006)
(Amended January 2010)
1. Name
1.1 The club shall be called “The Gosforth Park Ladies’ Golf Club” (Club).
1.2 The Club shall be affiliated to the Ladies’ Golf Union.
1.3 The Club is an affiliate of the Northumberland Golf Club (NGC).
2. Objects
The objects of the Club are:
2.1 to promote and provide for the benefit of members of the Club amenities for the pursuit of the game of golf and for social and recreational activity consequential to this;
2.2 to foster links with, support and co-operate with NGC and with other persons or organisations with similar objects; and
2.3 to do all other things incidental to or conducive to the attainment of the above-mentioned objects.
3. Rules of Golf
The rules and etiquette of the game of golf to be adopted by the Club shall be those prescribed from time to time by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, subject to any modifications set out in the Club’s Bye-Laws.
4. Classes of Membership
The following classes of members shall comprise the membership of the Club:
4.1 full members;
4.2 non-playing members;
4.3 country members;
4.4 honorary life members;
4.5 honorary members; and
4.6 junior members.
The Committee may from time to time determine the maximum number in each class of membership after consultation with and obtaining the approval of NGC.
5. Eligibility for Membership
5.1
5.1.1 Female amateur golfers aged 18 years or over shall be eligible for election as full members of the Club.
5.1.2 Female amateur golfers aged 17 years or under shall be eligible for election as junior members of the Club. Junior members may attend general meetings of the Club but shall have no voting rights.
5.2 Any full member being so desirous may at the discretion of the Committee be made a non-playing member. Additionally, at the discretion of the Committee a female person may be admitted as a non-playing member of the Club subject to compliance with Rule 6.
5.3
5.3.1 Any full member who does not reside within a radius of 100 miles of Newcastle upon Tyne central railway station may, at the discretion of the Committee, be made a country member.
5.3.2 Any person eligible for election to full membership who does not reside within a radius of 100 miles of Newcastle upon Tyne central railway station may apply to become a country member in accordance with Rule 6.
5.4 Any member qualifying under the following categories shall be elected as an honorary life member:
5.4.1 members who at the date of the adoption of these Rules hold or have previously held the office of President of the Club;
5.4.2 members aged 75 years or over or who have continuously been members of the Club for not less than 50 years;
5.4.3 any member following a recommendation by the Committee by resolution at an annual general meeting of the Club.
5.5 Any person may at the discretion of the Committee be elected as an honorary member.
5.6 Subject always to Rule 5.4.1 as at the date of the adoption of these Rules any member holding the office of President or Captain of the Club shall automatically be elected an honorary member for the duration of the period of her office.
5.7 Any person elected an honorary life member or an honorary member of the Club in accordance with Rules 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 shall for so long as they remain an honorary life member or an honorary member be relieved from the liability of members of the Club to pay the NGC Fee and the GPLGC Subscription pursuant to Rules 7.1 and 7.2 but to avoid doubt shall remain liable to pay any External Subscriptions which may be levied on members in accordance with Rule 7.3.
6. Election and Admission of Members
6.1
6.1.1 Subject to Rules 6.1.2 and 6.1.3 and 6.5.1 every candidate for membership of the Club shall (unless the Committee unanimously resolves otherwise) be proposed by one member of the Club and seconded by another member of the Club to whom the candidate shall have been known socially for a period of at least 5 years and who shall be responsible for her eligibility and who themselves shall have been members of the Club for not less than 5 years. Unless the Committee unanimously resolve otherwise or the candidate is the spouse child grandchild or other blood relative of a present or deceased member of the Club the application must be supported by five additional members willing to act as sponsors for the candidate who must satisfy themselves that the candidate is suitable for membership of the Club.
6.1.2 Every candidate for membership of the Club including junior membership of the Club who is the grandparent, parent, spouse, child or other blood relative of a present or deceased member of NGC shall (unless the Committee unanimously resolves otherwise) be proposed for membership by the Committee who shall be responsible for her eligibility.
6.1.3 Unless the Committee unanimously resolve otherwise, every candidate for junior membership of the Club shall be proposed by one full member of the Club and seconded by another full member of the Club who shall be responsible for her eligibility and who shall themselves have been members of the Club for not less than 5 years and who must satisfy themselves that the candidate is suitable for junior membership of the Club. All junior members shall be bound by these Rules and the Bye-Laws of the Club and by such restrictions on the use of the golf course and the Clubhouse or otherwise as the Committee may from time to time resolve.
6.1.4 Every application for membership of the Club shall be progressed in accordance with the requirements of these Rules and of the Bye-Laws of the Club.
6.2 Notification of election or non-election shall be given by the Honorary Secretary of the Club to the candidate and to the proposer as soon as practicable after the requirements of the Rules and the Club Bye-Laws have been complied with. If any candidate is dissatisfied with the decision of the Committee her proposer may appeal to an extraordinary general meeting of the Club provided the proposer (within one week after the Honorary Secretary of the Club has issued notification of the decision not to elect the Candidate) has given to the Honorary Secretary of the Club notice in writing of her wish to appeal on the Candidate’s behalf accompanied by the written requisition of at least fifteen members of the Club in accordance with Rule 11.1.2.
6.3 A list of all candidates for election shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary of the Club and, subject to the provisions of 6.4, the names on such list shall be dealt with in rotation unless the Committee considers that it is in the interests of the Club to act otherwise.
6.4 An application from any member (except a junior member) seeking to transfer from one class of membership to another must be made in writing and may be approved by the Committee in their absolute discretion.
6.5 Upon attaining the age of 18 years a junior shall cease to be a junior member but shall be eligible for full membership of the Club upon the following basis:
6.5.1 if the candidate shall have been a junior member of the Club for more than one year then she shall be proposed by one full member of the Club and seconded by another full member of the Club to whom the candidate shall have been known for not less than one year; or
6.5.2 if the candidate shall have been a junior member of the Club for less than one year then Rule 6.1.1 shall apply to her election for membership of the Club.
7. Fees and Subscriptions
Subject always to the provisions of Rule 5.7:
7.1 Members will be required to pay an annual fee each year to NGC for use of their Course and Clubhouse (NGC Fee).
7.2 In addition members will be required to pay each year such sum (GPLGC Subscription) as the Club in general meeting may from time to time prescribe as payable by the several categories of members to the Club except that the Committee may in its absolute discretion increase the amount of the GPLGC Subscription annually by a percentage not exceeding the annual increase in the all items Retail Prices Index published from time to time by HM Government’s Office for National Statistics and the Committee shall by notice to the members inform them of any changes made in the amount of the GPLGC Subscription payable for the following year.
7.3 Members may be required to pay such sum or sums (External Subscriptions) by way of subscriptions or levies to any external golfing organisations other than the Club or NGC as the Committee may from time to time in its absolute discretion stipulate to be payable by any one or more of the several categories of member of the Club.
7.4
7.4.1 The NGC Fee for each calendar year is due and payable on 1 January in the calendar year in question or on such date as the Committee shall from time to time decide.
7.4.2 The due date(s) for payment of the GPLGC Subscription and any External Subscriptions for each calendar year shall be such date or dates as the Committee shall from time to time decide.
7.5 Collection of the NGC Fee the GPLGC Subscription and the External Subscriptions may be administered by NGC at the request and on behalf of the Club acting by the Committee.
7.6 If the NGC Fee or the GPLGC Subscription or any External Subscriptions due from a member shall be unpaid by the due date for payment prescribed under Rule 7.4 above NGC or the Club (as the case may be) shall be entitled to charge interest on the amount due from the due date for payment until payment is received in full by NGC or the Club at a rate equivalent to 5% or 3% above the base rate of NGC’s principal bankers for the time being (whichever rate of interest shall be the higher).
7.7 Any member elected after the 31st day of March in any year shall be liable to pay:
7.7.1 only for a due proportion (apportioned on a monthly basis) of the NGC Fee payable by her for the year of her election;
7.7.2 the full amount of both the GPLGC Subscription and any External Subscriptions.
7.8
7.8.1 On the election of a new member the Honorary Secretary of the Club shall notify the fact to her in writing and will procure that she is informed of the amount of the NGC Fee, the GPLGC Subscription and any External Subscriptions then due and payable by her which may be invoiced to her by the Secretary of NGC.
7.8.2 No member newly elected may participate in any of the privileges of the Club until she has paid all sums due from her in accordance with Rule 7.8.1.
7.9 If the NGC Fee or the GPLGC Subscription or any External Subscriptions due from any member shall be in arrears for two months after the date on which the same became due for payment, she shall not be entitled to exercise any of the privileges of membership of the Club and the Committee may cause her name to be posted in the Clubhouse and if the NGC Fee, the GPLGC Subscription or any External Subscriptions shall still be in arrears three months after becoming due the Committee may in their absolute discretion remove her name from the list of members and she shall thenceforth cease to be a member of the Club or to have any claim upon its property but without prejudice to the rights of the Club and/or NGC to recover (whether by set off or otherwise) all monies remaining owing to the Club and/or NGC from such defaulter. Upon a satisfactory explanation being made the Committee may restore the defaulter’s name to the list of members on such terms as it thinks fit.
8. Resignation
Any member wishing to resign her membership of the Club must give notice in writing of her intention to do so addressed to the Honorary Secretary of the Club and posted to or left with NGC’s Secretary at High Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5HT on or before 31 December in any year, failing which such member shall be liable for the NGC Fee and GPLGC Subscription and any External Subscriptions as may be payable for the following year.
9. Disciplinary Procedures / Suspension and Expulsion (Amended 4 November 2009)
9.1 The Committee shall have the power to admonish, suspend membership rights and privileges of any member for the period not exceeding 12 months on such terms and conditions they think fit which power, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include the power to suspend a member’s handicap, or to expel any member whose conduct, whether within the club premises or elsewhere, is in the opinion of the Committee, injurious to the good name of the Club or renders her unfit for membership of the club.
9.2 No member shall be suspended or expelled without first being summoned before the Committee and full opportunity given to her to advance an explanation or defence, nor unless three quarters of the Committee then present shall vote for her suspension or expulsion. The Chairman of the Committee who hears the case shall not have a casting vote on this occasion.
9.3 The Committee shall have power to exclude the member from the Clubhouse pending the hearing of the case against her.
9.4 A suspended member, including a member whose handicap has been suspended, shall cease to have any of the privileges of membership, which for the avoidance of doubt, shall include where appropriate, the right to vote at any general meeting of the club, nor may she be nominated for or hold office whilst suspended, but she shall remain liable to pay all subscriptions, levies and other monies due from her.
9.5 A member who is suspended shall have the right to seek review of her suspension by the Committee if she so requests in writing to the GPLGC Captain within 7 days of her suspension. The review shall take place within 14 days of the request. The Review Body shall consist of a Committee of 5 senior members of at least 6 years’ standing and shall be chaired by an independent senior ordinary member of at least 10 years’ standing who shall be entitled to vote on the review.
9.6 The Review Body’s decision shall be final and shall be confirmed in writing within seven days from the conclusion of the hearing by the Chairperson of the Review Body to the member, and to the GPLGC Captain who will inform the Committee. The Review Body shall have the following powers:
9.6.1 To dismiss the application for a review
9.6.2 To uphold the application for a review
9.6.3 To dismiss the application for a review and increase the period of the suspension of the membership rights and matters referred to in 9.1.
9.7 A member who is expelled shall have the right of appeal to the members at a special meeting if she so requests in writing to the GPLGC Captain within 7 days of her expulsion. The meeting shall be convened by the secretary within 21 days of the expulsion. If at least two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote at the meeting are in favour of allowing the appeal the member shall be automatically reinstated.
9.8 If the member so requests, she may have legal representation at any hearing before the Committee, Review Body or the Members in special meeting otherwise she shall have the right to be accompanied by another member.
10. Meetings of Members
10.1 The annual general meeting of the Club (AGM) shall be held on the first Tuesday in November in each year.
10.2 At least four weeks’ prior written notice of the holding of the AGM shall be displayed on the Club notice board together with a copy of the minutes of the previous AGM.
10.3 The business of every AGM shall be:
10.3.1 to elect the President, Captain, Vice-Captain, Honorary Officers and General Committee Members of the Club;
10.3.2 to receive the Committee report(s);
10.3.3 to receive the statement of accounts which must be certified by an accountant;
10.3.4 to fix the annual GPLGC Subscription payable by members to the Club in the event the GPLGC Subscription has not been fixed by the Committee in accordance with Rule 7.2;
10.3.5 to present the trophies to competition winners during the year;
10.3.6 to transact any other business of the Club.
10.4 Written notice of any motion to be proposed by a member at the AGM must be given to the Honorary Secretary of the Club not later than one week before the date of the AGM.
10.5 Subject to Rule 11.5.2 except in the case of non-playing members and junior members every other member of the Club (which to avoid doubt shall include honorary life members and honorary members both past and present) shall have one vote at the AGM or at any extraordinary general meeting of the Club.
10.6
10.6.1 A list of Committee vacancies for the following year shall be posted on the Club notice board at least four weeks before the AGM.
10.6.2 Nominations for the appointment of members to the Committee duly proposed and seconded by members of the Club must be in writing and must be sent to the Honorary Secretary of the Club at least seven days before the date of the AGM accompanied by the written consent of the member so nominated.
10.6.3 Members nominated for appointment to the Committee of the Club must have nominated the Club as their home club.
11. Extraordinary General Meetings
11.1 An extraordinary general meeting of the Club (EGM):
11.1.1 may be called by the Committee whenever it thinks fit; or
11.1.2 must be called by the Committee upon a requisition in writing signed by at least 15 members of the Club (who are not non-playing members or junior members) who must lodge their requisition with the Honorary Secretary of the Club and in the requisition must specify the nature of the business to be considered by the EGM.
11.2 Due notice of every EGM shall be given by the Honorary Secretary of the Club posting a notice of the EGM on the Club notice board at least 21 days prior to the date of the EGM and every such notice shall set out the business to be considered by the EGM.
11.3 No business shall be entertained at an EGM other than that specified in the Notice of the meeting.
11.4 In the absence of the Captain the chair at any AGM or EGM shall be taken by the President. If neither the Captain nor the President are present or being present is unwilling to act as chair the members present shall elect a member of the Committee to be chair or failing this then the members shall elect one of their number to be chair of the meeting.
11.5
11.5.1 Fifteen members present in person and entitled to vote at the meeting shall form a quorum at any AGM or EGM.
11.5.2 In the case of equality of votes at any AGM or EGM the chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
11.6 For the avoidance of doubt:
11.6.1 Unless otherwise stated or provided for elsewhere in these Rules business conducted or resolutions passed at any AGM or EGM shall be carried and passed by a simple majority of those entitled to vote at the relevant meeting whether they do so by proxy or by personal attendance.
11.6.2 No member shall be entitled to vote at any AGM or EGM whether by proxy or personal attendance unless all money then due from her to the Club and/or NGC has been paid.
11.6.3 The committee shall have the right and discretion to determine the form and content of any proxy to be used. Proxy votes must be registered on a proxy form available from the Secretary. To be valid the complete proxy form must be addressed to and left for the Secretary in a secure place in the ladies’ locker room as will be advised on the form of proxy.
12. Committee
12.1 The management of the Club and its funds shall be vested in the Committee.
12.2 The Committee shall consist of:
12.2.1 the President who shall be nominated for election at the AGM by a Selection Panel comprising all Past Presidents, the current President and the current Captain. The President shall hold office for a term of three years beginning at the conclusion of the AGM at which she is elected. The President may attend meetings of all of the committees of the Club but shall have no vote in relation to the business conducted by any such meeting she is entitled to attend;
12.2.2 the Captain who shall hold office for one year beginning at the conclusion of the AGM. The Captain shall chair all meetings of the Committee at which she shall be present. In the absence of the Captain the chair at any Committee meeting of the Club shall be taken by the Vice Captain. If neither the Captain nor the Vice Captain is present or being present is unwilling to act as chair the members of the Committee present shall elect one of their number to be chair of the meeting. In the case of equality of votes at any meeting the chair shall have a second or casting vote;
12.2.3 the Vice-Captain who shall be nominated for election at the AGM by a Selection Panel comprising the current President, the current Captain and the current Vice-Captain and the two immediate past Captains. The Vice-Captain shall hold office for one year beginning at the conclusion of the AGM. The Vice-Captain shall be nominated unopposed for election as Captain at the next AGM following her election as Vice-Captain. If for any reason the Vice-Captain is unable to take up office as Captain the Selection Panel referred to earlier in this Rule 12.2.3 shall reconvene in order to nominate a full member of the Club to fill the void in the office of Vice-Captain;
12.2.4 the Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Competition Secretary (Honorary Officers) all of whom shall be nominated by the Committee for election at the AGM. No Honorary Officer shall hold office as an Honorary Officer for more than seven years;
12.2.5 the Honorary Handicap Secretary who shall be appointed annually by the Committee;
12.2.6 six full members each of whom must have nominated the Club as their home club. One third or the nearest whole number to one third shall retire from office at each AGM. The full members required to retire from the Committee each year shall be those who have been longest in office. As between those of equal seniority those to retire shall in the absence of agreement be selected among them by lot. No such full member shall hold office continuously for more than three years but such full member may offer themselves for re-election as a member of Committee after an interval of one year.
12.3
12.3.1 The Committee shall meet from time to time to conduct the business of the Club and subject always to Rule 12.2.2 all members of the Committee except for the President shall have one vote at any meeting she is entitled to attend.
12.3.2 The Committee shall exercise all such powers and do all such things as may be exercised or done by the Club save for any which are by these Rules or by any statute for the time being in force required to be exercised or done by the Club at the AGM or any EGM. The Committee may act notwithstanding any vacancies in their number.
12.4 The Committee shall have power to appoint any full member to fill any casual vacancy arising on the Committee. Such member must have nominated the Club as their home club and shall hold office until the date of the next AGM when she shall retire from office but shall be eligible for re-election at the AGM.
12.5 The Committee shall also have the power to co-opt members of the Club for special purposes. Such members shall have no voting rights.
12.6 Five members of the Committee personally present shall constitute a quorum.
12.7 If any member of the Committee shall terminate her nomination of the Club as her home club she shall from the date of termination cease automatically to be a member of the Committee.
12.8
12.8.1 The Committee may and shall have power to appoint from time to time on an ad-hoc basis sub-committees as it may consider necessary and may dissolve such sub-committees.
12.8.2 In so doing the Committee shall set the terms of reference for and may require any sub-committee to comply with such regulations and directions as the Committee thinks fit.
12.9 The Committee shall also have power to co-opt to any sub-committee:
12.9.1 any member or members of the Club having relevant knowledge and practical experience in the matters to be considered by such sub-committee; and
12.9.2 any expert or experts (not being a member or members of the Club) who possess specialist knowledge and practical experience in the matters to be considered by such sub-committee.
12.10 The authority of any such sub-committee shall be limited:
12.10.1 by the terms of reference set by the Committee; and
12.10.2 to making recommendations to the Committee which the Committee may choose to adopt or disregard in its absolute discretion.
12.11 If from time to time the Committee or the Club shall wish to bring any matter to the attention of NGC it shall do so through the Captain of the Club or through any delegate duly appointed by the Committee for this purpose.
12.12 The Committee of the Club shall nominate from amongst its members one person to attend by invitation of NGC meetings of its General Committee and any other NGC sub-committees.
Junior Committee – Child Safety Policy (Added November, 2008)
To comply with EGU and EWGA recommendations on child safety, the NGC/GPLGC joint Junior Committee state that:
1. All members of the joint Junior Golf Committee must be
CRB cleared and their details registered with the NGC Secretary.
2. All coaches and coaching assistants must also be CRB cleared.
13. Bye-Laws
13.1 The Committee of the Club shall have power from time to time to make alter and repeal any bye-laws for the Club as they deem necessary or expedient or convenient for the proper conduct and management of the Club.
13.2
13.2.1 The Committee shall adopt such means as they deem sufficient to bring to the notice of the members of the Club all such bye-laws, alterations and repeals.
13.2.2 All such bye-laws so long as they shall be in force shall be binding on all members of the Club provided that no bye-law shall be inconsistent with or shall affect or repeal anything contained in these Rules.
13.3 Any bye-law may be set aside by a resolution passed by two thirds or more of members present and entitled to vote at an AGM or EGM.
13.4
13.4.1 Members of the Club shall be subject to, bound by and shall not contravene the Bye-laws for the time being of NGC.
13.4.2 In the event that there may be any inconsistency between the Bye-Laws of the Club and the Bye-Laws of NGC then the Bye-Laws of NGC shall prevail.
14. Changes to the Rules of the Club
Any alteration, amendment or repeal of these Rules shall only have affect if approved by two thirds or more of the members personally present and entitled to vote at any AGM or EGM.
15. Dissolution
If the Club shall be wound up whether voluntarily or otherwise any liquidator may with the sanction of an extraordinary resolution of the Club and any other sanction required by statute divide among the members of the Club in specie or in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Club and may with the like sanction vest the whole or any part of the assets in the Club in such other association, club or body having objects similar to the objects of the Club.