The Society of Manchester and District Captains

Rules & Objectives

1. Title

The Title of the Society shall be ‘The Society of Manchester and District Golf Captains’.

2. Membership

Membership of the Society shall be confined to Captains and Ex-Captains of Golf Clubs situated not more than 25 miles from the Town Hall, Manchester, but the following shall be eligible at the discretion of the Executive.

a) Captains and Ex-Captains of clubs on the fringes of the above mentioned radius.

b) Captains and Ex-Captains of clubs outside the said radius residing within the said radius.

All applications for membership shall be subject to the approval of the Executive.

3. Objectives

(a) To further the interests of golf and to maintain its traditions.
(b) To consolidate in its membership those who have been actively engaged in the administrative control of golf clubs and to give them an opportunity of contributing their comprehensive experience to all aspects of the game.
(c) To organise and control such competitions and functions as the Executive may decide.

4. Officers and the Executive

The governing body of the Society shall be called the Executive and the control and management shall be vested in it.

The Officers of the Society shall be The President, Captain, Vice Captain, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

The Executive shall consist of the Officers and a Committee of not more than nine members of the Society along with the qualifying Vice Presidents as detailed in Rule 5.

The Chairman of all Executive meetings shall be the Captain but in his absence, the Vice Captain will deputise. In the event of a tie in voting, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

Any five members of the Executive shall form a quorum at any meeting.

The Executive shall meet at least four times a year.

The President, Captain, Vice Captain, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting for a period of twelve months. The Honorary Secretary and The Honorary Treasurer shall be eligible for re-election.

Executive Members shall be proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting and they shall serve for a period of three years. They shall be eligible for re-election.

Any member who is proposed and seconded may seek election to the Executive at the Annual General Meeting by application to the Hon. Secretary which must be received not later than 30 days prior to the date of the AGM.

Where an Election of the Executive requires a contested vote a secret ballot will be conducted using tellers appointed by the Hon. Secretary.

There shall be three sub-committees, Competition & Match, Social and Membership each consisting of a Chairman plus at least two other Committee Members.

The Executive shall have the power to fill any casual vacancies on the Executive Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.

A sub-committee made up of the President, Captain, Immediate Past Captain, Vice Captain, Secretary and chaired by a Senior Vice President, co-opted by the Executive, shall nominate the President and Vice Captain for the following year subject to the approval of the Executive.

5. Vice Presidents

All former Captains, including the retiring Captain, shall be Vice Presidents so long as they remain members of the Society. The Executive shall have the power to appoint Vice Presidents if it is deemed appropriate to do so.

Vice Presidents shall remain on the Executive with full voting rights until they have served their term as President of the Society, or have declined the office, after which they shall retire. However, they may be co-opted by the Executive on a temporary basis in order to be involved in a particular sub committee
or project.

The Officers of the Society shall meet with all the Vice Presidents at least four times a year. These meetings shall be chaired by the Captain with the purpose of reviewing the progress and current state of the Society. Those Vice Presidents not serving on the Executive will be included in the minutes and financial statements distribution.

6. Annual Meetings

The Annual General Meeting shall be chaired by the Captain and held on the day of the Founders’ Trophy meeting or on any such date decided by the Executive. A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Honorary Secretary on the requisition in writing of at least 20 members. The Honorary Secretary shall give 21 days’ notice of all General meetings with an agenda of business.

Any member wishing to move a resolution at any General Meeting must send a copy thereof signed by the proposer and seconder to the Honorary Secretary to reach him at least 14 days before such meeting, provided that this rule shall not apply to resolutions relating to the Society’s accounts, elections of officers of committees or resolutions proposed on the authority of the Executive.

Voting on resolutions shall be by a show of hands unless a ballot shall be demanded by at least 10 members present at the Meeting.

In the event of a tie in voting, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

The Accounts of the Society shall be made up to the 31st of December in each year and an audited copy thereof shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting.

7. Subscriptions

The Annual Subscription and Entrance Fee shall be at the discretion of the Executive. The annual subscription shall be due on the 1st January in each year.
No member whose subscription is unpaid on the 1st February in any year may compete for any Society prize or vote at any meeting until his subscription is paid.

Any member whose subscription is in arrears on the 30th September in any year shall cease to exercise any of the privileges of membership, but such privileges may be restored on payment of the outstanding subscription(s), if the Executive so decides.

8. Competitions

All competitions and functions shall be arranged as, when and where the Executive may decide. All such competitions shall be played under the current Rules of Golf published by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The decision of the Executive shall be final on all competition matters.

9. Resignations

Any member wishing to resign from the Society shall give notice thereof to the Honorary Secretary in writing to reach him not later than the 31st day of December in any one year.

10. Breach of Rules

The Executive shall have power to deal summarily with any member who, in their opinion, offends against the rules and objectives of the Society.

11. Alteration of Rules

Any member wishing to propose any alteration or addition to rules shall, at least one month prior to the Annual General meeting, make application to the Executive and, if approved, a notice of motion setting out the proposed alteration or addition shall be circulated with the notice convening the Annual General Meeting. A majority of 75% of those voting at such Annual General Meeting shall be required to authorise any alteration or addition to the Rules.

12. Dissolution

The Society may be dissolved by a resolution proposed at a General Meeting duly called for the purpose and passed by a majority which shall comprise 75% of those voting. The funds of the Society on dissolution shall be expended in discharging the debts and liabilities of the Society and any balance shall be expended by the Executive in such manner as shall be directed by the resolution of dissolution or in the absence of any such direction in such manner as the Executive may decide.

13. Insurance

It is the responsibility of Members participating in Society events to provide their own Insurance covering Public Liability, Accidental Damage and Personal Injury.

14. Interpretation of Rules

Any dispute as to the meaning or interpretation of the Rules shall be decided by the Executive whose decision shall be binding on all members.