Tashua Knolls Senior Men's Club Constitution and By-Laws describe the relationship among the club's objectives, its officers and its members.
TASHUA KNOLLS
SENIOR MEN’S CLUB CONSTITUTION
and BY-LAWS
CONSTITUTION
PREAMBLE
This Constitution and its By-Laws basically describe the relationship among the Club’s objectives, its Officers and its Members.
The name of this club shall be TASHUA KNOLLS SENIOR MEN’S CLUB.
A. Promote and stimulate recreational and social activities in a friendly environment.
B. Participate in other social and civic actions as they relate to the general welfare of others.
Membership is open to any male aged 60 years or more. Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club, Membership Chairman. Application approval and acceptance of the prescribed annual dues initiate membership. Membership is a condition of participation in any Club-sponsored activity. The Board of Control may expel any member for cause by a majority vote. The person initiating the complaint must submit specific reasons and details for recommending expulsion in writing to a member of the Board of Control or an Officer.
Membership of the Club shall be limited to 230 members with a GHIN number. There shall be unlimited membership for bowlers and social members. Further, two waiting lists will be maintained by the Membership Chairman once the membership reaches this total. The one list will include applicants who are Trumbull residents, the other, non-residents of Trumbull. Trumbull residents will be accepted on a priority basis over non-residents.
A member who has not paid his annual dues by January 1st will be deemed a non-member and, as such, will not be allowed to participate in Club activities, e.g., bowling and golf. Late payment of dues after January 1st will also incur additional fees, on a graduated scale, to reinstate membership.
1. Anyone meeting the requirements of Article III of the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club Constitution is eligible for membership.
2. The candidate shall obtain and complete an Application for Membership.
3. The completed Application, with a check attached for payment of dues and any applicable fees, shall be provided to the Membership Chairman who will record the pertinent information, attach the tendered check to a copy of the Application and forward it to the Treasurer.
4. The Membership Chairman will provide a copy of the Application to the Handicap Chairman for action regarding a GHIN Handicap, as necessary, and file the original Application.
5. The Membership Chairman will advise the candidate and his sponsor of the acceptance and advise them to be at the next general meeting.
Elective Officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Budget Controller and a Board of Control consisting of nine members. Except for the automatic succession of the Vice-President to the position of President, special elections will be held to fill any other office which is vacated prior to the completion of its normal term.
All terms of elective office shall be for one year except for the members of the Board of Control, who shall be elected for a three-year period. Any Officer may be removed from office for cause by a two- thirds majority vote of a quorum of the members present at a regularly scheduled or special meeting. Removal of any Officer must be substantiated by a request in writing by the originator and submitted to the Club President. The same person shall not fill the office of President for more than three consecutive years.
The Nomination/Election committee shall be composed of three members appointed by the President prior to the September meeting. The Nomination/Election committee shall select nominees for each elective office and shall present such slate of officers to the Club membership at the November meeting. Nominations from the floor may be made after the Nomination/Election committee has completed its report. Such nominations must have the prior consent of the nominee. It is noted that a choice of at least two nominees for each office is preferred. However, if a unanimous vote is anticipated, one nominee per office is authorized.
Elections shall take place annually in December. If only a single slate of officers submitted by the nominating committee is recommended, the Secretary is authorized to cast one vote to elect such slate at the December meeting. For all contested offices, members will vote by ballot. Ballots may be cast prior to the December meeting at places announced at the November meeting by the Nominating/Election committee. The Nominating/Election committee will count the ballots and announce the results at the December monthly meeting. Elected officers shall assume their duties at the first scheduled meeting of the ensuing year.
Business meetings shall be held on the first Tuesday of each month of each calendar year unless alternative arrangements are made at the discretion of the Club Officers. Special meetings shall be called as deemed necessary by the President or as requested by the Board of Control. Business meetings and Board meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order as amended by the contents of these By-Laws and/or this Constitution.
Dues for the upcoming calendar year will be proposed by the Budget Committee in September and voted on by the membership at the October meeting. Payment of Club dues may be made immediately thereafter and must be made by January 1st. Failure to pay dues by the deadline will result in loss of membership and participation privileges in Club activities
If loss of membership occurs, re-application for membership is required. Club funds shall be used for the annual dinner, prizes awarded, and membership approved special expenses. The Club funds shall not be used for tournament prizes. All members in good standing shall be required to pay the annual dues except those members who have qualified for the waiver of dues prior to December 31, 2014 by satisfying the requirements of the 85/20 rule and those members who have reached the age of 90.
Effective January 1, 2015 the 85/20 rule shall no longer be in effect. Effective January 1, 2015 those members who have attained the age of 90 and who have held membership for 20 years or more shall be exempt from paying dues.
For the conduct of routine business or regular meetings, a quorum shall consist of 25 Members in good standing.
The authorized signatories of the bank account of the Club will be the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and the club Secretary. The Treasurer has the prime responsibility for signing checks. In the absence of the Treasurer the Assistant Treasurer shall have the authority to sign checks. In the Absence of the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer the Secretary shall have the authority to sign checks for the Club. It is the Treasurer’s duty to leave the Club checkbook with one of the other above listed signatories, who will be in the area, if/when he is not available.
The Constitution and/or the By-Laws shall only be amended as follows:
1. All proposed amendments are to be submitted to the Board of Control Chairman in writing. The Board of Control will determine the merits of proposed amendments. If warranted, the Board will present the applicable amendments to the members at the next membership meeting.
Should the Board of Control deem that the proposed amendment does not warrant consideration, it shall not be presented to the members.
2. Proposed amendments shall be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members present at the next general meeting following the second meeting at which the proposal was presented.
The foregoing does not apply to the conduct of activities under Rule II (Golf Committee Chairman and Sub-Committees) and Rule IV (Rules for Governing Bowling Activities) of the By-Laws. The appropriate committee may amend the activities pertaining to these rules by a majority committee consensus and general approval by the Club President.
Amendments to Rules II and IV activities shall be presented to the general membership body for its general knowledge prior to the actual initiation by the applicable activity. These amendments shall be posted on appropriate bulletin boards and may be transmitted by email to those members with email addresses. Such amendments shall be included in the monthly meeting minutes.
Modifications to Committee personnel responsibilities covered by Rules II and IV will follow the amendment procedures noted above.
PREAMBLE
These By-Laws to the Constitution of the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club shall govern the Club activities and set forth the primary duties of the Officers and various Committee members. They further set forth the working relationship between our members and the working groups within our organization. No Officer and/or individual member(s) of the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club is authorized to present his views in writing to any outside public media or to any individual on any subject matter discussed or pertaining to the Club without the specific approval of the Club through the democratic process of approval by the membership and as so stated and approved in the minutes.
Individuals may express their views/opinions, etc. only as individuals without conveying the slightest possible connection to the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club.
Any violation of this policy will be dealt with by severe sanction and/or possible expulsion from the Club as membership may direct.
President: The President shall preside at all meetings and, in consultation with other Officers and Board of Control members, appoint Chairmen of standing committees and fill committee vacancies when they occur. The President may also appoint ad hoc committees as required or desired. The Standing Committees shall include but not be limited to Sunshine Committee, Bowling Committee, Golf Committee, Program Entertainment Committee, Publicity Committee, Historical Committee, Audit Committee, Budget Committee, Nominating/Election Committee and Membership Committee.
Vice-President: The Vice-President shall assist the President in all matters, and the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in his absence.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings, scheduled or otherwise, and handle all correspondence. The Secretary’s name shall appear on the bank record.
Assistant Secretary: The Assistant Secretary shall assume the duties of the Secretary in the absence of that Officer. He shall become Acting Secretary in the event that Office is vacated until a new Secretary can be appointed by special election.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall collect all moneys pertinent to the operation of this club, keep accurate records of all receipts and disbursements, pay all bills as directed by the membership, make financial reports at all scheduled meetings and assist in maintaining an up-to-date membership list. The Treasurer’s name shall appear on the bank record.
Assistant Treasurer: The Assistant Treasurer shall assume the duties of the Treasurer in the absence of that Officer. He shall become Acting Treasurer in the event that Office is vacated until a new Treasurer can be appointed by special election. The Assistant Treasurer’s name will appear on the bank record.
Budget Controller: The Budget Controller shall prepare a monthly statement of revenues and expenses for the year to date, prior year’s revenues and expenses for the year to date, estimate of revenues and expenses for the current year and the approved budget for the current year. The Budget Controller shall also prepare an annual budget for review and approval by the President during November. The proposed annual budget shall be presented to the Membership for approval at the December meeting. The Budget Controller shall conduct an annual audit of the Treasurer’s records and such other audits as he deems advisable. He shall report to the membership on the results of such audits. The Budget Controller may request assistance from other qualified members as he deems appropriate.
Board of Control: The elected nine members of the Board of Control will be rotated by election of three new members each year. The newly elected members will serve for a three-year period. The Board will elect a Chairman from amongst themselves.
The Board of Control shall act as a steering committee which will enable members to fulfill the objectives of the Club. At all Board meetings five members shall constitute a quorum.
The Board may also participate in the appointments of committee members prior to final selection by the President.
Golf Committee: The President shall appoint The Golf Committee Chairman. He shall have overall responsibility to prepare a tournament schedule, conduct all tournaments and award prizes and trophies. He shall remit all excess moneys to the Treasurer. The tournament schedule shall include various weekly events and the following four Major Memorial Annual 18 hole Tournaments:
1.James Mulry Memorial Tournament
2.Michael DelVecchio Memorial Tournament
3.Lou Riccio Memorial Tournament
4.Henry Vornstein Memorial Tournament: for all (past and future) departed members.
The above four tournaments shall be “Member-Member” - Best Ball, Low Gross and Low Net format.
The Golf Committee Chairman shall appoint chairmen and/or co-chairmen for the Tournaments, Rules, Handicap and Awards sub-committees. Such appointments shall be approved by the President.
Bowling Committee: Bowling Committee Chairmen shall be appointed by the incoming President at the first meeting of the New Year. It is to be noted that the bowling chairmen’s term of office is for the season starting with the month of September of the year that he is appointed and runs through the end of the bowling season the following year. Within three league weeks from the conclusion of the bowling year the Chairman of each league shall submit a financial report to the President showing opening cash balance, revenues, expense and closing cash balance. Bowling Chairmen shall present any request for increases in fees to the President for approval. If they cannot come to an agreement it shall be presented to the Board of Control to decide.
1. Arrange with the bowling alley the bowling schedule, make-up of bowling teams and cost of bowling per man.
2. Make plans for a bowling banquet at the end of the bowling season.
3. Prepare and present bowling awards at the banquet.
Entertainment Committee: The Entertainment Committee shall consist of a Chairman appointed by the President and two or more other members appointed by the Chairman and approved by the President. It shall have charge of all Club dances, meetings and affairs for which food, drink or entertainment must be provided. All functions are subject to Board of Control approval.
Sunshine Committee: Chairman to be appointed by the President. He will send appropriate correspondence to ailing members and notify Treasurer to procure flowers or make suitable donations on behalf of the club whenever a member’s death occurs. Such expenditures shall not exceed $50.00 per deceased member, spouse, and/or parent and a member of his immediate family. Cost of get-well cards, sympathy, etc., shall be reimbursed.
Nominating/Election Committee: The Nominating/Election Committee shall consist of a Chairman, appointed by the President, and two members to be appointed by the Chairman with the President’s approval and will serve until replaced. The Committee shall select candidates for all elective offices and present them to the membership at the November monthly meeting. If a ballot election is held, the Committee will have responsibility for all phases of the election.
Publicity Chairman: Chairman to be appointed by the President. He shall take the necessary steps to include newsworthy events in the local media in support of club activities and/or significant events.
Audit Committee: The Budget Controller shall audit the Treasurer’s books and records for the preceding year. At his discretion he may request the assistance of one or more qualified members to conduct the audit. The audit results shall be reported to the membership.
Budget Committee: The Budget Controller with such assistance as he deems necessary shall prepare the annual budget of revenues and expenses. The proposed annual budget shall be submitted to the President in November for review and approval. The proposed annual budget for the following year shall be submitted to the membership for approval at the December meeting. Any non-budgeted expenditure in excess of $500 or more must be presented to the Board of Control for approval before the membership can vote on it. Any request for non-budgeted expenditures less than $500 will only require a vote by the membership.
Membership Committee: The Chairman is appointed by the President to receive and process membership Applications and work with the Treasurer to develop and maintain an up-to-date, computerized database of Membership information. This database will contain sufficient data to enable the Chairman to produce reports such as Current Membership Status, Addresses, Phone Numbers, E- mail addresses, members’ ages, year joined, address labels for mailings, etc. The Chairman will serve until replaced by the President.
The Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club oversees the golfing program for the membership. Club members who serve as Golf Committee Chairman (appointed by the President), Managers for Handicap/Flight Championship/Pairings, Records/Tracking, Rules, Tournaments and Interclub Events, shall independently manage the golf program.
The Senior Golfing Program commences in early April and continues thru late November, on Wednesday mornings. The primary goal of the Golf Program is to create a scheduled, fun atmosphere among the members and embrace a competitive environment for those wishing to participate in the game of golf. All members are eligible to join the program.
Generally, the Golf Committee each year develops and schedules at least four Major Memorial Tournaments (member-member), the President’s Cup, interclub events, Club Flight Championships and other individual and paired competitions.
The Golf Program operation, player teams, schedules, type of tournaments, fees and prize awards shall be developed by the Golf Committee.
The Golf Committee Chairman maintains the particulars of the Golf Program operation, rules and requirements.
The Hole-In-One Club is intended to insure the provision of appropriate compensation to members who obtain a natural (handicap strokes excluded) hole in one at Tashua Knolls Golf Course. Note: The Tashua Glen Course is not included in the Hole-in-One Club. Members may join the Hole in One Club voluntarily by paying a $3.00 fee with their dues. The funds collected will be used to award a hole in one prize not to exceed $150.00. Should the prize money available equal or exceed $450.00 at the end of the golfing year, no money will be collected for the next season with the exception of new member additions.
1. Eligibility
a) Hole-in-One Club eligibility is open to all members in good standing of the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club.
b) Membership will include the time frame covered in the officially published Senior Golf Tournament Schedules, i.e.: from tee off on the first hole of the first tournament to completion of the last hole of the final tournament of the year.
c) New members of the Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club are eligible to join the Hole-in-One Club.
2. Responsibilities of Members:
a) Initial membership to The Hole-in-One Club shall cost $3.00 per member. Funds remaining in the treasury at the end of the season will be carried forward to the next year. No reimbursement will be made to members not joining The Hole-in-One Club the following year. Paid-up members will automatically be carried over in that status unless notification has been given prior to the start of the season.
3. Payment:
In the event the Hole in One balance drops below $450, payment will be required of all Hole in One members in an amount to be determined by the TKSMC treasurer, not to exceed $3.
• Member gets a hole in one at Tashua Knolls Golf Course during any round of golf played as part of the published TKSMC schedule. The hole in one must be witnessed by another TKSMC member. The witness does not have to be a hole in one member. Exception to the witness rule is given for the Tri club event hosted by TKSMC. The player must turn in a properly attested scorecard to a monthly manager. Duplicate cards may be turned into the pro shop for P.G.A recognition. The treasurer should be notified of the hole in one by email.
The Tashua Knolls Senior Men’s Club oversees two bowling leagues for its membership, independently managed by Club members serving as Bowling Chairmen, as appointed by the President.
One league bowls 33 weeks on Tuesdays, from September to April and the other bowls 26 weeks on Fridays, from October to April. All members are eligible to participate in either or both leagues. The primary goal of this activity is to foster good member relations, friendly competition and camaraderie among the membership.
Bowling rosters are formed each off-season from returning bowlers, previous year substitutes willing to be regulars and new bowlers. All teams are selected to have nominally the same four or five-man average.
League operation, team make-up, cost, prize money and awards are determined by each League Chairman in accordance with the league’s respective circumstances and applicable requirements.
The Bowling League Chairman maintains particulars of the Bowling league operation, rules and requirements.