Constitution and By-Laws Sandpiper Bay Ladies Golf Association  

ARTICLE I – NAME 

 

The Association shall be called The Piperettes.  It is a non-profit Association existing for the benefit of the lady members of Sandpiper Bay Golf and Country Club. 

 

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP 

 

Membership in the Piperettes is limited to those parties who hold a current annual membership in Sandpiper Bay Golf and Country Club and who have paid their annual dues to the Piperettes plus the annual handicap fee with Sandpiper Bay Golf and Country Club and who maintain an accurate and current handicap at the Club. 

 

ARTICLE III – DUES 

 

Annual dues will be payable on or before the first Tuesday in March.  Dues will be used to defray the cost of operating expenses of the Association.  Dues will be established annually by the Executive Committee prior to the last meeting in December and presented to the membership for approval. 

 

ARTICLE IV – LEAGUE PLAY 

 

Organized play starts the first Tuesday in March and ends the second Tuesday in November.  All play is governed by current USGA Rules of Golf unless otherwise specified in the Local Rules. 

 

ARTICLE V OFFICERS/ELECTIONS  

 

I.  OFFICERS 

Officers shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Officers shall be nominated and voted on by the membership at the reorganization meeting held on or before the first Tuesday in March. Terms of office will commence immediately following the election.  Each officer will serve a two year term.  Terms of the officers will be staggered as follows: 

President and Treasurer elected in odd years. 

Vice-President and Secretary elected in even years. 

 

There are no term limits on the number of consecutive terms an officer may serve. 

 

ii. ELECTIONS 

 

The Nominating Committee shall solicit and accept nominations up until the second Tuesday in February.  At this time the committee will post and e-mail the membership a list of all current nominees.  

Nominations may also be made from the floor at the February meeting. 

In the event of more than one candidate for a position, the vote will take place by ballot.  In the event of a tie, voting will continue by ballot until the tie is broken. 

 

ARTICLE VI – OFFICER AUTHORITIES/DUTIES 

The Executive Committee shall consist of the following individuals: 

 

Elected Officers 

Tournament Chairwoman 

Handicap Chairwoman 

Rules Chairwoman 

Immediate Past President 

 

A simple majority of this Committee must be present to make motions and to vote.  The President has the deciding vote in the event of a tie.  The President will appoint offices vacated during the year. 

 

The President shall: 

 

  1. Conduct all Piperette business meetings. Roberts Rules of Order shall apply to all meetings. 
  2. Handle all business between Piperettes and the Club.
  3. Appoint all chairwomen.
  4. Appoint a three member Nominating Committee no later than the first week in January.
  5. Appoint, with approval of the Executive Committee, a member or members to perform an annual independent audit of the Treasurer’s books.
  6. Appoint a scheduling liaison.
  7. Appoint a web site liaison.

 

The Vice-President shall: 

 

  1. Preside in the absence of the President.
  2. Assist in such ways as the President may request.
  3. Assist the Tournament Chairwoman with tournaments.
  4. Welcome new members, make them aware of the rules of the organization and be sure new members feel comfortable and included in the Piperettes.

 

The Secretary shall: 

 

  1. Take charge of all correspondence for the group.
  2. Record minutes of all business meetings.
  3. Keep a current list of names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail address of members.
  4. Inform the President of new members.
  5. Be responsible for keeping League statistics.
  6. Make sure all information on the web site is correct.

 

The Treasurer shall: 

 

  1. Be responsible for all money collected and distributed.
  2. Maintain the bank account. The Treasurer or the President will sign all checks. 
  3. Obtain approval of the Executive Committee for all money spent.
  4. Maintain records of all revenues and disbursements and assure that receipts are on file for paid expenses.
  5. Provide a Treasurers’ report for membership meetings.
  6. Help the new Treasurer prepare a budget for the next year. The fiscal year shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31st. 

 

ARTICLE VII – CHAIRWOMEN 

 

The Tournament chair shall: 

 

  1. Have overall responsibility for all tournaments.
  2. Form a Tournament Committee as needed.
  3. Interface with the Club, Piperettes and the Executive Committee.
  4. Keep a record of tournament revenues and receipts of all expenditures.
  5. Submit an itemized report to the Treasurer of all revenues, expenditures and disbursements of prizes.

 

The Handicap Chair shall: 

 

  1. Work with the Executive Committee and Club professional to ensure that all handicaps are correctly maintained.

 

The Rules Chair shall: 

 

  1. Be responsible to communicate with the Club regarding any USGA or Local rule changes and advise the membership of the same.
  2. Submit changes to the Secretary for publication and posting on the Bulletin Board and Website.
  3. Answer any questions that arise and resolve any situations which may occur during League play. If the Rules Chairs’ answers or solutions are not satisfactory, she will take the matter to the Club Professional for advice. 
  4. Please note that during Tournament play, once the tournament has started all rules questions or disputes shall be directed to the Pro Shop.

 

ARTICLE VIII – GUEST REQUIREMENTS 

 

Out of town guests of Piperette members are always welcome in weekly league play.  They may not participate in the weekly games or any prize pool.  Guests are considered house guests or persons residing outside a 50 mile radius of Sandpiper Bay Golf Club.  Area residents and part time residents may play as the guest of a Piperette a maximum of four times per year.  Guests must have a current USGA handicap to play in a Piperette sponsored Tournament. This handicap may be from the GHIN system or any print out from another website. 

 

ARTICLE IX – QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS 

 

Individual complaints or suggestions should be addressed to the President.  The responsibility of the President shall be to evaluate such complaint or suggestion and to respond  in timely manner. 

 

ARTICLE X – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS 

 

General membership Meetings will be conducted not less than two times per year. 

 

General Membership meetings will always include a reading of the minutes of the previous meeting and a report from the Treasurer. 

 

All meetings will be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order. 

 

A quorum of not less than twenty-five (25) per cent of the current membership will be required to conduct votes. 

 

A simple majority of those members present will be required to carry a standard business motion. A two-thirds majority of those members present will be required to carry a motion to change the Constitution and By-Laws. 

 

The President may call a special meeting as needed. 

 

ARTICLE XI – CONDUCT OF MEMBERSHIP 

 

In the game of golf customs, etiquette and decorum are just as important as the rules governing play. 

The Executive Committee of the Piperettes reserve the right, after consultation with the General Manager of the Club and Head Golf Professional, to deny Piperette membership to anyone whose conduct is detrimental to the operation of the organization.  Dues paid will be refunded on a pro-rated basis. 

 

Dues paid will not be refunded to any Piperette electing to terminate her membership except for reasons of prolonged illness or lifestyle changes. 

 

ARTICLE XII – CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION OR BY-LAWS 

 

All proposed changes or amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee in order to be considered. 

 

Proposed changes or amendments must be made in time to allow publication and distribution to the membership at least 14 days prior to a scheduled meeting.  Proposed changes will be posted on the Piperette Bulletin Board and Website. 

 

Revised October 2020