ARTICLE I – NAME OF ORGANIZATION

1.0             This association shall be known as the Southwest Deaf Golf Association.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSES

2.0             The purpose of this association shall be to promote such as an invitational golf tournament for the deaf golfers in a Southwest state named Arkansas , Louisiana , New Mexico , Oklahoma and Texas .

2.1       No states other than these ones named above are allowed to make bids to host the annual invitational tournaments.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

3.0             Membership in this association shall be open to the deaf golfers. (The definition of “deaf” states that either total loss of hearing or hearing being impaired as to reflect a handicap in the normal world). Minimum age of membership shall be 18 years by June 1 preceding the tournament.

3.1       Any member may be suspended or expelled from his membership if such action(s) are proved to be disrespect to this association and its members.

3.2       A two-third (2/3) vote of membership assembly is a necessary move for the suspension or expulsion.

3.3       Any suspended or expelled member shall have a right to appeal such decision before the membership assembly.

ARTICLE IV – DUES AND FEES

4.0             The membership dues shall be payable annually before (or) on the determined deadline when the entry fees must be paid. No refund is expected when any golfer who may withdraw from the tournament except for the emergency reasons, subject to an approval of the SWDGA officers or is disqualified from the tournament.

4.1             Non-members may attend meetings and tournaments by paying two dollars and cannot cast votes at meetings.

4.2             An officer or member of the SWDGA or the host of the annual SWDGA tournament cannot be allowed to withdraw any amount from the SWDGA funds (savings and/or checking accounts) at any time.

4.3             It shall include membership/registration fee, green fee/cart and prize fee.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND TERMS OF OFFICES

5.0             The officers of this association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, and Delegate-At-Large (appointed by President at the present tournament), each of whom except Delegate-At-Large shall be elected for a term of two years.

5.1       The term of office of the above officers except Delegate-At-Large shall commence thirty days after the end of the annual tournament.

5.2       Election of officers shall be held in odd years starting 2001. All candidates for the above officers must be present to be nominated from the floor at the membership meeting. Also, all candidates must be a member and resident of any five states stated in Article II – 2.0.

ARTICLE VI – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

6.0             President

President shall preside at all meetings of this association and enforce order and strict observance to the bylaws. He shall see that such appeals being made to the membership assembly as promptly as possible. He may appoint a parliamentarian to assist him during the meetings and a Sergeant-At-Arm to assist him in maintaining the meetings in order.

6.1       Vice-President

Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence at such meetings. He shall be assigned to chair the Law Committee and shall appoint members in good standing to his committee.

6.2             Secretary/Treasurer

Secretary shall make reports of every business meeting and maintain the records of the minutes of the last meetings. He shall maintain of keeping all issues of the SWDGA newsletters for record – keeping purposes. He shall mail out the results of the previous tournament within thirty days after receiving the finals from the host.

Treasurer shall pay all invoices and bills only upon approved vouchers or warrants by the President. He shall keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures and submit the financial reports to the membership assembly. He shall collect all non-member fees and membership dues via the host’s registration parts of the entry fees and also any other monies payable to SWDGA. He shall prepare his financial books to be audited before the annual membership meeting. He shall keep the association’s fund in a saving account with all deposits to the credit of SWDGA in the savings account in his residential city. He must have two authorized signatures on checks (two out of four elected officers).

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS

7.0             Special Session meeting shall be held on the evening before the tournament to discuss the local rules, conditions of the course and some descriptions by the United States Golf Association (USGA). In urgent matters, the Executive Committee may vote by mail.

7.1             The general membership meeting shall be held on the evening of the first round day of the business and elections.

7.2             A briefing session shall be held on the evening of the first round concentrating on the pairings for the second round.

7.3             Order of Business

The order of business at all golf meetings shall be followed as below:

A.)              Call to order

B.)              Invocation (optional)

C.)              Pledge of Allegiance

D.)              Roll Call

E.)              Readings of the Minutes and Approval of the Minutes

F.)               Report of the Officers and Committees

G.)              Previous (Unfinished) Business

H.)              New Business

I.)                  Selection of SWDGA Tournament Site

J.)                Election of Officers

K.)              Announcements

L.)               Adjournment

ARTICLE VIII – QUORUM

8.0             Ten members of this association shall constitute a quorum for the general membership meeting and an election. The quorum for the general membership meeting and an election shall be the number of members present at the time the meeting is called to order.

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES

9.0             The Executive Committee of this association shall consist of four duly elected officers, the current General Chairman of the local tournament committee and a minimum of three delegates-at-large. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have only one vote.

(President shall select delegates-at-large up to three from the golfers at the present meeting representing the state.)

9.1             Each or any officer of this association who has served at least four years shall be entitled to attend the meeting of the Executive Committee as observers.

9.2             The Law Committee of this association shall consist of the Vice-President as chairman and three members chosen by the President.

9.3             The Auditing Committee of three selected members by the President shall audit and examine of the Treasurer before the general membership meeting.

ARTICLE X – COMPLAINTS

10.0         All complaints with two signatures of witnesses as to the conduct of the SWDGA members filed with the written reports to the Secretary of this association. He shall immediately notify the members of the SWDGA Executive Committee who are nearest to the complainant or ones who complain to investigate the complaint during the tournament.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

11.0         Any proposed change in amendments shall be in the form of writing and shall be in hands of the Law Committee or the secretary twenty hours before or on the special session meeting.

11.1         The by-laws may be amended by a two-third (2/3) majority vote.

11.2         The Vice-President shall annually supply the duly elected officers and members with the latest revised (up-to-date) copies of the SWDGA Bylaws.

11.3         Copies of SWDGA Bylaws and Guidelines are sent to the special session meeting prior to the next general membership meeting.

ARTICLE XII – STANDING TOURNAMENT RULES & REGULATIONS

12.0         Administration of play during the annual tournament shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee and a member of host committee. Any decision made by this body shall be final.

12.1         In general, the latest USGA rules apply to all SWDGA tournaments with the local rules.

12.2         If a golfer uses profanity or shows disrespect for a marshal, a local committee member, or an officer of the SWDGA who attempts to give an advice to the golfer on the course, the penalty is two (2) strokes.

12.3         The maximum strokes for Par 3, Par 4, and Par 5 are to be 6, 8, and 10 for the whole tournament (1^st, 2^nd, and final round). If the golfer fails to finish the hole, add an extra stroke.

12.4         If the golfer fails to finish the hole, the count of putts will be 4.

12.5          Not to permit golfers pay for tournament fees after the pairing is made and names of players are given to the Pro Shop.

ARTICLE XIII – HALL OF FAME

13.0         The purpose of the SWDGA Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor those golfers and golf leaders who have established outstanding records as participants in SWDGA tournaments and/or who have contributed exceptional services to the SWDGA.

13.1         The Hall of Fame Committee shall consist of the Chairman who is appointed by the President, Vice President, and three members of the Hall of Fame. Their term of office shall be for two (2) years. Each member shall have one vote in the selection of the Hall of Fame members from the eligible pool of candidates.

13.2         The association shall reimburse the Hall of Fame committee members for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

13.3         The Chairman shall report to the members of the SWDGA at the annual meeting regarding activities of the Hall of Fame committee.

13.4         A candidate for the Hall of Fame must have entered at least ten (10) tournaments, held an office in the SWDGA or served on a local tournament committee and accumulated seventy-five (75) points in order to be eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame. The committee may waiver this requirement for exceptional individuals whose name may be placed on the ballot by a two-thirds vote of the committee.

13.5         Points are awarded as below:

Each tournament participated in                       2

Tournament Champion                                        10

Tournament Runner-up                                       5

Played in championship flight                            3

Flight Champion                                                     5

Flight Runner-up                                                    2

Tournament Chairman                                         10

Tournament Committee member                       3

SWDGA President                                                  5

SWDGA Vice President                                        5

SWDGA Secretary/Treasurer                              5

ARTICLE XIV – OATH

14.0    All elected officers, before entering upon their duties, shall subscribe to a following oath: “I,                                           , hereby pledge myself to perform faithfully the duties of my office to the best of my ability, and to uphold the Bylaws of SWDGA.”.

ARTICLE XV - DISSOLUTION

15.0    In case of the dissolution of the said association, all monies contained in the treasury at the time and the United States Deaf Golf Association (USDGA) as a custodian shall hold all properties until such a time the said association may be reorganized.