Bylaws

Western Golf Alliance Charter and Bylaws

The following is an abridged version of the Club Bylaws. The full Bylaws are available at this link.

Article I - NAME AND LOCATION

The name of this golf club shall be the Western Golf Alliance.

Article II - PURPOSE

The Club has six stated purposes - To stimulate interest in golf; To promote friendship; To conserve the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions; To provide an authoritative body to govern and conduct club competitions; To encourage conformance to the USGA Rules of Golf; To maintain a uniform system of handicapping.

Article III - MEMBERSHIP

Sections 3-1 to 3-4, On Membership: Memberships are available to all men 18 years of age or older with a provision for junior members; There shall be 10 - 1,800 members, with a maximum of 200 in any region; Memberships are for two years, expire on September 30 of all even numbered years, and are automatically renewed by either participation or simple request; Members will conform to the USGA standards for members in good standing.

Sections 3-5 to 3-8, On Membership Application and Revocation: Individuals who apply for membership become probationary members upon endorsement and approval of their application, and become full members upon participation in the next WGA Open; The Board of Directors may confer honorary memberships by unanimous vote, with those individuals receiving limited Club benefits; A member may resign in writing at any time; Membership may be revoked by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, with the member having a right to be heard.

Sections 3-9 to 3-10, On Member Privileges: The Club is a golf club without real estate, thus members have no voice nor receive special privileges (unless otherwise negotiated) in the operation of any golf course, clubhouse, or facilities; The Club may establish fees/dues as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

Article IV - CLUB DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Sections 4-1 to 4-4, On Directors: There are six directors on the Board of Directors, three being Founding Directors and three being Elected Directors; Elected Directors serve for six years, while Founding Director appointments do not expire; Directors shall be Club members in good standing, and are expected to attend major Club functions; Directors shall exercise all powers of Club management not specifically granted to Club officers or excepted by the Bylaws.

Sections 4-5 to 4-9, On Director Appointment and Removal: For Director election, nominations are made by the Nominating Committee during the biennial meeting of the Club; A Sergeant-at-Arms oversees the subsequent election, with a plurality of the members deciding the winner; A Director may resign in writing, be removed by a majority vote of the other Directors, or be considered to have resigned if they fail to maintain their qualification for being a Director; Board vacancies are filled by a majority vote of the remaining Directors determining a successor to fulfill the unexpired term; Board meetings require a majority of the current sitting Board, and may be held by electronic communications.

Sections 4-10 to 4-11, On Officers: The officers of the Club are the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer; Officers are appointed by the Board of Directors, and hold office for a term of two years consistent with the fiscal calendar of the Club.

Section 4-12, On Officer Responsibilities: The President presides over Club meetings, appoints committee chairmen, and officially represents the Club; The Vice President is chair of the Membership Committee and is vice-chair of all other committees, and presides over meetings in the absence of the President; The Secretary keeps meeting minutes and performs all official Club correspondence; The Treasurer manages dues and finances, and provides accounting reports upon request.

Article V - REGIONAL ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

Section 5-1, On Regional Structure: The Club is divided into nine geographic regions - Southern California, California Sierras, Sequoia Dunes, Other Oregon, Emerald Portlandia, Evergreen State, Arizona Unlimited, Greater Las Vegas, and Directors' Choice.

Sections 5-2 to 5-4, On Regional Governors: Each region has a Regional Governor who administers local Club activities; Regional Governors are members in good standing who are appointed to a two year term by a plurality decision of the Board of Directors; A Regional Governor may resign or be recalled and replaced by a plurality decision of the Board of Directors.

Sections 5-5 to 5-8, On Regional Activities and Organization: Every region is responsible for upholding the rules and Bylaws of the Club, and for holding an Annual Regional Tournament and at least one annual event; The Regional Governor may appoint Regional Coordinators to manage the related activities; Regional Coordinators include coordinators for golf tournaments, handicap administration, membership, communications, and finances; Regional Coordinators are responsible for managing such activities as their position would imply, with special emphasis on hosting tournaments and administering handicaps.

Sections 5-9 to 5-10, On Regional Limitations: No region may establish any rule or policy that restricts, prohibits, or in any way limits the rights of Club members outside that region; No region may establish local bylaws, rules, or policies that contradict or countermand the rules and Bylaws of the Club.

Article VI - CLUB OPERATIONS AND EVENTS

Section 6-1, On the Club Calendar: The fiscal calendar for the Club is biennial, from October 1 of each even numbered year, through September 30 of the subsequent even numbered year.

Sections 6-2 to 6-5, On Committees and Task Forces: The Club has committees that stand for two years and generally function as recommended in the USGA Golf Committee Manual; Committees have a chairperson (appointed by the President) and representatives from each region, and the Vice President is the vice-chair of all committees except the Nominating Committee; The committees of the Club are the Competition Committee (which runs Club events and tournaments), the Handicap Committee (which administers handicaps), the Membership Committee (which manages the new member process), and the Nominating Committee (which nominates Directors and is created 15 minutes prior to the biennial meeting); The President may form term-limited Task Forces to study issues or perform defined functions of the Club.

Section 6-6, On Major Events: The Club conducts two primary and significant biennial events - the biennial meeting, and the Western Golf Alliance Open; These events are held over a 3-7 day period between April 1 and October 31 of even numbered years in conjunction with the fiscal calendar; The location of these events is established by the Competition Committee; Information about these events is communicated to the members by the Club Secretary well in advance, under a defined schedule; The biennial meeting has a specific pre-defined agenda.

Section 6-7, On Quorums: A legal quorum for any meeting is 50 percent of the members present in person or by proxy, and requires that either the Club President or Vice President be present.

Section 6-8, On Meeting Requirements: Other Club events and meetings may be held; The Club membership may hold meetings independent of the Board of Directors with specific limitations about what business may be conducted; Officers and committees may hold meetings as necessary to manage Club business at their discretion; Regions may conduct their events as required under Section V, and may take action associated with business specific to their region, provided 50 percent of the members of the region are present in person or by proxy, and the Regional Governor or his designee is present; The Board meets as defined in Section 4-9.

Article VII - EFFECTIVE DATES AND AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

The Bylaws became effective on January 31, 2003, and were amended on January 10, 2004, and January 26, 2015, and February 4, 2019. Amendments to the Bylaws are made by a two-thirds decision of the Board of Directors, and majority approval of the Club members.

THE WESTERN GOLF ALLIANCE

Keeping It Long and Straight Since 2002™