The constitution sets out the purpose and rules of Copsewood Grange Golf Club.

The constitution is the document which helps to ensure smooth and proper running of our affairs.

The constitution set’s out:

• The objectives for our club (e.g. what we want to do and provide for our members).
• The different forms of membership.
• The rules by which our club will operate.
• How the affairs of the club are to be managed.
• How the members control the club, through an annual general meeting.

The title of the Section shall be the GOLF SECTION (hereinafter called the Section)

The home of the Section shall be the premises of the COPSEWOOD COMMUNITY SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB, The Pavilion, Allard Way, Coventry (hereinafter called the Social Club).

The object of the Section shall be to manage and operate the Golf Course at the premises of the Social Club to provide golfing facilities for members of the Section and to foster a spirit of good fellowship among those members.

The Section shall be open to Membership in various categories as follows. The Golf Section Committee (hereinafter called the Committee) shall determine from time to time the maximum numbers which will be permitted in each category of membership. All members of the Section shall be members of the Social Club and shall be liable for all fees including such fees as may be set by the Social Club.

Open to all members over 28 years of age paying full subscriptions.

Available to Full Members who joined before 1st April 2013 at age 65 or over, subject to 10 consecutive years of Full Membership. The age criteria is age 70 for Full Members who joined after 1st April 2013.

Life Members may be elected on an exceptional basis at the discretion of the Committee.

Open to members aged 18 to 27. Sub categories of Intermediate Membership will be made available at the discretion of the Committee.

Membership categories 4.1 to 4.4 have full playing and voting rights.

Open to members opting to play Monday to Friday only. 5 Day Members have full voting rights.

Open to members opting to play Sunday to Friday plus after competitions on Saturdays. 6 Day Members have full voting rights.

Open to members under age 18. Except between the opening greensome in March and the closing Texas scramble in October or unless otherwise specified on competition sheets, Junior Members may not enter their names on competition sheets until after 12 noon the day prior to the competition. Junior Members do not have voting rights. Sub categories of Junior Membership will be made available at the discretion of the Committee.

The name and address of each applicant for membership to the Section shall be sent to the Secretary of the Section in writing and upon the forms provided for that purpose. All such applicants shall be required to demonstrate that they are able to comply with the standards laid down from time to time by the Committee. Following such demonstration of compliance the applicant shall be admitted to membership on payment of the appropriate Entry Fee as set by the Committee and always provided that a vacancy exists within the relevant category of membership. If no suitable vacancy exists the applicant’s details will be recorded on a Waiting List maintained by the Secretary of the Section for that purpose.

The Committee shall have the power to declare void the acceptance of an application of any individual who fails to pay, or to make arrangements for the payment of, his subscription in such a manner as is acceptable to the Committee.

Any Member upon ceasing to be a Member of the Social Club shall cease to be a Member of the Section.

Notice of intention to resign from the Section shall be given in writing to the Secretary of the Section.

On complaint being made to the Committee that a Member has been guilty of offensive conduct, either in or out of the premises of the Social Club, they shall have the power to summon such Member to appear before them and failing a satisfactory explanation they may call upon the offending Member to resign. In default of such resignation, the offending Member shall be expelled from the Section forthwith. Any such Member shall, however, have the right to appeal as laid down within the golf section disciplinary procedures.

The management of the Section shall be vested in the Committee and the collection and disposal of its funds for the purposes of the Section shall be governed by the Committee in accordance with the Rules approved by the Social Club.

6.1 The Committee shall consist of twelve Members elected from amongst the Members of the Section. Members so elected may serve for a period of two years following their election and shall be eligible for re-election.

6.2 The Committee shall elect from amongst the Ordinary Members of the Committee, at their first meeting following their election, a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman and may elect a Secretary and a Treasurer. In the event that the Committee decide not to elect either a Secretary or a Treasurer from amongst themselves then they shall be empowered to appoint a person or persons to fill the positions of Secretary and/or Treasurer, otherwise in accordance with the provisions of these Rules. Persons so appointed shall be required to attend the meetings of the Committee but shall not be entitled to vote on any matter arising at such Committee meetings.

6.3 Meetings of the Committee shall take place regularly at intervals to be decided by the Committee but in any event not less frequently than every two months. At a meeting of the Committee seven members shall form a quorum. At all meetings of the Committee, the Chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. The Vice-Chairman shall have the same powers as the Chairman in his absence.

6.4 The Secretary shall record the proceedings of the Committee and shall conduct the correspondence of the Section. The Secretary shall call all meetings of the Section and the Committee and submit to the Committee the books containing complaints and suggestions from the Members. The Treasurer and Membership Secretary shall keep a record of the names and addresses and subscription payments of all categories of members of the Section.

6.5 The Treasurer and the Membership Secretary shall jointly receive and pay all money payable to or by the Section and shall submit a statement of the receipts and expenditures at each meeting of the Committee. Such statements of receipts and expenditures shall be audited at regular intervals to be determined by Committee and shall be audited and presented annually at the Annual General Meeting.

6.6 The Committee shall be empowered to appoint sub committees from its body or from the general body of Section members. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all such committees. Each committee shall appoint its own chairman and secretary.

7.1 Elections to the Committee shall take place in the month of March in each year and persons so elected shall serve from the 1st day of April immediately following the election. During the last week in February a nomination paper shall be posted on the Golf Section Notice Board (and such other conspicuous positions as shall be determined by the Committee) on which shall be written the name of the person whom it is desired to nominate for election to the Committee, together with the names of the proposer and seconder who shall first have obtained the consent of their nominee. No Member may propose or nominate more than two nominees.

7.2 The Committee shall appoint a Captain and a Vice-Captain

7.3 Nomination papers shall be displayed for a period of seven days after which a list of nominees shall be printed on ballot papers for the purpose of allowing Members to record their votes. Such ballot papers shall be circulated to all Members of the Section and shall be returned by them within 14 days to Scrutineers appointed by the Committee for the purpose. The Scrutineers shall present their report to the Secretary who will advise the successful candidates of their election and of the date of the next meeting of the Committee. The Scrutineers report shall also be presented to the next Annual General Meeting of the Section.

7.4 In the event of a vacancy arising on the Committee for any reason then the remaining members of the Committee shall be empowered to co-opt a replacement Committee member for the Members. Such replacement shall serve for the remainder of the normal term of the Committee member being replaced and shall have the same rights and obligations as all others members of the Committee. The Committee may also co-opt other Members but such other co-opted Members shall not have a vote on the Committee.

8.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Section shall take place during the month of June at a date to be determined by the Committee and will be advised to all Members via a notice posted upon the Golf Section Notice Boards. Any requests for agenda items for discussion or proposals requiring agreement must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the AGM.

8.2 Special General Meetings shall be called by the Secretary when directed by Committee or on receipt of a requisition signed by not less than thirty Members or one sixth of the total number of Members whichever is the lesser stating the object of such meeting. At least fourteen days notice shall be given to each Member, stating the business for which the meeting has been called. No other business shall be transacted at such meeting.

The President of the Section shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and will serve for a period of twelve months but shall be eligible for re-election. The President shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee but shall have no vote on the Committee.

Vice-Presidents will be nominated by the Committee, will be elected at the Annual General Meeting and will serve for a period of twelve months but shall be eligible for re-election. Vice-Presidents shall be ex-officio members of the Committee but shall not have a vote on Committee unless elected to Committee in accordance with the provisions of Rule 7.

The annual Membership Subscription for each category of Membership shall be as determined from time to time by the Committee. No Member shall be entitled to use the facilities of the Section in any way without having first paid or authorised payment of the relevant subscriptions (including any subscriptions due for membership to the Social Club) and any arrears thereto.

All monies owing to the Section by Members on any account shall be paid within one week of the end of the month during which the debt was incurred.

If any Member persistently or unreasonably fails to meet such debts or to pay fees or subscriptions under Rule 11 hereof, the Committee shall have the power to terminate Membership forthwith without prejudice to the liability for such debts under Rule 11.

The full and final liability of every Member of the Section shall be the amount payable for the annual Golf Section subscription appropriate to their category of membership and any liable debts under Rule 11.

No Member otherwise entitled to vote shall be allowed to take part in any election or vote at any meeting without first having paid or authorised payment of the relevant subscription and any arrears.

Any complaints and suggestions shall be made in writing, attested by a Member or Members, in a book provided for the purpose in the Golf Section by the Committee.

Spouses of Section Members may be nominated for Family Membership of the Section and will be subject to such restrictions on numbers and hours of play on the Golf Course as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee. All such Family Members shall comply with the requirements of the Social Club as a condition of their being granted Family Membership.

Each Member shall be entitled to introduce visitors as guests at such times and under such conditions as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee. Members who introduce such guests to the premises of the Social Club must ensure that the conditions of the Social Club are met in relation to their guests.

Subject to any conditions that may from time to time be imposed by the Management Committee of the Social Club or by the Committee, the following persons shall be entitled to admission to the Social Club premises during normal opening hours namely :
(a) Members of visiting teams
(b) Visiting golfers on payment of the appropriate Green Fee
(c) Members’ guests always provided that they comply with all appropriate conditions of the Social Club.

The Rules of the Golf Section may be altered or varied and new Rules made with the sanction of the Members at an Annual General Meeting, always provided that such variations shall be first approved by the Committee. On approval, the Secretary shall post on the Section Notice Board (or other conspicuous position) the proposed variations, alterations or new Rules for a period of fourteen days prior to such meeting. No variation, alteration or new Rule shall be passed by the Members at such Annual General Meeting unless two thirds of those present vote in favour thereof. The Social Club will be notified subsequently of any rule changes

For the purposes of registration with the English Golf Union and the Warwickshire Union of Golf Clubs and of dealings in general with other Golf Clubs and similar organisations, the Golf Section shall be known and shall operate as The Copsewood Grange Golf Club (formerly known as the Grange Golf Club).

Any point or points omitted from these Rules shall be left to the absolute discretion and decision of the Committee and all doubts as to the meaning or construction of these Rules shall be referred to the Committee for its decision, which shall be final.