Revised 12/25/2022
ARTICLE ONE: NAME
SECTION ONE:
This organization shall be known and named as the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association, MABGA, as set forth in the decree of incorporation of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
ARTICLE TWO: PURPOSE/MISSION
SECTION ONE:
The purpose and mission of MABGA is to enhance the quality of life and promote independence with dignity for persons who are blind or visually impaired through the sport of golf. Further, to educate them to the rules and etiquette of golf according to the USGA, PGA and MABGA regulations. Further, to promote comradery among such persons in their struggle coping with the loss of sight.
ARTICLE THREE: OFFICERS AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS
SECTION ONE: OFFICERS
The officers of MABGA shall be elected at the annual fall meeting and assume office on January 1ST of the next year for a two-year term. The officers shall consist of the president, first and second vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and such additional officers as the board deems appropriate.
SECTION TWO: VACANCIES
In case the president can not fill his or her term of office for any reason the first vice president shall fill out the remainder of the term of office. If for any reason the remaining officers can not fill their term the president shall appoint a replacement to complete the remainder of the term.
SECTION THREE: ELIGIBILITY
Officers of MABGA may be blind, visually impaired or sighted.
SECTION FOUR: BOARD OF GOVERNORS
All members of the Board of Governors shall be elected for a two year term at the annual fall meeting and shall assume office on January 1 of the next year. There shall be seven members elected, four shall be blind or visually impaired and three shall be sighted. No person will serve as an officer and governor concurrently.
SECTION FIVE: AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Authority and responsibility of the governing body of MABGA shall be the officers and Board of Governors. They shall have control and direction of the affairs of MABGA, it’s committees and publication; shall determine it’s policies or changes therein; shall actively execute it’s objectives and supervise the disbursements of it’s funds, the officers and Board of Governors may in the executions of the power grant, delegate certain of it’s authority and responsibility to an executive committee or such agents as it may deem necessary.
SECTION SIX: QUORUM
The officers and board deliberations must be a majority to hold any valid board meeting.
SECTION SEVEN: VOTING
Each officer and governor shall have one vote. Votes may NOT BE DELEGATED NOR SUBMITTED AS A PROXY. THE PRESIDENT MAY ONLY VOTE TO BREAK A TIE.
SECTION EIGHT: COMPENSATION
Officers and governors shall not receive compensation or salary in connection with their services as members of the board of MABGA.
SECTION NINE: INDEMNIFICATION
As permitted by law, MABGA shall indemnify board members and agents of MABGA against any actual loss including attorney fees, actually and reasonably incurred in good faith performance of their duties and responsibilities. Indemnity will not be made if in doing so would affect the charitable purposes of MABGA in an adverse manner.
SECTION TEN: EMERITUS
From time to time the board of MABGA by majority vote of those present may choose to honor a former officer or board member with the honorary title of Governor Emeritus or President Emeritus. Those so honored will not have a voting privilege.
ARTICLE FOUR: OFFICERS DUTIES
SECTION ONE: PRESIDENT
The president shall be the Chief Executive Officer of MABGA and Chairman of the Board of Governors and Executive Committee.
SECTION TWO: VICE PRESIDENTS
The vice presidents shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the president in the absence of the president and shall have such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the board. In the event that the president be absent at any meeting, the first vice president shall preside, and in the absence of either, the second vice president will preside.
SECTION THREE: SECRETARY
The secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings and be custodian of corporation documents and in general perform all duties incident to the office of secretary and other duties that from time to time be assigned by the president.
SECTION FOUR: TREASURER
The treasurer shall oversee the funds of MABGA, the establishments of proper accounting procedures for the handling of all MABGA funds. The performance of an audit annually by those appointed by the president or a Certified Public Accountant; and further shall report on the financial condition of MABGA at all meetings of the Board of Governors and at other times as called upon by the president.
ARTICLE FIVE: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SECTION ONE: COMPOSITION
The officers of MABGA mandated by these bylaws shall constitute the Executive Committee of MABGA with powers, duties and responsibilities as hereinafter set forth.
SECTION TWO: RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY
The Executive Committee shall be vested with all the powers and authority of the Board of Governors which is not expressly withheld from it by law of board resolution, except that the Executive Committee shall have no power to dispose of or acquire assets for the corporation or take any action contrary to any previous action of the board. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the board at its meeting next succeeding such action, and shall be subject to approval, revision or alter-action by the board, provided that no acts or rights of third persons shall be affected by the failure of the board to approve the same, or by or because of the revision or alter-action of the same by the board.
SECTION THREE: MEETINGS
The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the president.
SECTION FOUR: QUORUM
A quorum of any Executive Committee meeting shall be no less than a majority of its members.
ARTICLE SIX: CLASS OF COMMITTEES
SECTION ONE: IDENTIFYING CLASSES OF COMMITTEES
There shall be two classes of committees, standing and appointive.
SECTION TWO: STANDING COMMITTEES
The following shall be the standing committees of MABGA:
- Executive
- Budget/Financial
- Nominating
SECTION THREE: APPOINTIVE COMMITTEES
The president shall appoint an appointive committee. The composition and mission of each committee shall be approved by the board at confirmation.
ARTICLE SEVEN: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION ONE: CLASSES of MEMBERSHIP
There shall be four classes of membership:
- Blind
- Visually Impaired
- Sighted
- Honorary
SECTION TWO: BLIND MEMBERS
Blind members of MABGA must be as defined by MABGA shall be functionally blind which includes lack of light perception or light perception with shadow or finger movement or less than two degrees of field of vision or best correction at twenty/six hundred or equivalent central vision in both eyes.
SECTION THREE: VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Visual impaired members must be functionally blind with best corrected vision field of twenty degrees or best corrected central visual acuity of twenty/two hundred or equivalent acuity in both eyes, or cortical visual impairment (CVI), sight that can not be defined in general ophthalmological terms but vision that is a result of neurological disease or disorder.
SECTION FOUR: COMPOSITION OF BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED MEMBERS
Blind members shall constitute a minimum of 40 percent of members of MABGA and in no event shall the visual impaired membership exceed 60 percent of the active membership.
SECTION FIVE: ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Associate membership in MABGA will consist of sighted persons who volunteer as coaches, and/or serve in other functions of MABGA who nominated and voted by a majority of members at the annual fall or winter meetings.
SECTION SIX: PRIVILEGES OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Associate members will have no right to vote in elections of members, but may hold elective office in MABGA.
SECTION SEVEN: HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
From time to time MABGA may see fit to reward persons who through long years of membership or by other contributions may be elected honorary members. Honorary members will pay no dues but otherwise have all the privileges of members.
SECTION EIGHT: ABSENTEE VOTING (revised 4/14/2005)
Members are permitted to use an absentee ballot for voting in a general membership and other general elections.
ARTICLE EIGHT: JUNIOR BLIND GOLF PROGRAM
SECTION ONE: ESTABLISHMENT OF JUNIOR GOLF PROGRAM
MABGA shall establish a junior blind golf program in conjunction with local blind schools, associations and individuals who are blind or visually impaired up to 21 years of age.
SECTION TWO: MISSION
The mission will be the same as MABGA.
SECTION THREE: DUES
There will be no dues for membership in the junior blind golf program.
SECTION FOUR: CHAIRMAN AND CO CHAIRMAN
The president shall appoint a chairman who is a member and a co-chair who is an associate member of MABGA.
SECTION FIVE: FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Financial responsibility shall to an extent deemed appropriate by the board. MABGA will provide funding for equipment and other expenses to support the program.
ARTICLE NINE: DUES
SECTION ONE: RATE OF DUES
The rate of dues shall be established by the board and approved by a majority of the general membership.
ARTICLE TEN: AMENDMENTS
SECTION ONE: PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING AND APPROVING AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended at any time. Amendments shall be initiated through the board and submitted to the general membership for approval, all amendments shall be submitted in writing to the secretary and distributed to all members in good standing. A majority of the votes cast at the general meeting will be necessary to enact a change in the bylaws. Forty percent of the active membership must be present at such meeting to enact the change.
ARTICLE ELEVEN: NOMINATIONS
SECTION ONE: PROCEDURE
The Nomination Committee shall provide a list of all eligible candidates for office and Board of Governors to the voting membership 60 days prior to the fall meeting. The nominations shall be returned to the committee thirty days prior to the fall meeting.