The name of this Association shall be Arlington/Fairfax Women’s Golf Association (ARFAX).

This Association has been formed and exists for the purpose of promoting competitive amateur golf and conserving the best interests of women golfers who are actively associated with member clubs as defined in Article III below.

The membership of this Association shall be comprised of those clubs and individuals who are eligible as defined herein. 

a) Any invited golf or country club in Northern Virginia, having the necessary facilities as defined below and holding membership in the United States Golf Association (USGA), may apply in writing for membership in this Association. Such written application shall be subject to review by the Executive Board, which shall submit its recommendations to the Executive Committee. Approval of an application for membership shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Delegates. (For the purposes of these Bylaws, the Delegate shall be the Delegate or in her absence the Alternate or the designated representative for that meeting.) If accepted, said club would then be eligible for a probationary membership of two years. 

During the probationary period, the President shall appoint a committee to play the applicant’s course without green fees to judge the merits of the course, discover transportation problems and determine adequacy of dining facilities. During the probationary period, the members of the applicant club shall be eligible for normal activities of ARFAX.

After the probationary period, permanent status shall be voted upon at the September meeting. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Delegates will be required for permanent membership.

b) The requirements for membership, as they pertain to a club, shall be as follows at the time of application:

1) A complete, operable clubhouse having adequate dining area(s) and service facilities to accommodate Association events and participants therein, over and above normal club activity.

2) A Women’s Association comprised of, and operating in the interest of, women golfers.

3) A guarantee that an adequate supply of passenger carts is available to accommodate any given Association event.

4) Assurance from its governing body that any date or dates given for the Association’s scheduling of tournaments or team matches will be fully honored.

5) A guarantee that it will host at least one Association event per year.

6) Any further items as may be determined by the Association through its Executive Board.

a) Regular Membership: Any individual woman golfer who belongs to a member club in good standing in the Club Association shall be eligible to apply for membership in this Association upon compliance with the following specific rules governing individual membership:

1. Pay the prevailing annual individual membership fee.

2. Be a woman golfer at least eighteen (18) years of age.

3. Be a member of a member club’s Women’s Golf Association.

4. Have an established 18-hole USGA handicap index and meet the posting  requirements stated in the Standing Rules and Regulations.

5. The handicap index may not be greater than is stated in the standing

Rules and Regulations to become a new member of ARFAX.

b) Lifetime Membership: Any past president of ARFAX shall be a lifetime member in the Association regardless of her handicap. To compete in Team competition, she must be a member of a recognized ARFAX Women’s Golf Association. To compete for prizes in any Cup tournament, including the President’s Cup, the past president must have an established USGA index. Past presidents will be responsible to pay Team fees, cart fees and other fees as required, but no regular dues. All past presidents shall be invited to participate in the annual President’s Cup (lunch included) and shall be responsible for all other fees chargeable to other Cup participants. 

The applications for, and acceptance of, membership in the Association shall bind each member club and individual member to abide by the provisions of the Bylaws and such rules and regulations as may be enacted by the Association, and shall bind such member club and individual member to accept and enforce all decisions of the Executive Board and/or the Executive Committee and/or the Standing Committees made within their jurisdiction. Failure on the part of any member club or individual member to so comply at any time shall render such member club or individual member liable to suspension or expulsion by a 2/3 vote of all Delegates at a regular or special meeting. Prior to consideration of such suspension or expulsion, a complaint against either a member club or individual member shall be submitted in writing to the President and shall be referred to the Executive Board for full investigation. A complete report arising from this investigation shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for action thereon.

The annual dues of each member club shall be decided by the Executive Committee at the September meeting. Failure of any member club to pay the prescribed dues shall provide reason for suspension of the club and shall render void the voting power of the delegate representing that club.

The annual dues of each individual member shall be decided by the Executive Committee at the September meeting. Payment shall entitle a member to a Handbook and Directory and participation in ARFAX events, some of which are subject to added fees and others are by invitation only.

The annual dues of each team member shall be decided by the Executive Committee at the September meeting.

ARTICLE V: GOVERNMENT

Section 1. Delegates and Alternates

Each member club shall have one Delegate and one Alternate, both of whom must be members of this Association and a Women’s Golf Association at their respective clubs. A Delegate is a liaison officer between this Association and its members at her club. 

a) The officers of this Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected for a period of one year and shall assume their official duties at the close of the annual meeting in November. 

b) Vacancies in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President. Vacancies in the office of Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer shall be filled at a special meeting by a majority vote of the Delegates present. All persons elected to fill vacancies shall serve until the next annual meeting.

There shall be an Executive Board composed of the elected officers of this Association. Prior to the first meeting of the Executive Committee, the Executive Board shall meet for the purpose of discussing policies and procedures with recommendations to the Executive Committee. Other meetings of the Executive Board may be called at the discretion of the President.

The Executive Committee of this Association shall be composed of the elected officers and the Delegates of each member club. In the event a club’s Delegate cannot attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, her Alternate shall act in her stead. If neither is available, the Delegate will appoint an ARFAX member from her club as her representative at that meeting. The Executive Committee shall have full charge of all business pertaining to this Association.

The standing rules and regulations governing Membership, Team Matches, and Cup Matches are set forth in the annual Handbook. Any suggested changes in these provisions may be presented to the Executive Committee for consideration at any regularly-scheduled meeting. Approval of any changes in the standing rules and regulations will require a majority vote of Delegates present.

The President shall preside over all meetings of this Association, its Executive Board, and its Executive Committee. She shall appoint the chairs of all committees and may create such additional committees as may be deemed necessary. If vacancies occur in the Chairs of any committee, the President shall fill such vacancies. She shall confer with the Vice President and committee chairs on the formation and functioning of the committees and shall be an ex-officio member of each committee with the exception of the Nominating Committee. She shall keep the current records and historical information of the Association.

The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, perform the duties of the President. She shall supervise the Team, Cup & Prize and Special Tournament Chairs.  She shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to her by the President.

The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Executive Board and the Executive Committee, shall issue notice of such meetings with the agenda and shall be in charge of all correspondence and forms of the Association. In her absence or disability, a Secretary pro-tem shall fulfill her duties. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to her by the President. Following each Executive Committee meeting, a copy of the minutes shall be furnished to each Delegate and Alternate.

The Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds of this Association and shall deposit them to the credit of this Association. She shall expend same under the direction of the Executive Committee by check signed by herself, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, and keep a file of checks or vouchers for all monies expended. She shall submit a written report at each regularly-constituted meeting of the Executive Committee. She shall collect club and individual member dues, including team fees from the Delegates.

1. The accounts of the Treasurer shall be audited annually by the Auditor. She shall present her books, vouchers, receipts, and all other records to the Auditor in sufficient time for a report to be prepared for the February meeting.

2. The President shall be empowered to withdraw funds from the account of this Association in the event the Treasurer is not available when such a withdrawal becomes necessary.

The Delegate attends all meetings of the Executive Committee. She provides a complete list of team members and all necessary information to the Team Chair, a list of her club’s members to the Membership Chair and all club and individual dues to the Treasurer. She also arranges the dates for Association functions at her club and posts information pertaining to these for the benefit of her members. She shall perform all other duties necessary as the liaison officer between this Association and the members of her club. 

The Alternate should attend all Executive Committee meetings, casting her club’s vote only in the absence of the Delegate. She should familiarize herself with all duties of the Delegate to fulfill all responsibilities whenever necessary.

The following shall be Standing Committees or Chairs:

Auditor

Rules & Handicap

Cup & Prize

Team

Handbook

Special Tournaments (e.g., Ice   Breaker, 2-Lady)

Membership 

Website

Nominating

Any necessary sub-chairs and/or members of the above committees shall be selected jointly by the President and Chairs of each said committee. 

Annually audit the accounts of the Treasurer prior to the February meeting. She shall submit a report of her audit at the February meeting. 

 She shall be responsible for determining graduated amounts for chits to be awarded to winners for all Cup tournaments. In addition, she shall also be responsible for the display of the permanent trophy at the time of the scheduled tournament. The individual tournaments shall be divided into classes according to index, and each class shall have a Cup & Prize Chair. The amount of prize money allotted to each class shall be determined by the number of players. 

The Handbook Chair shall be responsible for publication of the annual Handbook.

Membership 

The Membership Chair shall maintain a database of contact information for all members of ARFAX, distribute a Directory to Delegates, and make periodic updates available to the members through their respective Delegates. She shall also furnish regular updates to the Executive Board, the Website Chair, and the Rules & Handicap Chair to assist them in the performance of their assigned duties.

The Nominating Committee shall consist of five members: The Chair plus four others, and no two members may be from the same club. The President shall appoint the Chair, and the Chair selects the other four members. The final membership is subject to the approval of the Delegates at the February meeting. The Chair shall be responsible for calling as many meetings as necessary of all committee members to determine a final slate of officers to be presented at the Executive Committee meeting in September.

The Rules & Handicap Chair shall have the responsibility for overseeing the revision, when needed, of the golf rules governing tournament play or handicaps, and shall submit these revisions for approval by the Executive Committee. USGA and local rules shall apply in all instances. In addition, she shall be responsible for the general operation of handicap records covering the membership of this Association according to existing regulations.

The Team Chair shall be responsible for setting up a method of team play and schedule for the current season, reporting directly to the Vice President, and submitting required information to the Handbook Chair. She shall be responsible for all team records, trophies, and all things pertaining to team play.

Website

The Website Chair shall oversee the maintenance and content of the Association’s website.

Special Tournament Chairs organize events such as the Ice Breaker and Two-Lady Team held at their clubs based on a rotation schedule. They report to the Vice President.

Section 1. 

A quorum for all meetings of the Executive Committee shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the Delegates.

Section 2. 

The annual meeting of this Association shall be held in the month of November to report the election of officers, accept reports, and transact any other necessary business. All members of ARFAX are invited to attend this meeting.

Section 3.

Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held in the months of January, February, March and September. Participation at these meetings is limited to Officers, Delegates, Alternates or designated club representatives, and committee chairs. Any member of ARFAX who wishes to attend a regular meeting of the Executive Committee may do so as an observer only and shall have no active involvement in the proceedings unless specifically invited to do so by the Board.

Section 4.

Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at any time by the President and must be called by her upon a written request of three Delegates. Fifteen (15) days prior to any special meeting, a notice and agenda shall be emailed to each member of the Executive Committee. The business of a special meeting will be limited to that agenda.

Section 5.

In the event a scheduled meeting cannot take place, the President may authorize the Executive Committee to conduct business and vote electronically.

ARTICLE X: NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS AND INSTALLATIONS

Section 1. Nominations

a) The Nominating Committee shall furnish a slate of officers to the Delegates at the September Executive Committee meeting for approval. Only one candidate per club shall be part of the slate of officers.

b) Should a vacancy occur in the slate at any time prior to the September meeting of the Executive Committee, the Nominating Committee shall immediately hold such additional meeting(s) as may be necessary to determine a full slate.

c) Members of the Nominating Committee are barred from becoming nominees for office unless they resign from the Committee. The Committee shall begin work at the discretion of the Chair no later than the second week in August. The proposed slate shall be forwarded to the Secretary who shall then notify each Delegate and Alternate, by email, at least twenty (20) days prior to the September Executive Committee meeting, of the proposed slate of officers.

Section 2. Elections

The final slate of candidates shall be presented by the Nominating Committee Chair at the September Executive Committee meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor. The delegates shall vote on the proposed slate of officers, and a majority vote of those present and voting shall be required for election. If a candidate is opposed and the vote is tied, the Secretary will cast the elective ballot.

Section 3. Installations

Installation of the newly-elected officers will be conducted by the Nominating Chair (or her designee) at the annual meeting in November.

Article XI: VOTING, AMENDMENTS AND PROCEDURES

Section 1. Voting

At all meetings of the Executive Committee (whether in person or electronic), voting shall be by member clubs only through the Delegates or their representatives. Each club shall cast one vote only. 

When a Delegate is absent from a meeting of the Executive Committee, her Alternate or designated representative shall assume the voting privilege normally resting with the Delegate.

Section 2. Amendments

a) The Bylaws of this Association may be amended at any meeting of the Executive Committee. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the Delegates shall be required. Prior to consideration, twenty (20) days’ notice of the meeting and of the proposed amendment must be emailed to the Delegate of each member club.

b) When two-thirds (2/3) of all Delegates does not result in a whole number, the required 2/3 vote will be rounded down if the fractional value is .5 or less and rounded up when the fractional value is .6 or above. This fractional value guide will apply in all instances where a specific majority vote is called for in these Bylaws.

Section 3. Procedures

Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this Association except where they are inconsistent with these Bylaws.

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These Bylaws are the final approved consolidation of ARFAX’s previous governing documents (Bylaws and Constitution), including changes approved on September 25, 2003, and January 30, 2004.

Feb 27, 2004: The term “female at birth” was removed from Art. III Section 3 (a) and (a) 2.

March 18, 2005: Amendments made to

1. Article III, Sec 3(a)6 Regular Membership

2. Article III, Sec 3(a)7 Regular Membership

3. Article III, Sec 4 Compliance

4. Article XI, Sec 1 Voting

February 19, 2008: Amendment to Article III Membership, Section 3(b) Lifetime  Membership of past presidents.

March 25, 2008: 

Article III, Section 3 (b) (Lifetime Membership) added.

Minor changes in wording and listing of newer committees’ names and functions.

March 23, 2010

Article III:  Sec. 3(a)4 deleted to allow membership in Women’s District Golf Assoc.

Article VI: Alternates’ duties modified

Article VIII: Membership Chair’s duties modified

Article IX: Participation in Executive Committee meetings clarified

Article XI: Clarification of meeting 2/3 vote requirement

February 28, 2011

Article V: Sec. 2(a) amended, deleting term limitations for Officers

Article VIII: Auditor’s deadlines changed from January to February

March 24, 2011

Article VI: Reference to Auditor’s deadline contained in Treasurer’s duties changed  from January to February

January 9, 2017 

Article III, Section 3: Permitting members of a WGA that maintain an 18-hole handicap to become members.

September 24, 2018

General Changes: 

1. Changed all references from Chairmen to Chair or Chairs throughout the Bylaws.

2. Fixed heading and spelling errors and eliminated inconsistencies in spelling and grammar.

3. Reduced wordiness, e.g., “in order to” changed to “to.”

4. Changed “Arfax” to “ARFAX” throughout the document.

5. Changed “By-Laws” to “Bylaws” for consistency.

Article III, Section 2. Changed to correct usage of USGA abbreviation and clarified how a club’s golf course would be evaluated for membership. 

Article III, Section 4. Clarified voting requirement as 2/3 of all Delegates, not 2/3 of Delegates present at meeting.

Article V, Section 1. Moved responsibility to request upcoming season Delegate and Alternate information to the Secretary’s month-by-month responsibilities.

Article V, Section 2. Changed voting requirement to “Delegates present” rather than all Delegates.

Article V, Section 5. Revised to eliminate requirements that changes in Rules & Regulations must first go to Executive Board. Removed restriction on considering changes at annual meeting. Deleted redundant reference to required quorum.

Article VI, President. Moved responsibility for contact with sponsors to Secretary’s month-by-month responsibilities.

Article VI, Vice President. Moved responsibility for gathering names of Delegates and Alternates to Secretary’s month-by-month responsibilities.

Article VI, Secretary. Added distribution of minutes to Alternates as well as Delegates; clarified language on other duties.

Article VI, Treasurer. Clarified language on duties.

Article VI, Delegate. Changed distribution of membership list to Membership Chair rather than to the Executive Board; clarified language on other duties.

Article VII. Reorganized and renamed Committees to reflect current usage. Clarified language on appointments to Committees and identification of Chairs.

Article VIII. Deleted requirement for Auditor to give a copy of her report to each member of the Executive Committee (can be in minutes). Merged cup and prize responsibilities into one Cup & Prize Chair. Shortened name of Golf Rules and Handicap to Rules & Handicap. Clarified Membership Chair responsibilities. Renamed and moved “Special Tournaments Chair” to “Special Tournament Chairs” as each event has a separate chair. Deleted Two-Lady Team as separate entry and moved to new “Special Tournament Chairs” section. Edited “web site” into one word “website.” Deleted “Yearbook” as it is no longer provided.

Article IX, Section 1. Deleted “designated” from quorum requirement.

Article IX, Section 4. Changed “written notice” to “notice and agenda shall be emailed.”

Article IX, Section 5. Added this section to allow President to authorize the Executive Committee to conduct business and vote electronically.

Article X, Section 1c. Changed “meeting” to “begin work”; added Alternate to recipients of notification of proposed slate of officers.

Article X, Section 2. Changed last sentence regarding Secretary casting ballot.

Article X, Section 3. Clarified that it is the Nominating Chair who installs officers.

Article XI. Section 1. Removed requirement for motions to be made by Delegates only. Removed sentence requiring votes to be conducted in meetings only; this conflicts with change proposed in Article IX, Section 5.

Article XI, Section 2. Removed restriction on changing Association Bylaws at annual meeting; clarified notices to be forwarded by email.

November 12, 2020

Article III, Section 3(a) 4. Added “and meet the posting requirements stated in the Standing Rules and Regulations.” to be in sync with the Standing Rules and Regulations.