Welcome to ARFAX

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this Association shall be Arlington/Fairfax Women’s Golf Association

(ARFAX).

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

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.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Definition

The membership of this Association shall be comprised of those clubs and

individuals who are eligible as defined herein.

Section 2. Clubs

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 one year.

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.

Section 3. Individual

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.

Section 4. Compliance

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.

ARTICLE IV: DUES

Section 1. Clubs

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.

Section 2. Individuals

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.

Section 3. Teams

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.

Section 2. Officers

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.

Section 3. Executive Board

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.

Section 4. Executive Committee

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.

Section 5. Standing Rules and Regulations

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.

ARTICLE VI: DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DELEGATES

President

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.

Vice President

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.

Secretary

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.

Treasurer

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.

Delegate

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.

Alternate

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.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

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.

ARTICLE VIII: DUTIES OF CHAIRS AND COMMITTEES

Auditor

Annually audit the accounts of the Treasurer prior to the February meeting. She

shall submit a report of her audit at the February meeting.

Cup & Prize

The Cup & Prize Chair runs the class cup tournaments, coordinates the guidelines,

instructions, forms, etc., and meets with the Class Cup & Prize Chairs in March to review

the procedures and forms. She reports directly to the Vice President and submits required

information to the Handbook Chair.

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.

Handbook

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.

Nominating

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.

Rules & Handicap

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.

Team

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

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.

ARTICLE IX: MEETINGS

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.

January 15, 2025

Article III, Section 2(a): Changed the probationary period for new clubs who join ARFAX from

2 years to 1 year.

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