1. ESTABLISHMENT AND OBJECTIVES
1.1. The unincorporated association governed by these Rules is called the “SpecialEffect Golf Society (SEGS)” (the “Society”) and was formed on 6th October 2023.
1.2. The Society’s crest shall be as shown on the top of this page.
1.3. The founding members of the Society are the initial President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and the other members of the Committee as identified in paragraph 3.3 who have each agreed to comply with these Rules.
1.4. The purposes of the Society are:
(a) to raise awareness and funds for the charity SpecialEffect (Reg. Charity No: 1121004);
(b) to provide networking opportunities for the gaming industry;
(c) to facilitate the playing of amateur golf by its members; and
(d) to engender a spirit of friendliness and conviviality among its members.
1.5. The Society is a non-profit-making organisation. The income and property of the Society shall be applied solely towards the Society’s purposes as set forth in these Rules, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to the members of the Society (provided that this shall not prevent the Society being supplied with any goods or services from a member or any other person on an arm’s length basis where approved by the Committee).
1.6. The rules of the game of golf as it is to be played within the Society’s golf events shall be those of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
2. MEMBERSHIP
Eligibility
2.1. Any individual employed or materially involved in the video gaming industry or otherwise approved by the Committee shall be eligible to become a member of the Society.
2.2. No person shall be denied membership of the Society on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, creed, colour, age, disability, gender, sex, occupation, sexual orientation, religion, political or other beliefs.
2.3. There is a maximum of 100 members of the Society.
Admission of members
2.4. Any person who wishes to become a member must submit an application in such form as the Committee shall decide. Every candidate for membership shall be considered by the Committee, which shall, in its absolute discretion, decide whether to admit that candidate as a member. Applications for membership of the Society do not require a proposer or seconder.
2.5. The Committee shall have power to refuse membership if it in its sole discretion determines that it would be in the interests of the Society to do so.
Conditions of membership
2.6. Each member agrees as a condition of membership to be bound by and subject to these Rules.
2.7. Each member shall pay the annual subscription fee determined in accordance with these Rules.
Termination of membership
2.8. A member may terminate their membership of the Society with one month’s notice to the President. Membership may not be transferable in any event and shall cease immediately on death.
2.9. The Committee may expel a member under paragraph 7 of these Rules.
2.10. Any person ceasing to be a member forfeits all right to and claim upon the Society, its property and its funds and that member has no right to the return of any part of their subscription fee.
3. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
3.1. The Society shall be managed by a committee (the Committee) consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and a maximum of five other members.
3.2. The roles and responsibilities of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be as set out in Annex 1.
3.3. The Committee shall initially comprise Tony Lloyd (as President), Fred Gill (as Vice-President), Tim Stokes (as Secretary) and Liz Fitzgerald (nee Watson) (as Treasurer) and Allen Leitch, Brian Woodhouse, Matt Wilson, Dave Parkinson and Nick Streeter (as members of the Committee without portfolio).
3.4. The members of the Committee may delegate any of the powers that are conferred on them by these Rules to such person, or committee, by such means, to such extent, in relation to such matters and on such terms and conditions as they think fit.
3.5. Subject to paragraph 3.7, unless a Committee member resigns or is removed as a Committee member in accordance with these Rules, that Committee member shall remain in office until the second AGM following their appointment when that person shall retire, but shall be eligible for re-election.
3.6. There is no maximum number of terms a committee member may stand for.
3.7. If a Committee member resigns or is removed as a Committee member in accordance with these Rules, the Committee may appoint any member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the beginning of the next AGM when that person shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.
3.8. A member of the Committee shall automatically be removed as such if:
(a) that member has become bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with their creditors generally;
(b) that member resigns their office by notice to the President or ceases to be a member of the Society;
(c) that member shall, without sufficient reason for more than three consecutive meetings of the Committee, have been absent without permission of the Committee and the Committee resolves that that member be removed; or
(d) the Committee resolves to remove them as a member of the Committee.
3.9. The Committee shall meet at least once a year. The Secretary shall give all the members of the Committee not less than 5 days’ notice of a meeting (which may be by email).
3.10. At Committee meetings, five (or, if fewer, all of the Committee members) shall form a quorum.
3.11. The President shall take the chair at Committee meetings or in his/her absence by any member elected by those present. Minutes shall be taken by the Secretary.
3.12. Matters shall be decided by a majority of votes cast. Each member present shall have one vote with the chair having the casting vote. Minutes shall be recorded of resolutions passed at each meeting.
3.13. The Treasurer shall keep account of all receipts and disbursements of the Society and present an up to date statement of them to the Committee at each meeting.
3.14. The Committee shall have the power to make, alter or rescind such rules and regulations as they may consider necessary or desirable, provided always that no Committee resolution shall change any provision of these Rules.
3.15. At a AGM or EGM the membership will have the power to alter or amend any rule or regulation made by the Committee.
3.16. Any complaints or disputes shall be notified in writing to the Secretary who shall submit them to the Committee whose decision shall be final on all matters (in the absence of manifest error).
3.17. The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Society.
3.18. The Committee shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Society on behalf of all the members.
3.19. The members of the Committee shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Society for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Society.
3.20. The Committee may appoint trustees to be the trustees of the Society (the “Trustees”), to hold office until death or resignation unless removed from office by a resolution of the Committee or by a resolution duly passed at a AGM or EGM. The President from time to time is nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustee Act 1925. A new Trustee or new Trustees shall be nominated by resolution of the Committee and the President shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated as the new Trustee or Trustees of the Club and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment. Any statement of fact in any such deed of appointment shall in favour of a person dealing with the Society or the Committee in good faith be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.
3.21. If Trustees are appointed, all property of the Society including land and investments, shall be held by the Trustees for the time being, in their own names so far as necessary and practicable, and for the use and benefit of the Society. On the death, resignation or removal from office of a Trustee the Committee shall take steps to procure the appointment by the Society in an AGM or EGM of a new Trustee in his place; and shall as soon as possible thereafter take lawful and practicable steps to procure the vesting of all Society property into names of the Trustees as constituted after the said appointment. The Trustees shall in all respects act, in regard to any property of the Society held by them, in accordance with the directions of the Committee; and shall have power to sell, lease, mortgage or pledge any Society property for the purpose of raising or borrowing money for the benefit of the Society in compliance with the Committee’s directions.
4. GENERAL MEETINGS
4.1. The annual general meeting of the Society (“AGM”) shall be held at such time as the Committee shall decide each year to transact the following business:
(a) to acknowledge and consider the President’s report of the activities of the Society during the year;
(b) to acknowledge and consider the Treasurer’s report as to the financial position of the Society;
(c) to elect or re-elect each vacant or to be vacant role in the Committee (as appropriate);
(d) to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with paragraph 4.8 below; and
(e) to deal with any other matters which the Committee desires to bring before the membership.
4.2. Fourteen days’ notice of each AGM shall be given to each member (which may be by email).
4.3. Nominations for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and other Committee members may be made to the Secretary before the relevant AGM.
4.4. Ten members (or, if fewer, 75% of members) shall form a quorum at any AGM or an EGM. If the persons attending an AGM or EGM do not constitute a quorum within half an hour of the time at which the meeting was due to start, or if during a meeting, a quorum ceases to be present, the chair of the meeting must adjourn it.
4.5. Voting on resolutions at an AGM or EGM shall be by a show of hands and shall be decided on a simple majority of votes cast and in the event of a tie the chair shall have the casting vote.
4.6. No voting by proxy at an AGM or EGM shall be allowed.
4.7. At AGMs and EGMs the chair shall be taken by the President or in his/her absence the Vice President or in their absence by a member elected by those present.
4.8. Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the AGM at EGM shall be given in writing to the Secretary not less than 28 days before the meeting.
4.9. These Rules may be altered by resolution at an AGM or EGM provided that the resolution shall not be passed unless carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting at the AGM or EGM, the notice of which contains particulars of the proposed alteration or addition.
5. EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS
An extraordinary general meeting (an “EGM”) may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called within 21 days of receipt by the President of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 50% of the members stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. If an EGM is called after receipt of a members’ requisition the only business to be transacted at that meeting shall be the resolutions proposed in the requisition. If a members’ requisitioned meeting is not called before the expiry of a period of 21 days commencing on the date of the request, the members requisitioning the meeting may call the meeting at any time before the expiry of two months commencing on the date of that request.
6. FINANCE
6.1. The initial annual membership subscription for 2024 shall be £40 per member. The annual subscription for future calendar years and any other fees shall be decided at an AGM or EGM.
6.2. Annual subscriptions shall become due on 1st January each year and to be paid by 31st January each year.
6.3. New members joining the Society after 1 January in any calendar year will be required to pay the full annual subscription fee for that calendar year.
6.4. Any member whose subscription is unpaid by the time of a Society event, that member shall not be entitled to participate in that event. A reminder shall then be sent to the member and if the subscription is not paid by the following event, he/she shall automatically be deemed to have resigned as a member.
6.5. The Society’s banking account shall be kept with a bank designated by the Committee and managed by the Treasurer.
6.6. All cheques shall be signed as directed by the Committee.
6.7. The Treasurer shall present a statement of accounts to the members at the AGM each year.
7. SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION
7.1. Any member who does not comply with these Rules may be suspended and/or expelled from the Society.
7.2. Any member deemed to have brought either the Society and/or the charity SpecialEffect into disrepute, may be suspended and/or expelled from the Society.
7.3. Decisions on suspension and/or expulsion will be decided by a disciplinary committee, consisting of a minimum of three members of the Committee.
7.4. The Committee may, by notice in writing to any member, terminate their membership for any reason whatsoever with effect from the end of the current calendar year.
8. DISSOLUTION
8.1. A resolution to dissolve the Society shall be proposed only at an EGM or an AGM and shall be passed only if carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the members present and voting.
8.2. The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Committee shall be responsible for the winding-up of the assets and liabilities of the Society.
8.3. Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Society shall be donated to the charity SpecialEffect (Reg. Charity No: 1121004).
Annex 1 – SEGS Officers – Roles & Responsibilities
President
1. Hold SEGS Committee meetings
2. Prepare an agenda for each meeting
3. Keep the membership informed of all club meetings and activities.
4. Serve as the official spokesperson for the club
5. Appoint committees and delegate the work among all club members
6. Chair the AGM
Vice-President
1. Attend all SEGS Committee meetings and meetings of the organization
2. Assist the President
3. Assume the President’s responsibilities when she/he is absent.
Treasurer
1. Creation and maintenance of the SEGS bank account.
2. Responsible for all funds in the SEGS’s account
3. Sign all fund requisitions along with the advisor for the withdrawal of funds from the SEGS bank account.
4. Be prepared to give a report at each business meeting of SEGS listing revenue, expenditures and balances on hand
5. Have records available for examination at any time
Secretary
1. Record what was done at Committee meetings and keep accurate permanent minutes
2. Keep an accurate and up-to-date list of members
3. Be responsible for organising SEGS events, maintenance of SEGS website and help raise funds for SpecialEffect via SEGS subscriptions and sponsorships
Other Committee Members
1. Participate in SEGS committee meetings
2. Be the voice of the other members
3. Assist in general organisation of SEGS events, fundraising & sponsorship
