BDGA Rules & Bylaws – Bluegrass Disc Golf Association

Article 1 Name and Mission

I. The name of the non-profit organization is Bluegrass Disc Golf Association (BDGA)

II. The BDGA will strive to promote disc golf in central Kentucky and encourage more players to get involved in organized disc golf by developing and maintaining disc golf courses that are appropriate for developing skilled players. This will be accomplished by promoting organized disc golf events and by promoting community awareness of disc golf in general.

III. The BDGA will serve as a liaison between the disc golf community and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) Parks and Recreation Department and other pertinent entities as occasion calls.

Article 2 Membership

I. Active membership in the BDGA is contingent upon payment of a membership fee. Those paying this fee shall be referred to herein as “Members.” Membership fees will be $20.00, with an annual membership renewal of $10.00. Memberships are good for one calendar year. However, memberships purchased after September 30 shall be good for the rest of that year in addition to the entire next calendar year.

II. The privileges of membership involve:

The right to vote in BDGA elections.
The right to be a member of a committee or to hold office in the BDGA.
The responsibility of assisting with BDGA functions where applicable and able.
A BDGA membership discount on merchandise.
A $1.00 discount on all BDGA-run leagues and tournaments.
Inclusion in BDGA bag tags.

III. Non-members and non-active members shall have none of the privileges of Members.

IV. Membership may be revoked or suspended by a majority of the Board of Directors (see Article 3) per Article 8 of these Bylaws.

V. Members shall abide by these Bylaws and may request review and amendment to these Bylaws from the Board of Directors per Article 7 of these Bylaws.

Article 3 Board of Directors

I. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the BDGA and will herein be referred to as “The Board.” The Board will consist of eight officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary/Information Officer, Treasurer, and four at-large Representatives.

II. Officers must be Members in good standing.

III. Members shall nominate and elect the Board.

IV. A quorum of the Board shall be required to constitute an official meeting and to transact business. A quorum of the Board shall consist of more than 50% of current, voting officers.

V. Decisions made by the Board shall be considered binding upon Members. Individual BDGA officers making decisions on behalf of the Board and without the approval of the Board shall be subject to disciplinary review by the remaining Members of the Board as per Article 8 of these Bylaws.

VI. Board decisions may be made by secret ballot, web ballot, voice vote, or by roll call. The action must receive a simple majority vote for approval expect where otherwise specified by these Bylaws.

VII. If a tie in voting occurs when a quorum of the Board is present, then the President can, at the President’s discretion, either cast the tie-breaking vote or table the matter until a meeting of the full Board can be held.

VIII. The Board shall approve the annual budget.

IX. The roles and responsibilities of the Board shall be as follows:

The President shall:

Serve as the non-voting chair of the Board (with the exception of a tied vote
when the President may cast the tie-breaking vote),
Call meetings of the Board or general membership as needed,
Set the agenda and chair all Board and BDGA meetings,
Assign Committee Chairs,
Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees,
Be the second signature on all BDGA checks,
Serve as liaison between the BDGA and other organizations, including
Lexington Parks & Recreation by serving on their advisory board.

The Vice-President shall:

Assume the responsibilities of the President in the absence of the President,
Coordinate and run all elections,
Act as liaison between the general membership and the Board,
Assist with functions of the BDGA.

The Secretary/Information Officer shall:

Keep records of the minutes of all Board and BDGA meetings, and present
those minutes for approval at the next meeting,
Maintain the official address of the BDGA,
Maintain the list of current and former members,
Preserve a copy of all signed waivers by volunteers and event participants,
Oversee and Chair the Information Committee,
Oversee the BDGA website maintenance and updates,
Oversee BDGA information kiosks at local courses.

The Treasurer shall:

Maintain the financial records of the BDGA,
Oversee the Merchandising Committee,
Prepare the annual budget and quarterly financial statements in
coordination with all committee chairs,
Maintain the checking account in accordance with these Bylaws,
Collect membership fees,
Pay all bills of the BDGA upon action by the Board.

The At-Large Representatives shall:

Serve as or find a suitable replacement when the regular Event Director
(see Article 4 Section 9) is unavailable,
Serve as the voice of the general membership (see Article 5),
Serve on at least one of the established fixed committees,
Assist with functions of the BDGA.

Article 4 Committees

I. Committees may be created by the Board or by the President as warranted.

II. Unless otherwise specified, the Committee Chair will report to the President.

III. For Permanent Committees, Chairs shall be reviewed annually at the first Board meeting of the calendar year, or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional reviews may be conducted as needed if the Board feels the Committee Chair is not fulfilling the Chair’s responsibilities.

IV. Committee Chairs may seek committee members; however, the Chairperson is ultimately responsible for the actions and inactions of the committee.

V. Committee Chairs shall not enter into any contracts or assume any debts without prior authorization by the Board.

VI. Committees shall develop budgets for each activity/function and submit them to the Board for approval.

VII. All committee meetings shall be open to all Members.

VIII. The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.

IX. There are hereby established the following Permanent Committees:

The Information Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the BDGA website and kiosks. This committee will be chaired by the Secretary/Information Officer. The BDGA Webmaster shall also serve as a member of the Information Committee.
Course Committees shall be responsible for improving and maintaining their respective disc golf courses. There shall be one Course Committee for each disc golf course developed and maintained by the BDGA. The Chair for each Course Committee shall be known as the Course Director. Responsibilities of the Course Director are as follows:
1. insure that broken or vandalized equipment is repaired or replaced as soon as is practical.
2. Coordinate major course maintenance, development and/or redevelopment with the LFUCG Parks Department or any other owners of the property on which the course is developed, especially with regard to tree removal, fairway movement or redesign, concrete work, etc.
3. Serve as primary contact to the Parks Department (or other entity) on all issues that arise concerning that course,
4. Perform community outreach,
5. Coordinate all course design changes through the Board for approval prior to initiating any work,
6. Develop a budget in accordance with Article 3 Section 9D of these bylaws.
The Merchandising Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the BDGA merchandise inventory and sales thereof. The Chair of the Merchandising Committee shall be known as the Quartermaster and shall report to the Treasurer and develop a budget in accordance with Article 3 Section 9D of these bylaws. The Quartermaster shall make no major purchases ($50 or more) without the approval of the Board.

X. There are hereby established temporary committees to be known as Event Committees. An Event Committee shall be responsible for running an event or tournament and shall be disbanded when the post-event reporting responsibilities have been completed. The Chair of an Event Committee will serve as the Tournament Director/League Coordinator (depending on the type of event). Responsibilities of the Tournament Director/League Coordinator include but are not limited to:

Coordinating with the Course Director(s) to obtain any permission needed for the event
and to get the course in tournament shape;
Developing a budget for the event in accordance with Article 3 Section 9D of these bylaws;
Establishing planning sub-committees for the various elements of event operations
(fundraising, advertising, sponsor recognition, prize and trophy procurement, course
preparation, player communications, out-of-town accommodations, etc.);
Coordinating revenue collection and debt collection through the Board;
Officiating the event;
Reporting tournament results to the Webmaster and outside sanctioning bodies (PDGA,
etc.);
Preparing financial statements for submission to the Treasurer and the Board.

Article 5 Election Process

I. The nomination process will start on October 15 and run through October 31. The Vice-President shall accept nominations from any active Member. A Member may nominate as many or as few candidates for any and all offices (including the At-Large positions) the Member wishes to submit nominations. Any person nominated for more than one position (other than an At-Large position) shall choose one preferred position before noon on November 7. All nominees must accept or decline nomination prior to noon on November 7 by notifying the Vice-President. Failure to notify the Vice-President constitutes declining the nomination.

II. The voting process will be held for two weeks starting no earlier than noon on November 7 and running through November 21. The Vice-President shall accept votes from any active Member. Ballots must be

received by November 21 to be counted. Ballots may be cast by personal message to the Vice-President via the BDGA message board, by e-mail to the Vice-President, or by hand-written ballot personally given to the Vice-President. Ballots must include the Member’s name, the office(s) for which they are voting, and the candidates for whom they are voting. The Vice-President shall preserve all ballots until December 31 of the year of the election.

III. To win an office, the candidate must receive a simple majority of the votes cast for that position. If there is no majority, a run-off election will be held for the top two candidates. All ballots for the run-off election must be received by November 30.

IV. The BDGA Board shall take office on the January 1 following the election. The December meeting shall be a transition period with incoming officers invited to sit in on the Board meeting, but without voting privileges.

V. Offices will be held for one calendar year.

VI. No Member may hold more than one elected office at a time. There shall be no limit to the number of committee positions that a Member may hold.

VII. Special elections to fill vacated officer positions may be held at any time at the discretion of the Board.

VIII. A person may only hold a particular office (including At-Large Representative) for a maximum of 4 consecutive terms. After 4 consecutive years in a position, the person may serve in any other office (if they so desire and are elected to do so). The person may also be re-elected to the same office later, but only after a minimum hiatus of 1 year.

IX. For the At-Large positions, the top four vote-getters (not counting the individuals elected to one of the other officer positions) will be elected. In the event of a tie for the fourth position, a run-off election will be held between the two (or more) nominees.

Article 6 Finances

I. The Fiscal Year shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

II. The BDGA membership fee shall be $20.00 for first time members, and $10.00 for membership renewals. Non-members who would like to participate in the Bag Tag Challenge may also pay $10.00 only. Youth memberships or Bag Tags (for those 16 and under), will be for half the cost of the regular fees.

III. The BDGA shall not make or receive a loan to or from any Member.

IV. The BDGA is a non-profit volunteer organization. No fees for services rendered may be paid unless prior approval of the Board is obtained.

V. A checking account shall be maintained to pay all expenses. Any drafts on the account shall require the signature of both the Treasurer and President.

VI. In the event that the BDGA is dissolved, its assets (both physical and monetary) shall be dispersed as follows:

Assets shall be consolidated from all members.
All debts and claims shall be paid.
Any remaining assets, for which there are no claims or debts, shall be given to charitable
organizations of the Board’s choosing.

Article 7 Bylaws Amendment Process

I. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws may be submitted to the Board, in writing, by any Member.

II. The Board shall consider all amendments submitted to it and inform the Membership that it:

Either favors the proposal as presented,
Or favors the proposal with suggested changes,
Or is not in favor of the proposal and reviews the reasons why.

III. A proposal to amend these Bylaws, approved by the Board, shall be submitted to the Vice-President, who shall put it to a vote by all Members. This vote shall be concluded within one month of its submission by the Vice-President to the general membership.

IV. The Board shall declare adopted any proposed amendment to these Bylaws that receives a 2/3 vote by the general membership (that is, 2/3 of the active members on the day the amendment was submitted to the general membership by the Vice-President).

If the amendment fails within one month of its submission to garner the 2/3 votes required
for its adoption, the amendment will be defeated.
Defeated amendments may not be re-submitted for a minimum of 6 months.
Successfully adopted amendments to these Bylaws become effective immediately upon
receiving the required 2/3 vote of the general membership.

V. The initial ratification of these Bylaws shall be made by a 2/3 vote of the current Board.

VI. Should any Member fail to receive satisfaction from the Board concerning a proposed amendment, the Member may petition the Board to reconsider the amendment by obtaining the signatures of 25 members

or 1/2 of the active Membership (whichever is less). Should the Board fail to approve the amendment and submit it for a vote, the petitioners may circumvent the Board and force the adoption of the amendment by obtaining the signatures of an additional 15 members or an additional 1/4 of the active membership (whichever is greater).

Article 8 Discipline of Members

I. Disciplinary charges against any Member may be filed in a written petition signed by at least 5 Members and submitted to the Vice-President.

II. Should the Board decide to take action, a hearing date shall be established, and both the accused and the accusers will be notified. The charges will be discussed at this hearing, with all parties having equal

opportunity to present their case.

III. The Board may suspend the Membership of any Member for a specified time (up to 2 years) by a 75% vote of the full Board. A unanimous vote of the full Board is required to permanently ban a member. If the person against whom charges were brought is on the Board, that person shall not have voting privileges on this matter. In this case, the “full Board” is the Board minus the person being accused. In no case will Membership fees be refunded to anyone.

IV. The Board may remove any Officer from the Board by a unanimous vote of the full Board, not including the Board member in Question.

Article 9 Meetings

I. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, with the President acting as the Chair.

II. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held monthly, or as decided by the Board.

Board meetings may be called by:
1. The President at any time,
2. The Board itself by simple majority at a Board meeting,
3. A quorum of the full Board at any time.
Regular board meetings must be called at least 7 days prior to their occurrence and publicized by the Secretary/Information Officer on the BDGA website and kiosks.
1. An emergency meeting may be called at any time, but a super-majority (2/3)
  of the full board must be present for any official action to be taken.
2. A member may vote by proxy on the BDGA message board for an
  emergency meeting.
For regular Board meetings, a quorum must be present to consider motions, and a simple majority of the quorum is required to pass the motion. In the event of a tie, the President can, at the President’s discretion, either cast the tie-breaking vote or table the matter until
a meeting of the full Board can be held.
1. All motions shall be made part of the minutes of the meeting and shall be fully recorded.

III. Board or Committee meetings shall be open to all Members of the BDGA. The Board or a Committee may go into Executive Session at any time, but only for reasons of personnel or outside organizational finance reasons.

IV. The BDGA shall have general Membership meetings at least once a year, and more as needed.

V. The Annual Meeting shall be held prior to the close of the nomination period.

VI. At this meeting, any Member may be recognized and heard, in accordance with the agenda, and BDGA business shall be conducted, provided there is a quorum of the Board.

VII. The Annual Meeting shall have a set agenda item to be termed “General Membership Comments” wherein any item related to the BDGA may be brought up for discussion by any Member of the BDGA.

VIII. A non-Member may be recognized and heard solely at the discretion of the President or a simple majority of the quorum of the Board.