FAIRFAX COUNTY GOLDEN RACQUETS TENNIS CLUB
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Founded June 9, 1980
Revised: October, 2007
ARTICLE I - NAME AND SPONSORSHIP
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be: Fairfax County Golden Racquets Tennis Club.
Section 2. The headquarters of this organization shall be the residence of its President or Acting President.
Section 3. This club functions as a non-profit organization.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the sport of tennis among senior citizens of Fairfax County, Virginia as a means of recreation, physical fitness, and the sharing of good fellowship.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1. This club is for playing tennis and is not intended to provide instruction for persons desiring to learn the fundamentals of court play. The National Tennis Rating Program (NTR) shall be used as a guide in determining an applicant's level of play.
Section 2. Any citizen of the counties of Fairfax, Alexandria and Arlington and the cities of Fairfax, Vienna, Alexandria and Falls Church, who is 55 years of age or older, shall be eligible to become a member, provided that the conditions of section 9 under the ADMINISTRATION portion of this document are satisfied. Once having joined, it is the individual member's decision whether or not to retain membership, regardless of where he or she elects to relocate. Current members are not affected by this ruling.
Section 3. If, during a season, a member wants to retain seniority and remain on the roster, but does not want to play regularly or as a substitute, the member should indicate this by responding to slot reservation announcements and paying yearly dues. Once a member has been dropped from membership, that person may again apply for membership, but only as a new member.
Section 4. The Board shall determine the annual dues of this club. Members who reach the age of 90 will be made honorary members and will not be assessed dues. Dues shall include only the minimum estimated amount necessary for operation of the club, such as administrative, hospitality and related costs. The dues submission date should be made coincident with the summer sign up date, which shall be at least 30 days subsequent to the mailing of the sign up sheets. Non-payment of dues by that date shall cause a member to be dropped from the club. New members joining prior to the end of the fiscal year on December 31 shall be required to pay dues again in the New Year. New members joining after December 31 but before summer signup (normally some time in March) will not be required to pay dues again for the New Year. A seniority number will be assign to each member relative to his or her entry date. For record keeping purposes, the total membership of Golden Racquets will be determined as of September 1 of each year. Playing fees, expressed as the cost of one day's play per week per season, will be structured to include ball costs and indoor court fees. Indoor players will be charged an average cost regardless of the charges at the indoor site to which they are assigned.
Section 5. Each member shall have a vote at the annual meeting and any special membership meetings. Members unable to attend meetings may provide a suitably worded proxy to another member or to any officer of the club. Proxy statements shall be registered with the club Secretary prior to taking votes.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS, STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEIR DUTIES
Section 1. The officers of this club shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Standing Committees shall include a Rating Committee, Social Committee, and Caring Committee.
Section 2. There shall be an Executive Board, hereafter referred to as the Board, consisting of the officers named in Section 1, Team Captains during their term described in Section 8, temporary appointees described in Section 4, and former Presidents for a period of 5 years following their term of office. In the event of a vacancy in an elected office, the Board is authorized to appoint a temporary officer to serve until the next Annual meeting of members. Newly elected officers and Boards shall take office on January 1.
Section 3. The Board shall meet at the call of the President, but as a minimum shall meet prior to the start of the outdoor and indoor seasons. Any member may attend Board meetings as a non-voting participant. The Board shall establish and publish Operating Procedures. Section 4. The President, with the assistance and recommendations of other officers, shall exercise supervision over all affairs of the club, call all meetings of the Board, and preside over such meetings. The President shall be the Presiding officer at the Annual Meeting of members. The President shall appoint ad hoc committees for special assignments and may make temporary appointments of no more than one (1) year to the Board of certain members who have been or will be helpful to the club on a voluntary basis. The President shall be a member ex officio on all committees.
Section 5. The Vice-President shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him or her by the President or the Board; and perform such duties of the President when that officer is absent.
Section 6. The Secretary shall record the proceedings of all Board and membership meetings and upon request of the President send information packets to approved applicants for membership. The Secretary shall maintain record copies of minutes, correspondence and membership rosters. The Secretary shall assure that new member data are submitted for entry into the computer data base.
Section 7. The Treasurer shall handle the club's financial affairs, perform necessary banking duties and submit a current financial statement at Board and Annual Membership meetings. The Treasurer shall inform the President of the club's financial status and of any member who is delinquent in payments. Checks issued in amounts of $500.00 or more shall require the signatures of the Treasurer and President or Vice-President, whose signatures will appear on bank signature cards. The books of the Treasurer shall be audited annually.
Section 8. Team Captains are appointed by the President. They shall arrange tennis play in accordance with the guidance contained in the Operating Procedures. Team Captains shall name alternates to substitute for them in their absence. A Team Captain will serve for a playing season which is defined as summer (May through August) and winter (September through April).
Section 9. There shall be a Rating committee consisting of at least 6 members. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Board. The Committee will be appointed following a request for volunteers from the general membership of Golden Racquets. A Chairman shall be selected by the members of the Committee.
The Committee shall provide raters for new members and for certification of current ratings. At least two members of the Rating Committee shall be involved in each rating process. The rating standards used by Golden Racquets will generally follow the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP). A copy of these standards will be included with the applications given to prospective new members so that they are aware of these standards prior to being rated. Rating of new members should be conducted within three weeks of receipt of the application depending upon the availability of the applicant.
A Rating Guide will be developed outlining the rating process to be used for rating new members and certification of current ratings. It is intended that the Guide be used a reference in the rating process and to train new members of the rating committee. The Rating Committee should review the guide annually for possible changes
Section 10. Social Committee
There shall be a Social Committee consisting of at least two members. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Board. The Committee shall be appointed following a request for volunteers from the general membership of Golden Racquets. A Chairman shall be selected by the members of the Committee.
The Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the Annual Meeting of the Golden Racquets and the Annual Tennis Party. The conduct of each of these events is outlined in the Social Chairman’s Guide. The Committee should periodically review this Guide for possible changes.
Section 11. Caring Committee
There shall be a Caring Committee consisting of at least two members. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Board. The Committee shall be appointed following a request for volunteers from the general membership of Golden Racquets. A Chairman shall be selected by the members of the Committee.
The Committee shall be responsible for responding to notices of illness, accident, or death of a Golden Racquet member or family. Response will include but not be limited to delivery of flowers, cards, or donations. The committee will report its activities at each board meeting.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the general membership shall be held on the last Tuesday of October or on a date fixed by the Board. Additional meetings shall be scheduled by the President as required.
Section 2. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order and voting may be by voice, show of hands, or by ballot in accordance with the wishes of the members present. Any member may submit proposals for consideration at any regular or special membership meeting. Proposals should be in writing and submitted to the Secretary prior to the meeting. Approvals of motions and elections of officers shall be determined by a majority of the members present and voting, including written proxies.
ARTICLE VI - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominations and elections of officers shall be made at the Annual Meeting of the membership. The President will appoint a nominating committee to propose a slate of officers for election. Nominations may also be accepted from the floor provided the person nominated has agreed to serve. The term of office in this club shall be for one (1) year. Officers may be re-elected.
ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. This Constitution and its accompanying by-laws may be amended at the Annual Membership meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, by a majority of members present and voting.
Section 2. The Board shall be responsible for the provision of suitable by-laws governing the actions of this club. In general, the rules of conduct on the tennis courts used by this club shall be governed by the code of conduct of the United States Tennis Association.
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOLDEN RACQUETS TENNIS CLUB
BY-LAWS
PREAMBLE
These By-laws, and the Operating Procedures accompanying them, establish the proper procedures for play and conduct of club officers and members participation in this program.
They are formulated to discourage any official or member from independently establishing his or her ideas of conduct which do not conform to the accepted and approved programs of the membership. While new ideas and methods are welcome, it is not intended that any individual or group arbitrarily inject new procedures without the approval of the Board and the membership, and that new procedures occur in an orderly manner. Because play occurs at several playing sites, standardized procedures are needed.
ADMINISTRATIVE
1. Payments for playing fees and other assessments shall be made by check or money order payable to Fairfax County Golden Racquets and submitted to the Treasurer.
2. Failure on the part of any member to pay the required assessments prior to the start of either the summer or fall/winter seasons shall be cause for excluding such member from participation until accounts have been satisfactorily resolved.
3. The Board will furnish members slot reservation request forms with instructions for submission in accordance with deadlines. Members should indicate playing priorities to assist the slot assignment process. Payment for playing fees must accompany slot reservations.
4. Anyone serving as an Elected Officer, as Computer Chief, as Newsletter Editor or as a Captain for an entire season, summer or winter, will earn the privilege, for a two year period, of being guaranteed his/her first play slot request regardless of seniority number. Co-Captains, each serving for half of the winter season, will earn this privilege for one year. Slot reservation requests will thus be honored by first awarding all slot privileges earned through service as an Elected Officer, Computer Chief, Newsletter Editor or Captain. The remaining slot requests will then be arranged in order of seniority, using chronological entry dates, and awarded by considering each member's first choice before proceeding to consideration of second and third choices, again in seniority order.
5. Members are responsible for their playing commitments. If they decide to sell all or any part of their contracted time, to another member, they should first contact the President, who will know of members desiring additional time or who have a priority to fill a vacant slot. Club policy is to assist a member in finding replacements or changing playing locations. Refunds will only be considered in the event of sudden and serious illness. Anyone who abandons their commitment to play regularly without finding a replacement will be dropped from membership and remaining court fees forfeited unless there are special circumstances approved by the President.
the regularly assigned player, unless otherwise agreed. This provision does not apply in those instances where the substitution is arranged by the Team Captain.
7. Any officer of this club, appointed by the President, may serve as a contracting officer in arranging for indoor play on local commercial tennis courts during the winter season;. A proper contract should be drawn up specifying the number of courts desired for specific days, the hours of those days, the period covered by the contract, and the costs involved. A copy should be given to the club owner, the Treasurer, and the President of this club.
8. Any purchases, such as tennis balls, equipment, or services, acquired in behalf of the club by a member, should be accompanied by an invoice which should be submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement. Except for procurement of postage stamps, limited office supplies, administrative expenses and tennis balls, all purchases shall be approved by the Board.
9. Upon application for membership in this club, the candidate will be asked to play doubles in order to determine his or her rating. The doubles partners will be selected by the Rating Committee.
10. Members who sign up for regular play are expected to have a playing skill level of at least a 3.0 rating. Players signing up for restricted rating venues must also maintain the required level of play for those venues. If the member is below a 3.0 or the required rating level of play for a specific venue, as observed by the Captain of that venue, the chairman of the Rating Committee and the President shall be notified. The member will be notified that a re-rating will be scheduled. Playing members and substitutes who have not had their rating reviewed in five years will also be scheduled for a rating review.
Members whose official rating is below a 3.0 rating or below the required rating level for a specific venue will be restricted from signing up for selected Golden Racquets venues. With the approval of the Captain, or Vice President if a Captain has not yet been assigned, sub 3.0 members may be considered for play in selected venues. These members will retain all other privileges of membership. A member may request a new rating by the Golden Racquets Rating Committee at any time
11. In the interest of obtaining more optimum mixes of playing skills, and at the discretion of the Board, minimum skill levels may be imposed for up to 3 sites (single sessions at a given location on a given day), no more than one at a given location, each season.
12. The Emergency Data information contained on the data card will be included in an Emergency Calling Roster and distributed to Team Captains. Members are responsible for advising Team Captains and the club of changes in emergency data.
OPERATING PROCEDURES (PREVIOUSLY CALLED COURT CONDUCT)
(Revised 12/11/07)
1. The club roster will indicate "no play" days.
2. Play normally will be organized only when there are sufficient players to utilize at least three (3) courts. At the discretion of the President, a limited number of two court sites may be used to balance geographic distribution.
3. Captains are authorized to cancel play because of inclement weather. In the event of extreme summer heat, captains can abandon scheduled pairings and allow members to play at their own discretion.
4. In conducting tennis matches, Team Captains have sole responsibility for selecting the type of pairing system to be used. Team Captains shall make every effort to match opposing players on as equitable playing level as practicable.
5. Team assignments are made on a designated court number and an associated "A" or "B" letter which designates the side of the court play is to take place and the partner with whom play will be conducted. The "A" side is always the nearest side as the court is entered.
6. New tennis balls will be used for each playing day.
7. Members contemplating a change of plans should transmit such information to the Team Captains well in advance of the affected date. If furnished at the court itself, the information should be given to the Team Captain in writing to preclude any misunderstanding.
8. Members who cannot play on a particular day are responsible for getting their own member substitutes and advising the Team Captain of the member's name at least 24 hours in advance.
9. Players may invite guests, provided this is coordinated in advance with the Team Captain.
10. Unless otherwise announced, privileges at indoor clubs are limited to use of the courts, lounge areas and dressing rooms.
11. Any member found to be in repeated violation of the Code of Conduct of the U.S. Tennis Association, or exhibiting unsportsmanlike conduct, or disrupting scheduled play, shall be restricted from playing at all venues.
12. If a player is a no-show without getting a substitute more than twice during a playing season (winter, summer), or is tardy by as much as 10 minutes more than twice during a playing season, the Captain can drop that player from the regular list for the rest of that season.
13. A player may request to be re-rated only once per calendar year
Note: These Operating Procedures, although appended to this document, are subject to revision by the Board at any time in accordance with ARTICLE IV Section 3 of the Constitution.