A question that came up at the board meeting on Monday was "How can we get more of our members to contribute?" The officers wondered if we should do things differently to get more of our ladies at Tuesday play and more volunteering for leadership roles in the club.
We know that golf is a game of individuals. Occasionally, we play games within that general game which emphasize teamwork. Yesterday's Lake Tamarisk Invitational best two scores per hole handicapped format allowed each player within the foursome to contribute to the team. It was a perfect way to add team spirit to a mixture of players from our own club and those from Blythe, Indio, and Tri-Palms. Thanks to Tournament Director Patti Cockcroft for an excellently conceived and executed round of competitive golf. Everything ran smoothly from preparing the cards to announcing the winners. I call Patti "Her Awesomeness" for good reason. But an even better example of great teamwork was the way the entire Lake Tamarisk Ladies' Golf Club chipped, pitched, and putted in to make the Invitational a success. Sandy Haeger and her gang of volunteers put on a festive luncheon without the benefit of getting to play. The majority of the breakfast and the lunch salads and sandwiches were homemade in the kitchens of our members. One member who shall remaining unnamed but usually plays nine holes and has a daughter serving as club scribe and party planner, played even when she found out that she wasn't just signed up to offer her cart but had to actually drive it and be part of the tournament. Raffle baskets were donated by club members. Jim Coy and Art Futa graciously computed the scorecards. Volunteers from the Men's Club carried golf clubs to carts and Ken Stamp and Walt Gamble made certain that our long putts were correctly measured. Even the course restrooms were "Spiffed" by volunteers.
The board didn't bring the discussion of involvement to a conclusion on Monday and some questions remain unanswered. But I'd say from what I observed yesterday, we've got pretty lovely bunch of coconuts as is. Thanks, ladies.
ps Check out the bulletin board. We will be voting on a new constitution. There are no major changes but it puts us a bit more in compliance with current practices. The new draft is printed below for your reading pleasure. Questions? Concerns? Talk to your board to join the constitution committee.
New Constitution
Suggested by board March 4, 2013
To be voted on at the March 26th Business Meeting which will follow
club play
Article I- Name
The name of this organization shall be Lake Tamarisk Ladies’
Golf Club.
Article II- Purpose
a.
Our first purpose shall be to promote the interest
of golf among the women of Lake Tamarisk and surrounding areas.
b.
Our second purpose shall be to provide weekly
competition November through April according to USGA rules.
Article III- Government
The management and full control of affairs and property of
the Lake Tamarisk Ladies’ Golf Club shall be vested in a Board of Directors
consisting of the following:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament Chair, and
Social Chair.
Article IV- Officers
a.
Duties
i)
The President shall preside at all organization
business meetings and board meetings.
She shall oversee the implementation of the Rules and Membership
Directory.
ii)
The Vice-President shall perform the duties of any
absent board members and assist with the board member’s requests.
iii) The
Secretary shall keep full and accurate account of all business and board
meetings and present copies of the same to the President prior to the next
business or board meeting.
iv) The
Treasurer shall keep a full and accurate accounting of all monies received, and
shall deposit the same in the organization bank account. She shall disburse funds as directed by
the President or majority vote of the membership. The Treasurer’s accounts shall be audited yearly, prior to
the April business meeting, by a committee appointed by the President.
v)
The Tournament Chair plans, schedules, and
conducts all organization golf competition. She selects and purchases with board approval all yearly
prizes. She may appoint and
instruct monthly play of the day coordinators, side game coordinator or
coordinators, and chairs of organization tournaments. In addition, she is responsible for all competition rules
and regulation interpretation unless a specific Rules Chair is appointed.
vi) The
Social Chair arranges, supervises, or delegates responsibility for all
organization social functions and informs members of the same.
b.
Elections
i)
The board shall appoint a nominating committee
to prepare a slate of nominations for offices to be presented to the membership
at the March business meeting.
Additional nominations may be made from the membership at the
meeting.
ii)
The election will be held following nominations
and shall be by voice, unless there is more than one candidate for an office,
in which case the election for that office shall be by written ballot.
iii) Any
vacancy in office shall be filled by a majority vote of the board with a
majority approval of members present at the following business meeting.
iv) New
officers shall assume duties at the April business meeting.
Article V- Changes to the Constitution
The constitution may be changed or amended by approval of
two-thirds of the organization members present at any business meeting provided
that written notification of said changes or amendments be presented at a
previous business meeting. Members
not able to attend the meeting where the vote is taken may provide prior
written instructions to the President as to how their votes shall be cast.
Article VI- Procedures
a.
Business meetings shall be governed by a simple
interpretation of Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, as they pertain to this
organization.
b.
General organization operating procedures shall
be explained in the Rules and Membership Directory.
c.
Changes in organization operating procedures may
be suggested to the board for consideration or presented at a regular business
meeting for membership vote.
Approval by the majority of organization membership is required for a
vote on operating procedures to pass.
