Class AF - Affiliate Member- Affiliate member to qualify for Affiliate membership, an applicant must be a business firm, Government body or a person interested in the growing management, or production of turf grasses, either individually or through employment by, other affiliation with a company, proprietorship of association, who does not qualify for membership in another class. Affiliate members shall have all the privileges of the association, except those of voting and holding office.


ARTICLE I. NAME:
	SEC. 1.	The name of this association shall be the South Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association.
	SEC. 2.	The purpose of this organization shall be to place the profession of Golf Course Superintendents on the highest Possible level of public acceptance through study, cooperation, and mutual assistance.
	SEC. 3.	Definition of a Golf Course Superintendent: A golf course superintendent is one who is entrusted with the management and operation of the tract of land defined as a golf course, including involvement in construction and maintenance of golf courses and related equipment.


ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP:
	SEC. 1.	Membership classes shall be consistent with GCSAA by-laws regarding chapter affiliation.
	SEC. 2.	Class AA - Life Member - Life members shall be those persons who have retired from the green industry and have been a Golf Course Superintendent for at least twenty-five (25) years, or have been a charter member, or regular member of the association for twenty-five (25) years.
	SEC. 3.	Class A – Golf course Superintendent Members shall be any person of good character who at the time of application for membership are currently a Class A member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
	SEC. 4.	Class SM – Golf Course Superintendent Members shall be any person of good character who at the time of application for membership are employed as a golf course superintendent but are not a Class A member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
	SEC. 5.	Class C - Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Members shall be those persons that are employed as Assistant Golf Course Superintendents.
	SEC. 6.	Class AS – Associate – Shall be employees of a golf course under the direction of a golf course superintendent, but not holding the position of assistant golf course superintendent.
	SEC. 7.	Class AF - Affiliate Member- Affiliate member to qualify for Affiliate membership, an applicant must be a business firm, Government body or a person interested in the growing management, or production of turf grasses, either individually or through employment by, other affiliation with a company, proprietorship of association, who does not qualify for membership in another class. Affiliate members shall have all the privileges of the association, except those of voting and holding office.
	SEC. 8.	Class H - Honorary members shall be those persons whom have contributed service to the betterment of the Association or Turfgrass and whom the Board of Directors wish to honor.
	SEC. 9.	Class I - Inactive Members shall be those persons who by circumstances such as unemployment, illness, or adverse financial conditions are unable to pay dues.
	SEC. 10.	Class S - Student - Shall be individuals enrolled at a college or university in golf course management curriculum, but not holding a position of golf course superintendent or assistant superintendent at a golf course.
	SEC. 11 SEC. 12	Class FM – Facility Membership shall be for those golf facilities who do not have a GCSAA member employed to manage their turf. The facility must identify one individual to be its representative. Class E – Educators- To qualify for Class E membership, an applicant must be an educator or extension officer. Class E members shall have such privileges of the association as the board of directors may specify by standing rules, except those of voting and holding office
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ARTICLE III. PRIVELAGES:
	SEC. 1.	Regular members (Class AA, A, SM and C) only have the privilege of holding office and voting.
	SEC. 2.	The annual meeting shall be restricted to regular members, or by invitation of the officer of officers conducting the meeting.
	SEC. 3.	All members are entitled to all rights, privileges and benefits of this association unless herein otherwise specified, so long as they are in good standing.
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ARTICLE IV. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP:
	SEC. 1.	All applications for membership shall be filed with the Secretary on the regular form and be accompanied by one year's dues and initiation fees. Application shall be acted upon by the Board of Directors at the first directors meeting following receipt of the application. The Board of Directors will ensure all applications for membership are consistent with the GCSAA by-laws regarding chapter affiliation.
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ARTICLE V. DUES, FEES AND ASSESSMENTS:
	SEC. 1.	Annual dues shall be the sum fixed at any annual meeting of the association as approved by the membership in attendance there at. Dues shall be payable annually in advance for the Fiscal year January 1 through December 31.
	SEC. 2.	Assessments when deemed necessary may be made upon recommendation of the officers, after approval by a majority of those present at a special meeting called for the purpose by the President.
	SEC. 3.	Any member who shall not have paid his dues by the 1st day of January of any year shall be considered delinquent, and his membership is automatically suspended.
	SEC. 4.	Suspended members upon filing an application for reinstatement shall accompany such application with one year's dues and other payments the board of directors shall deem right and proper.
	SEC. 5.	A member, after written notice of such contemplated action, may be denied reinstatement by two-thirds majority vote of a special meeting called for the purpose by the president.
	SEC. 6.	If in the event that the South Texas GCSA, Inc. a Texas nonprofit corporation should liquidate, the assets of the association would be contributed to the Scholarship Fund to be distributed as a one time legacy scholarship to qualifying children of members in good standing at the time of liquidation.
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ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS:
	SEC. 1.	A meeting of the directors shall be held each month, the date, time, and place to be set by the President.
	SEC. 2.	Written notice shall be sent by the Secretary seven (7) days before regular meetings and ten (10) days before the annual meeting, or a special meeting.
	SEC. 3.	Upon request of five (5) or more members in writing, a special meeting shall be called by the President.
	SEC. 4.	A quorum for membership meetings shall consist of thirty-five percent (35%) of class AA, A, SM & C members at the time.
	SEC. 5.	No business may be transacted at a meeting of the Board of Directors when less than four (4) members of the Board are present.
	SEC. 6.	Special meetings: No other business except that for which the meeting was called may be acted upon.
	SEC. 7.	The annual meeting shall be called in November each year. The fiscal year shall be a calendar year.
	SEC. 8.	Only members in good standing may vote at meetings.
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ARTICLE VII. GOVERNMENT:
	SEC. 1.	The conduct of the affairs of the association shall be vested in the Board of Directors consisting of twelve (12) members, Past President, President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, and eight (8) Directors including two (2) affiliate member in a non-voting advisory capacity. A majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors and all of the Officers shall be Class A superintendents or Superintendent Members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
	SEC. 2.	Three directors and one (1) affiliate shall be elected for two (2) year terms each year. The Affiliate Directors are limited to two (2) consecutive terms of office, and are elected by the Affiliate membership.
	SEC. 3.	A vacancy in the Board of Directors shall be filled for the unexpired term by Presidential appointment, subject to the approval of the Board.
	SEC. 4.	A member of the board may be removed from office by petition bearing the signature of two-thirds of the voting members.
	SEC. 5.	The approval of, or amendment of these Bylaws shall rest solely in the hands of the regular members of the association.
	SEC. 6.	The President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected to one (1) year terms.
	SEC. 7.	The affairs of the South Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association which require immediate decision making shall be managed by an Executive Committee comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.
	SEC. 8.	The President will appoint Directors to serve as Committee Chair for the Following committees; Education/Scholarship, Government Relations, Information Services, Tournament, Public Relations, Membership and Historical. The Vice President will be Chairman of the Meetings Committee. Once appointed, the Committee Chair may appoint from the general membership, others, to complete the committee.
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ARTICLE III. ELECTIONS:
	SEC. 1.	Thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting, the Election Committee shall announce a slate of candidates for officer and director positions to be filled.
	SEC. 2.	At the time of elections, the Chairman of the Election Committee shall ask for further nominations from the floor and when nominations are closed, election shall proceed by secret ballot upon all nominees. Those receiving the most votes at the election will be termed as elected.
	SEC. 3.	The Election Committee shall be composed of the Past President, President, and Directors with one remaining year of service, with the Past President being the Election Committee Chairman.
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ARTICLE IX. ORDER OF BUSINESS:
	SEC. 1.	Order of business at all meetings shall be as follows:
		1. Roll Call	2. Minutes of previous meeting
		3.Communications	4. Report of Officers
		5. Report of Committees	6. Unfinished Business
		7. New Business	8. Election of Officers (annual meeting)
		9. Educational Session	10. Recreation
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ARTICLE X. INDEMNIFICATION:
	SEC. 1.	The South Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc. shall indemnify any and all persons who may serve or have served at any time as officers or directors and their respective heirs, paid administrators, successors and assigns, against any and all expenses, including amounts paid upon judgments, counsel fees and amounts paid in settlement (before or after suit is commenced), actually necessarily incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which they, or any of them are made parties, or a party, or which may be asserted against them or any of them, by reason of being, or having been, an officer of director of this association, except in relation to matters as to which any such officer of director, or former officer or director, shall be adjudged in any action, suit or proceeding to be liable for his or her own negligence or misconduct in the performance of his or her duty. Such indemnification shall be in addition to any other rights to which those indemnification may by entitled under any law, bylaw agreement, or otherwise.
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