ICC By-Laws

Article I: Membership

Composition and Classification

Section 1. Inverness Country Club exists primarily for the benefit of the membership as here-in-after defined. An applicant must have reached the age of eighteen (18) years to be eligible for membership, subject to the further requirements and limitations her-in-after set forth.

Section 2. Membership in the club shall comprise all members of the club as now organized and existing and all persons here-after elected and qualified as a member in accordance with the By-Laws. There shall be seven (7) classes of membership, namely: Property Owners, Non-Property Owners, Social, Honorary, Life, Junior and Inactive members. The number of members shall not exceed 300. Honorary, Life, Social and Inactive members shall not be included in the total.

Section 2b. No property owner or legacy applicant shall be denied membership because of this limitation.

Property Owners

Section 3. Qualifications: Property owners are defined as (1) those who own dwellings in Park Lawn Beach Subdivision or in Park Lawn Beach subdivision #1 or (2) those who own sufficient property in these subdivisions to meet the building code requirements of Washtenaw County or (3) property owners in the subdivision whose record of ownership predates July 30, 1965. Each property as defined above qualifies one person as a property owner.

Non-Property Owners

Section 4. Qualifications: Non-Property Owner members shall comprise all who are duly elected to such membership by the Board of Directors.

Honorary Members

Section 5. Qualifications: An Honorary Member is one who by value of his/her service to the club or special qualities is bestowed such an honor by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The total number of honorary memberships granted in any one year shall not exceed three (3) and the overall total Honorary membership shall not exceed fifteen (15), the current excess to be decreased by attrition.

Life Members

Section 6. “Life Membership” may be granted by a vote of the Board of Directors upon petition to the Board for such membership. Conditions for such membership shall include The petitioner shall attain a total point value of 110, or more by adding (for the total point value), one (1) point for each year in each of three (3) categories including age, years of paid membership, and years of board service. Such membership if granted allows unlimited play. Life members will pay a life member fee of 50% of the annual active member dues annually. The member shall be exempt from yearly dues and any special assessment. Such “Life Membership” shall not count towards the total limit of playing members or families as provided by the By-Laws.

Inactive Membership

Section 6a. “Inactive Membership” is a member under an annual contract to Inverness Country Club. Total number of Inactive members shall not exceed two (2).

Social Members

Section 6b. The Inverness Country Club Board of Directors may establish a Social Membership which would include all membership privileges except unlimited golf at an annual dues rate between $200 and $500. A Social member is a non-equity member and does not have any voting privileges at the Annual Meeting.

Junior Members

Section 6c. The Inverness Country Club Board of Directors may establish a Junior Membership which would include all membership privileges at an annual dues rate of 50% of the full membership dues.  In order to qualify as a Junior Member the Member must be between the ages of eighteen (18) and thirty-four (34) as of January 1st of the current season.  The Board of Directors, at its sole discretion, may set the initiation fee for Junior Membership anywhere between zero (0) and the Full Membership initiation fee.  A Junior Membership applies to only one person and does not extend any membership privileges to any other family members or significant others.  Junior Members shall pay fifty percent (50%) of any special assessments.  Junior Members will be required to pay the normal member cost for any additional optional items they choose to elect such as GAM membership and practice range membership. Upon reaching the age of thirty-five (35) a Junior Member must convert to a Full Member if he/she desires to remain a member for the following season.  This conversion will not require the payment of any initiation fee.  A Junior Member is a non-equity member and does not have any voting privileges at the Annual Meeting. All Junior Memberships shall be counted towards the total Membership limit as defined by the By-Laws.

Privileges

Section 7. Members and qualified members of their immediate families shall be entitled to all privileges of the club, except for “Glencoe Park”, the “Athletic Bowl” and the community property of Parklawn Beach Subdivision, which shall be for the exclusive use and enjoyment of Property owners as defined in Article I, Section 3 of these by-laws. Qualified members of the immediate family include spouse and children 21 and under.

Voting

Section 8. Property Owner members and the Non-Property Owner members shall have the right to one vote for one dues paid either in person or by proxy at all meetings of the club. Property Owners who become Honorary Life or Inactive members shall maintain their property owner voting rights and their Inverness Country Club vote.

Section 8b. Only Property Owner members shall have the right to vote on:

(1) Amend By-Law Article I Section 2b, 3, 7, 8b, Article II Section 3, Article IV Section 5
(2) Approve the sale or purchase of real property upon a passing vote of the membership at large.
(3) Secure license for sale of liquor

Legacy Applicants

Section 9. Qualifications: Sons and daughters of current members are eligible to join the club upon reaching the age of not less than 18 years but no more than 25 years. Eligible persons become members by paying Junior or Full Member initiation fees and dues by January 15th following their 18th thru 25th birthday. Greens fees will be required for sons or daughters between the ages of 21 and 25 who chose not to join as legacy members. Divorced spouses will have the same privileges by paying the initiation fees and dues by January 15th following the divorce decree.

Dues

Section 10. (a) Dues shall be payable by active members in the amounts and manner as are determined by the Board of Directors but shall not exceed the sum of $1500.00 per annum and the increase in any one year shall not exceed $100.00. (b) Dues are payable January 1 or within 30 days of acceptance as a member. A member shall be in default when he/she fails to pay dues within thirty (30) days. If such dues remain unpaid by February 1, the board of Directors shall notify the member by certified mail that payment will be accepted until March 1, providing a penalty fee of 10% of the dues amount is included with full payment of the dues and any special assessment levied. If such dues remain unpaid on March 1, the Board of Directors may suspend or expel such delinquent member of take such action as the Board of Directors may deem desirable. (c) Membership initiation fees to be set by the Board of Directors, but shall not exceed $1,800. (d) Honorary members shall be exempt from payment of membership and initiation fees, and dues; but will pay special assessments. (e) Social members shall pay an annual sum as prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Application

Section 11. (a) Every candidate for election to membership in this club shall make application over their signature, upon the form prescribed by the Board of Directors and shall be endorsed in writing by one (1) sponsor and by two (2) members of the club. (b) Every applicant for membership shall be acted upon the Board of Directors and a majority vote of the Board of Directors shall be sufficient to elect new members.

Resignation

Section 12. (a) When any member shall desire to resign from the club, they shall notify the Secretary in writing of their resignation. (b) Memberships are non-saleable and are not subject to inheritance or bequest. A surviving spouse, however, may continue the membership. (c) Memberships are non-transferable except as a property settlement in the case of a divorce or for purposes of board membership and the member so states in writing that the membership belongs to the transferee spouse.

Leave From Membership

Section 13. (a) A member in good standing may, for reasons of health or financial hardship only, request a Leave From Membership not to exceed one year. Such Leave From Membership must be requested in writing and approved by the Board of Directors. During a Leave From Membership, half annual dues plus the full amount of any assessments will be charged. The Member on Leave will be permitted to play, as a guest of a Member by paying green fees, a maximum of four times. The Member on Leave may restore status to regular membership at any time by paying the second half of the annual dues. (b) Members on Leave are equivalent to Regular Members for the purpose of determining the total membership not to exceed the number set forth in Article, Section 2.

Section 14. Any member whose conduct in the opinion of the Board of Directors is likely to endanger the welfare, interest or character of the club, or whose conduct is in violation of the By-Laws or rules and regulation of the club, shall be cited to appear before the Board of Directors or a committee appointed therefrom who shall investigate such conduct. Should the Board of Directors, after full investigation and after giving such member an opportunity to be heard before such Board or committee thereof, determine that the conduct of such member is prejudicial to the best interest of the club, it may by resolution adopted temporarily suspend such member, or if in the Boards opinion, the interest of the club require such action, may request the resignation of such member or may expel him upon the affirmative vote of not less than three-quarters of the Board of Directors.

Article II: Board of Directors

Powers

Section 1. (a) The business and property of the club shall be managed and controlled by the Board of Directors, except as the By-Laws specifically require action by the members. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make and enforce rules and regulations covering the use by members and guests of the clubhouse, grounds, golf course, and other facilities of the club. (b) The Board of Directors, from time to time, shall determine who shall be authorized on behalf of the club to sign bills, notes, receipts, acceptances, mortgages, endorsements, checks, releases, contracts, documents, and any and all papers necessary in the conduct of the business affairs of the club. (c) The Board of Directors may authorize such special and standing committees from among the members of the club as it shall deem necessary or desirable in the management and operation of the club¹s affairs and shall define the function and duties of such Committee. The President shall appoint the members of the committees, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. Each committee shall hold office for one year, or until the appointment of their successor, which shall commence January 1.

Limitation

Section 2. No indebtedness or liability shall be incurred by the Board of Directors in any fiscal year for permanent improvements or additional equipment in excess of $8,000 without approval of a majority vote of the members of the club present at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose.

Number of Term of Office

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall be composed of twelve (12) members of the club, at least three (3) of whom shall be Property Owner members. Directors shall be elected for a term of three (3) years and shall assume their duties January 1. All Board members must be Active members of Inverness Country Club.

Vacancies

Section 4. Whenever a vacancy shall occur on the Board of Directors, the remaining Directors shall fill such vacancy by an election of a Director to serve until the next annual meeting at such time a Director shall be elected for the unexpired portion of such terms.

Meetings

Section 5. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held whenever called by the President, or in their absence, by the Vice President, or by not less than one-third of the Directors for the time being in office. There shall be a minimum ten (10) meetings per year. The secretary shall give notice of every meeting by mail, or otherwise, at least 24 hours in advance of such meeting. If any Director is absent from three (3) consecutive Board of Director meetings, the Board of Directors shall declare his seat vacant and the Secretary formally notifying the Director of such action, and a replacement shall be selected at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Quorum

Section 6. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7) members. If at any meeting a quorum is lacking, a majority of Directors present may adjourn the meeting and reschedule the meeting.

Nomination

Section 7. At a meeting of the Board of Directors held not later than June 15 of each year, there shall be appointed a nominating committee of three (3) members of the club. Such nominating committee shall select from two classes of membership nominees for each vacancy on the Board of Directors, as the vacancies occur.

Article III: Officers

Election and Qualifications

Section 1. The executive officers of the club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Directors after the annual meeting which shall not be later than thirty (30) days after the annual meeting, and shall assume their duties January 1. The officer will hold office for one year and until their respective successors shall have been duly elected and qualified. The officers shall be elected from the Board of Directors.

Duties

Section 2. The officers shall perform the duties usually pertaining to the respective offices and such other duties as may, from time to time, be prescribed by the Board of Directors. The President and Vice President shall be ex-officio members of all committees.

Audits

Section 3. If a certified public accountant is not retained by the Club, the books of the Treasurer shall be audited by a non-interested certified auditor at the end of each fiscal year.

Article IV: Meetings

Annual Meeting

Section 1. The annual meeting of the club shall be the third Monday in September of each year at 8:00 o’clock p.m at the clubhouse for the election of the Board of Directors and for such other business as may properly come before it. At the annual meeting, the Board shall make a report of the affairs of the club and its financial condition and shall have available the audited report of the Treasurer. Special Meeting Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors at any time and shall be called by it whenever requested in writing by thirty or more members entitled to vote at such meeting, such requests to state the purpose thereof. Notice Section 3. Ten days notice of the annual meeting and at least seven days notice stating the purpose of any special meeting shall be mailed to each member entitled to vote at such meeting.

Quorum

Section 4. Fifty (50) members or their proxy shall constitute a quorum at an annual meeting or special meeting. A lesser number may vote on adjournment to some other date.

Section 5. A majority of the Property Owner members eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of voting on sale or purchase of real property or securing a license for sale of liquor. A majority vote of those present shall be necessary for approval.

Section 6. Order of business at the annual meeting of the club shall be as follows:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Reading and Approval of minutes of previous meeting
4. Report of the President
5. Report of the Treasurer
6. Report of the Committees
7. Business – Old
8. Business – New
9. Elections
10. Adjournment

Article V: Fiscal Year

Section 1. The club’s fiscal year shall begin January 1 and end December 31 and the books of the club shall be closed as of that date each year.

Article VI: Amendment of By-Laws

Section 1. Any section of the By-Laws may be amended or repealed, excluding those stated in Voting Section 8/8b, and sections may be added thereto by a majority vote of the Members present or represented by proxy at the annual meeting or special meeting called for that purpose, provided, however, note of such proposed repeal or copy of each amendment or additions shall be delivered via US Mail or email to the voting members of the club and posted in the Pro Shop and club bulletin board by the Secretary at least fourteen (14) days prior to such annual or special meeting. The Board of Directors, or any twenty (20) members, may propose changes in the By-Laws under the section by filing the same in writing with the Secretary. A majority of Members eligible to vote represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum.

Current through December  2021.