Okay, You're the President Now!
Important basics about us in case your members or guests ask . . .

Welcome to the BIG league!  You are a local chapter president or hold an office or a leadership position in your chapter. You’re where you are either because you were elected by your members or volunteered outright to serve on a local board of directors or other position. Either way you may be asking yourself, what do I do now?

We're all "somebody," but because you're a chapter leader, you're REALLY somebody, so be prepared to be asked questions by the new folks coming into our organization.  This page, along with the other parts of this "Chapter Management" area should provide all the necessary information to you to guide new members along the way.

It's simply important to have some basic background info about ASGA, so here we go!

First, where did we come from?

The concept of a singles golf organization began in September, 1992 with one simple idea: bringing singles together through the game of golf. Two guys, Tom Alsop and David Dalton were playing golf one day and they idea just popped into their heads.  Dalton soon married and Alsop remained single, serving as President of the national organization.

Today there are over 70 chapters and almost 4,000 members.  Each week, ASGA receives inquiries from across the country from individuals wishing to join or start a local chapter. Although growth of new chapters is important, providing service to existing chapters is of continual and vital interest to the national headquarters office.

ASGA National

We act as a clearinghouse of ideas for members, provide management tools to local leaders (such as this web area you are reading), and sponsor or co-ordinate national, multi-chapter events several times each year.

As we have grown, we have seen the need for consistency in the operation of local chapters. Each chapter is governed by a set of bylaws which can be adapted by local chapters for their individual needs. ASGA National also adopts national policies that are in the best interests of all chapters. Our goal is to implement policies only when necessary and want each chapter to have the flexibility to serve its members to the best of its ability.

This website is an active work in progress.  What that means is that, as our organization matures, we formulate better systems and policies.  So it's important to visit it frequently and provide input back to the national association as to ways of improving our organization.  In working with chapter leaders, we have found that some are fortunate enough to take over chapters with policies and procedures in place, some may have to rebuild a chapter and some are starting new chapters that have no historical perspective.

Chapter presidents come with a variety of experiences. Some have belonged to other singles groups, some have run golf outings in their local chapters, some have served as committee chairpersons, and some simply want to learn the game of golf.  Regardless of the background each individual brings, we want this area of our website to provide the basic elements of what we're all about and to provide guidelines for you to operate your local chapter successfully.

During the year if you or your committee chairpersons have ideas or suggestions, we ask that you e-mail them to our office via this link:  http://www.singlesgolf.com/contact_us.php.  We want to continue to pass on things that work as well as those that don’t.  We want you and your chapter to be a success.  So let us know how we can improve for everyone's well-being.

Who to Contact at ASGA

One of the things that we often hear is “who do I need to talk to about this," or "who handles such-n-such?”

While anyone working at ASGA National Headquarters can assist you and answer your questions, the following information may be helpful:

Of course, we encourage members to simply call us at 980-833-6450 or 1-888-GOLFMATE for an immediate and direct answer to your concerns. We're in Charlotte, North Carolina, so we're in the eastern time zone. Office hours are 8-4pm, M-F.  If we miss your call, please leave a message!

Good Reading

We write a number of articles that will give you some additional background on the organization.  Each title is self-descriptive.  Most articles were written for individuals who are looking forward to starting new chapters:

Organizational Chart for Chapters

Life as a Chapter President

Top 10 Things You're Bound to Be Asked

Why Does SinglesGolf WorK?

Chapter Management Forms You'll Need

Quick Facts about ASGA

What Membership in ASGA Can Do For You

What Do I Get When I Join?