Constitution and Bylaws for a B.A.S.S. Nation State Affiliated Chapter Club 2017

Constitution and Bylaws for a B.A.S.S. Nation State Affiliated Chapter Club 2017

Chapter Club Name:Albemarle Bass Masters

City:ElizabethCity

State:North Carolina

ZIP27909

State Affiliation:East Region

ARTICLE IName and Purpose

Section 1: Name

This chapter club shall be called the Albemarle Bass Masters of Elizabeth City North Carolina.

Section 2:Purpose

(a)The general purpose of the chapter club shall be to facilitate the organized support, protection, education, and encouragement of sport-fishing, youth, and conservation at all levels and to partner with other like-minded groups to do the same.

(b) More particularly stated, purposes of the club include the following; to establish and maintain an organization for the support of sport fishing, and all related recreational and educational fishing, youth and conservation activities conducted in a safe manner. To stimulate the public awareness of angling as a major sport. To educate the public upon the positive economic impact of angling at the national, state and local levels. To offer our state fish and wildlife agencies our organized, conservation feedback, input, political and legislative support and assistance. To promote full adherence to conservation codes, clean water standards, and industry accepted practices which impact the sport of fishing.

To support and demand adequate water quality standards, fisheries habitat and fisheries resource management.

To protect and guard anglers right‘s and demand unfettered, responsible access to all public waters and facilities, built, supported or otherwise funded in whole or in part by public funds. To detect and report polluters or violators of fish and wildlife conservation laws and to expose violators or polluters publicly and focus political or legal attention upon such violations. To encourage, facilitate and promote youth fishing activities and education and a love for this great recreation. To work to improve our skills as anglers through fellowship and camaraderie of friendly exchange of fish-catching techniques. To teach and promote safe boating and on the water practices.

ARTICLE II Membership

Section 1: Minimum Number of Members

This chapter shall begin with and maintain at least 6 but no more than 10 charter members. The total general membership shall not exceed 25.

This chapter shall begin with and maintain at least 6,

Section 2: Requirement for Regular Membership

To become a chapter club member, a person shall:

Voluntarily express a true interest in becoming a member and supporting the clubs purpose.
Own a boat that meets club tournament rule requirements for safety and fishing equipment.
Fish minimum of1 Tournament with sponsor or other club member who will give testimony pertaining to the prospective member’s fishing prowess and sportsmanship.
Fish minimum of 1 Tournament from their boat.
Become a member of B.A.S.S. and The B.A.S.S.Nation.
Be voted on by the membership. Vote and affirmation must be by 2/3 majority of members present at a scheduled or called meeting.
Be male. Guests may be male or female.
Be 16 years of age or older.

Section 3: Membership Eligibility

Maintain current membership of the B.A.S.S. and BASS Nation.

Section 4: Membership Reinstatement

Past members who left the clubcan be reinstated if:

They request to reinstated verbally at a regular club meeting
They were not removed from the club for reasons outlined in Section 7 Item 1

Past members will be voted on by the membership. Vote and affirmation must be by 2/3 majority of members present at a scheduled or called meeting.
Past members are not required to fish two tournaments prior to the vote to reinstate.

Section 5 Charter Members

Charter members must have been a member of the Albemarle Bass Masters for at least one year.

Seniority will be the second determining factor.

Section 6: Membership Dues

The club membership dues shall be:

$190.00 Chapter Dues (This figure includes $5.00/tournament for Big Fish Pot)

The BASS Nation membership dues shall be:

In 2017, BASS Nation Dues will be set at $30 per member for the club. State dues will be $15.00. Clubs will receive rebates from BASS based on the number of members in the club.

13-20$3.00/member

21+$5.00/member

Guest Fees:

Guests will be charged $25.00/tournament and will be eligible for all prizes for that tournament. Guest fees will be paid by prospective members and will be applied to membership dues if voted in a new member.

Lunker Pot:

This is included in the membership dues and guest fees

Dues Payment Schedule:

Total dues can be paid in full before the first tournament at of the year or by making the following minimum payments:

1/3 of dues by the 1st tournament
1/3 of dues by the second tournament.
Remaining 1/3 dues of by the 3rd tournament.

Note:Chapter dues must be paid in full by the 3rd club tournament each year.

Section 7: Disciplinary Actions Removal of Membership

A member shall be dropped from the membership roll for the following reasons:

Failure to pay dues.
Failure to remain a member of B.A.S.S. and the B.A.S.S. Nation.
Any action which would reflect dishonor and disgrace on the club or B.A.S.S.

A member can be dropped from the membership roll for failure to remain active in the club. To meet the activity criteria a member must:

Attend 50% of the club meetings and 50% of club functions during a 12-month period.

Members, who fail to remain active, are removed by vote of the club members at a regular meeting. The vote to remove a member must pass by a 2/3 majority.

ARTICLE III Officers, Elections, Vacancies, and Eligibility to Hold Office

Section 1: Eligibility for Holding Office

To be eligible for an office a member must:

Have been a member for one year
Have attended at least 75% of the chapter meetings and 75% of club functions during a 12 month period.
Have shown an active interest in all club functions.

Section 2: Elections

The election of officers shall be held annually at a regular meeting during the month of January.

Election shall be by simple majority of members present. Election for each officer shall be held separately in order listed in ARTICLE III, Section 6.

Section 3: Eligibility of Vote

Each member of the club in good standing is entitled to one vote. Proxy votes are not permitted.

Section 4: Term of Office

With the exception of the Tournament Director, the term of office is for one year. Terms shall begin in January, and end when successor assumes office the following January.

Section 5: Vacancies

In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be asked for and an election held to fill the unexpired term of the individual vacating the office. The state B.A.S.S.Nation shall be notified immediately of the change of any officers.

Section 6: Officers and their Duties

The officers of the chapter shall consist of:

President:

Preside over all meetings and direct all official business.
Appoint and be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Supervise all club functions.

Tournament specific duties:

Keep the official time
Check in all contestants
Assess late penalties
Conduct tournament in safe and efficient manner

Vice President:

Act as club programs chairman.
Assist the president in his duties and preside in the absence of the president.
Assume the duties of weigh master in his absence

Secretary/Treasurer:

Maintain accurate minutes of all regular and special meetings as called for by the chapter club president.
Maintain regular liaison between the club and the B.A.S.S.Nation.
Collect and disburse all monies. Maintain accurate financial records and present a current balance report at each regular meeting.
Prepare an annual audit for review by the Club Board of Directors.

Weigh-Master:

Conduct weigh-in at each club tournament to include:

Opening the scales
Counting the number of fish for each competitor
Measuring any fish that are close to 14”
Determining if fish are alive
Weighing of fish
Closing the scales

Provide club scales and associated equipment at each club tournament.

Tournament Director:

Will be selected at the meeting prior to each tournament.
Start the tournament by calling out the numbers.

Director at Larger

Assist the president in his duties as directed by the president.
Participate as member of the Board of Directors in resolving protests of tournament rules.

Club Conservation Director:

Serve as liaison between the club and state and national conservation agencies. Plan club conservation projects and attend all local and state conservation meetings/hearings.

ARTICLE IVStanding Committees

All Standing Committees will serve for one year or until a new committee is appointed. The terms of the committee members will coincide with that of the president.

Executive Board of Directors:

The Board of Directors will consist of 5 members:

President, Vice-president, Secretary/treasurer, Weigh Master, and one member elected as Director at Large.
The president will call all meetings of the Board of Directors and preside at such meetings.
The secretary/treasurer will record the minutes of these meetings.
The board will decide all protests and rule on all violations of tournament rules and by-laws when appropriately notified beforethe scales are closed.

Conservation Committee:

The Conservation Director shall chair this committee. Its purpose shall be to:

Protect our natural environment from all harmful changes.
Document and report to the proper authority violations of local, state and federal anti-pollution laws, statutes, regulations, ordinances and other regulatory devices.
Take political action to improve our environment.
Take legal action when appropriate.
Bring public awareness of threats to our environment
Take a leadership role in repairing the harm that has already been done to the life-giving waters of America.

Tournament Committee:

The purpose of the tournament committee shall be to:

Plan and organize the chapter tournament trail.
Present the proposed tournament trail to the general membership for approval.

Constitution and By Laws and Tournament Rules Committee

Review the Constitution and By Laws and the Tournament Rules annually
Draft changes to tournament rules when necessary.
Present the proposed revisions to the general membership for approval.

ARTICLE VAffiliation

Section 1: Requirements for Affiliation

The following affiliation requirements must be met:

Update NC B.A.S.S. Nation with club membership roster once each year.
Names and addresses of new members joining the club during the year must be submitted to the B.A.S.S. Nationas they occur. (See ARTICLE II, Section 6 for dues requirements.)
Maintain 100% B.A.S.S. Nation membership.
Any additional requirements that B.A.S.S. Nation establishes for clubs, such as membership, dues, attendance at meetings, etc., would be necessary for the club to participate in the B.A.S.S. Nation qualifying tournament(s), and any other B.A.S.S. Nation sponsored tournaments or events.

Article VIAmending Constitution and Bylaws

Section 1 Requirements

The following requirements must be met when amending the chapter constitution and by-laws:

Chapter members must be notified of a proposed amendment. All club members must be notified at least one meeting prior to the meeting for the vote.
A 2/3 majority will be determined by rounding any fraction to the nearest whole number.
50% of club members must be present to hold an amendment vote.

Section 2 Changing Tournament Sites

The site of a tournament can be changed for the following reasons only:

Unsafe water or weather conditions e.g., high winds, excessive floating objects in water.
Un-fishable water e.g., pollution, chemical spill.
No access to waters e.g., ramp closed, another tournament has filled up ramp, low water conditions.

If the tournament site is changed, every effort shall be made to notify all tournament participants of the change at least 24 hrs in advance of the tournament. The vote to change a site must pass by a 2/3 majority of members present at the meeting when the site change is proposed.

This by-law is intended to provide for the safety, health, and convenience of all tournament participants. It is not intended as a means to circumvent the recommendations of the tournament committee.

Article VIIAngler of the Year

Points will be awarded for the Angler of the Year as per the Albemarle Bass Master Tournament Rules.

The winner must be a member of the Albemarle Bass Masters.

A new club member may go back three tournaments, fished prior to becoming a member, to pick up points for Angler of the Year.

Article VIIIThe Tournament Trail

A schedule of tournament dates and locations will be established at the beginning of each fishing season. A tournament committee will meet some time in the month of January or February to draft the schedule of tournaments. The draft schedule will be presented for approval to the membership at a regular club meeting in the month of February.

Every effort will be made to present the tournament schedule at least 2 weeks prior to the first scheduled tournament.

The approved schedule will be considered a by-law. Approval of the Draft Schedule shall follow the requirements outlined in Article VI Section 1.

Article IX Tournament Rules

Tournament rules are covered in a separate document and are considered an integral part of the constitution and by-laws.

We, the undersigned officers of the club as listed in Article III Section 6, do hereby agree with and certify that the attached bylaws have been ratified by the membership and the commencement of the club on this the ______day of ______, 20______.

Signed;

President:Doug Hewitt______

Vice-President:Bill Heighter ______

Secretary/Treasurer:Don Richards______

Weigh Master:Chris Meads ______

At Larger:Paul Martin______