LAKE GUNTERSVILLE BASSMASTERS
2010 BY-LAWS
ARTICLE 1
NAME, AFFILIATION, AND PURPOSE
SECTION 1: NAME
The unincorporated name of the organization shall be called "Lake Guntersville Bassmasters."
SECTION 2: AFFILIATION
The PRIMARY affiliation of Lake Guntersville Bassmasters (hereinafter may be referred to as "LGBM") shall be with the Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, Inc. (hereinafter may be referred to as "ABFN")(State Organization) and Bass Federation Nation (hereinafter may be referred to as "BFN") (National Organization). All members of the Lake Guntersville Bassmasters must be members of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (hereinafter may be referred to as "B.A.S.S.") in good standing and membership dues paid current. New members joining LGBM who are not yet members of B.A.S.S. may join B.A.S.S. simultaneously with filing application with LGBM for Membership. The Annual Club Dues shall include the annually assessed LGBM Club Dues and the anglers BFN membership dues. B.A.S.S. membership dues are to be paid separately and direct by the angler. ABFN state federation membership dues are to be paid by LGBM from Annual Club Dues received from the member. When six (6) or more members of LGBM wish to affiliate with the Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation (a state organization)(hereinafter may be referred to as "ABF"), i.e. The Bass Federation(hereinafter may be referred to as "TBF") (Umbrella Organization), and the national organization Wal-Mart - Forrest Lee Wood Tournament Trail (hereinafter may be referred to as "FLW") - they may do so as a SECONDARY club affiliation utilizing the club name Lake Guntersville Bass Anglers (hereinafter may be referred to as "LGBA"). Membership in LGBA is not mandatory to be a member of LGBM. The club Secretary-Treasurer may maintain a roster of LGBA members and collect and forward dues to the state organization ABF as a courtesy to the club members of LGBA.
SECTION 3: PURPOSE
The Purposes of the club are:
1. To establish a fellowship through which its members may stimulate interest, gain
Knowledge and improve their skills as bass anglers through the friendly exchange of ideas
and techniques related to bass fishing as a sport;
2. To promote and stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major form of recreation
and sport;
3. To offer our State and Federal Conservation Department our organized moral and
Political support and to encourage full adherence to all conservation codes, standards, and laws.
4. To teach and promote safe boating and on the water practices.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1: NUMBER OF MEMBERS
1. To maintain PRIMARY affiliation of LGBM with the Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation
Nation, Inc. (ABFN) and the national B.A.S.S. Federation ("BFN"), and to maintain
SECONDARY affiliation of LGBA, if any, with the Alabama Bass Federation - ABF-
TBF-FLW, Inc. national organizations, the Club Secretary shall submit updated rosters
of membership on an annual basis as required by the affiliated state and national organizations. In addition thereto, the Club Secretary shall update affiliated state and national organization rosters of membership when new members join the club or membership in the club is terminated, to include collection and payment of required membership dues in these affiliated state and national organizations.
2. No limit is hereby established concerning a number for general membership. However,
when the general membership reaches 30 the club membership shall be polled to determine if additional members should be admitted to club membership.
3. The Club Secretary shall maintain CURRENT a club membership roster with addresses,
Phone numbers and email address. The roster shall be maintained CURRENT and shall be available to the club membership at any time.
4. At no time shall a new member be added to the membership roster, which would cause the ratio of boaters to non-boaters to fall below (3:1.) 3 to 1. For this purpose, a boater shall be defined as a member who has a qualified boat available for use in club tournaments. However in the event a member classified as a boater is unable to make his boat available in (2) two consecutive tournaments then he will be re-classified on the roster as a non-boater until such time as the member has a qualified boat available for tournament activity.
SECTION 2; REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHP
All persons, without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, or sex, if found to comply with the spirit and objectives of the club, shall be eligible for membership. To become a member in the club, an individual must be at least 16 years of age and shall:
1. Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership;
2. Pay full annual dues if joining during the months November through April. Thereafter the clubs portion of the dues shall be prorated down by two dollars per month for the months of May through October. (For example if the clubs portion of the dues is $15, a new member joining in May would pay 13, June would pay $11and etc.)
3. Register in person at a regular club membership meeting with the Secretary/Treasure and
Tournament Director. The individual must complete an approved membership application form, a copy of which is attached and made a part of the By-Laws. The prospective member shall be supplied with a CURRENT copy of the club Constitution & By-Laws, Tournament Rules, and Roster.
4. The prospective member shall be required to fish one (1) scheduled tournament and then be voted on to become a member at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The prospective new member does not have to be present at the next meeting to be voted into the club, however membership and any other dues must be paid current before the new member shall be entitled to fish in the next scheduled club tournament.
5. Qualified new members must be approved by an eighty 80% majority vote of all active members present at the meeting in which the vote is held. The vote shall be conducted by a show of hands. If the vote is affirmative, full membership privileges shall be awarded at that time with any points due from the prior qualifying tournament fished by the new member.
SECTION 3: MEMBERSHIP DUES
The annual membership dues shall be $50.00 payable upon being admitted to
club membership, and at each membership renewal date thereafter.
1. Included in the annual membership dues are:
a. Annual individual membership dues in BFN;
b. Annual individual membership dues in LGBM;
d. Annual membership dues in ABFN, paid as a CLUB.
2. Annual membership dues are non-refundable.
3. The Club year shall run November 1 through October 31 of each calendar year.
4. Membership dues shall be delinquent on December 1 of each year and any member's
dues which remain unpaid on December 30 of the current year shall be dropped from the membership roster, and if the member desires to have continuing membership in the club, he/she, shall not have to re-apply for membership in the club, just pay the dues.
5. Membership dues may be only changed at the 1st Annual Meeting of the club membership in October of each year, by majority vote of the qualified members present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.
6. In addition to membership dues paid through the Treasurer of the club on an annual basis
(BFN dues, LGBM dues, ABFN dues), the member must have and maintain current membership through the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). New members joining the club, who are not currently members of B.A.S.S., will be required to complete an Application for Membership in B.A.S.S. and submit it, with the required membership dues, to the club Treasurer at the same time of making application and paying membership dues to the club.
Applicants applying for new membership in the club shall provide proof of current membership in B.A.S.S. to the club Treasurer. Current members of the club shall provide to the club Treasurer proof of continuing membership in B.A.S.S. at the beginning of each fiscal year, when ever any change occurs in B.A.S.S. membership, or upon request for such information by the club Treasurer.
SECTION 4: RESIGNATION FROM CLUB MEMBERSHIP
1. Any member of the club may resign at any time by filing notice of such resignation with
the Secretary of the club;
2. In the event of resignation by the club member, for any reason whatsoever, the member
forfeit's the right to recover any part of the dues, assessments, assets, bank accounts, used
or unused, that may have been collected, acquired, purchased, etc. by the club.
SECTION 5: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
1. Each member's membership in the club automatically terminates when the member is
no longer current in membership dues payment to the club. Membership dues in the
club are due on November 1 of each calendar year, delinquent on December 1 of each
calendar year, and membership in the club shall be terminated by the Secretary and the
member's name deleted from the club roster on December 30 of the calendar year; Failure to maintain membership current in B.A.S.S. shall be grounds for termination of membership in the club. Should the member's membership in B.A.S.S. expire during the club's fiscal year, and the club be notified and billed for the non-renewal of the member's membership in B.A.S.S., the club Treasurer shall give written "Notice of Non-Payment of Membership Dues" to the member requiring payment of the renewal membership dues,. If such dues are not received by the Treasurer within (15) days from the "Notice", or proof of payment of such dues to B.A.S.S. provided to the Treasurer by the member, then said membership in the club shall terminate until all dues payable have been brought current.
2. A club member's membership in the club may be terminated for cause by majority vote
of the membership present at any scheduled meeting of the club whereby written notice
has been given by United States mail to all active members of the club, at least ten (10)
days before such meeting is to take place, setting forth the item to be considered for
termination of the member's membership in the club. Considerations for termination of
club membership may include, but not be limited to:
(a) Conscious deviation from adherence to club Constitution and By-Laws or
Tournament Rules;
(b) Unsportsmanlike conduct;
(c) Actions deemed not in the spirit and purposes of the club.
SECTION 6: TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP: Membership in the club is not transferable.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS, ELECTIONS, VACANCIES, AND ELIBIBILITY
SECTION 1: OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES.
The officers of the club shall consist of and their primary responsibilities and duties shall be:
1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the principal executive officer of the club and shall
have in his or her charge the daily general direction and promotion of its affairs with
authority to do such acts and to make such contracts and execute such agreements, as are
authorized by the Membership, which are necessary and proper to carry out the activities
of the club.
a. The President shall schedule, preside over, and maintain order over all official
meetings;
b. The President shall appoint all standing (except the Executive Committee) and
special committees and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees;
c. The President shall remove and replace members of committees (except the
Executive Committee) as he/she deems necessary, and shall cooperate with the
Chairpersons thereof to assure proper functioning of each committee to achieve
the desired results;
d. The President shall direct that all elections are duly called, noticed, and held as
required by these By-Laws;
e. The President shall be the official representative and primary contact person of
the club with maintain direct liaison with all state/national affiliations, have
primary responsibility for directing the business affairs of the club;
f. The President shall initiate and preside over disciplinary actions in respect to
violations of the By-Laws, standing regulations, rules, and procedures of the club
its members;
g. The President shall monitor and approve expenditures of the club, and may sign,
make, and endorse in the name of the club checks, notes, drafts, bills of disposal
and receipt thereof, under the powers and authorization granted by the members
of the club;
h. The President shall direct the activities of the Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Tournament Director, and Web site Administrator;
i. The President may, during the absence of any officer, delegate such officer's
duties to any other officer or director;
j. The President shall direct and monitor that full and accurate books are maintained
by the club on a current basis, account for all funds received, prepare, and
and provide full disclosure to the membership upon request;
k. The President shall ensure that the club's Web site is attractive, current, and
informative for visits to the site by the general public and potential members to the
club.
2. VICE-PRESIDENT: In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice-President
shall perform the duties of the President. Other duties and responsibilities include, but
are not limited to:
(a) Assist the President in his or her duties as requested;
(b) Serve as Program Director for the club including the Annual Picnic;
(c) Serve as the primary officer for the club in new membership
development;
(d) Serve as liaison with outside agencies such as cities, Chamber of
Commerce, etc. for the promotion and development of the club; (e) Duties include, but are not limited to, advertising and promotional activities on behalf of ABFN;
The Vice-President reports to the President.
3. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep the correct and complete minutes of all
meetings; shall maintain a current roster of the membership of the club; maintain a
roster of all members entitled to vote; serve as custodian of original membership
applications and documentation of the club; shall have charge of the Seal of
the club, if any; and shall serve as custodian of all other club records, except
accounting books and records which shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer,
unless the individual serves in a combined position of Secretary-Treasurer; and
except the books and records of the Tournament Chairman for any and all scheduled
tournaments. Other duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
(a) Provide the officers of the club a copy of the minutes of meetings in a
timely fashion, and make them available to the membership upon request;
(b) Maintain communications with the state and/or national affiliations,
including the updating and coordination of rosters and membership;
(c) Provide for inspection of the books and records of the club by any club member,
officer, or his or her agent or attorney, or governmental agency for any proper
purpose at any reasonable time;
(d) Prepare and submit such reports and perform such duties as are incident
to his or her office or which may be delegated to him or her by the President;
The Secretary reports to the President
4. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds, financial accounts,
and financial records of the club:
(a) The Treasurer shall receive and deposit to the account of the club, in the depository of the club, all incomes and receipt of funds as directed by the Membership or under authority of these By-Laws;
(b) The Treasurer shall issue all checks in payment of expenses or other obligations of
the club, and make all disbursements on behalf of the club, with proper supporting documentation in file and approved by the President;
(c) All checks of the club shall bear either the signature or the President or Treasurer
of the club;
(d) The Treasurer shall maintain the accounting records of the club and shall render to
the other Officers of the club, at such times as fixed or as may be requested or
scheduled, an account of all transactions of the Treasurer and of the financial
condition of the club, including, but not limited to, quarterly Income and Expense
Statements, Balance Sheets, and an Annual Statement of Condition. The President
may authorize the assistance and services of a CPA for the Treasurer and/or provide for an independent audit of the ABFN books at any time;
(e) The Treasurer shall have the responsibility and duty of making timely filings of all
required returns with local, state, or federal authorities, and any other filings that
are required by lawful authority;
(f) The Treasurer shall keep current, correct, and complete accounting books and
records of account of the club, which books and records may be inspected by any
member, director, or officer, or his or her agent or attorney, and any local, state or
federal governmental agency, for any proper purpose, at any reasonable time;
The Treasurer reports to the President
5. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR: One of the most important purposes of the club is to
develop a fraternal and social relationship among its membership for the enjoyment of
the art and skill of catching bass by all legal means, in a competitive environment, both
for food and return to their habitat (Catch and Release). The Tournament Director shall
be the primary resource for providing leadership and coordinating all tournament
activities of the club. The duties and responsibilities of the Tournament Director shall
include, but not be limited to:
(a) The Tournament Director shall serve as Chairperson of the Tournament
Committee, which shall consist of members of the the club as outlined in the
Section 1 8. of the club Tournament Rules. This Committee shall have the
responsibility of developing and publishing the Tournament Schedule for each
tournament year;
(b) The Tournament Director shall cause the subsequent year's Tournament Schedule
to be posted on the club's Web site and distributed to all club members no later
than two weeks before the beginning of the new tournament year;
(c) The Tournament Director shall supervise the activities of the Weigh Master at all
scheduled club tournaments;
(d) The Tournament Director shall plan, coordinate, and execute all scheduled club
tournament activities including, but not limited to, arrangements for tournament
sites and tournament headquarters (the Tournament Director may ask the Weigh
Master for assistance in any and all of his assigned duties); receive and accept
entry forms and fees for tournaments; provide the club Treasurer with an
accounting and all entry fees received from tournament participants for deposit to
the club account; pair partners by boater/non-boater at random draw; conduct pretournament meetings; supervise and direct tournament blast-offs; monitor tournament activity; prepare for, and set-up, and conduct tournament weigh-ins; assess penalties for any violations of tournament rules regulations; determine winners and issue tournament awards;
(e) The Tournament Director may delegate such tournament tasks as is necessary to
conduct tournaments that are smooth, fair, efficient, honest, and represent the
purposes and spirit of the club and the respectful state and national entities with
which the club is affiliated.
The Tournament Director reports to the President
6. WEIGH MASTER: The primary responsibility of the Weigh Master is to assist the
Tournament Director in any and all of his duties as requested, including but not limited to:
(a) Maintain all club weigh-in equipment and be responsible to ensure that all required
equipment and materials is on-site at all scheduled tournament for use in the
tournament;
(b) Measure all fish at all official club tournaments;
(c) Weigh all qualified fish presented at the tournament weigh-in and advise the
Tournament Director. Should any violations of club tournament rules, or
violation of state or federal conservation department fishing rules be in violation,
so advise the Tournament Director to take effective action.
The Weigh Master reports to the Tournament Director
8. WEB SITE ADMINISTRATOR: The club Web Site Administrator shall be appointed
or employed to serve at the direction of the President of the club. The club Web Site
Administrator shall be a member of the club. The club may utilize the services of the Web site Administrator to host and maintain the Web site as WEBMASTER, or engage the services of an outside contractor as WEBMASTER to host and maintain the club's Web site at the direction of the Web site Administrator. The duties and responsibilities of the club Web Site Administrator shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Development of an maintenance of the club Web site (www.lgbm.org) on a
CURRENT basis that is attractive, inviting, informative, and functional;
(b) Updating of the club Web site on a continuing basis as directed by the club
President to include, but not limited to:
(1) Home Page with appropriate links to other affiliated organizations and
Web sites of interest to the membership;
(2) Current listing of club Officers and members of the club;
(3) Current copy of club Constitution and By-Laws;
(4) Current copy of club Tournament Rules
(5) History of the club;
(6) Lunker Hall of Fame Award
(7) Angler of the Year Award
(8) Current schedule for club tournaments and activities;
(9) Posted results of current year club tournaments;
(10) Photo pages for tournaments and other club activities and functions;
(11) Archived pages for prior tournament schedules and tournament results;
(14) Other - as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.
The Web site Administrator reports to the President
SECTION 2: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the
President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall have
the authority to take emergency actions requiring Membership approval when it is not
feasible to convene a club meeting in the time allowed, and which action taken by the
Executive Committee shall be submitted for membership approval at the next regularly
scheduled club meeting. The President shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive
Committee.
SECTION 3: ELECTIONS
The election of officers shall be held on an annual basis at the regular Annual Meeting during the month of October. Notice of such meeting shall be given by United States mail to current members of the club not less than seven (7) days, nor more than (30) days prior to such meeting date. Nominations shall be received from the floor from qualified and current members of the club. Voting shall be held by secret ballot and election by simple majority of members present at the meeting in which the vote is held. Elections for each office shall be held separately in the order listed in Article III. Section 1.
SECTION 4: VOTING
1. Each qualified member of the club in good standing shall be entitled to one (1) vote in
matters coming before the membership;
2. Proxy votes are not permitted.
3. A member shall able to cast there vote via absentee ballot if they are unable to attend due to work, school, family matters, and etc.
SECTION 5: TERM OF OFFICE
The term of office for all officers shall be one (1) year. The term of office shall begin on November 1and end on the last meeting day of October of the term, or until a successor is qualified, elected, and assumes office
SECTION 6: VACANCIES:
In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be made and an election held to fill the unexpired term of the individual vacating the office. Voting shall be held by secret ballot and election by a simple majority.
SECTION 7: ELIGIBILITY FOR HOLDING OFFICE:
To be eligible for an office a member must:
1. Have been a member for six (6.) months.
2. Have attended at least 75% of all club activities during the
previous year.
3. Have shown an active interest in all club functions.
ARTICLE IV
METHODS OF AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS.
SECTION 1: AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
The By-Laws of the club may only be amended by a majority vote of the membership present at the Annual meeting in October of each calendar year. If changes to the By-Laws are proposed, written notice of the proposed amendments shall be distributed to the membership at the last regularly scheduled meeting in September.
ARTICLE V
DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
SECTION 1: DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of the club for any cause, the assets of the club of whatever kind and wherever situated shall be distributed to any nonprofit entity or governmental agency qualified to receive such distribution under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States or revised section of any future federal tax code, for the purposes set out in these By-Laws. No distribution of the assets, funds, etc. of the club shall ever be made to any member or officer of the club.
Chuck Rehage/Secretary Revised: 10/08/2009
