By-Laws

Article I: Name and Purpose

A.      Name: The club shall be called BASS ACKWARDS

B.      Purpose: To improve our skills as Bass Fishermen through fellowship and the friendly exchange of Bass fishing techniques and ideas.

 

Article II: Membership

 

Section I: Membership Limit

A.      Club membership will be limited to a total 25 Active Members.

Section II: Membership Requirements

A.      Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership.

B.      Be at least 21 years of age.

C.      Be sponsored by an Active Member at a regular club meeting.

D.      Be voted in by the membership. Affirmation must be by a 2/3 majority of the members present.

E.       An official “Waiting List” with a limit of three (3) prospective members shall be maintained by the Club Vice President and posted on the club website.

1.       The list shall be based on the order that prospective members have announced interest in membership.

2.       Returning Members in Good Standing will not count against the waiting list limit.

Section III: Membership Revocation

A.      Membership may be revoked for any of the following reasons:

1.       Failure to pay annual membership dues by the January Meeting deadline.

a.       Extenuating circumstances shall be addressed to the Executive Committee prior to the deadline.

2.       Any illegal, immoral, unsportsmanlike, or other conduct that could bring discredit or dishonor to the club or the member.

B.      Revocation of membership shall be accomplished by a 2/3 vote with no less than 50% of the club Active Members present.

 

 

Section IV: Membership Types

A.      Active Member

1.       Any person voted into the club as a member that actively participates in club sponsored events and is current with club membership dues.

2.       Active Members may participate in any club sponsored event.

3.       Active Members have the privilege to vote on any official club business.

 

B.      Member in Good Standing

1.       Any Active Member with a minimum of 3 years as a club member.

2.       Any Member in Good Standing who leaves the club and desires to return may do so by attending any regular monthly club meeting and acknowledging their intent to rejoin.

a.       If a prospective member waiting list exists, returning members shall be added to the end of the list.

 

C.      Honorary Membership

1.       A person who is unable to make more than 2/3 of club meetings and club tournaments due to his resident location being more than 100 miles from the Indian River Park and Ride.

2.       Must be a Member in Good Standing.

3.       Appointment to the Honorary Member status must be requested by the person seeking appointment.

4.       To become an Honorary Member, a person must have a majority vote of members present at a regularly scheduled meeting.

5.       Honorary Members will not pay dues or have the privilege to vote on official club business and does not count against the club’s active membership limitation. They are entitled to and kept up to date with all club information.

6.       Honorary Members will be subject to club By-Laws during club sponsored events. They will be able to participate as a Boater or Non-Boater in club tournaments when able, but will not accumulate any tournaments points. They are eligible to receive a tournament trophy if applicable.

7.       Honorary Members will have the option to attend the annual club banquet at their own expense.

Section V: Dues

A.      Club dues will be $60.00 per calendar year.

B.      Dues will be paid no later than the January monthly club meeting.

C.      Any extenuating circumstances will be addressed to and handled by the Executive Committee.

 

 

 

ARTICLE III: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VACANCIES AND ELIGIBILITY

 

Section I: Duties

A.      The Executive Committee and their duties shall consist of:

1.       PRESIDENT: Plans and organizes all club activities. This includes scheduling and conducting meetings, handling or assigning administrative details and directs all official business.

2.       VICE PRESIDENT: Assumes the duties of the President and/or Recorder in their absence. Maintains the prospective member waiting list.

3.       RECORDER: Maintains accurate minutes, membership records, dues, and checking account records.

SECTION II: Nominations and Elections

A.      Nominations and elections for the Executive Committee shall be taken annually at the regularly scheduled meeting during the month of December.

B.      Elections shall be by a secret ballot majority vote of the members present.

C.      Re-election of officers is permitted.

SECTION III: Voting

A.      Each member is entitled to 1 (one) vote.

B.      Proxy votes are not permitted.

C.      Unless otherwise noted in specific sections of these bylaws, all votes will be passed by a majority of more than 50% of the members present during the vote (majority vote).

D.      When calculating number of members required to pass any vote (i.e. 50%, 2/3, etc.) all percentages/fractions will be rounded up to the nearest whole number.

SECTION IV: Term of Office

A.      The term of office is for one (1) year, which shall begin January 1st and end on December 31st, or until the successor assumes office.

SECTION V: Vacancies

A.      In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be asked for, and an election held to fill the vacant office at the next regular club meeting.

SECTION VI: Eligibility for Holding Office

A.      To be eligible to hold office a member must be a member in good standing.

 

ARTICLE IV: Method for Amending the By-Laws

A.      Any amendment to the by-laws shall only be passed by a 2/3 majority vote with a minimum of 50% of Active Members present.

 

ARTICLE V: Tournaments

 

SECTION I: Schedule

A.      There shall be a set number of tournaments each year. The number shall be set at the February meeting and approved by majority vote.

B.      The position that members finished the previous year will determine which members select club tournaments for the upcoming season.

1.       Each member shall determine the respective tournament date and launch site.

2.       That member shall be responsible for announcing tournament times, weigh-in, logging weights, and collecting/dispensing prize money (Tournament Director).

C.      The final schedule must be approved by majority vote.

D.      Any requested change to the posted tournament schedule by the Tournament Director (i.e. body of water, launch site, date, etc.) must be approved by a majority vote at or before the meeting prior to the tournament affected.

E.       Tournament location/date may be changed, at any time, by the Executive Committee if the safety of members and/or equipment is a concern.

SECTION II: Prize Money

A.      There will be a $10.00 entry fee per tournament. Big fish pot entry will be $5.00 (participation is optional).

1.       Entry fees will be collected prior to blast off.

2.       Two-day tournaments will be treated as one (1) tournament. Big fish pots will be separate for each day.

B.      The club collects 10% of the tournament fees and the remaining money will be paid out to the top three (3) places.

1.       1st place pays 50%

2.       2nd place pays 30%

3.       3rd place pays 20%

4.       All places are rounded up to the nearest whole dollar and the remaining monies go to the club.

5.       Any monies not claimed for the top three (3) places, by the next regular scheduled club meeting, will be reverted to the club treasury.

6.       Any monies for places not paid, due to zero fish being weighed in for those places, will be split with the below listed ratios and paid out to the remaining winning places.

a.       Paying only 1st and 2nd place: 65% and 35% respectively.

b.      Paying only 1st place: 100%.

7.       In the event zero fish are weighed in for all contestants, the prize money split, as outlined above, will be carried over and added to the prize money of the next scheduled tournament.

 

SECTION III: Regulations

A.      Only artificial lures shall be used unless otherwise stated.

B.      Only Black, Spotted, and Smallmouth Bass will be scored for weight/points.

1.       Legal size will be 12” minimum or in accordance with applicable state law, whichever is larger.

C.      Participating boats shall not posses more than one (1) legal limit per person.

SECTION IV: Scoring

A.      Points will be awarded at each club tournament for total weight as follows:

1.       8 pts. For fishing the tournament.

2.       1st place 50 pts.

3.       2nd place 45 pts.

4.       3rd place 40 pts.

5.       4th place 35 pts.

6.       5th place 30 pts.

7.       6th place 29 pts.

8.       7th place 28 pts.

9.       8th place 27 pts. And so-on for each person weighing fish.

B.      The tournament winner will be decided by accumulated weight during the tournament.

C.      In case of a tie the heaviest fish will determine the winner.

D.      Penalty for each undersized bass weighed-in will cause forfeiture of largest bass in contestant’s total days catch.

E.       A penalty of two (2) ounces will be deducted from total weight for each dead fish weighed in.

1.       The Tournament Director will rule on all “live/dead fish” issues.

F.       To measure fish lay flat on tournament board with mouth closed and pinch tail together. Fish tail must touch or exceed the measurement line.

G.     All live fish shall be released.

Section V: Blast-Off Draw

A.      Blast-off order will be determined by draw at the regular club meeting directly proceeding the tournament date.

B.      Only members physically present at the meeting will be drawn for blast-off order.

1.       Members who wish to be drawn, but are unable to attend the meeting due to work, school, etc. must contact a member of the Executive Committee and request inclusion in the draw prior to the meeting convening.

C.      Members not physically present at the meeting and not included by the Executive Committee will receive the next available blast-off order when they check in with the Tournament Director at the ramp the morning of the tournament.

D.      Draw order will be conducted as follows:

1.       Active Members fishing as non-boaters to determine their boater.

2.       Blast-off order.

C.      Members who will be hosting an immediate family member guest will be exempt from the non-boater draw.

D.      Members wishing to host non-family member guests must first participate in the non-boater draw, and may announce their guest after all non-boaters have been assigned a boater.

Section VI: Blast-Off

A.      Blast-off will be conducted in the following manner:

1.       The Tournament Director will announce the blast-off order after the safety brief at which time they will tell the first boat to go.

2.       The last boat in the blast-off order will call out the remaining boats to blast off in their respective order.

3.       All boats that blast-off will do so, in order, only when their stern is clear of all other club member’s boats. This is to ensure that no unsafe conditions develop for members waiting to blast off.

Section VII: Weigh-In

A.      All weigh-ins will be conducted in blast off order in accordance with the following rules:

1.       Contestants will bring their fish to the scales in a club approved weigh-in bag containing enough water to cover the fish.

2.       Contestants will transfer the fish to the official weigh-in basket, when directed by the Tournament Director, for weighing. Water will be maintained in the contestant’s weigh-in bag.

3.       The Tournament Director shall bunk the smallest fish of each contestant.

4.       Upon completion of weighing and photography, the live fish will be returned to the contestant’s weigh-in bag and then placed back into the river/lake.

B.      Exception decisions will be made by the Tournament Director based on conditions.

C.      If a contestant desires a courtesy bunk (measurement on official club bunk-board) they must make the request to the Tournament Director prior to presenting their fish for weigh in.

D.      Failure to follow the simple steps to safe guard the health of the fish shall result in a “ZERO” for fish weighed in for that contestant.

E.       Any complaints, disagreements, etc. shall be brought to the Tournament Director prior to the conclusion of the weigh-in. Any decision by the Tournament Director is final.

 

Section VIII: Guest Participation

A.      Any non-club member wishing to fish in a club sponsored tournament will fall into one of the two following categories:

1.        An active club member’s immediate family may participate in an unlimited number of club sponsored tournaments. They will be required to pay applicable entry fees and will be eligible to collect winnings based on their tournament finish. They are not eligible for points.

2.       Any person who is not a club member and not immediate family of an active club member may participate in one (1) club sponsored tournament per tournament season as a Non-Boater. They will be required to pay all applicable entry fees and will be eligible to collect winnings based on their tournament finish.

 

ARTICLE VI: Miscellaneous

 

Section I: Club Meetings

A.      Shall be held on the first Tuesday of each month.

B.      Shall convene at 7: P.M. unless otherwise directed by the President.

Section II: Club Checking Account

A.      The President and Recorder must approve all disbursements from the club checking account.

B.      The incoming and outgoing Executive Committees will hold a club checking account audit every January.

1.       In the case of an Officer(s) re-elected for consecutive terms, the President will appoint an appropriate number of Active Members to conduct/assist with the audit.

Section III: Situations

A.      Any situation that may arise, that is not specifically covered in these by-laws, shall be handled as follows:

1.       The Executive Committee will make a temporary decision that will remain in effect until the next regular club meeting at which time the matter shall be discussed and decided by majority vote.