Club Constitution
FERRYHILL & DISTRICT ANGLING CLUB
CONSTITUTION JANUARY 2024
(RATIFIED BY THE 2023 AGM)
The name of ‘The Club’ shall be FERRYHILL AND DISTRICT ANGLING CLUB and no other variation, (Herein named and referred to as “The Club” in this Constitution). The name of ‘The Club’ cannot be changed unless by achieving an 85% majority vote in a postal ballot of those eligible to vote at the time. The ballot cannot take place between 1st February and 31st March as this period is taken up with renewals.
‘The Club’ is a Non-Profit making Club.
The Committee shall meet at the All Saints Catholic Hall, Dean Road, Ferryhill on the second Thursday in each month, or at a venue decided by the Committee. Details of any change will be published on ‘The Club’s’ website prior to any change. The members meeting will be held first, at approx. 8.00 pm, followed by the Committee meeting held at approx. 8.30pm. Members are allowed to attend the Committee meetings at the sole discretion of the Chairperson who is in charge of the meeting. The Presentation night is at the discretion of the Committee who will decide whether or not it will be held.
The December meeting is the Annual General Meeting - The AGM.
The Membership shall meet to examine the accounts and arrange the affairs of ‘The
Club’ for the following year. Start 8.00pm prompt.
Please NB: Members must have their club cards with them at all meetings and when on ‘The Club’ waters.
1. OBJECTIVE OF ‘THE CLUB’
1.1) To promote participation in a recreational activity for the benefit of the inhabitants of Ferryhill and the surrounding areas, through the provision of Game and Coarse Angling facilities with the aim of improving quality of life.
2. MEMBERSHIP
2.1) Membership of ‘The Club’ shall be open to anyone with an interest in angling irrespective of nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability.
2.2) The Committee reserves the right to refuse membership on application or renewal. Members or applicants may be excluded or expelled based on previous conduct or behaviour which the Committee deemed to be detrimental to the running of ‘The Club’ and shall be at the discretion and vote of the Committee whose decision is final.
2.3) Membership of ‘The Club’ shall consist of:
Full Members. Currently between the ages of 18 years & 67 years. Age limits may change depending on government retirement age guidelines.
Senior Citizens Members (aged 67 plus years) depending on government retirement age guidelines.
Junior Members No minimum age up to 16 years. (Under 16 years of age when taking out the yearly subscription to ‘The Club’ to be classed as a junior member).
Intermediate Members Members between the ages of 16 years & 18 years (under 18 years of age when taking out the yearly subscription to ‘The Club’ to be classed as an Intermediate member.
Disabled Members Must be in receipt of a concessionary Environmental Agency licence.
Honorary Members This means members who have 10 or more years of consecutive membership prior to their 67th birthday and have been granted honorary status in the club by the Committee.
Twenty Year Members This is for members who took out a twenty year subscription to ‘The Club’.
Temporary Members A Temporary member is someone who has purchased a day ticket to fish ‘The Club’ waters, and is covered by our insurance.
Associate Members An Associate member has no rights other than to accompany a Full, Junior, Senior Citizen, Disabled or Honorary member on ‘The Club’ waters. However all associate members will be covered by ‘The Club’s’ insurance whilst on
‘The Club’ waters.
2.4) All Members, except Honorary and those in payment of twenty year membership will pay an Annual Subscription to ‘The Club’ at the rate set by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. Subscriptions shall be due on 1st of January each year.
2.5) Senior citizens with 10 or more year’s consecutive membership may be granted Honorary Membership at the discretion of the committee.
2.6) All Members except the following have full voting rights:
Juniors, Intermediate Members, Associate Members and Temporary Members.
2.7) Members may obtain ‘Guest Permits’ for any persons to fish on any of ‘The Club’s’ waters and fisheries EXCEPT Day Ticket fisheries. The member shall at all times be in attendance to the guest.
Guests and Day Ticket holders shall be banned and excluded from fishing ‘The Club’s’ waters when they have been convicted of poaching by the E.A or expelled from any other angling club. Only the Membership Secretary may issue Guest Permits in accordance with Data Protection Regulations. Permit fees being set by the Committee or members at the AGM.
2.8) Riparian Owners who receive permits to fish their waters may only fish the water stated in the terms of the lease and any person using these permits shall not be covered by ‘The Club’s’ insurance.
2.9) Members who are not required to pay a fee are requested to donate a minimum fee of £3.00 for the provision of a new membership card, postage and admin costs.
3. MEMBERSHIP / EXPULSION
3.1) The Management Committee shall have the power by majority decision to terminate membership of any member for ‘Misconduct or any other good or sufficient reason’. The member in question will be given the opportunity to be present at any meeting called to consider the question of such termination.
3.2) An expelled member shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership but will remain liable for any dues, debts or damages which became payable or were incurred before the date of expulsion.
3.3) If any member or group of members who have cause to bring charges relating to the conduct of either Officials, Committee members or other Club members, they MUST put the complaint in writing to the Chairman or Secretary. No other exceptions will be accepted.
3.4) Charges against the individuals will be heard by members of the Committee.
These Committee Members and Trustees will subsequently deliberate and decide an outcome after hearing all witnesses and statements relating to the case. Subject to securing legal advice, (should such advice be required) the decision of the Committee and Trustees will be binding and will be decided within the monthly period between meetings where possible, or at an acceptable period subject to procedure.
4. MANAGEMENT (Executive and Committee)
4.1) The general management of the affairs of ‘The Club’ shall be managed by a management committee elected at the Annual General Meeting.
4.2) The management committee shall consist of the following:
The President
Two Vice Presidents
Chairperson
The Secretary
The Financial Secretary / Treasurer
The Membership Secretory
The Committee shall also have six (6) members elected annually at the AGM
4.3) The following positions on the management team shall be held for a three (3) year period to allow continuity of service to the club membership - Secretary, Membership Secretary, Financial Secretary. All other positions will be elected on an annual basis.
4.4) The Chairperson, Secretary, Members Secretary and Financial Secretary are provided an inconvenience fee, agreed by the members at an AGM for the inconvenience and use of their homes and equipment in the course of club business.
4.5) The water management committee is the WHOLE committee.
4.6) A member wishing to become a member of the Committee must have two years membership of The Club (current & any previous membership periods to be included) to become eligible to be elected or co-opted to the Committee. Each person seeking election must be proposed and seconded by a full member with a minimum of 1 year's membership.
4.7 All Committee member must have two consecutive years (2 i.e. 24 months) serving on the committee before being eligible for a Senior Executive or Officer position.
4.8) In the event of any resignation or removal of a committee member or executive team member a period of at least one month must lapse before the committee can fill the vacancy by co-opting a new member. Any person so appointed shall retire at the next AGM but will be eligible for re-election at this time.
4.9) Should the Committee and ‘The Club’ be in such a position that senior officers cannot be replaced for whatever reason by committee members with two full years consecutive (2) years service, then through extenuating circumstances, the following alternative arrangement shall apply, i.e. A Committee member with less than the required eligibility but is willing to take the position may be elected to the senior position. The newly elected Officer will then require their position to be ratified at the next AGM / EGM.
4.10) No member may serve as a committee member if they have been found and proven to have broken ‘The Club’ rules and subsequently been disciplined for the offence.
4.11) No one may be elected or co-opted to an Executive Officer post (Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer & Membership Secretary) while another relative of direct line is serving as an Executive Officer of the Club.
5. COMMITTEE DISCIPLINE OR REMOVAL
5.1) Any Committee member failing to attend three (3) consecutive monthly meetings without giving an apology for absence to either the Chairman or Secretary, will be required to resign or have their position revoked.
5.2) No member shall serve as a Committee official for ‘The Club’ whilst serving as an official for any other angling club which has a conflict of interest to Ferryhill And District Angling Club unless as representative of this club.
5.3) Any Committee or Executive Member that has knowingly destroyed any club information, property or misused club funds and subsequently been removed or resigned through the matter shall be barred from holding a future position on the committee of ‘The Club’.
5.4) Any Committee or Executive Member that deliberately and knowingly failed or neglected their duties assigned to them by the Committee or were elected by the membership at the AGM for that specific duty will be removed from their position or be expected to resign and therefore shall be barred from holding or serving on the Committee in future.
6. TRUSTEES
6.1) The property and assets of ‘The Club’ shall be vested in not less than two (2) and not more than three (3) holding Trustees elected by the Management Committee.
6.2) Elected Holding Trustees are not required to stand for re-election and shall remain in office having full voting rights on Committee business and Club financial arrangements, in accordance with national guidelines for Trustees. Trustees shall only be removed from their position by the membership at an AGM or EGM.
6.3) The scale of authority of the Holding Trustees will be as laid down in the national guidelines for Trustees.
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
7.1) The AGM of ‘The Club’, to which any voting member shall be entitled to attend shall be held on the second Thursday in December each year. They will receive and consider the audited accounts and annual Balance Sheet and to decide on any resolutions submitted by the Committee or membership and to set an annual membership fee. The meeting to begin at 8pm prompt unless stated otherwise.
7.2) Any full voting member may make proposals to alter rules and nominate Officers and Committee members. Any changes to rules or constitution will take immediate effect after said AGM The Committee reserves the right to implement rule changes between AGMs should circumstances require such decisions. Such rule changes would be subject to scrutiny by the Angling Trust or Fish Legal team and by a majority decision of the Trustees.
7.3) Proposals for the AGM must be in writing to the Secretary before the start of the October meeting, signed by the Proposer and Seconded by a member. Proposals can only be withdrawn or amended by agreement of the Proposer who must attend the AGM.
8. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
8.1) An EGM may be convened upon The Secretary receiving a written and signed request by No Less than 20%, i.e. 1/5th of the total membership. Any group of members who wish to request/call an EGM must sign and state their membership number on the letter to the Chairman / Secretary giving the reason why the meeting has been requested. ALL THE MEMBERSHIP REQUESTING THE EGM MUST ATTEND THE EGM AND SIGN A ROLE CALL AT THE MEETING.
8.2) The committee will give twenty eight (28) days clear notice of an EGM by way of notice on the club website.
8.3) The committee may call an EGM if deemed necessary.
9. COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND AGM or EGM
9.1) Meeting procedure (please see Rules & Regulations and Behaviour / Conduct.) The Rules, Regulations and Behaviour /Conduct to adopt at all Club Meetings, can be obtained from the Secretary on request.
9.2) All meetings of the Committee and Trustees, a minimum of six (6) shall be required to form a quorum.
9.3) Questions arising at meetings that require a vote being cast shall be decided by simple majority decision of those entitled to vote. The Chairperson shall have a members and casting vote in the case of equality.
9.4) Minutes of ALL MEETINGS shall be recorded in the minutes book by the Secretary and countersigned by the Secretary and Chairperson.
9.5) If the Monthly meeting minute book or AGM minute book is not present, the meeting will not take place.
10. ACCOUNTS
10.1) The aim of ‘The Club’ is to be self supporting as far as possible and to only seek funding as required from appropriate sources. All monies raised by or on behalf of ‘The Club’ shall be applied to further the aims and objectives of ‘The Club’ and for no other purpose.
10.2) The financial year shall run from 1st October of each year until the 30th of September each year. A record of ‘The Clubs’ financial transactions shall be maintained by the Treasurer and examined by ‘The Clubs’ auditors and presented to the Annual General Meeting for approval.
10.3) All monies received by ‘The Club’ shall be paid into a Bank account in the name of Ferrvhill and District Angling Club and all cheques drawn against ‘The Club’ shall be signed by two (2) of three (3) designated signatories. Regulations, Rules and scale of Authority of signatories on ‘The Club’ cheques, i.e. The Named Signatories' for signing of all cheques, will be in accordance with The National Banking Authority Regulations to date.
10.4) Should the Committee in a general meeting be required to pass a resolution authorising ‘The Club’ to borrow money, then ‘The Club’ may borrow the amount of money (either at one time or from time to time) from ‘The Club’s’ approved Bank. This would be at the rate of interest in the form, manner and upon the security specified in the resolution, subject to the approval of the Trustees who must authorise such borrowing. The Trustees will be the guarantors and signatories for such borrowing, but would be indemnified by the assets of ‘The Club’ for any borrowing.
10.5) The accounts of ‘The Club’ shall be audited by an independent person appointed by the Committee, at the end of the financial year. Trustees may check and oversee the accounts at any time throughout the year.
10.6) The Auditor shall be appointed by the Committee at the October meeting.
10.7) All cash payments up to £100 must have the approval of two (2) Committee members and be reported and recorded at the next monthly Committee meeting. Payment can only be paid at a Committee meeting and must be recorded in the minutes.
10.8) Payment over £100 must be approved by the Committee at the next monthly meeting and recorded. Payment can only be paid at a Committee meeting and must be recorded in the minutes.
10.9) All travel expenses incurred by any Member/Committee or anyone on official business for ‘The Club’ in line with Government guidelines will receive the approved
allowance stated by the Government in that financial year.
Note: ALL PAYMENTS MUST HAVE A RECIEPT.
11. INTERPRETATION
11.1) The Committee shall seek legal advice before deciding on any issues not specifically provided for in this Constitution. This guidance shall be from ‘The Club’s’ legal and insurance bodies or other legal institutions before any rules and any decisions can be finalized and binding upon the membership.
12. DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
12.1) ‘The Club’ shall be wound up in the event that the membership falls below twenty five (25) and all assets remaining shall be transferred to an angling charity after all debts have been paid.
THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SHALL BE HELD ON THE SECOND (2ND) THURSDAY IN DECEMBER AT 8.00PM PROMPT.
F.D.A.C. I.D. CARD MUST BE PRODUCED ON ENTRY TO THE MEETING.