1 TITLE
1.1 The Club shall be called Offord and Buckden Angling Society (O.B.A.S), hereafter to be referred to as “the Society” and shall be affiliated to the Angling Trust.
2. OBJECTS
2.1 To foster and promote the sport of angling with rod and line at all levels, providing opportunities for recreation and competition.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 The following are eligible for membership:
3.1.1 Membership of the Society shall be open to any person completing a membership application form and paying the relevant subscription/joining fee as determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Society Members and accepting the rules and byelaws of the Society.
3.1.2 Membership shall be from payment of subscription expiring on 15th June next.
3.2 There shall be 6 classes of membership available. These are:
3.2.1 Honorary Member; Full Member
3.2.2 Adult Member; Full Member
3.2.3 Senior Citizen Member; Full Member
3.2.4 Disabled Member; Full Member
3.2.5 Junior Member;
3.2.6 Associate Member;
4. OFFICERS
4.1 The Officers of the Society shall be as follows:
President
Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
5. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
5.1 All Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Society, from, and by, the Members of the Society.
5.2 All Officers are elected for a period of one year, but may be re-elected to the same office or another office the following year.
6. GENERAL COMMITTEE
6.1 The affairs of the Society shall be controlled by a General Committee comprising of the Executive Officers of the Society and a minimum of 5 other Members elected from, and by, the Full Members of the Society. The General Committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than four times per year. At least half of the committee members shall reside in or within 5 miles of the villages of Buckden, Offord Cluny and Offord D’Arcy.
6.2 The duties of the General Committee shall be:
6.2.1 To control the affairs of the Society on behalf of the Members.
6.2.2 To keep accurate accounts of the finances of the Society through the Treasurer. These should be available for reasonable inspection by Members and should be audited before every Annual General Meeting. The Society shall maintain a bank current account and the following Officers shall be authorised to sign Society cheques: two from the President, Chairperson; Vice Chairperson; Treasurer and Secretary.
6.2.3 To appoint Bailiff(s) to monitor and control bankside activities.
6.2.4 To co-opt additional members of the Committee as the Committee feels this is necessary.
6.2.5 To make any byelaws of the Society to govern the control of the fishing and waters held by the Society.
6.2.6 To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.
7 GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held not later than the end of April each year. 21 clear days written notice shall be given to Members of the Annual General Meeting by posting the notice on the Society’s notice board. Members must advise the Secretary in writing of any business to be moved at the Annual General Meeting at least 14 days before a meeting. The Secretary shall circulate or give notice of the agenda for the meeting to Members not less than 7 days before the meeting.
7.2 The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to:
7.2.1 Confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any General Meetings held since the last Annual General Meeting.
7.2.2 Receive and approve the audited accounts for the year from the Treasurer.
7.2.3 Receive the annual report of the Committee from the Secretary or other Officer of the Society.
7.2.4 Elect the Officers of the Society (i.e. President; Chairperson; Vice Chairperson; Secretary; Treasurer and other General Committee Members).
7.2.5 Review Society subscription rates and agree them for the forthcoming year.
7.2.6 Transact such other business received in writing by the Secretary from Members 14 days prior to the meeting and included on the agenda.
7.3 Nomination of candidates for election of Officers should be made in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting date. Nominations can only be made by Full Members and must be seconded by another Full Member.
7.4 Special General Meetings may be convened by the General Committee, or on receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing, from not less than 10 Full Members of the Society. At least 21 days notice of the meeting shall be given.
7.5 At all General Meetings, the chair will be taken by the Chairperson or, in their absence, by a deputy appointed by the Society or by Full Members attending the meeting.
7.6 Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of votes from those Full Members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.
7.7 A quorum for a General Meeting shall be 3 Full Members and 2 Officers of the Society including 2 from the Chairperson; Vice Chairperson; Secretary and Treasurer.
7.8 Each Full Member of the Society shall be entitled to one vote at General Meetings.
8. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
8.1 Any proposed alterations to the Society Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Special General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a Full Member of the Society and seconded by another Full Member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those Full Members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.
9. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
9.1 Members of the Society whose conduct is inappropriate or who decline to abide by any of the Rules or Byelaws may be expelled or suspended by a resolution passed at a meeting of the disciplinary subcommittee where their entrance fee and subscriptions may be forfeited. Members shall have the right to appeal in person to the General Committee with regard to any decision affecting themselves, provided that notice of such appeal be submitted to the Secretary, in writing, within seven days of notification of the decision.
10. DISSOLUTION
10.1 If at any General Meeting of the Society, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Society, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the Society to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
10.2 If at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Full Members present at the meeting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Society and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Society.
10.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Society, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Full Members of the Society, but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary organisation having objects similar to those of the Society.
