Article I - Name and Purpose
Section I: Name
This club shall be called the South Florida Bass Kings and was established on May 7, 1999.
Section II: Purpose
To stimulate public awareness of Bass fishing as a major sport.
To offer our State Conservation department our organized moral, political support and encouragement
To promote adherence to all conservation codes and to demand adequate water standards.
To detect and report any polluter and call public and political attention to their crime.
To improve our skill as bass anglers through a fellowship of friendly exchange of expert bass catching techniques and ideas, and to promote and encourage youth fishing and a love for this great recreation.
To function as a dynamic and effective link with other chapters of the State B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation embracing the principles and purposes of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. To support all members looking to advance through the Federation and onto the next level.
To raise money through open tournaments for supplementing members who qualify to fish the B.A.S.S. State Championship.
To share advice and techniques to raise the level of knowledge and competition in the club.
To support and run youth events.
To support and be active in all conservation issues in our area.
Article II - Membership
Section I: Number of Members
The chapter shall begin with and maintain at least six (6) charter members. Total general membership shall be open with no cap. The club will try to maintain a 75% boater to 25% non-boater membership.
Section II: Requirement for Membership
To become a member, a person shall:
Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership.
Be a member in good standing of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society.
Be voted on by the membership. **
Voting on new membership will be by secret ballot. A minimum of two (2) Nay votes are required to reject a prospective new member. Upon election, full membership shall then be awarded and membership credentials presented.
Must be at least sixteen (16) years of age or greater.
Prospective new members will be required to go through a probationary period of at least ninety (90) days and three (3) club tournaments before being eligible for a membership vote.
The applicant must fish with a member during this probationary period.
Dues; South Florida Bass Kings, B.A.S.S. State and B.A.S.S. Federal, must be paid when entering into the probationary period and before fishing their first tournament.
If not voted in, the individual will receive a refund of South Florida Bass Kings dues only. B.A.S.S. Federation dues will not be refunded.
New members who are not members of B.A.S.S. must pay for their membership when joining the South Florida Bass Kings.
** Candidates for membership will not be present during the voting.
Section III: Membership Dues
The membership dues shall be a total of $75.00 per year payable upon entering the probationary period. The dues are broken down as follows:
Bass Kings - $40.00.
BASS Federation Nation - $20.00.
Florida Federation Nation - $15.00.
These dues are subject to change upon notification of the various Federations.
Dues are to be paid in December for the following year. The South Florida Bass Kings dues will be reduced $10.00 per quarter for new members joining.
Article III - Officers, Elections, Vacancies and Eligibility
Section I: Officers and Their Duties
The officers of the chapter shall consist of:
PRESIDENT: Preside over all meetings and direct all official business. Appoint and direct all committee functions. Serve as alternate delegate to the State Federation.
VICE PRESIDENT: Act as program chairman, assist the President in his duties and preside in the absence of the President and act as the State Federation delegate.
SECRETARY: Maintain accurate minutes of all meetings. Maintain regular liaison between chapter Bass Anglers Sportsman Society national headquarters and State Federation headquarters.
TREASURER: Maintain accurate financial records and report at each meeting. The treasurers report may be audited at any time by a committee appointed by the President. All funds are to be kept in an interest bearing account if possible, requiring two signatures on all checks withdrawn on the account. The approval signature must be the Treasurer and either the President or the Secretary.
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR: The Tournament Director will be responsible for running the tournaments with the assistance of the tournament committee members, these duties also include maintaining accurate records of the weigh-ins, and maintaining an accurate scoring system. In the event such as a conflict witmajor tournaments or an issue dealin with water safety, the Tournament Director has the authority to change venue and unless an emergency, provide notice to the members, via their listed e-mail addresses, of at least one week, for any such change in venue. The Director will also formulate with the assistance of the Tournament Committee rules and regulations to be presented yearly to the membership for review and approval.
Any and all disagreements which may arise concerning club activities, and the interpretation of By-Laws will be arbitrated and resolved by the Executive Board, which shall consist of the five (5) Club Officers.
Section II: Elections
The annual election of club officers will be held each year on the 3rd Thursday of December. Nominations will be taken at the November meeting, to allow members to think about their choices before voting. Election shall be by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Section III: Eligibility of Vote
Each member is entitled to one (1) vote. Proxy votes are not permitted. A club member must be a member in good standing with dues paid and have participated in at least 25% of the clubs functions in order to have the right to vote for officers and other important club matters.
Section IV: Term of Office
The term of office is for one (1) year, which shall begin in January and end on the last meeting day of December, or until the successor assumes office.
Section V: Vacancies
In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be asked for and an election held to fill the un-expired term of the individual vacating the office. BASS Federation Nation head quarters shall be notified immediately of the change of officers.
Section VI: Eligibility for Holding Office
To be eligible for an office, a member must:
Have been a member for twelve (12) months.
Have attended at least 25% of Chapter functions.
Have shown an active interest in all Chapter functions.
Be a member in good standing as defined under Article II - Membership, Section II: Requirements for Membership of the South Florida Bass Kings Constitution and By-Laws.
Article IV - Method of Amending the Constitution
Section I: Amending the Constitution and By-Laws
The constitution may be amended once a year in the December meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been presented to the membership at least one regular meeting prior to the vote. For emergencies, By-Laws may be changed during the year if brought up in one month and voted on during the next month with a 75% majority vote of members present and voting.
Article V - Removal of Membership
Section I: Removal of Membership
A member can be dropped from the membership role for any of the following:
Failure to pay dues.
Any action which would reflect dishonor and disgrace this chapter, and the sport of Bass fishing.
Failure to fish in at least one (1) Club tournament.
Failure to act responsibly and courteously while on the water.
Failure of the non-boater to pay their obligation to the boater the day of the tournament.
Article VI - Affiliation
Section I: Requirements for Affiliation
A chapter must maintain 100% B.A.S.S. membership and submit a membership roster to B.A.S.S. headquarters every twelve (12) months. This roster must include names and complete addresses of chapter members.
Applications for affiliation must meet the approval of the applicable State B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation.
A chapter must actively participate as a member chapter of their respective State B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation.
Article VII - Youth Tournament
Section I: Youth Tournament
Each year the club will have, as an objective, the sponsorship of at least one youth tournament for children fifteen (15) years of age or younger.
Article VIII - Club Meetings and Tournaments
Section I: Club Meetings
The club will meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month, and fish the following Sunday for one day tournaments, or the following Saturday & Sunday for two day tournaments. Changes can be made if meetings or tournaments fall on a holiday.
No alcoholic beverages will be allowed at club meetings.
The President can make a motion at club meetings.
Section II: Club Tournaments
The club will fish twelve (12) tournaments per year. These Twelve (12) tournaments will follow the guidelines detailed in Article VIII - Club Meetings and Tournaments, Section I: Club Meetings, of the South Florida Bass Kings Constitution and By-Laws. Two (2) of these twelve (12) monthly tournaments will be two (2) day away tournaments. The tournament committee will determine the months the two (2) day tournaments will take place. One of these twelve tournaments will be a team tournament, with each team weighing, 5 fish , and sharing the points equally, as well as the prizes. The tournament fee could be increased for this particular tournament.
The lowest two (2) tournaments will be dropped in calculation of Angler Of The Year. Awards will be based on each members ten best (10) tournament points plus meeting points.
This Constitution was approved and adopted by the membership on November 18, 1999.
This Constitution and By-Laws were last amended on December 22, 2007
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