CONSTITUTION
AND BYLAWS
ARTICLE
I
Name
and Purpose
Section
1: Purpose
Midlands
Striper Club is a family oriented club open to all
interested in striped bass fishing. Our purpose is to stimulate public awareness of striper fishing as a major sport,
to offer our state conservation department our organized moral and political
support and encouragement, to promote full adherence to all conservation codes
and demand adequate water standards, to improve our skills as striper anglers
through fellowship and friendly exchange of striper catching techniques and
ideas.
ARTICLE
II
Section
1: Requirements for Membership
To
become an Active member, a person shall:
a.
Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership.
b.
Pay their annual membership dues and any initiation fees as set by the club at
the time they complete their membership application. (Membership fees for new
members joining after July 1 will be one-half the normal annual fee until the
next calendar year begins.)
c.
Possess a valid state fishing, combination, gratis or lifetime license with no
record of fish law violations for twelve (12) months from date of membership
application.
d. Sign application as a verification that prospective
member is in compliance with item c. above.
The
spouse, significant other and/or dependent children of an Active member are
entitled to all Active membership benefits.
Section
2: Termination of Membership
A
person's paid-up membership may be terminated for only the following reasons:
a.
Failure to pay their membership dues by the February meeting or within 30 days
of joining, whichever is applicable.
b. For any action that would reflect
dishonor and disgrace on this club, as determined by 3/4 vote of all members
present at any monthly meeting.
c. For any accumulation within 12 months
of 12 points of infractions as set forth in Article 2, Section 4: Membership
Infractions, item e.
Regardless of points accumulated, if a member appears before
the Board or Directors more than four times within a 24month period, the Board
has the authority to revoke or suspend membership.
Section
3: Membership/Guest Restrictions
The
following membership and guest restrictions apply:
a. Members and their families are
considered as Active upon payment of dues and any initiation fees as set forth
by the club. Members not paying annual dues by February of any calendar year
are considered as Inactive members and may not vote in
any club meeting, or participate in any club tournament except as a guest of an
Active member.
b. Inactive members may reclaim their
continuous Active status by paying all back dues owed.
c.
Only Active members may vote (one vote per household, unless more than one
member has paid annual dues), and only Active members and their families may be
entered in the Angler Of The Year Competition.
d. Membership is closed to any applicant
with a conviction for a fish law violation within twelve months of application.
e. Active members are encouraged to bring
guests to meetings and to invite them to fish with the club. However,
Section
4: Membership Infractions
a. Four
Point Infractions
1.
Citations for boat lighting, PFD's, registration
2.
Using foul language on radio
b.
Eight Point Infractions
1.
Fish possession violation (over limit, undersize)
2.
Fishing without a license
3.
Discharging or possessing a firearm illegally on waterway
4. Setting a bad example while wearing club logo (subject to
interpretation by Executive Council)
5.
Leaving a tournament early without informing others
6.
Harassment of other fishermen
7.
No wake/restricted area violation
c.
Twelve Point Infractions
1.
Citation for sale of game fish
2.
Illegally taking game or gamefish (trapping,
trot-lining, shooting, shocking, explosives, etc.)
3.
Negligent boat operation endangering others or operation under the influence of
alcohol or controlled/illegal substances
4.
Failure to render assistance on water, ignoring channel 16 SOS
5.
Willful tournament cheating (adding weights to fish, conspiring to defraud
tournament committee, pre-catching fish or entering pre-caught fish)
6.
Loss of license through game and/or fish law violations
7.
Resisting arrest for fish violations by use of force, attempting escape
8.
Falsifying information for acceptance to club or failure to inform Executive
Council of violations.
d.
Points will be removed from a member's record one year from date of issue.
e.
Any member receiving twelve or more points will automatically be referred to
the Executive Council for review and possible loss of membership privileges.
Section
5: Active Membership Recognition
Members with
continuous active membership in the club, as well as any awarded lifetime
status, shall be recognized as follows at the regular monthly Club meeting in
January.
a.
Lifetime
Status – awarded with all future dues waved to any
member deemed to have made significant contributions to the Club as determined
by vote of 2/3 majority of membership
present at the December meeting in secret ballot. Nominations must be made no
later than the regular monthly Club meeting during November. Ballots shall be
distributed for secret vote of membership present at the regular monthly Club
meeting in December, with award made during the regular monthly Club meeting
during January.
b.
Angler of the Year – presented at the regular monthly Club meeting in January to the
Active member who has earned the most points during the past year’s regular points tournaments.
c.
Brian Thomas Spirit Award – honors those truly special individuals who are
constantly involved in the club and its activities while displaying the
positive, caring attitude and interest in others and striper fishing that made
all who met Brian Thomas call him their friend. Award is presented at the
discretion of the club through committee. The BTSA selection committee is
appointed annually by the club president. It shall consist of one club officer,
one PAC member, and two at-large members of the club. In the event of a tie
vote, the President or Vice President of the club will be called upon to break
the tie. Deadline for nominations to receive the award is MSC’s
annual December meeting. Nominations must be in writing and anyone wishing to
make a nomination may get a BTSA nomination form from the MSC Secretary or
Treasurer.
BTSA Criteria:
-Must be a dedicated club member - involved in the club and its activities
-Must exert a positive influence on the club and sport
-Must have been a member for at least a full year
-Must be a member in good standing
-Cannot have received the award in the prior five years.
ARTICLE III
Officers,
Elections, Vacancies and Eligibility
Section
1: Officers and Projects and Conservation Committee
c. Secretary -- maintains accurate minutes of all meetings, reports at
each meeting; handles club correspondence and bylaws/tournament rules changes,
working with newsletter/webmaster.
f. Parliamentarian -- maintains order at club meetings, following Robert’s Rules of Order.
The election of officers shall be held annually at a regular
meeting during the month of December.
Election shall be by simple majority of members present. Election for
each office shall be held separately in order listed in Article III, Section 1:
Officers.
Section
3: Term of Office
Officers shall serve for one year, January 1 through the
last meeting day in December, or until successor assumes office.
Section
4: Vacancies
In
the event of an office or committee appointment becoming vacant, nominations
shall be asked for and an election held to fill the unexpired term at the next regular meeting by simple majority vote.
To
be eligible to hold club office or serve on a committee, a person must have
been an active member for 6 months prior to the date of the election.
ARTICLE
IV
Method
of Amending Constitution and Bylaws
The constitution may be amended at any regular meeting,
provided that the proposed amendment was presented in writing to all club
members two weeks prior to the regular club meeting at which vote is to be
held. A vote in favor of the amendment
by 2/3 of those present is required to pass the amendment. (Active members
seeking club discussion for possible bylaws or tournament rules changes are
requested to notify the president prior to the meeting so that time may be
allotted on the meeting agenda.)
ARTICLE V
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected club
officers and the Tournament Director(s). The Board shall serve as the advisory
group for the President. The Board shall have sole authority over any
tournament or membership protest. Any decision rendered by them shall be final.
(Active members with questions about actions, eligibility or Active status of
another member or guest are asked to bring their concerns, in private, to the
President or a member of the Board.)
Last Amended - January, 2006
By fishing in a tournament sponsored by
Midlands Striper Club, each participant , whether
member or guest, recognizes that
Honesty
A
high degree of honesty and sportsmanship is required of all members at all
times.
Fees
The
entry fee of $6.00 as set by the club must be paid before fishing tournaments.
Entry fees may be paid at the meeting prior to the tournament or at the
designated launch site prior to tournament start unless other payment
arrangements are approved by a member of the tournament staff. In all other cases, late entrants must find
the tournament director or a member of the tournament committee and pay the
entry fee before fishing or catching bait. A boat check may be requested by any
member of the tournament committee. Late entries should be a rare exception.
Competitors are expected to arrive and pay on time.
Non-Fishing Family Members
To
encourage family participation, children and spouses may be in the respective
boats and not pay to fish the tournament. In all other cases, everyone in the
boat must be a paid tournament entrant. Failure to comply with the above rule
will result in all paid entrants in the boat being disqualified from the
tournament.
Guests
Guests
may fish any tournament, but must fish with a sponsoring Active Member and must
pay the tournament entry fee. Guests are eligible to compete for monthly
tournament prize money for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, or for big fish, but are
not eligible for the Angler of the Year Competition. Guide parties taking place
during a tournament, and their guides, are considered ineligible. Guides are
not allowed to take guide parties during tournament hours while participating
in a tournament.
Individual Angler of the Year Scoring
Only active members and their
spouses or significant others and dependent children are eligible for Angler of the Year Competition. Points
for Angler of the Year award are earned in the following three ways:
1.
50 participation points for each regular meeting you attend.
2.
50 participation points for each individual or team tournament you pay to
enter, even if you do
fish the tournament.
3. 50
participation points for each tournament you fish, verified at the weigh-in or
by notifying a Tournament Director or Club Officer prior to leaving the water
early if not attending the official weigh-in. This holds true for both individual and team events.
4.
One (1) point is earned for each ounce of fish you weigh in, with the exception
of the December, which earns two (2) points per ounce of fish you weigh
in.
Team of the Year
1.
Members are strongly encouraged to declare their
teams at or prior to the February
tournament weigh-in which is the first in the TOTY series.
2.
Team of the Year scoring is based on the aggregate
weight in ounces for the all team
of the year events throughout the year.
3.
Each member of the Team of the Year receives a plague honoring the accomplishment.
Additional
prizes may be awarded based on sponsorship of the year-long competition.
4.
Weights
recorded for TOTY have no bearing on individual angler scoring. TOTY is separate from Individual Angler of the Year
competition.
Tournament
Payouts:
Payouts will be a fixed amount of $325 per tournament in the following
breakout:
Big Fish $75
Lowest
Weight $25
Tournament Hours
Tournament
hours will be “Safe Light” to 3:00 PM on the 3rd Saturday of every month,
except during night tournaments when hours will be 6:30 PM until 10 AM of the
following day. Safe light is defined as 30 minutes preceding official sunrise
for that day, and will be adjusted for starting tournaments to the closest hour
or half-hour. All hours listed above are Eastern Standard Time, which
automatically includes Daylight Savings Time. The Tournament Director(s) may
alter hours due to safe light or weather conditions and under special
circumstances or tournament events. It is the entrant’s responsibility to be
aware of the changes as announced by the Tournament Director(s). (Check
newsletter and MSC website and ask when paying your entry fee!)
Tournament Start
All
tournament boats may be in the water and proceed to their fishing site prior to
tournament start time in lieu of a typical blast-off, but may not place any
lines or baits in the water before official “Lines-In” start time. Entrants
must be prepared for a boat check if requested by a Tournament Director or Club
Officer. Tournament start time will be announced by the Tournament Director(s)
via VHF radio Channel 72. In the interest of s
VHF Marine Radio
If
an entrant’s boat is equipped with a VHF marine radio, he or she may utilize
the club channel for s
Any
member using profanity during a radio transmission may be subject to a point
violation as per Section 4.a.2. of the club bylaws.
Weigh-in
The
Tournament Director(s) will specify the weigh-in start time, which typically
coincides with the tournament end time, at which time the scales will open. The
Tournament Director(s) will announce “Last Call” for tournament weigh-in three
(3) times. If a member or member boat fails to weigh his or her fish by the
third “Last Call,” the member’s or member boat’s total catch will be
disqualified.
Fish Identification
All
fish must be clearly marked or strung as to ownership when they are boated.
Boats are subject to check by the Tournament Committee at any time during or
immediately prior to a tournament. Failure to comply will result in a boat’s
total catch being disqualified. (All fish to which an angler claims ownership
must have been fought to the boat by that angler on a legal rod and reel device
during the tournament.)
Tournament Creel and Size Limits
An
entrant may possess the legal limit for the body of water fished during a
tournament, but may weigh-in no more than the maximum number of fish allowed in
the tournament. It is the individual
angler’s responsibility to be aware of the tournament limit prior to fishing.
All fish weighed must measure a minimum of 21 inches total length with the
fish’s mouth closed. In the event an entrant brings a fish of less than 21
inches to the official scales, that fish and the entrant’s biggest fish will be
disqualified.
Tournament Challenge
If
an entrant is suspected of an unsportsmanlike or unethical act or acts, the
entrant may be challenged by the Tournament Committee and may be required to
take a polygraph test at club expense. Board of Directors will be the sole determiners
as to disciplinary action taken, including loss of prize money and barring from
future tournaments. (Any member believing they have knowledge of a possible
infraction of the above tournament rules shall discreetly and privately bring
the matter to the attention of the club president or one of the Board of
Directors.)
Last
Amended – December, 2008 for 2009 Tournament Year