C1. OBJECTS: This Association is called the “Burton-on-Trent Mutual Angling Association” and shall consist of any number of members the committee may deem expedient for the working of the association from time to time, from whom the committee shall elect the President and Vice-presidents.
The objects of the Association shall be to:
- Act in the best interests of the members as a priority.
- Acquire waters by Purchase, rental or otherwise.
- Preserve and improve such waters by restocking and maintaining where possible, permitting only fair and sportsmanlike angling; deciding by committee on the size and species of fish that may be stocked or taken from the association’s waters.
- Encourage and enhancing the sport of angling and the countryside.
C2. MANAGEMENT: The management of the association shall be vested in a committee consisting of the officers of the club (Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) and 8 members. The elected committee members shall serve a 12 months’ probation period and then be up for re-election every 36 months after that. A 51% vote of the already elected committee can refuse the re-election of any previous committee members that have been deemed not in the best interests of the association. The 3 senior members (chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) shall retire annually at the Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election. The officers will be appointed by the committee prior to the AGM and continue in office until they resign or are replaced on a vote of the committee.
Where there is more than one candidate for any position. To be successful a candidate must secure more than 50% of the total votes cast. In the event that, no candidate achieves 51% of the vote in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held excluding the candidate with the lowest vote in the first ballot. Further ballots shall be held as necessary, each time excluding the candidate with the lowest vote, until a successful candidate emerges.
A vice-Chairman and assistant secretary shall be nominated by the committee to temporarily act for the Chairman and secretary in their absence but shall not be officers of the association.
Six members of the committee shall form a quorum and members will be active in office until the following Annual General Meeting unless a member notifies the secretary in writing of his intention to resign. Members wishing to be considered for the committee should submit to the secretary their intension at least one months Prior to the AGM.
Where there is more than one position to be filled. If the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies, each candidate shall be voted on individually and must receive the votes of the majority of delegates present. If there are more candidates than positions to be filled, the first candidate to achieve 51% of the total votes cast shall fill one position. Further ballots shall be held between the remaining candidates to fill the remaining positions.
C3. The Committee shall meet at least once a month excluding December to conduct the business of the Association and shall have power to call a Special General Meeting of Members at any time.
Any three members of the Committee shall have the power to call a meeting of the Committee. One hundred ordinary members of the Association shall have power to call a Special General Meeting by giving notice in writing not less than fourteen days before such meeting to the Secretary, with the object of calling it, and the Secretary shall give seven days’ notice to all members for all Special Meetings.
C4. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the end of March and the members will be notified prior to the meeting. A Statement of Accounts will be available at the meeting.
C5. The duties of the Secretary shall be to maintain a register of members names and addresses, a waiting list (when necessary), a record of all meetings and discharge all other duties authorised by the Committee.
C6. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive all moneys and bank the same at a bank to be decided by the Committee in the name of the Burton Mutual Angling Association. He shall keep a book of income and expenditure. He shall be responsible for a statement of accounts and balance sheet which will be prepared by, checked by, or audited by, a firm of Chartered Accountants, who shall be appointed by the committee.
C7. Membership expiry date will be notified to members automatically at the time of joining or renewal.
The club shall consist of the following classes of members:
C8 Ordinary Members
C9 Junior Members
C10 Life Members
C11 Temporary Members
C12 Complimentary Members
C8. Ordinary Membership
Persons wishing to join the club as an ordinary member shall join online by creating a member profile on the website and paying subs electronically direct into an online bank nominated by the committee. Members encountering any issues with this process, the member should contact the Secretary. Admission to ordinary membership shall be at the discretion of the committee who may refuse any application without stating a reason.
The committee may subdivide the class of ordinary membership e.g., Adult, OAP.
C9. Junior Membership
Membership and renewal up to the age of 16 years
C10. Life membership
Members qualifying for life membership, those members over the national state pension age and who have an unbroken full membership record of at least 25 years upon application, (only available until 2025) must apply to the secretary in writing for the privilege. The committee may also offer life membership where this is to recognise other outstanding contributions or is otherwise in the interests of the association.
C11. Temporary membership
The committee shall have the power to elect temporary members on such terms as they may determine. Persons using a Guest day ticket, fishing an official match booked through the match secretary or purchasing a Day Ticket (where available) will automatically be temporary members.
C12. Complimentary Membership
The committee may grant complimentary membership to any person or organisation where this is felt to benefit the association.
C13. Subscription:
The committee shall have the power to determine all subscriptions or fees at their discretion according to current Association expenditure. Rates for the following season will be notified to members at the AGM and then clarified at Clubmate, the subscription system provider.
C14. All members will have access to the constitution and the rules of the Association including local water rules on the local notice boards. All members should read and understand the constitution and rules so they cannot plead ignorance of the same. It will be the duty of the members to report to the committee immediately anyone infringing the Constitution or the General rules of the club.
C15. Expulsion / suspension
The Committee shall expel or suspend any member for conduct which, in its opinion is injurious or tends to be injurious to the interests of the association, or its objects, or its members, or angling in general, or which contravenes the Association’s General Rules.
Before a penalty is imposed, a disciplinary committee shall enquire into their conduct, and they will be given a reasonable opportunity to defend and justify themselves in writing or by appearing before that committee. The disciplinary committee will, after hearing the facts, decide any penalty to be applied. The decisions will be based on a simple majority vote. All members must abide by that decision and an expelled member shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership but shall remain liable for any dues and debts to the association which became payable or were incurred before the date of expulsion. Members may appeal only once, to the full committee who will review the findings of the disciplinary committee and may reduce or increase the penalty imposed. The committee’s decision is final.
C16. If any matter arises for which there is no rule or an existing rule becomes incompatible with general law or E.A. bylaws it shall be decided temporarily by the Committee, whose decision shall be binding until confirmed or otherwise at the next following Annual General Meeting. No other alteration of these rules shall take place except at the Annual General Meeting, or a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose. Notice of any proposed alteration for consideration at the Annual General Meeting must be given, in writing, to any Committee member no later than two months prior to the AGM. No amendments will be accepted on the night.
C17. All the property belonging to or held in trust for the Association shall be vested in not more than four members of the Association as Representative Trustees for the whole of the members of the Association and who shall be The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and whose duties shall be:
a) To apply all such property towards carrying out the objects of the Association or invest the same in their joint names on behalf of the Association in such manner and upon such terms as the Committee or a General Meeting may decide
b) In particular, but without prejudice to the generality of paragraph C16 (a), to borrow or lend moneys of the Association for the purpose of acquiring the Freehold or lease or tenancy of fishing rights with ancillary rights to be held by them as Trustees for the Association upon such security and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee or a General Meeting may decide.
Where any document requires to be executed under seal, the Associations seal shall be affixed upon the authority of the Committee.
C18. The liability of the trustees will be limited to the assets of the Association. The officers of the club or any member of the committee shall not incur any personal liability for any duties properly carried out on behalf of the club and any officer so acting shall be entitled to be indemnified from club assets.
C19. The committee may sanction the setting up of sections of the association where this will improve the running of the club and service to members. Any sections so authorised will:
- Be run competently, keep records of meetings and where appropriate keep adequate financial records which shall be audited each year by the Club Treasurer.
- Set rules applicable to the running of the section.
- Do nothing which goes against the constitution or general rules.
- No one person member or section of the association shall profit or make any commercial gain from the association, its waters or assets.
In any matter where the section and the main committee may disagree, the ruling of the main committee will be final.
C20. Dissolution of the Association
If at any general meeting, a resolution for the dissolution of the Association is passed by a majority of the members present and again at a Special General Meeting held not less than six weeks later (of which not less than 4 weeks written notice has been given to a member at the address held by the club for that member) and at which not less than one-half of the members are present or vote by post, that resolution is confirmed by a majority of two-thirds of the members voting on it, the committee must immediately, or at such future date as specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the property of the club. After the discharge of all liabilities any proceeds from the dissolution shall be paid to one or more recognised organisations or charities chosen by the committee.
