Tennessee Valley Smallmouth

Bass Club

Rules

Frank Adkins: President

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

I. Purpose

II. Government

                        II. A. Board of Directors

                        II. B. Board of Directors Duties

                        III. C. Board of Directors Appointments

                        III. D. Current Board of Directors

III. Club Membership

                        III. B. Membership Requirements

                        III. C. Club Dues

                        III. D. Inactive Members

                        III. E. Guest of Members

IV. Officer, Elections, Eligibility, & Vacancies

                        IV. A. Officer Appointments

                        IV. B.  Club Offices and Duties

                        IV. C.  Officer Elections by Board of Directors

                        IV. D.  Voting Eligibility

                        IV. E.  Current Officers

V.  Committees, meeting, and Tournaments

                        V. A. Committees

                        V. B.  Meetings

                        V. C.  Tournament Regulations

VI.  Removal of Membership

VII. Amending the Rules and Regulations

VIII. Banquet, Award, and Special Events

 

Tennessee Valley Smallmouth

Bass Club

Rules and By-Laws

(as of March 1, 2008)

 

I: Purpose:

1.            To promote Alabama Smallmouth Bass fishing by stimulating public awareness of the Smallmouth Bass and the conservation of the species for the future.

2.            To offer its members the greatest opportunity to enjoy Smallmouth Bass fishing and all related meetings, events, etc.

3.            To offer both state and federal conservation agencies our total support in protecting and expanding our valued Smallmouth Bass fishery.

4.            To develop and adhere to our own code of conservation ethics and to project a positive fishing image to the general public and the youth of our country.

5.            To work to clean up our streams, rivers, and lakes and to alert the proper authorities when pollution is discovered.

6.            To promote the modern "catch and release" conservation policy designed to protect our favorite fish.

7.            To insure the future of the Smallmouth Bass for generations of anglers to come.

 

II. Government:

A.         The Tennessee Valley Smallmouth Bass Club (TVSBC) is a non-profit club that is governed by a six member Board of Directors (BOD).  The purposes for this type of government, as opposed to government by the general membership, are to strive to ensure that TVSBC maintains it intended purposes for existence; to minimize confusion among members; promote meaningful club meetings and functions; and provide a stable structure of government and operation.  BOD membership carries with it a strong responsibility to those that serve as a BOD Member.  BOD members should always approach any issue that affects the club in a manner that displays concern for other club members, looks out for the best interest of the club, and encourages others by their actions and words to become a part of the club.

B.          BOD Duties:

1.            Annually, prior to the start of the fishing year, on the 4th Thursday night of February meet and review the rules of the club and make necessary changes to the rules or develop new rules for the coming fishing year.  These rules will not be changed during the fishing year unless the BOD rules that a change is required because of some unforeseen circumstance or oversight in the establishment of the rules or tournament schedule.

2.            Annually on the last Thursday night in October prior to the November general meeting, the BOD will meet and establish the next year’s tournament schedule with location and dates.  The schedule for the next fishing year will be published by the BOD in the November club meeting prior to the next fishing year.  The BOD welcomes and encourages all members to make suggestions to the BOD prior to their meeting when the schedule is set.

3.            Review any and all protests, presented in writing or verbally to a BOD member, concerning any club function and rule on all violations of rules and by-laws of the club.  The BOD will announce their rulings concerning any protest as soon as possible after receiving the protest.

4.            Appoint from the general membership any and all committees that are convened for the benefit of the club.

5.            Appoint from the BOD membership, members to serve as club president, vice president, clerk, and treasurer.

6.            At the end of the fishing year and after all expenses have been paid for the club, the BOD will decide on the disposal of any remaining funds in the club treasury.

7.            Two of the BOD will serve as tournament directors and will be responsible for weighing and measuring of fish.  These members will be appointed by the BOD.

C.          BOD Appointments:

1.            BOD members are appointed by the existing BOD membership.  If a vacancy occurs on the BOD the existing BOD membership will review the general membership and select the person who meets “all” of the following criteria:

a.             Be an active member (in-active members do not qualify) with more time in the club than other active non-board members unless in the opinion of the BOD this person would not be the right selection to carry on the rule and spirit of the club.  Time starts counting when the person was voted into the club and paid their dues.  (NOTE. It is possible that a person can have more time in the club but not be selected as a BOD member because they fail to meet the remainder of the qualifications.)

b.            And has been a member at least one full fishing year prior to consideration. 

c.             And be a current year active member with intentions of fully supporting the club in its activities.  Fully supporting the club is defined as attending club meetings, fishing in club tournaments, and supporting the spirit and tradition of this club.

d.            If a member meets these qualifications and there is a vacancy on the BOD, then that member becomes a BOD member unless in the opinion of the BOD this person would not be the right selection to carry on the rule and spirit of the club. In the event there is more than one person who meets all of the qualifications then the existing BOD members will vote and determine which member will fill the vacancy.

e.             In the event that no member meets these requirements then that position will remain vacant until the following fishing season has been completed and a member meets these requirements in the opinion of the BOD.

2.            BOD members who fail to support the club in the manner deemed appropriate by the majority of the BOD can be removed from their position at the discretion of the majority of the other BOD members.

3.            A BOD member will also be removed from the BOD at any time the BOD member indicates to the BOD, or a BOD member, that they are no longer going to participate in club meetings and/or tournaments, or that they are going to become in-active member.  Removal from the BOD is not contingent upon waiting to the November meeting but can happen at anytime whether it is before the start of the fishing season, during the fishing season, or at the end of the fishing season.   

D.         Current BOD Members:

1.            Frank Adkins

2.            Eddie Wilson

3.            Chris McCutcheon

4.            Keith Overholt

5.            Gerome Hilliard

6.            Doc Overholt

                         

III: Club Membership:

A.         The Fishing season begins and ends according to the schedules voted and approved by the BOD.

B.          Membership Requirements:

1.            Express genuine interest to join to an existing club member by completing forms at addendum A and B.

2.            Be voted into the club at a regular business meeting or at boat ramp before or after the tournament. If a person or persons are voted in before or after a tournament then that person or persons weighed fish may be considered for that tournament. All of the club membership during voting must approve the prospective member except for 2 votes. The prospective member will be notified about the results of the ballot by their sponsor or by the Club Secretary. If voted into the club, the new member can attend the next regular meeting as a voting member on issues that the BOD brings before the club for a vote.  It should be noted that the acceptance of a new member is the only issue required to be voted on by the general membership of the club.  All other rules, and/or issues, are at the discretion of the BOD.

3.            Club members must be 19 years of age or older unless immediate relative is a club member.

C.  Club Dues:

1.            Club dues shall be $25.00 per person annually and payable upon being voted in the club.

2.            The paid dues for member who is suspended, or expelled, or resigned will not be refunded.

3.            Tournament entry fees are payable prior to or after the tournament. Nonpayment of tournament entry fee is ground for said termination from club and/or cancellation of tournament event points.

D.  Inactive Members:

1.            A member may be placed upon inactive status by their request if they see they are unable to continue participating in the club activities.

 

E.  Guest of Members:

1.            Guest members are allowed to fish a club tournament. If a guest is fishing as a substitute for a club team member then the guest caught fish will be considered for team points for the team for which the guest was substituting for provided that they pay the entry fee for the tournament. Guest that are not fishing as a team substitute will be able to weigh their fish for their information only and not for place finishes. There are no limits on the number of times a team can have a guest fish as a substitute.

 

IV: Officers, Elections, Eligibility, & Vacancies:

A.         All officers of TVSBC are appointed by the BOD and serve until they resign or are removed by the BOD. 

B.          Club Offices and Duties:

1.            President: Shall preside over all meetings and direct all official business. Shall appoint and be an ex-officio member of all committees. Shall supervise all club functions.

2.            Vice President: Shall act as program chairman, assist the president in his duties and preside in the absence of the president. Shall also prepare the next season Tournament schedule and present it to the BOD for approval prior to the November club meeting. 

3.            Secretary: Shall maintain accurate minutes of all regular and special meetings as called for by the president. The Secretary will also develop a club agenda of activities.

4.            Treasurer: Shall collect and disburse all monies. Maintain accurate financial records and present financial statements at each regular meeting. Financial statements will be approved at each meeting by the President or acting President.  Maintain point standings and provide them to club members at club meetings.

5.            All officers telephone numbers will be published and handed out interclub separately

C.          Elections:

1.            The officers of the club are permanent and elected by the Board of Directors. If for any reason one officer resigns, the vacant position will be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors at their discretion can ask for a general vote by the general membership of the club members to fill any vacancy. In the event of a vacancy, the vacated position will be filled by the person in the next lower position until such time the Board of Directors elects a person to fill the vacant position.

 

 

2.            Order of Position is:

(01) President

(02) Vice President

(03) Treasurer

(04) Secretary

 

 

D.  Voting eligibility:

Each club member is entitled to one vote in the event a general voting session is called upon by the Board of Directors.

 

E.  Current Officers:

1.            President: Frank Adkins                                    

2.            Vice President:  Chris McCutcheon                  

3.            Treasurer:  Gerome Hilliard                              

4.            Secretary:  Eddie Wilson                                  

 

V: Committees, Meetings, and Tournaments:

A.         Committees:

1.            Committees will be appointed by the Board of Directors on an as needed basis

2.            All committees will serve for one year or until a new committee is approved.

B.  Meetings:

1.            Regular club meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of March, June, September and November at 7:00 p.m at Frank’s Electric, 720 Capshaw Rd., Madison, Alabama unless changed at the discretion of the BOD.

2.            BOD meetings are the last Thursday in February and the last Thursday in October and are mandatory for the BOD members to attend.  All other BOD meetings will be at special requests and dates noted at the time of request, ie… Section V:B:7.

3.            Members are expected to attend Club meetings and all scheduled tournaments.

4.            All meetings will begin with Prayer

5.            The annual Tournament Schedule for the next fishing year will be presented to the general membership during the November meeting.  Once the schedule is set and announced by the BOD, it cannot be changed except as provided in Section II. B1.

6.            Any BOD member may call for a special meeting of the BOD at any time during the fishing year.

C.  Tournament Regulations:

1.            Tournament entry fee is $5.00 per person per tournament. In the event a member cannot fish a tournament and the other member invites a quest to substitute for the missing member then the $5.00 fee must be paid by the guest or for the guest by the fishing member. If any team fails to pay the tournament fee then the fish caught by the non-paying team will be disqualified. Also, the team will not receive participating points in the event they do not pay the entry fee. 

2.            Boaters will not lock through a dam from one lake to another.

3.            No fish will be weighed until all parties are out of the water and at the weigh in station. Weigh in will start as soon as the last boat is at the weigh in station. In consideration of the other members, each member is expected to attend the weigh in at the scheduled times.

4.            All live Smallmouth bass must be released (excluding trophy fish).Trophy fish are defined as fish to be mounted.

5.            Only Smallmouth, Largemouth and Spotted Bass will be weighed in for consideration for total tournament weight. However, see rule 9 below for the weights assigned to each type of fish.  All fish are subject to be measured by an officer before they are weighed in.

6.            Only (5) fish per boat will be weighed in not including trash fish. (see rule 9 below) Each club team that fishes can only weigh in 5 fish that they themselves caught not including a trash fish. Members should measure all fish when they are caught to ensure they meet the minimum length. Minimum length for this club is 12 inches on uncontrolled lakes. On controlled lakes the minimum is whatever length is allowed for that lake but under no circumstances can be less than 12 inches. Dead fish brought to the weigh in will receive a four (4) ounce per dead fish deduction from the total weight. This deduction applies to all bass, regardless of the points of fish. Dead fish should be cleaned for food or given to someone.

7.            A tournament can be called off, or location changed, or tournament start/end times can be changed, at the discretion of BOD. The tournament also can be changed in the same manner at the ramp. With the exception of bad weather, or as stipulated in Section II.B1, no tournament may be changed. In the event of bad weather or high winds before or during scheduled tournament, the club President and at least one BOD may cancel the tournament.  In the event of inclement weather, members should contact the President between 3 PM and 4 PM prior to a night scheduled blast off time and between 3 am and 4 am prior to a day scheduled blast off time for final decision.

8.            The BOD will schedule the tournaments for the fishing season. The BOD may consider input from the general membership in preparing the schedules but final approval of the schedule is the responsibility of the BOD. The BOD will try to publish the scheduled tournament dates at each November meeting.

9.            The maximum number of fish per team per tournament is five (5) unless lake rules deem otherwise. In determining total weight for a team in a given tournament all smallmouth bass within the 5 fish limit meeting length requirements will be given their actual combined weight for point consideration; however, only 2 largemouth and/or spotted bass per team can be weighed in any given tournament as part of their 5 fish limit. The largemouth and/or spotted bass weighed as part of the 5 fish limit will only receive ¼ of their total weight in consideration for total weight.  For example, if team 1 weighs 2 smallmouth with a combined weight of 2.5 pounds then team 1 would have a total weight of 2.5 pounds for that tournament.  However, if team 2 weighs only 2 largemouth (or spotted bass, or combination of 1 largemouth and 1 spotted bass) and their combined weight was 10 pounds their total weight for the tournament would be 2.5 pounds.    

10.    If a third person is fishing in the boat with two other members the third person is a team unto themselves and can weigh in five (5) fish that only he caught himself. For example: If a team is fishing, 5 fish can be brought in for the team, and if 1 person is fishing by himself or herself, 5 fish can be brought in. If 3 people are fishing from a boat, the team may bring in 5 fish for their team, and third member may bring in 5 fish that they themselves caught alone. If a team member is fishing alone the entry fee will be $5.

11.    Only artificial lures may be used. No live bait will be permitted with the exception of pork strip, etc. Only one rod may be used at any one time.

12.    If a member of a team is unable to fish a tournament, the other member may fish alone or invite a friend to substitute for the missing team member. In the event that two club members from different teams fish together then the points they earn for that particular tournament will be awarded to both teams represented by the two club members that did fish. To illustrate, assume A and B are normally team members and C and D are normally team members -On a particular tournament B and D fish together because A and C could not attend the tournament. If B and D finish in 1st place for that tournament then Team A and B, and Team C and D would receive 40 points for each team.

13.    Team points will be awarded on a point system as follows:

a.             40 points for 1st place finish in a tournament

b.            35 points for 2nd place finish in a tournament

c.             30 points for 3rd place finish in a tournament  

d.            25 points for 4th place finish in a tournament

e.             20 points for 5th place finish in a tournament

f.               15 points for 6th place finish in a tournament

g.             10 points for all other teams participating in a tournament (BOD members, I changed this from 5 points because it only seems fair that a team get at least the same number of points fishing a tournament as they do attending a club meeting)

h.             5 points per member, per meeting for attending the four scheduled general membership meetings. 

i.                Explanation of point system: TVSBC uses a team concept.  At the beginning of the fishing season club members will specify their team. From the point of team establishment that team earns points as a team.  If a member misses a meeting, the team only receives five points instead of ten. If a member cannot make a tournament, the other member of the team accumulates points by catching fish and attending the tournament, for the team. Both team members will have the same points and/or score. Under this system the TVSBC point championship is awarded to the team that most consistently wins tournaments. The team with the most consistent catches wins the championship. Each tournament awards the same amount of points for the placed finish; thus, no tournament offers more points than any other tournament. This previously was a separate rule but just seem to fit better here.

14.    No alcoholic beverages, stimulants, or depressants will be allowed during the tournament or at the weigh in site.

15.    Any protest must be done in writing or orally within 15 minutes of the official check in time after the official weigh end has ended (didn’t seem to make sense to have protest before the weigh in) and be submitted to an officer of the club.  Any club member who believes there was wrong doing going on within the club and wishes to remain anonymous, can submit to a club officer your their complaint, in writing or orally, and the officers of the club will review your the complaint promptly. (I moved this part from rule 6 to here)

 

VI: Removal of Membership:  

Only the BOD by a majority vote of the BOD can revoke a member’s membership. The following are the only reasons for removal:

A.         Failure to pay dues and/or tournament fees.

B.          Any action, which would reflect, dishonor and disgrace to the club, which includes alcohol beverages or stimulants of any kind.

C.          Reinstatement of membership may not be considered for the remainder of the club year in which the separation takes place.

 

 

VII: Amending the Rules and Regulations:

All rules are permanent unless changed by the Board of Directors as stipulated in Section II. B1. The rule changes will be presented to the general membership in first club meeting in March. General members can recommend changes to the BOD prior to their rules setting meeting that meets on the 4th Thursday of February.

 

VIII: Banquet, Awards,  and Special Events:

A.         At the end of the fishing season and prior to the new season, there will be a banquet for all current members, their families and anyone interested in joining TVSBC the following year. This banquet will be held the second Tuesday of February unless scheduling of location requires a change in date to be approved by BOD. Location will be announced in the November meeting, or in the event of unforeseen circumstances that require a change in date or location, members will be notified via mail.

B.          Each club team member will be given a certificate. The certificate will recognize each time the member’s team places in the top 6 of a tournament. The certificate will also recognize awards.

C.          Point Champion teams are awarded a rotation plaque with recognition and can be held until the November meeting and then must be returned to BOD in the November meeting

D.         The club will sponsor a member in designated Special Events offered by the Club, if:

1.            The member was in good standing the previous year

2.            The member must have contributed sufficient amount of funds in the previous year to cover the cost of the current year special event.

3.            The member must have paid their current years dues.

If the Club member does not meet the above requirements, the member must pay the difference between the previous years contributions and the cost of the current year Special Events.  New members to the club may participate in Special Events, but must sponsor themselves.  Special Events will be scheduled by the BOD.

E.          Awards

1.            1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place in point standings. (Team) 

2.            Point champions receive a plaque that can be held until the following November meeting.

3.            Largest Smallmouth Bass of the year (individual)

4.            Largest Largemouth/Spotted Bass of the year (individual)

5.            Largest Garbage fish (i.e. Drum, Carp, Brim, etc.) (Individual)

6.            Largest 'one' stringer of Smallmouth for the year. (Team)

7.            Rookies of the year. (Team).  (NOTE:  A team that joins after mid-year of any fishing year is eligible to compete for this award in the following fishing year as well unless they win the award in the first year they fish.  In this case they would not be eligible to compete for this award.)