CHAPTER BYLAWS OF THE LUGOFF BASSMASTERS (updated 7/21/2011)


ARTICLE I    NAME

    This chapter shall be called the Lugoff Bassmasters pursuant to the provisions of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. (B.A.S.S.)

ARTICLE II    PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE


        a)    Promote and share camaraderie with fellow anglers.
        b)    Improve our skills as bass anglers through the exchange of expert bass catching techniques and ideas.
        c)    Stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major participation sport, as well as a relaxing and healthy past time.
        d)    Offer our organized, moral, and political support and encouragement to our state conservation departments.
        e)    Promote full adherence to all conservation codes.
        f)    Demand adequate water standards and legal enforcement of existing regulatory standards.
        g)    Detect and report any polluter, call public and political attention to his/her crime.
        h)    Encourage both private and governmental studies into any reason why fishing on our lakes and streams is deteriorating, and to have them seek out                 solutions for restoring an maintaining top bass fishing conditions for ourselves, for our children and their children.
        i)    Promote and encourage youth fishing. (Kids don’t go fishing, they are taken fishing)  Instill at any early age an interest and love for this great recreation                 of angling.
        j)    Participate and promote fishing tournaments to help stimulate public interest in bass fishing.

ARTICLE III    MEMBERSHIP

    Membership is unlimited.

Section 1:    Requirements for new members:

        a)    Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership, and the basis on which our chapter was established.
        b)    Receive recommendation for membership by a member in good standing during a regular monthly meeting.
        c)    Perspective member will report to the club treasurer to be entered into an associate membership at which time the initial membership fee of $35.00 is                 due.
        d)    Fish one club tournament with an active club member.
        e)    Be voted on by the club membership.  Vote shall be by secret ballot and in accordance with Article VI.  This perspective member will be excused                     and will not be present during the vote for his/her acceptance into active membership.
        f)    Must be a member of B.A.S.S. or submit for membership to be eligible for Federal participation.

Section 2:    Membership dues

        Annual membership dues shall be $133.00 payable in the following manner:

        a)    An initial payment of $63.00 will be due during the month of August for existing members.  For new members it will be due upon their acceptance as                 an associate member.
        b)    The additional club dues of $70.00 maybe paid in full, or set up on account and paid in 7 consecutive monthly installments of $10.00.  Club dues are                 paid by active members; associate members do not pay dues until they are voted into active membership.
        c)    New members may not be required to pay the full $133.00.  New associate members will the initial fee of $63.00 as outlined in (paragraph a), after                 being voted into active membership he/she will pay monthly membership dues of $10.00 until the membership has paid the annual $133.00 or until                     the start of the new tournament year which ever is less.

Section 3:    Delinquent Accounts

        a)    Members will be set-up on account in good faith for payment of dues to the Chapter for his/her membership, non-payment will be tolerated.
        b)    Accounts that become 60 days or more delinquent will not be eligible to accrue meeting or tournament points until the account is made current.                          “Lost points are not recoverable.”
        c)    Accounts that become 90 days or more delinquent may result in the dismissal of membership from this Chapter.
        d)    The only exceptions for delinquency will be for those members that have formally filed a valid leave of absence through one of the club officers.

ARTICLE IV    OFFICERS, ELECTIONS, ELIGIBILITY, TERMS AND VACANCIES

Section 1:    Officers and Duties

        a)    President – The President shall have the usual powers of supervision and management which pertain to his/her office as well as the following duties:

                1.    Preside over all meetings and direct all official business.
                2.    Ensure meetings are held on a regular basis.
                3.    Ensure regular elections are held.  (Art. IV, Sec. 2).
                4.    Appoint and be an official member of all committees.
                5.    Supervises all club functions.
                6.    Countersigns all meeting minutes and financial reports.

        b)    Vice President – The Vice President shall assist the President and assume duties of the President during his/her absence as well as the following                         duties:

                1.    Act as an official member of the tournament committee.
                2.    Act as a liaison between all designated committees.
                3.    Be responsible to the President for the cost analysis and coordination of all Chapter activities.


        c)    Secretary – Act as custodian of all Chapter correspondence and records as well as the following duties:


                1.    Maintain a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of all club members and associates.
                2.    Preside over all meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President.
                3.    Assists the President and Vice President when necessary.
                4.    Records minutes for all meetings called for by the Chapter President.
                5.    Maintain regular communications and act as liaison between the Chapter and B.A.S.S. and the South Carolina Bass Federation.
                6.    Prepare and distribute meeting agenda prior to all meetings.
                7.    Coordinates and produces a monthly newsletter.

        d)    Treasurer – Acts as record keeper and responsible agent for all monetary business transaction of the Chapter as well as the following duties:

                1.    Maintain all Chapter financial accounts.
                2.    Collects, deposits, disburses, and receipts all monies, excluding regularly scheduled tournament payouts.
                3.    Prepares accurate financial reports to be included as part of the meeting minutes during each Chapter meeting.
                4.    Prepares an annual audit for review by the Chapter Board of Directors, which consists of all Chapter elected officers.

        e)    Tournament Director – Presides over the tournament committee, to plan, organize and operate all Chapter tournaments.

Section 2:    Elections

    The elections of club officers shall be held annually during the July meeting.  Elections shall be by simple majority of members present.  Election of each office shall be held separately in order as listed in Article IV, Section I.

Section 3:    Eligibility to Vote

    Each active member is entitled to one vote for each agenda item.  Proxy votes are not permitted.

Section 4:    Terms of Office

    The term of office is for one year, which shall begin on August 1st, and end on the last meeting day of July or until the successor assumes office.  Original slate of officers shall serve until the last meeting day of the following July.  The interim period from August until November should be used as a transition period to allow for a smooth and integral transition from and to offices.  The term of office for the Secretary and Treasurer will be two years, with elections for each office held every other year.

Section 5:    Vacancies

    In the event of an office becoming vacant, nomination shall be solicited and an election held to fill the remaining term of that office.  B.A.S.S. headquarters shall be notified immediately of the change in any office.

Section 6:    Eligibility for Office

    To be eligible for holding any office the individual must:

        a)    Be a active member in good standing with the Chapter.
        b)    Have held Chapter membership for a minimum of six months.
        c)    Have attended at least 75% of the Chapter meetings and functions.
        d)    Have shown an active interest in all other Chapter functions.

ARTICLE V    COMMITTEES

    All standing committees will serve for one year or until a new committee is appointed.  The term of the committee members will coincide with the terms identified in Article IV Section 4.

        a)    Tournament Committee – The purpose of the tournament committee shall be to plan, organize and operate all chapter tournaments.  The committee                 will keep tournament records, enforce all tournament rules and investigate all protests concerning tournaments and make recommendation to the                     Chapters general membership.  The tournament committee will consist of :

        1.    Tournament Director
        2.    Vice President
        3.    Three members at large.

        b)    Special Events Committee – Any and all functions for which there is not a designated committee established.  The Special events Committee will                     consist of:

                1.    Vice President
                2.    Three members at large.

ARTICLE VI    VOTING QUORUM

    The Quorum shall consist of the active voting members present provided that a minimum of 51% of the total Chapter membership is present.

        )    The President will not vote in an open forum except in the event that the vote results in a tie.  The President will then carry the deciding vote.
        b)    The only time the President may vote in an open quorum is for the acceptance of new members.

ARTICLE VII    MEETINGS

    Regular Chapter meetings will be held on Thursday evening the week prior to each scheduled tournament.  The elected officers will be responsible for notifying members in the event that any changes occur to prevent scheduled meetings.

        a)    The president may request unscheduled meetings as needs or situations warrant.
        b)    The Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday night the week before the scheduled tournament.
        c)    The Chapter year will begin August 1st and end on July 31.

ARTICLE VIII    B.A.S.S. AFFILIATION

Section 1:    Requirements for B.A.S.S. Affiliation

        a)    Approval of Chapter bylaws by B.A.S.S.
        b)    Update B.A.S.S. with a Chapter membership roster once each year, immediately following the election of new Chapter officers and directors.
        c)    Names and addresses of all new members must be submitted to B.A.S.S. as they occur.  The necessary forms are included in the B.A.S.S. Chapter                 handbook.
        d)    Maintain a 100% B.A.S.S. membership.
        e)    Support the State Federation, Conservation, youth programs and any additional requirements that the State Federation establishes for chapters such                 as membership dues, attendance at meetings, etc…. that would be necessary in order for the Chapter to participate in the State Federation                             qualifying tournament and other Federation sponsored tournaments and events.

ARTICLE IX    LEAVE OF ABSENCE

       
    a)    A leave of absence may be used to project a member’s nonavailability for 90 days or more, but not to exceed 12 months.
    b)    Should a leave of absence exceed a 12 month period the following requirement must be met:

            1)    Fish one club tournament.
            2)    Individual must then be voted back into membership under Art. III, Sec. Item (f).

ARTICLE X    GUEST

    All guests sixteen (16) years of age of older must pay tournament fees; excluding Chapter Progressive Tournament fee.  All guests, children (under 16 years of age) may fish for tournament prizes excluding progressive if desired.

ARTICLE XI    AMENDMENTS

    Any active member may submit amendments to the Chapter Bylaws and Tournament Rules in the form of a written request.  Submissions or request for change must be in the following format:

    a)    Identify if your request is to change, delete or ad to the document in question.
    b)    Identify the Article (s), section (s), or rule (s) that are relevant to your request.
    c)    Explain why you think the change needs to be made, i.e. how it will help the Chapter, or how it is hurting the Chapter.
    d)    Provide a copy of your request to one of the club officers.

There will be no open floor discussions until the request has been submitted in writing and included as part of the scheduled meetings itinerary.  At which time it will be presented to the voting quorum for discussion and voting as long as there is at least 51% of the Chapter membership present.

ARTICLE XII    AWARDS

    “Sportsman of the Year” will chosen by the general membership of the club at the June meeting of each year.  Each member will vote by secret ballot for the person they consider who has contributed the most to the well being of the club as whole.  “Angler of the Year” will be determined by the member who has accumulated the most points at the close of the club year.  In case of a tie, the biggest fish of the last tournament together by the anglers that are tied will determine “Angler of the Year”.  “Big Fish” by the biggest fish weighed during the scheduled tournament year.

ARTICLE XIII    ADOPTION

    This document will become effective upon the adoption by the voting quorum identified in Article VI at a scheduled meeting, and is subject to final review by B.A.S.S.  This document will be reviewed annually.  Amendments will be identified and submitted under Article XI.

ARTICLE XIV    DISSOLUTION

    In the event the membership determines that the need, nor the desire for this Chapter no longer exists, it will be desolved.  Dissolution in accordance with this provision will require the same formalities with respect to notice and number of votes required to pass the motion as required to amend this document.  Should dissolution ever be required prior to dissolution of the Chapter all obligations will be liquidated.  Any remaining assets will go towards sponsoring a social function, or will be donated to an organization of the memberships choice.
 
Tournament Rules

    1.    The Lugoff Bassmasters will fish the scheduled dates of each tournament and will meet on Thursday prior to a scheduled tournament.

    2.    Members, not able to attend the tournament meeting, must inform one of the tournament committee members prior to the scheduled meeting if they                     intend to fish that meetings tournament.  Members that have indicated they will fish the upcoming tournament and are not bringing a guest must enter the             boater/non-boater draw to be eligible to fish the tournament.


    3.    Extremely bad weather or water conditions can cancel or change the scheduled site, any changes will be announced by the Tournament Committee prior             to assembling at the tournament meeting place.

    4.    When more non-boaters than boaters are fishing, unpaired non-boaters will then be paired and required to rent a boat at their own expense.  The same             non-boaters will not be subjected to this rule until all non-boaters have rented a boat.

    5.    When more boaters than non-boaters are fishing, unpaired boaters have the options of bringing a guest, fishing alone or being paired with another                     boater.

    6.    No club member will fish with the same person two consecutive tournaments.  On a two day scheduled tournament, members will fish with their partner             for the same days.  A member bringing a guest to a two day tournament, also fishes with this guest for the two days.  No member may bring a guest at             two consecutive tournaments and no more than two guests a year.  If the members guest joins the club, that guest is not charged against the member.                  Unpaired boaters that elect to bring a guest after the draw will not be subject to the two consecutive rule.  Members who leave the club in good                         standing, retain the option to visit the club as a guest without being sponsored by a club member and fish two tournaments a year incurring tournament             fee’s only.

    7.    All expenses (i.e. boat and towing vehicle gas) will be shared equally.  A $20.00 minimum must be paid by the non-boater.  Non-boaters who elect to            drive directly to the launch site are still responsible for this minimum fee.  The $20.00 minimum must be paid to the boater by the non-boater prior to the             start of each scheduled tournament.  If costs (gas for boat or vehicle) are greater than the minimum will cover, the boater will notify the non-boater prior             to the end of the scheduled tournament.  The boater and non-boater must notify their respective partner if they are to meet at the launch site.

    8.    South Carolina Department of Natural Resources rules and regulations must be observed at all times.  Any violation will constitute immediate tournament             disqualification.  Not wearing a personal floatation device (PFD) while the boat is on plane will result immediate disqualification from the tournament.

    9.    All Tournament boats must be equipped with a functional safety kill switch with lanyard attached to the boat operator.  Livewells will be checked if you             are fishing alone by a designated tournament committee member.  Failure to do so will result in a disqualification of the boater in that tournament.

    10.    There will be no shotgun starts, all starts will be approximately 10-15 seconds apart according to your drawn position.

    11.    Consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited during tournament hours, which includes the meeting place time until tournament partners                        separate.

    12.    Unsportsman like conduct will not be tolerated.  First time will result in tournament disqualification, second time removal from the club.  The                                 Tournament committee plus club officers will have the final decision.

    13.     All fish will be retrieved from the deck of the boat.

    14.    Artificial lures only may be used.  Rods greater than 8 ft. in length are prohibited, and only one rod may be used at a time.

    15.    No trolling allowing.

    16.    A minimum of 50 yards will separate tournament boats that are anchored, and trolling motor raised.

    17.    A five (5) fish limit per person with 12 inch minimum length.  A penalty of .25lbs per dead fish will be assessed at weigh-in.

    18.    Culling: You must cull to the club limit of five (5) fish whenever the sixth (6th) fish is caught.

    19.    One (1) pound per minute of total weight will be deducted in you are late for weigh in up to 15 minutes, after 15 minutes will result in disqualification.

    20.    All fish will be released at tournament location.  The only exception will be a trophy fish over 8 lbs. that may be retained for mounting, the dead fish                 penalty will apply to this fish.  Any dead fish may be retained by a club member for consumption.

    21.    Tournament playback schedule will be 1st place 50%, 2nd place 30% and 3rd place 20% paid at the tournament location upon completion of                         weigh-in. All ties will be broken by biggest fish weighed. 

        a.    Tournament fees for each tournament will be $20.00 for most weight and $5.00 for tournament big fish.
        b.    The Progressive Big Fish Pot will be $2.00 per tournament.  The pot will roll over until a fish of 5 lbs. or greater is weighed in.  All members entering                 the Progressive Big Fish Pot will be obligated for all fees until the pot is paid out, even if they do not fish a tournament.  All fees are due at the current                 tournament meeting no money will be accepted after that point, with the exception of members who could not attend the tournament meeting.                          Withdrawal from the pot must be submitted in writing, and all fees paid will be forfeited.

    22.    Points will be awarded to active and associate members in the following manner:

        a.    10 points for meeting attendance.
        b.    10 points for big fish.
        c.    250 points for 1st place, 225 points for 2nd place, 200 points for 3rd place, 175 points for 4th place, 150 points for 5th place.
        d.    Sixth place through twenty-fifth place will have five point separation, with sixth place being 145 points and twenty-fifth place being 50 points.                             (EXAMPLE: 6th ~ 145, 7th ~ 140, 8th ~ 135, 9th ~ 130, etc.)
        e.    Members who do not catch fish will be awarded 40 points for participating in the tournament.
        f.    If a member lives more than 30 miles away from the meeting site.

    23.    Points will be deducted in the following manner:

        a.    10 points for failure to show at the meeting place or launch site on time.  Prior notification is not subject to this deduction.
        b.    100 points for failure to show for a scheduled tournament in which you stated your intent to fish and tournament fees will be forfeited.  The                                 Tournament Committee will evaluate the points deduction case by case.  (Emergencies, sickness, etc).
        c.    Failure to show for a scheduled tournament in which you stated your intent to fish will result in an immediate disqualification for the participant at the                     tournament.

    24.    Protests may be filed verbally or written to the Tournament Committee before the closing of the scales.  All decisions of the Tournament Committee are         final.

    25.    The club will fish at least one tournament as a team tournament.  Points and money will be shared equally.