Constitution

HULL AND DISTRICT ANGLERS’ ASSOCIATION

P.O.BOX 188, HULL HU9 1AN
CONSTITUTION & RULES
(as of March 2019)

NAME

The Association shall be called the Hull & District Anglers’ Association.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association shall be:
1. To promote the sport of angling within the local and regional communities.
2. To purchase or rent facilities and manage them for the benefit of its members.
3. To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in angling.
4. To ensure a duty of care to all its members.
5. To ensure that all current and potential members receive fair and equal treatment.

MEMBERSHIP

The Association shall consist of:

a) Ordinary members who shall individually hold a current membership permit.
b) Recognised angling clubs that have been admitted by the vote of the Delegates.
(The qualification for retaining membership with the Association shall be that the club shall satisfy the Delegates that it is a bona fide angling club and that all its members shall hold a current Hull & District Anglers’ Association membership permit which must have been obtained direct from the Association.
No club shall be permitted to remain in membership of the Association if its rules conflict with those of the Association).
c) Life Members
d) Honorary Members.
e) Temporary Members who shall be issued with a temporary permit/day ticket.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

The following membership categories shall apply:

a) Junior – being any person under 18 years of age on 1 January of the said year.
b) Adult – being any person over 18 years of age but under the age of 65 on 1 January of the said year.
c) Senior – being any person over the age of 65 on 1 January of the said year.

Membership subscriptions and other charges will be reviewed annually at the AGM.

MEMBERSHIP PERMITS

Permits will be issued on payment of subscriptions and shall be valid for twelve (12) months, commencing on the 1st January and ending on the 31st December.
a) Applications for club membership permits must be made through the Club Secretary or their Delegates to the Association’s Registrar on permit application forms.

b) The names and addresses of the members for whom the permits are applied must be given.
c) Complimentary permits may be issued by the President, Secretary and Fisheries Officer.
d) Members aged 12 years and over must be in possession of an Environment Agency Rod Licence when fishing on any Association water.
e) The Association, through its Officers and Delegates, reserves the right to withdraw the membership permit from anyone who is in breach of the Fishery Rules as printed annually in the Membership Information Booklet or who is responsible for any written or spoken word which is deemed by the Delegates to damage the Association or otherwise bring the Association into disrepute.
Anyone who has their membership withdrawn has the right of appeal. They can either write or email the secretary or president with the reasons why they believe their membership should not be withdrawn. They can also attend a Delegates’ meeting in person within three months of having their membership withdrawn, where they can put their case directly to the Delegates.

OFFICERS

The Officers of the Association shall consist of:

President (who shall normally chair meetings of the Association)
Vice-President (who shall deputise in the absence of the President)
Secretary
Treasurer
Registrar
Fisheries Officer
Development Officer
Minutes’ Secretary
Head Bailiff
Night Permit Secretary
Information Officer
Website Development Officer
Wildlife Officer
Four (4) Trustees
Any other position as determined by the Delegates

GOVERNANCE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Association and its members shall be governed by the Officers plus Delegates who shall be appointed in one of two ways:

a) Delegates appointed by affiliated angling clubs to a maximum of two per club, and who shall be appointed by their club to serve annually from one Association AGM to the next.
b) A maximum of twenty (20) Private Delegates who shall be elected annually at the AGM and whose purpose is to represent a cross-section of the ordinary members. Nominees shall be proposed and seconded by two members who are not members of any affiliated angling club. No member may propose or second more than two other members for a position as a Private Delegate.

DELEGATES’ MEETINGS

a) The Officers and Delegates shall meet once each month at dates and times agreed at the AGM and at other times as necessary.
b) The President and Secretary shall have the power to call a Special Meeting. Seven members will form a quorum.
c) The Minutes’ Secretary shall record the names all Officers and Delegates present and the business conducted at every meeting.
d) The ruling of the Chairman upon points of order shall be absolute and without appeal.
e) The Delegates must confine their remarks to the subject under discussion and they must be made through the Chairman.
f) Whenever an amendment is made upon an original motion, no second amendment shall be taken into consideration until the first is disposed of. If a first amendment is carried then it displaces the original motion and becomes itself the motion, whereupon any further amendments may be moved.
g) The number of votes for and against every resolution shall be entered into the minutes.
h) All votes shall be decided by a majority of the Officers and Delegates present. In the case of a tie the Chairman shall have an extra deciding vote. Any business may be passed to an appropriate sub-committee, but the decisions of these sub-committees shall be reported to the Delegates who may accept or reject any recommendations proposed by a sub-committee.
i) Should a position of office become vacant during the year the position will be voted upon by the same rules as used at the AGM and any Officer elected will stand until the following AGM.
j) Members who are not Officers or Delegates may attend Delegates’ meetings upon production of their membership permits to the Chairman prior to the meeting commencing. They may speak and participate in discussions. However, they may not participate in any voting.

COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES

The Officers shall be empowered to form committees and sub-committees to oversee the day-to-day management of the Association and to undertake investigations into the continued development of the facilities and services offered to members.

A report of all discussions and decisions taken by committees and sub-committees shall be presented to the Delegates at the next available meeting.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

a) The Annual General Meeting will be held in the month of October and will be open to all members upon production of their membership permit.
b) A member presenting a Notice of Motion (alteration of rules/constitution – other than membership price changes) must put it in writing and it must be submitted to the (September) Delegates’ Meeting that takes place prior to the AGM. The Motion may be briefly explained and the reasons given but no discussion shall take place until the AGM.
c) The election of Officers and Private Delegates shall take place at the AGM and all Members shall be entitled to vote.
d) Candidates wishing to stand for a position as an Officer of the Association must confirm their willingness to stand, and be nominated and seconded by two current Delegates at the Delegates’ meeting prior to the AGM.
e) Where no nominations have been received for any office prior to the AGM, the Chairman may allow nomination to be made from the floor.
f) Candidates wishing to stand for the position of Private Delegate must confirm in writing or in person their willingness to stand, and be nominated and seconded by two current members at the AGM. No member may propose or second more than two other members for the position of Private Delegate. Any member seeking re-election as a Private Delegate must have attended at least 50% of Delegates’ meetings in the previous year unless the Delegates determine that special circumstances apply.
g) Voting shall be carried out by a show of hand or, on the decision of the Chairman, by paper ballot on a straight majority. Two tellers who are not nominated for any office shall be put forward from the AGM by the Chairman.
h) Elected officers must have taken office by the following Delegates’ meeting.
i) Rules are normally altered only at the AGM by a simple majority on a show of hands, but the Delegates shall have the power to alter, amend or rescind any rule after giving one month’s notice at an ordinary Delegates’ meeting. Any such proposed rule change made by the Delegates must receive not less than two thirds of the vote of the Delegates present before it becomes valid.

FINANCE

a) The financial management of the Association shall be carried out by the Treasurer, under the guidance of the Finance Committee, which shall be comprised of the four Trustees and the Treasurer.
b) The Treasurer shall present a monthly statement of accounts to the Delegates.
c) The funds of the Association shall be lodged in a bank or building society approved by the Trustees, shall require at least two Trustees as signatories on any accounts. Cheques issued by the Association will be valid when bearing the signature of any two of the four Trustees. Investments (other than bank accounts or building society accounts) may be made on behalf of the Association only with the written agreement of all four Trustees and after being passed by a majority vote of the Delegates.
e) A professional accountant will examine the accounts of the Association and check that a complete record of receipts and payments has been duly entered by the Treasurer, and generally vouch for the correctness of the financial report.

PROPERTY

a) The property (including all funds) of the Association shall be vested with the four Trustees. They shall hold the property upon trust for the members of the Association in accordance with the directions of the Officers.
b) The Trustees shall purchase or dispose of any such property as directed by resolution of the Delegates and an entry in the Minutes shall constitute evidence of any such resolution.
c) The Trustees shall be appointed by, and may be removed by, a resolution of the Delegates and shall hold office until resignation or removal by resolution of the Delegates.
d) All Trustees will be indemnified out of the property and assets of the Association for any expenses or liabilities incurred in the discharge of their duties. Furthermore, the Secretary and Treasurer will ensure that insurance covering Third Party Liability is always taken out by the Association.

SERVICES

Members serving upon deputations, visits or taking part in any special duties which entail expense upon them shall receive their actual expenses repaid from the funds of the Association. In addition the Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar and other officers shall receive an annual allowance to cover all incidental expenses they incur during the year, the amount which shall be decided at the AGM.

EQUITY

The Association is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following sports equity:

Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

1. The Association respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.
2. The Association is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
3. All Association members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
4. The Association will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.

DISSOLUTION

If upon the dissolution or winding up of the Association there remains, after the satisfaction of any debts or liabilities, any property whatsoever it shall be transferred to another long-standing Association or similar body or bodies, or a trust, having objectives and aims similar to those of the Hull & District Anglers’ Association. There shall be no distribution of income or property amongst the Association’s members other than any necessary expenses incurred by any Officer during the winding-up or dissolution process. The determination of transfer of property or assets shall be made ultimately by the Trustees in consultation with the Delegates. In default of any such determination being forthcoming, or in the case of any problem arising as to the proper destination of any such asset or property, the matter shall be referred to the Angling Trust (the national governing body for angling) whose decision shall be final.