Ethanol Free Gas Station Locations
Virginia Fisherman Identification Program
Constitution and Bylaws
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club
Voted on and Approved by members on 2/10/22
ARTICLE I – Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club.
ARTICLE II – Objectives
Section 1.
The objectives of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club are:
• To promote legislation, customs, and practices that protect, propagate, and conserve saltwater and freshwater fish and related aquatic resources
• To advance the interests of recreational anglers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia
• To undertake activities that entertain and enlighten members
• To encourage and promote youth angling
• To promote good fellowship and sportsmanship among recreational anglers.
ARTICLE III – Officers and Directors
Section 1.
The officers of this club shall consist of a President, Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer. It is intended that each position be filled by different individuals; however, if the Board approves, the positions of Secretary and Treasurer may be filled on a temporary basis by the same person. At no time shall the offices of President and Treasurer be
filled by the same individual.
Section 2.
The governing body of this club shall be a Board of Directors, which will act in the interest of the general membership and shall be comprised of all current officers, the immediate past-President, at least five members in good standing, and an Annual Fish Contest Chairperson, Entertainment Chairperson, Publicity Chairperson, Youth Activities Chairperson, and Outings and Tournament Chairperson.
Section 3.
The Annual Fish Contest Chairperson, Entertainment Chairperson, Publicity
Chairperson, and Outings and Tournament Chairperson shall be appointed from the membership by the President upon his/her installation into office.
Section 4.
Elections and final nominations for officers and directors shall occur at the
February general meeting. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee at least one month prior to the February meeting. The Nominating Committee will present a list of candidates for office, as well as a minimum of five members in good standing to serve as directors, to the general membership at the February meeting. The list presented by the nominating committee shall not prevent members from offering nominations from the floor.
Section 5.
The term of office for officers and directors shall be one year; however,
consecutive terms are permissible.
Article IV – Duties
Section 1.
The President shall preside at all general membership meetings of the
organization, and all meetings of the Board of Directors. He shall appoint committees subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, as well as an Annual Fish Contest Chairperson, Entertainment Chairperson, Publicity Chairperson, and Outings and Tournament Chairperson, and aid them in the performance of their duties. It is the President’s obligation to follow and enforce the bylaws. With the approval of the Board, the President may appoint a member to fill a vacant office on a temporary basis until the next election of officers.
Section 2.
The Vice President, in the absence of the President, shall preside and perform all duties of the President. In the absence of the President and Vice President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a President pro-tem.
Section 3.
The Secretary shall:
a. Maintain and safeguard the fundamental documents of the organization, including, but not limited to, the Articles of Incorporation, charter, bylaws, minutes, contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, etc.;
b. Prepare general correspondence where required;
c. Prepare a membership application form which is to state the purposes and the requisites for membership for any applicant who may apply;
d. Keep full and complete records of the minutes and proceedings of the organization;
e. Keep an updated roster of the membership;
f. Receive compensation of $100.00 per year.
Section 4.
The Treasurer shall:
a. Maintain custody of the organization’s funds and securities;
b. Deposit all funds of the organization in the name of the organization in such bank or banks as shall from time to time be designated by the Board of Directors;
c. Make disbursements as directed by the Board of Directors;
d. Keep full, accurate, and current accounts of all receipts and disbursements in books or other recording devices belonging to the organization;
e. Exhibit at all reasonable times the organization’s books and accounts to any director or officer of the organization;
f. Render a statement of the condition of the finances of the organization at each meeting if called upon to do so, and a full report at the annual meeting;
g. Obtain and keep current annual general liability insurance for the organization as well as Officers and Directors Liability insurance;
h. Prepare any necessary tax returns;
i. Perform all other duties incident to the office of Treasurer;
j. Receive compensation of $100.00 per year.
Section 5.
The President and the Treasurer shall be designated as signatories on all bank accounts of the organization, and either shall be able to write checks on organization accounts as directed by the Board of Directors. The President may designate the Outings and Tournament chairman
to be a signatory in his stead in order to help facilitate organization business.
Section 6.
No officer, director, or organization member may enter into any contract or
indebtedness on behalf of the organization, unless approved by the Board of Directors, with such approval contained in the minutes of a Board meeting.
Section 7.
Because of the recreational nature of the club and the infrequent number of meetings, the burden of general administration lies with the Board of Directors. Therefore, the Board shall be in charge of the business affairs of the organization, shall act upon relevant matters that are in the best interests of the club and its members, and shall present appropriate
matters to the general membership for their consideration and approval. The Board shall make final determination of all annual awards based on the criteria set forth in these Bylaws, and shall schedule all outings and tournaments. The Board shall also have the power to rescind or suspend the
membership of any member for conduct that in their judgment may endanger the welfare, interest, good order, or reputation of the organization, provided that such member may be represented before
the Board of Directors.
Section 8.
The Annual Fish Contest Chairperson shall keep a complete record of monthly Fish Contest entries by members in good standing, and shall submit a report at the general meetings on fish that have been entered in the annual contest.
Section 9.
The Entertainment Chairperson shall suggest, organize, and present various
programs for the entertainment and education of the members at the general meetings. These programs should be guided by the objectives set forth in Article II, Section 1, of the Bylaws.
Section 10.
The Publicity Chairperson shall be responsible for informing members, through the news media, of all club activities, and to issue announcements about items that inform the general public of the organization’s objectives.
Section 11.
The Tournament Chairperson shall be responsible for planning monthly fishing tournaments for members and preparing a schedule of such tournaments at the beginning of each year. He shall also be responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing any tournament(s) that the
organization may conduct. The Tournament Chairperson shall also keep accurate records of all points obtained by junior members at the club tournaments.
Section 12.
The Youth Activities Chairperson shall be responsible for planning youth fishing days and any other youth-oriented activities that the organization may conduct.
Article V – Membership
Section 1.
Any person subscribing to the objectives of the organization may become a member upon acceptance of their application and payment of the dues hereinafter designated.
Section 2.
Membership categories include: individual and family (includes spouse and all dependent children).
Section 3.
A member in good standing is defined as one whose dues are currently paid.
Section 4.
Honorary membership may be awarded by the Board of Directors to any person they deem worthy.
Article VI – General Membership Rights
Section 1.
It shall be the right of any member in good standing to challenge any decision of the Board of Directors or officers of the club. Proper procedures for the challenging member shall be to ask for a general membership vote on the challenged decision. If a quorum of twenty (20) percent of the general membership is present, a majority vote would rule. In the event that a 20% quorum is not present, the vote may be taken at the next general meeting. If a quorum is not then present, the decision of the Board of Directors stands.
Article VII – Dues
Section 1.
Annual dues for individual and family memberships in the organization shall be payable in advance at the beginning at the year. The amount of dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2.
Members with dues in arrears for 6 months will be dropped from the membership roll. Suspended members may be reinstated upon payment of current dues.
Section 3.
The fiscal year of this club for the purpose of membership dues shall be Mar. 1 through the end of the following February.
Article VIII – Meetings
Section 1.
The regular meetings of the club shall be held on the second Monday of the
month and shall start at 7pm. There shall be no meeting in March, when the Awards Banquet is held, and no meetings in July or August.
Section 2.
At each regular meeting the officers shall make general, financial, and
membership reports.
Section 3.
Special meetings of the Board or general meetings may be held at any time at the call of the President or upon written request of five members in good standing. Only such business as may be designated in the call shall be considered at any special meeting.
Section 4.
The Board of Directors shall meet quarterly commencing in January, or at such other times as the President may deem necessary.
Section 5.
Sixty (60) percent of the Board of Directors must be present at a regular or
special meeting to form a quorum. No quorum is necessary for a general membership meeting, except as noted in Article VI, Section 1 of these bylaws.
Section 6.
All meetings of the Board of Directors and the general membership shall be
conducted following Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article IX – Tournaments
Section 1.
A minimum of four (4) tournaments per year will be scheduled by the Board at easily accessible locations and proper times. These tournaments are meant to enhance the members’ enjoyment of the club as well as to further its objectives. Fishing cycles and availability should be a major consideration in their determination.
Section 2.
Monetary awards will be determined by the Board at the beginning of each year. The Junior Angler accumulating the highest number of points from all the Tournaments will be recognized by the Board at the Annual Awards Banquet.
Section 3.
Points toward the junior tournament angler of the year award will be as follows:
20 points – longest fish
15 points – second longest fish
10 points – third longest fish
05 points – any attending junior member in good standing
A Junior angler is an angler that is 15 on January 1st of the tournament year.
Section 4.
Points awarded during a tournament must be for fish caught during the tournament by the member and as designated in Article IX, Section 3. Only designated gamefish or fish designated for club trophies count toward tournament points.
Section 5.
Five points will be awarded to each junior member who attends or helps administer a club event (i.e. banquet, youth fishing tournament, Bay Challenge tournament, etc.), exclusive of regular meetings and social events. These points will be added toward the junior member’s total for the annual tournament angler of the year award.
Section 6.
A fishing tournament or tournaments open to the public may be held by the
organization if approved by the Board of Directors. The Tournament Chairperson will be responsible for organizing and conducting the event. The purpose of such an event shall be to help generate funds for the organization , and/or to promote youth fishing or sportfishing in
general, and/or to provide scholarships to local youths for conservation camps. Award categories and prizes shall be determined by the tournament committee, if one exists, and approved by the Board of Directors. Winning entries shall be determined by weight, using the organization’s scales.
A special award for the organization member with the best catch shall also be made.
Section 7.
The organization may support a team of members in good standing to represent it in surf Fishing contests not conducted by the organization. Membership in such team, and the amount of Financial support provided, shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Article X – Awards
Section 1.
Applications will be made available to all members to allow them to enter the yearly species award contest. Only members in good standing may submit fish entries. An email, text, or paper form with a picture for adults can be submitted to the Annual Fish Contest Chairperson of the club within thirty days of the date the fish was caught.
Section 2.
An Annual Fish Contest open to all club members will be held from January 1 to December 31 each year. All members in good standing are eligible and automatically entered when their fish entry has been properly submitted. Awards will be presented based on largest and second largest fish of each species category, as determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 3.
The Rudiger Award will be decided by the Board at the end of the year and will be considered the most outstanding fish entry of the year, as determined by the Board.
The David Lee Lewis Award will be decided by the Board at the end of the year and will be considered to be the most outstanding fish entry caught in the Chesapeake Bay.
The Jack Burns Award will be decided by the Board at the end of the year and will be considered to be the most outstanding fish entry caught by a junior angler.
Section 4.
The Sparrow-Robinson Conservation Award will be given to the angler registering the greatest variety of release citations. Fresh & Salt water.
Section 5.
Male and Female Angler of the Year Awards will be chosen from the entries by the Board and will be determined by the angler’s individual performance in the club’s annual fish contest.
The George Phillips Award will be chosen by the Board and will be determined to be the angler’s individual performance in fresh water.
Section 6.
An Awards Banquet will be held annually in March to present all contest winners of the previous year with their awards, and to raise funds for the organization consistent with the objectives stated in Article II.
Section 7.
Any fish caught in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, or North Carolina may be
accepted in the contest.
Section 8.
To be eligible to win any of the awards or trophies listed in Article X,
Sections 3, 4, and 5, an adult member must have participated in a minimum of two (2) approved club activities within the same calendar year. Club activities shall include attendance at regular monthly meetings (not including the Awards Banquet), participation in club tournaments, manning a club sponsored show booth, active participation on a club committee, or any other club function approved by the Board of Directors.
Article XI – Amendments
Section 1.
The Bylaws may be amended from time to time or added to at any regular meeting or special meeting of the general membership provided advance notice of at least one (1) general meeting is given and a general membership quorum of 20% is present at the meeting. In the event that a 20% quorum is not present, the vote may be taken at the next general meeting, with no quorum consideration. Any change in the Bylaws must be approved by 51% of the membership in attendance. Advance notice shall be made through an email sent to the general membership.
Section 2.
No amendment or addition to these Bylaws may be inconsistent with or contrary to the constitution and objectives of this organization or the laws of the state under which it is organized.
Article XII – Dissolution
Section 1.
The organization shall be dissolved only after a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors places the matter before the membership.
Section 2.
The matter of dissolution must be placed before the entire membership only after the Secretary has provided notice to all members that a Special Meeting will be called for the purpose of voting on dissolution. Notice must be provided to members at least four (4) weeks prior to such meeting. All members in good standing will have an opportunity to vote, including mail
ballots for those not able to attend the Special Meeting. Such dissolution shall be adopted only upon a two-thirds vote of the membership in good standing.
Section 3.
Within two weeks of an affirmative vote for dissolution, all stocks, bonds,
money market funds, mutual funds, etc., shall be sold or converted to cash. All physical properties shall be made available to members for purchase in a manner determined by the Board of Directors, and the proceeds placed with the cash reserves. Any remaining physical assets shall be sold by the
Board of Directors, or given to charitable or educational organizations, and any cash received shall be placed with the cash reserves. Total cash assets shall be distributed by the Treasurer, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, as follows:
- To Creditors.
- To Charitable, Cultural, Educational, etc. causes.
No officer or organization member will directly receive any of the monetary assets of the organization.