WHITWORTH VALLEY A.S.
CONSTITUTION (MARCH 2004)

1. NAME – The Society shall be called the Whitworth Valley Angling Society.

2. OBJECTS – The objects of the Society shall be to promote Angling and good fellowship and encourage participation in the sport irrespective of age ,gender, race or religious belief.
To especially encourage youngsters into Angling and to provide better access and facilities for disabled anglers.
To indulge in Fresh Water Fishing, including Coarse and Game, and also Sea Fishing.
To provide a common meeting place where the members of the Society can commune with each other on the subject of Angling.

3. TRUSTEES’ – 3.1 There shall be two(2) Trustees of the Society.
The Trustees shall be 1.( Mr. S. Lake ) and 2.( Mr. T.R. Andrews ).Subsequent appointment of Trustees shall be by the Committee.
3.2 Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation, or until removed from office by a resolution of the Committee.
3.3 All property of the Society ( except cash, which shall be under the control of the Treasurer ) including leases and fishing leases shall be vested in the Trustees to be dealt with them as the Committee shall from time to time by resolution direct.
3.4 The Trustees shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Society against any risk and expense incurred by them in pursuance of their office.

4. OFFICERS
Positions of office shall be :
( a ) CHAIRMAN
( b ) SECRETARY
( c ) TREASURER
( d ) TRUSTEES x ( 2 )
( e ) COMMITTEE MEMBERS x ( 5 ) ( of which three) ( 3 ) positions are to include MATCH SECRETARY, JUNIOR MATCH SECRETARY and a SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY.
The whole to constitute the ‘COMMITTEE’.
*All officers to be elected by vote of the members at the Annual General Meeting.(A.G.M.).
*All Committee members shall retire from office prior to each A.G.M., but shall be eligible for re-election.
*No member of another club Committee is eligible to stand as a Committee member of this Society.

5. RESPONSIBILITY OF OFFICERS
*CHAIRMAN – To take charge of meetings.To ensure correct procedure.
*SECRETARY – To record as minutes all relevant discussion and procedure.To take any action necessary in accordance with decisions made by the Society.Generally conduct the business of the Society.
*TREASURER – To keep a record of receipts’ and payments , which may be referred to at any meeting, and to provide for audit a balance sheet which will be brought before the A.G.M.
*TRUSTEES – As defined under rule (3).
*MATCH SECRETARY and JUNIOR MATCH SECRETARY – To take any action as necessary in order that ‘outings’, ‘matches’ and other matters apportioned to them are brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
*SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY – To take monies for payment of subscriptions for Senior and Junior membership.To keep a record of names and addresses and any relevant details of each member.

6. MEMBERSHIP
6.1 The Society shall consist of the following classes of members, viz: i) Ordinary Members; ii) Temporary Members; iii) Honorary Members.
6.2 Membership in any class may be limited by the Committee subject to confirmation at the next General Meeting (G.M.)

7. ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP
7.1 Every applicant for Ordinary Membership shall answer the relevant questions as required on the Society’s membership form.The Committee may refuse any application without stating a reason.
7.2 Minimum age for Senior Membership shall be sixteen (16) years.
7.3 Every successful applicant for Ordinary Membership shall, upon payment of the entrance fee and the first annual subscription fee, become a member of the Society and shall be deemed to have agreed to be bound by the Rules and Byelaws of the Society.

8. TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP
The Committee shall have power to elect Temporary Members on such terms as they may determine.

9. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Honorary Members may be elected at any G.M.of the Society, for such period as the meeting shall determine,upon a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting.

10. JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP
10.1 There shall be no minimum age requirement for Junior Membership.
10.2 All applications for Junior Membership must be signed by a parent / guardian, who will be bound to take responsibility for the behaviour, conduct and any actions made by the same applicant.
10.3 The subscription fee for Junior Membership shall be determined by the members.There shall be no entrance fee payable for Junior Membership.On acceptance of membership, a Junior member shall be bound by the same terms as laid down in Rule 7.
10.4 Junior Members are not allowed to fish unaccompanied on Society waters’ until attainment of twelve (12) years of age.
10.5 Junior Members are not permitted to attend senior meetings.
10.6 Junior Members attaining the age of sixteen (16) years, shall take precedence on any waiting list for Senior Membership.Should a Junior member apply for Senior Membership upon reaching sixteen years of age, they shall pay an intermediate fee until they attain eighteen (18) years.Then, the full senior fee will be due.

11. SUBSCRIPTION
11.1 The annual subscription payable by Ordinary Members shall be such a sum as the members shall determine from time to time in General Meeting.It shall be payable on acceptance to Ordinary Membership and thereafter, annually, at the JANUARY General Meeting.If the subscription has not been paid by the MARCH Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.), the defaulter shall, subject to a contrary decision of the Committee, immediately cease to be a member of the Society.

12. RESIGNATIONS
A member may resign his membership at any time by notice in writing to the Secretary, but a member whose written resignation is received by the Secretary after his Subscription for the current year has become due shall be liable for his/her subscription for that year.

13. EXPULSIONS
13.1 The Committee shall expel from the Society any member for conduct which, in it’s opinion is injurious or tends to be injurious to the interests of the Society, or it’s objects, or it’s members, or angling, or which contravenes the Society’s byelaws.
13.2 Before expelling a member, the Committee shall inquire into his conduct and he shall be given a reasonable opportunity to defend and justify themselves either in writing or by appearing (upon being given fourteen (14) days notice of the Committee meeting) before the Committee, and the Committee’s power to expel shall be on a majority vote of those present at the meeting.
13.3 An expelled member shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership, but shall remain liable for any dues or debts to the Society which became payable or were incurred before the date of expulsion.

14. MEETINGS
The Society shall meet on the first TUESDAY of each month from 8.30 P.M. onwards at the Whitworth Football and Cricket Club, Rawstron St., Whitworth.

15. PROCEDURE AT MEETINGS
15.1 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (A.G.M.)
The A.G.M. shall take place on the first TUESDAY in MARCH in each year to receive and consider the audited accounts and annual balance sheet prepared by the Treasurer, to appoint officers and to fill vacancies on the Committee and to decide on any proposal(s) submitted by the Committee or by an Ordinary or Honorary member.
15.2 The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December (inclusive).
15.3 All proposals for consideration at the A.G.M. must be signed by the proposer and seconder and submitted in writing to the Secretary, not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to the A.G.M..
15.4 The Committee reserve the authority to refute any proposal which, in their opinion, may cause any serious detriment to the Society, it’s structure or it’s members
15.5 The quorum at any Committee meeting shall be six (6).

PROCEDURE
Ten (10) members ( not including temporary members ) shall form a quorum at any G.M..
At every G.M., the Chairman, or in his absence, a member elected by the members present, shall take the Chair.All Ordinary and Honorary members present shall be entitled to vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
The business on the agenda sheet shall take precedence.When it is finished, other business may be transacted by permission of the Chairman.
If a first amendment is made upon an original motion, no second amendment will be taken into consideration until the first be disposed.
If the amendment is carried, it displaces the original motion and itself becomes the motion, whereupon any further amendment may be moved.
If the first amendment be negative, then a second may be moved, but only one amendment shall be discussed at a time.
All questions shall be decided by a show of hands –MAJORITY VOTE.
Business to be conducted within the foregoing framework, with the Chairman’s decision absolute and final.
Any business under discussion may be passed to the Committee, provided it is by majority vote.
The ruling of the Chairman upon points of order shall be absolute and with no right of appeal.
Any matter which arises between meetings and does, in the opinion of the Secretary, require immediate attention, can be discussed by the Committee and any action taken shall be considered final.

EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS

The Secretary may, at any time, if he considers circumstances warrant, call an emergency meeting.
An Extraordinary Meeting may be called at the request of a two-thirds majority of members present at any monthly meeting.

16. INDEMNITY
The Officers of the Society, being the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer or any member of the Committee so authorised by the Committee shall not incur any personal liability for any duties properly carried out on behalf of the Society, and any Officer so acting shall be entitled to be indemnified from Society assets.

17. MANAGEMENT
The management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee (except as otherwise provided by these rules).

18. INTERPRETATION
18.1 The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Society rules and Byelaws, and the decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation, or any matter affecting the Society not provided for by the rules or Byelaws, shall be final and binding on the members.
18.2 In the Society rules and Byelaws, where the context permits, words importing the masculine shall include the feminine, and words importing the singular shall include the plural, and vice-versa.
18.3 The headings to these rules are for ease of reference only and are not to be taken into account in their interpretation.

19. BYELAWS
19.1 The Byelaws are set out in the Appendix to these Rules and any byelaws made under paragraph 19.2 of this rule shall be binding upon the Members until repealed by the Committee, or by a resolution of a General Meeting, subject to any amendment made under paragraph 19.2 of this rule.
19.2 The Committee shall from time to time make, repeal or amend all such byelaws as they deem expedient (provided that they shall not be inconsistent with these rules) to take effect unless set aside at a General Meeting.

20. DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY
If, at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Society is passed by a majority of the Members present and at a Special General Meeting held not less than six (6) weeks later (of which not less than four (4) weeks written notice has been given to each Member) and at which not less than one-half of the Members are present, that resolution is confirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of two-thirds of the Members voting on it, the Committee must immediately, or at such future date as is specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Society and, after the discharge of all liabilities, must divide such property equally in proportion to the amount each Ordinary Member has paid in entrance fee and subscriptions among all the Ordinary Members and, on the completion of the division, the Society will be dissolved.
Should also, if a resolution were called confirming the dissolution of the Society, all funds access through any external award scheme would be transferred equally to similar organisations locally to promote the development of Angling.

21. AMENDMENT OF RULES
These Rules may be added to, repealed or amended by a resolution passed at any Annual or Special General Meeting by a majority vote of the Ordinary and Honorary Members voting on it.

22. WHITWORTH VALLEY A.S. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
As an angling club we have a duty of care to safeguard all of our junior members,young people and vulnerable adults from harm.All young people, whatever their age,culture,disability,gender,language,racial origin,religious belief and / or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse.It is the intent of the Whitworth Valley Angling Society to create a safe environment in which to have fun,learn and develop,and will seek to ensure this by adopting, using and promoting the JAGB (Joint Angling Governing Bodies) Child Protection Policy Guidelines Document.

THE SOCIETY’S INTENTIONS SHALL BE :

*ALWAYS PUT THE SAFETY OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND VULNERABLE ADULTS FIRST
*ENSURE THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE BOTH RESPONSIBLE AND TRUSTWORTHY TO CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES
*TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST ONE SENIOR MEMBER OR ADULT PRESENT AT ANY JUNIOR EVENT ORGANISED BY THIS SOCIETY HAS ATTENDED A JAGB CHILD PROTECTION AND FIRST AID COURSE
*TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY AND APPROPRIATELY TO ANY ALLEGED ALLEGATION OF ABUSE
* NOT TO DIVULGE ANY PERSONAL DETAILS OF YOUNG OR VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR CARE TO ANY THIRD PARTY
*TO ERADICATE BULLYING,WHETHER IT BE PHYSICAL,VERBAL OR EMOTIONAL
*TO REVIEW AND UPDATE THE CONTENT OF THIS POLICY AS AND WHEN REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT OR THE JAGB
*TO APPOINT A NAMED CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER WHO WILL BE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR PARENTS OR RELEVANT AUTHORITIES

APPENDIX
SOCIETY BYELAWS ;

(a) NETS- Landing-nets and keep-nets must be constructed of knotless mesh so as to conform with Environment Agency regulations.Keep-nets must be a minimum of 2m (6ft) in length
(b) Members must be in possession of a landing-net and disgorger when fishing.
(c) No fishing method is allowed other than by rod and line (or pole).
(d) Any number of rods may be set-up, but a maximum of two(2) rods are to be used at any one time.
(e) No litter, empty corn / meat tins are to be left on Society waters.
(f) There is to be no trespassing on adjoining land or property not owned or controlled by the Society.
(g) There must be no cutting back or damaging of trees, vegetation or disturbing of bankings.
(h) Parking facilities are as defined under the Rules Governing Society Waters.
(i) The use of boats is not permitted.
(j) Members must hold a current valid Environment Agency rod licence.