CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
RED OAK BASS CLUB
Article I
Name
The organization shall be known as the Red Oak Bass Club. The club shall be a non-profit organization.
Article II
Objectives
A. To promote the sport of bass fishing by the
sharing of knowledge and skills.
B. To promote fellowship and friendship among those interested
in the sport of fishing.
C. To advance members to the Bass Master Federation
Tournaments.
D. To promote safety in angling, boating and transportation.
E. To abide by all Federal, State and Local Laws and lake
requirements.
F. To advance and promote members fishing careers.
Article III
Membership
Members shall consist of those adults who pay prescribed club dues and are willing to abide by the Club's Constitution and Bylaws and the Club's Tournament rules. New members must be recommended by a current member and duly noted in the Secretary minutes. Members must subscribe to BassMasters Magazine and be a member of the BassMaster Federation. New members shall be voted in by secret ballot and affirmation must be by majority. Members must be a minimum of 16 years old.
Removal of Membership
A member shall be dropped from membership roll for the following:
A. Failure to pay dues.
B. Any action, which would reflect, dishonor and disgrace the
chapter and/or B.A.S.S.
C. Failure to attend at least 50% of the chapter functions
during a 12 (twelve) month period.
D. Disqualification for any reason from participation in
B.A.S.S. sponsored events including disqualification for the use of drugs or
alcohol.
Article IV
Officers
The elected officers of the club shall be:
1. President
2. Vice-President/Tournament Director
3. Secretary/Editor
4. Treasurer
5. Director
Positions voted in by the club but have no Executive Committee responsibilities:
1. B.A.S.S. Federation representative
2. Youth Director
If officers cannot be elected because no one will accept candidacy, the top 10 (ten) will volunteer to assume any open office for the next year.
Period of Term
Elected officers will serve for a period of 2 (two) consecutive years. State Federation and Youth representative will serve a period of 1 (one) year.
Article V
Duties of Elected Officers
President
Preside at Executive Committee meetings, club meetings and other club activities.
Be an Ex-officio member of all committees.
Represent the club as spokesman.
Coordinate various officers' duties and maintain the smooth functioning of the club.
Vote only in the event of a tie vote.
Conduct an Executive Committee meeting prior to the newsletter distribution to plan the club meeting agenda, group activities and consider other club business.
Vice-President / Tournament Director
Assume duties of the president in his/her absence.
To preside in part and assist the President at all meetings and club activities.
Enforce the Tournament Rules as adopted by the club's membership.
Designate starting and weigh-in times and determine weigh-in site.
Maintain records and rosters of tournament standings, and provide standings at the Executive Committee meetings and for inclusion in the newsletter.
Personally officiate weigh-in.
Have complete authority to survey and police tournament activity at his discretion, to insure proper conduct including the dismissal of a club member if necessary. Dismissal of a club member is subject to review by the Executive Committee.
Have the authority to cancel and/or reschedule any tournament when in his own judgment and with a majority of the membership determines the weather is unsafe or other conditions exist. This must be done 10 (ten) days prior to the regularly scheduled monthly meeting either by written notice of telephone call.
Recap monthly tournament weigh-in for the Executive Committee, review and filing with the Secretary.
Secretary / Editor
Keep the minutes of Executive Committee meetings, club meetings and handle club correspondence.
Maintain files on club correspondence, rosters, copies of Constitution and Bylaws, Tournament Rules and recap of tournament results.
Prepare and distribute club rosters, and prepare and distribute new copies of constitution and Bylaws and Tournament Rules in the event of revision.
Prepare newsletter notice of the club meeting agenda adopted by the Executive Committee.
Prepare a newsletter announcement of the tournament winners.
Treasurer
Be responsible for collecting dues and fees.
Maintain financial statement at the meetings.
Maintain records of finances and club dues.
Over-see disbursements.
Prepare a written financial report at the end of office.
Article VI
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Elected Officers. The Executive Committee shall:
Plan club meeting agenda, group activities and consider other club business.
Approve costs to obtain programs/speakers for the club meetings.
Assign Chairmanships of standing committees.
Review and determine action on dismissals, impeachments, charges of cheating, and other controversial matters affecting membership or image of the club.
Determine the location of the club meetings and dates.
Article VII
Meetings
The club will meet the Thursday preceding the third Sunday of each month at 7:30 P.M. primarily to handle club business and details of monthly tournaments.
Article VIII
Finances
Dues
Dues are currently set at $53.00 per single year. Breakdown is as follows:
$20.00 Club Membership
$18.00 B.A.S.S. State Affiliation
$15.00 National B.A.S.S. Dues
They are due on or before the first Thursday of the year. Club dues are $10.00 for new membership in July or after, but Federation and National dues stay the same.
Tournament Fees
Tournament fees are currently set at $30.00 for specified limit stringer, $5.00 for Big Bass (optional) and $5.00 Team Pot (optional).
Article IX
Tournaments
Tournaments will be held on the first weekend following each monthly club meeting. There will be 10 (ten) one day tournaments. Due to scheduling conflicts, the Red Oak Bass Club will not follow the Northeast Federation Region trail for the 2007 season. The remaining 3 (three) dates of the tournaments will be determined by a majority vote at the last club meeting of the year. The tournament lakes will be determined by majority vote of those members present at the last club meeting.
Total points will be accumulated for 9 (nine) out of the 10 (ten) tournaments during the year and is for the purpose of determining the Top-Six with Angler of the Year.
The points standing are as follows:
1st Place - Fifty (50) points plus total
weight for tournament.
2nd Place - Forty-nine (49) plus total weight for tournament.
3rd Place - Forty-eight (48) plus total weight for
tournament.
A one point numerical decline, plus total weight will continue through all entrants who caught fish. Ten (10) show points will be awarded to all participants who enter the tournament but do not weigh-in fish.
Article X
Prizes and Awards
Prize money will be determined by the number of entries in any one single tournament.
A. Distribution of stringer fees:
Club will retain 5% of $15.00 minimum from each tournament for club expenses.
Distribution of payback to members entering tournament is as follows base on payment of three (3) places with one (1) additional place for every four (4) contestants over ten (10) contestants:
| Three (3) Places 10 Contestants |
Four (4) Places 14 Contestants |
Five (5) Places 18 Contestants |
Six (6) Places 22 Contestants |
|
| 1st | 50% | 40% | 40% | 35% |
| 2nd | 30% | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 3rd | 20% | 20% | 15% | 15% |
| 4th | 10% | 11% | 10% | |
| 5th | 8% | 9% | ||
| 6th | 6% |
B. Big Bass:
C. Team Pot:
Article XI
Eligibility for the David Moore Classic
To be eligible to fish The David Moore Classic you must:
You must be a member in good standing and have participated as a member in at least six (6) previous tournaments this year.
RED OAK BASS CLUB TOURNAMENT RULES
1. All fish must be caught on artificial bait by casting. No trolling with outboard motor. Only one rod may be used at any one time by a contestant. Other rods may be in the boat for substitute purposes.
2. All federal, state and local laws must be observed.
3. Minimum length: 14" or lake specifications. Bringing a short fish to weigh-in will result in the culling of the largest fish of that day's catch. If only one fish is caught in a two (2) day tournament and it is short, you will lose show points for that tournament. A .10 pound deduction will be made for each dead fish weighed in. All fish must be brought to weigh-in in an approved weigh-in bag. Failure to do so will result in disqualification for that day's tournament and a loss of show points.
4. Protests must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Director (or a club officer) within 30 minutes of weigh-in. Tournament Director's decisions will be final as to tournament records, qualifications, weigh-in, standings and prize payments. Cause for dismissal, charges of cheating and other matters affecting the membership or club image will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and their decisions will be final.
5. Life jackets must be worn and fastened while outboard motor is in operation. Kill switch shall be operational and attached to the operator.
6. No fishing within fifty (50) yards of another tournament boat that is tied or anchored with the trolling motor in the up position without permission.
7. Scoring will be based on the weight of pounds and hundredths of pounds of bass (Largemouth, Kentucky, Spotted or Smallmouth). All fish are to be weighed in by the contestant who caught them. Contestants may enter on fish for big bass. Big bass may be included in the total weight of that day's catch. A total of five (5) fish per day unless otherwise stated.
8. Participants 16 years old or younger must be accompanied by parent or adult who is 18 years or older.
9. Sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation is expected from each participant.
10. Tournament lake is off limits 12 hours prior to the tournament. Boats may be launched and beached. Entrants may not hire paid guides at least 7 days prior to the tournament day.
11. Guests may fish three (3) tournaments per year as boater or non-boater. As a guest, he or she has the option to fish the first tournament with the sponsor member. From that period forward, the guest will go into the draw only if they are unable to acquire a sponsor member to fish with. Yearend points will not be awarded to a guest. If the guest chooses to become a member before the next scheduled tournament, he or she will be awarded the points accumulated from the previous tournament in which he or she fished as a guest.
12. If the guest of a sponsor member does not show up for the tournament that he or she signed up for, the sponsor becomes liable for all of the guests outstanding expenses. If the sponsor is a boater, and one (1) or more of the other contestants is a boater without a partner, he or she will immediately become a non-boater for that tournament and will be put into a draw between all non-partner boaters to determine who he or she will fish with that day. If only one (1) non-partner boater exists, he will be directly paired with that boater. Tournament director will perform draw, and the now non-boater will assume all non-boater fee responsibilities for the boater in which he or she is paired.
13. If the guest of a sponsor member does not show up for the tournament he or she signed up for, from that point on for the remainder of the tournament year, that sponsor member may bring future guests, but those guests will go directly into the draw without the option of fishing the first tournament with that sponsor member.
14. Any boater who signs up for a tournament and is paired with a non-boater, but fails to show up for the tournament, or refuses to fish, will lose his or her entry fee for that tournament, and his right to be a boater for the rest of the tournament year. If the boater experiences an unforeseen emergency, i.e. illness, mechanical failure, etc., then he or she will incur no forfeitures or penalties. Reason for absence must also be accepted by acting board members.
15. No alcoholic beverages or drugs (unless prescribed by a doctor) will be allowed in the boat during tournament hours. Any member or guest under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the tournament, weigh-in or any function sponsored by Red Oak Bass Club or the B.A.S.S. Federation that affects the image of the club will be disqualified from the tournament.
16. Tournament starting times will be at first safe light with numbered starts. Starting time and weigh-in times will be announced by the Tournament Director at the Thursday's meeting prior to the tournament. Livewell checks will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director will draw the boater/non-boater pairings.
17. Anyone caught cheating will be dismissed from the Red Oak Bass Club and all functions associated with Red Oak Bass Club and B.A.S.S. Federation-Northeast Texas Region. The decisions of the Executive Committee will be final and passed on to the Board of Directors of B.A.S.S. Federation. NO REFUNDS. Anyone observing another competitor breaking a rule must report it to the Tournament Director or a member of the Executive Committee or he/she is also in violation of the rules.
18. No fish with dirt or foreign matter on its body will be weighed. No iced fish.
19. Individual Draw Tournaments: Members sign up a the Thursday club meeting to be eligible for the tournaments. A member may contact an Officer of the club to enter if unable to attend the meeting. Members must state boating preference on entry sheet prior to the drawing. All entry fees must be paid at the meeting, or if approved by the Tournament Director, can be paid at the ramp prior to the start of the tournament. Failure to pay entry before the tournament can result in disqualification.
20. Boaters/Non-Boaters found not fishing tournaments to avoid fishing with drawn partner will be in violation of the Sportsmanship Rule.
21. Non-Boater, Boater will share mutually agreed upon expenses with drawn partner (minimum of $25.00 is suggested). Failure to pay non-boater fees can result in disqualification for that tournament.
22. The Non-Boater will have an option to operate the trolling motor for 1/2 (one-half) of the tournament day.
23. Boat choice among boaters paired shall be determined by coin toss or mutual agreement.
24. Use of a landing net is permitted.