CALIFORNIA BASS CONTENDERS
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1: Name. This club shall be named CALIFORNIA BASS CONTENDERS.
Section 2: Purpose. The purpose of this club shall be:
a) To stimulate public awareness of freshwater bass fishing as a major sport.
b) To offer our state conservation department our organized moral and complete political support and encouragement.
c) To promote full adherence to all conservation codes and to demand adequate water standards and legal enforcement of existing standards.
d) To improve our skills as bass anglers through a continuous fellowship of friendly exchange of bass catching techniques and ideas.
e) To promote and encourage youth fishing and a love of this great sport.
f) To function as a supporting and effective link with other chapters embracing the principles of the organization that the club is affiliated with.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership is open to 40 active members in good standing. Membership shall not exceed 20 active non-boaters in good standing. An active member in good standing is any member who attended at least three meetings and three tournaments in the preceding season and has paid all of their dues and related fees on time. The secretary will create a list of inactive members who have paid their dues and fees but have NOT reached their minimum meetings and tournaments for the previous season. Those members will be added to the inactive member list. These names will NOT count towards the 40 member roster.
NOTE: An inactive member can compete only for Big Boat award same as a prospective applicant.
Section 2: Membership dues shall be $50.00 per year.
Section 3: Applicant must receive 90% yes votes at a regular club meeting to become a member.
Section 4: Applicant must attend 3 meetings and compete in 3 tournaments within 6 months to become eligible for a membership vote. Consideration will be given for completing the 3+3 events for illness, work schedules and family events on a case by case basis. Once voted in a new member will receive their 30 points for meeting attendance and 30 points for tournament attendance for a total of 60 points maximum, provided the points earned were all in the same fiscal season.
Section 5: Applicant must be 16 years of age minimum. Minors must have written parental consent on file.
ARTICLE III: BOATS
Section 1: Boats used in club tournaments will do their best to accommodate a club member. All boats used in a club event must be in reasonable working condition. All boats used in a club event will have the ability to reasonably accommodate at least one other non-boater. All boats used in a club event must have a Livewell in reasonable working condition. All boats used in a club event shall also have a trolling motor in reasonable working condition.
Section 2: All members using their boats must have a copy of boater’s insurance policy with the boaters name on the policy with a minimum of $300,000 liability on record with the Vice President or Tournament Director before it can be used to fish in any club event. The board of directors will hold a file of active insurance policies and do their best to administer the expiration of each policy. It is the boater’s responsibility to make sure their policy is current. Penalty for participating in a club event with an expired insurance policy is disqualification from that event.
Section 3: Boaters: Any new member must compete as a non-boater. First-time boaters will be allowed in a tournament when there are one or more non-boaters than boaters, provided liability insurance is filed with Vice President or Tournament Director before entering the draw. When a member has participated in one tournament as a boater, he then may always participate as a boater thereafter. Guest boaters will be considered on a case by case basis provided liability insurance is on file with the Vice President or Tournament Director before participating. A nonmember boater will also be required to fish with another non-boater member unless approved by Tournament director.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: Officers and their duties. The officers of the chapter shall consist of:
a) PRESIDENT: The President shall conduct and preside over all meetings and direct official club business. He shall direct all committee functions and supervise or preside all club gatherings.
b) VICE PRESIDENT: The vice president shall act as program chairman, assist the president in his duties and preside in the absence of the president. He shall also keep a record of all boaters insurance affidavits in addition to handling entertainment for the club meetings.
c) SECRETARY: The secretary shall maintain accurate minutes of all meetings, keep all official records, including club affiliations, and handle chapter correspondence with other affiliations or clubs.
d) TREASURER: The treasurer shall maintain accurate records of finances, report at each meeting and collect dues for membership and appropriate entry fees at club tournaments.
e) TOURNAMENT CHAIRMEN: This is or maybe a combination assignment of the tournament chairmen and or his appointed helpers. The duties are to conduct and supervise monthly club tournaments, confirm entry fee tokens has been collected and to conduct and supervise the monthly tournament weigh-in.
f) WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR: This position shall oversee the administration of the club website and is responsible for public information.
g) BOARD MEMBERS COUNSEL: The remaining board members shall consist of the above executive officers, active founding board members, the immediate past president and three or four other active members selected from the membership. The number of board members shall total an uneven number.
Section 2: ELECTIONS.
a) Nominations for officers shall come from the floor at a regular club meeting in October.
b) Election of officers shall be held annually at a regular meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor at this meeting. Elections shall be by a simple majority of members present, by secret ballot.
Section 3: Eligibility to vote. Each member is entitled to one vote.
Section 4: Term of office. The term of office is for one year which shall begin on January 1st and end on the last meeting day of December, or until a successor assumes office.
Section 5: Vacancies. In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be asked and a special election held to fill the expired term of the individual vacating the office. Proxies are not permitted.
Section 6: Eligibility for holding office. To be eligible for an office a member must have been a member in good standing for minimum one year.
ARTICLE V: AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION BY-LAWS AND OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULES.
Section 1: Amending the constitution by-laws and official tournament rules. The constitution by-laws and official tournament rules may be amended at any regular meeting by a 2/3 majority vote of members present and 90% of the active founding members present, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been presented to the membership and active founding members at least one regular meeting before the vote.
Original founding members: Gabby Hayes, Joe Nava, Conrad Apodaca Sr, and Ted Romero.
ARTICLE VI: REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP.
Section 1: Removal of membership. A member shall be dropped from the membership roll by the board for the following:
a) Failure to pay dues or fees on time.
b) Any action that would reflect dishonor and disgrace on this club or the sport of bass fishing.
c) Constant disruption of club functions.
Section 2: Return of club property. Any member dropped from the roll for any reason shall return all club property in his control and or possession.
ARTICLE VIII: AWARDS, SEASON, POINTS.
Section 1: Awards. First, second and third place will be a choice of trophy or plaque. Fourth place through tenth place will be plaque. These awards will be based on the point standings as determined by the overall tournament scoring at the end of the season.
a) A lunker award will be presented to the angler who weighs in the largest bass at any one club tournament for the entire season.
b) An award ceremony and banquet will be held after the season has ended. Site and cost shall be determined by the membership.
Section 2: Season. The official season will run from January 1st through December 31st.
Section 3: Points accrual for tournaments, meetings, and Top Ten Tournament awards.
a) 10 points – each meeting show up.
b) 10 points – each tournament show up.
c) 3 points each legal fish weighed in at a club tournament.
d) 5 points each tournament big fish award.
e) Each tournament: Top Ten Tournament percentage:
20 points – 1st place- 31%
18 points – 2nd place- 18%
16 points – 3rd place- 14%
14 points – 4th place- 11%
12 points – 5th place- 9.0%
10 points – 6th place- 7.0%
08 points – 7th place- 2.5%
06 points – 8th place- 2.5%
04 points – 9th place- 2.5%
02 points – 10th place- 2.5%
f) Angler Of The Year shall be awarded a 300 token prize from the club in addition to the Top Five Tournament winnings. In case of a tie, the anglers will split the prize evenly. Top five awards percentage as follows:
1st place 35%
2nd place 20%
3rd place 15%
4th place 10%
5th place 10%
Lunker award 10%
The End.
