Dawley Angling Society
Constitution
1. Name
The Society shall be known as Dawley Angling Society (the Society) and will be affiliated with the Angling Trust
2. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Society will be:
2.1. To provide facilities for and promote the participation of the whole community in the sport of angling.
2.2. To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in the sport of angling.
2.3. To manage Society facilities to ensure a safe and practical environment for angling. 2.4. To ensure both moral and legal duty of care to all members of the Society.
2.5. To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.
3. Membership
3.1. Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons who complete the online application form and pay the current annual subscription, irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or age, sex, or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of angling as a sport.
3.2. Membership of the Society constitutes an agreement to abide by the Constitution, Codes of Practice, Policies, and Rules that the Society has adopted
3.3. Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories: • Full Member (see 3.4)
Honorary Member:
• Adults.
• Senior Citizens.
• Concessionary Member – those in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or
New Style Employment and Support allowance.
• Junior (under the age of 17 on application).
3.4. All paid-up Full members shall have voting rights.
3.5. Membership fees shall be set out annually and agreed by the Management Committee and ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
3.6. Any person desirous of becoming a Full member must first be proposed at an ordinary meeting and after being voted by ballot of the Management Committee and that decision will be final.
3.7. Honorary members can take part in two club contests (as a taster to Full membership), they can not hold any form of office or vote at any meetings. With these exceptions, they enjoy the same rights as Full Members.
3.8. This is a cooperative Society where full members make a positive contribution towards its running. To retain membership, members should be able to demonstrate their positive contributions. If required the Management Committee can make the final judgment on a Full member’s ability to contribute, the level of contribution made, and subsequent eligibility to membership.
4. Management
4.1. The Society shall be managed by a Management Committee elected by its Full members at an Annual General Meeting. All members of the Management Committee shall be elected for a period of twelve months, but shall be eligible for re-election at the following Annual General Meeting. All Management Committee positions will be proposed and voted on individually and not in the block.
4.2. The Management Committee shall consist of a maximum of ten Full Members who following Election, shall elect from their numbers the following officers:
Chairperson }
Vice-Chairman }
Secretary } Executive Officers
Assistant Secretary }
Treasurer }
Match Secretary
Booking Secretary
Water Bailiffs x 2
Work Party Coordinator
4.3. The Management Committee shall have the power to take all actions for the efficient running of the Society to achieve the aims and objectives of the Society.
4.4. The Management Committee will have the powers to appoint Sub Committees as necessary and appoint advisors to the Management Committee as required, to fulfill its business.
4.5. That the Management Committee, has the power of co-option to the Committee.
4.6. Five members of the Management Committee excluding the Chair, shall be deemed to form a quorum.
4.7. Each member of the Management Committee shall have one vote with the exception of the Chair, who, in the event of a tie, shall cast a vote to maintain the status quo.
5. Finance
5.1. All Society’s monies shall be banked in an account held in the name of the Society.
5.2. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the accounts and submitting a full audited Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss sheet to the Annual General Meeting. They will also provide a statement of accounts at each Management meeting.
5.3. Payments made by the Society shall be authorized by three members of the Executive Officers: Honorary Treasurer, Chairperson, and Vice-Chairperson.
5.4. The Financial year shall be from the 1st January to 31st December.
5.5. The membership year will be 12 months from the date of joining.
5.6. On retiring from office, the Honorary Treasurer shall hand to their successor or Chairperson, all property, information, and monies belonging to the Society.
5.7. Auditors shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
5.8. The Society shall provide adequate insurance to cover Public Liability and that it is fit for purpose.
6. Meetings
6.1. The Management Committee shall meet bi-monthly or at such dates as it shall agree. Open and Management meetings of the Society will be held on the 1st Wednesday of each month.
6.2. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year on the 1st Wednesday of February. To receive reports from the Executive Officers of the Society
To receive and if approved, adopt the statement of Society accounts.
To ratify membership fees in accordance with the constitution (3.4)
To appoint auditors in accordance with the constitution (5.7)
To consider and if approved, sanction any duly made alterations to the constitution.
To appoint the Management Committee in accordance with the Constitution article 4
6.3. Any proposal for the Annual General Meeting must be submitted to the Honorary Secretary in writing, at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting.
6.4. Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent out to Full members of the Society
not less than 14 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
6.5. Each Full member shall have a single vote, with a simple majority required to pass a motion. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have an additional vote, which must be passed to maintain the status quo.
6.6. The Management Committee shall have the right to call an Extraordinary General Meeting outside of the Annual General Meeting. Procedures for an EGM are as per the AGM
7. Discipline and Appeals
7.1. All complaints regarding the behavior of members of the Society in respect of activities detrimental
to the Society’s aims and objectives, contrary to this Constitution, Rules or Policies, that the Society has adopted, or likely to bring the Society into disrepute, must be presented in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
7.2. The Executive Officers of the Society shall hear complaints within 28 days of the complaint being lodged to consider the complaint. The Executive Officers shall have the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from the Society.
7.3. The outcome of the disciplinary hearing shall be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.
7.4. Both the complainant and the member against whom the complaint was made, have the right of appeal to the whole of the Management Committee against the disciplinary hearing decision.
The appeal request must be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary, who shall call a Management Committee Meeting within one month of the request for appeal.
7.5. The Complainant and Member against whom the complaint was made, shall have the right to represent themselves to the Management Committee and the matter shall be decided by a majority vote.
8. Trophies
Challenge Cup Ranslett Cup
Sid Shepard Cup Steve Brown Cup
Albert Rhodes Cup Commercial Champion
Highest overall points
Second overall points
Third overall cup
Highest points from two matches held on Patshull, Park Farm, Stirchley Top, and DAS River.
Highest points from River matches
Combined points from designated Commercial venues marked (CC) on match-list Silver Fish Champion Combined points from designated Silver Fish venues marked (SC) on the match list
J Aveley Trophy Highest points from S Williams Cup, D Hartshorne Cup, W Jones Cup, and the G Bullock Cup
8.1. Trophies will be presented at the Annual Presentation held in February/March each year.
8.2. Trophies must be returned at the December meeting so that they can be prepared for the next presentation. All trophies must be returned as they were presented i.e., clean, polished, and undamaged. The cost of any repairs will be passed to the recipient who returned the trophy.
9. Dissolution
9.1. A resolution to dissolve the Society may only be made and approved at an AGM or EGM by a majority vote of the Full Membership
9.2. Upon dissolution of the Society, the assets shall be applied in discharge of the expenses of the dissolution and all debts due by the Society to its creditors. Any surplus of assets remaining after the signed satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, shall not be paid to or distributed amongst members of the Society but shall be given to the Sports Governing Body or such body affiliated to the Governing Body or a registered Charity.
10. General
10.1. That all members carry proof of membership when fishing our waters and have the appropriate EA license and abide by the Society Rules.
10.2. That all cash prizes not claimed after a period of 2 months shall be donated to Society funds.
11. Declaration
11.1. Dawley Angling Society hereby adopts and accepts this Constitution as a current operating guide, regulating the actions of its Officers and Members.
Signed: Craig Bayliss Position: Chairperson
Signed: Stewart Wilson Position Honorary Secretary
Dawley Angling Society Rules
General Rules
- A Maximum of 2 rods or poles per angler to be used at any time.
- Only Barbless hooks to be used on all still-waters.
- Maximum size 12 hook on all still-waters, size 8 on Stirchley Bottom Carp Syndicate.
- NO FLOATING BAITS OF ANY KIND, this includes on the hook or as a loose feed.
- No shelf-life boilies, frozen boilie feed baits only.
- Boilies, pop-ups, wafters and match boilies can only be used as hook bait not as loose feed.
- No tiger nuts.
- Unused baits are not to be left on the bankside, please take it home or dispose correctly.
- No fishing between designated peg areas.
- No night fishing of any kind, unless a Night Fishing Syndicate Member.
- No fires on or around the pegs.
- Keepnets are not allowed, unless in an official contest.
- During all matches Carp & Silver are to be kept separate at all times including the weigh process, for this purpose 2 nets must be entered at the match start.
- A 50Lbs net applies in all matches held on society waters with a maximum 10Lbs discretion, amounts over this will count as Zero.
- All fish over 4oz must be landed with a landing net to protect fish stocks.
- No Rods or lines are to be left in the water unattended.
- There must be 6 inches of line between the Rod/Pole tip and float AND 6 inches of line between the float and hook.
- No free-lining, a float, feeder or ledger must always be used.
- All fish must be returned to the water unharmed.
- No standing up or carrying fish back to the waters edge without using a net or weigh sling.
- NO FISH ARE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE WATER, DEAD OR ALIVE.
- IF, you see a dead fish, please leave it in the water and alert a bailiff.
- Anglers will be held responsible for the removal of ALL and any litter when leaving the peg, irrespective of whether or not the litter was present on arrival.
- NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL anywhere on society waters.
- No Loud Music or Loud bite Alarms, please respect other anglers and local residents.
- The use of bad language and/or abusive behaviour at any society venue or function will not be tolerated.
Night Syndicate Rules
- A MAXIMUM size 8 hook is to be used. Bailiffs do conduct random hook & rig checks.
- All anglers must carry a carp care kit to be used where appropriate.
- All weights and feeder systems must be free running/self ejecting for fish safety.
- An unhooking mat/cradle is to be used at all times, no fish is to be lay on the ground, with care taken to ensure the fish remains wet at all times.
- No standing up or carrying fish for any purpose. Catch photo must be taken in a safe appropriate manner.
- All syndicate members must make every effort to minimise disturbance on arrival, departure and whilst fishing, this is particularly the case whilst passing through the residential areas along Hinkshay road.
- All night syndicate members have authority to challenge any person fishing at night who they suspect does not hold a valid membership, You may ask any unauthorised person fishing on the Bottom Pool, Top Pool or Canal during the hours of darkness, to leave the property. If the angler refuses to leave the water, please contact 101 immediately and report the incident for Police action. When acting under this clause, please remember that you are representing the Society and you are requested to remain calm and polite throughout. Please do not resort to verbal or physical threats etc.
- Any incidents within the vicinity of the pools, occurring during the hours of darkness, that are deemed to be anti-social or unlawful, must be reported to the Police immediately via 999 or 101. Examples of incidents included under this clause are unauthorised fishing; fish thefts: vandalism; taking or dealing drugs etc. The syndicate must keep a record of all incidents reported and obtain a Police Crime reference number where possible. A written record of all incidents witnessed/reported should be submitted to the Society at the next monthly meeting.
- No person is permitted to fish for a continuous period longer than 48 hours. Anglers fishing for the maximum of 48 hours must leave the water for a minimum of 24 hours prior to return. Membership of this syndicate does not give you any priority over day time pegs. Please consider our normal honorary members, who will want to fish during the hours of daylight.
- The maximum time period that an angler may leave their swim/tackle unattended, is 2 hours. Tackle being left on the bank unattended for longer than the maximum 2-hour period risks having their tackle removed (or at worst stolen).
- Members of the syndicate should keep a record of catches taken at night on the pool, with a comparison against catches taken during the day. These records should be shared with the Society at each monthly meeting, to help build evidence of the success of the night fishing syndicate.
- The Society as a whole, is not allowed to undertake work on or around the pools without prior permission from Telford & Wrekin Council’s Town Park Manager. Works includes any pruning of trees, bank repairs etc. If the syndicate would like to carry out work around the pool, please liaise with the Committee, so that permission can be sought from the Council in advance. Failure to adhere to this clause, could lead to termination of the night syndicate by the Council.
- All Existing rules apply except where countermanded by specific night syndicate rules. Any person fishing the syndicate who breaks these rules will have their memberships immediately withdrawn and depending on the severity of the incident risks being banned from the society for life, note the constitution of the society contains an appeal process which any member can request to ensure that rules have been applied correctly and appropriately in all circumstances.
