By Laws

BY-LAWS & TOURNAMENT RULES AS
AMENDED AND ACCEPTED FOR 2008
BASS ANGLER'S EDUCATION ALLIANCE
EST.1996


ARTICLE I: NAME AND GOAL

SECTION 1: NAME

The name of this organization is the Bass Anglers Education Alliance. B.A.E.A. may be used at any time in this constitution, or any other documents with the understanding that reference is being made to the Bass Angler's Education Alliance.

SECTION 2: GOALS

(A) To improve our skill as bass anglers, through a fellowship of friendly exchange of expert bass-catching techniques and ideas.
(B) To provide as small tournament forum for beginner, novice and expert anglers seeking to accomplish the above by engaging in an alternation team-draw competition. Anglers may join as a team or alone.

ARTICLE II: REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

To become a member, a person shall:
(A) Voluntarily express a genuine interest in membership. (B) Submit name, address and phone number to secretary.
(C) Pay the required fees by the required time. (D) Be 14 years of age accompanied by an adult. 
(E) Grounds for removal shall be cheating & unsportsmanlike conduct determined by the tournament committee. 
(F) All members must understand that the main goal of the alliance is first to educate each other & ourselves and then participate in friendly competition.
(G) Any standing member who has exhibited one prior year at less than 5/8 event participation, and any boater in good standing who knows prior to the first tournament he shall not be able to fish a minimum of fifty-one percent of the tournaments for the season shall be put into reserve boater status. Reserve boater status shall not exceed 5. If for any reason the total boater turnout shall be greater that that allowed for the clubs permit or launch capacity of the ramp, volunteers will be called upon at the meeting prior to the tournament to switch to a non-boater status and be put into the draw. If there are not enough volunteers, it would be mandatory that reserve members be put into the draw, by draw. Members wishing to switch from non-boater to boater have the option at the end of the year.
(H) Membership shall be set at 25 boaters, 5 reserve boaters, and 19 non-boaters.
(I) Declarations of participation shall be due by all members by the April meeting to determine status.

SECTION 4: MEMBERSHIP DUES

(A) Annual dues will be $100.00. To be spent as follows: tournament payouts $90 for 3 places up to 10 boats (40,30,20) 11-15 boats $140 (50,40,30,20) 16-20 boats $200 (60,50,40,30,20) 21-25 boats $270 (70,60,50,40,30,20). $400 for plaques and prizes. $150 for website fees. Up to $16.50 per member for the banquet. $100 for Angler of the year, reasonable administrative costs, photo album expenses.
(B) Regular members must pay dues by April meeting.
(C) New members (joining after 1st tournament) will be required to pay a $25 membership fee at the meeting following acceptance into the club. Their dues will be prorated at $10 per remaining tournament.
(D) All fees must be paid before fishing the first tournament of that calendar year.
(E) Current members must deposit $20.00 by the December meeting for the following year.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS, ELECTIONS, VACANCIES, and ELIGIBILITY

SECTION 1: OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES

(A) SECRETARY 
1. Presides over all meetings and directs all official business
2. Assigns special duties to members for the good of the club.
3. Maintain records of prefish & attendance reports.
4. Record the minutes of all official meetings.
5. Conduct all official club correspondence.


(B) ASSISTANT SECRETARY
1. Presides in the absence of the secretary
2. Assists the secretary as requires.
3. Assumes the secretariat in case of office vacancy as specified in the bylaws.


(C) TREASURER
1. Has authority on disbursements against club funds.
2. Maintains accurate financial records and provides a summary at each meeting.
3. Handles all financial transaction and disbursements.


(D) TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS (3)
1. Conduct weigh-in and record all tournament results
2. Direct all tournament activity, boating, requirements, tournament rules, etc.
3. Submit a creel census after each tournament.
4. Shall select tournament sites and dates in accordance with input from each member given by the February meeting.
5. Will communicate monthly and report at club meetings.
6. Two directors will be elected at large; third director will be the Secretary. 

(E) WEBMASTER
Responsible for all data entry into the website in a timely manner.


SECTION 2: ELECTIONS

(A) Nominations will be made at the November meeting
(B) Elections will be held at the December meeting.
(C) Election shall be by simple majority of members present each member having one vote, with no proxy votes unless made by members who are working.)
(D) Election for each officer shall be held separately in the order listed in article III, section I.
(E) Election shall be made by secret ballot.

SECTION 3: ELEIGIBILITY FOR HOLDING OFFICE

(A) Candidate must have been a member for at least 12 consecutive months to be eligible for for nomination.
(B) Candidate must have attended at least ¾ of the clubs functions.
(C) Candidate must have shown an active interest in all the club related activities.

SECTION 4: TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office is for one year, which shall begin on January 1 and end on the last meeting day of December or until the successor assumes office.

SECTION 5: VACANCIES

In the event of an office becoming vacant, nominations shall be asked and an election held to fill the remaining term of the individual office.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

SECTION 1: GENERAL

(A) Regular meetings will be on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 PM November through March, April through October there will be business/prefish report meeting on the FRIDAY before each tournament at 7:00 PM.
(B) Meetings are at City Jake's Cafe 1573 Main St. Spfld.
(C) Business matters require a vote of 50% of members attending for approval (1 vote P.P.).

SECTION 2: MEETING AGENDA

(A) Call meeting to order.
(B) Roll Call, attendance count, collection of dues.
(C) Reading of prior meetings minutes.
(D) Treasurers report.
(E) Old business items.
(F) New business items.
(G) Prefish reports (seasonal).
(H) Adjournment.

ARTICLE V: METHOD OF AMENDING THE BY-LAWS & TOURNAMENT RULES

The by-laws & tournament rules may be amended at the next meeting (following discussion of amendment) by a vote of ¾ of the members present if a quorum is met. Members have the sole responsibility to keep up to date of the minutes and any by-law changes of each meeting by contacting a club officer for updates.

ARTICLE VI: TOURNAMENTS

SECTION 1: RULES

(A) The tournament entrance fee for the year will be decided at the March meeting and will remain the same through out the year. The fee for 2008 is P.P. $10.00
(B) If a member shall prefish a tournament site within two weeks prior to a tournament, the Alliance encourages the member to file a "prefish report" on the website for immediate dispersal either at the meeting prior to the tournament or at the tournament. At all lake tournaments an optional half time break will take place at a designated site for the purpose of sharing patterns and results to help increase the clubs overall success, spirit de corps, & camaraderie. This meeting will not take place on rivers and won't exceed 20 minutes.
(C) Tournament directors may inspect ALL boats.
(D) All participants must be in a boat, no shore fishing.
(E) Tournaments will be fished by teams or alone.
(F) All participants shall conduct themselves as sportsmen.
(G) All participants are to follow current Coast Guard, State and Local Regulations, and also Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife regulations. Life jackets must be worn when engine is on.
(H) No stringers. Only live-wells or containers with an aerating device will be accepted.
(I) Nets may be used.
(J) One rod per angler may be in the water at anytime.
(K) No trolling is allowed.
(L) No one may go ashore unless another boat is notified or dire emergency.
(M) Tournament starting time will be decided by the directors and boats will leave in order of the number drawn at the prefish meeting.
(N) Late arrivals have one hour from the starting time in order to enter and must check in with one of the directors to be inspected only by the tournament directors.
(O) No boats shall approach within 50 yards of another boat at anchor or 25 yards if not anchored unless permission is asked and granted by both anglers in the other boat.
(P) Only artificial lures may be used, no live or prepared bait will be allowed except for pork strips, rinds, etc.
(Q) No feeding, baiting, or chumming prior or during.
(R) Member may bring substitute partner (non-boater) at a cost of twice the tournament fee. Same substitute may be used only twice per season and then must join. No points can be transferred from a substitute. Substitutes must follow the days format i.e. draw or team event. Any substitutes must attend the meeting prior to the tournament for review by club officers for exceptions.
(S) No drugs/alcohol may be used before or during tournaments.
(T) Anglers who do not make arrangements at least 48 hours prior to start of tournament with their partner or tournament director for an absence will be assessed a $10.00 penalty to be paid to their partner. If a boater will be absent, their non-boater must be struck from the tournament unless another non-boater will be absent for him to replace. (In the case of a boater standing up his partner, the non-boater may fish as a third party on any volunteer boater. Preference should be made for the largest boat or points leader.) A non-boater may be absent without the striking of his boater from the tournament.
(U) A single fisherman fishing alone or as a third will have a five fish limit.
(V) There will be a $10.00 non-boater fee per tournament to be paid to boaters before tournament begins. $20.00 will be paid on longer trips & all river tournaments.

SECTION 2: GUIDE LINES FOR TOURNAMENT SITE SELECTION

(A) Radius for 60 miles, more or less, for any tournament.
(B) Center of the circle will be Holyoke.
(C) Must have adequate "safe" launch site and weight in areas, which may or may not be the launch area.
(D) Must have adequate numbers of large and or small mouth bass.
(E) Water fished during "bed season" cannot be fished in consecutive years.
(F) Tournament sites will be selected at December meeting and dates selected by the February meeting.

SECTION 3: TOURNAMENT WEIGH IN RULES

A) Any complaints or tournament infringements must be brought to the attention of the tournament officials prior to the start of the weigh-in Any infraction of the fundamental principles of good sportsmanship may be deemed cause for disqualification. The three directors will make decisions.
(B) Competitors who are not in the official check point at the appointed time shall be penalized at the rate of 1 pound per minute to be deducted from the total weight of his catch that day, including any weight to be counted toward a lunker award. There shall be no excuse for tardiness, and in no case shall an angler be allowed to make up lost time. If a boat in distress signals for assistance, you must stop and render assistance and if nothing else can be done one team member from the distressed boat may bag the fish and be taken to the weigh-in. A ten-minute grace period will be allowed when both teams concur a distressed situation.
(C) Only largemouth and smallmouth bass shall count in the tournament for point tally and must be a minimum of (12) inches in length with mouth closed and tail positioned anyway. Each fish weighed in less than twelve inches will have one (1) pound deducted from total weight and those fish will be disqualified.
(D) Courtesy checks must be requested to avoid penalty.
(E) This club advocates catch and release therefore fish must be weighed in alive. A two (2) ounce penalty per fish shall be levied against the total weight for each dead fish.
(F) Place of finish shall be decided in pounds and ounces. Ties shall be broken by number of fish and if necessary by the largest fish.
(G) Only five (5) fish per team are allowed when fishing Massachusetts's waters. Culling is permitted but must be done immediately.

SECTION 4: POINTS & PAYOUT SYSTEM

(A) First place will be 25 points per angler per team, second place 24 points per angler per team and so on.
(B) Each angler shall carry his points from each rotating tournament to his own standings.
(C) One point will be awarded for a limit.
(D) One point will be awarded for lunker.
(E) One point will be awarded for each fish over 5 lbs.
(F) The best six of eight tournaments will be tabulated.
(G) Payouts: $90 for 3 places up to 10 boats (40,30,20), 11-15 boats $140 (50,40,30,20), 16-20 boats $200 (60,50,40,30,20), 21-25 boats $270 (70,60,50,40,30,20). A $5 optional lunker pool will be held by the treasurer and collected for all tournaments desired before the first tournament and paid at each tournament with lunker of the year being paid at the banquet. 10% will paid at each tournament with 20% being paid to lunker of the year. 
(H) Trophies for the year will go to top three individuals based on points, lunker of the year, Jeff O'Connor award for most improved angler (beginning at the end of 2008), and twin trophies shall go to winners of each points tournament. The most prestigious trophy shall go to Angler of the Year.
(I) ANGLER OF THE YEAR will have the next years membership fee paid for out of the club's dues. 

SECTION 5: ANGLER OF THE YEAR

(A) At the November meeting of each year, a secret ballot shall be taken for the Angler of the year & the Jeff O'Connor award.
(B) Each member shall take into consideration for their choice the following Prerequisites:
          1. The person who beats exemplifies sportsmanship
          2. The person who has made the most effort at sharing techniques & tactics
              with all members (i.e.consistent written pre-fish reports, mid-day meeting
              attendance).
(C) All anglers in alliance qualify. 
(D) The elected officers will tabulate & break any ties.