CONSTITUTION

  1. Name
    The name of the Club shall be the Portishead Small Boat and Sea Angling Club.

  2. Boundaries
    All tidal waters eastwards of a line from Aberthaw water inlet tower across to Minehead and up to the Old Severn Bridge. Club waters

  3. Membership
    1. Open to any person with an interest in boat sea angling who accepts the constitution and bye laws of PSB&SAC.
    2. The membership of the Club shall consist of Life Members, Ordinary Members, and Honorary Members. Honorary Members will have full Club facilities but have no voting powers.
    3. Applications for membership must be approved by the Committee. The Committee reserves the right to refuse membership without explanation.
    4. The Committee reserves the right to ask the Membership at a General Meeting to terminate the membership of a person who brings the Club into disrepute. That member may be present.

  4. Aims
    The aims of the Club are to protect the interests of members with regards to access to the sea at Portishead and to promote friendship, well-being, a sense of unity and awareness of the needs of its members both afloat and ashore.

  5. Government
    The PSB&SAC shall be governed by an executive committee elected by members at an AGM.

  6. Officers
    • Chairman
    • General Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Fish Recorder
    • Safety Officer
    • Cup Custodian
    • Annual Competition Secretary
  7. Responsibilities
    1. Chairman
      The chairman shall preside over all meetings. In his absence a chairman be elected by the meeting.
    2. General Secretary
      The secretary shall deal with all correspondence relating to the PSB&SAC. He will take an accurate record of the meetings and will circulate these minutes at the next meeting.
    3. Treasurer
      The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of the PSB&SAC finances and submit an audited balance sheet at every AGM. At every general meeting he will advise the members of the financial situation of the club.
    4. Fish Recorder
      The fish recorder will submit to the general meetings all claims that have been received to date. He shall be responsible for the annual record list and award winners list. The angling year runs concurrently with the financial year (See rule 8).
    5. Safety Officer
      The safety officer shall be responsible for making new members aware of the safety equipment requirements for member's boats. (See Bye Law 3h Safety Equipment) He will nominate safety boat / boats for club competitions and make sure safety tags are issued to skippers of boats taking part in competitions and make sure all tags are returned before the end of the weigh-in. (In his absence he should make arrangements for a club member to act as safety officer for the duration of the competition) The safety officer shall make spot checks of members boats to ensure that safety equipment is in place.
    6. Cup Custodian
      The cup custodian shall ensure that the trophies of the PSB&SAC are kept in a good state of repair. He shall also be responsible for their return by the January AGM meeting.
    7. Annual Competition Secretary
      The annual competition secretary shall be responsible for recording fish submitted by members for inclusion in the annual species competition. He will calculate the position of each submission in accordance with the rules of the annual species competition and provide a report to be presented at the AGM. The annual species competition runs concurrently with the financial year (See rule 8).

  8. Finances
    The Treasurer shall be responsible for all banking of monies received and for payment of all accounts. Such accounts to be paid by cheque, signed by two from: Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer. The financial year starts on 1st January and ends 31st December. See also Rule 7, para (c). Treasurer's responsibilities.

  9. Subscriptions
    Member of PSB&SAC shall pay an annual subscription of £25, (Couples £30 and Juniors £1) Junior members are up to the age of 16 years after which they may become full members Any alteration to the annual subscription fee, to be advised by the committee and put before the November general meeting for implementation the following year, starting on the 1st January. Club subscriptions are due at the Annual General Meeting held in January and must be paid by the end of the March meeting. Anyone who has not paid by then will be deemed to have resigned from the club.

  10. Committee
    The committee is elected at the AGM and consists of the elected officers, (rule 5). Extra committee members maybe elected to make a total committee of 10. A quorum for this committee is 4 members. The purpose of this committee is:

    1. to make decisions on topics not finalised at general meetings.
    2. to action any business brought up at general meetings and progress reported back to the next general meeting.
    3. to arrange for guest speakers etc for club nights.
    4. to arrange the order of business to be discussed at general meetings.
    5. the Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member.

  11. General Meetings
    The general meetings are held monthly, on the second Monday of each month. They meet to discuss any topic relevant to the smooth running of the PSB&SAC. Members may ask the committee to examine other matters concerning the PSB&SAC. To ensure these meetings are productive the chairman may, at his discretion, sanction a time limit on each/any topic under discussion. Committee meetings to be held as required on an acceptable date, time and place agreed by the majority of the committee members.

  12. Annual General Meeting
    The AGM shall be held on the second Monday of January. An audited balance sheet shall be available at the start of the AGM. All resolutions or amendments to the Constitution rules must be with the General Secretary by the 1st of December of the previous year in writing. Rule alterations to be passed by two thirds of those members present who are eligible to vote. The quorum of the AGM shall be one third of the Members, excluding Honorary Members, and no decisions upon rules shall be made except at a properly constituted AGM. All officers and committee members to be elected individually at the A.G.M. Auditors to be appointed at the AGM for the following year.

  13. Extra -ordinary General Meeting
    An Extra-ordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by one third of the Membership and shall have the same powers as an AGM.

  14. Voting
    At committee meetings, the committee uses one vote per member present, the chairman or the person taking the chair has a casting vote and a result is based on simple majority.
    At general meetings, each member present has one vote, the chairman or the person taking the chair has a casting vote and a result is based on simple majority.
    At Annual General Meetings, each member present has one vote, the chairman or the person taking the chair has a casting vote. At the AGM any topic needs a two thirds majority to win.

  15. Alteration
    Constitutional rules may only be amended or deleted or new rules implemented at an AGM and with the necessary two thirds majority of the members present. Bye Laws may be amended, deleted or added at general or committee meetings with the necessary majority vote.

  16. Register of attendance
    A register of attendance will be kept at all meetings and each member shall sign as a proof of attendance.