I. Name and Purpose
A. Club Name: The club shall be called BASS-JON'S
B. Purpose: Improve our skills as bass anglers through fellowship and a friendly exchange of bass catching techniques and ideas, to promote and encourage youth and family fishing, and a love for this recreation. "Share the Knowledge!"
C. Bass-Jon's will generally support the state conservation department and report problems and concerns to the proper authorities.
II. Meetings
A. There is an annual club meeting, usually in January.
1. Date, location and time of the annual meeting will be sent via e-mail and/or web posting.
2. The meeting agenda should include:
(1) Determining tournament schedule/locations.
(2) Review and make changes to the by-laws.
(3) Welcome returning club members.
(4) Introduce and welcome new club members.
(5) Complete required paperwork.
(6) Accept payment of annual dues.
B. Officers voted to their position during the previous year will not assume their duties until January 1st of the following year, and will be responsible for coordinating the January annual meeting.
C. Additional club meetings will be held directly after each tournament weigh in. Any member can bring up any topic for discussion at meetings.
D. Club meetings needed in between tournaments will be announced via e-mail or web posting by a club officer.
III. Number of Members
A. A 50 member limit will be initially imposed at the annual club meeting. Club officers will determine membership beyond 50 members.
B. An effort will be made to maintain a 2:1 (30:15) Boater to Non-Boater ratio.
IV. Requirements for Membership
A. Be at least 18 years of age. Persons under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian's consent.
B. Must be current with club dues, and owe no fines from previous years.
C. Maintain a good attitude towards other members and respect their views and interests.
D. Members from the previous year are considered members for the current year until they express to an officer to not be a member.
E. If a person expresses interest in becoming a club member and attends the 1st meeting of the year, the perspective member will be voted on after their first tournament fished.
F. Individuals who want to become a member after the annual meeting:
1. Must first attend 1 club meeting / tournament before they can be voted in as a member.
2. Must state their intent to join, to a club officer. Until the intent to join the club is expressed to a club officer, individuals will be treated as guests.
3. Will be voted on and attain a majority of the voting members. Votes by Proxy are allowed.
G. Members in good standing have paid annual dues, owe no fines (from the current or previous years), respond to intent messages or coordinate with club officers for absences, abide by the rules and standards of conduct. No response to intent messages for three (3) consecutive tournaments will place the member in an inactive status. Members who want to return to good standing in the club and continue to fish tournaments must make a request to the club president. The club officers will decide and inform the members of the returning member's status
1. Members who do not remain in good standing or who have been moved to the waiting/inactive list will be afforded the same courtesy and privileges as guests.
2. Members returning to good standing will not be required to pay annual dues a second time.
H. Membership is open throughout the year.
I. Membership Dues
1. Annual membership dues are $25.00 per person, $50.00 for family plan members. Founding members who have continuously fished with the club are not required to pay annual dues.
2. Dues are payable at the annual meeting, or when voted into the club. Annual dues not paid before the second scheduled tournament will result in the member being placed in an inactive status. They will not be considered a member and will be afforded the same courtesy as guests, until they have paid the dues. Members who want to return to good standing in the club and continue to fish tournaments must make a request to the club president. The club officers will decide and inform the members of the returning member's status
3. Paid dues are not refundable at any time. Dues will assist in the purchase of, trophies, awards, etc…
J. Members must have the required forms completed and a current copy must be on file with the club president in order to fish tournaments.
V. Family Plan
A. The purpose of the family plan is to increase family and minor children participation and prevent "teaming" of a member and family member who are over 18 years of age. This includes mothers, spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends (if over 18 years of age), brothers/sisters (if under age 18), children and grandchildren under 18 years of age. The goal is to increase participation of children/grandchildren and significant others of the members. Father/son or brothers who are over 18 are requested to fish as independent members. Fathers/sons or brothers who are over 18 years of age who want to fish under the family plan, will make the request to the club president, and the officers/members will vote on a case-by-case basis to approve the exception.
1. Members who would like to fish under the family plan with a minor, who is not a family member, will be allowed to as along as the minor's parent signs the required permission forms. Requests must be made to the club president and may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
B. Annual dues for the family plan are $50.00 per family. This will pay for the primary club member and any one of the member's family. The member can alternate between family members fishing from his back seat.
C. Members in the family plan will be considered one boater and one non-boater on the club roster. The primary family member will be considered the boater.
D. The "two people in a boat" rule still applies.
E. The president must have completed membership forms and tournament release forms for all those participating in the family plan.
F. Club members who are not going to fish with a family member should post as a normal boater or non-boater in response to intent to fish messages.
G. Members scheduled to fish with a family member and the family member does not fish (meaning the primary member fishes alone), the member is still required to pay the absent family member's entry fee ($5.00).
I. If a member declares "family plan" for a tournament, and the family member doesn't show up (meaning the primary member fishes alone), for two (2) consecutive tournaments or four (4) tournaments during the season, family plan status will be lost and the primary member will be required to be in the normal boater/non- boater pairings.
J. To regain family plan status, the primary member must make a request to the club president. The club officers will decide and inform the club of the member's return to family plan status.
VI. Junior Anglers
A. Members under the age of 18 will be considered junior anglers.
B. Junior anglers will be treated as all other members and are subject to the same rules and regulations as adult members. No special rule considerations will be given to junior anglers.
C. If adult anglers are not comfortable fishing with or cannot fish with a junior angler, they must inform the club officers.
1. There is no penalty for adult anglers who do not wish to fish with junior anglers.
2. Once informed, the tournament director will not pair that member with a junior angler.
D. Adult members fishing with junior anglers are responsible for complying with laws and regulations associated with persons less than 18 years of age.
VII. Guests
A. Guests are only permitted to participate when the club's officers grant permission.
B. Permission will only be granted if all club non-boaters interested in participating in the tournament have been assigned to a boat and there are still open seats.
C. No guest will be allowed to fish more than three tournaments in a calendar year.
D. All guests must sign the tournament waiver form before fishing.
E. No guests will be allowed to fish in the club classic or other designated special tournament.
F. Every club member, whether a boater or non-boater, is allowed to bring a guest to the tournament.
G. Members may use a guest's boat as long as it complies with local restrictions and boating regulations. Members who fish from a guest's boat are the responsible party, unless the member is a minor.
H. Once a member has fished with a guest they must fish three consecutive tournaments before being allowed to bring another guest. If the member was scheduled to fish with a guest and the guest does not fish the tournament, the member is still required to fish three consecutive tournaments before being eligible to bring another guest.
I. A guest does not have to state any intent to become a member of the club.
J. If a member is approved to fish with a guest and the guest does not show up (meaning the member fishes alone) for 2 tournaments during the year, the member will not be eligible to bring guests for the remainder of the calendar year.
N. The member will still be required to pay the $5.00 entry if a guest does not show up to fish.
VIII. Tournaments and Events
A. Tournament dates will be drafted and approved at the annual club meeting (January).
1. Tournament dates and locations will be drafted by the current club officers and presented to the members as an initial schedule.
2. Each member will be able to provide input on tournament dates and locations.
3. As a community courtesy, an attempt will be made to deconflict tournament dates with holidays, other tournament trail schedules and fishing clubs. Conflicting schedules will not be the absolute factor in determining tournament dates.
B. The decision to change a tournament date/location after the schedule is completed at the annual meeting will be decided by the club officers.
C. Annual Club Classic
1. The Club Classic will be held at the end of the year and any money left in the club treasury will go toward payouts for 1st - 3rd or more places, depending on funds remaining in the club treasury and the number of members fishing in the tournament.
2. The normal tournament fee will still be collected and paid out.
3. In order for a club member to participate in the Club Classic he/she must participate in at least half of the scheduled tournaments. If there are an odd number of tournaments, the required amount of tournaments to fish will be rounded down. Founding members who have continuously fished with the club, and fish at least one tournament during the year will gain automatic entry into the annual classic.
4. Normal pairings will be held for the annual classic.
5. Members, who are qualified for and have posted positive intent to fish the classic, will select the body of water to fish the classic, by vote; either in person or by web posting. All bodies of water fished (lakes and rivers) for the current and previous two (2) years are eligible to be selected. The water to be fished may also be determined by draw the morning of the tournament. The officers will determine which method will be used.
6. Scheduled tournaments fished as a guest will count as qualifying tournaments for the annual classic once the guest becomes a member.
D. Inter-Club Tournaments
1. Inter-club tournaments will count as a qualifying tournament for the annual classic and points for AOY will be awarded. Lunker of the year will be recognized if caught during inter-club tournaments.
2. Regular pairings will be conduced for inter-club tournaments
3. Guests are not allowed to fish inter-club tournaments.
IX. Intent to fish and pairing of boaters and non-boaters
A. An "intent to fish" message will be e-mailed or posted on the web indicating the date, time, lake and pertinent information for the upcoming tournament. (Approximately 2 weeks prior to the tournament, if time allows)
1. The intent message will include a deadline for submitting your intent to fish the upcoming tournament.
(a) Boaters may submit to fish as non-boaters and non-boaters may submit to fish as boaters.
(b) Boaters may not arbitrarily choose to fish by themselves.
(c) Members must provide the following information:
"yes" "no" I intend to/not to fish
"Boater" "Non-Boater" "Family Plan" I intend to fish as a
boater or non-boater,
or indicate that you
are on the family plan.
"guest" If you are requesting
to bring a guest.
"Normal" "Early" "Late" If there is an option
to vote for a modified
tournament weigh in
time
"Name" Add the name of your
guest or family member
fishing with you.
"Lake" Identify the name of the body
of water you want to fish.
*Note: For 2010, the members will vote for the body of water they want to fish for each tournament. Once a body of water is fished it will not be fished until all of the available bodies of water have been fished. The options for 2010 are Lake Prince, Lake Cohoon, Lake Meade, Lake Burnt Mills (when opened), the Nottaway River, and Lake Smith/Little Creek, Western Branch reservoir.
(d) Members may change their intent until the deadline date without penalty.
2. Members who do not respond to the intent message will be considered as not wanting to fish the tournament.
3. Once the intent to fish deadline has been met, the tournament director will conduct a draw of those who intend to fish the tournament to identify a reserve, and pair members for the upcoming tournament. Every effort will be made to not pair members more than once during the year. The results of the draw will be e-mailed or posted in the form of a "Pairing Message." The pairing message should be posted/sent no later than the Friday before the scheduled tournament (Typically Thursday Evening).
B. The pairing message will specify the tournament location, launch sequence, meeting site, check in time, weigh in procedures and times and any additional information the tournament director believes is pertinent to the tournament.
1. Typical check in time will be 30 minutes prior to official sunrise.
2. Typical start time will be official sunrise.
3. Typical weigh in time will be 4:00 PM.
C. Any member who has answered the Intent to Fish message with a positive response and does not show up at the tournament will be required to pay the entry fee for the missed tournament. Collected fines will be put in to the club treasury and paid out at the annual classic.
D. Members who answer the intent to fish message with a positive response and withdraw from the tournament AFTER the pairings have been sent or posted is responsible for notifying his partner and informing the tournament director that the partner has been contacted.
1. The tournament director will reassign the single member to fish with another member if possible.
2. If two boaters are paired together the determination of whose boat to use will reside with the two members.
3. If two boaters are paired and decide to fish separately, they will BOTH notify the tournament director of their intent, and each member will pay a $10.00 tournament entry fee.
E. If possible, a reserve boat will be designated for every 10 boats participating, so a non-boater can fish if a boater does not show up for a tournament or a member's boat becomes non-functioning and still desires to fish.
1. The reserve assignment cannot be traded with another member.
2. The assigned reserve cannot self-assign himself a partner or a guest.
3. Reserve designation will rotate among boaters.
F. If any member withdraws from a tournament after the pairings, has a change of circumstances, and is able to fish the tournament, the tournament director will attempt to match the original two members. If the original pairing cannot be upheld and there are seats available, the tournament director may assign the member to a different partner, or as a second/alternate reserve.
G. Changes to times or locations will be passed through e-mail/web posting or phone calls from the club officers.
H. Tournament cancellation and rescheduling will be determined by the club officers.
I. Tournaments may be shortened or extended if agreed to by a majority of members present.
J. All members will be responsible for arriving on time for check in, start and weigh-in.
1. The club will not wait for late arrivals.
2. Club members who arrive after tournament start time may still fish.
(a) Late participants must find a club member and pay the tournament entry fee before weigh-in starts. Entry fee not paid prior to weigh-in will not be accepted.
(b) Late participants should notify a club officer that they have arrived late and have checked in with a club member before they begin fishing. The member who checked the late arriving member's live well must verify to a club officers that he checked the late member's live well.
K. Members who do not answer the intent to fish message and show up and request to fish will be allowed to fish at the discretion of the club officers. If allowed to fish, the member will be required to pay a $10.00 entry.
L. Members who twice do not answer the intent to fish message but show up at check in and request to fish will not be allowed to fish that tournament and will be dropped from the club.
M. A short-notice draw or re-pairing may take place for extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the club officers.
X. Tournament Rules
A. The entry fee for tournament is:
1. $5.00 per person for each tournament
2. $5.00 for the designated reserve
3. $5.00 for boaters who have been paired and the co-angler drops from the tournament.
4. $10.00 each for paired boaters who choose to fish alone
5. $10.00, per boat, for family plan members
6. Entry fees will be collected by the tournament director or club officer prior to the start of tournament.
7. The entry fees will be placed in a "lunker pot." Fines will be put in the treasury for payout at the annual classic.
(a) The lunker pot will be awarded to the individual or team weighing the single heaviest fish for that tournament.
(b) The Lunker Pot is a 100% payback to the boat/team who weights the heaviest fish for the tournament.
(c) Guests are allowed to participate in the lunker pot.
(d) The lunker pot winnings will be shared equally between team members unless otherwise agreed upon between the team members.
7. In the event that no fish are caught during a tournament, the lunker pot collected for that tournament will be rolled over to the next scheduled tournament.
B. All contestants must have a valid fishing license.
C. Only largemouth or smallmouth bass are allowed to be weighed.
D. There is a five (5) fish limit per boat/team.
E. There is no minimum length, unless required by state or local regulations.
F. Only one rod and reel may be used at one time. Being used is defined as having the bait/lure in the water, whether or not the angler is holding the rod.
G. The first boat at a location has the right of way; other boats should stay at approximately 50 feet away for safety and courtesy. If you feel you are encroached upon by another angler/team, you must issue a verbal statement to the impeding boat. The offended member/team will notify club officers of any infractions.
H. No illegal drugs are allowed during club events.
I. No live bait is to be used in club events, only artificial baits and pork baits are allowed. Food source and Berkley Alive lures and additives (fish attractants) are allowed.
J. There is a maximum of two persons in a boat during any/all tournaments.
K. All angling must be done from the boat.
L. Landing nets are permitted for the safety of the fish.
M. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited.
N. Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat, except areas designated as "off limits" or "no fishing" by club, local, state or federal officials or within approximately 50 feet of a competitor's boat that was first in position.
O. At no time may a contestant leave the boat, either on land or into the water to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.
P. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment.
Q. Boats must contain a properly aerated live well or cooler with an aeration system to maintain a limit of bass. Stringers are not allowed.
R. Fish must be caught before the tournament completion/weigh in time.
S. Culling dead fish is discouraged.
T. All live bass will be released after being weighed.
1. If released fish are identified as dead upon release, the dead fish penalties will be assessed on that team/member.
2. Dead fish will be collected near the weigh in site and disposed of.
U. There will be a weight four (4) ounce deduction assessed from the member/team total weight for each dead fish weighed.
V. There is an eight (8) ounce (1/2-lb) per minute penalty for arriving late to the weigh in site.
1. Fifteen (15) or more minutes late will result in disqualification.
2. To be considered on time, members must either have their boat beached or partner ashore preparing the boat/tow vehicle for boat recovery by the designated end time. Once on time to the weigh in site, fishing is no longer allowed.
3. The tournament director is the official time keeper. Personal time differences will not be considered or taken into account for determining if an angler/team is late.
W. Leaving a tournament early
1. Departing members should attempt to contact another club member to inform them that they are leaving. Notifying a club member will ensure that the boater and non-boater have not gotten into an accident and will prevent members from spending time searching or calling local authorities.
2. If the team is departing because the boater must leave the tournament, the non-boater will receive credit for fishing that tournament. If the non-boater abandons the tournament and the boater continues to fish, the non-boater will be disqualified from the tournament. Regardless of who departs the tournament, the members should contact one of the club officers to advise them that they are departing the tournament.
3 The club officers will review the circumstances under which the boater and/or non-boater quit or abandoned the tournament and will determine if the members' conduct constitutes unacceptable fishing courtesy and sportsmanship and recommend course of action to be taken.
X. Weigh In and Scoring
1. The official tournament scale will be the club's digital scale.
(a) If this scale is inoperative; a functioning digital scale provided by any club member agreed upon by club officers, prior to weigh-in, can be used.
(b) This same scale will be used for the entire weigh in process.
(c) If the scale breaks or becomes inoperative after the weigh in has been started, and alternate scale will be used and the tournament results will be unofficial until it is determined that all fish were weighed satisfactorily.
(d) If it is determined that not all fish were equally weighed, the tournament results will not be included in the angler of the year totals.
(e) If there is a question or dispute about the weight, it must be brought up before the tournament results are announced.
(f) Any disputes brought up after the tournament results are announces will not be heard.
(g) A member may ask to have any one or all fish reweighed.
(h) If a member identifies one of his fish as his big fish and then, after that fish is weighed, believes that one of his other fish is bigger, he may ask to have his other fish weighed and recorded as his big fish.
(i) If a member believes that his big fish is heavier than initially weighed, he may ask to have his fish weighed again to verify accuracy.
(j) A member may not ask to use another scale.
2. The club will use the following point system for awarding Angler, Co-Angler and Junior Angler of the Year points for each tournament:
1st Place = 15
2nd Place = 14
3rd Place = 13
4th Place = 12
5th Place = 11
6th Place = 10
7th Place = 9
8th Place = 8
9th Place = 7
10th Place = 6
Those with fish, 11th place and below = 4 points
Those with no fish = 2 points
(a) Only members will earn placement points.
(b) Guests cannot earn points for Angler of the year. If a guest becomes a member during the year, previous placement points will be awarded to the new member to compete for AOY.
(1) For Example If Mike fishes the first two tournaments of the year as a guest and finishes in first place with a Bass-Jon's member, he does not compete for AOY as a guest and will not be awarded any points for AOY. If he becomes a member and fishes the third tournament and finishes first as a member, he will be awarded 15 points for winning the current tournament as a member and the additional 30 points for winning the two previous tournaments.
(c) If two club members/teams have the same weight during a tournament the biggest fish weighed for each team will decide the higher placement/points. If neither team weighs a big fish the teams will be tied for placement and points.
3. Angler of the year "AOY," Co-Angler of the Year "C-AOY," and Junior Angler of the Year "J-AOY".
(a) Members who are considered "boaters" will compete for Angler of the Year. Boaters who fish from the back seat of another boat will still compete for Angler of the year.
(b) Members who are considered "non-boaters" will compete for Co-Angler of the Year. Non-Boaters who fish a tournament as a boater will still compete for Co-Angler of the Year.
(c) Members whose status changes from boater to non-boater or from non-boater to boater will not be able to change the title that they are originally competing for.
(d)J-AOY: Junior Anglers will compete against all other Junior Anglers for J-AOY. If there is only one (1) junior angler in the club, the Junior Angler will compete as a Co-Angler for C-AOY. If a Junior Angler turns 18 during the tournament schedule, he will continue to compete for J-AOY for the remainder of the year.
(e) The Boater, Co-Angler and Junior Angler accumulating the highest point total will be the club's "Angler of the Year" / "Co-Angler of the Year" / or "Junior Angler of the Year"
(f) If more than one member has the same point total at the end of the year, the angler with the most total weight caught during the year will win AOY/C-AOY/J-AOY.
(g) Club members will use their top ten (10) tournament finishes to determine AOY/C-AOY/J-AOY point total.
(h) The Bass-Jon's annual Bass-N-9 Tournament will count toward Angler of the Year standings, and lunkers caught during this tournament will be eligible for Lunker of the Year Award.
4. Lunker of the year/Biggest Bass of the year
(a) The member who weighs the heaviest single fish during a scheduled tournament will earn the "Biggest Bass of the Season" or "Lunker" Award. Lunkers caught during the annual classic will not count toward the Lunker of the Year Award.
(b) If more than one member ties for catching the heaviest fish they will each be recognized as having the Biggest Bass or Lunker of the Year.
XI. Officers
A. Election and Eligibility. Officers are elected by the members to coordinate club actions, and make decisions without having to spend unreasonable time contacting each member for their opinion on any/every topic that may arise. Officers should not change decisions or cause the entire club to spend time discussing an issue as a result of a small number (4 or 5) of members being unsatisfied with an issue or decision. Any member can bring up any topic for discussion at a meeting, but the officers have been put into place to prevent wasting time on minor issues. Members who are not satisfied with the performance of the officers that have been put in place by a majority of voting members, can vote different officers into position the following year and/or compete for an officer position themselves so they can help improve the club.
1. Each member present or by proxy will receive one (1) vote.
2. Elections for new officers will be held after the last scheduled tournament, and before the annual meeting in January. This will allow for the new officers to be in their office for the January annual meeting.
3. Any member in good standing may run for or be nominated for any office.
4. Winning an officer seat requires a nomination by another club member or by self nomination and receives a majority of votes from the voting members.
*Note: A member can only nominate one person to compete for one position. For Example, Joe cannot nominate 5 members for president.
5. The term for all officers is one (1) year.
6. The term will be effective on January 1st of the following year.
7. There are no restrictions on the number of terms that can be served.
8. A member may hold more than one elected or volunteer position.
B. Vacancies
1. Unexpected vacancies for officer positions will be filled by a special election held within seven days of the office becoming vacant.
C. Officer Responsibilities
1. President
a. Provides the members with leadership.
b. Sets annual meeting agenda and coordinates date, time and location of the annual meeting.
c. Appoints and oversees committees, chairmen and club representatives.
d. Maintains the order of the by laws and interprets their meanings in the best interest of the club.
e. Procures club trophies and awards.
f. Account for and disburse club funds.
g. Coordinate with other clubs and agencies.
h. Act as lead for community interaction.
i. Coordinate any special events for the club.
2. Vice President:
a. Assists the president and accomplishes the president's tasks and requirements in his absence.
b. Acts as club's Conservation Director.
c. Spot check Club Treasury.
d. Prepares the monthly club newsletter.
e. Screens nominations for the monthly Angler Spotlight feature.
f. Leads club meetings
3. Tournament Director:
a. Assists the president and vice president and accomplishes their tasks in their absence.
b. Qualifies, weighs and records tournament results and submits results to the webmaster for posting.
c. Safety Director
d. Approves all boats for tournament acceptance.
e. Conduct live wells spot checks prior to the start of tournaments.
f. Collects tournament fees and fines. Turns fines paid to the president/treasurer for accounting.
g. Conducts, and announces pairings and tournament coordinating instructions.
h. Maintains tournament director equipment (scale, weigh bags, banner, camera, bins, etc…)
D. Other club positions
1. Club Photographer:
a. The club photographer will not be a club officer and will not be required to be voted on to fill the position. A volunteer will be sought to fill this position.
b. The club photographer will receive credit on the website for pictures taken. "Photo taken by ___" or similar statement will be posted along with photographs posted on the website.
2. Treasurer: The club treasurer will not be a club officer and will not be required to be voted on to fill the position. A volunteer will be sought to fill this position.
a. Maintain the club's treasury, dispenses funds for approved expenditures, and records all property that shall come into the possession of the club.
b. Collect membership dues and other accounts receivable, such as sponsor fees and member fines.
c. Disburse the club's funds as may be authorized by the club President.
d. Prepares and maintain club financial reports.
e. Keep itemized account of all receipts, disbursements, and all supporting vouchers and records.
f. Present a financial report at club meetings when required.
g. Perform other treasury duties as assigned by the President.
3. Webmaster
a. The club webmaster will not be a club officer and will not be required to be voted on to fill the position. A volunteer will be sought to fill this position.
b. May be asked to provide limited web support for Bass-Jon's affiliates.
c. Verify and post tournament results and standings on the website.
4. Club Founder: The club founder, whether filling an elected position or not, is a significant member of the club. The club founder will be considered a club officer and will be given the opportunity to provide input on, provide recommendations for, vote on or assist with coordinating or deciding any event or issue related to the club with the other elected officers. In the event of a club officer's absence, the club founder may stand in and is responsible for the duties assigned to that position. When needed, the club founder should confer with other founding members to ensure that original intents and purposes are maintained. As of January 2010, founding members include: Bob Bullen, "Huck" Palmatier, Dave Evans, Jim Carlson, and Jim North.
XII. Code of Conduct
A. Expenses:
1. The tournament entry fees and any launch fees are typically paid by the non-boater/back seater. A non-boater or partner will not be required to pay any money to the boat owner for gas or tournament entry fees. It is the co-angler's option to offer additional money to the boat owner for gas, launch fees, etc.
B. The boater and co-angler should discuss boat operation for the day.
C. Club members are expected to represent the club in an ethical and positive manner at all times.
D. Examples of unacceptable conduct include unsafe boat operation, lack of boating/fishing courtesy and sportsmanship, failure to attend meetings/tournaments cheating and the failure to abide by state fishing and boating regulations.
E. Members who fish other tournaments and violate Bass-Jon's rules/code of conduct can be removed from the club.
F. There is no appeal process
1. There is no open protesting of decisions from the officers or the club members
2. If the decisions of the officers or club members as a whole are not to the liking of a particular party(s), the member(s) can either leave the club, or vote for new officers the following year.
3. In the case of a rule violation the tournament director, Vice President, and President will either:
(a) Determine the punishment or adjudication of the rule violation and any sanctions required or
(b) Present the decision to the club members for a vote to determine any sanctions or adjudication.
(c) If the Officers determine that they alone will make the decision, the president will inform all members of the violation, any additional information used to develop a decision and what the decision is.
(d) If the decision is deferred to the club members, the violation will be presented, the club officers will review the club rules with the members, the parties involved address the other members, an open forum will be held, if needed, for everyone to be able to present any information or opinion to the rest of the members and a vote by secret ballot will be made.
(e) If a member violates the club rules while fishing with a different club or other tournament trail, the same procedures will be followed.
(f) Penalties that may be awarded are not limited to, but may include Loss of catch for the day; Disqualification from the tournament in question; Disqualification for a number of events or for a period of time; Loss of tournament points for a particular tournament; Loss of tournament credit for classic eligibility.
(g) The favorable public reputation of the organization in the sport of fishing, the integrity of its officers, and in the community is a valuable asset and provides tangible benefits for the organization.
G. Members and guests of members issued a citation from a Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officer or Norfolk/Portsmouth Lake Patrol during a tournament shall be disqualified from the tournament.
XIII. By-Law Changes and Updates
A. The by laws may be changed from January through March and after the last regular tournament of the year, (November and December).
B. No by law additions or changes should be made to rules that affect the tournaments after the March meeting or during the regular tournament schedule. This will prevent tournaments from being fished under different rules. Safety should be the only reason for changes after March.
C. Voting by Proxy
1. A proxy is somebody authorized to act for another person. When an absent member decides to allow another member to be a proxy, they trust the designated member's decision. A proxy votes how he wants to whether it would have been the same as the absent member or not.
2. In order for a proxy vote to be counted, a club officer must receive an e-mail or phone call from the member who will be absent, stating their decision to allow another member to vote in their place.
3. The officer will inform the members that he has received a proxy from the absent member and identify who the member designates as his proxy.
