TERMS AND CONDITIONS
(OUR CONSTITUTION)
1.1 The Society shall be called “The Maldon Angling Society” and its aims shall be to encourage the sport of angling in the district. Membership shall be open to all persons irrespective of sex or age, who are interested in the Piscatorial Art. The committee, however, reserve the right to refuse any individual membership if it is deemed in the best interests
of the Society.
1.2 The affairs of the Society shall be controlled by an Executive of Secretary, Chairman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer, and a Committee of the following named members:-
Fishery Management Officer, Minutes Secretary, Senior Match Secretary, Head Bailiff, Membership Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Online Membership Administrator, Junior Section Secretary, Concessionary Match Secretary, Assistant Fishery Management Officer, Safety Officer, plus other members to ensure a minimum of 13 and maximum of 16.
These officers shall be elected by the membership annually at the Annual General Meeting, and shall be over 18 years of age. Voting powers shall be invested in each member. The Chairman will consult on any matter requiring his vote with the Secretary and Treasurer and then give his decision.
The elected committee to have the authority to subsequently co-opt members on to the committee during the annual term as/if required to ensure the above committee numbers are maintained.
1.3 The Annual General Meeting of the Society MUST be held on or before the 31st of January. At the Annual General Meeting the President and Vice-President are re-elected and outgoing officials may be elected in accordance with 1.2 above. The Committee shall be elected at this meeting in accordance with 1.2 above. For the purposes of a Quorum at any Annual or Special General Meeting there must not be fewer than 30 members present of adult status. Intermediate and Juniors attending such a meeting shall not be permitted to vote. Failing a Quorum the outgoing officials shall remain in office until the conditions for such a meeting can be satisfied. Should a contingency arise whereby a meeting is void, another MUST be called within 28 days of the original date of the relevant meeting.
1.4 Meetings of the Committee shall be held at a suitable location, during the first week of each month. At these meetings any member of the Society may attend, but they may not take part in the discussions, (other than 1.5).
All voting at the Committee Meeting is restricted to members of the committee only. Should there arise any matter of importance requiring Committee attention only, all non-committee members will be required to leave the meeting, but may return when the matter under
discussion has been settled.
1.5 Under the Agenda item Any Other Business, non-committee members may be permitted to raise any matter provided it does not refer to matters already discussed at the meeting.
1.6 Reports of the previous Committee Meeting must be given fully at the next scheduled meeting by the Secretary.
1.7 If there should be less than four members present at a Committee Meeting (excluding the Chairman and Secretary) the meeting shall be declared void.
2.1 The annual subscriptions to the Society shall be those operative as at the AGM, prior to the season opening and shall provide for the following classes of membership:-
(a) Adult (age 18 or over)
(b) Intermediate (age 16 or 17)
(c) Junior (under age 16)
(d) Accompanied ( Under12) – must be accompanied by an
adult member at all times.
(e) Concessionary (incorporating Retired Members over Pensionable
Age, and Disabled Members at the Committee’s discretion).
(f) Associate (partner of an existing adult member).
(g) Non-fishing member (Permission to access Society fisheries)
Note: Applications for all membership categories require member details and photographs. Associate members must arrive/depart at the same time as their partner, and fish an adjacent swim to their partner.
Currently serving committee members to be eligible for free membership, excluding night permit fees, but will be expected to attend at least 8 meetings unless prior agreement has been obtained from the chairman.
2.2 The subscription shall cover the period 1st April to 31st March following and shall be subject to annual review. For all age purposes the operative date shall be the 1st April.
2.3 All new members must purchase the compulsory access key.
3.1 The Society’s fiscal year shall run from 1st January to the last day of December.
3.2 The finances of the Society shall be banked at a bank selected by the Treasurer, and agreed by the Committee. The account to be held in the name of the Society, and cheque books to be held by the Treasurer and Secretary.
All cheques over £250 to be signed by 2 designated Committee members at all times and a copy of the specimen signatures shall be held at the Society’s bank. The Society shall adhere to its Financial Policy and Procedures document which can be seen by any member by giving 14 days’ notice to the Treasurer.
3.3 The Secretary, Membership Secretary and Match Secretary shall be provided with a receipt book and monies received shall be accounted for directly to the Society Treasurer weekly. All financial matters must be cleared to the Treasurer not later than 24th December annually. If banking directly to the Society account, certified paying-in slips must be submitted to the Treasurer at once. No Society purchases to be made without a certified receipt being received. All such receipts to be passed to the Society Treasurer on a weekly basis.
3.4 The allocation of Society funds shall be agreed by the Committee annually and shall be subject to an annual budgetary review. The Society shall place in a Deposit Account any surplus funds not required for seasonal expenditure, and for this purpose the Committee shall be empowered to make such deposits as thought wise within the accounting system of the Society. Any withdrawals from this Deposit Account shall require the joint signatures of Society Treasurer, Chairman and the Secretary.
3.5 The Society Committee have the authority to obtain at any time financial loans for the sole benefit of the Society.
3.6 The Match Secretary shall be responsible for all Society Trophies, including storage, distribution and return.
4.1 The Committee shall have the power to discipline, suspend, or expel any member who shall offend against the Society constitution or rules.
4.2 The member shall have the right to appeal to any disciplinary action, which must be made in writing only.
4.3 The written appeal to be received by the Secretary within 14 days from the date of the disciplinary letter.
4.4 The appeal to be reviewed at the next Committee meeting, and the
majority decision of the Committee shall be final and conclusive.
5.1 The Committee may invite as an honorary member any person who has given outstanding service to the furtherance of the objectives of the Society. Honorary members shall not be required to pay an entrance fee or subscription.
6.1 Society Bailiffs to be under the control of the Head Bailiff, who will recommend to the Committee suitable members for approval as Bailiffs by the Committee.
7.1 The Committee shall have the authority to repeal, amend and add to the Society rules as they think expedient for the internal management and wellbeing of the Society. Any such changes shall not be liable to retrospective voting at any AGM or EAGM.
7.2 All such rules repealed, amended, or added by the Committee under 7.1 shall be binding on the members. The members to be advised of such rule changes by the Society newsletter, fishing location notice board and club website as applicable.
8.1 Any proposals from members for the amendment to the Constitution, alteration of rules, or proposals of new rules, must be submitted in writing and be in the hands of the Secretary by 30th November. The Society members to be advised of any such proposals along with the date and venue of the Annual General Meeting.
8.2 Proposals from the floor of the meeting for amendments to the Constitution, alterations of rules, or proposal of new rules will not be accepted.
8.3 Any member shall have the power to call a Special General Meeting, by giving the Secretary not less than 28 days’ notice in writing, stating the reason for calling such a meeting, and containing the signatures, and Society membership numbers of at least 30 adult members.
8.4 Should the Special General Meeting cover resolutions for the amendment to the Constitution, alterations of rules or proposals for new rules items 8.2 and 8.3 shall apply to the proceedings.
8.5 Health and Safety Policy. Your Society is committed to ensuring that we do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent injury and damage to property. We will have due regard for protecting all other people who come into contact with the Society’s activities. All members and volunteers carrying out activities will have a clear understanding of the
need to operate within the context of this policy and its requirements.
The Society will keep a Health and Safety Policy which can be viewed on the Society’s website and this policy will be reviewed and updated on a yearly basis not excluding any changes within the Society’s calendar year. The current version is 1.7 January 2025.
8.6 The Society will keep and update yearly the following policies which are a Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy, both of which can be viewed on the Society’s website. All members joining the Society have by joining agreed to their terms and conditions and should point out to the membership secretary if they wish to be excluded from any of
its terms and conditions.
8.7 Dissolution. If at any Committee Meeting of the Society, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Society; the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the Society to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution. If at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two thirds of the full members present at the meeting the general committee shall thereupon; or at such a date as shall have been specified in the resolution; proceed to realise the assets of the Society and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Society. The remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the full members of the Society, but shall be given or transferred to some other organisation having objects similar to those of the Society.
