Arkansas Catfishing Association (ACA)
Constitution and Bylaws
(Registered – 501c(7) – Tax ID)
Adopted February 16, 2008
Russellville,
Article I – Name
The name of this association is the Arkansas Catfishing Association, hereinafter referred to as ACA.
Article II – Constitution (Purpose)
To cohesively in harmony with nature and sportsmanship, pursue the sport of catfishing by means of tournaments using a rod and reel, catch and release, alive and well.
Article III – Members
Section 1. Eligibility for membership. Persons who are in sympathy with the constitution (purpose) shall be eligible for membership, while being consistent with and agreeing to abide by these bylaws, and all federal, state, and local laws.
Section 2. Classes of Members:
A. Regular members. Regular members shall be those members who are active in the ACA in any capacity and who have paid dues according to these bylaws during each calendar year. They shall have all the rights of membership. Those persons ratifying this Constitution and Bylaws upon adoption shall be forever known as Charter members and recognized accordingly.
B. Associate members. Associate members shall be spouses, children under the age of 16, legally common-law, significant others, relatives, or prospective members. They shall pay no dues. They may attend meetings as observers, and accompany their regular members in tournament boats as observers if meeting all legal requirements but without fishing or perception of impropriety. They shall have no other membership rights or responsibilities. May also be extended to anyone deemed worthy of recognition by the board of officers.
C. Affiliate members. Affiliate members shall be those persons and/or firms that support the ACA projects with a financial contribution of at least $100 per year which shall include a subscription to the newsletter. They shall have no other membership rights or responsibility. They may attend meetings as observers.
D. Corporate members. Corporate members shall be those corporations, companies and firms which contribute at least $5000 per year to ACA projects. Corporate members shall have the right to appoint one (1) delegate to membership meetings with the right to make motions and vote. Corporate members shall appoint their delegate in writing to the ACA President at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the delegate will be participating. Corporate members shall not have the right to hold office. They shall not be required to attend meetings and shall not be counted in determining a quorum.
Section 3. Dues.
A. Regular members. Dues shall be $20 per year, payable upon application/approval, and annually thereafter prior to the first day of February. Dues shall not be prorated during the year.
B. Other members. In lieu of dues, the financial contribution for affiliate and corporate members shall be as stated in these bylaws.
Section 4. Delinquency of dues. Dues shall be due and payable as stated in Section 3 of this article. A member shall be considered in good standing to participate in any ACA activity when his/her dues are paid on time. Dues shall be delinquent one month after they are due. If dues are not paid within two months after the due date, membership shall be forfeited.
Section 5. Application for membership. Charter members’ applications for membership will be approved upon submission and payment of dues. Subsequently, applications for ACA membership shall be approved by the board of officers by majority vote (more than half), and proxy vote may be given to any board member by other board members. Temporary membership is valid for 30 days and unless disapproval, becomes permanent after one (1) month.
Section 6. Resignation. Members may resign in good standing by sending a letter of resignation to the ACA secretary, before dues have become delinquent.
Section 7. Voting. A regular and corporate member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote at meetings.
Article IV – Officers
Section 1. Officers. The elected officers of ACA shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The officers shall serve a term of two years or until their successors are elected or appointed by the president. The initial term of office however, will be from February 16, 2008 until the December 2009 general membership meeting and election of officers, unless sooner vacated.
Section 2. Duties of Officers.
A. President. The president shall be the chair; ensuring a quorum exist; have the power to appoint the parliamentarian and special committees; be responsible for maintaining good public relations with the community; be granted reimbursement for any expenses incurred in the performance of his/her duties as approved by the other officers; and be ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.
B. Vice-President. The vice-president shall assume the duties of president in the absence of the president, and shall serve as assistant to the president in his/her efforts for the good of the association. The vice-president shall chair meetings of officers in the absence of the president, and shall assume the office of president in the event of resignation, disability, or death of the president.
C. Secretary. The secretary shall be responsible for publishing general membership meeting agendas; keeping accurate minutes of meetings in conforming to Robert’s Rules using the format developed for the secretary; sending notices of meetings; letters of appointment to committees or persons; and, notifying persons who have applied for membership of their acceptance or denial as stated in Article III, Section 5. The secretary shall have other duties as prescribed by the President.
D. Treasurer. The treasurer shall be responsible to ensure that a Tax ID bank account is opened with authorization for him/her and the president; shall be responsible for the collection of dues; receipt and deposit of financial contributions and income into accounts at such banks and financial institutions as the other board of officers shall direct; shall keep accurate records of monies received and expended and shall make a financial report at the annual general membership meeting. At the end of ACA’s fiscal year (1 November – 30 October), the president shall be responsible for securing the services of a disinterested person to conduct a review of the association’s financial records to ensure correctness. The treasurer shall be the chair of the budget and finance committees, and shall submit a yearly budget for adoption by the board of officers, at such time as the president shall direct.
Section 3. Vacancies in Office. Except for the office of president, vacancies in office shall be filled by the board of officers for the remainder of the respective terms.
Article V – Meetings
Section 1. Annual meeting. The shall be one (l) regular meeting a year considered as the general membership meeting in connection with the banquet during the month of December.
Section 2. Special meetings. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the president provided that notice of such meetings shall be postmarked/email to members at least 15 days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice shall include the specific business and only that business to be conducted at the meeting.
Section 3. Quorum.
A. Membership meetings. The quorum for regular (general) members shall be two thirds of those present that are in good standing. However, postal or electronic mail, facsimile transmission (fax) and proxy voting (in writing) to the president is acceptable and included in the quorum.
B. Board of Officers meetings. Majority of those in office.
Section 4. Board of officers meetings. Board of officers’ meetings shall be at the call of the president at a time and place he/she determines, provided that notice shall be sent at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting. Board of officers meetings shall be closed to other members and to the press. Members and nonmembers may be invited by the board of officers to appear for purposes of reports and receipt of other information, but shall not be entitled to remain in the meeting during the conduct of other business.
Article VI – Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees. There shall be the following standing committees: Bylaws, Budget, Finance, Membership, Publications, Research, Building and Grounds, Nominating, Public Relations, and Steering. Each appointed committee chair, except nominating, will form their own committee and develop their own Standing Rules. Standing Rules differ from bylaws as they pertain to the daily operations of the committee and may be changed without parliamentarian procedures, however, they cannot conflict with the bylaws.
A. Bylaws. The bylaws committee shall be responsible for reviewing the bylaws and submitting amendments to the membership. Proposed amendments shall be included in the call to meeting.
B. Budget. The budget committee, chaired by the treasurer, shall prepare the annual budget and report to the board of officers. The detailed budget shall be e or snail mailed to members with the annual meeting notice.
C. Finance. This committee, also chaired by the treasurer, shall be responsible for opening and maintaining an ARVEST banking tax numbered account, and for investing association funds as directed by the board of officers.
D. Membership. The membership committee shall encourage new membership, devise means of retaining current members, and shall be responsible for the membership records.
E. Publications. The publications committee shall edit and publish material as directed by the board of officers. This committee shall be responsible for publishing the monthly newsletter and maintaining the association’s website with input from the public relations committee and any other source.
F. Research/Historian. The research and historian committee shall maintain the association’s library, acquire new publications with the permission of the board of officers, and maintain historical and intrinsic documents and records indefinitely. Documents over five years will be retired in an internal records holding for that year.
G. Building and Grounds. Determine the necessity, feasibility and location of a permanent location for the association submitting their initial findings at the first annual membership meeting, and at any future date when deemed appropriate. Security of association property.
H. Nominating Committee. This five (5) member committee will be elected by ballot at the general membership meeting in December 2008, to be effective January 1, 2009 (odd year). The committee shall choose its own chairperson. The committee shall nominate at least one, but more if feasible, candidate(s) for each office to be filled, and report to the board of officers at least two months prior to the annual 2009 annual meeting. The deliberations of the committee are secret.
I. Public Relations. This one (1) person committee is responsible for a positive image for the association as directed by the president and his/her own initiative. Public relations chair will coordinate closely with the publications committee, and will maintain a strong rapport with all the committees to effectively discharge his/her responsibilities.
J. Steering. This committee is responsible for guiding and directing the tournaments with empower to ensure compliance with the association’s rules and traditions. Responsible for obtaining and presenting plaques or certificates following tournaments if appropriate.
Article VI – Parliamentary Authority
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 10th Edition, shall govern ACA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and Bylaws, or any special rules of order such as the Rules and Regulations, and The Classic Rules.
Article VII – Amendments
Section 1 – Amendments. The Constitution (Purpose) cannot be amended, however these bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any annual meeting, provided that written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given to the membership at least 60 days prior to the meeting. The notice shall include the complete text of the proposed amendment.
Section 2 – Effective date of amendments. Amendments to these bylaws shall take effect at the adjournment of the meeting at which they are adopted unless otherwise provided.
Adopted and Ratified
This Constitution and Bylaws, as a single entity, was adopted and ratified on February 16, 2008, at the West Central Regional Office,
