Name
1. The proper name of the Club is Norwich and District Pike Club (hereafter called “the Club”).
Purpose
2. The purpose of the Club is:
(i) to promote a responsible approach to pike angling and pike conservation;
(ii) to make Facilities available for all members of the Club;
(iii) to facilitate opportunities for social contact between pike anglers in Norwich and the surrounding area.
Definitions
3. In this Constitution, the following words and expressions have the following meanings:
Committee – the body elected at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Club until the next AGM. The Committee shall comprise the Officers and up to five other members (introduced April 2003).
Constitution – this document, which describes the arrangements for the operation of the Club and was first agreed by those members present at the AGM held on 8 May 2000 and subsequently amended from time to time. Any amendment or change to this Constitution may only be made by the passing of a Resolution at an AGM.
Facilities – arrangements specifically made by the Club for all members. These arrangements might include the opportunity to fish on particular waters, the use of boats and other items of equipment, discounts at local tackle dealers, and so on.
Financial Year – a period commencing on the first day of April and finishing on the last day of the following March.
Member – a person who has been elected as a member of the Club and who has paid all membership fees due to the Club in respect of his/her membership.
Membership Book – the record maintained by the Club of the Personal Details provided by each member.
Membership Year – a period commencing on first day of April and finishing on the last day of the following March.
Monthly Meeting – a meeting for the members of the Club which is held at an appropriate venue in Norwich, Norfolk at 8pm on the first Monday (that is not a Bank Holiday) of each month.
Officer – a member who is elected at an AGM to undertake the duties of one of the following: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership, Bookings, Matches.
Personal Details – specific information provided by every member solely for the administrative purposes of the Club. This information shall include the member’s name, address, telephone number(s) and similar relevant information, and may be stored on a computer.
Resolution – a proposal made by a member and adopted at an AGM that amends or changes the existing Constitution.
Membership
4. A person is elected as a member of the Club upon payment in full of his/her first membership fee. Election is deemed to take place on the actual date of a member’s Personal Details being entered in the Membership Book, subject to ratification by the next meeting of the Committee (amended April 2003).
5. Any member who does not pay in full a subsequent membership fee within six months of it becoming due will be deemed to have terminated his/her membership of the Club.
6. Each member must provide appropriate Personal Details to the Club as and when required. Each member is responsible for notifying the Club of any changes in his/her Personal Details.
7. The Club will provide prompt information to every member about the Facilities and any other appropriate matters that might arise from time to time.
8. Each member will be issued with a membership card upon payment of his/her membership fee. A member must carry a valid membership card when using the Facilities, and must produce it when required by a proprietor or manager of those Facilities or by a fellow member.
9. Any member who has not paid all membership fees due in respect of his/her membership will be denied access to the Facilities.
Financial Arrangements
10. The Treasurer shall cause proper records to be maintained to show all sums of money received and expended by the Club, and the matters in respect of which such receipts and payments took place.
11. The Treasurer shall maintain a bank account through which all receipts and payments of the Club shall be channelled. At least two Officers must sign every cheque drawn on the Club’s bank account.
12. The Treasurer shall maintain an itemised register of the Club’s assets.
13. As soon as is practicable after the end of each Financial Year, a competent person appointed by the Club shall audit the financial records of the Club.
Procedure
14. All meetings of the Club will be conducted in an orderly manner by the accepted rules of debate.
15. The Committee shall have the power to act as it sees fit in the management of the day-to-day affairs of the Club. Any matter put to the vote at a Committee meeting will be decided by a simple majority of votes cast, with each elected Officer and Committee member having one vote. For the purposes of conducting the business of the Club during a Committee meeting, five members of the Committee being present shall form a quorum (introduced April 2003).
16. The Committee shall report at each Monthly Meeting on the activities of the Club, and provide appropriate information and explanations as may be reasonably required by those members present (amended April 2003).
17. An AGM will be held within the Monthly Meeting held in April of each calendar year. At every AGM, the following items will be dealt with as a minimum:
(i) The Secretary will present a report of the activities of the Club during the preceding Financial Year;
(ii) The Treasurer will present a statement of the financial position of the Club as at the end of the preceding Financial Year;
(iii) The Officers and up to five other Committee members shall be elected (introduced April 2003);
(iv) The membership fee of the Club for the new Membership Year shall be determined;
(v) Any proposals made by members shall be considered.
18. At an AGM, any person making a proposal and/or seconding a proposal and/or voting on a proposal must be a member (introduced April 2001).
19. Any person proposed and seconded at an AGM to serve as an Officer or member of the Committee must have been a member of the club for at least the preceding twenty-four months (introduced April 2001, amended April 2003).
20. In the event that a position of Officer or Committee member remains vacant at the closure of an AGM, or becomes vacant before the next AGM, the Committee is empowered to fill the position as it sees fit until the next AGM. In addition, the Committee may co-opt other members for specific duties as & when required, but those co-opted shall have no voting rights at meetings of the Committee (introduced April 2001, amended April 2003).
21. Any matter put to the vote at an AGM will be decided by a simple majority of votes cast, with each member having one vote (amended April 2003).
22. The Secretary will record in writing the result of all votes cast at each Committee meeting and AGM (amended April 2003).
Conduct and behaviour of members
23. Members are expected to abide by the Fisheries Byelaws as issued and amended by the Environment Agency from time to time.
24. Members must honour and respect any rules and/or regulations laid down by the proprietors or managers of the Facilities at all times.
25. Each member must conduct him/herself in a courteous, orderly and responsible manner at all times, and must not say or do anything that might harm the reputation of the Club. Click here to view our minimum tackle statement and here to for our conduct and behaviour guidance.
26. Should the Committee become aware of an allegation that a member has conducted him/herself in an inappropriate manner at any time, the member in question shall be given a reasonable opportunity to describe and explain the circumstances leading to the allegation. The Committee shall make other enquiries as it sees fit before determining what action (if any) is taken as a result of the allegation (amended April 2003).
Other matters
27. Club boats may only be booked by a Member who has paid his or her subscription in the current Membership Year. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that Members who are under 16 are not entitled to make boat bookings (amended April 2011).