2.  At the end of the probationary period, a prospective member will become a full member by vote of two-thirds of all BCB full members.  This vote will occur at the next scheduled BCB meeting, or at the next scheduled tournament if at least two-thirds of the full BCB members are present at the tournament.  This vote shall be taken outside the presence of the prospective member.  In the event of a tie, the President shall decide if the prospective member will be given full membership based upon his determination of what is in the best interests of the BCB.

 3.  If a prospective member had previously been a full member,  then the Board has discretion to waive the probationary period set forth in Article II, Section 2, subsection d.  The decision to waive must be approved by two thirds of the Board members.  If the Board elects to waive the probationary period, the full membership of the BCB shall vote on whether to reinstate the former member.  The former member shall be reinstated to the BCB roster as a full member if a majority of all full BCB members vote for reinstatement at the next BCB meeting.  The former member shall not be present at this meeting and shall be notified of the decision of the members of the BCB by an Officer.  If the Board declines to waive the probationary period and a majority of the full members vote to reinstate the former member then he shall be considered a prospective member and serve a probationary period as set forth in Article II, Section 2, subsection d. 

(e)        Pay BCB dues as set forth in Article II, Section 3.

(f)         Attend BCB meetings during the calendar year.  Two (2)

            of these meetings will be mandatory.  Any member not attending a mandatory meeting must communicate a valid reason for not attending to an Officer prior to the meeting date.  

(g)        Any member who does not comply with these provisions may be subject to removal from the BCB roster.

Section 3:        Membership Dues

(a)                    Membership dues shall be $120 for the calendar year.  Dues are payable in two (2) installments with the 1^st payment of $60.00 due by January 31^st and the 2^nd payment due by July 31^st. In order to be eligible to fish any BCB point’s event, a member must be current with dues.  Any dues not paid by the dates set forth above must be paid before the member will be permitted to participate in any tournaments.

 (b)                    A prospective member who joins the BCB and is serving a probationary period must pay dues at the first meeting that he attends.  If that first meeting occurs after January 31^st but before July 31^st, he must pay $60.00.  If the first meeting occurs after July 31^st, then he must pay $120.  If the individual successfully completes the probationary period as set forth in Article II, Section 2(d) above and is not voted in as a full member, he is entitled to full reimbursement of all dues paid to the BCB.

ARTICLEArticle    III:            Officers, Elections, Vacancies and Eligibility

 Section 1:        Officers and Their Duties

 The officers of the BCB comprise the Board of Directors and shall consist of:

                                         1.  President:  Preside over all meetings and direct all official business.                                                       Supervise all BCB functions.

2.      Vice President:  Act as program chairman.  Assist the President in his duties and preside in the President’s absence.

3.      Secretary:  Maintain accurate minutes of all meetings.  Maintain all tournament standings, results and statistics.  Maintain the monthly newsletter.

4.      Treasurer:  Collect and disburse all monies.  Maintain accurate financial records and present a current financial report at each regular meeting.  Prepare an annual report for review by the Board of Directors.

5.      Tournament Director: Conduct pre-tournament live well checks.  Weigh and measure all fish, as well as address any complaints, protests or alleged rule infractions at the conclusion of each tournament.  The Tournament Director will address any complaints, protests and alleged rule infractions prior to the weighing of any fish.  The Tournament Director is also responsible for securing all permits as needed for BCB events, as well as assigning all tournament pairings. 

6.      Assistant Tournament Director:  Assist the Tournament Director in performing his duties as set forth above. In the event the Tournament Director is absent from a tournament, the Assistant Tournament Director will perform all the functions of the Tournament Director.

 Section 2:        Elections

 The election of officers shall be held annually at the regular BCB meeting during the month of December.  Election shall be by simple majority of members present.

 Section 3:        Eligibility to Vote

 Each full member is entitled to vote.  Proxy votes are not permitted.

 Section 4:        Term of Office

 The term of office is one year to begin on January 1 and end the last meeting day of December or until the successor assumes office.

 Section 5:        Vacancies

In the event that an office becomes vacant, nominations shall be solicited and elections held to fill the unexpired term of the individual vacating the office.

 Section 6:        Eligibility for Holding Office

 To be eligible for office, a member must:

(a)                Be a full member.

(b)               Have attended all mandatory BCB meetings in the preceding year.

(c)                Have participated in at least three-fourths of the BCB tournaments in the preceding     year.

 ARTICLE Article    IV:            Standing and Discretionary Committees

All standing committees will serve for one year or until a new committee is appointed.  All discretionary committees will have fixed terms to be determined by the Board of Directors.

 Section 1:        Standing Committees

(a)                Board of Directors:  The Board of Directors shall consist of six (6) Officers:  President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament Director, and Assistant Tournament Director. 

1.      The Board will decide all discretionary awards (e.g. Most Improved Angler).

  (b)               Tournament Committee:  This Committee is responsible for planning, organizing and arranging the BCB tournament schedule.  Membership on this Committee is open to all full members and participation is voluntary.  This committee is headed by the Tournament Director and must include at least five club members.  This Committee must meet before the end of February to create the tournament schedule for the upcoming season.  The Tournament Committee must present the schedule to the general membership no later than the next scheduled BCB meeting.  Membership on this committee is voluntary. 

Section 2:        Discretionary Committees

 (a)        Youth Committee:  The purpose of this committee shall be to plan, organize and implement any organized club activities aimed at increasing awareness among youths regarding fishing, with an emphasis on bass fishing.   The need for such a committee shall be determined by the President. Membership on this committee is voluntary.

 ARTICLE V:  Removal from Membership

Section 1:

 A member shall be removed from the membership roster of the BCB for any of the following reasons:

 (a)                Failure to keep current on membership dues.  Any member who fails to pay dues as prescribed in Article II, Section 3 and is more than thirty (30) days delinquent shall be removed from the membership roster.

(b)               Any action that brings dishonor to the club.

(c)                Absence from any mandatory club meeting without notice or explanation. 

(d)          At the discretion of the Board of Directors and for the good of the club, if he  fails to comply with the any of the basic membership criteria set forth in Article II.

 Section 2:

(a)      Any member removed from the BCB roster in accordance with Article V, section 1, may be reinstated to the BCB roster if he requests reinstatement. If the former member had previously been a full member, then the Board has discretion to waive the probationary period set forth in Article II, Section 2, subsection d.  The decision to waive must be approved by two thirds of the Board members.  If the Board elects to waive the probationary period, the full membership of the BCB shall vote on whether to reinstate the former member.  The former member shall be reinstated to the BCB roster as a full member if a majority of all full BCB members vote for reinstatement at the next BCB meeting.  The former member shall not be present at this meeting and shall be notified of the decision of the members of the BCB by an Officer.  If the Board declines to waive the probationary period and a majority of the full members vote to reinstate the former member then he shall be considered a prospective member and serve a probationary period as set forth in Article II, Section 2, subsection d. 

 ARTICLE VI:            Tournament Rules

(a)      All tournament participants must obey all applicable local and State boating and fishing laws, including licensing requirements, posted speed limits and no wake zones.

(b)   Only artificial lures may be used during competition.  No live or prepared bait will be permitted with the exception of pork strips, rinds etc.

(c)     Fish must be caught using hooks and lines only. 

      (d)    An angler can only use one fishing rod at any given time.  Only casting, spin-casting or spinning rod and reel combinations can be used.

(e)    Intentional foul hooking, gigging or gaffing of fish is not permitted.

(f)     All tournament participants shall be subject to a live-well check by the Tournament Director prior to the start of any tournament.

(g)     No tournament participant is permitted to leave the boat to either catch, attempt to catch or land a fish.  However, a participant may leave the boat for an emergency situation involving safety of the participants or for personal bathroom needs.  

(h)   All tournament bass must be at least 12 inches unless required by law.  All final decisions regarding the size of any fish will be made by the Tournament Director at the weigh-in. Each tournament participant may only weigh in 5 fish in an event. Any participant attempting to weigh in more than 5 fish shall be disqualified.

(j)     The possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage, illegal drug or the exhibition of a drunken or impaired condition by any tournament participant either as a result of the intake of  alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated and will result in automatic disqualification from the tournament.

(k)       Maximum courtesy must be practiced at all times as to both other tournament participants and non-competitors with whom we are sharing the tournament waters.  Any act that reflects unfavorably upon the BCB and/or its members shall result in immediate disqualification from the tournament and may result in suspension from the BCB. 

(l)      The intentional mishandling or throwing of fish anytime during the tournament or during the  weigh-in process (including the release of fish after weigh-in), as well as the failure to  immediately return fish to the tournament waters after the weigh-in process will be deemed  unsportsmanlike conduct and will result in disqualification from the tournament.

 (m)     Any rule protest shall be brought to the Tournament Director’s attention who will make a final  decision regarding the protest before the party against whom the complaint is lodged is allowed to weigh their fish.  The Tournament Director shall consult with all members of the Board of  Directors present at the weigh-in before making a final decision on the protest.  Any decision made by the Tournament Director after consulting with the aforementioned Board members  regarding a protest is considered final.  Thereafter, the Tournament Director must report any  complaints, protests or alleged rule infractions along with the final decision regarding same to the Board of Directors prior to the next scheduled tournament or within 30 days, whichever  comes first.

 (n)    Any angler arriving at the designated finishing area up to but less than 5 minutes after  the scheduled finishing time shall be penalized by deducting two pounds of weight   from his catch. Any angler arriving at the designated finishing area more than 5 minutes but less than 10 minutes after the scheduled finishing time shall be penalized by deducting four pounds of weight from his catch.  Any angler arriving at the  designated  finishing area more than 10 minutes but less than 15 minutes after the scheduled fishing time shall be penalized by deducting six pounds of weight from his  catch;

 (o)    An angler subjected to a late penalty shall still be eligible for tournament points and any  monetary prize based on his total adjusted weight, including the lunker prize.  If the lunker fish weighs more than the angler’s total adjusted weight, the actual fish’s weight will be  considered for the lunker prize.  If the lunker fish weighs less than the angler’s total  adjusted weight, that adjusted weight will be considered the weight of his lunker fish.

(p)   Any angler arriving at the designated finishing area more than 15 minutes after the  finishing time will be disqualified, and will receive no points and no weight for the  tournament.

(q)    Any angler fishing after the official end time of the event will be disqualified, and will receive no points and no weight for the tournament.

 (r)  The designated finishing area will be determined by the Tournament Director.  If   the Tournament Director is absent then the Assistant Tournament Director shall set the  designated finishing area.  If both the Tournament Director and the Assistant Tournament Director are absent then the highest ranking officer in attendance shall set the designated finishing area. The designated finishing area shall be determined and communicated to all   tournament participants at the beginning of the event along with the official start and finish time of a tournament.

(s)    At the end of the tournament, every participant is expected to be within the designated  finishing area.  Any tournament participant not within the designated finishing area at the end of the tournament will be considered late and penalized as set forth in Article VI,  Subsection n.  It is the responsibility of the Tournament Director to make sure that all  participants are within the designated finishing area before the end of the tournament.  In  the event the Tournament Director is not present for any reason, the Assistant Tournament  Director shall have this responsibility.  If neither the Tournament Director nor the  Assistant Tournament Director are present for any reason then the highest ranking  Board Member within the designated finishing area shall have this responsibility. 

(t)     Any tournament participant may be eligible for the lunker prize.  To be eligible, a participant must pay five (5) dollars in addition to the tournament entry fee.  Four (4) dollars is payable to the particpant who catches the largest fish in the tournament.  The remaining one (1) dollar is placed into a progressive lunker pot that is paid at the end of the season to the full member who caught the largest fish during the entire season. Any full member is automatically considered entered for the lunker prize unless he notifies the Tournament Director otherwise before the start of the event.  Any guest or prospective member competing in a tournament may only compete for the lunker prize in that particular event.  Any guest is not eligible for the progressive lunker prize.  A prospective member will be eligible for the progressive lunker prize only if he becomes a full member before the end of the calendar year.  If a guest or prospective member wishes to compete for the lunker prize in a tournament he must notify the Tournament Director before the start of the event.

(u)        Full members participating in a tournament must pay $20 to compete.  Half of this money is awarded to the winner.  One-quarter of this money is awarded to the second place finisher.  The remaining one-quarter of this money is deposited into the BCB treasury.  

(v)        Any full or prospective member who finishes an event in first place shall be entitled to receive a trophy at the annual banquet.  Only full members are eligible to win the first and second place cash prize.  Guests are not eligible for the first or second place cash prizes, points or the trophy.

(w)       All non-boaters are responsible for half of the expenses associated with fishing the event.  These expenses include gas to tow and operate the boat, as well as ramp fees.  The non-boater is responsible for making arrangements to cover these expenses with the boater.

(x)        All starting and finishing times shall be determined by the Tournament Director. 

(y)        Safe boating conduct must be exhibited at all times by tournament participants.   Each participant is required to have a Coast Guard approved PFD.  This PFD must be worn at any time the combustion engine is running.  This includes the launching and loading process.  The PFD must also be worn at any time required by local law.  The PFD must be zippered, snapped and strapped securely and must be maintained in such condition until the participant has reached their fishing area and the combustion engine has been turned off.  The boat operator must have the engine kill switch attached to their person anytime the combustion engine is running.  Boats are to be operated in a safe and courteous manner at all times.  There shall be no passing of other competitors in “No Wake” zones.

(z)        During the tournament, the boater shall have exclusive control of the operation of the boat at all times unless he elects to give control of the boat to the non-boater.  However, the participants must equally divide the tournament time regarding where they will fish.  This can be done in a manner as agreed upon by the boater and the non-boater.  Under no circumstance can a non-boater demand or compel the boater to operate the boat in a manner or under conditions that the boater deems unsafe or potentially harmful to person or property.

(aa)      Unless agreed upon, no tournament participant shall fish within 50 yards of another tournament participant.

(bb)      Under ordinary circumstances, no member will fish more than one time with the same person, per season.

(cc)      A four ounce penalty shall be deducted from a participant’s total weight for each dead fish weighed-in.  No dead fish may be culled.

(dd)      Any participant attempting to weigh a short fish shall be penalized with the loss of that fish’s weight as well as the loss of one pound from the remainder of his total weight.

(ee)      Pairings for each tournament shall be accomplished in one of two ways depending upon whether there is a BCB meeting scheduled immediately prior to the event.  As to those tournaments that are preceded by a BCB meeting, the pairings shall be determined at the meeting by randomly drawing names of boaters and non-boaters.  However, the Tournament Director has the discretion to adjust the pairings to ensure that all BCB members have the opportunity to fish with all other members throughout the course of the season as set forth in Article VI, subsection bb.  All members and prospective members interested in participating in the tournament must attend the BCB meeting and advise the Tournament Director of their intention to fish the event.  Each member must also advise the Tournament Director if they have a guest who wishes to fish the event.  If a member is unable to attend the meeting he must communicate his intentions to the Tournament Director prior to the meeting.  Once a member’s name is drawn for purposes of pairing them for the event, that member is committed to fishing that tournament.  If a member subsequently has an emergency situation that prevents him from fishing the event, he must immediately notify the Tournament Director of the situation and the reason he can not fish.  Each member will have the ability to withdraw from one (1) event during the calendar year after pairings have been made without penalty.  However, the withdraw from any  subsequent event during the same calendar year after pairings have been made, regardless of the reason, will result in the following consequences:

 (1) The withdrawing participant shall still be responsible for contributing twenty (20) dollars toward the tournament entry fee and five (5) dollars to the lunker pot to be divided as set forth in Article VI, Subsection t and u. These fees must be paid before the participant will be eligible to fish any future BCB events.  

For those tournaments not preceded by a BCB meeting, each member must advise the Tournament Director of their intention to fish the event via e-mail or by phone at least fourteen (14) days before the event.  Each member must also advise the Tournament Director if they have a guest who wishes to fish the event.  No entries will be accepted after that date except as set forth below. Pairings shall be made by the Tournament Director via random drawing.  However, the Tournament Director has the discretion to adjust the pairings to ensure that all BCB members have the opportunity to fish with all other members throughout the course of the season in accordance with Article VI, Subsection bb.  All parings as determined by the Tournament Director must be posted on the Official BCB Web Site no later than ten (10) days before the scheduled event.  Once a member’s name is drawn for purposes of pairing them for the event, that member is committed to fishing that tournament.  If a member subsequently has an emergency situation that prevents him from fishing the event, he must immediately notify the Tournament Director of the situation and the reason he can not fish.  Each member will have the ability to withdraw from one (1) event during the calendar year after pairings have been made without penalty.  However, the withdraw from any other subsequent event during the calendar year after pairings have been made, regardless of the reason, will result in the following consequences:

(1) The withdrawing participant shall still be responsible for contributing twenty (20) dollars toward the tournament entry fee and five (5) dollars to the lunker pot to be divided as set forth in Article VI, Subsection t and u. These fees must be paid before the participant will be eligible to fish any future BCB events. 

 If, after all pairings are made by the Tournament Director there are unpaired boaters (i.e. boaters who have not been paired with a non-boater for the event) then these open non-boater spots can be filled by the Tournament Director with members or prospective members.  Any member or prospective member who did not provide their name to the Tournament Director in time for the pairings for the event can still enter the tournament by contacting the Tournament Director before noon on the day before the scheduled event.  However, a member, prospective member or guest can only fish as a non-boater if there is a boater that is not paired with another tournament participant. No member, prospective member or guest can enter a tournament as a boater at this time. Once a member or prospective member contacts the Tournament Director and communicates his desire to fish the event, he will be considered committed to fishing the event.  If a member subsequently has an emergency situation that prevents him from fishing the event, he must immediately notify the Tournament Director of the situation and the reason he can not fish.  Each member will have the ability to withdraw from one (1) event after pairings have been made without penalty.  However, the withdraw from any other subsequent event after pairings have been made, regardless of the reason, will result in the following consequences:

(1) The withdrawing participant shall still be responsible for contributing twenty (20) dollars toward the tournament entry fee and five (5) dollars to the lunker pot to be divided as set forth in Article VI, Subsection t and u.  These fees must be paid before the participant shall be eligible to fish any future BCB events. 

(ff)        For any tournament that includes a weigh-in, all individuals opting to be boaters are guaranteed the use of their boat.  For those tournaments not involving a weigh-in, all participants must be paired with another participant unless this is not possible.  If a boater must fish such a tournament alone then he is responsible for documenting his catch in a manner to be determined by the Tournament Director.

(gg)      Any member who commits to a tournament event and does not show up on tournament day without notifying the Tournament Director on more than one occasion during the calendar year shall, in addition to any other penalties set forth under these by-laws, be prohibited from fishing in the BCB Classic even if he qualifies.

(hh)      If a non-boater is unable to fish due to the boater’s failure to fish (i.e. there are no other boaters with whom the non-boater can be paired), that non-boater shall have two options.  First, he can elect to pay the twenty (20) dollar entry fee even though he can not fish.  In that case, he will be awarded points as if he finished in last position in the event.  If at least one participant in the tournament failed to weigh in a fish and was awarded only five (5) points for fishing the event then the most points that the non-boater can earn is five (5) points.  Second, he can elect to not pay the twenty (20) dollar entry fee in which case he can not earn any points for the event.  A non-boater’s inability to fish under these circumstances shall not constitute a failure to fish after having committed to the tournament.  

(ii)        The Tournament Director has the discretion to petition the Board of Directors to postpone, cancel relocate or alter the fishing time of any tournament based upon inclement weather conditions.  In the event that the Tournament Director deems it necessary to make any changes to a scheduled event, he shall notify the remaining Board Members who will determine if the changes are warranted.  If a majority of the Board Members agree that a change is warranted, the Tournament Director shall then notify the remaining BCB members scheduled to fish the event as soon as possible prior to the event.

(jj)       Nets may be used in any BCB tournament.

(kk)      Yearly standings are based on total points earned in an individual’s best eight (8) tournaments fished.

(ll)        In the event of a tie in the year-end standings, the individual with the greater total weight for the eight (8) events consisting of his point total will be deemed to have finished in the higher position.

(mm)    Trophies will be awarded for the following:

ARTICLE VII:           BCB Classic

 The BCB Classic is an end of year event for the top six (6) yearly point finishers.  The rules for distributing the cash purse are as follows:

(a)        The total purse for this event is one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to be taken from the BCB treasury provided that all other expenses are accounted for.  Other expenses (i.e., banquet money, award/trophy money, etc.) take precedence over this purse.  Therefore, this purse may be increased or decreased in any amount necessary to ensure that all other expenses are paid. 

The payout for this event is as follows:             

(b)        There shall be a lunker prize of $100 awarded for the heaviest fish (money for this award shall be funded by using 10% of the $1,000.00 total purse as listed in (a) above).I Any ties for lunker will be broken as set forth in Article VI, subsection pp.  If more than one participant ties for the heaviest fish, the lunker prize money will be split equally between them.

(c)        All six participants must fish individually out of their own (or borrowed) boat.  Anglers borrowing boats may allow the owner to accompany them.  However, the boat owner/observer is not permitted to fish unless the participant approves, and the observer may not fish from the front of the boat or otherwise interfere with or provide assistance to the participant except for emergency assistance where the participant, observer or the boat might be in jeopardy.  Examples of unapproved “assistance” include the netting of any fish, providing insider information or any other action that might result in an unfair advantage over the other participants.  

(d)        The site of the event will be determined by the majority vote of all club members present at the preceding club meeting.

 (e)       The site must be a public body of water within the State of New Jersey with ramp facilities sufficient to launch a large (fiberglass, etc.) bass boat safely.  The body of water may be electric only or allow the use of a gas motor.  However, a body of water requiring the use of a gas motor shall not be selected unless all of the participants have access to a large boat capable of safely navigating the body of water in question.  Otherwise, the location shall be restricted to those bodies of water that can be navigated using only an electric motor.

(g)        Any individual who is eligible to participate in this event and fails to appear without providing notice to  the Tournament Director prior to the start of the event  forfeits his right to any prize money in the event.

(h)        If any of the top six point finishers cannot attend or elects to not attend the BCB Classic and notifies the Tournament Director prior to the start of the event he shall receive last place prize money.  The field will be made up of the remaining five (5) participants.

(i)         Any ties in overall weight will be broken by heaviest fish.  If still tied, the tie will be broken by number of fish.  If still tied, the tie will be broken by longest fish.  If still tied, the participants will be deemed tied and split the prize money for the finishing positions they would have occupied. 

ARTICLE VIII:         Method of Amending Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-third’s vote of the full members present, provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been presented to the membership at least one regular meeting prior to the vote.

We, the undersigned officers of the Burlington County Bassmasters, do hereby adopt the above Bylaws.

Signed:

PRESIDENT: _____________Tad Drummond

VICE-PRESIDENT: ________Carl A. Fontana

SECRETARY: ____________David Stewart____Louis Georgiades

TREASURER: ____________James Rossell

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS: _Joseph c. Fontana_____Robert Distelcamp