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Moodus Sportsman's Club |
on the East Haddam/Colchester Turnpike | Moodus, Connecticut
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ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1: The name of the organization shall be The Moodus Sportsmen's Club, Inc. (the “Club”) Section 2: The organization shall have a seal, which shall be in the following form: ARTICLE II - PURPOSES The Purposes of the Moodus Sportsmen’s Club shall be to: Promote and bind together sportsmen in the sports of hunting, fishing and associated activities, Ensure that these sports will continue through education and conservation measures, Teach and pass on the pleasures, benefits, responsibilities and ethics associated with hunting and fishing activities. ARTICLE III - BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 1: The business of this organization shall be managed by a board of directors consisting of three members together with the officers of this organization. Section 2: The biannual election of the board of directors shall be held on the first Monday in April of each even numbered year, except when such a day falls on a holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following Monday. Section 3: The board of directors shall have the control and management of the affairs and business of this organization. Such board of directors shall only act in the name of the organization when it shall be regularly convened by its chairmen after due notice to all the directors of such meeting. Section 4: Five (5) of the members of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum and the meeting of the board of directors shall be held regularly on the day of the annual meeting beginning one (1) hour prior to the January regular meeting. Each director shall have one vote and voting may not be by proxy or absentee vote. Section 5: The board of directors may make such rules and regulations at its meetings as it may in its discretion determine necessary subject to ratification by the members. Vacancies in the said board of directors shall be filled by a vote of the majority of the remaining members of the board of directors for the balance of the term. The president of the organization shall be chairman of the board of directors. The board of directors shall select from one (1) of their number a secretary. ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS Section 1: The officers of this organization shall be: president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and membership secretary. Requirement: They must attend at least nine (9) meetings per year. Section 2: The biannual election of officers shall be held on the first Monday in April of each even numbered year, except when such a day falls on a holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following Monday. ARTICLE V - MEMBERSHIP Section 1: Any person may apply for membership in this organization by filing an application form. Dues are waived in the case of a Landowner as defined in ARTICLE IX of these bylaws. Proposed new members must be present when brought up for membership and the member sponsoring the new member must be present at the following meeting to participate in the debate. Section 2: Each application must be read at the meeting presented and tabled for one (1) month in the hands of the membership committee, then voted on at the next regular meeting. Voting is to be done by ballot and ballots are to be tallied by the officers present. Section 3: Upon being voted in, a new member shall pay a one-time payment of fifty dollars ($50.00) to the Land Acquisition Fund plus the annual dues fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). The Membership Chairman or Treasurer will collect all payments. Section 4: There is a six (6) month probation period for all new members. At the end of the six (6) month probation period, the officers of the Moodus Sportsmen's Club, Inc. will determine the status of said members. All debts must be paid in full prior to final induction. Section 5: The annual dues for members shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) payable by the July meeting of each year, with the exception of those who join the organization between March 1st and July 1st. In such a case, the dues shall be 75 dollars ($75.00) for that period. Section 6: Annual dues are payable at the July regular meeting. Any payments received after the regular September meeting shall be subject to a $25.00 late fee. If the annual dues and late fee are not received by the October meeting , the member’s rights and privileges associated with membership shall be terminated. The Membership Chairman or Treasurer shall provide written notice to such terminated members that membership privileges have been revoked. Section 7: Any member whose membership rights have been terminated pursuant to Section 6 of this Article may be reinstated by a quorum the membership without the requirement to apply as a new member. Section 8: There shall be a membership committee consisting of three (3) members who shall investigate applicants and report to the meeting before said applicant is voted on. Section 9: Youth Memberships: With the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, any person twelve (12) years of age up to the age of sixteen (16) years of age can be made a youth member if his/her parent or guardian is a member in good standing or if he/she has a sponsor member in good standing and holds a valid Connecticut Conservation Education and Firearm Safety certificate or equivalent and is a Junior Membe rof the National Rifle Association. He/she will be allowed all privileges contained within these bylaws except voting. Youth members will be accepted upon payment of a five dollars ($5.00) dues fee. After reaching the age of sixteen (16), the youth member may become a junior member. With the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, any person sixteen (16) to eighteen (18) years of age can be made a junior member if he/she was a youth member in good standing, his/her parent is a member in good standing or if he/she has a sponsor member in good standing and holds a valid Connecticut Conservation Education and Firearm Safety Education certificate or equivalent and is a Junior Member of the National Rifle Association. As a junior member, he/she will be allowed all privileges contained within these bylaws including voting rights. A junior member will be accepted upon payment of a twenty-five dollars ($25.00) dues fee. After reaching the age of eighteen (18), or at such time that the junior member is no longer a full-time student, the junior member may become a full member, and pay regular dues. Section 10: Any member of the Armed Services who applies for membership in this organization within one (1) year of discharge from the Armed Services may become a member with annual dues waived for one (1) year (“Special member”). Section 11: Any person who leases, or otherwise allows access to, land to the organization for fishing or hunting purposes may at landowner’s discretion, may be granted membership status and may be issued a membership card (“Landowner member”). Section 12: A member in good standing, upon reaching the age of sixty-five (65), will be entitled to free membership provided he has paid dues and was a member for at least five (5) years prior to turning sixty-five (65) (“Senior member”). Section 13. Any member of the organization may propose another member for honorary membership to the duly elected officers of the organization who shall present such names before a regular meeting of the organization to be acted by a simple majority of a quorum at such regular meeting (“Honorary member”). Section 14: Membership shall consist of no more than sixty-five (65) members, exclusive of Landowner Members, Honorary members, Special members and Senior members as defined herein. Section 15: Full members are allowed to invite one guest per week to hunt or fish on lands owned or leased by the Club. All members and guests shall possess all necessary licenses, certificates or other authorizations to hunt or fish. When hunting or fishing for game or fish that the Club has stocked, the daily limit for the member and guest may not exceed the daily bag limit for the member alone. Upon prior approval of the President of the Club, members may stock birds on Club hunting lands to be harvested by the member or one or more guests. Section 16: All members must also be members of the National Rifle Association and must show proof of such membership at the time that dues are paid. Section 17: A member may be terminated for failure to obey established safety rules, violating fish or game laws, failure to pay dues and and/or late fees in a timely manner or for any other reason upon the recommendation of the Officers of the Club. Termination of any member for any reason shall be decided by a vote of the quorum of the membership. Section 18: Each member present at any meeting shall sign his/her name on attendance sheets provided at each meeting. These names shall be incorporated within the minutes of the meeting for record only. ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS Section 1: All regular meetings during the months of October, November, December, January, February March and April shall be held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. All regular meetings during the months of May, June, July, August and September shall be held on the first Monday of each month at 8:00 p.m. When the scheduled meeting occurs on a holiday the meeting shall be held on the following Monday. The meetings will be held at the clubhouse or as directed by the organization officers. Section 2: The annual meeting shall be held on the first Monday of January except when such day falls on a holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following Monday. The meeting will be held at the clubhouse or as directed by the organization officers. Section 3: A special meeting may be called upon written application signed by fifteen (15) members in good standing and presented to the president. The president, in turn, will authorize the secretary to notify all members, stating place, date, time and purpose of said meeting. Section 4: Order of Business 1. Calling roll of officers. 2. Reading minutes of previous meeting. 3. Treasurer's report. 4. Reading of communications. 5. Reading of bills. 6. Applications of membership. 7. Unfinished business. 8. Reports of committees. 9. New business. 10. Good of the club. 11. Adjournment. ARTICLE VII - QUORUM Ten (10) members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting. ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS These bylaws may be altered or amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present at any regular meeting of the organization, provided that a quorum is present and further provided that such changes or amendments are read at one meeting and voted on at the next regular meeting. ARTICLE IX - COMMITTEES Section 1: All committee chairmen shall be appointed by the Officers and shall be reported at the first regular meeting following the annual meeting for individual approval, except as otherwise noted in these bylaws. Section 2: The following shall be the regular committees to function each year: 1. Building committee; 2. Shad bake committee; 3. Pond and fish stocking committee; 4. Bird stocking committee; 5. Raffle committee; 6. Game dinner committee; 7. Land acquisition committee; 10. DEP conservation and firearm safety course committee; 11. Law enforcement committee; 12. Membership committee; 13. Skeet committee; 14. Smoked turkey committee; 15. Fishing Derbies Committee; and, 16. Fall Pig/Turkey Roast Committee. ARTICLE X - SPECIAL ORGANIZATION LAWS Section 1: Legal trout limit on organization-stocked ponds shall be three (3) trout per club member per day, including Youth and Junior Members. Section 2: Legal bird limit on organization-stocked birds shall be two (2) birds per club member per day, including Youth and Junior members. Section 3: At any first day of fishing or hunting set forth by the organization opening time will be 6:00 a.m. for fishing and 8:00 a.m. for hunting. Section 4: Safety and consideration of members and guests shall be the first priority in using the firearms range. The range is to be used during daylight hours only. No glass is allowed. All materials are to be picked-up after using the range. Section 5: Only a member bearing a membership card and invited guests with a member present may legally hunt or fish on organization designated areas or use the firearms range. ARTICLE XI - POINTS REQUIREMENT Section 1: To insure the fiscal and physical integrity of the Moodus Sportsmen's Club, Inc. and its facilities, this point system was implemented to allow all members an opportunity to contribute. Each member is required to earn twenty (20) points per fiscal year (July 1st - June 30th). One point is earned for every two (2) hours of work, a regular meeting or one of the other methods described later in this article. If nineteen (19) points or under have been earned, a forty dollar ($40.00) fee will be charged a long with the annual dues to fulfill the point requirement. Section 2: Basic point opportunities - these functions are presently available for members to earn points. Regular meetings - 12 per year; work parties - 12 per year; turkey shoot - 1 per year; shad bake; bird stocking; fish stocking; children's derby1; club dinners; club dances and DEP conservation and fire arm safety course. Other methods include serving on any appointed committee and selling of club tickets. Raffle tickets are worth one (1) point for every book of five (5) sold. For every five (5)-function tickets presold and turned in any week in advance is worth one (1) point. Section 3: Chairman will record point accumulations and who worked and will report to the vice-president the points earned. All work, except emergency work, is to be done at work parties or on the day of the function, unless otherwise noted by committee chairmen. The chairmen shall recruit members and materials to complete each objective. At the monthly meetings before each work party or function, the chairmen shall report to the membership what the objectives are, what materials need to be acquired, who will be working and what, if any, help is needed. All chairmen are responsible for keeping detailed records of all activities (financial reports, items bought/sold, work done, time spent, problems that occurred and any changes needed. All of this information is to be recorded for the following year. Chairmen may need to meet before the monthly meeting to coordinate work to be done. Section 4: Point distribution for officers and committee chairmen: COMMITTEE/POSITION # OF CHAIRMEN POINTS PER YEAR Smoked Turkey committee 1 2 Building committee 1 6 Shad bake 2 6 Fall Pig/Turkey 1 2 Pond and fish stocking 1 3 Raffle committee 2 6 Fishing Derbies committee 1 2 Bird stocking committee 1 4 Game dinner committee 1 3 Land acquisition 1 2 DEP Conservation and Fire Arm Safety course 1 2 Skeet committee 1 3 Points committee: made up of vice-president and all committee chairmen: President 12 Vice-President 12 Treasurer 12 Secretary 12 Financial secretary 12 Points for officers and committee chairmen are for responsibilities assumed and hours worked are not inclusive. These By-Laws thare those which are in effect as of 2/11/2005 |