Constitutional Rules
1. TITLE
The Club shall be called the Newland Angling Club, hereafter to be referred to as “the Club” and shall be affiliated to the Angling and Sports Bodies decided by the Annual General Meeting.
2. OBJECTS
The objects of the Club shall be the preservation of its fisheries and to promote and encourage the sport of Angling at all levels, providing opportunities for recreation and competition.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3. Membership shall be open to any person paying the relevant subscription fee as determined by the Annual General Meeting. No one to exercise any rights of membership until their subscriptions for current year have been paid.
3.2 There shall be 7 classes of membership available.
These are:
Adult
Junior (Aged 16 or under)
O.A.P. (Aged 65 or over)
Disabled (Those who are registered as disabled or blind or in receipt of mobility allowance)
Husband & Wife.O.A.P.
Husband & Wife
Honorary and Life Member. (Granted only by the Annual General Meeting)
3.3 Members may Night Fish at the Club Lakes after payment of an additional fee.
3.4 The Club year is from April 1st to March 31st and the Club Financial Year is from January 1st to December 31st.
4. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Members of the Club whose conduct is inappropriate or who decline to abide by any of the Rules may be expelled or suspended by a resolution passed at a meeting of the committee where their subscription fee will be forfeited. Members shall have the right to appeal in person to the committee with regard to any decision affecting themselves, provided that notice of such an appeal be submitted to the Secretary, in writing, within 14 days of the decision.
5. OFFICERS
The Officers of the Club shall be as follows:
President & Vice Presidents - Non-Executive Officers -usually an Honorary Position.
Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer - Executive Officers.
6. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
6.1 All Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, from, and by, the Members of the Club.
6.2 All Officers are elected for a period of one year, but may be re-elected to the same office or another office the following year.
7. GENERAL COMMITTEE
7.1 The affairs of the Club to be controlled by a General Committee comprising of the Executive Officers of the Club and of no less than 5 members and no more than 12 members elected by the members each year at the Annual General Meeting. This committee to consist of 75% members living within a radius of 6 miles of the centre of Witney, to ensure the running of the club by local people, past committee members excepted.
7.2 The duties of the General Committee shall be:
7.2.1 To control the affairs of the club on behalf of the members. Any grievance a member may have regarding Clubmatters must be put in writing to the committee.
7.2.2 To keep accounts of the finances of the club through the Treasurer. These should be available for reasonable inspection by the Members at the Annual General Meeting. The Club shall maintain a bank current account and two of the following shall be authorised to sign Club cheques: the Treasurer and two others from the General Committee.
7.2.3 To co-opt additional members of the committee from the members as the committee feels necessary.
7.2.4 To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes the Chairperson has the casting vote.
7.2.5 Rule on Attendance: Prior apology counts as an attendance at meetings. When 3 meetings in a row follow without either attendance or apology, the member is automatically deposed from the committee.
7.2.6 The committee are empowered to close any portion of the club waters and issue restrictions on fishing that it feels is necessary.
7.2.7 A quorum for a committee shall be a Chairperson and 4 other General Committee Members.
7.2.8 The committee shall have the power to refuse membership as they think fit.
7.2.9 The committee will appoint Club Water Bailiffs.
7.3 The committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than 10 times a year.
8. GENERAL MEETINGS
8.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held inJanuary each year. 28 days notice shall be given to members ofthe Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meetingby posting notice on the club notice boards. Members must advise the Secretary in writing of any business to be moved at theAnnual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting at least 21 days before a meeting. The Secretary shall give notice of the agenda for the meeting not less than 7 days before a meeting.
8.2 The business of General Meeting shall be to:
8.2.1 Confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any Extraordinary General Meetings held since thelast Annual General Meeting.
8.2.2 Receive the accounts for the year from the Treasurer.
8.2.3 Elect the Officers of the Club (i.e. President, Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and other General Committee Members plus Match Secretary and Junior Match Secretary) as required.
8.2.4 Review Club Membership Subscription, Night Fishing, Day tickets and Guest Tickets rates, and agree them for the forthcoming season.
8.2.5 Transact such other business received in writing by theSecretary from Members 21 days prior to the meeting andincluded in the agenda.
8.3 Extraordinary General Meetings may be convened by the General Committee or on receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing, from not less than 30 members of the club.
8.4 Nominations of candidates for election of Officers, Committee Members and Match Secretaries shall be made to theSecretary at least 21 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting date. Nominations can only be made by members and must be seconded by another member.
8.5 At all General Meetings, the chair will be taken by the President or Chairperson or, in their absence, by a deputy appointed by the committee or by members attending the meeting.
8.6 Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of votes from those Members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
8.7 A Quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10 members including 2 Officers of the Club from the President, Chairperson,Secretary and Treasurer.
8.8 Each member of the Club present is entitled to one vote at General Meetings.
9. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
9.1 Any proposed alterations to the Club Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a member of the Club and seconded by another member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those Members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.
10. DISSOLUTION
10.1 If at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club to be held no less than 28 days there after to discuss and vote on the resolution.
10.2 If at that Extraordinary General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the members present at the meeting, the General Committee shall there upon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realize the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.
10.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, there maining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to someother voluntary organization having objects similar to those of the Club, at the decision of the committee.
11. No dogs to be allowed on any of the Club Waters with anglers, except the lakes where they must be kept under close control.
12. Every member must carry their card when fishing ClubWaters, and cards must be shown to Club Bailiffs, to any owners of land on which the Club fish or anyone connected with the Club on producing their card. Waters to be bailiffed by authorised bailiffs only.
13. The season for angling on rivers commences June 16th and expires March 14th. All coarse fish must be returned to the water. Trout fishing commences April 1st and expires October31st.
14. Dry/Wet fly to be used to capture trout between April 1 stand 15th June. All undersize and out of season trout to be returned. The size limit shall be 14 inches. Not more than 2 Brace per week or 15 brace per season may be taken.
15. A limited number of Guest tickets may be obtained from the Secretary or States Fishing Tackle Shop, Witney. Only 6 Guest tickets per member each season allowing each guest a maximum of 2 rods.
16. Environment Agency by-laws to be adopted.
17. Barbel & Carp (Common & Mirror) to be returned to the water at the earliest possible opportunity after capture. When ever possible, retention of these fish in keepnets should be avoided.The use of Carp sacks is banned.
18. Members may have no more than 2 baited rods in the water at any one time. Except on the Specimen Lake and States Lagoon from 1 November until 31 March when 3 rods may be used. The use of live baits is banned on all club waters.
19. All outside clubs and associations water bookings to be let on a peg to peg basis, (adjoining pegs) therefore allowing club members access to the remaining pegs. All water bookings on the Surman Lake and Bents Pool to becharged at £5 per peg to outside clubs and associations.
20. No fixed Leads, Feeders or Elasticated Method Feeders to be used on club waters.
21. Lakes stocking policy up to year 2026
Surman Lake to hold all coarse fish including carp up to amaximum of 10lb, Bents Pool to hold all coarse fish including carp up to a maximum of 20lb, Specimen Lake to hold all coarse fish. States Lagoon to hold all coarse fish including carp.