ARTICLE I –STATEMENT OF FAITH, NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.

Section 2.

We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God.
(II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:20-21

We believe that there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, John 1:1, Acts 5:34)

We believe in the salvation of lost and sinful men, by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. (John 3:16 & 17; Eph 2:8&9; John 1:12-13; John 3:3-8; John 6:63-65; Eph. 2:5)

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory.
(Revelation 22:13; Matthew 1:23; Eph 1;7; Hebrews 9:22; Romans 5:8-9; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Matthew 28; Mark 16:19; Mark 13:26)

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling , the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life. 
(Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:22-23; Titus 2:11-12)

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of judgment. (Acts 24:15; John 6:39-40; John 5:28-29)

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(I Corinthians 1:9-10; Philippians 2:2)

The name of the organization is the Anglers of Christ.

Section 3.

To use the sport of fishing to spread the gospel of Christ.

To encourage club members walk with the Lord through evangelical Christian fellowship.  We are a Christian club and ask that all language and conduct exemplify a Christian attitude along with honesty and integrity.

To encourage family as a priority second only to ones relationship with God.

To strengthen families through fellowship, ministry and accountability.

To encourage youth to fish.

To promote conservation of our natural resources.

To build relationships with people in the fishing community.

To educate on how to become better fisherman.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

The membership of the club shall be limited to Christian men over the age of eighteen (18) years, consisting of at least 50% boat owners.

Section 2.

All applicants for membership must present to the secretary for submission to the Membership Committee an application stating his belief in Jesus Christ and his church affiliation along with his name, address, telephone number, etc.  No applicant shall become a member of the fellowship until his application has been approved by the Membership Committee and he has been duly notified by the secretary.

Section 3.

Each member shall pay club dues and banquet fees yearly in an amount fixed by the by-laws committee which will also be done annually. 

Section 4.

A member shall automatically forfeit his membership by failing to pay the required dues and fees by the first meeting of any year, or within 30 days of joining the Anglers of Christ.  Any member who is delinquent on any dues, banquet or other fees will be ineligible to participate in any club activity until the dues, fees, etc. are paid in full.

Section 5.

Following spiritual counseling and prayer and upon the recommendation of the Executive committee, members may be suspended or expelled for improper conduct and or any violation of any by-law by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at any regular meeting.

ARTICLE III - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.

The direction, administration, and all powers of the club shall be vested in an Executive Committee composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the club, having been elected annually from the membership. Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Committee shall be filled by election at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the club.  Each officer may serve in the same capacity for as long as they are re-elected by the membership.

Section 2.

The Executive Committee shall meet as necessary upon the call of the President at such time and place as he designates. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of three (3) members of said committee

Section 3.

The election of new club officers each year shall be done in the following manner. A Nominating Committee shall consist of the current Executive Committee.  The Nominating Committee shall select at least one (1) member of the Club as a candidate for each of the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Candidates for each office must be active club members for at least 2 years prior to beginning their term of office. A ballot shall be presented to the membership at the November meeting. Nominations from the floor for each contested office shall be permissible. The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner. The election shall take place at the November meeting by written ballot. The new officers shall begin their term on January 1 and shall be presented at the Annual Banquet. 

Section 4.

The duties, responsibilities and authority of each officer shall be as follows:

(A)

The President shall serve as chairman of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all meetings of both the membership and the Executive Committee.  He shall appoint the Membership Committee and such committees as may be necessary for the proper functioning of the club.

(B)

The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. He shall also serve as Chairman of the Tournament Committee/Weigh Master. The Vice-President shall be responsible for transporting the club's scales and measuring devices to and from tournament weigh-in sites and shall supervise weighing, counting and measuring all fish. He shall keep appropriate records of tournament results and report them to the secretary.

(C)

The Secretary shall keep a record of all the meetings of the club and of the Executive Committee. He shall give notice of all regular and special meetings of the Executive Committee to it's members and shall keep a record of all officers and members of the club and their addresses and phone numbers. He shall maintain records of tournament results as received from the Vice-President and shall report club standings to the membership at each meeting.  The Secretary shall submit articles of club events, standings and news to local newspapers.   He shall also notify new members of their acceptance into the club.

(D)

The Treasurer shall collect, hold and disburse, under the direction of the Executive Committee, all monies of the club; be charged with the collection of all money due the club from members thereof and other sources; keep or cause to be kept regular books of account and submit a statement of the account at all monthly club meetings. He shall deposit all monies of the club into the club's checking account and shall pay all club bills by checks drawn on said account.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Section 1*** Amended on 11/12/07

Regular club meetings will be held on the 2^nd Monday of each month from January through December unless otherwise stipulated by the Executive Committee.  Amendment: meetings to be held on 1^st Monday of each month.

Section 2.

Each regular meeting shall include time for praise, prayer and devotion.

Section 3.

Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by the President or Executive Committee.

Section 4.

A quorum shall consist of thirty-three percent (33%) of the current membership, present in person, and no business requiring a vote will be transacted at any membership meeting unless a quorum is present.

Section 5.

The regular awards Banquet will be held in January following each tournament year at a time and place set forth by the Executive Committee.

Section 6.

Attending members shall receive ½ lb. Per meeting for the 12 monthly meetings.

ARTICLE V - BASS FISHING CONTESTS

Section 1.

The Tournament Committee shall, be composed of prior years Top Six fishermen plus the incoming President and Vice-President.   The Vice-President shall be the chairman/weigh master.

Section 2.

The Tournament Committee, shall after considering the expressed desires of the members, set dates, times and places to conduct bass fishing contests, and shall decide who shall be eligible to fish in competition for prizes. Only the Tournament Committee has the authority to change the location, dates, etc. of any tournament. The Tournament Committee shall have authority to establish special fishing rules for each tournament. No general fishing rule as set forth herein shall be changed or rescinded by such special rules.

Section 3.

All decisions of the Vice-President or his appointed weigh-master with respect to weigh in/cut-off time, measurements, classification, weights, limits, and penalties shall be final and closed from appeal.  The penalty for violating any of the following fishing rules or other rules as established by the Tournament Committee or Vice-President shall be disqualification of all fish for that tournament, unless another penalty is noted for an individual fishing rule.

Section 4.

General fishing rules to prevail during all club tournaments are as follows:

(A)

No tournaments shall be held on Sunday.

(B)

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed during any club activity. This includes traveling to and from tournament sites.

(C)

The only fish eligible in competition shall be bass, known locally as Black Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Kentucky Bass, or Florida Bass.

(D)

All competitive fishing shall be done with artificial bait on casting rods and reels, spinning rods and reels, spin-cast rods and reels or fly rods and reels. Only one rod may be used at any one time.  Other rods may be in the boat and ready for use; however, every cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is made.  Trolling is not allowed.

(E)

Competitive fishing shall be conducted within the limitations imposed by Federal, State, and Local laws, rules and regulations.

(F)

Participants are not permitted to fish within fifty (50) yards of another participant's boat that was there first at any location unless specifically invited to do so by the participant first on location.

(G)

Pullovers are not permitted unless specifically allowed by the Tournament Committee for a particular tournament.

(H)

Club members are not allowed to hire a fishing guide during tournament hours.

(I)

For draw tournaments, fishermen will be paired by random drawing. Every effort will be made to pair a non-boater with a boater. Every effort will be made to eliminate duplication of prior tournament partners. Members, who do not participate in the draw and later state that they can fish a tournament, will be paired by the Tournament Chairman if possible.

Amended 3/3/08 Effective 1/1/09

(J)

Scoring will be based on the weight in pounds of bass with a minimum length of fourteen (14) inches, (unless size is delegated by weigh master) Scoring shall be based on the total weight in pounds of bass.  Minimum length of fish to be weighed for each tournament shall be determined by the rules and/or regulations set forth by the body of water being fished.  (Those bodies with a 14” minimum length shall weigh 14” fish and up.  Those bodies with no size limit shall have a minimum length of 12”.) And measured on a commercially manufactured, metal or plastic, measuring device used for measuring the length of fish, containing markings of at least one-quarter (1/4) inch increments or less.   Fish presented for weighing less than the minimum required length for that tournament will be disqualified prior to weighing.  At the discretion of the weigh master, all or part of a stringer may be paper weighed using a paper conversion chart.  All competition will be done on a 2-man team basis.  [Note: any fisherman who cannot be paired up can fish solo as a team.]  Only six (6) fish per team will be counted.  Teams are not allowed to have more than six (6) fish in their permanent possession at any time, except for culling of the 7th fish per team.  It is the responsibility of the team to keep the fish alive.  A determination of whether the fish are dead or alive will be made solely by the weigh master at the scales and a bonus of 0.10 pound will be awarded for each live fish weighed in.  All weighed fish will become the property of the club and will be released immediately after the weigh-in if applicable.  The only exception will be a trophy fish that may be kept.  Catch and release is encouraged but not mandatory unless stated so by tournament chairman.  Maximum number of six (6) fish per boat to be kept.  Only your teams’ fish may be kept.  Anyone violating this rule will be disqualified and is subject to termination of membership upon review.

(K)

All competitive fishing shall be done from a competitor’s boat during official tournament hours, in waters accessible to all members.  No fishing or practice casting shall be done immediately prior to or after official fishing hours.

(L)

Finishing places are set-up as follows:

INDIVIDUAL SCORING and TEAM SCORING will be on a totaled weight system.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING will determine the Top Six Anglers for the year. Totaled 10 tournament weight plus totaled meeting weight will determine the Top Six.

TEAM SCORING will be on combined weight of both anglers for 1st Place, 2^nd Place and 3^rd Place.

ANGLER OF THE YEAR will be awarded to the person with the most weight totaled for the year for all 10 tournaments, plus total meeting weight.

(M)

Coast Guard approved flotation vests must be worn by all contestants while combustion engine is in operation. Each boat shall be equipped with a functional kill switch attached to the operator of the boat.

(N)

“Spot stealing” is not permitted.  Courtesy and Sportsmanship are expected from all participating anglers.  Violation of this rule is subject to disqualification and termination of membership upon review.

Section 5.

Guests are subject to the same rules as members and compete at the Guest Tournament with other guests for awards for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Big Bass.  All Guest Tournaments shall include time for a devotional.

All attempts should be made to fish with a non-member.  If unable to do so, the tournament director shall determine a partner.

Section 6.

Monetary prizes will be awarded to Team Finishers in the amount of: 1st Place-$40.00; 2^nd Place-$30.00; 3rd Place-$20.00; Big Bass-$ 10.00.  Big Bass Awards and all club records shall be for fish actually weighed-in,no paper weighed fish allowed for club records.  Two (2) Plaques will be awarded for Big Bass and Angler of the year in the event of a tie.

Section 7.

The Top Six (6) fishermen at year-end will be presented awards; awards will be determined by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI - MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Section 1.

The Membership Committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members, as appointed by the current President.  The President shall appoint one member as chairman of said committee.

Section 2.

The Membership Committee shall take action on a prospective member only after it has been furnished with a completed application form. The committee shall have the responsibility to determine that applicants meet the membership requirements.

Section 3.

The Membership Committee shall inform the Executive Committee of the results of its deliberations with respect to all applications and shall recommend that applications be accepted or rejected.

ARTICLE VII - MISCELLANEOUS

Section 1.

These bylaws supercede all rules and regulations previously voted on by the Membership.

Section 2.

All proposed by-law amendments must be submitted in writing to the  by-laws Committee for presentation to the Club prior to any meeting.  If approved by the by-laws Committee, the proposed amendments shall be presented to the membership at the next scheduled meeting.   These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership present.  The by-laws may be amended at any meeting during the year.  The same requested by-law may not be submitted more than twice in any one year.  The by-laws committee shall consist of the 5 original charter members and/or whomever they appoint..