By-Laws

and Club Policies & Procedures

HOME STANDINGS MEMBERS CALENDAR CLUB NEWS PHOTOS

Constitution & Bylaws of the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters

We, the members of the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters Bass Club, in order to promote good sportsmanship through fishing, establish this constitution and bylaws for the association hereinafter referred to as the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters.

Article I

Section 1. The motto of the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters shall be "Conservation, Fellowship and the Development of Youth Thru Fishing".

Article II

Section 1. All new members must attend the club meeting the Monday prior to the club tournament. New members shall be on probation for a period of 3 club functions. After the probation period has ended member shall be approved by a 100% vote of membership in attendance at the next scheduled club meeting.

Section 2. All memberships will expire on December 31.

Section 3. Honorary memberships will be granted only by the board of directors.

Article III

Section 1. The officers of the club shall be the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, tournament director, youth director, and Conservation director.

Section 2. An open election will be held at the regular November club meeting to elect the 7 officials who will make up the board of directors for the oncoming year. These elected officials shall take office at the January meeting.

Section 3. The president shall preside at all meetings of the membership and shall be assisted by the other officers. Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure shall be observed at all times to cover procedures not specified in the Constitution.

Section 4. The board of directors shall be responsible for the general affairs of the club and as specifically directed within this Constitution. Their decisions shall be binding and final except that they shall not abridge the right to petition. The board of directors must approve all expenditures of the Club’s funds.

Section 5. All elected officials (except Kenny Barfield) shall be allowed to serve only two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.

Section 6. No member shall be eligible to be nominated for an officer or director position unless he has been a member in good standing for at least six (6) months and all dues are current.

Section 7. Should the president be unable to attend a meeting, the vice president shall preside in his absence. In case an officer or director leaves the club permanently, the president shall call a special election to fill the un-expired term. Any absence of an elected official for more than two (2) months shall be considered a permanent change and the office must be relinquished. Should he return, he may be eligible to run for office at the next election.

Article IV

Section 1. Regular meetings shall, normally, be held on the first Monday of each month. The president may call special meetings.

Section 2. At the discretion of the board of directors, a drawing for prizes may be held at each regular meeting. The number and value of prizes shall be left to the discretion of the board. All money received must be added to the club treasury.

Article V

Section 1. The board of directors shall establish dues for regular members.

Section 2. Dues will be paid at the December meeting. Failure to pay annual dues by the December meeting will cause member to be ineligible to fish the January tournament. New members shall be pro rated according to month they join the club.

Section 3. Failure to reinstate dues prior to the February meeting will be reason for striking an individual from the membership list.

Article VI

Section 1. The president of the club may appoint members as necessary to properly accomplish the functions of the club.

Section 2. Rules for the tournaments will be based on "Club Policies and Procedures". These "Club Policies and Procedures" will be set by the board of directors and approved by a 2/3 majority of members present at a regular scheduled club meeting.

Section 3. Weigh-in must be made on club approved scales, and by approved weigh-in director. Fish may be weighed-in early for emergency reasons and witnessed by another club member. The board of directors will determine the validity of the emergency prior to entering the points in the top (6) competition. Record of catches must be kept on a ledger provided by the club. The cut-off time for the tournament weigh-in shall be strictly enforced.

Section 4. All tournaments shall be based upon a draw system. Awards shall be presented for the first, second and third place teams, first place individual. An additional award will be awarded the member catching the largest fish of the year.

Section 5. At the end of the calendar year, the six (6) members who earned the most points for the year shall be recognized at a special function of the club in December, at this function the "Top 6" shall be presented a plaque recognizing their accomplishments. An additional prize may be awarded at the discretion of the board of directors.

Section 6. The club may sponsor the "Top 6" or their alternates to state level tournaments each year. The Top 6 members may petition the board at any time to represent the club in any state level sanctioned tournament. Any sponsorship or participation in the name of Cen-Tex Bass Hunters must be approved by the board of directors prior to fishing such a tournament. In order to accommodate the Top 6 team the club will have its club 2 day tournament on the state championship lake the weekend prior to the first official day of practice.

Section 7. Additional tournaments may be held during the year. The board of directors shall handle dates, times and details of additional tournaments.

Article VIII

Section 1. Proposed amendments to this constitution must be voted upon by the membership at the regular monthly meeting. The amendment must receive at least 2/3 of votes of those present for two consecutive meetings to be adopted and must be published in the newsletter prior to the second meeting. Upon adoption amendments become effective immediately but in no case may they be considered retroactive. Proposed amendments may be presented to the membership from the floor as a motion or from the board of directors. Discussion and debate shall be limited to twenty minutes.

Article IX

Section 1. Should a member (s) including officers/directors, cause embarrassment or undue criticism to the club, or anything to offend this constitution, they may be cited to show cause before the board of directors. The directors are to see that appropriate action, if any is to be taken. In extreme cases, as decided by the board of directors, it shall be discussed in an open meeting of the club, and if it is the desire of at least 2/3 of the membership present, offender may be expelled from the club. Expulsive will be considered permanent until such member petitions to the board of directors for reinstatement and receives a unanimous vote from the entire club membership.

Section 2. If any member, including officers/directors miss four (4) consecutive meetings they will be placed on inactive status.

Section 3. During all club functions, all persons (including guests) are to conduct themselves in a courteous and sportsman-like manner.

Article X

Section 1. The bylaws and provisions of this constitution shall be observed and no changes shall be made except as through constitutional procedures as specified herein. Any decisions or interpretations will be up to the board of directors with the overall objective of doing what is in the best interest of the club and what is fair for all concerned.

Article XI

Section 1. All members of Cen-Tex Bass Hunters must maintain a current membership in B.A.S.S. This shall be 100% at all times.

Section 2. The Treasurer shall submit all appropriate paperwork to B.A.S.S.

Section 3. Cen-Tex Bass Hunters shall be affiliated to Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and actively support and participate in their programs.

Established 08/19/93

Revised 03/83

Revised 01/84

Revised 07/24/89

Revised 02/05/90

Revised 08/02/04

Revised 01/10/07

Club Policies & Procedures of the Cen-Tex Bass Hunters

1. Club meetings normally will be held the 1st Monday following the first Saturday of each month at 7:00 P.M. Any changes to the dates and times of meeting shall be voted on and approved by club membership, meeting facility shall be notified of change.

2. Club tournaments normally will be held the weekend following the club meetings. If there are changes, the exact tournament dates and times will be announced in the monthly newsletter. With the exception of November, due to the “Deer Hunters Special”.

3. All tournaments will be based upon a DRAW SYSTEM, except for perhaps a “High-Low: if determined to be in the best interest of the club. A “High-Low” is based upon the idea that if any member(s) demonstrate that their ability exceeds that of the other members, he/she (they) may be requested to fish with a member in the lower standings of the club.

4. It shall be the responsibility of the fishing partners to mutually agree on a basis for sharing any and all operating expenses. A no-boater is responsible for ½ the truck gas and ½ the boat gas. If the boater leaves early to pre-fish and the no-boater comes later, the no-boater must still pay ½ the gas there and back regardless if the boater rides in the truck with his boater partner. The no-boater does not have to pay ½ the boat gas for pre-fishing but the no-boater will pay ½ the boat gas once he arrives.

5. A full discussion shall be held between the two partners prior to fishing times as to the schedule of boat operation. Each partner shall be entitled to equal time to fish from the front of the boat and equal time to fish “His Water” for ½ the tournament hours.

6. All members will launch from the same area and there will be no trailering allowed. During two day tournaments, trailering may be allowed if it is voted on at the club meeting prior to the tournament. Any changes or deviations of this rule will be addressed, handled and decided by the “Tournament Director” and his advisory board if he so desires their council.

7. It is understood that emergencies do happen and it is up to each member to notify his partner no less than 24 hours prior to fishing times if he is unable to fish. This will allow other arrangements to be made so that the partner will be able to fish.

8. All past tournament fees and club debts of the member must be paid prior to fishing the next tournament.

9. All Coat Guard Regulations, Federal, State and Local laws must be observed. For the safety of our members, ALL MEMBERS must wear life jackets when the main combustible engine is running. The operator must wear the kill switched if the boat is equipped with one. The only exception is under an immediate and/or safety concern.

10. No more than two members hall fish from the same boat, unless the club is short boats for no-boaters and in the effort to enable all willing anglers the opportunity to fish. The rules of B.A.S.S. shall apply concerning the fishing distance from an anchored boat and/or trolling boat.

11. NO ICE is to be used except to cool water. Any fish determined to be “ICED” will be disqualified.

12. No more than five (5) fish shall be in possession at any time per state regulations, and only five (5) fish shall be weighed in for points. Each member may only weigh-in fish he caught himself. There shall be no pooling or sharing of fish. Fish must be BLACK BASS, KENTUCKY SPOTTED BASS, SMALLMOUTH BASS or HYBRID LARGEMOUTH, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors. On paper tournaments please annotate your top 5 before weigh-in. Once your sheet is turned in, there will be no culling on paper either. As per B.A.S.S. if six fish are marked/weighted in you will lose the sixth fish and be penalized your heaviest of the five.

13. Fish weighed in must be caught only within tournament hours, on artificial bait only, while fishing from a boat within selected waters only, and according to laws of the State of Texas and other regulatory authorities. There shall be no trolling allowed; however, electric motors shall be used for boat operations.

14. A. Points will be awarded on the basis of one (1) point per ounce. An additional two(2) points
will be given for each fish that is released ALIVE. To be considered ALIVE, the fish must swim
off on its own.

*** Any DEAD fish will be a 4oz deduction AFTER points are totaled.

B. Each member will be awarded additional points for the following:
Five (5) points for attendance
Five (5) points for wearing a club shirt at all club functions
Five (5) points for wearing club cap at all club functions

*** Note. Directors do not receive points for directors meetings.

C. Being a member of B.A.S.S. is a requirement of this club; B.A.S.S. points can only be counted during times of membership. In order to fish the B.A.S.S. Top Six Tournament, you must be a member and in good standing with the club. The club gets a quarterly report on membership, therefore, if you need know when yours expires, be sure to contact the Secretary for that information.

D. You must attend 4 functions per year to qualify for the Top 6. Example: We have up to 18 events thru the year. Boat show is up to 2 events maximum for this event. PVA is 1 event. Youth (Champs, Cast for kids) is 1 event apiece. Club Open is 2 events. Conservation is possibly 7 events. Trash is up to 4 events. Board of Directors reserve the right to make changes to get the maximum Club participation in aforementioned events.

E. Board of Directors have agreed to do away with CENTEX points effective January 1 2007.

15. The tournament hours set must be strictly observed. You must check in with the “Tournament Director” prior to cut-off time. Keep your fish in your livewell until the weigh-in director calls for your fish. You may not check in on your partner. In the event the “Tournament Director” is not present all duties and liability then become the “President’s” responsibilities. During paper tournaments a partner may bring your sheet to weigh in if it is in the best interest of the members driving distance in relation to home, etc. Any change must be approved by one of the Board of Directors.

16. The “Tournament Director” is responsible for the weighing and measuring of all fish. All fish must be 14” long when measured on a CLUB FLAT BAORD. “BINGHAM CHECK-IT STIK”. Board will be placed on a horizontal surface and fish will be measured “BY THE STATE STANDARD”. If any fish is short of 14” or State set length, it will be disqualified and a penalty of sixteen (16) points will be taken away. A courtesy flat board will be available to check fish. Fish must be checked at the boat and prior to entering the weigh-in line. Any short fish brought to the scales shall be cause for disqualification for that member.

17. If you must leave prior to weigh-in, arrive late to tournament or decide to forfeit try to notify another member and scratch your name off the “sign-in & sign-out sheet” located in the Cen-Tex mailbox beside the boat ramp or in a designated truck bed. If a member so chooses to depart for the lake/tournament early they must notify one of the directors so they will not be waiting and wondering where the member is at, thus allowing everybody to depart the rendevous point on time.

18. NO ALCOHOL MAY BE CONSUMED OR IN THE BOAT DURING TOURNAMENT HOURS!!

19. In the event a fisherman is unable to determine that he is going to be able to fish a tournament and is a “holdout”, this fisherman is automatically a no-boater if there is another boater that has drawn out by himself. If two boater’s holdout, the first one that calls the Tournament Director is automatically the boater, the second is the no-boater.

20. The winning stringer is determined by total weight.

21. No member may fish with a guide 30 days prior to a tournament on that lake.

22. Big Bass and Side Big Bass awards will be given only if the fish are legally brought to the scales in paper tournaments. However, member(s) may receive club patches for papered fish. On a Big Bass carry over, if a member didn’t participate on the previous month whoever wishes to participate on the current month they must pay for BOTH Big Bass pots before eligible.

23. Any and all tournament disputes must be presented to the “Tournament Director” in writing no later
than 15 minutes after weigh-in has closed. It is the anglers responsibility to inform the “Tournament Director” of any dispute as soon as possible to prevent anyone or the “Tournament Director” himself from leaving the event unknowing of a dispute in progress.

24. The Cent-Tex Bass Hunters shall be a limited membership club. Only 40 memberships will be allowed at a time and all memberships will be invitation only. The club shall not be open to the general public. The board of directors will have the right to grant honorary memberships. Honorary memberships being that of granting memberships beyond the 40 member maximum to close friends and family.

25. Any member of the club is allowed to bring a guest of their choice 2 times a year to any club tournament. The only exception is you can not bring the same person twice.

These policies and procedures are not meant to replace or take away from the Constitution. They are guidelines and sometimes flexible depending on extenuating circumstances. Any deviations from these must be presented and permission granted by a board member in the director’s panel. If you have any questions concerning these policies, ask a director for clarification. If any dispute arises with these policies and procedures, please bring it before the directors at the next Directors meeting. This does not mean tournament disputes, refer to rule #23 in the incident of a tournament dispute.

Established 02/26/79
Revised 07/24/89
Revised 02/12/96
Revised 06/12/98
Revised 01/20/99
Revised 05/03/99
Revised 11/01/99
Revised 01/03/00
Revised 08/02/04
Revised 09/05/06
Revised 01/10/07