Winsford & District Angling Association
What is a Constitution and why do we have one?
A constitution is body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which
a club or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
W.D.A.A. Constitution
1. Name
The Association shall be called the “Winsford and District Angling Association”
(hereinafter referred to as ‘The Association’).
2. Objects
The objects of the Association are:
2.1) To promote good fellowship amongst anglers.
2.2) To provide and maintain fisheries in agreement with respective landowners, that are suitable to allow safe angling without detriment to the environment.
2.3) To encourage competition angling by the promotion of contests.
2.4) To encourage angling development to young anglers, beginners, and improvers through education and by the promotion of assisted sessions.
2.5) To control and stock waters owned or rented by the Association.
2.6) To cooperate with the Environment Agency and other authorities. concerned with the purity of rivers and other waters and to prevent the pollution thereof.
2.7) To promote the interests of anglers, and of angling in general.
3. Membership
3.1) The membership year shall run from June 1st to May 31st in the following year.
3.2) The following classes of individual membership shall be available:
a, Adult (18 - 64 years age inclusive)
b, Junior (up to 17 years of age inclusive)
c, Over 65’s (65 years of age and over)
d, Spectator. (18 Years and over)
e, Concession (Disabled) Permit
3.3) Junior Anglers under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an Association member over the age of 18 (either an angling or non-angling member).
3.4) A night sticker shall be available to all categories of membership to cover night fishing on all waters where this is permitted.
3.5) A ‘close season’ sticker shall be available to adult members to cover fishing certain still waters during the close season - April and May.
3.6) Over 65’s and Junior members do not need a ‘close season’ sticker and may fish all waters that are open throughout the year.
4. Affiliation of Clubs
4.1) Any bona-fide angling club may apply to the Committee for affiliation to the Association.
4.2) Annual affiliation fees shall be set at the AGM and are payable by August 1st; or in the case of new affiliations, they are payable upon acceptance.
4.3) Affiliated clubs must have at least 15 members and purchase 15 permits (if the club does not have the minimum required then it will be at the Committee’s discretion to allow affiliation).
4.4) Affiliated Club Secretaries must submit the names and addresses of all members with permit numbers.
4.5) No affiliated club shall own or attempt to gain any water within the former Urban District of Winsford for their own use, without first offering it to The Association.
5. Administration
5.1) The day-to-day administration of The Association shall be conducted by a Committee Consisting of the Executive Officers and the General-purpose Committee (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Committee’).
5.2) The Committee shall consist of the Executive Officers of the Association plus a non-executive General-Purpose Committee with a pre-determined number of members.
5.3) The Executive Officers of the Association are Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Match Secretary, Angling Development officer and Fishery Managers.
5.4) Non-executive members shall serve for a period to be determined by the Executive Committee or until the non-executive member wishes to retire.
5.5) Meetings shall be at such place as Committee shall from time to time determine.
5.6) The Committee shall meet (when possible) monthly, except for March when the Association will hold its Annual general meeting.
5.7) Any non-executive Committee member not attending 60% of monthly Committee meetings in their first year of office will be required to stand for re-selection by the Committee after their first year.
5.8) A quorum at Committee meetings shall be six members.
5.9) The Chairman / Secretary of the Association shall give 7 days’ notice of any Committee Meetings and send out notices in writing (or by text message) to each member of the Committee stating the time, place, and agenda.
6. Powers and Duties of the Committee
The Committee shall have the following powers and duties:
6.1) Generally, to administer the day to day matters of the Association and to take all proper and reasonable conduct of its affairs.
6.2) To co-opt members to fill any vacancies within the Committee. A Member nominated to fill a committee vacancy must secure a majority committee vote to be able to take up the post.
6.3) By its Officers to keep accurate records of its transactions including the keeping of minutes of all meetings and the receipt and expenditure of all monies.
6.4) Bailiffs will be invited to attend committee meetings four times per year to discuss and approve the general activities of the Committee on behalf of its members.
6.5) To liaise with and agree the actions of the Water Management Team.
6.6) The committee may grant honorary membership for members in recognition of services to the club. Honorary members will have all the privileges of membership and are subject to all club rules.
6.7) The Committee will have the power to Pay Honorarium payments to its Executive Committee members, the payment level will be set by the committee and paid on an annual basis.
7. Water Management Team
7.1) The Water Management Team hereinafter referred to as (‘The WMT’) shall consist of The Fishery Managers and the Association’s bailiffs.
7.2) The WMT will be responsible for the day-to-day care of all association waters and surrounding lands (fish stocks, maintenance, and upkeep).
7.3) An annual budget for the WMT shall be agreed by the Committee.
7.4) The WMT will produce an annual management plan for all the waters. In the event of unforeseen circumstances during the year the plan may be revised but changes must be agreed by the Committee.
8. Finances
8.1) The Association financial year shall be from the 1st of January to 31st December.
8.2) An externally audited balance sheet will be made available for members to review at the AGM.
8.3) The bankers of the Association shall be Barclays Bank Limited, or any such bank as the Committee shall determine.
8.4) The bank account shall be in the name of the Association and shall be operated where possible on the joint names of the Treasurer plus either or both of the following: Chairman, Secretary.
9. Trustees
9.1) The Committee shall appoint 3 persons being either Officers or ordinary members of the Association to act as Trustees.
9.2) The Committee shall have power for any valid reason to remove a Trustee from office.
9.3) The Committee shall appoint members of the Association to fill any vacancies arising due to the death, retirement, or removal of any Trustee.
9.4) The Trustees shall hold deeds of any land owned by the Association (other than which shall be held by the Treasurer) in their names on behalf of the Association and shall deal with such by way of sale, mortgage or otherwise as the Association / Committee from time to time determine.
10. Annual General Meeting
10.1) The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting in each year. Where possible this should take place during the month of March.
10.2) The Membership must be notified of the time, place, and agenda 21 days before the meeting. Notice may be given via the website and social media.
The following business shall be conducted at the AGM:
10.3) Presentation of minutes of previous year’s AGM.
10.5) Secretary’s Report.
10.6) Fisheries Managers Report.
10.7) Match Secretary’s Annual report, presentation association trophies and match prize winners.
10.8) Angling Development Report
10.9) Treasurers Report and Presentation of the accounts.
10.10) The appointment of auditors or a firm of accountants.
10.11) The fixing of annual subscriptions and fees.
10.12) Any other business communicated to the Secretary and included by him in the published agenda, or that the Association shall be obliged to consider.
10.13) Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the AGM must notify the Secretary in writing, no later than December 31st in the preceding year. The resolution must contain the names and membership numbers of the proposer and a seconder.
11. Extraordinary General Meeting
11.1) An Extra General Meeting may be convened within 21 days on the requisition of 50 members of the Association. The executive officers shall also have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting. Such requisitions shall state the purpose for which such a meeting is required.
12. Dissolution
12.1) If in the opinion of the Committee for any reason whatsoever it appears reasonable that the affairs of the Association be wound up and the Association be dissolved, an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called to pass a resolution to this effect.
12.2) A majority of 75% of the members attending an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be needed to dissolve the Association and all members of the Association must be notified of the meeting in writing.
12.3) The Committee shall appoint the then Chairman and not more than 2 other members of the Committee to act as a liquidation sub-committee with full power to act on behalf of the Committee in the dissolution proceedings; including the powers specifically conferred by Rule 9 (Trustees).
12.4) In the event of dissolution of the Association then a statement of the assets and liabilities shall be prepared.
12.5) In the event of a deficiency of assets then a meeting of the creditors shall be called, and an agreement entered with the creditors for liquidation of the Associations liabilities on a pro-rata basis.
12.6) In the event of a surplus of assets all creditors of the Association shall be satisfied, and the surplus assets shall then be shared between local charities, these charities to be determined by the liquidation sub committee.
13. Members Conduct and Discipline
13.1) Bailiffs can deal with minor offences either by way of advice, verbal warning or by recording an endorsement inside the back page of the permit, for more serious matters or if the offender continues to offend or the permit has already been endorsed twice, the member may be reported to the Committee.
13.2) Bailiffs and officials shall be considerate when approaching anglers or anyone else on association waters, they should not aggravate or intimidate anyone they meet and wherever possible should not put themselves into any situation that may result in physical harm, if a situation becomes out of hand, they should remove themselves from the situation as soon as possible and report to the Committee or Police if the situation warrants it.
13.3) The Committee may invite any member reported for breaking Association Rules or for bringing the Association into disrepute by any means, to appear at a disciplinary hearing. Alternatively, they may elect to deal with the matter in the offender’s absence.
13.4) The Committee may temporarily suspend a member from fishing for a period or may consider permanent expulsion for more serious offences other punishments shall also be considered appropriate to the circumstances.
13.5) In dealing with all matters affecting conduct and discipline the decision of the Committee will be final.
13.6) No member of the Association may join a private syndicate operating on former Association waters without permission of the Committee.