Constitution of the Newton Stewart District Angling Association
(as amended at the 2023 AGM)
1. Name and style
The Association to be named and styled: Newton Stewart and District Angling Association, and governed by this constitution.
2. Objectives
2.1. To promote and improve the angling amenities on all waters controlled by the Association for the benefits of all anglers.
2.2. To promote and encourage safe practices on association waters and be environmentally aware in all we do.
2.3. To insist on good manners and responsible behavior from all Association members and to take appropriate action against all offenders.
2.4. To prevent any and all forms of illegal fishing on association waters and the committee reserves the right to initiate the prosecution of offenders.
2.5.The association will pursue an equal opportunities policy, regardless of race, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
3. Management
3.1. The whole management of the affairs of the association shall be in hands of a committee, consisting of a President, Vice-President, Secretary or Secretaries, Treasurer or Treasurers and a number of committee members, not more than 12 including office bearers. The committee may, at their discretion, appoint a Chairperson. Their duties shall be designated from time to time as appropriate by the committee. They shall be nominated by the committee and elected at the AGM.
3.2. The office bearers and members of the committee shall be elected at the annual general meeting, all shall retire annually but all are eligible for re-election. Any committee members who desires to retire can do so and another shall be elected in their place. If the committee appoint a Chairperson, they must have a full member status and will have no casting vote rights at committee meetings. The President is to have a second or casing vote in the event of a tie.
3.3. The committee shall be empowered to make rules and bye-laws for the control and management of the Association, to appoint sub-committees and to fill vacancies in their number caused by the death or resignation or otherwise during the year. The members or member appointed after such vacancies to hold office till the first AGM thereafter.
3.4. The committee shall have power to settle all disputes and their decision shall be final in all cases and binding upon all members.
3.5 The committee shall have the power to refuse to grant permits to fish their waters and to suspend or withdraw the same at any time. In the case of suspension or withdrawal the secretary shall advise the member in writing of a report against them and request their attendance at a committee meeting, when their case shall be considered. Failure to attend after suitable times and dates have been fixed for such a meeting will result in a decision being reached in their absence. In the case of a refusal to grant a permit to fish, no reason need be given.
3.6. It shall be a duty of the Secretary to keep a minute book in which they shall enter all minutes of meetings, and shall submit same for approval at the next meeting. They shall conduct the correspondence of the Association and their books shall be open to the committee at all meetings.
3.7. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse monies belonging to the association and keep an account of their intromissions in a cash book. They shall deposit all monies received by them in a bank, and in their absence the president or secretary shall have power to operate thereon. A statement of the accounts for the year ending 31st October immediately preceding, duly audited, shall be prepared for submission to the committee, and thereafter an abstract shall be submitted at the AGM in draft form if required..
3.8. At the AGM, an auditor or auditors shall be appointed for the following financial year, who shall examine all books and accounts in the hands of the Treasurer and certify same for submission to the next AGM.
3.9.The committee shall meet from time to time as circumstances demand, six members will form a quorum.
3.10. Any committee member being absent from a total of five meetings per membership year shall not be eligible for re election, such vacancies to be filled in the manner provided for.
3.11. The committee shall have power to negotiate a lease or the purchase of additional water or waters. The committee may borrow for the purposes of the Association such sums as authorised by the members at the annual general meeting or a properly convened special general meeting at such rates of interest and on such terms and conditions as they think proper.
3.12. They make special arrangements with kindred Associations to the mutual advantage of their members.
3.13.They may recommend and issue free permits to those whom they consider it to be in the interests of the Association so to do.
4. Trustees
4.1. The property and effects of the association shall be vested and the leases or titles of such waters as leased or owned by the association shall be taken for and on behalf of the Association in the names of the following trustees viz. the President, Vice-President, Secretary or Secretaries, and Treasurer or Treasurers, or their successors in office.
4.2. No individual shall profit from the assets of the association.
5. Annual General Meeting
5.1. The AGM shall be held annually on the second Thursday of December for the purposes of the committee’s annual report and the Treasurers statement, to elect office bearers and members of the committee and for the transaction of any competent business.
5.2. The president, vice-president or any members of the committee may convene special general meetings or the association at any time, or upon the requisition of the thirty members; each such requisition to state the purpose of the meeting. No other business shall be discussed at the meeting.
5.3. The President , or in his absence, the Vice-President, or the elected Chairperson, shall precide at all meetings, and in the absence of all the meeting shall appoint a Chairperson. The committee may at their discretion elect a committee member to be Chairperson at the AGM or SGM otherwise the meeting will be chaired by the President or Vice-President. The Chairperson at all such meetings shall not have the casting vote but will have a deliberative vote.
5.4. The annual subscriptions and entry fees, if any, shall be fixed at the AGM.
5.5. Copies of the constitution are to be available on application to the Treasurer or Secretary.
5.6. Motions from individual members for consideration at the AGM must be in writing and signed by a proposer and seconder. Such motion must be in the hands of the secretary 30 days prior to the AGM. Copies of the motion will be circulated at the AGM and/or the SGM.
5.7. Amendments to the constitution from individual members shall be submitted in the same manner as motions.
5.8. The committee shall submit motions and/or amendments to the constitution in the name of the committee. They shall be moved and seconded by members of the committee. Copies of motion(s) and/or amendment(s) will be circulated at the AGM and/or SGM.
6. Admission of members
6.1. Those entitled to become members of the association, with the sole exception of associate members, winter predator associate members, must be domiciled within the bounds of the Machars of Wigtownshire or the western part of Kirkcudbrightshire, Gatehouse-of-Fleet being the extreme limit to the east and Glentrool to the north. Generally, anyone permanently residing within the postcode boundary of DG8 is entitled to apply for membership. Borderline cases are to be left to the discretion of the Committee.
6.2. Application for admission to membership shall be made through the President or Secretary and every applicant must be recommended by two current members of the association. Membership shall not commence until the current fee has been paid, and the committees shall have the power to refuse membership to any applicant without stating a reason.
6.3. Election of membership is by simple majority vote at committee meetings.
6.4. In the case of a member of five years standing leaving the district, he may, providing he makes written application to the secretary, retain a full membership although residing outwith the district, such membership to be taken out annually. If the membership is allowed to lapse for one year, such privilege shall cease.
6.5 Any members proven to have brought the name of Newton Stewart and District Angling Association into disrepute will be expelled from the association forthwith.
7. Membership
7.1. Full members shall be 16 years of age or over at 1st March on year of application. (Full members are on occasion referred to as adult members.)
7.2. Application for OAP membership of the Association shall mean that the applicants are at or over the age on 65 at 1st of March of that year.
7.3. Secondary school age members shall be between the age of 12 years and 15 years on 1st of March on the year of application. Members of this age grouping who remain in full time education beyond the age of 15 years may, upon proof of this and subject to the discretion of the committee who will consider each case on its merits, be eligible to continue membership at the appropriate secondary school age fee fee.
7.4. Primary school age members, including predator ticket members of this age bracket, shall be between the ages of 5 and 11 years on 1st of March on the year of application.
7.5. Associate members and winter predator associate members shall be 16 years of age or over on 1st of March on the year of application, being individuals who stay outwith the area of the Association as previously defined. Associate members have full fishing rights on all association waters. Associate members and winter predator associate members do not have voting rights at meetings or annual general meetings and they are not eligible to hold any office in the association.
7.6. Secondary school age members shall be under the age of 16 years on 1st of March on the year of application. They shall be subject to the same conditions governing adult associate members.
7.7. The number of associate members and winter predator associate members shall be set at the annual general meeting. The office bearer and committee shall consider all applications to ensure a rational geographical distribution of the associate membership. The fees, and entrance fees, if any, for associate member will be agreed at the AGM.
8. Visitors’ permits
8.1. Visitors shall be allowed permits to fish the association’s waters. Permits may be issued on a daily, weekly, fortnightly on monthly basis, at a cost as agreed at the annual general meeting.
9. Fishing rules
9.1. The fishing rules shall be those rules as printed on the current annual membership card and on current visitors’ permits and/or on associations official publications.
