The Association of member clubs shall be known as the Lee Anglers' Consortium, hereinafter referred to as The Consortium.
The Registered Office of the Consortium shall be as decided from time to time by the Management Committee.
The Objects of the Consortium shall be:-
a) To maintain, develop and improve as fisheries any waters owned, leased or otherwise let to it;
b) To improve the environment and aquatic habitat of such waters;
c) To provide improved angling facilities that shall be available to all;
d) To endeavour to co-operate with all other water users; and
e) To assist and advise novices and anglers with disabilities.
Membership of the Consortium shall be open to bona fide angling clubs who have been proposed and seconded by current member clubs and approved by the Management Committee.
All member clubs shall be entitled to send two delegates to meetings and such delegates are expected
to attend at least one meeting every year.
a) Delegates meetings shall be held in or approximate to January, May and November each year,
b) The January meeting shall be the AGM
c) All member clubs, irrespective of size, shall have one vote in the business of the Consortium.
d) Voting shall be by a show of voting cards except, at the discretion of the Chairman, when a secret ballot may be held.
e) Subject to the provisions of Rule 11 (c) no alterations to the rules may be made except at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
f) Extraordinary General Meetings shall be called by the Secretary at the discretion of the Officers or at the request of at least one third of the membership and the Administrator shall give notice in writing to all members at least 28 days prior to the meeting specifying the date, time, place and the reason for calling the meeting.
g) Notices of motion to change rules and nominations for Officers or Committee must be made in writing to the Secretary no later than 1st September of the year preceding the AGM. Details of such proposals shall be sent to delegates of member clubs by 30th September. Any subsequent amendments must be notified to the Secretary no later than 1st November preceding the AGM. Full details of propositions and nominations shall be forwarded to member clubs no less than 28 days prior to the AGM.
h) Any motion or nomination proposed to the AGM or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be properly seconded and shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast at the meeting.
1) Representation from not less than one quarter of the club membership shall constitute a quorum.
j) The ruling of the Chairman on ' points of order' shall be absolute and without appeal.
k) The Chairman shall have a casting vote if necessary.
The Officers of the Consortium shall consist of a President, Vice President(s), Chairman, Treasurer and Two Trustees.
All Officers of the Consortium shall be honorary and shall be elected for one year at the AGM with the exception of the President and Vice President(s) who shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by resolution of the Management Committee.
a) The business of the Consortium shall be conducted by the Management Committee which shall consist of the Chairman, Treasurer, Two Trustees and two other members elected annually at the AGM.
b) All members of the Management Committee shall be bailiffs of the Consortium.
c) No more than two members per member club shall sit on the Management Committee, membership of which should reflect interests throughout the Lee Valley.
d) The Management Committee shall contract a Secretary, Accountant and Fishery Officer(s) who shall be present at all Committee and Delegates meetings to advise but they will not be full voting members of either that Committee or the Consortium.
e) The Management Committee shall contract such other person(s) as considered by them to be beneficial to the efficient running of the Consortium. Such person(s) shall attend Committee and Delegates meetings to advise members.
a) Subject to the provisions of Rule 11 (c) the annual subscriptions payable by member clubs shall be such a sum as the members shall determine from time to time at the AGM.
b) New member clubs shall pay an entrance fee as the members shall determine from time to time at the AGM.
c) Annual subscriptions and fees shall be paid within 30 days of invoice date. No credit will be given for unsold tickets returned after 30th September.
d) Any member club whose subscriptions and/or fees are unpaid by that date may forfeit membership.
e) The funds of the Consortium shall be kept in a bank account approved by the Management Committee.
f) Any excess moneys not required as a working balance shall be invested in an appropriate manner
as agreed by the Management Committee.
g) Members of the Management Committee shall be reimbursed for any such expenses as they shall from time to time reasonably incur whilst acting on behalf of the Consortium subject to the approval
of the Management Committee.
h) All cheques, documents or mandates shall be signed by any two from the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Accountant or Trustees.
1) The Financial Year for the Consortium shall end on 31st December.
j) All profits shall be used for the benefit of angling as approved by the Management Committee ,and agreed by British Waterways if appropriate.
k) The Accountant shall hold all cheques and cash and be responsible for the proper upkeep of all financial records and accounts. He shall submit the final accounts to the Consortium for audit and presentation to the AGM.
l) The Treasurer shall be responsible for seeing that all financial records, books, accounts and documents etc. Are Kept in accordance with the terms of agreement between the Consortium and any contracted person for professional services supplied.
m) In the event of dissolution any residual moneys, after all debts have been paid, shall be transferred
to the account of the LVACA for the benefit of angling in the Lee Valley.
n) The Officers, Management Committee, Secretary, Accountant, Fishery Officer(s) or any other person acting officially on behalf of the Consortium shall be indemnified by the Consortium against any liability they may incur by reason of any act done, or obligation entered into, by them with the sanction of the Management Committee.
a) All member clubs shall be issued with non-transferrable annual permits to be used only in
conjunction with their own current club membership cards ( or other proof of current membership).
Both permit and club identification must be in the actual possession of the member at the time of
fishing and must be produced on request by a Consortium Bailiff. Failure to produce both tickets will necessitate the purchase of the appropriate day membership ticket.
b) All member clubs must take up a minimum of 6 tickets.
c) Member clubs shall keep a record showing to whom Consortium Tickets are issued.
d) Any member club selling Consortium tickets to non bona-fide members of that club shall be liable
to expulsion from the Consortium without refund of any fees paid.
e) The Consortium will sell Annual and Day Membership Tickets for all its fisheries. There shall be a
full adult rate and a concessionary rate for juniors (aged under 16 years on 1st. April of the
current year), persons (aged 60 years and over on 1st April of the current year) and registered disabled persons (proof whereof shall lie on them). Subject to the provisions of Rule 11 (c) the rates for these permits shall be determined by the members from to time at the AGM.
A) The Management Committee shall meet together at the discretion of the Chairman or upon the advice of the Secretary.
B) No member shall be eligible for office who, having been already on the Management Committee during the previous year, has not attended at least two thirds of the meetings of that year unless reasonable cause has been shown for absence. In addition no person supplying services in return for a fee may be an officer of the Consortium.
c) The Management Committee shall prepare an annual budget and have control of the yearly income and expend the same for the benefit of the Consortium, they shall have powers to constitute any subcommittee deemed expedient and delegate to the same such powers as they may think fit. They shall from time to time make, repeal or amend such rules and regulations (not inconsistent with the Constitution) as they shall think expedient for the effective management and well being of the Consortium. All such rules and regulations made by the Management Committee under this rule shall be binding upon members until repealed by the Management Committee or set aside by a resolution of a General Meeting of the Consortium. The Management Committee is the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules (and of the rules and regulations made thereunder).
d) The Management Committee shall have powers to, (i) remove any club from the membership list, (ii) refund any fee, subscription or part of the same or refuse to accept any fee or subscription if it appears reasonable to do so, (iii) fill any vacancy in the Management Committee or Officers that may occur between any two General Meetings, (iv) engage professional services to carry out the management and administration of the Consortium, (v) rent or purchase any Fishing rights on behalf of the Consortium, (vi) sell or otherwise dispose of the said fishing rights and hold the proceeds for members and (vii) incur reasonable fees, charges or other expenses in connection with the acquisition or disposal of fisheries.
e) The Management Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter appertaining to the
general business of the Consortium whether provided for in these rules or not.
F) The Secretary, Accountant, Fishery Officer(s) and any other appointed person(s) shall be responsible to the Management Committee for the efficient running of the Consortium.
g) The Secretary, Accountant, Fishery Officer(s) and any other appointed person(s) shall be paid annual negotiated fees as approved from time to time by the Management Committee and, where applicable, be provided with a LAC telephone and answer phone, or an allowance in lieu, and such other allowances to cover unforeseen expenses, not covered by the terms of their contracts, as the Management Committee shall see fit.
h) The Secretary, Accountant, Fishery Officer(s) and any other appointed person(s) shall be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the Consortium but such decisions shall be subject to ratification by the next Management meeting. They may also expend and receive income within the predetermined annual budget. The Fishery Officer(s) shall refer all matters concerning legal, license/rental agreements and finance to the Secretary for ratification before taking any action on behalf of the Consortium.
1) The Secretary or any other appointed person shall be the sole distributor of annual tickets.
j) The Management Committee shall appoint sufficient bailiffs to ensure that the fishery is patrolled on a regular basis.
k) Bailiffs shall sell day membership permits.
1) All moneys collected by Bailiffs shall be paid to the Accountant or other appointed person and accounted for by the end of each calendar month. Bailiffs shall be personally responsible for all moneys collected by them on behalf of the Consortium until such moneys are received by the Accountant or other appointed person.
n) Bailiffs shall attend Management Meetings at the request of the Committee but shall have no voting rights.
A) Where possible sections shall be permanently pegged in an appropriate manner.
B) All open matches, organised sweepstakes and non-member club matches must be booked with the Fishery officer(s).
C) All member club outings must be booked if section closure is required.
D) Fees for bookings ( also known as pegging fees) shall, subject to the provisions of Rule 11 (c), be determined by the members from time to time at Annual General Meetings.
E) When a section is booked for a match the adjacent sections must be left free for pleasure anglers, other than on those occasions that are approved by the Management Committee.
F) No more than 50% of all sections may be booked on any one day save for exceptional circumstances as approved by the Management Committee having been given at least 56 days notice.
G) The same pegs shall not be booked on both days of one weekend.
H) The same pegs shall not be booked for weekend matches more than two consecutive weeks.
1) Pegs may only be booked on payment of the full pegging fee (which shall be nonreturnable) at least 14 days prior to the match other than in exceptional circumstances as agreed by the Secretary.
j) Details of all bookings to be publicly displayed on notice boards and in local tackle shops at least seven days prior to the booking.
k) When a section is booked bailiffs will ensure that it is reserved and no other angler will be permitted to fish that section for the duration of the match.
a) All permits must be produced on request by a Consortium Bailiff or other member (on production of own permit) or an officer of British Waterways or such other landlords of the Consortium as the case may be.
b) All members are honorary bailiffs and must assist Consortium Bailiffs when so requested.
c) All persons fishing on Consortium waters shall be bound by the bye-laws and regulations at the time being in force of British Waterways and the Environmental Agency (or any successor body).
d) Any angler found discarding litter of any kind , or interfering with or causing annoyance to any other angler or other legitimate water/towpath user without good reason (proof whereof shall lie on him) or failing to abide by any of the rules of the Consortium shall be liable to have his permit revoked forthwith and to be banned from Consortium waters pending a final decision by the Management Committee.
e) All persons fishing on Consortium waters must abide by any additional fishery rules, at the time being in force, reasonable notice having been given.
f) In all cases of dispute the decision of the bailiff shall be final and binding pending ratification by
the Management Committee.
g) Member clubs shall be liable for the actions of their members.
h) All persons purchasing day membership tickets shall be full members for that day and shall be
wholly subject to all the rules and disciplines of the Consortium and shall be fully entitled to all privileges for their period of membership. Consortium Bailiffs must inform such members of their rights at the time of selling say day membership tickets.
i) All persons purchasing annual membership tickets shall be full members for that year and shall be wholly subject to all the rules and disciplines of the Consortium and shall be fully entitled to all privileges for their period of membership. All such members shall be made aware of their rights and obligations at the time of purchasing such tickets.
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