The Bass Federation of South Carolina

Constitution and By-Laws
Amended and Adopted by the Board of Directors
On January, 17 , 2016

Article 1

Section 1 The name of this organization shall be The Bass Federation of South Carolina

Article 2

Section 1 The purpose and objectives of this organization are as follows:

a. To serve as an organization in which the individual chapter clubs in the state of South Carolina, affiliated with The Bass Federation (TBF), may be united in the pursuit of their common interests and causes.
b. To act as an agency between TBF and member chapters in the Federation in whatever matters are deemed practical.
c. To assist, cooperate with, and offer advice to the South Carolina Department of Fish and Wildlife and its agencies, in matters that are beneficial.
d. To become politically and legally involved in such matters that are consistent with the goals of the TBF and the South Carolina Chapter, which may arise on a national, state, or local level.
e. To preserve and further the sport of bass angling by actively becoming engaged in the areas of environment, pollution, and youth related activities.
f. To promote, organize, and conduct an annual South Carolina TBF tournament trail in a manner consistent with the format of the TBF tournaments to determine the team to represent the state of South Carolina at any TBF Championship tournament.
g. To promote, assist, and facilitate the formation of additional bass clubs to become affiliated with TBF and the South Carolina Federation.

Article 3 Membership

Section 1
a. Any club within the state of South Carolina may become a chapter member of the Federation. Any club wishing to join the TBFofSC must have 95% of their members be South Carolina residents.

Section 2 Individual members of such chapters will become members of the South Carolina Bass Federation upon payment of TBFofSC yearly dues.

Section 3 Should a member chapter wish to terminate their membership, they may do do so at any time by written request.

Section 4 Any member chapter may have their membership terminated in the Federation for any reasons that are not consistent with the values and purposes of the Bass Federation of South Carolina.

a. Failure to pay annual dues in a timely fashion.
b. Flagrant and/or continuous action or expression demonstrating a belief inconsistent with and contrary to the purpose of the Bass Federation of South Carolina.
This includes Sportsmanship.

c. Scheduling chapter tournaments on dates conflicting with SCTBF tournaments.

Section 5

a. Every chapter club is required to participate in TBF of SC fund raising efforts such as raffles, sales etc. Failure to do so will place a club in poor standing and will not be allowed to participate in the 6 Man event or advance anglers to the National Semi Final.
b. All clubs are expected to show support of TBF of SC by participating in tournament trail events. A minimum of 12 tournament trail entries are required. Can be any club members as long as there is a minimum of 12 each year.

Article 4 Dues and Monies

Section 1 Chapter dues must be paid to the TBFSC by December 31sof each year. The amount of dues for the year will be $ 15.00 per registered member.

Section 2 The Federation may accept monies from TBF to be used as needed by the State Federation.
a. Allotment of the monies are subject to a vote by the BOD

Section 3 The Federation may generate monies from tournament entries and the sale of TBF merchandise.

Section 4 Member clubs may only use references to TBF and TBFSC if the BOD has approved, beforehand, the project.

Section 5 Monies in excess of expenses in the yearly operation of TBFSC will revert back to the general fund and be reported as such at the yearly meeting.

Section 6 Under no circumstances will the TBFSC accept monetary or in kind assistance from individuals, businesses, corporations, government agencies, or any other donors if there is prima facie evidence that the goals of these entities are contrary to those of TBFSC.

Section 7 Should this organization disband, all monies will be dispersed to the member chapters after all indebtedness has been satisfied.

Section 8 All TBFSC income and expenses will be reviewed by the Board of Directors every year.

Article 5 Board of Directors and Elections
Terms of Office and Duties

Section 1 The TBFSC Board of Directors shall consist of six officers (the President, Vice President Secretary, Tournament Director, Youth Director and Treasurer) and one District Rep. per region. The Board of Directors will convene at least four times annually to conduct the business of the Federation. More meetings may be called the discretion of the President.

Section 2 The nominations and elections for the offices of President and Vice President shall be Conducted at the last scheduled meeting of the year that a term is to expire.

Section 3 The nominations for District Representatives will be requested from each chapter within the region where the vacancy will exist. All nominations for District Reps must be submitted in writing to the BOD. One vote per club.

a. District Representatives – These persons must be a member in good standing with TBFSC and be active in affiliated chapter of the Federation.
b. Office of President – This person must be a member in good standing with the TBFSC and active in an affiliated chapter of the Federation. To be nominated, elected, or to assume the office due to a vacancy, this person must have shown an active interest in the effort of the Federation and been a member for at least 2 years.
c. Office of Vice President – This person must be a member in good standing with TBFSC and active in an affiliated chapter of the Federation. To be nominated, elected, or assume office due to a vacancy, this person must have shown an active interest in the effort of the Federation and been a member for at least 2 years.
d. Secretary and Treasurer – These positions will be appointed as the President and Vice President see fit.
e. The positions of Youth Director and Conservation Director, along with any other positions deemed necessary.

Section 4 Voting
a. All Board members will have one vote on matters of TBF business.
b. Clubs will have one vote for every 6 paid members on bylaws and other matters discussed at the annual meeting.

Section 5 Term of Office
a. The President and Vice President will serve two-year terms of office. Nominations for new officers will be held at the last meeting of the year of the current officers last term. Officers may serve more than one term if nominated and re-elected.

Section 6 Duties
a. President – Preside over meetings of the Board and the general membership, direct all official business, supervise all Federation activities, appoint and be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, be an official representative of the federation in the relationship with other organizations, maintain the relationship with TBF at both District and National levels.
b. Vice President – Assist the President, upon request, with any of the above mentioned duties, preside over any meeting in the Presidents absence, assume the office of President should it be vacated.
c. Secretary – Keep accurate minutes of all regular meetings, maintain regular correspondence with the chapter clubs and District Representatives, and be available to advise chapter clubs and individuals on their documentation requirements for TBF.
d. Treasurer – Maintain accurate financial records and be able to present a current balance at each Board meeting, disperse all monies upon approval of the Board, submit a report to the membership.
1. An annual audit shall be conducted by an Auditing Committee selected from the membership and presented to the Board at the end of the year meeting.
e. Removal of Officers – Any officer may be removed from office by a seventy five percent vote of the Board upon 30 days prior notice to The Board and the person in question.

Section 7 Representation of Federation Chapters to the Board will be the responsibility of District Representatives. These Representatives will be elected from the districts they intend to represent. Nominees must be members in good standing with TBF, the Federation, and a federated club from that district.

a. It will be the responsibility of the District Rep. to convey the business of the Chapters which he represents to the Board of Directors, and in turn, relay the business of the Board to the Chapters.
b. Voting on the District Reps. will be the responsibility of the Chapter Presidents in the areas represented.
c. Should a District Rep. prove unsatisfactory in the position, he/she may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board. Should the position of Director be vacated, by removal, death, illness, transfer or any other means, an election shall be held immediately to fill the position for the remainder of the term. It will not be counted as a full term; therefore, he may be re-elected for additional terms should his region chose so.

Article 6 Federation Geographical Regions

District location and number will be determined as seen practical as TBF growth occurs.

Article 7 Meetings

Section 1 There will be monthly meetings of the Board as is practical. Time, date, and location shall be called by the President. Each chapter club may have a representative present if they choose. All clubs must be represented at the annual meeting in January.

Section 2 Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors. Time, Date and Locaton would be determined by the Board.

Article 8 Tournaments

Section 1
a.TBF of SC will conduct a tournament trail for the purpose of qualifying members to represent SC at the National Semi Final tournament.
b. Participants in TBFSC qualifying tournaments must be a member of an affiliated Chapter with TBFSC and be listed on the club roster as submitted to the Board..
c. Tournament rules, dates, and lakes are attached and made part of these Bylaws.
d. National Semi Final qualifying – The state representatives each year will be determined by membership numbers as of Jan 1st each year. The state qualifiers will be comprised of 2 anglers from the 6 Man event. The top boater and top co/angler will advance to the National Semi Final. The remaining 10 slots will be determined by membership ratio of boaters to co/anglers. (example 40 boaters and 10 co/anglers = 4 to 1 ratio. Resulting in 8 boaters and 2 co/anglers advancing) These 10 slots would be determined from our points trail.

Article 9 Standing Committees

Section 1 The President shall appoint the following standing committees and such other Committees as may become necessary. Appointments to standing committees will have a term of one year. These terms will be renewable. The same criteria for holding an office position will apply to these appointments also.

a. Tournament Director/Committee: This committee shall plan, assist, advise, organize, and operate all Federation tournaments, determine eligibility, collect all monies and fees, set rules with final authority on the proper conduct of all Federation tournaments. It will be the primary duty of the Tournament Committee to so conduct its affairs that only honor, integrity, sportsmanship, and the highest ideas of fair play will accrue to it, and thus to each and every member of the Federation.

Article 10 Amending of Bylaws or Constitution

Section 1 These Bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting of the entire Federation only. Anyone wishing to have an amendment or change brought up for discussion and possible vote must submit to the Board their idea/comment/ suggestion in writing at least 15 days prior to the meeting.

CHAPTER RESPONSIBILITIES

Chapters retain their own unique identity. The Federation does not, and will not interfere with a Chapter’s internal affairs. As long as a club maintains its TBFSC Chapter in good standing, and adheres to the ideals of good sportsmanship and conservation, the Chapter is more than acceptable for affiliation in The Bass Federation of South Carolina. (TBFSC)

To maintain affiliation with TBFSC, each Chapter must adhere to the following requirements:

1. Board of Directors Meeting – There will be one annual meeting of all Chapter Reps., District Reps., and Board Members, typically in January. Each Chapter should be represented at these meetings. Additional Meetings may be called as needed.

2. District Meetings – The District Representatives are asked to offer, at least, a meeting per quarter for their districts. Each Chapter should be represented at these. It is vital these lines of communication remain open and flowing. IN BOTH DIRECTIONS!

3. Member clubs should not schedule any events on the same dates as TBFSC tournaments or events.

4. Chapter Membership Roster – Each Chapter shall be responsible for keeping their roster up to date with TBFSC. The addition or deletion of individual members should be made as soon as they occur.

5. Dues and Assessment – Each Chapter is required to submit annual dues no later than December 31st of each year. The amount of dues shall be designated by the BOD. A check for the proper amount must accompany the Chapter’s membership roster and be received prior to the December deadline.

6. Every chapter is requires to participate in TBF of SC fund raising efforts such as raffles, sales etc. Failure to do so will result in non-eligibility for the 6 Man Team event.

7. All chapters are expected to show support of TBF of SC by participating in Trail Tournaments. A minimum of 6 entries, of chapter members or member, in any combination adding up to 6 is required each year to be eligible to attend the 6 Man Team event.

DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE ROLE

There will be one District Representative per geographic area as outlined on the attached map. Reps will be elected by the Chapters within their designated areas for a period of two years. There is no restriction on the number of terms a Rep. may serve.

A District Reps tenure coincides with the elections of the Board of Director Officers elections. There term will also coincide with the term of the Officers.
It is very important that each District take great care in their selection of District Reps. Candidates should possess a genuine desire and willingness to work for and in the best interest of the Chapters, the District, and the Federation as a whole.
Upon accepting a District Representatives position, the individual assumes certain obligations and expectations. He/she is expected to be active and involved in the many facets of the organization.

A District Representative should be willing to:

  1. Attend all Board meetings.
  2. Work with other District Reps, arrange, schedule, and attend the meetings of his/her Chapters on occasion.
  3. Assist and help conduct the qualifying tournaments. 6 man and Championship Tournaments.
  4. Help in the solicitation of prizes and/or sponsors for TBFSC.
  5. Help coordinate or assist in Federation projects.
  6. Maintain personal contact with the Chapters in his/her region and assist them as needed. Help each club with assigning their designated Representative for his/her meetings.
  7. Motivate his districts Chapters to get involved in the Federation and its activities.
  8. And above all else, earn the trust of their Chapters that they will go to bat for what each and every one of them feels is important. And please, please let us know when someone or a Chapter does something deserving of recognition. If we cannot get it on the TBF website, we can get it on ours and recognize them at our meetings.