Constitution & Rule Book - Taff Bargoed Angling Association

Members are reminded of the following rules:

The baits used on the club waters shall be artificial Fly and worm only. The upper lake is artificial fly only. The exception being when the lower lake is closed for a canoeing competition, Anglers may at this time use a worm.
Lower lake and river, artificial fly or worm.
No other baits are to be used on club waters.
Only one rod is to be used or carried assembled at the water's edge.
Members breaking these rules will have their membership withdrawn.

1. Name

The name of the Club is THE TAFF BARGOED ANGLING ASSOCIATION.

2. Objects

The objects of the Club are to promote the sport of angling and the inhabitants of Trelewis, Treharris, Bedlinog and surrounding neighbourhoods and to provide facilities for the pursuit of the said sport especially the juveniles of the area.

3. Members

All prospective members must apply and register interest with the appropriate appointed officer or Secretary.
The Secretary shall keep a register of members and enter in it the names and addresses of all persons who become members.
A Member shall cease to become a member if, the Member having committed some act or have been guilty of behaviour inconsistent with membership of the Club, the Committee resolves by a majority of three quarters to remove the individual from membership.

4. Subscriptions

The annual subscription and day tickets of the Club will be agreed yearly at the AGM.
Memberships are renewed from 1st March in each year for the current year (1st March – last day in February).
All existing members must renew their membership in full by 31st March.
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall have the power to vary the subscriptions by ordinary resolution.

5. Officers

The honorary officers of the Club shall be a Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary and must be members of Taff Bargoed Angling Association.
Any officer may retire by giving one month's notice to the Secretary and shall retire at the end of each Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election at that Meeting.

6. The Committee

The Committee consists of the officers and not fewer than four and not more than twelve other Committee members.
Any members of the Committee may retire by giving one month's prior notice to the Secretary, and shall retire at the end of each Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.
The Committee may fill any casual vacancy on the Committee or of any office including that of Trustee or Auditor arising between Annual General Meetings.
Any person, who fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee without giving a reason acceptable to it, shall cease automatically to be a member of the Committee.
The Committee shall manage all the affairs of the Club and shall have the power to do everything necessary for that purpose.
The quorum of the Committee shall be five.
Committee meetings shall be held not less than once in every two months.
Three clear days written notice or oral notice shall be given by the Secretary to members of the Committee of every meeting. In an emergency at the discretion of the Chairman and Secretary additional meetings may be called on not less than 48hrs notice.
Decisions at meetings of the Committee are made by simple majority and in the event of equality of voting the Chairman (or acting Chairman of that meeting) shall have a casting vote.

7. Annual General Meeting

An Annual General Meeting shall be held in March every year.
The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive the Chairman's report of the activities of the Club during the preceding year.

8. Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at any time upon either a resolution of the Committee or a requisition setting out the resolution or resolutions to be proposed thereat.
The requisition must be signed by whichever is the lesser of 30 members and not less than one-tenth of the members and served on the Secretary by personal delivery or recorded delivery post.

Business that may be conducted at an Extraordinary General Meeting may be one or more of:

Removing all or any of the officers, other Committee members, Trustees and Auditors of the Club and filling the vacancies thereby caused.
Altering these rules.
Dissolving this Club.

9. Proceedings

Resolutions at Annual General Meetings shall be passed by simple majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the members present at the meeting.
Resolutions passed at Extraordinary General Meetings shall be passed by a majority of three-quarters of the votes entitled to be cast by the members present at the meeting.
Each member shall have one vote on every occasion.
In the event of equality in voting at an Annual General Meeting the Chairperson (or acting Chairperson at that meeting) shall have a second or casting vote but there shall be no casting or second vote on any resolution proposed at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Nominations of persons for election to any office must be made in writing to the Secretary not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting at which elections for that office are intended to be prepared.
No more than five new members will be eligible to join the Committee at any one time. (A new member is defined as a member with less than one complete year's membership at the time of the AGM).

10. Trustees

The Trustees shall be selected by the Club in General Meeting but shall be appointed by deed by the Chairman for the time being of the Club.
The number of Trustees shall not be fewer than 2 and no more than 4.
The Trustees shall hold office until death, resignation or removal from office by a resolution of the members.
There shall be vested in the Trustees all the property of the Club other than cash which will be under the control of the Treasurer.

11. Accounts, Income and Property

The financial year of the Club shall end on 31st January in every year, to which day the accounts shall be balanced and drawn.
As soon as it is practicable after the end of the financial year, there shall be prepared a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Club at the end of the financial year, and a statement of income and expenditure during that year, which statements shall be audited by the auditor not less than 20 days before the Annual General Meeting.
Copies of the audited statements of accounts shall be made available to every member for inspection at the Club Meeting for three months after each Annual General Meeting.
The auditor shall be appointed by each Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the end of the next following Annual General Meeting.
All monies received by the Club shall be paid into an account in the name of the Club at Bankers appointed by the Committee; not less than two officers must sign cheques, other instruments drawn on and directions to the bank.
No action involving expenditure or undertakings in the name or on behalf of the Club shall be taken, which would commit the Club to expenditure or other liability, without prior authority of a resolution of the Committee.

12. Indemnities

The Trustees and members of the Committee shall not be liable (otherwise than as members) for any loss suffered by the Club as a result of the discharge of their respective duties on its behalf, except such loss as arises from their respective wilful default and for all expenses and other liabilities incurred by them in their discharge of their respective duties.
The Trustees and Members of the Committee shall not be liable for any loss suffered by or injury to a Club Member or any other person fishing in Club waters or engaged in any activity organised by or on behalf of the Club.

13. Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved by a resolution passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The dissolution shall take effect from the day the resolution is passed, and the Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.
If any property remains after the discharge of all debts and liabilities of the Club it shall be distributed equally amongst the members of the Club at the date of dissolution.

14. Club Waters – Rules

Every club member must have a current membership card and a valid Environmental Agency License on their person when fishing the club waters.
No fishing will be allowed on Christmas Day and on days of stocking; restricted fishing may occur when the lake is used for other events. Please see notice board for these occurrences.
Only one rod is to be used or carried assembled at the water edge, and an ordinary landing net is to be used for landing fish.
Take into account the safety and well-being of other users and wildlife at the park. No member must leave any litter, line or other refuse on the water edges or riverbanks.
No fires are to be lit on the water edge or riverbanks.
The bait on the club water shall be artificial fly and worm only.
The upper lake is artificial fly only. The exception being when the lower lake is closed for a canoeing competition, anglers may at this time use a worm.
Lower lake and river are artificial fly or worm.
No other baits are to be used on club waters. Members breaking these rules will have their membership revoked.
No digging for bait is allowed on club waters.
All fish must be at least 9 inches from snout to the fork of the tail, otherwise they must be returned to the water dead or alive.
Only four fish can be dispatched in a competition and a further four within the first week after stocking. From the second week after stocking, only six fish a week can be dispatched but only three fish in one day. The week commences on a Saturday.
An up-to-date individual record must be kept and carried of visits, times, dates and fish caught by members. A club officer or bailiff must return this record to the appropriate officer or secretary monthly before the end of the following month and make it available for inspection by a bailiff.
Day tickets are available for purchase at a rate determined at the Annual General Meeting.
Competitions will be four fish unless otherwise authorised by committee resolution.
All members must use the car park opposite the pavilion and use the footpaths provided to access the club waters. Only registered Disabled Members or Committee officers will have access to the disabled parking areas.
No member shall fish less than five yards from the next Angler unless permission is given.
Only lead-free weights may be used on club waters.
Any poaching observed by a club member must be reported to the Secretary with the name and address of the transgressor if known.
A parent or guardian member must accompany all juniors under the age of 12 years old (or another responsible adult member, nominated by the parent or guardian), as the club and its officers will not be liable for their safety.
No juniors are allowed to fish during school term time hours.
No member shall be allowed to take pets with them whilst fishing on club waters.
The throwing of stones is strictly forbidden under any circumstances.

15. Canoeing Arrangements

When or if the authority having control grant the Welsh Canoeing Association use of the canoeing pools, weirs and lower lake:

Two sets of limit markers may be installed at the lower end of the lower lake to give clear indication of fishing restrictions.
Canoeing is always permitted below the 45-meter markers on the lower lake (except during angling competitions, when the club will have sole use of the lake).
Fishing below this limit is permitted when there are no Canoeists on the water.
When a canoeist arrives to use the water, anglers must stop fishing below the 45-meter markers.
The Canoeing weir pool will be for the sole use of Canoeing – the only exception will be catch and release, to return fish back to the main lake. This will only take place for 3 hours at the end of each of the official competition dates. The method is fly only using barbless hooks and all fish must be released into the main lake.

16. Enforcement

For the purpose of enforcing these rules all members shall challenge anyone fishing TBAA waters to produce their membership cards. Authorised bailiffs will be appointed and removed from office by the committee.

The committee may use delegated powers to temporarily alter a rule in the interest of the club, for a period of no longer than two months. This can only be done by a unanimous decision.