Niagara County Sportsmens Associ

Updated November 19th 2009

Niagara County

Sportsmen’s Association

By - Laws

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SECTION I: Order Of Business

(A) Call to order

(B) Reception of guests

(D) Reading of minutes and treasury report

(E) Communications

(F) Reports

1. Building

2. Finance and Audit

3. Social

4. Program, ways and Means

5. Grounds

6. Range and Trap field

7. Ponds

8. Recreational

9. Publicity

(G) Unfinished Business

(H) Election of Officers

(I) New Business

(J) Good of Association

(K) Adjournment

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SECTION II: Meetings

(A) Regular meetings shall be held on the 2nd Sunday of each month or as otherwise specified by the Directors or Members at the N.C.S.A. 2/17/91

(B) Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held 10 days before our General Meeting each month or as otherwise specified by the Directors or Members at NCSA.

SECTION III: Committees

The president shall exercise equity towards all members in good standing when selecting any committee.

SECTION IV: Rights of Members

(A) Any member in good standing shall have the right to address the chair on any matter pertinent to the Association during the regular order of business.

(B) He\she shall have the right to register his\her vote on any motion.

(D) Any three members may demand of the President in writing requesting an Audit of the accounts of the treasurer or any other department which has been authorized to receive or expend Monies. When so demanded, the president must appoint an auditing committee to the satisfaction of the said members and an auditing report must be read at the next general meeting.

(E) Any member in good standing shall have the right to attend any Director's Meeting.

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SECTION V: Membership and Dues

(A) Senior membership applications must be made on the form provided for this purpose and the application must be accompanied by the necessary fee at the interview.

(B) Application for membership will be taken from June 1st to the following June with a limitation of the number of members controlled by the Officers and Directors of the Niagara County Sportsmen's Association.

(C) Dues; Changes in yearly dues, costs, and initiation fees shall be voted on at a general meeting only after the general membership has been notified of said change, in writing, not less than 10 and not more than 30 days before the meeting in question. In addition to the first year's dues, all new members will pay an initiation fee equal to one year's dues. (Change accepted 12-14-2008)

(D) All members must put in ten (10) hours of work each year in order to receive a Discount on Yearly dues. Due attention is to be paid to exemptions for age, infirmity, or disability. The Discount is to be determined by the Officers and Directors. This Discount as well as the current dues structure with effective dates shall be continuously and clearly posted at the Cub. (Change accepted 12-14-2008)

(E) All membership dues shall expire June 1^st.

New member dues will be pro-rated after January 1 to June 1st

1) From June 1st. to December 31st.

One year dues plus one year initiation.

2) From January 1st. to March 31st.

1/2 year dues plus one year initiation.

3) From April 1st. to June 30th.

1/4 year dues plus one year initiation

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If the membership is not renewed by July 31, the member is dropped from the Club roster and loses all rights to sign as a renewal. If inflation or some other hardship forms, the board may add a 30-day grace period to the renewal deadline. (Change accepted 12-14-2008)

(F) Youths between the ages of 16 and 18 shall be eligible for Junior Membership. Their dues shall be $5.00 the first year, and $3.00 per year after. At age 18, they will pay full membership dues, excluding the initiation fee. If their birth date follows 60 days after due date, they will have the rest of the year at their junior rate. They shall state on their application the day, month, and year of their birth. As junior members, they will have all rights and privileges of the club, except any voting on money matters, and they will not be allowed guest privileges.

(G) Honorary Membership shall be held by a vote of the Officers and Directors of this Association. Final approval by the general body is required. This privilege may be revoked by the body at any time there is just cause. This honorary membership will only be given to persons who, by their co-operation, are furthering the cause of this Association.

(H) Life Membership shall only be granted to a person with 20 or more year’s service to this Association. The nomination for this award may be made by any member and it shall be approved by 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors. Any member selected for this award shall hold his Membership for life, and shall not be subjected to any dues assessments. Under no condition shall this membership be sold, bartered, or traded for anything of value and can only be given under the above conditions. This membership will only be given to persons who, by their cooperation, are furthering the cause of this Association, and are to be voted on individually.

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(I) When a member enters active Duty in the armed services of our county, he or she shall be carried on the membership rolls as a member in good standing until the end of the fiscal year of his or her honorable discharge or return to inactive reserve status without any dues or fees, provided the said member notifies the Secretary in writing stating that he or she is entering Full time Active Duty. (Change accepted December 14 2008)

(J) Any member who has been a member in good standing for five (5) or more years and is sixty-five (65) or more years of age will on written annual request have his or her dues reduced to 50 percent of the current dues.

(K) Any member with over ten (10) years in the club who becomes disabled will get a membership dues cut by 50 Percent with board approval. 6/25/87.

SECTION VI: Use of Sportsmen’s Retreat

A) Sportsmen’s Retreat consisting of 26 and 3/4 acres, located on the Lower Mt. Road near Bonds Lake, Pekin, New York, shall be open to its members 365 days of the year. Members, their wives, and relatives under the age of 16 years shall have the right to use all facilities.

(B) Children at the N.C.S.A. must be supervised by a responsible adult. If a mother (who is a member on her husband's card) brings the children to the club, she must have in her possession, her husband's membership card.

(C) Fishing in the ponds is allowed when legal to do so. Seasons set by the New York State Conservation Department and fishing licenses are required by law .All non-members must pay a $5.00 range fee to fish in the ponds.

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(D) Ranges: Shoot safely at targets. Do not shoot at glass bottles. No shooting allowed anywhere except on ranges.

(E) Swimming is not allowed.

(F) Dog training allowed when legal to do so.

(G) No hunting allowed.

(H) Non-members must pay a non-member fee for the use of N.C.S.A. facilities and must also be accompanied and supervised by a member.

(I) Picnics are allowed, put out fires and clean up.

(J) Do not dig any shrubs, trees, or flowers.

(k) Help keep NCSA clean.

SECTION VII: NOMINATION OF OFFICERS

(A) Election of Officers shall take place at the December General meeting. All voting shall take place at this time.

(B) In September, the President shall appoint an election committee consisting of two Directors whose terms do not expire that year and one member in good standing. It shall be the responsibility of the committee to determine the Guidelines for the conduct of this election, to publish them clearly along with the ballot, and to man the ballot box available to the membership on Election Day. Due consideration shall be given to past practices and every effort should be made to ensure the rite of every member to cast a ballot and protect the privacy of votes cast by the membership. (Accepted December 14 2008)

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(C) This committee shall study the Club's records to select the best possible candidates for office and they shall have ready their selections to be read off at the November general meeting.

(D) At the November general meeting candidates may be nominated off the floor. Members being nominated from the floor must be present at the November meeting to accept nomination. Nominees acceptable to the committee need not be present to stay on ballot.

(E) No member shall be nominated to be an Officer unless he or she has been a member in good standing for at least three (3) years, and to be nominated for a Director position they shall have been a member in good standing for at least two (2) years. The consecutive year requirements must be immediately prior to the election. If there are no qualified nominees, the Executive Board shall have power to override this paragraph and accept nominations of members in good standing with less than the above mentioned years of service.

(F) All officers and Directors shall be elected by paper ballot. The said ballot shall be enclosed with the November monthly bulletin. All "mail in" ballots shall be in an envelope marked for election, and shall also include the voter's membership number and signature on the envelope. They shall only be opened by the Nominating Committee on Election Day. All improperly marked envelopes shall be discounted.

(G) The newly elected Officers and Directors, along with the outgoing Officers and Directors shall attend the December Board of Directors Meeting. The newly elected Officers and Directors shall assume their duties at the January monthly meeting.

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(H) In case of a tie in the election, a vote of members present at the December general meeting shall decide the election.

(I) The President of the Niagara County Sportsmen’s Association, upon vacating their office, will automatically assume the office of Honorary Director for a period of one (1) year.

SECTION VIII: Amendments of the By-Laws

(A) Any section in these By-Laws may be amended, changed or voided, or a new By-Law added, by a 2/3 vote of the members present at any regular monthly meeting at which a quorum is present providing that all members were advised in writing of any proposed change.

(B) There will be a one year waiting period to be observed before a defeated proposed By-Law change can be resubmitted. 5/23/1991