By-laws

THE COLUMBIA SPORTSMAN’S CLUB

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE 1 – NAME

SECTION 1. -This Organization shall be known as The Columbia Sportsman’s Club.

ARTICLE 2 – OBJECT

SECTION 1. – The object of this organization shall be to promote in every legitimate way the interest of all sportsmen and lovers of wildlife, including fish, game, fur bearing animals and songbirds; to cooperate with the State Department of Conser­vation in attaining these objectives; to interest the land owners and tenants in the aim of the Sportsman’s Clubs and to promote friendly relations between them and the club.

t                        ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. -New Membership in the Club shall be limited to men and women who reside within the established limits or boundaries as indicated in attachment No. 1, and who are interested in the conservation and restoration of wildlife. Paid Membership shall not exceed 250 unless otherwise provided for in Section 5 or Section 8 of this Article.

SECTION 2. – Honorary members may be selected only by a unanimous vote of all the members present at an annual meeting. Honorary members shall pay no dues, are not entitled to vote, or hold any office or membership on any standing committee.

SECTION 3. – The Club may expel any member who has been found not abiding by the established rules of the club, by a two-third vote of the members present at any regular meeting, or a special meeting called for that purpose.

SECTION 4. – All members in good standing, their wife or husband and natural or legally adopted children under the age of 18 years shall have all club recreational privileges.

SECTION 5. – Natural and legally adopted children of members in good standing shall be exempt from the initiation fee when they make application for membership of their own and upon paying their dues upon acceptance by the Club. Providing however-, that such application for membership is made within ninety (90) days of the date they leave their parents household or upon reaching the age of 18 years, whichever occurs first. The amount of dues shall be figured on a pro-rated basis for the months remaining in the year they join.

SECTION 6. -Applications for membership may be issued only at regular meetings of the membership, and only when the board of directors deems it necessary to issue additional applications. The following procedure to be used; Only members present and in good standing may participate, One drawing per member, The participants names will be entered into a pot to be drawn and numbered and entered into two (2) ledgers in the sequence they are drawn. After the drawing the members who participate will give the name and address of their applicant to be recorded into the ledgers by the Secretary. The applications are then forwarded to the applicants to be filled out and returned to the Secretary to be entered into the ledger. One ledger is to be kept by the Board of Directors, the other by the Secretary.

All applications for membership must be screened by the Board of Directors, and those accepted by the majority vote of the Board are then subject to approval by two-thirds of the members present at a regular meeting. Applicants approved for member­ship are to be notified to attend a designated regular meeting to be accepted into the Club. Payment of the initiation fee and membership dues are to be made at the acceptance meeting. Any applicant for membership who by virtue of employment or

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other good cause (subject to approval of the Board) is unable to attend the meeting for acceptance may at the discretion of the Board of Directors be permitted to attend a board meeting for acceptance into the club.

SECTION 7. – Transfer Of Membership, only the widow or widower of a deceased member may continue with the membership. When remarrying, he or she may still exercise full rights, but the spouse is considered as such. The membership cannot be transferred to his or her name. He or she must go through the regular channels if they wish to become a member in their own right. In no other way is membership in this club transferable or assignable.

SECTION 8. – Anyone who enters Military service while a member will be retained as an Honorary member, and shall be reinstated as a full member providing application is made within one year from the date of discharge from the Military Service. Failure to do so within one year would cause the applicant to have to go through regular channels.

SECTION 9. – Voting rights – each dues paying member in good standing present at a meeting shall be entitled to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members.

ARTICLE 4 – DUES

SECTION 1. -The annual dues shall be $70.00 – A $95.00 initiation fee shall be charged new members.

SECTION 2. – Dues are subject to change by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at an annual meeting.

SECTION 3. – Annual dues are due on January 1. Members shall be dropped from the rolls after the last day of February if their annual dues are not paid.

ARTICLE 5 – OFFICIALS

SECTION 1. – The officials of the Club shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and a Board of Directors. Officials cannot succeed themselves upon completion of (3) consecutive years in any one elected office. Seven (7) Directors are elected for three (3) year terms. Two (2) Directors are elected each year at the annual meeting by plurality vote replacing the two Directors whose terms have expired except those years when Three (3) Directors are required for election.

SECTION 2. – The President shall preside at all regular meetings of the Club. He may cast the deciding vote in case of a tie, and perform such other duties as are usually incident to the office.

SECTION 3. – The Vice-President shall assume full duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President. He shall assist the Secretary on membership and assume such other duties as the President or the Board of Directors may direct.

SECTION 4. – The Secretary shall keep a full and complete record of the proceed­ings at all meetings of the club and the Board of Directors and all activities of the Club. He will preserve such records in proper books furnished by the club. He shall take care of all of the clubs correspondence, preserving copies of all letters received and of all letters sent out. He shall serve as Chairman of the Membership Committee. He shall turn over to his successor within ten (10) days of election of successor all the books and records pertaining to the office.

SECTION 5. – The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies of the Club and shall pay all bills, claims and awards against the Club, but only when such bills are approved at the regular business meetings. He shall keep a full and accurate account of all receipts and disbursements, and he will issue a full financial statement to the Club at

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the annual Meeting and to the Board of Directors at their request. He shall turn over to his successor within ten (10) days after the election of such successor , a complete financial statement together with all funds and records pertaining to the office for audit and acceptance of such statements by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 6. – The Board of Directors shall have control and management of the property and affairs of the Club. They shall prescribe the rules regulating the affairs and activities of the Club, not inconsistent with this constitution and subject to the approval of the Club. Each year the Board shall elect a Chairman to report any significant discussion, keep reports and records and maintain surveillance of the Board at their meetings. He shall be responsible for informing all members of the Board of any such special Board meetings.

SECTION 7. – The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall hold office for one(l) year or until their successors have been qualified and elected. Vacancies shall be filled by election at the next regular meeting after they occur. Temporary vacancies may be filled by appointment by the President.

SECTION 8. – The election of officials shall be held at the annual meeting in January and they shall assume the duties of office within ten (10) days following thier election, except in the case of vacancy, in which case immediately following appointment or election.

SECTION 9. – If an Officer or Director should miss three (3) consecutive meetings without showing just cause, the Board of Directors and members shall have the power to remove said officer or director from office.

SECTION 10. -The Board shall have full power to remove from office, an officer or director on receiving evidence of the unfaithful discharge of duties or unbecoming conduct, only after due notice of charges and an opportunity for defense have been given the accuse.

ARTICLE 6 – RULES OF ORDER

SECTION 1. – Robert’s rules of order and this Constitution shall govern at all regular or special meetings.

ARTICLE 7 – MEETINGS

SECTION 1. – The general membership meetings shall be the fourth Monday of
each Month, Holidays being excepted, then to be held on the Tuesday evening following.
Meetings will be called to order at 7PM., unless otherwise stated in the call by the
Secretary.

SECTION 2. – The Annual meetings shall be held in January in conjunction with the regular meetings.

SECTION 3. – Special meetings of the Club may be called at any time by the President or the Board of Directors, and the Secretary shall notify the members of such special meetings.

SECTION 4. – The Board of Directors with the President shall meet at least once a month.

SECTION 5. – All regular, special and board meetings shall consist of a quorum.

SECTION 6. – General membership meetings shall be conducted by officers using the following line of authority as a guide; President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Board Chairman, Senior member retained on the Board.

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ARTICLE 8 – QUORUM

SECTION 1. -Seven (7) or more bona-fide members shall constitute a quorum for a regular meeting. Four (4) members or more shall constitute a quorum at all Board meetings. A Majority of those present shall govern, except when otherwise provided.

ARTICLE 9 – COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. -There shall be the following standing committees of at least three (3) and not more than six (6) members: A – FISH B – GAME C – MEMBERSHIP D – PARK E – HO– USE F – WAYS & MEANS G – TRAILER COMMITTEE Each member of the committee will serve one (1) year or until duly replaced by a successor. At least one (1) new appointment shall be made by the President on each committee each year. Appointments are to be made within thiry (30) days after the General Election. SECTION 2.

  1. FISH COMMITTEE: The Fish Committee is responsible for maintaining
    adequate fishing, and fishing facilities for use by the general membership. They shall
    provide surveillance over the lake area and insure proper water conditions. They shall
    promote an interest in fishing by any proper means they can devise.
  2. GAME COMMITTEE: The game committee is responsible for obtaining
    hunting privileges and access points on both private and public property. They shall
    attempt to promote increases in game population by exploring all aspects of opportunities­ available to them. They shall promote an interest in wild life and the proper
    conservation thereof to the best of their ability.
  3. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: The membership committee shall pro­
    mote maximum club membership; they shall maintain a roll of all members and Post
    Office addresses furnished by them; collect all dues; issue membership cards and
    perform all such other duties pertaining to the membership committee.
  4. PARK COMMITTEE: The Park Committee shall be responsible for the
    Club grounds upkeep, property improvement and general surveillance. They shall
    maintain the club machinery in proper working condition.
  5. HO– USE COMMITTEE: The House Committee shall be responsible for the
    clubhouse upkeep, cleanliness, improvement and general surveillance. They shall keep
    the house facilities and appliances in proper working condition.
  6. WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE: The Ways and Means Committee shall
    devise methods and accomplishments which shall serve to improve the status of the club
    both financially and socially.
  7. TRAILER COMMITTEE: The Trailer Committee is responsible for the
    trailer and trailer related maintenance, cleanliness, and general surveillance. They
    shall a) keep the trailer, trailer related items, and appliances in proper working
    condition; b) perform periodic inspections, at least quarterly, of the trailer and trailer
    related items to determine maintenance requirements and housekeeping conditions. A
    checklist provided by the Board of Directors shall be used for housekeeping inspections;
    c) report results of their inspections to the Board of Directors at the Board meeting
    following the inspection; d) prepare a maintenance budget to be incorporated into the
    Club budget. 4

 

SECTION 3. – Special committees shall be appointed by the President to take care of any special activities which may arise, except the Nominating Committee which shall be selected and approved by the membership sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.

SECTION 4. – All committees, except the Trailer Committee, shall report their activities at each regular meeting. At the annual meeting they shall submit a written report summarizing their activities for the previous year.

SECTION 5. – All standing committees shall submit their proposed financial requirements to the Board of Directors together with a supporting operating plan in November of each year for inclusion in the following year’s budget. Approval or disapproval of the proposals must be completed by the Board of Directors within two (2) months after the annual meeting. The total funding approval for standing committees shall not exceed two-thirds (2/3) of the anticipated annual membership and initiation fee income. Funds not committed at the end of the calendar year shall be returned to the General Fund. A general audit of these funds will be provided by the Board of Directors within ten (10) days following the Annual meeting.

ARTICLE 10 – POLITICS

SECTION 1. -At no time shall the organization take any part or permit itself to be used for political purposes.

ARTICLE 11 – VACANCIES See Article 5 – Section 7.

ARTICLE 12 – AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. -This Constitution may be amended only by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at an Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 13 – MATTERS NOT PROVIDED FOR

SECTION 1. -All matters not provided for in this Constitution shall be controlled by the Board of Directors and the President.

ARTICLE 14 NOMINATIONS

SECTION 1. -Nominations of the elective officers shall be made by the Nominat­ing Committee or from the floor.

ARTICLE 15 – ORDER OF BUSINESS

SECTION 1.- 1. Roll call of Officers and Directors.

  1. Reading and approving of minutes of the previous meeting.
  2. Reports of Officers.
  3. Report of Board of Directors.
  4. Bills and communications.
  5. Reports of standing and special committees.
  6. Unfinished Business. *
  7. New Business.
  8. Recommendations for the betterment of the club. 10. Adjournment.

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– BY-LAWS –

ARTICLE 1 – CLUB RULES AND REGULATIONS

SECTION 1. – LAKE AND GROUNDS.

  1. Fishing restricted to:
  2. members and their immediate family;
  3. grandchildren thru the age of 13 years, when accompanied by their
    grandparent(s) who are dues paying members;
  4. a date of the opposite sex of an unmarried dues paying member.
  5. All fishermen must register before fishing, and record their catch as they leave.
  6. No wading or swimming in the lake.
  7. No outboard motors allowed on lake unless authorized by the Fish Committee for work purposes only. Electric trolling motors excepted.
  8. Children of members (as outlined in Article 3; Section 5) less than 14 years old must be accompanied by a member of the family or a relative over 16 years old when on club property.
  9. No one under the age of 14 years of age will be permitted to use any boat on the lake unless accompanied by persons over 16 years of age. Limit of Three (3) occupants per boat.
  10. One life preserver per person must be available in the boat.
  11. Only one boat permitted per member per day.
    .9. No Carp, nor Goldfish minnows allowed for bait.
  12. Possession and size limits must be observed by all persons.
  13. No trot lines, limb lines, nor jugs permitted. Limit of two (2) rods per person fishing. Fishermen must be on club grounds.
  14. Club boats, Oars, Life Preservers and anchors to be returned to the boat house in good condition.
  15. No littering of lake or club grounds with refuse or items of any kind. No throwing of rocks into the lake anywhere. Waste cans are provided for refuse and should be used.
  16. • Group camping by organizations; I.E., Scouts, Church Groups, will be

permitted only by special permission from the Board of Directors. Family camping is permitted for members only with adult member supervision.

  1. Motorcycle use will only be permitted as transportation to clubhouse. Mini
    and trail bikes will be allowed below the Dam, excluding the pavilion play

.   ground area, (members only)

  1. No bottles will be taken from the clubhouse or patio other than those brought by members and their guest.
  2. Vehicles allowed only on designated parking areas.

SECTION 2. CLUBHO– USE

1..   No pets allowed in the clubhouse, nor patio.

  1. Club members having parties are responsible for:

(a)    registering themselves and their guests.

(b)    conduct of guests.

(c)    Cleanup after parties no later than 10:00 a.m. the following day.

 

  1. No overnight sleeping permitted in the club house, nor patio.
  2. Limit of 50 people per party at the club house.

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SECTION 3. – GENERAL

  1. The Caretaker to be under the direction of the Board of Directors, his duties and responsibilities to be outlined by the Board of Directors subject to the approval of the membership, and may be renegotiated from year to year.
  2. Club members must show their Club membership card when asked by the Caretaker or any member of the Club.
  3. No burning (including garbage) on club grounds except under the direc­tion of the Park Committee.
  4. No member shall loan key or card to a non-member to use club facilities.

This Constitution and By-Laws have been amended and revised as of the Annual Meeting of January 2007 by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present.

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ATTACHMENT NO. 1

RESIDENTIAL BOUNDARIES

To be eligible to become a member of this Club the applicant at acceptance into the Club must reside within the residential boundaries of the Club. Set forth as follows:

  1. St. Clair County
  2. Mississippi River on the West
  3. Cahokia Canal on the North
  4. On the East, all West of the Road intersecting at the Cahokia Canal
    and the Stolle Road known as line road No. 423 and as Triple Lakes Road, to State
    Highway Route No. 158
  5. On the South, State Highway No. 158.
  6. Monroe County in its entirety

ATTACHMENT NO. 2

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Within the first twelve months of joining the club, all new Members are required to attend two regular meetings of the Club and participate in two workdays. Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in forfeiture of ones membership. Exemptions from the above requirements can be obtained for health reasons or when the meetings conflict with the member’s work schedule. Such exemption requests should be made to the Board of Directors.

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MEMBERSHIP REMINDERS

  1. FISHING

(a)   When coming to the lake to fish, register in mailbox by bridge when entering the grounds and record the catch in same place when you leave the grounds.

(b)   Observe the limits posted on signs.

(c)         No fish cleaning on the grounds, in the lake, or in the clubhouse.

(d)   Observe rules for using boats.

(e)   Respect others

(f)  Lake is CLOSED to fishing each year for three weeks following stocking, usually
late March.

  1. Use of Clubhouse –

When you wish to reserve the Clubhouse or either pavilion, indicate the following information on the calendar in the Clubhouse, located by the Ladies restroom entrance:

–    Member’s name

–    Membership number

–    Number of people expected in party

–    Time expected to use the facility

–    Location; i.e., Clubhouse, Lower Pavilion or Upper Pavilion

Reservations do not give any member exclusive rights to use of any of the facilities, and you are expected to respect the rights of others if you are in the area of a party in progress.

If you use the Clubhouse during cool weather, always turn the thermostat to 60 or lower when you leave.

The member who reserved the facility will be held responsible for cleaning the property COMPLETELY. If left un-cleaned, expulsion from the Club is likely. Also the member is responsible for any damages caused during his/her party.

  1. Attend at least one work party each 1/2 of the year.
  2. Run for or accept an office in the Club.
  3. Pay Dues early, preferably in January.
  4. Regular monthly meeting is 4th Monday of each month. You are encouraged to attend all meetings.
  5. You may recommend new members. Ask Officer for rules.
  6. Enjoy the Club facilities, and remember that it is YOURS. Always treat it with respect and demand that others do also. ‘

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