Ribble Fisheries Consultative Association

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RIBBLE FISHERIES CONSULTATIVE ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND RULES

The Association shall be called “The Ribble Fisheries Consultative Association” hereafter referred to as the Association.
The area within the purview of the Association comprises the catchment of the River Ribble and its tributaries, including all tidal reaches.
The object of the Association is: “To safeguard and promote the interests of owners, lessees of fishing, and anglers, by developing sustainable fisheries and maximising the riverine environment, through consultation with the Environment Agency and other bodies with similar aims and objectives”.
Membership
1. Membership is open to all persons with an active interest in achieving the object as in statement 3 above, through the available membership options listed at the end of this document,
2. Membership will run for 12 months from the 1st January each year,
3. The Council of Management can confer honorary membership on any person they think suitable, and such nominations shall be confirmed at the Annual General Meeting,
4. Notice of resignation should be sent to the Secretary in writing with not less than three month notice. Subscriptions paid for the year of resignation will not be refunded in whole or in part.
Subscriptions
1. Each member shall pay the appropriate annual subscription. Such subscription shall be agreed from time to time by the Council of Management,
2. All subscriptions are due in advance on the 1st January for the twelve months following, except in the case of new members enrolling after that date n the year,
3. Any member whose subscription is outstanding at 31st March in any year shall have his/her/their membership suspended, pending payment, and shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership until payment is made.
Officers
1. The Officers of the Association shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer, who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and will hold office until the nest Annual General Meeting, and will be eligible for re-election. These Officers shall be ex-officio’ members of the Council of Management – hereafter referred to as the Council.
2. The Pollution Officer and Poaching Officer shall be deemed to be Officers of the Association.
3. All officers of the Association shall be eligible for expenses, actual and as determined from time to time by the Council.
Executive Powers

The Officers shall have the power to take decisions for the benefit of the Association but these must be reported to the next Council meeting. They shall also have the power to seek advice as they see fit in order to facilitate the arrival at a decision on the matter in hand. Where such decisions require the expenditure of Association funds they shall be limited to 10% of the Association funds and such expenditure must be approved unanimously be the Table Officers. (Approved 2008)
Council of Management
1. The Council of Management – hereafter referred to as the “Council”, shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting and its members will hold office until the next Annual General Meeting at which they will be eligible for re-election.
2. Membership of the Council of Management.
  1. Every angling club or fishery in membership of the Association is entitled to nominate a representative to the Council and is encouraged to nominate a second (preferably younger) non-voting representative.
  2. There may also be a representative of the commercial net fishery.
  3. Such persons as in the opinion of the Council possess special qualifications or knowledge, or are otherwise eligible as desirable members shall be elected under the same terms of office as other members of the Council.
  4. New nominations for the membership of the Council should be sent, in writing, to the Secretary at least two weeks before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
3. The Council shall meet at least three times year exclusive of the Annual General Meeting.
4. One third of the members of the Council will constitute a quorum
5. The Officers of the Association shall have the power to call an Extraordinary meeting of the Council.
6. A special meeting may be requisitioned if supported by at least one third of the membership of the Council.
7. The Council shall have powers of co-option at their discretion. It shall also have powers to appoint sub-committees and working groups for such general or specific purposes as it may decide.
Standing Committees
1. The size, membership and remit of Standing Committees shall be determined by the Council.
2. Each Standing Committee shall appoint a Chairman who shall:
  1. Be an appointed member of the Council.
  2. Be able the co-opt other interested parties or people with specific knowledge and expertise,
  3. Be responsible for calling meetings as required.
  4. Be responsible reporting to the Council on the work of the Standing Committee.
Meetings
1. There shall be a General Meeting of the Association in either June or July of each year. The secretary will give all members at least three weeks notice of the time and place of such meeting.
2. Agenda items and proposals for consideration at the Annual General Meeting should be forwarded to the secretary, in writing, by 30th April.
3. The Council shall have powers to call Extraordinary General Meetings.
4. The secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting on written request, signed by at least 40% of the membership, or at any time at the request of the Council.
5. The secretary shall convene such a meeting, with a specified agenda, within 28 days of receiving such a request.
Representation and Voting
1. General Meetings
  1. All members as defined at the end of this document, shall be invited to attend the Annual General Meeting or other such General Meetings specially convened.
  2. All members attending are entitled to one vote.
  3. Only matters on the agenda may be voted upon.
  4. The Chairman shall have a second and casting vote where a vote is tied.
2. Council Meetings
  1. All accredited members of the Council are entitled to one vote except as specified in Item 8 clause b above.
  2. The Chairman may, at his discretion, allow voting on non-agenda items.
  3. The Chairman shall have a second and casting vote where a vote is tied
3. Standing Committee Meetings
  1. Only accredited members of the Standing Committee shall have a vote.
Finance
1. A duly audited statement of Income and Expenditure shall be prepared annually and published in the Annual Report.
2. The Bankers of the Association shall be one of the major clearing Banks as decided by the Council.
3. The auditors shall be approved and voted upon at the Annual General Meeting.
4. The banking accounts(s) shall be operated, and cheques signed, in such a manner as may be determined by the Council.
Reports
1. An annual report on the activities of the Association shall be published and a copy furnished to each member, and in any event, produced to the Annual General Meeting.
2. Other/special reports will be made available as determined by the Council.
3. Members will be sent Newsletters at intervals throughout the year.
Rules and their Review
1. The Council may, at any time, institute new rules or amend existing ones, as they consider being in the best interests of the Association. Such amendments to be confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting.
The Press and the public may be admitted to General Meetings of the Association, but without prejudice to the right of the Chairman to require the press and public to withdraw.
Data Protection Policy

Membership data/information held by RFCA will be used for the effective operation of the Association in line with the Constitution and Policies of the Association.

Specifically:
- Communications with members
- Dealing with matters appertaining to membership.
- Ensuring eligibility for access to the riverside cameras.
- Communication of information received from other organisations of which RFCA are members.
- (e.g. Angling Trust and the Forum, Ribble Rivers Trust, and NWATFCC)
- Supporting the work of the E.A. and the Police in undertaking duties with regard to pollution, and enforcement.
Data/information will be held by Officers and Committee of RFCA. Communications with individual members will be either by letter or e-mail using the information held.

Communications through the RFCA Website Council Section will be accessible only to Council members and will be password protected, changing on an annual basis. Where a communication is to the membership as a whole, the email addresses of individual members will not be disclosed. For those members without e-mail information will be sent by post.

RFCA will not authorise the use of member information by other organisations except in the case of law enforcement by the Environment Agency, Police or other Authorised Bodies. (Approved 2012)
Disciplinary Code and Procedures
1. In the event of a member or officer (as defined in the Constitution) acting in such a manner as to bring the RFCA (here in referred to as the Association) into disrepute or acting against the Associations interests or being convicted of a criminal offence the Council shall be empowered to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the member or officer concerned, conduct such proceedings and thereafter, if it finds against the member or officer the allegation proven to their satisfaction, to sanction the member or officer as they may consider appropriate. Such actions will be taken with due regard to the rules of natural justice.
2. The Disciplinary Sub-committee of the Association will consist of three members of Council selected at a Council meeting. An Appeals Sub-committee will consist of three further members of Council selected at a Council meeting. Each Sub-committee will choose its own Chairperson.
3. All members and officers are required to co-operate with the Disciplinary Appeals Sub-committees and to attend meetings as required. Any member or officer attending such a meeting will have the right to be accompanied by a friend.
4. Notice of procedures under the Code shall be served using Recorded Delivery post.
5. All complaints shall be sent to the Secretary in writing as soon as possible after the cause of complaint has arisen. On receipt of the complaint the Secretary shall invite the complainer to provide, in writing, an explanation, or attend a meeting of the Disciplinary Sub-committee convened to consider the complaint.
6. The Disciplinary Sub-committee has the power to investigate and discipline any member or officer when it has been proved to their satisfaction that the complaint is upheld or that the member or officers behaviour is against the interest of the Association. The test to be adopted by the Sub-committee shall be whether the member or officer has brought the Association into disrepute or acted against the Association’s interests.
7. In the event of the Disciplinary Sub-committee finding an allegation established to their satisfaction it shall take the appropriate action.
8. Any member or officer sanctioned under this Code and these procedures shall have the right of appeal to the Appeals Sub-committee. Such appeals shall be lodged with the Secretary within fourteen days of the notice thereof. Upon receipt of the notice of appeal the Secretary must:
9. Acknowledge receipt of the notice of appeal.
10. Inform the Chairperson immediately who will inform Council.
11. Call an Appeals Sub- committee meeting to consider the Appeal within one month. If the sanction was suspension or expulsion the member or officer shall be suspended until the appeal is decided.
12. Where a member or officer has been suspended and is re-instated on appeal that member or officer will be credited with subscription for the period of suspension.
13. Upon expulsion from the Association the member, or club if he is a member through the club scheme, will be repaid an amount equal to the remaining complete calendar months of his/her annual subscription. Less any expenses incurred by the Association.
Interpretation Clause
1. In this constitution and rules, the term angling club shall refer to any recognised angling body with an interest in the Ribble Catchment.
2. Membership Categories
  Angling clubs/associations;
  Riparian owners;
  Individual members;
  Corporate individual members – (whereby all members of a club have become individual Members of the Association.)
  Council of Management appointees.