Standing Orders and Code of Conduct for Members of the Roe Angling Association

Standing Orders and Code of Conduct for Members of the Roe Angling Association. 26/11/08

General

The Association shall be called the “Roe Angling Association”.

The objects of the Association shall be to further the interests of anglers, to improve the quality of stock and to co-operate with riverside landowners in the prevention of damage to property.

The Committee of the Association shall consist of the Officers and 12 other members elected by the members of the Association at the Annual General Meeting.

The following Standing Orders govern the procedure at meetings and business of the Roe Angling Association hereinafter called the Association.

Standing Order One

1.0 Meetings

1.1 Annual General Meetings: An AGM shall be held at such time and

place as the Committee decides.

1.1.1 The business to be conducted at the AGM is as follows:

a Adoption of Minutes of previous AGM

b Matters arising from the minutes

c Chairman’s Report

d Treasurer’s Report

e Secretary’s Report

f Vacation of all offices and the election of Office Bearers and Committee members.

g Guest Speakers

h Presentation of Motions for Adoption

I Any other business.

1.2 General Meetings:

General Meetings shall be held at such frequency, time and place as the Committee decides is necessary for conducting the business of the Association.

1.2.1 The business to be conducted at General Meeting is as follows:

(a) Adoption of Minutes of previous General Meeting.

(b) Matters Arising from Minutes.

(c) Agenda as issued with notice of meeting.

1.2.2 Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at the discretion of the Committee, or by a written request of five percent of the membership. Rules as set out for General Meeting shall apply.

1.3 Committee Meetings:

The Meetings of the Committee shall be held at such times and place

as the Committee may from time to time determine, provided always

that:

(a) The Chairman, or in his absence the Vice-Chairman, May at any time alter the time and place already decided upon for a particular meeting, or may order the convening of a meeting.

(b) The convening of a meeting may be required at any time by written requisition signed by three members of the Committee specifying the nature of the business to be transacted at such meeting.

(c) In case of emergency certified by the Chairman, or in his absence, the Vice-Chairman, a meeting of the Committee may be held although notice shall not have been given as required by these Standing Orders and although the quorum of members prescribed in these Standing Orders shall not be present, provided that in any such latter case the business transacted at such emergency meeting shall be reported to the next meeting of the Committee and shall be required to be confirmed thereat so far as any action requiring the authority of the Committee may be concerned. (See S.O. 2 (1.2).

(d) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to two members a year to fill any vacancies that occur.

(e) The Committee may make bye-laws and regulations and draw up rules for competitions.

(f) The Committee shall have power to legislate on any matter not provided in these Standing Orders and Code of Conduct.

Standing Order Two

1.0 Quorum

1.1 Annual General Meetings. The Quorum of the Annual General Meetings shall be Seven Committee members together with sixty ordinary members. No business shall be transacted at any Annual General Meeting unless the prescribed Quorum of members is present.

1.2 Committee Meetings

The Quorum of the Committee shall be seven members; so long for these Standing Orders as there is no vacancy on the Committee in which case the quorum shall be six. No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Committee unless the prescribed quorum of member is present, provided that (in the case where there is no quorum) in respect of any item on the agenda which three members present shall agree to be of urgency, the meeting may proceed as if it had been convened as an emergency meeting within the meaning of Standing Order 1© and subject to the restrictions therein specified with respect to business transacted.

Standing Order Three

Chairman of Meetings

1 The Chairman, or in his absence the Vice-Chairman, or in the absence of both, a member of the Committee selected by resolution of the members present shall preside at a meeting of the Committee. Any power or duty assigned to the Chairman in relation to the conduct of a meeting may be exercised by the person presiding at the meeting.

2 The person presiding at the meeting shall decide all questions of

Order, relevancy and competency arising at the meeting, but any member present may take exception to any ruling by the person presiding and, in the event, the person presiding shall, without further discussion, submit the matter to that meeting, and his ruling shall not take effect unless it is supported by the majority of the members present.

Standing Order Four

Adjournment of Meetings:

The Committee may adjourn any meeting to any other date, time and or place.

Standing Order Five

1.0 Record of Attendance

1.1 The names of members and officials present at a meeting of the

Committee shall be duly recorded and a register shall be kept showing

Details of the meetings attended by members.

1.2 Any Committee member who is resident within the Limavady Borough

Council Area and who fails to attend seventy five percent of the meetings held in any year shall cease to be a member of the Committee.

Standing Order Six

Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of the proceedings of the Committee shall be drawn up and entered in a book kept for that purpose and a copy having been circulated to members of the Committee in accordance with these Standing Orders, minutes shall be submitted to the next ensuing meeting of the Committee and shall be taken as read and then approved with or without amendment; no discussions shall be allowed on the minutes except as to their accuracy and minutes so approved shall then be deemed to be a true record of the proceedings to which they relate and shall be signed by the person presiding at the meeting at which they are submitted.

Standing Order Seven

Notice of Meetings and Agenda

1 Three clear days at least before a meeting of the Committee there shall

be issued to every member of the Committee a copy of:

(a) A notice convening the meeting giving date, time and place.

(b) A statement of the business to be transacted at the meeting (hereinbefore and after referred to as Agenda) and

(c) All reports and other documents referred to, or to be read with

the Agenda.

2 Provided that any report or other document, a copy of which cannot for

good reasons be circulated with the Agenda may nevertheless be considered. Provided also that want of the issue of notice to any member shall not affect the validity of any meeting.

3 No matter of business, reference to which is not set forth in the

Agenda, shall be discussed or decided at a meeting except with the consent of the majority of the members present at the meeting.

4 Any member may require that any subject may be placed on the

Agenda and that any document relating thereto shall be circulated on giving at least seven days clear notice to the Chairman.

5 The Order of business at every meeting of the Committee shall be:

(a) To choose a person to preside if the Chairman and Vice-

Chairman is absent.

(b) To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the last

meeting of the Committee.

(c) To dispose of business (if any) remaining or arising from the last

meeting.

(d) To deal with any business expressly required by statute to be

done.

(e) To deal with any business in the order in which notice has been

received.

(f) To deal with any other business subject to the provision of

paragraph 2.

6 The foregoing order of business may be varied by the Chairman at his

discretion with the consent of a majority of the members of the Committee present at the meeting.

Standing Order Eight

Voting

Every question shall (except otherwise required by statutory enactment or otherwise provided in these Orders) be determined by a majority of the members present and voting. The person presiding at the meeting shall have a casting vote, in cases of equality. The votes shall be taken by a show of hands or otherwise as the meeting shall decide. On the request of any member of a record shall be made of how each member voted and of abstentions made or of how that member voted or abstained.

Standing Order Nine

1.0 Code of Conduct for members of Committees

1.1 This code of conduct has been framed in such a way as to place upon

every individual member the responsibility of disclosing to the

Chairman any personal interest or involvement in any business being

transacted by the Association or where a member’s own conduct is likely to bring the reputation of the Association into disrepute. It is also

the responsibility of individual members to disclose to the Chairman

any instance of misconduct witnessed by him, by another member or

non-member of the Association which would bring the Association into

disrepute.

1.2 The Chairman to give guidance on the course of conduct to be followed

by the individual concerned. Provided the individual has made full disclosure, and thereafter acts in accordance with such guidance, he will be entitled to the protection and support of the Chairman and of the

Committee.

2.0 Use of outside Influence

2.1 A Committee member who considers it his duty in the public interest

to raise any question affecting the policies, procedures, reputation,

integrity or impartiality of the Committee should do so in the first

instance with the committee itself before raising it in public or in the

news media.

3.0 Participation in firms, companies or businesses.

3.1 A Committee Member who is concerned, directly or indirectly, in any

firm, company or business which engages in any transaction with the

Association is required to disclose his interest and abstain in

accordance with the relevant statutes and the Standing Orders.

3.2 While the provisions of this paragraph are plainly of particular

importance in relation to transactions involving building, construction, or repair contracts, they apply equally to all other transactions whether for the supply of goods, the sale or purchase of premises, or the provision of services to or by the Association.

4.0 Disclosure of Information.

4.1 There is no objection to open discussion of matters which have already been made public officially, but Committee members are expected to treat as strictly confidential information received by them in the course of their duties unless and until they have been so made public.

4.2 This paragraph applies with particular force to information which may

have been given in confidence, in relation to the personal circumstances of individual members or applicants for membership. But it applies also to all information obtained by the Committee Members in the course of their duties, whether regarded as confidential or sensitive. In case of doubt, Committee Members should seek guidance from the Chairman, regarding matters to which they desire to make public reference.

4.3 This paragraph is not intended to restrict public discussion on matters

of public concern. But many matters which come before the Committee such as land acquisition, leases with riparian owners and Honourable Irish Society and important changes of policy may have significant financial consequences for third parties: other matters may have consequences which affect the safety of members and others.

4.4 In general, subject to the foregoing considerations, it is the policy of the

Association to conduct its business with as much openness, and as little secrecy as possible. Once decisions have been taken, the Secretary will make them known at the earliest practicable time. Until then, the obligations set out in this paragraph are binding on Committee members.

4.5 Committee members who wish to make use of confidential information

acquired in the course of their duties for the purposes of articles, lectures, speeches, broadcasts, interviews, books, or similar purposes, should consult with the Chairman beforehand. This paragraph continues to apply to those who are no longer members of the Committee.

4.6 A Committee member who received payment for an article, lecture,

broadcast, interview, or book written or given to him in relation to fishing matters may retain any fee or royalty in respect thereof received by him.

5.0 Expenses, Travelling and Mileage Allowances.

5.1 Expense allowances are provided by the Association (claims to be

agreed by Committee). in order to assist in meeting expenditure

necessarily incurred in the course of duty. Committee Members are

expected to adhere to the highest principles of integrity in claiming for

such allowances.

6.0 Membership Cards and Documents

6.1 Committee Members will be held personally responsible for the safe

custody of any membership cards and any fishing or other papers or

documents which may be issued or entrusted to them in the course of

their duties. The loss of membership Cards or of any such

documents should be reported immediately to the Secretary of the

Association.

7.0 Interpretation

7.1 Where the context so admits, the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to this Code: and, in particular, every reference to the masculine gender shall be taken to include a reference to the feminine gender.

Standing Order Ten

1.0 Code of Conduct for ordinary members of the Association.

1.1 The code of conduct for ordinary members contained in Schedule A to

These Standing Orders shall apply to all ordinary members of the Association.

1.2 In the event of any conflict between the provisions of any Statute, or the provisions of any of these Standing Orders, and any of the provisions of the Code of Conduct contained in Schedule A then the provisions of such Statute or such Standing Order shall prevail.

Standing Order Eleven

1.0 Constitution and Procedures of a Committee.

1.1 The Association may constitute a Committee of its members to which it

May delegate such of its functions as it may specify, including the formation of sub- committees, with such terms of reference and with such powers as it may determine, and unless that Committee is given powers of action, all findings of that Committee shall be submitted to the Association for adoption.