Club Constitution

Constitution & Bylaws

ARTICLE I

NAME AND PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION

SECTION I

  1. The name of the organization shall be The Bass Fishing Club of The Ohio State University; hereinafter referred to as BFCOSU.
  2. This organization will be an affiliated member of the Collegiate Bass Anglers Association (CBAA), Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS), Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), and Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA).
  3. Informally, the club may be known as the Buckeye Bassers.

SECTION II

The purpose of this organization is:

  1. To unite men and women through the common bond of fishing.
  2. To educate anglers and develop angling skills (emphasis on bass fishing).
  3. To strengthen student camaraderie.
  4. Promote sportsmanship through athletic competition and fellowship.
  5. Encourage good stewardship of our natural resources.
  6. To develop and train student athletes for participation in tournament angling.
  7. To participate in activities that enhance the future of the sport of angling.

 

ARTICLE II

CLUB PARAMETERS

SECTION I

  1. Membership in the BFCOSU is open to any member of the Ohio State University student body at any campus.
  2. Student members must be in good academic and disciplinary standing and currently enrolled for classes at Ohio State University.
  3. BFCOSU collegiate team members must meet academic eligibility standards consistent to those of the Collegiate Bass Anglers Association.

SECTION II

Non-discrimination policy:

  1. This organization and its members shall not discriminate against any individual(s) for reasons of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

SECTION III

General member removal:

  1. If a member conducts themselves in such a manner deemed detrimental to advancing the purpose of this organization or is in violation of the OSU Student Code of Conduct, they can be removed through a majority vote of the other voting membership or unanimous vote of the officers, with the consultation of the advisor.
  2. If a member violates the club non-discrimination policy, the sponsor confidentiality policy, or the tournament jersey policy, then they will be removed from the club immediately without vote due to the no-tolerance nature of said policies.
  3. The decision to remove a member is final and may not be appealed.

 

ARTICLE III

BFCOSU MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I

Membership types:

  1. General Member
    1. No membership dues
    2. Access to club means of communication for purposes of networking and learning about the sport.
  2. Tournament Angler
    1. General Member benefits
    2. Must attend at least one tryout event
  • Tournament eligibility
  1. Access to sponsor discounts
  2. Privilege to purchase a tournament jersey
  3. Service hour requirement to make tournament roster:
    1. 10 hours for boaters and 15 hours for non-boaters
      • Hours can be earned through (but not limited to):
        • Student Involvement Fair (3 hours)
        • Youth events (up to 8 hours per event)
        • Columbus Fishing Expo (3 hours per day max. Time at kids’ booth will be awarded at a x1.5 hours rate with no limit)
        • Buckeye Battle or other open tournaments run by BFCOSU (4 hours)
        • Sponsor events and activities
        • Community outreach
        • Documented activities benefitting BFCOSU (pending officer approval)

 

ARTICLE IV

BFCOSU TOURNAMENT TEAM OPERATION

SECTION I

  1. BFCOSU will seek to sponsor teams that will represent the college/university at local, state and national tournaments.
  2. Student-athletes will comprise club teams to represent the college/university at regional and national tournaments.
  3. Student athletes must be in good academic and disciplinary standing consistent with Ohio State University student-athlete standards.
  4. BFCOSU advisor (faculty member and/or appropriate volunteer) will serve as the CBAA and other applicable tournament team coach.
  5. Tournament team members are required to wear their tournament jersey for every

tournament weigh-in and are encouraged to wear it during every day of competition.

  1. Jerseys may be worn for events besides competitions, such as volunteer events, fundraisers, and expos, but casual wear of jerseys is discouraged.
  2. There is a no-tolerance tournament jersey policy for misuse of said jerseys, as they represent our school and sponsors. It is a privilege to wear the “Block O” and our sponsors’ logos, and any actions performed while wearing tournament jerseys is a reflection on our club, school, and sponsors.  Any abuse or misuse of said jerseys will result in immediate dismissal from BFCOSU
  1. Members are expected to abide by the rules of sponsor offers and discounts. These are only available for Tournament Anglers.  They may be used only for the individual member, and not passed out to others.  Members may not use these privileges to outfit friends and family.  The abuse of these privileges will result in disciplinary action deemed fit by the officers.

SECTION II

Tryouts:

  1. A tryout will be conducted during the Autumn semester to determine tournament anglers and eligibility for special sponsor benefits and privilege to wear tournament jerseys.
  2. Winning or finishing high in the tryout events does not guarantee co-anglers a spot on the tournament team. The tryout is a way to showcase co-anglers’ skills and give boaters a chance to pick the co-anglers who they feel are the most tournament-competent and match their style of fishing.
  3. Boaters who meet all service hour and attendance requirements are automatically eligible. In the event there are more co-anglers eligible than boaters available for partners, co-anglers will be cut from the team according to tryout and draft results.
  4. Tryout will consist of two separate tournament-style events
    1. Members wishing to become a Tournament Angler must attend at least one tryout event. Members who attend both will be scored based on their better outing.
      1. Members who have fished in two or more Bassmaster, FLW, or OSU sanctioned tournaments for BFCOSU in the prior season are exempt from tryouts but may participate.
      2. Members who are seniors and have been a Tournament Angler for BFCOSU for at least three seasons are exempt from tryouts but may participate.
    2. Each angler will be given a three fish limit and will be fishing solely for themselves.
  • Boaters will fish against boaters, and co-anglers will fish against co-anglers like FLW-style events.
  1. Dead fish, short fish, or late arrival to weigh in may receive a penalty. Such circumstances will be assessed by officers and will be subject to their discretion.
  2. Boaters, based on the order of how they finish in the tryouts, will draft their co-anglers.
  1. Co-anglers will take a brief online survey after the completion of tryouts to gauge their comfortability and skill with the following factors: operating a trolling motor, backing a trailer, operating a bass boat, and towing a trailer.

 

ARTICLE V

BFCOSU OFFICERS

SECTION I

  1. The business management and affairs of the club will be under the direction and control of the BFCOSU advisor, and its officers.
  2. Officers of the BFCOSU shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
  3. Officers shall be elected. Election of officers will take place during the spring semester where a new officer is needed and will be the FIRST order of new business.
  4. Election quorum will be by majority vote of members present at the meeting.
  5. BFCOSU members in good standing are eligible to hold office after one year of active membership and may be reelected to the same position.
  6. Additional officers may be appointed on an as-needed basis.

SECTION II

Responsibilities of BFCOSU Officers:

  1. President shall:
    1. Preside over all BFCOSU meetings
    2. Direct all official business concerns to the BFCOSU advisor for appropriate action.
  • Appoint BFCOSU committee chairpersons, and assists all special committees as needed.
  1. Serve as Program Chairman:
    1. Community Outreach/Public Relations Chairman
    2. Tournament Chairman
    3. Conservation Chairman
  2. Supervise BFCOSU committees
  3. Schedule regular meetings and call special meetings as needed.
  • Assure adequate supervision of all BFCOSU sponsored events.
  • Acquire knowledge of procedures necessary to run efficient meetings.
  1. Distribute club related information to the membership in a professional and timely manner.
  2. Actively pursue the development and enhancement of the BFCOSU by seeking opportunities for fellowship and community involvement.
  3. Spearhead fundraising efforts for the BFCOSU.
  • Either personally coordinate all social media activity or designate someone else to do so while overseeing all social media activity.
  1. Vice President shall:
    1. Perform all duties assigned to him by the President and train for the club presidency.
    2. Preside over meetings in the absence of the president.
  • If the president’s office becomes vacant, shall assume the president’s responsibilities until a special election can be held.
  1. Actively pursue ways to advance the sport of fishing through youth events and community outreach.
  2. Assure club meets all requirements and deadlines to retain its “active” status at the university.
  1. Secretary shall:
    1. Keep and maintain a record of meeting minutes (Members may receive a copy upon request).
    2. Maintain a current contact information list (mailing address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address) of all BFCOSU members and officers, and provide CBAA, BASS, FLW, and ACA with current BFCOSU membership list and officer contact information.
  • Maintain the record of attendance for all meetings and events and inform President when a member violates club requirements.
  1. Maintain and update the general records of the BFCOSU.
  2. Maintain and file all tournament rules and regulations.
  3. Maintain correspondence to third parties as directed by BFCOSU officers and BFCOSU advisor.
  • Monitor and respond to emails and social media inboxes in a thorough and timely manner.
  1. Treasurer shall:
    1. Be responsible for all monetary business of the BFCOSU and will always be responsible of maintaining full and accurate books , in conjunction with the BFCOSU advisor.
    2. Render a statement of the condition of BFCOSU finances at each regular meeting.
  • Collect for financial obligations (dues, fines, entry fees, club sponsorship, etc.…) owed to the BFCOSU by members and any outside party.
  1. Perform all duties incident to the office.

SECTION III

Officer removal:

  1. If an officer conducts themselves in such a manner deemed detrimental to advancing the purpose of this organization, does not perform their assigned duties, or is in violation of the OSU Student Code of Conduct, they can be removed through a majority vote of the other voting membership or unanimous vote of the officers, with the consultation of the advisor.
  2. Should an officer be removed from their position, they will be demoted to member status and may also face the member removal process.
  3. The removed officer’s duties will be spread among the remaining officers for the remainder of the current election year.
    1. If the President is removed, the Vice President becomes the President and the Secretary becomes the Vice President
  4. Officer removal is final and may not be appealed.

 

ARTICLE VI

BFCOSU ADVISOR

SECTION I

  1. The advisor(s) may be a member of the Ohio State University staff, faculty, or Administration or appropriate volunteer who is knowledgeable in athletic administration, bass angling, and conservation.
  2. The advisor’s responsibility shall be to encourage and to provide direction within the organization as needed and to attend all meetings.
  3. The advisor will serve as the BFCOSU tournament team coach.
  4. The advisor shall be a voting member of the organization.

 

ARTICLE VII

BFCOSU MEETINGS

SECTION I

  1. Regular monthly meetings will be held at an agreed upon date and time, by a majority vote of the club members.
  2. Meetings will follow general Parliamentary Procedure practices, and progress according to agenda created beforehand by officers.
    1. Only one issue may be discussed at a time.
    2. All members have equal and basic rights (right to vote, oppose, and be heard).
  • No member may speak until recognized by the chairperson.
  1. The chairperson is the member chosen to spearhead this issue by the president.
  2. Every member can speak to the issue on the floor.
  3. Majority vote with officer approval decides issue.
  • Secretary will record “minutes” (summary of proceedings) to be distributed amongst the club upon member request.
  1. Each meeting will consist of the following, in order:
    1. Call to order
    2. Roll call (if need be)
  • Reports of officers (if need be)
  1. Unfinished business
  2. New business
  3. Announcements
  • Adjournment

 

ARTICLE VIII

BFCOSU SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS

SECTION I

  1. It may be necessary for BFCOSU officers or advisor to appoint BFCOSU members to serve as event coordinators/BFCOSU committee members on an individual basis. These appointments will come from volunteers with expertise, experience, or interest in associated areas.

 

ARTICLE IX

BFCOSU FINANCES

SECTION I

  1. All BFCOSU finances are to be handled by the Treasurer.
  2. A BFCOSU budget is to be drawn up for each year by current BFCOSU officers in accordance with Ohio State University protocol.
  3. Operation expenses are to be obtained by applying for college funding, by sponsoring fund-raising activities, and through contributions.
  4. Expense reimbursement requests shall be submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement. All expense receipts and appropriate documentation (bills, invoices and receipts) shall be submitted for reimbursement.
  5. BFCOSU shall keep no less than $1500 in finances for the purchase of apparel for resale at any given time.
  6. Appropriate finances shall be given to support teams qualifying for and traveling to national championship events as funding permits, and as decided by club officers.
  7. The order of tournament jerseys shall be placed no later than January 1st of each year, with all funds being collected by the end of the Autumn semester.
  8. Funding for promotion of social media posts and general promotion of the club may be decided upon by officers if it is within reason.

 

ARTICLE X

BFCOSU SPONSORS

SECTION I

  1. New sponsor inquiries and offers will be sent in the form of mail or email of the official marketing/sponsorship document starting on August 1st of each year.
  2. Sponsors for the following year should be finalized by December 1st of the previous year.
  3. In the event of conflicting sponsors, the club will convene and vote on which sponsor to pursue by matter of 2/3 majority. Officer vote will decide if a verdict is not reached by the club vote.
  4. Sponsors should be beneficial to the club, through contribution of money, equipment, services and/or discounts, and overall promotion of BFCOSU.
  5. BFCOSU is responsible to meet the sponsor’s requirements, and to actively promote their brand and help at events.
  6. Tournament Anglers must sign a confidentiality agreement to not discuss sponsorship details and figures with anyone other than other Tournament Anglers.
    1. There is a no-tolerance policy regarding this matter, and members found in violation will be removed from the club. The decision is final and may not be appealed.
  7. Tournament anglers may use sponsor privileges for themselves only, and may not purchase items for friends, family, or resale.

 

ARTICLE XI

BUCKEYE BATTLE FUNDRAISER

SECTION I

  1. Planning for the following year’s Buckeye Battle should begin in August. Members should discuss and agree upon location and date by the end of September, and promptly contact owners of ramp to reserve and pay ramp fees.
  2. Pre-registrations will be taken in the form of check or electronic payment and receipt of payment and signed waiver from all participants on that boat. Take-off numbers will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.
  3. In-person registration will begin in the ramp parking lot at 5:15 AM on the morning of the tournament.
  4. Tournament rules are outlined on a separate document, and each boat will receive a copy prior to the tournament.

 

ARTICLE XII

BFCOSU COMMUNICATION

SECTION I

The club will communicate in the following forms:

  1. OSU Bass Fishing Facebook Group
    1. Club announcements
    2. Sharing of files (meeting agendas, discount information, Buckeye Battle flyers, etc.) pertinent to official business of the club.
  • Club events will be added, and members will be expected to mark “Going” or “Can’t Go.” Members may mark “Maybe” but should change to a definite answer once they know if they are available.
  1. Bass Team Slack
    1. Channels will be created for varying purposes and members will reflect that purposed.
      1. Announcements: club meeting dates, event dates, and other important information
      2. Buckeye Battle: information regarding planning and operations of the fundraiser tournament
      3. General: informal communication regarding the club and fishing, invitations and requests for fishing trips, and anything that does not fall into other channel categories
      4. Meeting Recaps: brief descriptions of items discussed at meetings for members who were unable to attend
      5. Social Media Content: uploading pictures and videos for use on club’s social media platforms
      6. Tryouts: information and questions regarding tryouts
      7. Youth Events: information and questions regarding youth events and community outreach
      8. Tournament Team: private channel consisting of only Tournament Anglers to discuss tournaments and related issues
        • Individual channels may be temporarily created for individual tournaments and will include the club members attending those specific events. These channels will be archived after the tournament is completed.
      9. Officers: private channel for officers to discuss club related issues

 

ARTICLE XIII

SOCIAL MEDIA

SECTION I

Expectations

  1. The club should strive to consistently put out quality and innovative content representative of the prestigious university we are representing. Members will be expected to contribute content.
  2. Members should take and share personal pictures and videos of fish, scenery, graphs, gear, or anything fishing related.
  3. Members should help produce team and sponsor promoting posts.
    1. Such content should be uploaded to team Google Photos account or the “Social Media Content” channel in Slack for officers to share across the club’s platforms.

SECTION II

Goals

  1. At least 1 Instagram and Facebook post per week, with more during/after team events.
  2. Timely tournament updates, and final tournament results.
  3. Videos related to some aspect of fishing. These may include:
    1. Information and how-to videos
    2. On-the-water type video following the day’s events for some of our anglers
  • “Versus” video episode, competing against another school
  1. Tournament recap video discussing what went right and wrong, along with key baits and strategies.
  2. Keep the website up to date and accurate.

 

ARTICLE XIV

BFCOSU GROWTH

SECTION I

  1. BFCOSU will have a table at the Autumn Involvement Fair. Officers should register the club by June 1st for the following autumn.
  2. Officers should respond to all email inquiries about membership requests in a timely manner, with detailed information about upcoming club meetings, the specifics of the club, and ways to stay updated on club events.
  3. Members are encouraged to wear BFCOSU apparel and gear to promote the club and are expected to steer interested students in the right direction.

 

ARTICLE XV

AMMENDING AND ISSUING OF THE CONSTITUTION

SECTION I

  1. If an amendment is desired by any member in good standing with the BFCOSU, it shall be submitted to one of the club officers in writing. The recommendation will be put on the meeting agenda and discussed.  The recommendation will then be voted upon at the next meeting.
  2. For an amendment to pass, it will require an 80% majority vote of members present at the meeting.

 

ARTICLE XVI

METHODS OF DISSOLUTION

SECTION I

  1. Should this club disband, all its assets should be divided in a means voted upon by a majority of the members of the club. Possible methods include prizes for a final club tournament, club auction, charity donation, or by another club-voted means.