1) Name
The name of the organisation shall be the "Radcliffe Angling Society".

2 Aims and Objectives
2.1 To campaign on behalf of members for a cleaner aquatic environment.
2.2 To continue to provide a unified body for the benefit of all members.

3 Membership
3.1 There shall be six categories of membership within R.A.S.
` 3.1.1 Full Individual Senior member – voting (one vote).
3.1.2 Junior member - under 17 on Jan 1st (no vote).
3.1.3 Life member - voting (one vote).
3.1.4 Honorary member - voting (one vote).
3.1.5 Disabled member - voting (one vote).
3.1.6 Officials and Committee ( one vote each).

4 Memberships and Subscriptions
4.1 Membership subscriptions shall become due on 1st January each year.
4.2 Subscription rates will be recommended by the committee to the A.G.M for confirmation or otherwise.
4.3 The Society will grant disabled permits on production of proof the said member is in receipt of a disability allowance.

4.4 Honorary Member & Life Member
      Honorary Membership or Life Membership may be awarded to any person who In the opinion of the membership has given significant service to the cause of R.A.S. Proposals for Honorary or Life Membership will be considered at the A.G.M.

5.  Resignations
     Any Committee member who wishes to withdraw or resign from the R.A.S. must give notice in writing to the secretary on or before the October meeting prior to the A.G.M otherwise the subscriptions for the year shall be payable.

     Expulsions
     The Committee shall have the power to expel any member from the R.A.S. Such action will require a majority at a Committee meeting. The Committees verdict will be final. The member concerned will be allowed to attend such a meeting in order to put their point of view across.

6 The Society can refuse or remove membership, where it has good reason to believe that the applicant or member is or would be a disruptive influence or prejudice the good name of the Society. But there must be no discrimination in such a decision.

7 Meetings
   There will be regular representative meetings every month of each year which members may attend.

8   Annual General Meetings
8.1 The A.G.M will be held on the first Monday in November each year.
8.2 Only the Committee and those members whose subscriptions have been fully paid up by November will be eligible to attend or vote at A.G.M's.
8.3 Notices of motion and nominations for Committee posts and propositions must be presented at the October meeting prior to the A.G.M and read out to the meeting with the names of the proposer and seconder.
8.4 The existing Committee will be assumed to be standing for re-election unless the secretary is advised otherwise on or before the meeting prior to the A.G.M.
8.5 No other nominations will be accepted unless a post remains vacant on the day of the A.G.M.
8.6 All proposals and nominations will be read out at the October meeting together With the agenda prior to the A.G.M.
8.7 An annual general meeting of R.A.S will be held each year to transact the following business:-
8.8 To receive and if approved adopt a statement of accounts to the end of the preceding financial year.
8.9 To elect officers to serve the Committee.
8.9.1   To consider any proposals notified to the Secretary and placed on the agenda for said meetings.
8.9.2To consider subscription rates for the following financial year.

9.  Extraordinary General Meeting
9.1. An E.G.M can only be called by the Chairman of the said Society.

10 Voting at Meetings
10.1 Majority vote carries unless otherwise stated in these rules.

11 Committee
11.1 Any member wishing to join the Committee must have at least 5 years unbroken membership, unless the Committee deems otherwise when it may co-opt members to serve until the A.G.M.
11.2 The officers will comprise Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Committee.
11..3 The officers will be elected at an A.G.M and will serve for 12 months. They may stand for re-election at the end of that period.
11.4 The officers will co-opt other members from within and without the Committee to serve other posts, which may include; Finance Officer, Conservation Officer, Public Affairs Officer, Events Officer, Conference Officer, Newsletter Editor, Magazine Editor, Advertising Manager, which this list is not exclusive.
11.5 If there are more than two candidates for any one post, then the meeting will decide by a simple vote.
11.6 Any member wishing to hold a Senior Committee position, e.g Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary must have served on the Committee for five unbroken years, unless an emergency arose where this could not be carried out then the Committee would vet the applicants and select the successor.
11.7 The R.A.S is a private members Society and as such is answerable only to itself, however the Society will take cognizance of the rules of the national governing body. eg N.F.A
11.8 Any one person may serve in more than one office.
11.9 Only the presiding President shall have a casting vote.
11.10 R.A.S will circulate a list of key personnel in the permits. Press or public comments should only come from authorised sources. eg Secretary.

12 Quorum
12.1 At Committee meetings four (4) shall form a quorum, one of which must be the Chairman or Secretary.

13 Trustees
13.1 The Trustees shall act in relation to the property invested in them as such, upon the direction of the Committee and not otherwise. They shall not be entitled as against the property of the Society to be indemnified against any personal liability incurred by them in so doing.

14 Financial Year
14.1 The financial year will run from 1st November each year until the 31st October the following year.

15 Accounts
15.1 The annual accounts shall be prepared by the Treasurer, audited by the societies elected auditors, and presented to the A.G.M for ratification.

16 Bank Accounts
16.1 There will be two Bank Accounts; a Current Account and a High Interest Account for which any two of three signatories will be acceptable. The signatories shall be the Treasurer, Chairman or Secretary.

17 Altering of this Constitution
17.1 Only the Committee shall have the power to change this constitution and only if the matter arising is absolutely undermining the clubs welfare and or existence and will require a 90 percent vote at a Committee meeting.

18 Dissolution
18.1 In the event of winding up of the R.A.S, any surplus funds shall be distributed in the following manner:-
18.2 A resolution to dissolve the Society shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a postal vote for the entire membership and an elected sub Committee shall be formed for such a purpose to aid and ratify with the societies Committee the outcome of the vote.
18.3 The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Committee and Trustees shall be responsible for the winding – up of the assets and liabilities of the Society.
18.4 Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Society shall be divided equally among the fully paid up members and Committee.
18.5 As long as there remains 5 (five) members the Society shall stay in existence.

19 Acknowledgement
19.1 The members acknowledge that these rules constitute a binding contract between R.A.S and themselves.
19.2 Work of any kind undertaken on any of the societies waters and or land either owned or rented must be approved by the Secretary or Chairman and if needed endorsed by the Committee. Also any maintenance carried out must have the above approval.
19.3 The following statement will appear on club membership permits:-

     I acknowledge receipt of the rules of Radcliffe Angling Society and confirm my understanding and my acceptance that such rules (as amended from time to time) shall govern my membership of the Society. I further acknowledge and accept the responsibilities of membership upon members as set out in these rules.

20 Equity Policy Statement
20.1 R.A.S. is fully committed to the principals of equity of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no member, volunteer, coach, employee, or job applicant of R.A.S. receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, pregnancy, religious belief, social status, sexual orientation or political belief. Radcliffe Angling Society will ensure everyone who wishes has an equal opportunity.