RULES OF EAST MAYO ANGLERS’ ASSOCIATION
1. The Association shall be called “The East Mayo Anglers’ Association” and its headquarters and address shall be Swinford in the County of Mayo. The objects of the Association shall be the furtherance of fishing interests in East Mayo and the surrounding district and the protection and improvement of any waters in such districts that may be available for members of the Association. The committee will have the authority to make decisions, without prior approval of an Annual General Meeting, to carry out works to improve the fishery.
2. The management of the Association shall be entrusted to a President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, together with not more than ten members and not less than seven members, which officers and members shall be the committee and all of whom shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The office of Chairman shall rotate annually but may run for up to three years by agreement, updated at 2017 AGM.
3. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in Swinford between the months of November and January. A General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee or by the Secretary on a requisition signed by ten members of the Association. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to call such General Meeting immediately on receipt of any such requisition.
4. The Committee shall meet at least once a year. Other meetings of the committee may be convened at any time on prior notification to all Committee members by the Secretary. Seven shall form a quorum at committee meetings. All meetings of the committee shall be held in Swinford.
5. Candidates for members of the Committee shall be proposed and seconded by members of the Association and approved by the Committee.
5A. Employees of the association are not allowed to serve on the committee.
6. New members and Associate members may be admitted from time to time at the discretion of the Committee and upon subject and subject to such terms, conditions and regulations as the Committee may, from time to time, impose. Associate Members shall not be entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Association and shall not be eligible for membership of the Committee. Voting at General Meetings of the association and at Meetings of the Committee on the admission or the rejection of members or associate members shall be by secret ballot.
7. The membership subscription shall be payable yearly in advance by each person on his being elected a Member or Associate member. Students and Disabled Anglers may be admitted at a reduced subscription.
8. Members and Associate Members, subject to the provisions of these Rules, shall be entitled to fish for salmon by rod and line only in waters controlled and used by the Association.
9. The Committee may issue Permits to visitors to fish for salmon by and line only in waters for such temporary periods and at such charges as the Committee may from time to time determine.
10. Save and except in accordance with the provisions of these rules, particularly Rules 8&9, no person or persons shall be entitled to fish in said waters controlled and used by the Association. It is Contrary to the rules of the club for any person/member to fish without:
(1) State License
(2) Club permit
11. Poaching in any form is a serious breach of club rules.
12. Every member and associate member shall report to the Secretary any case of illegal fishing that comes to his attention and particularly which he observes.
13. If any circumstances connect with the conduct of a member or an associate members, and likely to endanger the welfare of the good order of the Association, be brought to the notice of the Committee, it shall be in their sole discretion and right to call a Meeting to consider the conduct of such member or associate member, and in the event of the expulsion of such member or associate being voted at that meeting by two-thirds of the members present, he shall thereupon cease to be a member or associate member of the Association. Voting at such a meeting shall be by secret ballot.
14. Payments out of the funds of the Association by cheque requires two signatures and shall be signed by the Secretary of Chairman along with the signature of either the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer.
15. should any matter not covered or provided for by the Rules arise the Committee for the time being shall have power to deal with same including the nomination of Trustees of the Association for any legal purpose (including the purchase of property and or the taking on lease or otherwise if any interest in property).
16. Every member and associate member is bound to abide by the provisions of these rules and agrees to have them carried out in the letter and spirit.
17. These Rules may be amended or altered by resolution at any General Meeting of the Association, but at least 21 days’ notice in writing shall be given to each member of the Association, setting forth the proposed new rule or amendment, and every such resolution to become affective shall be passed by two-thirds of the members present at such General Meeting.
18. No member shall fish with more that one rod at one time.
19. No member shall fish prawn or shrimp or any unsporting or illegal thing or substance. Any alleged breach of this rule will lead to a hearing before the committee and where it is found a breach has occurred the committee may then impose one of the following sanctions:
1st offence – 2 years suspension
2nd offence – 5 years suspension
3rd offence – expulsion
19A. The sanction for any offence which brings the Association into disrepute, including being abusive to Water-keepers, Committee or other anglers, will be decided by the committee.
20. No member may hold onto a pool in such a manner that others are prevented from fishing that pool If a member prevents another member free access to the pool he shall be reprimanded by the committee. Each member must be allowed reasonable time to fish a pool. This rule does not apply to member’s and their children who are fishing on the designated ‘Children’s safe fishing pools’.
21. No member or person shall take more than three salmon from the waters of the Club in any 24-hour period.
22. Co-operation and respect must always be shown to the Waterkeepers, committee members, staff, and fellow anglers. Farmer’s property and the environment must also be fully respected. Disregarding the rules and those pertaining to illegal fishing may incur penalties.
23. The membership subscriptions shall be payable on or before 31st day of March in each year.
24. The stretch of the club Waters from Geraghty’s to the Gub, are designated for the use of fly only.
25. Members and Associates must always carry a Club ID card with a photograph therein.
26. Exclusion of liability:
(i) Neither the Association, its Trustees nor any officer thereof, nor any member, shall be liable to any member, visitor, guest or other person nor to their personal representatives, for any loss for damage whether by way of death or injury to person or property occurring from whatever cause in or about the Association’s waters suffered by any member or guest of a member whilst on, or entering or leaving the Association’s Waters from any cause whatsoever, (This rule shall not prejudice any claim made in respect of which a valid policy of Insurance is in existence to the limit of the cover in force under said policy)
(ii) All personal belongings of members, visitors, guests, and other persons brought onto the Association’s Waters shall be at the sole risk of the owners. Neither the Association, its Trustees, nor it’s officers nor employees shall be responsible for any loss or damage thereto however arising (Nothing in the Rules shall prejudice any claim by the Association or any officer or member of the Association on against an Insurance Company in respect of loss covered by t a policy of insurance whether by fire or otherwise howsoever save to the extent that such liability I covered by a valid and effective policy of insurance)
27. Winding up:
(i) The Association may only be wound up by a properly convened special general meeting directing a requisition for that purpose and that purpose only.
(ii) A resolution to wind up the Association shall only be passed in the event of four fifths of the ordinary members are present and voting to support such a motion. The quorum for such a special general meeting shall be 60 full members.
28. INTERPRETATION
(i) In the Rules save where the context otherwise requires or implies.
Words importing the masculine gender only include the feminine neuter, and common genders and words importing the singular number only include the plural number and visa versa.
(ii) Expressions referring to “writing” shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as including reference to the printing, photocopying, E-mail, Telefax, Telex, photography, lithography and any other modes or representing or reproducing words in a visible form.
(iii) If any dispute, or difference of opinion, shall arise regarding the meaning or interpretation of any of the Rules and or bye-laws of the Association, the General Committee, shall be entitled to decide the dispute and or the interpretation, and its decision shall be conclusive and binding.
(iv) Headings inserted in the Rules shall not affect the construction thereof nor shall the same have any contractual significance.
29. These Rules are in force and binding on all members as and from the 22nd March 1991 when they were adapted by a general meeting of the Association and as and from which date, they replace all previous Rules of the Association.
Amendments to these rules were adapted by Annual General Meeting on the 27th January 2020 and are binding on all members and associates.