Bylaws

 

 

I. Name:

The official name of this organization is The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen (FCS).

II. Statement of Purpose (charter):

The purpose of the Club shall be to encourage Christian fellowship through outdoor activities.

III. Membership:

  1. Members shall consist of those men (and each man’s wife and adult female relatives) who have:
  1. Expressed a desire to be a member by completing a membership application.
  2. Have paid an annual club membership due.  Current dues are $20.00 a year.
  1. A directory of members will be maintained by the Club officers.
  2. Current membership benefits include:
  1. Prospective members (men who have never attended a FCS event) will receive e-mails and/or a one-time mail out of materials at their request or the request of a Club member.  After a prospect has been sent a mail out of materials he will be removed from the mailing list and not reinstated unless he becomes a member.  Prospective members also will not be allowed membership benefits until they become members.  Newsletters, flyers, and other FCS publications will continue to be made available to prospective members at FCS events.
  2. Inactive members (men who have at one time been active members of the Club but who have not renewed their memberships) become active members upon receipt of a membership due.  Inactive members will not be allowed membership benefits until they renew their memberships.
  3. Youth Club membership is available to minor male offspring of Club members.  Said offspring are not required to complete an application and do not pay a membership due.
  4. Other minor males, whose father's are not members of the Club, can become youth members.  To do so they must complete a youth membership application but they do not pay a membership due.  Youth Club members in this category must also secure parent or guardian permission in order to purchase Club Apparel.   A youth membership application is required to be completed for all youth whose fathers are not Club members prior to participation in Club events.
  5. Club membership is available to men, 18 years old and older, (and each man’s wife and adult female relatives) and Youth Club membership is available to minor males (under 18 years old) and minor female relatives of male members without regard to race, national origin, age, denominational preference, or political persuasion.
  6. Members and Youth members may be removed from active membership by their own request, by failure to renew their memberships, or as is determined necessary by a majority vote of Club members.
  7. Club members wives, girl friends, and female relatives can participate in all Club outings with their male sponsor.  Single women who are not related to a male Club member or women who are married but their husband is not a Club member can participate in FCS day events but cannot participate in events that involve overnight camping, stays at motels, sleeping in bunk houses, etc.  Female members and guests must be escorted to FCS events in the field by the male member (sponsor) who they are related to.  A female guest(s) of a male guest must be escorted to FCS events in the field by the male guest.

IV. Officers:

  1. Officer positions shall consist of a President and such other positions that are deemed necessary by a majority vote of the active Club members.  All Club officers are expected to set the example for the FCS membership by following the bylaws and through attendance at FCS events.  All Club officers are expected to participate in scheduling, planning, and promoting all Club meetings and outings.  All Club Officers will serve two year terms.  All Club officers are expected to be current in their membership dues.
  2. The Club President will be in charge of all of the Club’s chapters.  The Club President is responsible to notify the Chapter President, or Chapter Vice President (if he cannot reach the Chapter President), or Club Treasurer (if he cannot reach the Chapter President or Chapter Vice President) when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a meeting.  The Club President is expected to attend at least one half of all Club Chapter meetings.  Specific Expectations:
  1. Responsible to lead all Officer and Club meetings.  Responsible to obtain a substitute leader for Officer or Club meetings when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending.
  2. Responsible to distribute an agenda of Officer meetings to all officers seven days prior to all Officers meetings.
  3. Responsible to ensure that the minutes of all Officer and Club meetings are recorded.
  4. Responsible to ensure that the FCS Annual Calendar of Events is implemented.  Responsible to obtain and designate the responsible party (leader) for FCS outings.
  5. Responsible to ensure that the other Chapter President(s) and the officers in his own Chapter (if he is also a Chapter President) fulfill their job descriptions.
  6. Responsible to ensure that quarterly newsletters and flyers pertaining to FCS events are produced and distributed to active Club members who do not have e-mail access (at a minimum).
  7. Responsible to ensure that FCS literature is distributed to all guests at FCS events.
  8. Responsible to ensure that ballot surveys are distributed to all active Club members prior to called elections via e-mail and mail or phone proxy (for active members who do not have an e-mail address).
  9. Responsible to ensure that all votes that are required by the bylaws (Bi-annual elections, Annual Fiscal Year Budget, and Annual Calendar) take place and the results are tabulated and reported to the active Club members.  An attempt must be made to obtain votes from all active Club members via e-mail and mail or phone proxy (for active members who do not have an e-mail address).  All active Club members must be given, at a minimum, one week to respond to all votes.  Any candidate or proposal approved by a majority vote of the active Club members shall constitute as an official action of the Club.
  10. Responsible to ensure that votes on Amendment proposals to the Bylaws, Statement of Faith, Annual Calendar of Events, or Fiscal Year Budget from active Club members take place and the results are tabulated and reported to the active Club members.  An attempt must be made to obtain votes from all active Club members via e-mail and mail or phone proxy (for active members who do not have an e-mail address).  All active Club members will be given an opportunity to ponder and discuss a proposed vote for a minimum of one week before the vote is scheduled to be held.  Discussions can be held by e-mail, mail, or phone.  All active Club members must be given, at a minimum, one week to respond to all votes.  Any proposal approved by a majority vote of the active Club members shall constitute as an official action of the Club.  If there is not a majority vote a runoff vote must be held using the same procedure as above, except without the discussion period.  If there are multiple options in a vote, and a runoff must be held, the options that statistically cannot win will be eliminated from the ballot.  The Club officers can, in situations where it is impossible to obtain an immediate response from the members, make Executive Decisions.  Examples include, but are not limited, to: canceling or rescheduling an event due to projected lack of game, bad weather, or a scheduling conflict and changing the location of an event for the same reasons.  The Club President must attempt to obtain votes from all current Club officers as soon as possible in order to make an Executive Decision.  Any Executive Decision can later be overturned by a majority vote of the active Club members (an active Club member would have to propose a full vote on the Executive Decision).

C. The Chapter President is responsible to notify his Chapter Vice President or the Club Treasurer (in that order) when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a scheduled meeting of his chapter.  Specific Expectations:

  1. Responsible to distribute an agenda of his chapters Officer meetings to all of his chapters officers seven days prior to all of his chapters Officer meetings.
  2. Responsible to ensure that the minutes of all of his chapters Chapter meetings and chapters Officer meetings are recorded.
  3. Responsible to ensure that FCS literature is distributed to all guests at his chapters Chapter meetings.
  4. Responsible to ensure that the other officers in his chapter fulfill their job descriptions.

D. The Chapter Vice President is responsible to notify the Chapter President when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a scheduled meeting of his chapter.  Specific Expectations:

  1. Responsible to lead his chapters Officer and Chapter meetings in the absence of his chapters Chapter President (as delegated).
  2. Responsible to complete assignments as delegated by his chapters Chapter President.

E. The Club Treasurer is responsible to notify the Club President when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a Club meeting or a meeting of the Club chapter that he usually attends.  Specific Expectations:

  1. Responsible to deposit Club funds promptly.
  2. Responsible to pay debts promptly.
  3. Responsible to promptly balance the FCS check register on a quarterly basis with the bank statement.  Responsible to distribute a report of this reconciliation to the President.
  4. Responsible to lead FCS Officer meetings in the absence of the Club President, Chapter Presidents, and Chapter Vice Presidents (as delegated by the Club President).
  5. Responsible to lead Club Meetings (as delegated by the Club President).  Responsible to lead his chapters Officer and Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chapter President and Chapter Vice President (as delegated by the Chapter President).

F. The Club Secretary/Chapter Secretary is responsible to notify the Chapter President when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a meeting.  Specific Expectations:

  1. Responsible to lead his chapters Officer and Chapter meetings in the absence of his chapters Chapter President and Chapter Vice President (as delegated).
  2. Responsible to record the minutes of all of his chapters meetings and to write a report on all of his chapters events.  Responsible to submit his chapters meeting minutes and event reports to the Club President and his chapters President within seven days of the event.

G. The Club Chaplain/Chapter Chaplain is responsible to notify the Chapter President when circumstances beyond his control preclude him from attending a meeting.  Specific Expectations:

  1. Responsible to preach, lead devotionals or Bible studies, etc. at FCS outings and meetings as requested by the President or Chapter President (for Chapter functions).
  2. Responsible to lead his chapters Officer and Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chapter President and Chapter Vice President (as delegated by the Chapter President).

H. Future elections for unopposed officers/active Club members (as determined by Ballot Surveys) will not be held.  An unopposed officer will automatically receive another two year term.  An unopposed active Club member will automatically receive the job he applied for.

I. Members can vote in chapter officer elections for their chapter only.

J. The Officers shall maintain an Annual Fiscal Year Budget (beginning each September the 1st).  The proposed Annual Fiscal Year Budget must be approved by a majority vote of the active Club members prior to implementation.  Any proposed unplanned purchase(s) of $50.00 or more must be approved by a majority vote of the active Club members prior to the purchase(s).

K. The Officers shall maintain an Annual Club Calendar of Events.  The proposed Annual Calendar of Events must be approved by a majority vote of the active Club members prior to implementation.  Any proposed event during a specific year that was not already on that years Annual Calendar of Events must be approved by a majority vote of the active Club members prior to implementation.

V. Chapters

A. A minimum of two active Club members are needed to start a chapter.  These two active Club members must serve as officers for the local chapter (one as Chapter President and one as Chapter Vice President).  Additional approved Chapter officer positions include Chapter Secretary and Chapter Chaplin.  All Chapter members must also be active Club members.

B. Each chapter will be governed by the FCS Bylaws and Statement of Faith.  Chapters may organize their own meetings and events but these activities must be approved by a majority vote of the active Club members prior to implementation.  Approved activities will be added to the Annual Club Calendar of Events.

VI. Meetings:

  1. Official meetings will be held according to the schedule of the Annual Calendar of Events that was approved by a majority vote of the active Club members.  The President, or a majority of the other officers, or the majority of active Club members can also call a meeting.  Attempts must be made to notify all active Club members at least 72 hours in advance of called meetings via e-mail and mail or phone proxy (for active members who do not have an e-mail address).  The ranking officer or most tenured member (in the event that no officers are involved) is responsible to attempt to notify all active Club members.

VII. Amendment proposals to the Bylaws, Statement of Faith, Annual Calendar of Events, or Fiscal Year Budget:

  1. Active members only can make amendment proposals.
  2. Amendment proposals must be made to the Club President and can be in written (preferably) or oral form. 
  3. Amendment proposals do not require a "second" in order to be put to a vote.

VIII. Conduct:

Members agree to uphold the traditions of the Club that were established when its name was The Burp & Poot (B & P) Club.  These include:

Fellowship

  1. To burp and poot at every opportunity at functions of the Club (with the exception of the sweethearts dinner).
  2. To never say excuse me when engaging in the above at Club events.
  3. To play Killer UNO.
  4. To eat chili.
  5. To treat Charlie Batts with respect.
  6. To drink IBC root beer.
  7. To sing the "Lumberjack Song" when rising at Club overnight outings.
  8. To "let their hair down" and have fun.

Christian walk

  1. To bear other members burdens.
  2. To pray for needs within our membership body.
  3. To never hunt or fish on special occasions (anniversary, wife's or children's birthdays, etc.).
  4. To refrain from consuming alcohol, taking illegal drugs, and using profanity while on FCS outings (the use of tobacco products is also strongly discouraged.
  5. To obey all laws of the United States of America while on FCS outings (this includes while traveling to and from outings).

Safety and shooting practices

  1. To obey the rules of safe weapon/rod handling.
  2. To drive vehicles and four wheelers at leases and operate boats in a safe manner.
  3. To acquire marksmanship skills that will assure clean kills.

Hunting and Fishing practices

  1. To respect the property of the landowner (picking up trash and empty shells, closing gates that they open, etc.).
  2. To learn the rules of the host or landowner and follow them (staying put until the agreed upon hour, for example).
  3. To carry our fair share of the load.  This includes paying a fair share of gas money and other expenses and doing a fair share of chores.
  4. To be unselfish in our hunting and fishing practices (permitting a new hunter first shot at a bird, assigning new hunters and anglers to the prime spots, not shooting at a bird that is heading directly for another hunter, permitting a new angler to fight the first fish on a chartered boat, etc.).
  5. To never take advantage of a game bird, animal or fish (shooting at a unwounded bird on the ground or in a tree, for example).
  6. To never become possessed with who can bag the most birds, shoot the largest racked deer, or catch the most fish.
  7. To never shoot at unidentified furry or flying objects (UFO's).
  8. To obey all hunting and fishing regulations.  Examples of frequently violated laws include: buying your child a hunting and/or fishing license for the purpose of harvesting more game or fish for yourself and saying that your child harvested them, harvesting game or fish over the limit and giving the excess to others, and harvesting game or fish over the limit and eating the excess.

 

 

 

Bylaws