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RULES Club Officers Chairman; Dave Hazelwood 01797 329013 / 07876 237328 Failure to abide by the rules in this book could mean Lydd Angling Club losing all rights to fish and result in angling being banned altogether. CLUB RULES 1. Neither Lydd Angling Club, nor its Officers, shall be held responsible for any loss, damage or injury suffered by any club member. 2. That there shall be a Chairman, Secretary and a Treasurer elected every 3 years.The General Committee to be elected annually, to consist of a minimum of 8 members, any 5 of the above to form a quorum (not including the Chairman). 3. That in the event of a vacancy or vacancies arising amongst the officers or members of the Committee, the Committee shall have the power to fill such vacancies until the next AGM. 4. Subscriptions are to be reviewed annually. No person is to fish or have privileges of the Club until such subscriptions are paid. 5. That any members wishing to propose a motion for the better regulation of the club may do so at any Committee meeting, but that no additions or alterations be made to the rules, except at AGM notice in writing of such intended alterations having been given at the previous Committee meeting. 6. Nominations for committee members or officers should be made in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the AGM. 7. That a minimum of 60% of the Committee be of local anglers living within a 12-mile radius of Lydd, with a maximum of 40% of anglers from outside the radius. 8. Members must be in possession of their membership card and rule book when fishing Club waters and a valid Environmental Agency licence at all times. Any members unable to produce the rule book and membership card may be asked to leave the water immediately by a club official or committee member. Any angler found to be using another member’s rule book will result in both parties being expelled from the Club. 9. Swims must be kept clear of litter and no tackle to be discarded. Anglers are responsible for any litter found in their swims. No fires or BBQ's be lit. 10. Junior members must be accompanied by an adult at all times whilst on Club waters. If an adult is fishing at the same time as the junior, they must either be in the same swim as the junior or the adjacent swim. 11. To be eligible for Junior Membership, the applicant must not have reached their 16th birthday by 1st May. 12. Membership to run annually from 1st April to 31st March. 13. Non-toxic shot to be used at all times. 14. No rods are to be left unattended unless clear of the water. 15. No more than 4 rods to be used at any one time. 16. Swims and fishing gear should not be left unattended for more than one hour. 17. No swim is to be reserved for any reason. 18. The utilisation of more than one swim is not permitted on any Club water if another wants to fish the adjacent swim. 19. On match days the pegged area of the lake will be closed and this will be pegs 0-19 from 0700 to 1700 to anglers not participating in the match Match dates are displayed at the enterance to the match lake. 20. Club waters are to be approached only by authorised means of access. All gates to be locked and track to be kept clear. 21. Live baiting is not allowed on any Club water. 22. No boats, dinghies or radio-controlled boats of any kind to be used for any purpose on LAC waters. 23. No drift float fishing when boats are on the water. 24. Anglers must have a suitable landing net and unhooking mat whenever on club waters. 25. The Pike season will be from 1st October to 15th March. Any member not abiding by the club rules may be immediately suspended by a Committee member or Officer and will be asked to explain their actions to the Committee at the next meeting. For the purpose of the Data Protection Act, members are advised that their details may be kept on computer files. RULES CONCERNING WATER SKI LAKE 1. A maximum of 4 nights stay only, for all anglers. After that time, they will be expected to leave the site for 24 hours before returning. If anglers wish to stay at the lake for between 5 and 7 nights this must be booked with Dave Hazelwood ( 07876 237328 ). 2. No vehicles or bivvy will be allowed to block the track, if so the vehicle or bivvy must be moved. 3. The only form of shelter permitted is bivvies and fishing umbrellas. The track must still be kept clear. Any problems with the ski club LAC members should contact Dave Hazelwood. WATER SKI LAKE (HERONS PARK) RULES All of the Club rules and; 1. No confrontation with the Water Ski Club. Areas of the lake are out of bounds – please refer to the map on the notice board at each entrance to the lake. 2. Fishing can only be made from permanent swims. Members should not cut or dig new ones. 3. Do not throw debris into the lake as this is dangerous to water skiers. RULES FOR THE USE OF THE DUNGENESS LONG PITS All of the Club rules and; 1. Fishing from sunrise to sunset only. 2. Maximum of two rods permitted. 3. No boats or dinghies allowed. 4. No swimming, bathing, paddling, sailing, or skating. 5. No fires or BBQ's. 6. Motorised vehicles must be parked at the roadside and not driven over the shingle. 7. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult over 18 years. Dungeness Long Pits closed season 15th March until 15th June. RULES FOR WHITEHALL LAKES. All of the Club rules and; 1. Close and lock all gates after arriving and leaving, leave the entrance clear at all times. 2. Fishing from sunrise to sunset only. 3. No Dogs allowed. 4. Barbless hooks only. 5. Keep to the perimeter of the field and do not bother livestock. 6. A maximum of 2 rods can be used. 7. No keepnets to be used (except in club matches. 8. No fires or BBQ's 9. No swimming. 10. No Bait boats. COMPETITION RULES 1. The Match Secretary/Steward has the right to amend dates and times of matches With fair reason. 2. Competitions will be started and finished by the sound of a whistle blown by a Steward elected as Time Keeper. 3. Only one rod and hook to be used at any one time, although others may be made up. 4. Once the starting whistle has been blown in a competition no angler may move to another swim without the Match Secretary’s permission. 5. The surface of the water is not to be broken before the start of a competition with the exception of plumbing depth, shotting line and putting keepnets in the water. 6. Members may have assistance in landing fish if requested. 7. All freshwater fish to count in competitions with the exception of Pike. Any species that is weighed in can be entered for the Specimen Trophy. 8. Any fish over 2kg is to be weighed at once and returned to the water at the Match Secretary’s discretion. 9. All rods are to be taken from the water after the sound of the finishing whistle. 10. If an angler has a fish on their rod at the sound of the finishing whistle he may request up to 15 minutes extra fishing time after calling out to the Match Secretary. 11. All fish to be weighed at water’s edge and returned as soon as possible. Club scales and correct weigh sling to be used. The scales man’s decision is final. 12. No match person is to fish the match venue 24 hours prior to the start of the match. 13. Club members to have finished at least 3 matches prior to the Fur & Feather match. This match must be held on club water's 14. Juniors must be members for at least 2 months prior to the date of the annual Junior match. All byelaws of relevant Water Authority must be strictly adhered to. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE PURPOSE This document sets out the procedure for handling allegations of misconduct with Lydd Angling Club and details the investigative processes to be used in order to provide a fair and consistent method of dealing with suspected failures to observe the rules of the Club. SCOPE This procedure applies to ALL members of Lydd Angling Club including Honorary members,and the members and officers of the Committee. FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES In the event of this procedure being invoked (other than for Informal Procedures as set out in 5.1 below) the Chairman shall be responsible for appointing two members of the Committee as an Investigating Team. Should any members of the Committee have special expertise in the area of the alleged offence they should be preferentially considered for inclusion in the team. The Chairman shall formally (in writing) notify the member(s) concerned that they are the subject of an Investigation and shall provide them with information regarding the procedure as required. In the event that the Chairman should be the subject of the investigation then his duties shall be taken by the Vice – Chairman or another member of the Committee. The Investigating Team shall gather all information possible and report to the Committee, at its next scheduled meeting if possible but, at the latest, at its next- but one The Committee shall hear the report from the Investigating Team and thereupon decide, by vote if necessary, whether it is required to proceed to a Disciplinary Hearing. In the event that the Committee decide that a full Disciplinary Hearing is required, the Chairman shall schedule such a hearing for the next routine Committee Meeting and issue a written invitation to the alleged offender to attend. GENERAL GUIDELINES Any person against whom an allegation has been raised will be made aware at the earliest opportunity of the nature of the complaint against them; they will be informed that they may be accompanied and advised by another Club member at any formal interview or hearing and will be kept updated with the progress of the investigation, should they request that information. Records of investigations, interviews and hearings must be clear and succinct; summaries will be securely kept by the Club Secretary. Records of any incident of misconduct, and of any consequent discussion and/or actions taken will be retained in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and may be considered in any subsequent disciplinary proceedings. The Chairman, on receipt of the complaint, shall appoint two members of the Committee to be the Investigating Team for that complaint. These Investigating Officers will carry out all preliminary enquiries, which should include speaking to the Complainant, any other witnesses and also the subject of the complaint, in order to obtain the clearest picture possible before reporting their finding to the Committee. The Chairman will notify the alleged offender(s) in writing that they are the subject of an investigation and provide the names of the members of the Investigating Team. Suspension The person involved in the allegation may be suspended from using Lydd Angling Club facilities pending the outcome of the investigation. Suspension should occur where the Officers of the Committee consider that the continued presence of the member concerned could put at risk the member’s own safety or the Club’s reputation or could prejudice the investigation. This form of suspension does not imply that any decision has been reached in the case and is not a penalty. Preliminary Hearing The Investigating Officers will present their finding for the consideration at the first scheduled Committee Meeting after they have completed their investigation. The Committee will consider whether there is sufficient evidence to require a formal Disciplinary Hearing. Should they decide there is not, the proceeding will be discontinued and all parties informed. Instances of alleged misconduct on the bank need to be dealt with discreetly. If a member has a complaint about another member it should be submitted in writing, accompanied by photographs if appropriate, to the Club Secretary. A complaint occurring during a match may be referred to the Match Secretary (or Match Co-ordinator if the Secretary is not present) who will deal with the situation appropriately pro term and later forward details to the Club Secretary if necessary. Procedural Details Informal Disciplinary Procedure (Verbal Warning) Where a member of the Committee or other Officer of the Club witnesses an infraction of the rules which is minor in nature, but more than merely trivial, he may elect to deliver a Verbal Warning to the member concerned. The member must be advised at the time that a record will be kept by the Secretary for a period of 12 months from the date of the warning. Should the member choose to dispute the circumstances or refuse to accept the conditions, the Officer must progress the issue as a Formal Procedure. Only Club Officials may use this system, and only for incidents witnessed by themselves – complaints from members about other members must result in a Formal Procedure. Any member receiving two (or more) Verbal Warnings in any 12-month period may be required to attend a formal Disciplinary Hearing (which has power to impose a penalty) to explain their conduct. Formal Disciplinary Procedure (Written Complaint) Initial Process The complainant shall submit details of the complaint (day, date time, place, name/ description of wrongdoer, names/descriptions of other witnesses, brief details of incident, photographs if available) in writing or by email to the Club Secretary as soon as possible after the event but, in any case, within fourteen days. Should the Committee decision be that there is a case to answer, the Chairman will inform, in writing, the person(s) concerned, stating a date for the formal hearing to take place. This will normally be the next scheduled Committee meeting, subject to the proviso that the quorum for a disciplinary hearing shall be seven, including the Chair. The letter must include the names of any persons to be called as witness and also copies of any written statements to be considered in evidence. Should the proposed date be inconvenient an alternative may be set by mutual agreement (normally that of the next Committee meeting). Unless there are extreme extenuating circumstances the hearing will take place on that day, if necessary in the absence of the accused person. At this hearing any witness may be called if considered appropriate and may be questioned by both sides. The person who has committed the alleged offence will have opportunity to state their case and there will be time for general questioning and discussion. The standard of proof will be that required in British Civil courts (i.e. balance of probability) rather than those required in Criminal Courts (certainly beyond reasonable doubt). The Committee will retire to consider their decision after the hearing; all persons concerned in the case will be notified of the outcome within five working days. Outcomes of Formal Disciplinary Hearing. No Further Action; The Committee, having heard all the evidence, decided that the case was not proven to the required standard. Disciplinary Action; The Committee, having heard all the evidence, decided that a disciplinary penalty should be imposed. The person concerned will be notified in writing of the following; The precise nature of the offence and a summary of the evidence offered. The penalty being imposed and its duration. The likely consequence of further offences. A copy of the letter will be kept by the Club Secretary for the duration of the penalty. Penalties Written Warning As a result of a Disciplinary Hearing brought about by a series of informal warnings or a more serious behavioural failing, the Committee may issue a Written Warning. The Written Warning must make clear what the behavioural standards and expectations are and that the consequences of failure to reach those standards will be further action in accordance with the Disciplinary Procedure. A copy of a Written Warning shall be kept by the Club Secretary for a period of eighteen months from the date on which the penalty was imposed. Final Written Warning A Final Written Warning may be issued in the following circumstances; Repeated, or several different types of minor offences over a period of time for which the person has already received a written warning, or serious misconduct The Final Written Warning must make it clear that the consequences of a failure to reach and sustain acceptable standards will result in dismissal from Lydd Angling Club. A copy of the Final Written Warning will be kept by the Club Secretary for a period of 24 months from the date on which the penalty was imposed. Dismissal Dismissal from the Club would normally be the outcome of receipt of a second Final Warning, or of a finding of Serious Misconduct. The decision of a Committee Meeting is required to dismiss a member, in the event that a member is dismissed for misconduct, that member shall forfeit any subscription monies already paid. Serious Misconduct An event/occurrence may be classed as Serious Misconduct if it is serious enough to jeopardise the mutual trust between the Club Officers/Members of the Committee and the person concerned, and makes any further relationship untenable. It is impractical to provide an exhaustive list of offences which would be considered to constitute Serious Misconduct. However, examples of behaviour which might lead to dismissal for Serious Misconduct include; Assault on, or Threatening Behaviour towards another Club Member or member of the public. Falsification of documents or records leading to gain to the individual or loss to another. Wilful and persistent failure to adhere to Club rules. Any deliberate action, or failure to act, which seriously jeopardises the health or safety of fellow Club Members or members of the public. THE DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE IS FINAL