Libertyville Fishing Club Information
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Welcome to the Libertyville Fishing Club. We are pleased that you have decided to join us to share in the fun and service as we pursue our mutual interest in sport fishing and conservation.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLUB
The Libertyville Fishing Club (LFC) was formed in 1979 by Jay Hall and Mike Volino. The first LFC meeting was on April 18, 1979, and the first LFC outing was on April 23, 1979. The LFC began with 15 members, went to 17 in 1980, to 24 in 1981, and has been in the mid 30’s since 1982.
Over the club’s history, the LFC has held numerous outings, participated in, and won several inter-club tournaments, organized a lake stocking program, sponsored successful fund-raising campaigns, held numerous seminars, instituted a Junior Anglers Program, held numerous picnics, and has offered several successful kids outings for youngsters in our community.
We are proud of the tradition that has emerged over the years of our club’s existence. If it were not for the active interest and support of the membership, none of this would have been possible.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the Libertyville Township Center, 359 Merrill Ct., Libertyville, Il. The membership fee is currently $50.00 per year, due in March. Dues may be changed at the annual meeting. New members joining after October 1 shall pay dues of $50.00 which shall be credited to the upcoming year’s dues. Guests that have attended two meetings as are eligible for membership consideration.
A club remains strong and viable only as its members continue to remain active in its gatherings and activities. Furthermore, a club is only welcome in a community when its members represent proper ethical and social behavior. In this spirit, we have standards for participation in the LFC. Members are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical manner with respect to state and local laws and ordinances and acceptable social practices. More information can be found at our website: www.libertyvillefishclub.com.
LFC AWARDS
Although the main interest of the LFC is to educate its members in the rudiments of sport fishing, there is a competitive nature in all of us to excel. At the same time, competition among LFC members should never get in the way of friendship among LFC members or helping one another become better fishermen. With that said, the LFC offers awards for the following accomplishments.
Six awards are given:
Fisherman of the Year
Fisherman of the year - Second Place
Fisherman of the Year - Third Place
Big Fish of the Year
Multi-species Master
Sportsman of the Year
Fisherman of the Year
Winner of this award shall have his/her name placed upon and shall receive our traveling plaque for one year plus a check for $50.00. The winner of this award must have the highest total of fish points at the end of the year. Also, his/her dues will be waived for the upcoming year.
Fisherman of the year - Second Place
Winner of this award shall have his/her name placed upon the traveling plaque. The winner of this award must have the second highest total of fish points for the year. Also, his/her dues will be waived for one year.
Fisherman of the Year – Third Place
Winner of this award shall have their name placed upon the traveling plaque. The winner of this award must have the third highest total of fish points for the year. Also, his/her dues will be lowered to $25 for the upcoming year.
Big Fish of the Year
Big fish of the year shall be awarded to that member who catches the biggest fish of the year by length of any species during an LFC outing. The fish does not have to be a species covered under the LFC fish point system. The winner of this award shall have their name along with the fish species and size placed upon and shall receive the big fish traveling plaque for one year.
Multi-Species Master
The Multi-species Master is awarded based on total length of five fish, one each of five different species, caught during club outings in one calendar year. Winner of the award will receive a certificate. First and second place will have their names engraved on a traveling plaque. Winner will have dues waived for the following year.
Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year is a special award given to that member of the LFC who, in the eyes of the membership, has done the most to enhance the LFC over the past year. This award has nothing to do with points. Members will nominate candidates at the November meeting. A secret ballot will be voted on by the members present at the December meeting. The candidate receiving the most ballots cast will receive his/her plaque at the January banquet.
LFC OUTING RULES
All members who fish a scheduled outing, regardless of where they launched, must check in with the chairperson of the outing (or if the chairperson is unavailable), with another member whenever they arrive and whenever they leave, by cell phone if necessary. This is primarily for safety reasons and secondarily for proper recording of fish points. Please report points to the outing chair within two hours of the end of each outing.
Every boat in a club outing should be equipped with a bump board and tape measure. All fish caught that qualify for points must be measured on a bump board.
The outing chairperson may or may not decide to have a big fish contest. If the chairperson decides to have a contest, the chairperson will set the rules and be the final arbiter of any disputes arising concerning the contest. A fish contending for big fish should be witnessed by another member/angler whenever possible. In the event a fish exceeds the length of bump board please measure with a tape measure to the best of your ability. The honor system will prevail at these contests. Disputes will not be discussed at meetings. Any entries to such a contest must meet the club’s minimum size requirements.
All fish not released must comply with state or local published regulations as to species size, bag limit, and season. However, fish points will be awarded for all qualifying fish caught regardless of species or season in accordance with the minimum size requirements of the club.
In the event of unsafe conditions, the outing chairperson will have the authority to cancel entirely or terminate an outing early and shall make every effort to contact all participants as soon as the decision is made.
To provide flexibility to fish productive water, the outing chair and two officers may move location of a local outing with minimum 2 days notice to the entire membership.
At the start of outings, to count fish for club points or other awards, lure or bait may not be in the water before the outing start time. At the end of outings, a fish must be hooked by the outing end time, but may be landed after outing end time.
The Constitution of the Libertyville Fishing Club
PREAMBLE
The purpose of the Libertyville Fishing Club (LFC) shall be the coordination of individual effort toward the instruction and learning of effective fishing techniques; observance of all conservation laws; the formation of practical fishing regulations; and the spreading of the doctrine of wildlife conservation at every opportunity.
The LFC will also be devoted to furthering fishing for all species of fish, not just one species. We will also help young people become interested in fishing.
The LFC will promote camaraderie amongst its members and encourage the sharing of fishing information.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The LFC shall be named the Libertyville Fishing Club.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of the LFC shall be to encourage the preservation of all game fish; help procure the enactment of desirable legislation ensuring better protection for all fish; promote a closer unity and fellowship among all true sport fishermen and lovers of nature; protect against the polluting of all waters; and protect all fishing waters and boundaries to preserve them for future anglers.
ARTICLE III: LOCATION
The permanent headquarters of the LFC shall be in the Village of Libertyville, County of Lake, and State of Illinois.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
Every member shall pay dues which shall be set annually by a majority vote of the members present at the annual meeting. Payment of dues is mandatory by the March meeting. Any member joining after October 1 shall pay the prevailing dues in full, which amount shall be credited to the upcoming year’s dues.
Section 2:
All new members are on a six-month probation period from the start of their membership during which they may be expelled from the club with or without cause.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 1:
The regular meetings will be held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Libertyville Township Center, 359 Merrill Ct., Libertyville, IL, at 7p.m. Any change of time or location will be designated by the LFC officers.
Section 2:
The annual meeting will be the meeting held in December of each year.
Section 3:
Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or upon request of five or more members.
Section 4:
Notice of the time and place of any special meeting shall be given by e-mail, mail, or phone to each member at least five days prior to the date of such meeting.
Section 5:
At the annual meeting, the officers of the LFC shall be elected to serve for a period of one year. If they are unable to fulfill their terms, successors are chosen by special election.
ARTICLE VI: LIST AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The officers of the LFC shall be President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Webmaster.
Section 1:
It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the LFC, and to be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President shall also appoint chairpersons of the various committees.
Section 2:
It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to carry out the duties of the President in the President’s absence. The Vice-President is also an ex-officio member of the LFC committees. The Vice-president shall keep track of the LFC point system.
Section 3:
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive all monies paid into the LFC, render a just account of the same, and to make a report at each meeting.
Section 4:
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a correct record of all transactions (except for monies) of the LFC and the members thereof; send out notices at the order of the President; perform such clerical work as may be required from time to time; and publish the meeting minutes.
Section 5:
It shall be the duty of the Webmaster to create and maintain the club’s website.
Section 6:
The officers mentioned together shall have supervision and direction of the affairs of the LFC between business meetings and shall make recommendations on any matters concerning the membership. A report shall be made to the members of any such meeting and the membership shall vote on any recommendations.
Section 7:
The President shall not cast a vote on any matter unless this vote is needed to break a tie vote.
Section 8:
Any officer who misses three meetings in a row or who is unable to continue regular duties shall be replaced by a special election held at a regular meeting.
ARTICLE VII: SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION
Section 1:
Upon written complaint of two or more members addressed to the President and members of the LFC, a member may, after investigation, be suspended or expelled by a majority secret ballot vote at any regular or special meeting, provided that in each case, the member in question be given the privilege of a hearing. The hearing will be chaired by the President with the executive committee and at least three members in good standing in attendance.
Section 2:
Any member who resigns, forfeits membership, or is expelled from the LFC in any of the ways herein provided, shall also forfeit any dues or other monies that may have been paid into the LFC.
Section 3:
Any member whose dues shall remain unpaid for a period of 90 days shall be considered as having resigned from membership unless circumstances warrant that after investigation and approval by the LFC officers, allowance may be made for such a member.
ARTICLE VIII: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section l:
At the November meeting the president shall ask for nominations from the floor for officers for the upcoming year. Prospective nominees must be asked and must agree if they wish to hold office before having his/her name placed in nomination.
Section 2:
The election of officers will be conducted by secret ballot at the December meeting. A plurality of votes shall elect all officers. Ballots for the election shall list the slate of nominees, plus one space under each office for write-in nominees. Ballots indicating a vote for more than one candidate for each office will not be counted. Absentee or proxy ballots will not be allowed. The president will supervise the conduct of elections and the custody and counting of ballots and will announce the results.
ATTICLE IX: QUORUMS
Seven members shall constitute a quorum, which shall be necessary for any vote. This does not include the LFC officers.
ARTICLE X: ORDER OF BUSINESS
The following are items to be covered at the regular meetings of the LFC:
New members or guest introduced
Member fishing reports
Outing results
Treasurer’s Report
Old business
New business
Upcoming outings
Open forum
ARTICLE XI: DISBURSEMENTS
All disbursements shall be paid by check which shall be signed by either the President or Treasurer. Any disbursements greater than two hundred dollars ($200) must be approved by the membership.
ARTICLE XII: FINANCIAL RECORDS
The Financial Records of LFC must be reviewed annually at the end of the term of the officers. The checkbook and any other financial records will be made available at the January meeting so that every member has access to these records.
ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS AND REPEALS OF CONSITIUTION
The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present at any regular meeting of the LFC.
ARTICLE XV: LIBERTYVILLE FISHING CLUB POINT SYSTEM
Maximum of (5) Game fish per species per outing day with a maximum of 50 points per species per day.
Maximum of (25) Pan fish per species per outing day with a maximum of 50 points per species per outing day.
Catch and release is acceptable in recording points. The honor system applies.
ARTICLE XVI: DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT POLICY FOR OUTINGS REQUIRING OVERNIGHT LODGING
Section 1:
Two months prior to a scheduled LFC event, the outing chairperson will circulate a sign-up sheet to get an approximate count of the members attending the outing. If accommodations are necessary, the outing chairperson will investigate lodging availability at one or two economical locations and make a report at the next meeting.
Section 2:
It will be each member’s responsibility to make any reservations when required. Members are encouraged to make their reservations at the establishments designated by the outing chairperson in keeping with our LFC philosophy of promoting a social environment at our outings. Part of the purpose of an LFC organized outing is to provide social interaction among our membership.
Section 3:
In cases where a fishing boat or area reservation is necessary to assure a successful outing, the outing chairperson may request that the LFC treasurer pay a deposit using available LFC funds. Each member who has committed to the event is responsible for his/her portion of the deposit paid and will be expected to reimburse the LFC treasury at the earliest convenience, and at least prior to the outing event. It shall not be the treasurer’s job to pursue delinquent depositors. If an outing participant wishes to reconsider participation in the outing, a refund of his/her deposit will be made only if said deposit is refunded to the LFC by the service provider.
Section 4:
On overnight outings, the chairperson shall determine how the sleeping arrangements will be determined, whether on a first come-first served basis, or some other method of the chairperson’s choice.