BFA By-Laws

BY-LAWS

BETTER FISHING ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS, INC.

ARTICLE I - NAME

This organization shall be known as the Better Fishing Association of Northern Illinois, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation organized in the State
of Illinois.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

The purpose for which the Better Fishing Association of Northern Illinois,
Inc. is organized is:

1. To promote, encourage, foster and support the acquisition, rehabilitation
and development of the Illinois-Mississippi (Hennepin) Canal as a
conservation area and public fishing and recreation area by the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources (I.D.N.R).

2. To promote, encourage, foster and support the acquisition, rehabilitation
and development of other like, similar and suitable properties and natural
resources, as conservation areas and public fishing and recreation areas
by the I.D.N.R.

3. To preserve and develop natural resources, fish, game and wild life and to
assist in the conservation thereof.

4. To encourage, support and sponsor legislation, laws, regulations and rules
commensurate with the aforementioned purposes.

5. To extend cooperation to other organizations having like or similar purposes.

6. To generally extend its efforts toward the betterment of fishing,
conservation, and outdoor recreation in the State of Illinois.

7. To encourage, promote and sponsor youth fishing programs, and get
local service organizations involved.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

1. Any person who is in general agreement with and desiring to support
the purposes of the B.F.A. is eligible to be a voting member. A person
may become a member upon giving his name and address to the
Secretary or other officer of the B.FA. and obtaining a membership
card signed by the President and Secretary.

2. There is a membership admission fee of $1.00 at the time of becoming
a member. The membership is perpetual and entities the member to
attend meetings, and have a voice and vote in the business conducted,
and to participate in other activities of the B.F.A.

3. There will be no annual dues or assessment of any kind as a condition of
membership, but donations by members will be accepted at any time.

ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS

1. Regular meetings of the B.F.A. generally will be held monthly on a date
and at a location selected by the “Meeting Committee”, subject to the
approval of the Executive Board.

The membership in attendance at the current meeting shall be notified
of the date and location of the next meeting. This information will also
be provided to the press and radio for publicizing at an appropriate time.

2. Order of Business

a. Pledge of Allegiance

b. Roll call of Officers

c. Reading of Minutes

d. Correspondence

e. Treasurer’s Report

f. Reports of Committees

g. Unfinished Business (old)

h. New Business

i. Discussion of Interest of Association (Guest Speakers, etc.)

j. Election of Officers (at the 1^st meeting in the Fall)

k. Adjournment

I. Door Prizes when available (Officers & Executive Board Members
are not eligible for Door Prizes.)

ARTICLE IV (cont.)

3. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the Executive
Board for the purpose of considering action which cannot be put off
until the next regular meeting. Announcement through press and radio
news releases of the date, time and location and purpose of the
special meeting shall be deemed sufficient notification.

4. Posters placed in public places and paid for advertisements in press
and radio may be utilized to publicize meetings for the B.F.A.

5. Eleven (11) members in attendance shall constitute a quorum.

6. Regular meetings may be suspended during the summer months of
July, and August and in the month of November, December, and January

if the Executive Board deems that matters of concern to the B.F.A. in

those months can be attended to by the Officers and Executive Board.

7. The President shall call the meeting to order at the prescribed time, and
all officers will take their prescribed place. The President shall endeavor
to conduct all business to a proper and speedy end.

8. Any member wishing to speak must address the chair, and
after being granted permission may proceed, but must confine his
remarks to the subject or motion under discussion.

9. No member shall be allowed to speak twice on the same subject until all
members who wish to speak have been heard.

10. Any member refusing to take his seat after being asked to do so by the
chair shall be asked to leave.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.

2. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Association, and no
more than twenty (20) additional members to be selected by
the President with the approval of the membership. The chairmen of all
standing committees shall also be members of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE V - (cont.)

3. The Officers and members of the Executive Board shall serve without pay.

4. Any members 18 years of age or older shall be eligible to serve as an
Officer of the Association or as a member of the Executive Board.

5. Officers and Executive Board members may succeed themselves.

ARTICLE VI - ELECTION OF OFFICERS

1. The annual Election of Officers of the Association shall be held at the

1^st regular Fall meeting of each year. The Officers to be elected shall be:

President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

2. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three (3) members
at the last regular meeting before the Summer suspension.

The Committee shall arrive at a slate of nominees qualified and willing to
serve as Officers of the Association. The Committee shall submit at the
annual election meeting (1^st regular Fall meeting) the slate of nominees.

-Nominations for each office may also be made from the floor.

-A second is required to make a nominee a valid candidate for election.

Nominations of absentee candidates shall be permissible providing that
written permission by such candidate shall be in the hands of the Secretary
at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting when nominations are in order.

3. Voting shall be by ballot, except that the members attending may by a 2/3
vote request this be set aside and the vote taken by voice, or a show of
hands held high.

a. In the event the election is by ballot, the President shall select
3 members to act as election tellers, with the approval of the
members present.

b. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be
declared elected.

c. The candidates elected shall be installed in office at the next
regular or special meeting.

ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. The President shall preside at all meetings, act as a member of all
committees and sign all documents when satisfied of their correctness.
The President shall have the power to appoint members to any committee
authorized in the By-laws (committee appointees may be Officers,
Executive Board Members or from the general membership) and to
“temporarily appoint” to fill all vacancies that occur in any office, until an
election shall be held. The President may appoint an advisory board for

the purpose of consultation at will.

2. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in case of the
President’s absence and shall succeed the Presidency in case of vacancy in
that office.

3. The Secretary shall keep an accurate and complete minute record of each
regular and special meeting of the Association and each meeting of the
Executive Board. The Secretary shall read and preserve all documents
and all correspondence, call the roll of officers of the Association, keep a
record of names and addresses of members and a list of all officers of the
Association. The Secretary shall call the meeting to order in absence of
the President and Vice President, and proceed to elect a temporary
chairman of the meeting. The Secretary shall turn over all records to the

successor

4. Duties of the Treasurer:

a. The Treasurer shall collect and deposit all donations and moneys
accrued by the Association.

b. He shall be the primary signer of all checks that the Association
authorizes. In the event of the incapacity or availability of the
Treasurer, the President, Vice-President or Secretary may sign the checks,
where prior arrangements have been made with the bank to do so.
All checks and withdrawals require the signature of two (2) officers.

c. He must give a financial report of income and expenses of the previous time period at regular meetings and a full report with fund balances at the e-board meeting.

d. If for any reason he cannot be present at a meeting, he must see
that his report gets to the President for presentation at the meeting.

e. All moneys raised for Kids fishing programs will be kept separate

from BFA funds and used only for Kids fishing programs.

Expenditures from this fund must have the approval of the
membership at a regular announced BFA meeting.

ARTICLE VII (cont.)

5. Executive Board will meet at the President’s request to consider the
agenda to be brought before the membership at the next regular meeting,
and any other activities under consideration.

6. At least eight (8) members in attendance at Executive
Board Meetings shall constitute a quorum.

7. The Executive Board may by a majority vote approve expenditures up to

$2000 in accordance with ARTICLE II purpose.

8. All Officers and Executive Board Members shall perform their duties as
described above, along with any special duties that the membership shall
assign.

When these duties require that an officer must expend his own money for
Association business, he must present his bill in writing at the next regular
meeting (see Finance Committee for spending restrictions).

ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES

1. Standing committees will be appointed by the President and will consist

of a Finance, Awards (Prize, Recognition), Meeting, Publicity, Nominating,

Kids Fishing, Members &/or Public Fishing Tournament, and Fish Fry
Committees.

2. Finance Committee shall consist of five (5) members appointed
by the President. It shall be the duty of the committee to work closely with
the Treasurer. Any financial matter of a controversial nature shall be
decided by the Finance Committee.

a. The President and Treasurer can spend up to $225.00 without
the Finance Committee’s approval and an additional $225.00
with the Finance Committee’s approval. An additional $300.00
can be spent with the approval of the Executive Board. Any amount over
these figures must have the majority approval of the general
membership in attendance at a regular or special meeting.

ARTICLE VIII (cont.)

b. The Finance Committee will audit the Treasurer’s records in the
month previous to the election of officers, and also at any time
requested by the membership.

3. Awards (Prizes, Recognition) Committee shall be appointed by the President
and consist of as many members as the President deems necessary.

Duties of Awards Committee will be to visit designated places of business
for request of donations and door prizes, and any other activity, that the
Association undertakes

4. Meeting Committees shall consist of five (5) members appointed by
the President. Its duty will be to procure halls for the Association's
meetings.

5. Publicity Committee shall consist of three (3) or more members appointed
by the President. It shall be the duty of the committee to inform the press,
radio, TV, and website administrator of all Association meetings
and special activities. It will also arrange for the distribution of meeting
notices and other printed notices to the general membership and public.

6. Nomination Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by
the President. It shall be the duty of the Nomination Committee to select
a slate of officers for the general election (see ARTICLE VI, paragraph 2,
page 4).

7. Kids Fishing Committee…It shall be the duty of the Kids Fishing Committee
to meet regularly with the I.D.N.R., Sunrise & LaSalle Rotary to procure
supplies, literature, and funding as may be required by these programs.

8. Members &/or Public Fishing Tournament Committee will recommend and
submit plans for tournaments to be considered by the organization.

9. Fish Fry Committee will consider, review, and plan all functions required to
hold any fish fry approved by the organization.

10. All committee members shall respond to the President’s request for help in
areas where needed to further the Association.

ARTICLE IX — GENERAL RULES

1. No member holding public office (elective or appointive) can hold office in
this Association.

2. No person shall be granted the opportunity to address the membership at
any regular meeting for the purpose of furthering the cause of any
candidate for public office. This shall not apply to members, or office
seekers or holders, who may wish to enlighten the members of their
qualifications as they pertain to the welfare of the Association.

3. The presiding officer at a regular meeting shall have no vote, except in a
case of a tie, in which event he shall cast the deciding vote.

4. All questions of a parliamentary nature, not otherwise covered in these
by-laws, shall be decided by Robert’s Rules of Order.

5. The President shall appoint a committee to review the By-laws no more
than seven (7) years from the previous review.

6. Amendments to the By-laws may be proposed.

Proposed amendments must be read to the general membership at two

(2) consecutive meetings before a vote may be taken.

Adoption must be approved by a majority of the members attending a
regular meeting.

7. A copy of the By-Laws will be available at all regular and special meetings
for membership.

Amended March 27, 2013

This Revision Submitted By:

By-Laws Committee

Tom Wall

Dave Haupt

Barry Welbers

Guy Wisen

Date: February 27, 2013