In an effort to simplify the presentation of club rules as defined in the handbook, the extract below gives an outline of the general fishing rules of the club, and can be printed for reference. It is also likely to change from time to time. The handbook has a more extensive list of the rules and should always be used as the definitive guide. As with all things, common sense should prevail, and if a rule is queried, please be guided by the bailiff.
CONSTITUTION
Headquarters: Civil Service Club, Recreation Close, Maidstone ME14 5AZ
1.The Society shall be called Maidstone Victory Angling and Medway Preservation Society. It is
a non-profit making organisation. All surpluses will be used to maintain and improve society
facilities. No surpluses will be distributed to members or third parties. Upon dissolution of the
club any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered
charity or the sport’s governing body for use by them in related community sports.
2. The society exists to:
➢ Promote fair angling and social feeling among its members
➢ Prevent illegal fishing in its waters
➢ Procure privileged access to waters and fish stocks for its members.
3. Membership of the club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application
regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other
beliefs. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a
non-discriminatory basis.
The club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non
discriminatory and fair basis. The club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a
significant obstacle to people participating.
The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as
conduct or character likely to bring the club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or
removal may be made to the Committee.
4. The Society shall be managed by the committee (Maximum 12 in number) which shall be
elected according to rule (6) at the Annual General Meeting and meet each month at the
headquarters at 8pm.
5. The officers of the Society are all ex-officio members of the committee and shall be elected at
the Annual General Meeting. They Are:
Chairman
Administrative Officer
Senior Bailiff
Match Secretary
6. At the Annual General Meeting each year, three of the ordinary members of the
committee (being those longest on the committee since last re-election) shall retire from
office. They shall be immediately eligible for re-election by the membership present at
the AGM, along with candidates nominated in the proper manner, to fill the vacancies
created. The vote will be by simple majority, with the Chairman having a casting vote in
the event of a tie. Nominations for election to the committee must be received by the
secretary, proposed and seconded, no later than 15th March, or 14 days before the AGM,
whichever comes first. Vacancies arising in the committee may be filled during the year,
but must be confirmed at the AGM.
7. The club should be administered on a voluntary basis for the benefit of the
membership excepting only the payment of reasonably approved expenses, and that no
officer of the club should be in receipt of regular remuneration, and that no officer of the
club should benefit while in their position as an officer of the club.
8. The Trustees shall be indemnified by the assets of the society against any risk and
expense incurred by them in pursuance of their office.
9. The secretary (secretaries) shall give a receipt for each payment received, obtain
vouchers for all disbursements and submit a full set of accounts to the Auditors on
December 31st each year.
10. A person may become a full senior member of the society when they are 16 years of
age and be entitled to:
Fish all waters controlled by the society
Attend all matches organised by the society
Attend all functions and general meetings
Joint membership is available for husband and wife (or equivalent)
11. Members attending any General Meeting must bring their current membership card.
Honorary members may be admitted to the society and Life Members elected at the
discretion of the committee.
12. Each members subscription to the society shall become due on 1st June each year.
Subscriptions must be paid by 1st June each year or membership automatically ceases. No
members shall be allowed to fish until they have paid their subscriptions. Any member who is
unable to pay their subscription by 1st June shall be entitled to apply to the committee to retain
their membership.
13. Members will be notified of the Annual General Meeting in their membership card and on
the society’s website
14. An Extraordinary General Meeting can be called at the written request of
At least seven members of the society
The Chairman and at least one other member of the committee
The Trustees.
Members will be notified by the best means the committee consider.
15. Any member wishing to propose a new rule or alter or rescind an existing one shall bring
the matter before a General Meeting and shall notify the Secretary of their intention to do so in
writing at least 14 days before the meeting and by 1st March for the Annual General Meeting.
16. Any member withdrawing or being expelled from the society shall surrender to the
Secretary their Membership Card, their society folder, and key, and any other Society
equipment they hold, all of which are the property of the society. All subscription monies paid
shall be forfeit. No appeal against expulsion shall be heard by the committee until the Society’s
property has been returned to the secretary.
17. Any member having a complaint about the secretary, or any officer of the Society may
contact the committee direct by writing to the committee c/o the Headquarters addressing it to
Maidstone Victory Angling Society or directly to the Secretary.
18. The Committee shall have the power to agree loans and mortgages by majority vote.
19. The committee shall have the power to appoint three committee members as trustees of the
Society
GENERAL RULES
1. Members: Members must carry a proof of membership/ID Card or access to the Clubmate
app as well as a current EA Rod Licence when fishing on the Society’s waters. Any member
allowing their membership card to be used by any other person or encouraging the use of
Society waters by non-members will be expelled. The committee will consider the expulsion of
any member who acts against the best interests of the society.
No carp to be retained in nets or sacks , other than in club
competitions.
2. Juniors: All juniors under the age of 13 years old to be accompanied by a adult whilst
fishing society waters.
All Junior members shall be accompanied by a adult whilst fishing the Bon Fleur complex.
Junior members of the club are to be encouraged at all times to fish correctly and respect their
surroundings. It is not recommended that juniors fish alone at any time. Some of our waters
expressly forbid this. Juniors Under 14 are not permitted to night fish, but to enable juniors to
gain valuable experience in handling fish in the hours of darkness, they will be allowed to night
fish provided that they fish with an adult member in the same swim or a recognised double
swim. They can use two rods maximum and must have their own unhooking mat. This is for
education purposes to protect our valuable fish stocks at risk of damage.
3. Safety: No fire lighting, camping or picnicking is allowed on Society waters.
4. The club operates solely on a catch and release basis and the removal of fish (other than as
detailed below) from any of our waters for any purpose is expressly forbidden without written
permission from the committee.
No fish are to be transported from one water to another without written consent of the Society.
Any non-native species which the EA requires to be removed which is caught from club waters
must be removed and details reported to the Club Secretary.
It is recommended that anglers use a suitable antiseptic to treat hook holes or other wounds on
fish before returning them to the water.
5. Nets: Keepnets shall comply with current EA regulations and used only on waters where
they are permitted (see restrictions on some waters).
All landing nets shall be of knotless mesh.
When fishing for specimen fish, carp, Tench, large bream or pike, landing nets must have 36
inch arms, or equivalent if round, and an unhooking mat is recommended to be a minimum of
36-inches by 24-inches and one-and-a-half inches thick.
6. Bait: All live fish, including eels and game fish, plus dead coarse fish, are banned as bait
on all the Society’s waters. Marine dead baits, and artificial lures only may be used.
No metallic dyes may be used to colour bait used on the Society’s waters.
No nuts, trout pellets (including trout pellet-based ground bait) or particle baits may be
used on the Society’s waters, except for correctly prepared sweetcorn, hemp, tares, stewed
wheat party blend, chickpeas, maples, maize and black-eyed beans.
The use of bait boats is not permitted on any of the Society’s waters. A maximum of 2kg
of bait may be used per 24-hour session This includes loose fed boilies.
7. Rods: No angler may leave a rod unattended while fishing. Anglers must always be in
control of their rods while fishing and the butts of multiple rods must not be more than 2M
apart. If rods are unattended bait must be removed from the water and the hook secured
against wildlife.
8. Alcohol: No alcohol or Illegal drugs may be taken to any of the Society’s waters. This
includes possession, use or intoxication. A bailiff’s suspicion is sufficient for action to be
taken.
9. Litter: No litter may be left anywhere. You must clear up any litter left in any swim,
whether it was there when you arrived or not, including tea bags and cigarette butts. Tins or
glass containers are not to be taken to any fishery.
10. Rigs: Tethered rigs also known as bolt rigs are banned on all Society controlled waters.
The tackle should be free to slide off the line if a breakage should occur. Please report
snagged or snapped off rigs to a bailiff or committee,
When lure fishing an up-trace of a suitable materiel must be used
11. Match Waters must be vacated by non-match fishing anglers 2 hours prior to the draw.
12. Replacement tickets. Any member requiring a replacement ID card, and not being able
to produce sufficient of the old ticket to prove identity, will be liable to the full cost of a
membership equivalent to that of the ID card, and may be asked to appear at committee.
13. Unless on Committee business no watercraft may be moored on MVAS waters or used
in any way to facilitate angling.
14. Volunteers at work parties must have signed a Volunteer Information form and
understood the safety information contained therein.
15. No dogs on Society Waters unless in a public area (Medway at Barming, Yalding and
Mote Park)
Social Media Policy:
This policy applies to all M.V.A.S social media including the official society website and forum,
official M.V.A.S Facebook group, any other unofficial public or private groups connected with the
club or its venues, any personal social media page used to make comment upon society matters or
venues and any other website that can be viewed publicly.
This policy’s aim is to make sure that any social media use is sensible and prevent and libellous,
slanderous or threatening posts, prevent damage to the society’s (or its officers) reputation or image
and prevent the society from being brought into disrepute.
Any member who has signed up to use any official society social media site (or who makes comment
upon the society on any private/public group/forum or personal page) are covered by this policy.
Failure to adhere to this policy will lead to a ban from the society’s official social media sites and
may result in a full club ban for bringing the club into disrepute. The club wishes for it’s social
media to be a welcoming and useful tool for all members.
All posts on M.V.A.S official social media sites (or in any post making comment about the society
or its venues upon any public/private forum or group and/or personal page) must not contain:
Swearing
Violence or threats of violence
Bullying
Racism or xenophobic
Sexual content
Comments that could be construed to be slanderous/libellous or threatening.
(any posts involving any of the above will invoke a warning followed by a month’s ban and then a
complete ban for the third offence)
The society encourages use of its social media to:
Upload catch reports and pictures
Match booking info and threads and subsequent results.
Venue information e.g. track/field conditions, water levels.
Reporting possible illegal poaching
Promotion of club events
With sensible use the society aims for its social media to grow into an invaluable tool both for
members use daily and also for promotion of the club to prospective new members and other
members of the general public.
Please remember that any posts made upon social media can be recalled by a court of law up to a
year after posting even if they have been deleted. This policy may be updated at any time with any
changes immediately enforceable without notice
By tagging our official accounts or uploading media directly to our platforms you grant M.V.A.S a
non-exclusive, royalty-free and worldwide license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish and
display such content.
This media (including photos, videos and captions) may be featured across our digital and physical
marketing channels, including but not limited to:
• Our official website and blog
• Social media channels
• Emailing marketing and newsletters
• Paid digital advertising and printed promotional materials.