Bylaws

Constitution and By-Laws
Of The
Georgia Skeet Shooting Association, Inc.
Amended June, 2001

Article 1
Name

This organization shall be known as The Georgia Skeet Shooting Association, Inc.; hereinafter, referred to as GSSA and shall exist as a nonprofit corporation.

Article 2
Objective

The objective and purpose of the GSSA is not pecuniary gain and profit; but is for carrying out the following general design; to promulgate and promote good order and fellowship among its members; to encourage skeet shooting; to control and direct the Shooter Development Program; to control and direct the annual skeet championships; to effect the protection and propagation of fish and game; and to work for the preservation of forests. The power of GSSA shall be to have perpetual existence to contract as the Board of Directors sees fit and to have such other powers, privileges, and duties as may be reasonable and necessary for the proper fulfillment of its purpose.

Article 3
Officers

The officers of the GSSA shall include a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Publicity Director, a Chief Referee, National Directors from the State of Georgia, and (4) four directors to be known as ‘State at Large Directors:. The immediate Past-President shall be one of those State Directors at Large and serve for (1) year immediately following his term in office. The other three (3) State at Large Directors shall serve for two (2) consecutive years. The officers shall be elected for one (1) year with the exception of the “State at Large Directors”, who shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. The immediate past president shall serve for one (1) additional year. A vacancy in the Board of Directors, however, if more than one (1) vacancy exists, a special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be called and new offers shall be elected to fill the vacancies until the date of the next annual meeting of the GSSA as provided for in the Constitution and by-laws. The National Directors shall be elected and serve their terms in accordance with established NSSA procedures.

Article 4
Election of Officers

The election of officers of GSSA shall be by the general membership in accordance with the by-laws. The election shall be held at the annual meeting with the results published as soon as possible thereafter. Nominations of candidates to submit for office shall be by any member in good standing and may be done in writing or orally at the annual meeting. The method of election may be by secret written ballot, a majority of a show of hands, a voice vote, or by another method designated by the President of the GSSA. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes shall assume the office. Ties shall be decided by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Article 5
Duties of Officers

The President shall preside at all Board of Directors’ meetings of GSSA, is empowered to execute all contract and other legal instruments, have general charge and supervision of all affairs of the GSSA, and shall appoint those committees which he deems necessary and proper for carrying out these goals and shall be a member of all committees. He shall further appoint a standing committee on an annual basis to supervise and make recommendations to the Board of Directors that are necessary and proper to effectively maintain the Shooter Development Program. IN the event of the absence of the President at and Board of Directors meeting, the following shall preside: the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer. In the event none of these officers are present, the Board of Directors shall not meet.

The Vice President shall have the responsibility of general promotion of skeet shooting. He shall aid any new group in the organization of any skeet shooting club under the auspices of the GSSA and the National Skeet Shooting Association, hereinafter, referred to as NSSA.

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Board of Directors meetings and GSSA annual meetings. He/she shall be responsible for all communications of the GSSA, including but not limited to letters, newsletters, and any other correspondence and mailings of the GSSA.

The Treasurer shall collect all dues, issue all notices, and perform such other duties as the President may require. He shall be the custodian of all monies, trophies, securities, and vouchers of GSSA, and preserve the receipts for monies paid out. The treasurer is authorized to receive for the GSSA all funds due GSSA in such bank as he chooses. He shall give a detailed report at all Board of Directors meetings and the annual state meeting of all monies received and disbursed. He will adhere to financial controls and reporting requirements as identified by the Financial Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, the Treasurer may be required to furnish a $2,000.00 bond, the expense of which shall be paid by GSSA. The principal office of GSSA shall be located at the address of the Treasurer. The position of the Treasurer shall be a paid position, the amount of which shall be set annually by the Board of Directors prior to the annual meeting and shall be approved by the general membership at the annual meeting.

The Publicity Director shall channel all news concerning GSSA and NSSA to all news outlets (newspaper, skeet review, etc). All news pertaining to registered skeet shoots shall be given by the sponsoring club’s Publicity Director to the State Publicity Director for immediate release.

The Chief Referee shall have the discretion to approve referee applications upon notification that an applicant has successfully completed the NSSA referee’s test.

Article 6
Duties of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall consist of the GSSA Officers in good standing as identified in Article 3 and the President, Manager (or his designee), the gun club skeet chairman or a person designated by written proxy that is signed by the appropriate authority of GSSA member gun clubs in good standing, A written proxy shall be in full force and effect for that shoot year. Each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one (1) vote at the meeting of Board of Directors. Any duly elected officer of the GSSA who is also representing a GSSA affiliated Gun Club shall have only one (1) vote on all matters before the Board of Directors. To be considered in good standing each member of the Board of Directors must be current with all annual dues.

The Board of Directors shall:
(1) have a general charge of the affairs of the GSSA and may properly assume such other duties as are not specifically assigned to or performed by any committees as may on their judgment be necessary.

(2) have the authority to conduct investigations or hearings relating to any complaint against any shooter of any member club, who in the opinion of the Board of Directors may be guilty of un-sportsman-like conduct or prejudicial acts that are detrimental to the best interest of the GSSA and take such action as is necessary and deemed appropriate to rectify the situation.

(3) have full charge of all matters covered in the Constitution and By-Laws, including: special meetings; the annual State Skeet Championships, which may be held at any gun club having at least 15 skeet fields; scheduling of all NSSA sanctioned registered shoots; (assessment of daily shooting fees the present daily fees are $0.02 (two cents) per target of which twenty five percent (25%) shall be set aside for the Shooter Development program, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

(4) Have full charge of any other business that is reasonably presumed to fall within the powers or duties of the Board of Directors.

(5) Have authority to assess annual dues for the individual and club memberships.

(6) Have the authority to hold meeting each year at times and in places or by other means as is necessary to conduct and administer the business of the board of Directors and GSSA. Such meetings shall no be open to the general membership of the GSSA.

(7) A quorum for the transaction of all business of the Board of Directors at any regular or social meeting shall constitute 25% (one fourth) of the Board of Directors. “Roberts Rules of Order” shall be the parliamentary authority on all matter not covered in the Constitution and the By-Laws of the GSSA or NSSA respectively.

Article 7
Individual Membership

Dues notification for renewal of individual membership fees shall be sent at least forty-five (45) days prior to November 1st of each year, the official beginning of the Skeet Shooting year. Individual dues are presently, $20.00 per year, due and payable no later than November 1st of each year; however, a member may pay his dues at the first registered shoot he attends. If a person joins GSSA after August 1st his/her membership shall run through October 31st of the following year. Life memberships may be obtained at any time for $150.00.

Article 8
Club Memberships

Club membership is available to any gun club in the State of Georgia having at least one (1) skeet field, upon recommendation by the Vice-President of GSSA, and payment of prescribed dues. The dues are set by the Board of Directors, at present they are $25.00 per year. That club shall become a member in good standing, shall enjoy all the privileges of GSSA, and shall be a member of the GSSA Board of Directors as outlined under Article 6.

November 1st is recognized as the beginning of the skeet year for GSSA and NSSA purposes. Annual dues are due and payable prior to November first (1st) of each year in order that member gun clubs be considered in good standing. Any club delinquent in their dues shall be considered non-compliant with GSSA Constitution and By-Laws. Notice shall be issued to the delinquent gun club and NSSA shall be notified that said club is no longer in good standing with GSSA and is ineligible to hold registered shoots. If the delinquent gun club wishes to be reinstated, they shall pay the appropriate dues to NSSA and GSSA respectively. After meeting these requirements, the Treasurer shall notify the Board of Directors that said gun club has met all obligations and is a member in good standing. Yearly GSSA and NSSA dues must be paid and received by the Treasurer of GSSA and NSSA prior to a Gun Club selecting shooting dates for the ensuring Skeet Shooting year.

Article 9
Registered Skeet Shoots

The latest revised rules of NSSA shall govern all registered skeet shoots conducted by member clubs of GSSA. It shall be the responsibility of any GSSA member club holding a registered skeet shoot to inspect GSSA and NSSA membership stickers and cards respectively before participation is allowed. If a person is allowed to participate in a registered skeet shoot without having paid the appropriate dues, the gun club shall be responsible for paying the participant’s dues. It shall be the gun club’s responsibility to forward all applicable movies and written reports to the Treasurer of GSSA and NSSA respectively within fifteen (15) days of completion of the registered skeet shoot. Each gun club shall have the additional responsibility of using NSSA sanctioned referees. Any shooter in good standing with GSSA and NSSA shall be allowed to participate in any registered skeet shoot held by a GSSA member gun club.

Any member club desiring to hold a registered skeet tournament with NSSA shall make application through the Treasurer of GSSA in order that the date of said tournament may be recorded and the records of GSSA kept up to date. At a special meeting designated by the President or through such other procedures as the President may decided appropriate, shoot dates shall be awarded as follows: each gun club with four (4) or more skeet fields shall be entitled to two (2) Super Shoot dates on which no other club may hold a registered shoot. Gun clubs with less than four (4) skeet fields shall be entitled to one (1) Super Shoot date on which no other club may hold a registered shoot. After all Super Shoot dates have been selected, the remaining open dates may be used for regular shoot dates and said shoot dates may conflict, provided the gun clubs in conflict agree. The Annual State Championship, Zone Championship and any NSSA sponsored skeet shoot shall not be considered as a club’s Super Shoot.

Any gun club holding the State Skeet Championships shall execute a hold harmless agreement with GSSA in order to exempt the Board of Directors of GSSA from all liability and indemnity. The Annual State Skeet Championship shall be held at a Gun Club having not less than fifteen (15) fields, the site of which will be presented by the Gun Club wishing to hold the event. The Board of Directors shall vote upon the award for holding the State Skeet Championships for that year.

Article 10
Annual State Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the GSSA shall take place during the State Skeet Championships on a yearly basis. The Board of Directors shall choose the time and place of the annual meeting and sufficient advance notice shall be given to all active and life members of GSSA.

The order of business shall be as follows:

(1) A call to order by the President; (2) A reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting by the Secretary; (3) Reports by Officers; (4) Reports by Committees; (5) Old Business; (6) New Business; (7) Presentation of Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws and vote by membership to accept or reject; (8) Election of New Officers; (9) Adjournment.

Article 11
Georgia All State Skeet Teams

To qualify for the Georgia All State Skeet Teams a shooter must shoot a minimum of 1,000 12-gauge, 800 20-gauge, 800 28-gauge 800 .410-gauge, and 300 doubles targets during the last skeet shooting year. Additionally, at least fifty percent (50%) of these targets must be shot at GSSA member gun clubs and at least seventy five percent (75%) must be shot in recognized head to head competition with his peers. The Georgia All State Skeet Teams shall be determined by a committee appointed by the President of the GSSA.

The Teams shall consist of an Open First Team comprised of seven (7) members, Captain and Co-Captain and five (5) members receiving the highest four combined averages in descending order; and Open Second Team comprised of seven (7) members, Captain and Co-Captain, and five (5) members receiving the next four gun combined highest averages in descending order; and Open Honorable Mention Team comprised of seven (7) members, Captain and Co-Captain and five (5) members receiving the next four gun combined highest averages in descending order. After these teams have been completed, the concurrent Teams shall be filled, with each concurrent team composed of a Captain and Co-Captain and three (3) members based on average, sex and age. The committee shall further be responsible for selection of Referee of the Year, Gun Club of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, the criteria for these selections are kept by the President. In addition, there will be an award for all those GSSA members that shot the minimums during the year.

Article 12
Hall of Fame Awards

The Hall of Fame and Fred Missildine recipients shall be selected yearly by secret committee appointed by the President. It shall consist of three (3) members serving for two (2) years each, therefore, only one new appointee shall be selected yearly. The criteria for selection to the Hall of Fame are kept by the President.

Article 13
Suspension or Expulsion of Individual Members of GSSA

An individual member of GSSA may be suspended or expelled from GSSA for good cause shown presented by another individual member of GSSA. The allegations must be in writing and sent to the secretary, who will notify the president within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the allegations. The president, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the allegations from the secretary, will call a special meeting of the Board of Directors to hear the charges. If the Board of Directors finds sufficient grounds for action, the individual member shall be suspended or expelled from the GSSA. The suspended or expelled individual member may appeal in writing to the President for a hearing of the full general membership. The President shall call a special meeting of the general membership of the GSSA within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the request of the suspended or expelled individual member, stating where and at what time the called meeting shall be held. At said special meeting the charges against the suspended or expelled member shall be read by the secretary, he shall be afforded the opportunity to reply, and a vote by the full membership shall be taken by secret, written ballot. The secretary and two other Board of Directors , appointed by the President, shall count the ballots and immediately publish the results. A two-thirds (2/3) vote shall be required to overturn the action of the Board of Directors. If the action of the Board of Directors is not overturned, the Secretary shall notify NSSA of the action taken by the Board of Directors.

Article 14
Dissolution of GSSA

The GSSA may be voluntarily dissolved only upon resolution of the Board of Directors of GSSA introduced at either a regular or special meeting, called for that purpose. The general membership of GSSA shall be given forty five (45) days written notice by the Secretary that the resolution has been approved by the Board of Directors and that a special meeting of the general membership will be held. The Secretary shall specify the date, time and place of the special meeting. The general membership shall receive ballots for voting for the resolution or they may appear in person for the purpose of speaking on the resolution and voting.

The GSSA may be dissolved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the general membership in good standing either attending the meeting or returning the ballot prior to the time of the meeting. If the resolution is approved, the GSSA assets shall be sold, all debts paid, and the net proceeds dispersed among the GSSA member clubs who are in good standing.

Article 15
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of GSSA

The Constitution and By-Laws of GSSA may be amended as follows:

The proposed amendment(s) shall be submitted to the Secretary of GSSA at least forty-five (45) days prior to the Annual State Meeting or special meeting called for that purpose. The Secretary of GSSA shall notify in writing the Board of Directors at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual State Meeting or special meeting exactly what change(s) in the Constitution and By-Laws have been presented. The Board of Directors must pass or defeat the proposed change(s) by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. Those proposed change(s) passed by the Board of Directors shall be presented to the general membership at the next Annual State Meeting for passage or defeat, as prescribed in Article 10 order of business 7. If the proposed change(s) pass by simple majority-of those individual members in good standing present, they shall be incorporated into and made a part of the pertinent Article of GSSA Constitution and By-Laws.