RACOON CREEK HUNT CLUB

 

ARTICLE I,  (NAME):

 

The name of the organization shall be Racoon Creek Hunt Club, whose fiscal year shall begin July 1^st through June 30^th.

 

ARTICLE II, (OBJECTS):

 

A: To provide opportunities for club members to engage in the sport of hunting.

B: Promote hunter safety.

C: Strengthen landowner, community, hunter cooperation and understanding.

D: To create a friendly organization that our members are proud of and feel like they belong.

E: Run club in a democratic way..

F: Safe hunting in compliance with Virginia game laws.

 

ARTICLE III< (MEMBERSHIP):

 

A: Membership dues shall be $350.00 per year, payable in full or one half at annual meeting (March) and the other half by September 1^st.

B: Candidates for membership must be recommended by a member in good standing and voted on by a majority to be eligible for membership. New members will pay a $50.00 initiation fee and be on probation for a period of 12 months. Upon completion of probation period they will be voted to full membership by Quorum with a majority vote.

C: Club will have a maximum of 35 dues paying members.

D: A special free membership can be given on special occasions as justified by quorum with majority vote.

 

E: GUEST RULES; Immediate family members of a club member are exempt from Guest Rules. Immediate family members must hunt with member and are subject to guest fees as listed, ( fee is $25.00/day) if hunting from separate stand.

     Guests are allowed to hunt a maximum of three (3) times each deer season. Each member is allowed one (1) guest per day (special circumstances are allowed if approve by three officers of the club). Guest hunter with  a son/daughter that hunts out of same stand will be subject to only a single guest fee.

      Guests will not be allowed on opening day of deer season hunts.

F: JUNIOR MEMBERS: Son (s) or daughter (s) of member in GOOD STANDING can hunt without fees. He/she must be a full time student and under the age of twenty one years  (21 yrs). A junior member must be accompanied by club member while using club facilities.

G: GUEST FEES; A guest fee of $25.00/day is required. If a guest is allowed to hunt more than three (3) hunt days a FEE of $50.00/day is required, Immediate family guest is exempt from this $50.00 fee.

Sponsoring member is responsible to collect guest fees and send to Treasurer. Guest fees will be used to purchase dog food.

 

 

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H: DUES PAYMENT SCHEDULE; Dues may be paid in full or in part at Annual Meeting. PAYMENT SCHEDULE of one half of dues paid at Annual Meeting, April 1^st, with the balance by September 1^st.. If dues are not paid within 10 days of the Annual Meeting a late charge of $25.00 will be added to member total dues. If dues plus the late charge are not paid by April, 15th, then the member will be dropped from club membership. The balance of dues is due by September 1^st.  Dues not paid by this date will be charged a $25.00 late fee. If dues plus late fee is not paid by September 15^th the member will be dropped from club membership. Dues payments will not be refunded. Dues payment should be made by check, mailed to Treasurer. Special payment schedule of dues can be approved by majority of officers for special circumstances.

I: All materials and money given to the club become club property and are non-refundable. Such items are considered gifts and do not relieve any member from required club responsibilities such as dues, finds or workdays.

J: All members who shall resign or leave club membership are required to return all assigned club property, ie, all keys to club house & gate locks. Failure to do so will result in a $25.00 service fee.

 

ARTICLE IV, (MEETINGS)

 

 A: ANNUAL MEETING will be held after deer season on a date selected by the Officers, generally in March. All members should attend to elect all officers for the coming year, review financial reports and new club business.

B: SPECIAL MEETINGS can be called at any time at the request of the President. Officers may vote on matters pertaining to the club without having a quorum of members (Acquisition of new lands or other matters that require prompt action).

C: Quorum; One third of members in good standing constitute a quorum at any meeting.

D: A member must be in GOOD STANDING with dues paid in order to participate and vote in club matters.

E: CLUB Picnic & Dinner Activities; The club may sponsor a picnic for all members and families to be held on the Sunday before opening day of general firearms deer season. The club may sponsor  a dinner to be held the last day of deer season. This dinner is held to encourage all members to stay over at clubhouse to help in the end of season clean-up.

F: ORGANIZED HUNT DAYS; Saturdays, Holidays and one day during week as determined by Hunt Master. The Hunt Master can schedule special hunts based on circumstances.

 

ARTICLE V (REASONS FOR SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP):

 

 

A: Unsafe Hunting and Gun Handling PRACTISES.

B: Mistreatment of any deer dog.

C: Fighting with another member

D: Destroying another mount.

E: Not abiding to By-Laws and/or Virginia game Laws.

F: Willful property damage.

G: Use of illegal drugs on club property.

H: Tearing down posted signs.

I: General incompatibility.

J: Drinking of alcoholic beverages during or before hunting.

K: Littering.

      

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ARTICLE VI (AMENDMENTS):

 

A: Any proposed amendments to these By-Laws may be introduced by any member at any scheduled meeting. To pass or reject a proposed amendment a quorum of members must be at the meeting and  a quorum vote majority rules.

 

ARTICLE VII (WORK DAYS):

 

A: All members are required to participate in required workdays to be fair to all members. The exception is any member that is fifty five (55yrs) years or older is exempt from mandatory work days. It is suggested that these members help in any way they can in work projects to improve the club.

B: Each member is required to make three (3), six (6) hour work parties.  Two of these six hour work parties will be part of a scheduled work party.  The work party will start at  9:00 am to 3:00 pm or as scheduled.  One six hour work day may be done by member on his/her own to complete a assigned project.

C: Officers will schedule planned work parties on 4 week-ends each year.  Saturday & Sunday dates will be published & mailed to all members. Work projects will be listed so members can bring tools and supplies to complete projects.

D: Officers will assign each member their individual work project and date to be completed.  Several members can work such projects as a group.

E: FAILURE to complete work days will result in a $75.00/ missed day fine.  The total amount of this fine must be paid to Treasurer to be eligible to hunt.

F: Special circumstances a member can work another member’s workdays if approved by the majority of club officers

 

 

ARTICLE VIII (SAFETY):

 

 

A: All hunters are required to wear fluorescent orange hats or vest during all deer hunts.

B: Loaded guns will not be permitted in clubhouse or at meetings. Members must use safe hunting practices when walking club trails.  All guns shall be unloaded during travel to and from assigned hunting stands.

C: All hunters are required to stay on stand location.  Hunters will not walk away from stand to walk into woods.

D: Elevated Stands, hunters assigned such stands must be in stand off the ground. NO one is allowed on the ground at an elevated stand. Members who do not wish to be in elevated stands must inform the Hunt Master before the hunt.  Hunt Master will reassign these members to safe ground stands.

E: All hunters must be aware of location of other hunters in stands around them. Each hunter is responsible for his/her line of fire from their stand in a safe manner.

F; The official CB channel for the club will be #14.

G: The channel for hand held radios during the hunt will be CHANNEL # 5.

H: Members and guest under 12 years of age will occupy the same ground stand.

I: Every member & guest shall use precautions with the use of FIRE.

J:  No open fires will be permitted, except as designated.

 

 

 

 

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ARTICLE IX (HUNT RULES):

 

 

A: All members will help in catching of dogs before, during and after the hunt.

B: No littering on any land.

C: Hunters will remain on stand until the Hunt Master ends the hunt by blowing the horn four times.

D: All organized hunts are under the Hunt Master’s charge. His decisions are the law and all members must abide by them.

E: All members and guest using club  facilities on non organized hunt days are required to report to the clubhouse before starting to hunt and sign-in on BLACK BOARD.  Members will list name (s) of all in party and location of area to be hunted. After the hunt ends, member (s) will sign-out  time you left woods. This procedure will allow all hunters on the club property to know if other hunters are in the field and if they have returned.

F: Missed Shots: During organized hunts there is a one dollar fine for each missed shot fired. Member is responsible to pay own fine.

G: SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Members requiring special conditions during the hunt, such as a road stand, a ground stand or location that allows the hunter to leave early without disturbing the ongoing hunt, must notify the Hunt Master of this prior to beginning the hunt so proper arrangements will be made.

 

 

ARTICLE X (CLUB HOUSE):

 

 

A; all members & guests are required to help clean the club house.  Wash all used utensils, remove trash, etc. Leave the club house clean.

B:  All members will be given a key to the club house.

C: Club house has 14 bunks and several couches for sleeping. Sleeping areas are on a first come basis for members.

D: Use of tobacco products, smoking and smokeless, may be used in clubhouse but should refrain from use in the bunkrooms.

 

 

ARTICLE XI (DEER KILL RULES):

 

 

A: Member making a kill shall receive his choice of meat.

B: All members and guests will draw for meat at the end of the day’s hunt; 2-hams, 2-shoulders, 2-tenderloins.

C: Member making a kill of two deer has the right to keep one whole deer for himself.

D: Extra meat will be saved for club cook-outs and/or given to landowners.

 

 

 

Page 4 of 4;   Racoon Creek Hunt Club   By-Laws  September, 04

 

In 1977 Raccoon Creek Hunt club was formed thru the efforts of several local Families and a small contingency of hunters from the Va Beach and Ricmond areas. Back then they all crammed into a small camper on a local piece of land known as the Church Camp to take part in the time old pursuit of the Ghost of the Woods the White Tailed Deer. Since then the club has grown to 25 members with a fully functioning club house and access to some of the finest land in the county. Several founding members and their families continue to hunt with the club today.