March 1999
North Central Texas Herding Dog Association
Constitution
| Back Home | Member Application |
ARTICLE I
Name and Objects
SECTION 1. The name of this Club shall be North Central Texas Herding Dog Association.
SECTION 2. The objects of this Club shall be:
a. To further the advancement of all herding breeds;
b. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of herding tests and trials, and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at such events; and
c. To conduct herding tests and trials under the rules of The American Kennel Club.
SECTION 3. This Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues. or donations to this Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.
SECTION 4. The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such By-Laws as may be required to carry out these objects.
By-Laws
ARTICLE I
Membership
SECTION 1. Eligibility. There shall be three (3) types of membership open to all persons in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.
a. Regular Membership shall consist of any person eighteen (18) years of age or older.
b. Joint Membership shall consist of two persons eighteen (18) years of age or older and living in the same household. Each of the two individuals is entitled to all privileges of the Club, each having their own vote, however only one copy of all Club member publications will be sent to a Joint Membership.
c. Associate Membership shall consist of a single person entitled to receive all Club member publications, but not entitled to vote or hold office. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.
SECTION 2. Dues. Membership dues shall be set by the Board of Directors, but shall not exceed $50 per Membership yearly, payable on or before the 1 st day of June of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of April, the Secretary shall send to each member a statement of his/her dues for the ensuing year.
SECTION 3. Election to Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and By-Laws and the rules of The American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant, and applications for Regular or Joint Memberships shall carry the endorsement of one (1) Regular Member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.
All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of this Club following its receipt. Applications for Regular or Joint Memberships will be voted upon at the next club meeting and affirmative votes of 2/3 of the Regular Members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applications for Associate Memberships require no vote and are accepted at the first meeting when they are read. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by this Club may not reapply within six (6) months after such rejection.
SECTION 4. Termination of Membership. Membership may be terminated:
a. By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from this Club upon written notice to the Secretary, but no member may resign when in debt to this Club.
Dues obligations are considered a debt to this Club and they become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.
b. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid ninety (90) days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 90 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases.
c. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VII of this Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1. Club Meetings. Meetings of this Club shall be held in each month in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten (1 0) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of the Regular Members in good standing.
SECTION 2. Special Club Meetings. Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board or by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) Regular Members of this Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Dallas-Forth Worth area at such hour and place as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the secretary at least five days prior to the date of the meeting and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other Club business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the Regular Members in good standing.
SECTION 3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in the months of January, March, May, July, September and November at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten (1 0) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
SECTION 4. Special Board Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three (3) members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and at such hour and place as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days and not more than ten (1 0) days prior to the date of the meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
SECTION 5. Voting. Each Regular Member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one (1) vote at any meeting of this Club at which he/she is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or election. Associate Members may not vote at any meeting.
ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers
SECTION 1. Board of Directors. The Board shall be composed of the President, Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer and three (3) other persons, all of whom shall be Regular Members in good standing. They shall be elected for one year terms at this Club's annual meeting as provided in Article V and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of this Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2. Officers. This Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to this Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.
a. The President shall preside at all meetings of this Club and of the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President, in addition to those particularly specified in this Constitution and By-Laws.
b. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.
c. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of this Club and of the Board and of all matters of which this Club shall order a record. He/she shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in this Constitution and By-Laws.
d. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to this Club. He/she shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to the Board in the name of this Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and the Treasurer shall report to them at every meeting the condition of this Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting shall report an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer may be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
SECTION 3. Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled for the remaining term of office by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a special Board meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy in
the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled by the Board.
ARTICLE IV
Club Year, Annual Meeting and Elections
SECTION 1. Club Year. This Club's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of June and end on the thirty-first day of May. This Club's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election at the annual meeting and shall continue through the election at the next annual meeting.
SECTION 2. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of June at which Directors and Officer for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within thirty (30) days after the election.
SECTION 3. Elections. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The three (3) nominated candidates for other positions on the Board that receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.
SECTION 4. Nominations. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of March, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) members and two (2) alternates, not more than one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committee members and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairperson for the committee and it shall be his/her duty to call a committee meeting which will be held on or before April 15.
a. The committee shall nominate one (1) candidate for each office and three (3) candidates for the three (3) other positions on the Board and after securing the consent of each person so nominated shall immediately report their nomination to the Secretary in writing.
b. Upon receipt of the nominating committee's report, the Secretary shall on or before April 30 notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
c. Additional nominations may be made at the May meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his/her name is proposed and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting his/her nominator shall present to the Secretary a written statement from
the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate.
d. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting in any manner other than provided in this Section
ARTICLE V
Committees
SECTION 1. Appointment of Standing Committees. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of this Club in such matters as herding tests and trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.
SECTION 2. Termination of Committee Appointment. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose service has been terminated.
ARTICLE VI
Discipline
SECTION 1. American Kennel Club Suspension. Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.
SECTION 2. Charges. Any Regular Member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $25 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained. The Secretary shall promptly notify the Board, which shall meet and fix a date for a Board hearing not less than three (3) weeks or more than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. If the board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges the Secretary shall promptly send one (1) copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his/her own defense and bring witnesses if he/she wishes.
SECTION 3. Board Hearings. Should the charges be sustained after hearing the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of this Club for not more than six (6) months from the date of the hearing. In addition, if it deems that punishment insufficient it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before his/her fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and be filed with the Secretary. The Secretary in turn shall notify each of the parties of the Board's decision and penalty, if any.
SECTION 4. Expulsion. Expulsion of a member from this Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of this Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of this Article. Such proceedings may occur at a regular or special meeting of this Club to be held within sixty (60) days but not earlier than thirty (30) days after the date of the Board's recommendation of expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at the meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board's findings and recommendations and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/she wishes. The Regular Members shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those Regular Members present and voting at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand.
ARTICLE VII
Amendments
SECTION 1. Amendments to Constitution and By-Laws Proposed by Board of Directors. Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary and signed by 20% of the Regular Members in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the membership with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three (3) months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.
SECTION 2. Amended Constitution and By-Laws by Vote of Members. The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the Regular Members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
Dissolution
SECTION 1. Dissolution. This Club may be dissolved at any time by the written -consent of not less than 2/3 of the Regular Members. In the event of the dissolution of this Club, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of this Club nor any proceeds whereof nor any assets of this Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club but after payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefits of dogs. The organization shall be selected by the Board of Directors of the Club.
ARTICLE IX
Order of Business
SECTION 1. Club Meetings. At meetings of this Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:
Roll Call
Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
Election of Officers and Board (at Annual Meeting)
Election of New Members
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
SECTION 2. Board Meetings. At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
Reading of Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
ARTICLE X
Parliamentary Authority
SECTION 1. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, New Revised shall govern the Club in all cases which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and By-Laws and any other special rules of order the Club may adopt.