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Constitution Article I.
Name
and Objects
Section 1.
The name of the club shall be Pacific Northwest Sussex Spaniel Club, Inc. Section 2.
The objects of the club shall be: Specialty
Club a)
To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Sussex Spaniel and to
do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection; b)
To urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by The
American Kennel Club as the only standard of excellence by which Sussex Spaniel shall be
judged; c)
To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by
encouraging sportsmanlike competition at ·
Dog Shows ·
Obedience Trails (if
applicable) ·
Tracking Tests (if
applicable) ·
Field Trials (if
applicable) ·
Hunting Tests (if
applicable) ·
Agility ·
Rally ·
CGC d)
To conduct sanctioned matches, ·
Dog Shows ·
Obedience Trials (if
applicable) ·
Tracking Tests (if
applicable) ·
Field Trials (if
applicable) ·
Hunting Tests (if
applicable) ·
Agility ·
Rally ·
CGC under the rules
and regulation of The American Kennel Club. Section 3.
The club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits
or remainder or residue from dues or donations to the 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 two types of membership open to all persons who are in good standing with The American
Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purpose of this club and a Junior Membership. a)
Full voting
membership open to all persons 18 and over. This entitles member to full club privileges, including voting and
office holding. b)
Associate Membership
open to all persons 18 and over. This is a
non-voting, non-office holding membership, but includes all of the other club privileges
such as awards, newsletters, etc. c)
Junior Membership open to individuals who are between the ages of 9 and 17.
Junior members are 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 not exceed $25.00 per year per person or $40.00 per household for full
membership and $15.00 per year for Associates Membership per person or $20.00 per
household; dues payable on or before the 1st day of January each year.
There is no cost for Junior Membership. No
member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
During the month of November the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of
dues for the ensuing year. Section 3.
Election to Membership. Each
applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the board of directors and
which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the 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 it shall
carry the endorsement of two members 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 the club following its receipt. At
the next club meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of 2/3 of
the members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect
the applicant. Associate Membership may be
exempt from meeting requirement but must be approved by the Board and Membership. Applicants
for membership who have been rejected by the club may not reapply within six months after
such rejection. Section 4.
Termination of Membership. Membership
may be terminated. a)
By resignation. Any member in good
standing may resign from the club upon written notice to the Secretary, but no member may
resign when in debt to the
club.
Obligations other than dues are considered a debt to the club and must be paid in
full prior to resignation. b)
By lapsing. A membership will
be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid
30 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the board may c)
grant an additional
30 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases.
In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any club meeting whose dues are
unpaid as of the date of that meeting. d)
By expulsion. A membership may be
terminated by expulsion as proved in Article VI of these by-laws. Article II.
Meetings
and Voting
Section 1. Club Meetings Meetings of the
club shall be held a minimum of 6 times per year within the greater Tacoma area at such
hour and place as may be designated by the board of directors.
Written notice of each such meeting shall be a mailed by the Secretary at least 10
days prior to the date of the meeting. The
quorum for such meetings shall be 20 % of the 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; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a
petition signed by five members of the club who are in good standing.
Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Tacoma 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 a meeting
shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five days and not more than 15 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 members in good standing. Section 3. Board Meetings. Meeting of the board of directors shall be held every other
month within the greater Tacoma at such hour and place as may be designated by the board.
Written notice of each such meeting such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary
at least five days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the board held in
person. Section
4. Special Board Meetings. Special Board Meetings of the board may be called by the
President; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed
by at least three members of the board. Such
Special meeting shall be held within the greater Tacoma area at such place, date and hour
as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.
The Secretary shall mail written notice of such meeting at least five days and not
more than 10 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. The
quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the board held in person. . Section 5. Voting. Each member in good standing whose dues are paid for the
current year shall be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the club at which he is
present. Proxy voting will not be permitted
at any club meeting or election. Associate membership does not carry voting privileges. Article III.
Directors and Officers
Section
1. Board of Directors. The board
shall be comprised of the officers and 3 other persons, all of whom shall be members in
good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the club’s annual
meeting as provided in Article IV and shall serve until successors are elected.
General management of the club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the board of
directors. Section 2. Officers The club’s officers, consisting of the President, Vice
President, Secretary and Treasurer, shall serve in their respective capacities with regard
to the club and its meetings and the board and its meetings. a)
The President shall
preside at all meetings of the club and of the board, and shall have the duties and powers
normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly
specifies in these bylaws. 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 the club and of the board and of all matters of which a
record shall be ordered by the club; 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 prescribes in these bylaws. d)
The Treasurer shall
collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the club.
Moneys shall be deposited in a bank designated by the board, in the name
of the club. The books shall at all times be
open to inspection by the board
and a report shall be given at every meeting on the condition of the clubs finances and
every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting an
accounting shall be rendered of all moneys received and
expended during the previous fiscal year. The
Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount s the board of directors shall determine. e)
The offices of
Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person, in which case the board shall be
comprised of 3 persons. Section
3. Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the board or among the offices
during the year shall be filled until the next annual election 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.
The Club Year, Annual
Meeting, Elections
Section 1. Club Year. The club’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of
January and end on the last of December. Section
2. Annual Meeting The annual
meeting shall be held in the month of June at which officers and directors for the ensuing
year shall be elected by secret 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 the successor in office all properties and records relating to that office
within 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 nominated candidates for other
positions of the board who received 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 February, the board shall select Nominating Committee
consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member
of the board. The Secretary shall immediately
notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The board shall name a chairman for the committee and it shall be such
person’s duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held on or before March 1.
a.
The committee shall
nominate one candidate for each office and
positions on the board and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall
immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing. b.
Upon receipt of the
Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary shall, at least two weeks before April
meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated. c.
Additional
nominations may be made at the April meeting by any member in attendance, provided that
the person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, and provided further
that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposer shall
present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying
willingness to be a candidate. No person may
be a candidate for more than one position. Nominations
cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this
Section. Article V.
Committees
Section 1. The board may each year appoint
standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as dog shows,
obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership, and other fields which may well be served by
committees. Such committees shall always be
subjects to the final authority of the board. Special
committees may also be appointed by the board to aid it on particular projects. Section 2. 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 services have
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 member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial
to the best interests of the club. Written
charges with specification must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a
deposit of $50.00 of which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the
board following a hearing. The Secretary
shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the board or present them at a
board meeting, and 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.
It shall fix a date for a hearing by the board not less than three weeks nor more
than six weeks thereafter. The Secretary
shall promptly send one 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 own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes. Section
3. Board Hearing. The board
shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both
complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard.
Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony
presented by complainant and defendant,
the board may by a majority vote of those present reprimand or suspend the defendant from
all privileges of the club for not more six months from the date of the hearing.
And, if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the
membership that penalty be expulsion. In
such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant’s right to appear before his
fellow members at the ensuing club meeting which considers the board’s recommendation.
Immediately after the board has reached a decision, its finding shall be put in
written form and 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 the club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the
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 the club to be
held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the board’s
recommendation of expulsion. The defendant
shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken
at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the board’s finding and
recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, if present to speak in his own behalf if
he wishes. The members shall then vote by
secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those 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 the constitution and bylaws may be proposed by the board
of directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 20 percent of the
membership in good standing. Amendments
proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the members with recommendations
of the board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition
was received by the Secretary. Section 2.
The constitution and bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 secret vote of the members
present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose, provided the
proposed amendment have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each
member at least two weeks prior to the date of meeting. Article VIII.
Dissolution
Section 1. The club may be dissolved at any
time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members in good standing.
In the events of the dissolution of the club other than for purposes of
reorganization whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law; none of the
property of the club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets 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 benefit of dogs selected by the board
of directors. Article
IX.
Order of Business
Section
1. At meetings of the 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 Secretary ·
Report of Treasurer ·
Reports of committee ·
Election of officers
and board (at annual meeting) ·
Election of new
member ·
Unfinished business ·
New business ·
Adjournment Section
2. At meeting of the board, the order of business, unless otherwise
directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follow: ·
Reading of minutes
of last meeting ·
Report of Secretary ·
Report of Treasurer ·
Reports of committee ·
Unfinished business ·
New Business ·
Adjournment Article X.
Parliamentary
Authority
Section 1. The rules contained in the current
edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised,” shall govern the club in all
cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these
bylaws and any other special rules of order the club may adopt.
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Copyright © 2004/2008 Pacific Northwest Sussex Spaniel Club, Inc.
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