Bylaws

SECTION 1 - ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting shall be held on the same date as the National Specialty Show to be held between March 15th and September 30th of each year. The date and location of the Annual Meeting and National Specialty Show must be set, by the Board of Directors, at least a year in advance. Notice of the meeting shall appear in the Club newsletter published at least one month prior to the month the meeting is to be held. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing including one executive officer. (Associate members do not count in determining a quorum.)

SECTION 2 - SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS

Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the Board who are present at a meeting of the Board or who vote by mail and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by 10% of the members of the Club who are in good standing. Such meetings shall be held at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed or e-mailed by the Recording Secretary at least 14 days and not more than 30 days prior to the meeting. The notice of the meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other club business may be transacted

The quorum for such a meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing including one executive officer.

SECTION 3 - BOARD MEETINGS

The first meeting of the newly elected board shall be held within 60 days of the beginning of the operating year, October 1st. Other meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such times and places as are designated by the President or by a majority vote of the entire Board. A minimum of one Board Meeting must be held each calendar quarter. The quorum for a Board Meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person or by videoconference or teleconference..

SECTION 4 - BUSINESS BY MAIL AND/OR TELEPHONE

Meetings: The Board of Directors may hold meetings, in person or by videoconference or teleconference.

Business (voting) can be conducted at meetings or through mail, fax or e-mail. In order for business to be conducted by e-mail the following must occur:

1. Every board member must be provided with the means to participate;
2. A procedure must be in place to verify the identity of the individuals participating, to ensure that they are eligible board members;
3. A mechanism must be in place to insure that the board members are “listening”;
4. All board members must agree to participate in this manner.

Clubs may send members notification of club meetings; dues notices; minutes and newsletters via e-mail. Affirmative action shall require the support of the majority of the entire Board. Written minutes shall be prepared of all business conducted and be subject to confirmation within 15 days whether by mail, e mail or at a meeting of the Board.

SECTION 5 - IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

In the event of an emergency, declared by local, state, or national government, or in the event of damage to the site of the meeting which renders it unusable, the President, or in the absence of the President, the Vice President, with the consent of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors, given individually, may postpone any meeting authorized in Sections 1, 2,and 3 of this article, for no longer than sixty days. Any business mandated to be conducted at a meeting by these bylaws shall be conducted after such postponement.

SECTION 1 - OFFICERS, TERM OF OFFICE, QUALIFICATIONS & DUTIES

1. All officers shall, as a matter of continuing eligibility, be an Individual, Household or Lifetime Member for at least two years prior to their election or appointment and be a resident of the United States. No more than one Household Member shall hold more than one office at the same time. Specifically:
   1. The Treasurer shall be bondable.
   2. The Immediate Past President shall be the past President who most recently held that office, was not removed from that office and agrees to serve.
2. The officers shall perform those duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Club. In addition, the officers chall perform these specific duties:
   1. 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 specified in these By-laws.
   2. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence, or incapacity.
   3. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all votes taken by mail or e-mail, and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club, and carry out such duties as are prescribed in these By-laws.
   4. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify Officers and Directors of their election to office, publish a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these By-laws.
   5. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due to or belonging, to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank approved by the Board in the name of the Club. The books shall be opened at all times to inspection by the Board and s/he shall have published in the newsletter a semiannual report of the Club's finances, including, a summary of every item of receipt or payment not before reported. An account of all monies received and expended during the fiscal year shall be reported to the Board and published in the newsletter within 30 days of the end of the fiscal year. Upon completion of all transactions for a fiscal year, the Treasurer shall have the Records and Books, of the Club, checked and verified by an independent, financial professional, chosen by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine at the expense of the Club.

SECTION 2 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers of the Club, except that Immediate Past President shall have no vote but shall retain all other rights of membership. The general management of the club’s Affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.

The Officers and Directors shall be elected as provided in Article IV, and shall serve until their successors take office. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. The President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and four Directors shall be limited to two consecutive terms in the same office. Only one member of a household membership may serve as an Officer or Director in the same term.

SECTION 3 - AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB DELEGATE

The Delegate to the American Kennel Club shall be elected by the membership to serve a two year term or until the Delegate’s successor is elected. The qualifications for Delegate shall be expressed in the Bylaws of the American Kennel Club. The Delegate shall attend and report on quarterly meetings of The American Kennel Club.

SECTION 4 - VACANCIES

Any vacancy in a position described in this article shall be filled until the next election by a majority vote of the then members of the Board of Directors 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.

SECTION 5 – BONDING AND INSURANCE

All Officers and Directors shall be indemnified from personal financial liability through the ACA purchasing of Directors and Officers Insurance.

SECTION 1 - CLUB YEAR

The Club's fiscal and operating year shall begin on the 1st day of October and end on the 30th day of September. On the 1st of October the elected Officers and Directors take office, and each retiring officer shall turn over to his or her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office. All records other than those of the previous term shall be sent to the Archivist for permanent retention.

SECTION 2 - VOTING

At the annual meeting or at a special meeting of the Club voting shall be limited to those members in good standing, whose dues are paid in accordance with Article I, Section 2, of these By-laws, except for the annual election of Officers, Board and Delegate, amendments to the Constitution and by-laws, and amendments to the Breed Standard, which shall be decided by ballot cast by mail or in accordance with AKC’s procedure on Electronic Balloting for AKC Parent Clubs.

The Board of Directors may decide to submit other specific questions for decisions of members by ballot cast by mail or in accordance with AKC’s procedure on Electronic Balloting for AKC Parent Clubs.

SECTION 3 - ELECTION

Subject to the provisions of Section 4, Nominations and Ballots, the election of Officers and Delegate to The American Kennel Club shall be by secret ballot. Ballots to be valid must be received by the Recording Secretary by July 1st. Ballots shall be counted by an Independent Professional or Organization, recommended by the Recording Secretary and approved by the Board. The person receiving the largest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. If there is a tie, at the time the election is verified, for any position described in Article III of these bylaws, that prevents a nominee from being elected, the Board of Directors shall, by ballot, elect one of the persons so tied.

If any nominee, at the time of the election verification, is unable to serve for any reason, the nominee shall not be elected and the vacancy so created shall be filled by the new Board of Directors in the manner provided by Article III, Section 5.

SECTION 4 - NOMINATIONS AND BALLOTS

No votes shall be credited to any person in a Club election except to eligible members who have been nominated in accordance with these By-laws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board of Directors before February 15th, the members of which shall not be the same in any consecutive year. The Committee shall consist of three members from different areas of the USA, and two alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board of Directors. The Board shall name a chairperson for the Committee. The Nominating Committee may conduct its business by mail, e-mail or telephone, in accordance with the policy approved by the Board.

1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate, for the open positions in the upcoming term, from among the eligible members of the Club, one nominee for each office. The Committee shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The Committee should consider the geographical representation of the membership on the Board to the extent that it is practicable to do so. The Committee shall then submit its slate of nominees to the Recording Secretary who shall send the list, including the full names of all nominees and the states in which they reside, to each member of the Club on or before April 1st, so that additional nominations may be made by the members if they so desire.
2. Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition to the Recording Secretary and received at the Recording Secretary's regular address on or before May 1st, signed by five members in good standing and accompanied by the written acceptance of each additional nominee signifying willingness to be a nominee. Except for the position of Delegate, no person shall be a nominee for more than one position and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination from the Nominating Committee.
3. If no valid additional nominations for office are received by the Recording Secretary on or before May 1st the Nominating Committee's slate shall be declared to be elected at the next Board of Directors Meeting and subsequently communicated to all Club Members, and no balloting will be required. The Officers shall take office on October 1st.
4. If one or more valid nominations are received on or before May 1st, the Recording Secretary shall, on or before June 1st, mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, with the names of the States in which they reside, together with a blank envelope and a return envelope addressed to the Recording Secretary marked "Ballot" and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So that the ballots remain secret, each voter, after marking his ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Recording Secretary. The ballots must be returned to the Recording Secretary by July 1st. The Independent inspector(s) of election, as specified in Section 3 Elections, shall check the returns against the list of members whose dues are paid for the current year prior to opening the outer envelopes and removing the blank envelopes and shall certify the eligibility of the voters as well as the results of the voting to the Board of Directors by August 1st.
5. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than is provided above.

SECTION 1 - ESTABLISHMENT

The Board of Directors shall have the sole authority to create and assign duties to standing committees to advance the work of the Club by resolution adopted by a vote of the majority of the entire membership of the Board. Such duties may be required to be approved by the Board prior to being exercised by the standing committee.

SECTION 2 - APPOINTMENT

The Board of Directors shall appoint the chair of each standing committee. Each chair shall appoint members of that standing committee, subject to approval of the Board of Directors. The chair, or any member of a standing committee, may be removed, with or without cause, upon written notice to the chair or member, as applicable, and the Board may appoint a successor to fill the position.

SECTION 1 - AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION

Any member who is suspended from any or all 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 another member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the Breed. Written specific charges must be filed in duplicate with the Recording Secretary together with a deposit of $200, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board Committee following a hearing. The Recording 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 or of the Breed, if the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or of the Breed. It may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board Committee of not less than three members of the Board, not less than three weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter. The Recording Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the member accused of alleged misconduct 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 s/he so desires.

SECTION 3 - BOARD HEARING

The Board Committee 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 the defendant, the Board Committee may by a majority vote of those present suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing or until the next Annual Meeting if that will occur after six months from the Board Committee decision. In such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant’s right to appear before his fellow Members at the next regularly scheduled Annual Club Meeting at which time the Membership will consider the recommendation of the Board Committee. Immediately after the Board Committee has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.

SECTION 4 - EXPULSION

Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at the annual meeting of the Club following a hearing and upon the recommendation of the Board Committee as provided in Section 3 of this Article. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the finding and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3rds vote of those present and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the suspension shall stand.

SECTION 1 - PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution, By-laws and the Breed Standard may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Recording Secretary signed by twenty percent of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board and must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Recording Secretary for a vote within 90 days of the date when the petition was receive by the Recording Secretary.

SECTION 2 - AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

The constitution by-laws and the breed standard may be amended at any time, provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the Recording Secretary to all members in good standing, accompanied by a ballot on which they may indicate their choice for or against the action to be taken. Dual envelope procedures described in Article IV, Section 4 (4) shall be followed to insure secrecy of the ballot. The notice shall specify a date not less than thirty days after the date of the mailing by which date the ballots must be returned to the Recording Secretary to be counted. The favorable vote of 2/3rds of the members in good standing who return valid ballots within the time limit shall be required to effect any such amendment.

SECTION 3 - APPROVAL

No amendment to the Constitution and By-Laws or to the Standard for the Breed that is adopted by the club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club.