Lone
Star Airedale Terrier Club
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I - Name and
Objects
Section 1.
The name of the Club shall be Lone Star Airedale Terrier
Club.
Section 2.
The objects of the
club shall be:
(a) to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of
purebred Airedale Terriers 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 Airedale Terriers shall be judged;
(c) to do all in it's power to protect and advance the
interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog
shows, obedience trials, and any other event recognized by American Kennel
Club for Airedale Terriers;
(d) to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty and
obedience trials under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel
Club.
Section 3.
The club shall not be
conducted or operated for profit and no part of any income or remainder or
residue from dues or donations 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
bylaws as may be required to carry out these objects.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I - Membership
Section 1.
Eligibility. Membership is open to all persons eighteen years of age
or older who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who
support the purposes of this club. 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 area.
Section 2. Membership Types. There are two types of
membership, full or associate. All members may participate in all club
activities. Only full members can hold office or vote.
Section 3. Dues. The Board of Directors shall set the amount of
full/associate dues on an annual basis. The membership shall be notified in
writing of any changes in the dues, 30 days prior to the time dues are
payable. Membership dues become due and payable on January 1st of each
year. A full member whose dues are not paid for the current year will not
be eligible to vote. During the month of November, the Treasurer will send
to each member a statement of current membership type and dues for the
ensuing year.
Section 4.
Conversion of Membership.
Members may convert
between membership types by written request at the time of membership
renewal and payment of the applicable dues.
Section 5.
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 applicant 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 designate the type of membership
requested and 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. The application will be
voted upon and affirmative votes of 2/3 of the full members present and
voting by secret ballot shall be required to elect the application.
Applicants for
membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply within twelve
months after such rejection.
Section 6.
Termination of Membership.
Memberships 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. Dues
obligations are considered a debt to the 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 60 days after the first day of the fiscal
year; however, the Board may grant an additional 60 day grace period 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.
(c) By Expulsion.
A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of
these by-laws.
ARTICLE II - Meetings
and Voting
Section 1. Club
Meetings.
Meetings of the club shall be held in the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area six
times per year. Written notice of each meeting shall be 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 full members in good standing.
Section 2. Special
Club Meeting.
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 shall be called by the secretary upon
receipt of a petition signed by five full members of the club who are in
good standing. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Dallas/Ft.
Worth area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person
or persons authorized to call such meetings. Written notice of such a
meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 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 there
at. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the full members in good
standing.
Section 3. Board
Meetings.
Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the greater Dallas/Ft.
Worth area at least 6 times per year at such date, hour and place as may be
designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting
shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and no more than 10 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; and shall be called by the Secretary
upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the
board. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at
least 5 days and no more than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. Such
special meetings shall be held in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area at such place,
date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized to call such a
meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other
business shall be transacted there at. A quorum for such a meeting shall be
a majority of the board.
Section 5. Voting.
Each full 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 or she
is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or
election.
ARTICLE III -
Directors and Officers
Section 1. Board of
Directors. The
board shall be comprised of the officers and five other members in good
standing, all of which shall be elected for one year terms at the Club's
annual meeting as provided in Article IV and shall serve until their
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 both 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 specified in these bylaws.
(b)
The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of
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 all matters of
which a record shall be ordered by the club; 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, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws.
(d)
The Treasurer shall
collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the club. The Treasurer
shall deposit all monies in a bank designated by the board, in the name of
the club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the board.
The Treasurer shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the
Club's 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 an amount the board of directors shall determine.
(e)
The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person, in
which case the number of officers and board would be reduced by one (1)
person.
Section 3.
Vacancies. Any
vacancies occurring on the board or among the officers during the year shall
be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then
members of the board at it's 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 the 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 day of December. The 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 March at which officers and
directors 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 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 five (5) nominated candidates for other
positions on the board who 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.
The board shall select a Nominating committee on or before November 1st
consisting of three members and two alternates not more than one of which
may be a member of the board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the
committeemen 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 December 1st.
(a)
The committee shall
nominate one candidate for each office and position 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
notify the membership in writing before December 15th.
(c)
Additional nominations may be made at the January meeting by any full member
in good standing in attendance provided that the member 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 nominated from
the floor if that person declined a nomination to the same position by the
nominating committee in this election.
(d)
Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than
provided in this section.
ARTICLE V - Committees
Section 1. Standing
Committees.
The board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of
the club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies,
annual prizes, membership, and other fields which may be well served by
committees. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority
of the board. Special committees may be appointed by the board to aid it on
particular projects.
Section 2.
Committee Termination.
Any committee appointment
may be terminated by a majority vote of the 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 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 of the club or breed. Written charges with
specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a
deposit of $10.00 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, if
proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to 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 club entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall
fix a date of a hearing by the board not less than 3 weeks nor more than 6
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 their
own defense and bring witnesses if they so wish.
Section 3. Board
Hearing. The
board shall have complete authority to decide whether council 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 the complainant and defendant, the board may, by
a majority vote of those present, reprimand or suspend the defendant for not
more than six months from the date of the hearing. 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 fellow club members at the ensuing club
meeting which considers the board's recommendation. Immediately after the
board has reached a decision, it's 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 of 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 proceeding 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 board’s recommendation of expulsion. The
defendant shall have the privilege of appearing on their own behalf though
no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the
charges and the Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the
defendant, if present, to speak in their own behalf if they so wish. The
meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3
vote of full members present shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion
is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand.
ARTICLE VII
- Amendments
Section 1. Proposed Amendments.
Amendments to the
constitution and bylaws may be proposed by the board of directors or by
written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 25% of the full
members in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be
promptly considered by the board of directors and must be submitted to 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.
Amendment Approval.
The constitution and bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 secret vote of the full
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 weeks prior to the
date of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII -
Dissolution
The club may be
dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the
full members in good standing. In the event of the dissolution of the club
other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary,
or by the operation of law, none of the property of the club shall be
distributed to any members of the club, but after payment of the debts of
the club, it's 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. Club
Meetings. At
the 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
Reading of the Minutes of the Last Meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports 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 a
majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
Reading of the Minutes of
the last Board Meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
ARTICLE X -
Parliamentary Authority
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.
-- approved March
23, 2002
-- amended December 8, 2002
-- amended October 12, 2003
--amended
August 22, 2004 |
