Constitution and By-Laws
This page contains the Constitution and By-Laws of the Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club.
Table of Contents
Constitution| SECTION 1. Club Name | |
| SECTION 2. Club Objectives | |
| SECTION 3. Non-Profit Statement | |
| SECTION 4. Adoption of By-Laws |
| ARTICLE I. Membership |
SECTION 1. Eligibility SECTION 2. Dues SECTION 3. Election to Membership SECTION 4. Termination of Membership
| ARTICLE II. Meetings and Voting |
SECTION 1. General Club Meetings SECTION 2. Special Club Meetings SECTION 3. Board Meetings SECTION 4. Special Board Meetings SECTION 5. Voting
| ARTICLE III. Directors and Officers |
SECTION 1. Board of Directors SECTION 2. Officers SECTION 3. Vacancies
| ARTICLE IV. Club Year, Annual Meeting, and Elections |
SECTION 1. Club Year SECTION 2. Annual Meeting SECTION 3. Elections SECTION 4. Nominations
| ARTICLE V. Committees |
SECTION 1. Standing Committees SECTION 2. Show Chairman SECTION 3. Termination of Committee Chairman
| ARTICLE VI. Discipline |
SECTION 1. American Kennel Club Suspension SECTION 2. Charges SECTION 3. Boarding Hearing SECTION 4. Expulsion
| ARTICLE VII. Amendments |
SECTION 1. Proposing SECTION 2. Amending
| ARTICLE VIII. Dissolution |
| ARTICLE IX. Order of Business |
SECTION 1. General Meetings SECTION 2. Board Meetings SECTION 3. Member Educational Programs SECTION 4. Robert's Rules of Order
Constitution
The name of the club shall be THE GREATER SIERRA VISTA KENNEL CLUB, INCORPORATED.
The objective of the club shall be:
A. To further the advancement of all breeds of pure-bred dogs.
B. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of all breeds of pure bred dogs through public education.
C. To encourage sportsmanlike competition at all dog shows and obedience trials.
D. To conduct Sanctioned Matches, Licensed Dog Shows, Obedience Trials and other special events approved by, and under the rules of, The American Kennel Club.
SECTION 3. Non-Profit Statement
The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit, and no part of any moneys or remainder or residue from dues or donation to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.
SECTION 4. Adoption of By-Laws
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 objectives.
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By-Laws
ARTICLE I - Membership
There shall be four types of memberships open to persons ten years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.
A. Individual. Current members eighteen years of age or older.
B. Provisional Membership. A six (6) month trial membership period during which a prospective member must attend at least three (3) meetings and demonstrate that he/she should be accepted into full membership status. The provisional member will be assessed annual membership dues for the provisional period. This trial membership period may not exceed twelve months. The Club President or the Chairman of the Membership Committee shall apprise the provisional member of the reason for the designation of Provisional Membership status. This status shall carry no voting privileges. At the first general membership meeting six calendar months after the award of the provisional status, the provisional member will be presented to the general membership for a vote to accept him/her as a regular member. If not accepted, no reason(s) for non-acceptance by the membership shall be due to the former provisional member.
C. Juniors. Ten years old but not yet eighteen years old. (Not entitled to vote or hold office.)
D. Lifetime Membership. May be granted, by 3/4 vote of the members present and voting at that meeting, to any member for extraordinary service to The Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club. This membership shall carry full voting privileges. Dues will be forgiven during the duration of this membership.
While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors of the immediate area.
Membership dues shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for Individual or ten dollars ($10.00) for Junior membership per year, payable on or before the FIRST DAY OF APRIL of each year. Dues can only be changed once a year. Dues shall not be changed without thirty (30) days notification to all members before voting. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of February, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.
SECTION 3. Election to Membership
A. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that 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.
B. All applications are to be filed with the Recording Secretary and each application is to read the first meeting of the Club following it's receipt.
SECTION 4. Termination of Membership
Memberships may be terminated by:
A. Resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Corresponding Secretary, but no member may resign while in debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and they become incurred on the FIRST DAY OF EACH APRIL.
B. Lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid sixty days after the first day of April; however, the Board may grant an additional sixty days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Club whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
C. Expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article 6 of these By-Laws.
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ARTICLE II - Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1. General Club Meetings
A. General meetings of the Club shall be held within twenty-five miles of the City of Sierra Vista, Arizona, once a month, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. It shall be the responsibility of the Corresponding Secretary to ensure that written notice of such meetings are mailed at least TEN days prior to the date of the meetings. Notice in the Club's newsletter will satisfy this requirement if it is mailed ten days prior to the meeting.
B. The Quorum for such meetings shall be TWENTY PERCENT 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 Corresponding 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 twenty-five miles of the City of Sierra Vista, Arizona, at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least FIVE days and not more than FIFTEEN 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 TWENTY PERCENT of the members in good standing.
Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held within twenty-five miles of the City of Sierra Vista, Arizona, at least once a month at such hour, date, and place as may be designated by the Board. The Corresponding Secretary is responsible for notifying all board members of such meetings, in writing, at least five days prior to such meetings. Notice in the Club's newsletter will satisfy this requirement if it is mailed five days prior to the meeting.
SECTION 4. Special Board Meetings
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, or shall be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held within twenty-five miles of the City of Sierra Vista, Arizona, at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by such person authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least five days and no more than fifteen days prior to the date of such meetings and notice shall state the purpose of the meeting. No other Club business may be transacted thereat. The Quorum for such meetings shall be a MAJORITY of the Board.
Each member in good standing shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Club at which he is present and eligible to vote. Proxy voting will not be permitted.
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ARTICLE III - Directors and Officers
Allowing that some positions may be combined, the total members of the board shall be seven. The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Show Chairmen, and additional members, all of whom shall be members in good standing. All shall be elected for a one year term at the Club's Annual Meeting, except for the Show Chairman who is appointed by the Board of Directors as provided in Article 5, Section 2, and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
A. The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.
B. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board, and shall have duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these By-Laws.
C. The Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's absence.
D. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club and carry out such other duties as are prescribed by these By-Laws.
E. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notifying members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notifying officers of their election to office, keep a roll of members of the club in good standing, with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these By-Laws.
F. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit same 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 membership. The receipts and disbursements, not previously reported, shall be reported at every meeting. At the Annual Meeting, the Treasurer shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
G. The offices of Recording Secretary, Corresponding, and /or Treasurer may be held by the same person, in which case the Board of Directors shall be comprise of the officers and other persons for a total of seven persons.
Any vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors 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 President shall automatically be filled by the Vice President, and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled by the Board.
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ARTICLE IV - Club Year, Annual Meeting, and Elections
The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the thirty-first 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.
The Annual Meeting shall be held in the month of March at which officers and board members 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 days after the election.
The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The nominated candidates for other positions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.
No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. No person may be nominated for more than one office. During the month of November, the Board shall elect a nominating committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Corresponding Secretary shall immediately notify the committee members and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chair for the committee and it shall be the duty of the Chair to call a committee meeting which shall be on or before January 1st.
A. The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and one candidate for each elected position on the Board. If the office of Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary are combined, two candidates shall be nominated for the Board. After securing the consent of each person so nominated, they shall immediately report their nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing.
B. The nominating committee's report shall be presented at the January meeting of the Club.
C. Additional nominations may be made at the February meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed. If the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his willingness to be a candidate.
D. Nominations and voting for a particular office shall be in sequence listed in Article III, Section 2, of these By-Laws, to include those nominated by the Nominating Committee and from the floor.
E. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this section.
F. To be eligible for nomination as President, the nominee must have served at least on year as a Board Member or as Show Chairman of THE GREATER SIERRA VISTA KENNEL CLUB, INC.
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ARTICLE V - Committees
SECTION 1. Standing Committees
The President may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog show, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership, and other fields which may well be served by committees. Such committees shall be subject to final authority of the Board. Special committees may be appointed by the Board to aid with particular projects. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
SECTION 2. Show Committee Chairman
At the first Board meeting following their election, the Board shall appoint a Show Committee Chairman. The Show Committee Chairman shall serve in the same capacity as an elected Board member.
SECTION 3. Termination of Committee Chairman
Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee. The Board may appoint successors to those persons whose service have been terminated.
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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.
Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club. Written charges, with specifications, must be filed in duplicate with the Corresponding Secretary together with a deposit of TEN DOLLARS ($10.00) which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Corresponding Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board and present them at a Board meeting. 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 interred of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charge, if shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board not less than three weeks nor more that six weeds thereafter. The Corresponding Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the Plaintiff and Defendant by registered mail, together with notice of the hearing date and time and assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes.
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, by majority vote of those present may vote to reprimand or suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing. If the Board deems the punishment insufficient, the Board may also recommend to the membership the penalty of expulsion. In such cases the suspension shall not restrict the Defendant's right to appear before his fellow members at the ensuing meeting of the Club which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, the findings shall be put in writing and filed with the Recording Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary, in turn, shall notify each o f the parties of the decision of the Board and penalty, if any.
Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at a General Membership meeting of the Club, following a Board hearing and upon the recommendation of the Board 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 sixty days, but not earlier than thirty days, after the date of the recommendation of expulsion by the Board. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence will be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings of the Board and recommendations and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret, written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting as the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. I expulsion is not voted, the Board's suspension shall stand.
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ARTICLE VII - Amendments
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Corresponding Secretary and signed by twenty percent of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the members within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Corresponding Secretary.
The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership 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.
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ARTICLE VIII - Dissolution
The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members. In the event of such 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 of the Club shall be distributed to any member of the Club. After payment of the debts of the Club, the property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization, selected by the Board of Directors, for the benefit of dogs.
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ARTICLE IX - Order of Business
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:
1. Introduction of guests
2. Roll call of officers
3. Minutes of last meeting
4. Report of the President
5. Report of the Secretary
6. Report of the Treasurers
7. Reports of committees
8. Election of Officers and Board (Annual Meeting)
9. Election of new members
10. Unfinished business
11. New business
12. Announcements
13. Adjournment
At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
1. Reading of minutes of last meeting
2. Report of the Secretary
3. Report of the Treasurer
4. Reports of committees
5. Unfinished business
6. New business
7. Announcement
8. Adjournment
SECTION 3. Member Educational Programs
The educational portion of the club meetings (guest speaker, film, etc.) may be either immediately prior to roll call of the officers or immediately prior to adjournment, as determined by the Board.
SECTION 4. Robert's Rules of Order
In all other instances, Robert's Rules of Order, revised, shall govern the conduct of business at meetings of the Association, the Board of Directors and all committees wherever they are applicable and not in conflict with these By-Laws and Constitution.
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Revised: General Membership Meeting September 26, 2006
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Last updated: March 2009.