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CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE
I
Name and
Objects
SECTION 1. The
name of the Club shall be the Vizsla Club of Metro Atlanta.
SECTION 2. The
objects of the Club shall be:
a)
to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of pure-bred Vizslas
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 Vizslas 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
trials, tracking tests, hunting tests, and field trials;
d)
to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows, obedience trials,
and hunting tests 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 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 bylaws as may be required to carry out these objects.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
Membership
SECTION
1. Eligibility.
There shall be three types of memberships, individual, family
(regular), and associate. A
Regular member enjoys all club privileges including the right to vote and
hold office. In a family
membership, the household is entitled to a maximum of two votes, and that
privilege is restricted to those 18 years of age and older.
An Associate member is entitled to all club privileges except voting
and office holding. Associate members are not computed in determining a quorum.
While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence,
the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of breeders and
exhibitors in its immediate area.
SECTION 2. Dues.
Membership dues shall not exceed $20 for family; $15 for individual
and $10 for Associate per year, payable on or before the 1st day of January
of each year. 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 these
constitution and bylaws and the rules of the American Kennel Club.
The application shall state the name, address, and occupation of the
applicant. Accompanying the
application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current
year. Membership applications
should carry the endorsement of 2 members in good standing.
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 applications 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.
Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the
Club may not reapply within six months after such rejection.
SECTION 4. Termination
of Membership. Memberships
may be terminated:
a)
by resignation. Any
member in good standing may resign from theClub 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 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.
c)
by expulsion. A
membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these
bylaws.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1. Club
meetings. Meetings of the
Club shall be held each month within the Metro Atlanta area at such 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 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20 per cent 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 in good
standing. Such special meetings
shall be held within the Metro Atlanta area 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
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. No other
Club business may be transacted thereat.
The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20 per cent of the members in
good standing.
SECTION 3. Board
Meetings. Meetings of the
Board of Directors shall be held each month within the Metro Atlanta area, 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 5 days prior to 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. Such
special meetings shall be held within the Metro Atlanta area at such place,
date, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call
such a meeting. Written notice
of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 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. A
quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
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.
ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers
SECTION 1. Board
of Directors. The Board
shall be comprised of the officers and 4 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 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 power 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
the President in case of the President’s 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; shall have charge of 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 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 of the Board, and a
report shall be given at every meeting of 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 such amount as 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 seven 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 a 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 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 December 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 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
September, the Board shall select a 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 October 1.
(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 nomination to the Secretary in
writing.
(b)
Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary
shall mail written notice of
the nominated candidates to each member at least 2 weeks prior to the
November Meeting, at which additional nominations may be made 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.
(c)
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 specialty
shows, obedience trials, field trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership,
and other fields which may well 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.
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 the Club for the like period.
SECTION 2.
Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a member for
alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the
breed. 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 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 interest of the Club.
If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which
would be prejudicial to the best interest of the Club, 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 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
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 the
complainant and defendant, the
Board may, by a majority vote of those present, either reprimand or suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club
for not more than six months from the date of the hearing. And, 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 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 the 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 date of the Board’s
recommendation of expulsion. The
defendant shall have the privilege of appearing on 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 on his
own behalf if he wishes. The
members shall than vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion.
A two-thirds 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 twenty per cent 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 with recommendation 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 vote of the
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. The vote for
amendments shall be by secret vote.
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 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 its property and assets
shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of digs 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:
1.
Roll Call
2.
Minutes
of last meeting
3.
Report of
President
4.
Report of
Secretary
5.
Report of
Treasurer
6.
Report of
Committees
7.
Election
of Officers and Board (at
annual meeting)
8.
Election
of new members
9.
Unfinished
business
10.
New
Business
11.
Adjournment
SECTION
2. 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
Secretary
3.
Report of Treasurer
4.
Report of Committees
5.
Unfinished business
6.
New Business
7.
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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