| Palouse Hills Dog Fanciers
Serving Pullman, Wa & Moscow, Id area 
By-Laws Article
1: Membership Section
1. Eligibility. Full membership shall be open to all persons eighteen
years of
age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club
and who
subscribe to the purposes of this club. While
membership is unrestricted as to residence, the club’s primary purpose
is to be
representative of the breeders and exhibitors of Section
2. Family, Junior, Associate and Lifetime Memberships. Family
membership is open to any two related or unrelated adults living in the
same
household and any minor children of either residing with them. Family
membership is entitled to two votes and one newsletter. Junior
membership is open to all persons ten up to eighteen years of age.
Persons
under eighteen years of age shall not vote or hold office. Associate
membership is limited to individuals who are interested in receiving
the
newsletter only. No other benefits given to full members accrue to this
individual. Lifetime
membership is awarded to long standing members for meritorious service
to the
club. A written nomination describing service to the club is required.
A
written nomination must be presented to the membership, by a club
member in
good standing, published in the newsletter and voted on at the next
regular
meeting by a quorum of 10 percent of the membership. Section
3. Dues. Dues shall be established by the board with the approval of
the
membership. Individual membership dues shall be $20 per year. Family
memberships shall be $25 per year. Associate and junior membership
shall be $5
per year. Dues
shall be payable on or before October 1 of each year. During the month
of
September the Treasurer shall announce the deadline for the dues
payment. No
member whose dues are not paid for the current year may vote. Section
4. Election to the Membership. Each applicant for membership shall
apply on a
form approved by the Board of Directors. The application shall state
the
names(s), address, and occupation(s) of the applicant(s). The
application shall
also provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this constitution
and
by-laws, and the rules and regulation of the American Kennel Club.
Accompanying
the application the prospective member shall submit dues payment for
the
current year. Such dues paid after April 1, shall apply to the ensuing
year. All
applications are to be filed with the Recording Secretary and each
application
to be read at two meetings of the club and the names included in the
notice for
the following meeting. At the third
meeting within six months that the applicant attends the application
will be
read and voted upon. Affirmative votes of 2/3 of the members present
and voting
by secret ballot is required. A
committee of board of directors can make recommendations on every
application. Applicants
for membership who have been rejected by the club may reapply six
months or
more after such rejection. Visitors
are always welcome; however, an individual should file for membership
after
attending two consecutive meetings if she/he wishes to continue to
attend
meeting of the club. Section
5; 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 Recording Secretary, but no member may resign
when in debt
to the club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the club, and
they are
incurred on the first day of each fiscal year. 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 membership’s dues remain unpaid 90 days after the
October
meeting of each year; however, the Board may grant an additional 90
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 if hers/his dues are
unpaid at
the date of the meeting. (c)
by expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided
in
Article VI of these by-laws. Article
II: Meeting and Voting Section
1. Club Meeting. Meetings of the club shall be held in greater Section
2. Special 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. A special meeting must be
called
by the Recording Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five
members of
the club in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held in the
greater Section
3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held
immediately
prior to the regular meetings of the club as needed. Written notice of
each
such meeting shall be mailed by the Recording Secretary at least five
days
prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings of the
Board
shall be a majority of its members. All regular meetings of the Board
shall be
open to the general membership. Section
4. Special Board Meetings. Special meetings of the Board my be called
by the
President, and must be called by the Recording Secretary upon receipt
of a
written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such
special
meetings shall be held within the greater Section
5. Voting. Each member in good standing (except those under 18 years of
age)
whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote
at any
meeting of the club at which she/he is present. Proxy voting will not
be
permitted at any meeting or election. Article
III: Directors and Officers Section
1. Board of Directors. The Board shall be composed of the President,
Vice
President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer,
Immediate
Past President, and two other persons all of whom shall be members in
good
standing and all of whom shall be elected 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. Terms of office of the Board. All members of the Board shall serve
one- year
terms. The retiring President shall serve on the Board the year
following
retirement. In the event that there is no retiring President, and
additional
member-at-large shall be elected to maintain an eight member board. Section
3. Officers. 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. (a)
The President shall preside at all meetings of the club and of the
Board, and
shall have the duties and powers normally associated with the office of
President in addition to those particularly specified by these by-laws. (b)The
Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the
President
in case the President may die, be absent, or be incapacitated. (c)
The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the club
and of
the Board and of all matters of which she/he shall be ordered by
the club.
She/he shall have charge of the correspondence which deals with the
inner
workings of the club, notify members of meetings, notify new members of
their
election to membership, keep a roster of the members of the club with
their
addresses, supply each member with a copy of the club roster and
constitution,
and carry out such other duties as are specified by these by-laws. (d)
The Corresponding Secretary will keep a record of all correspondence
incurred by
the Club. She/he shall correspond with those individuals or groups
outside the
framework of the club, and shall carry out such other duties as
specified by
these by-laws. (e)
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to
the
club. She/he shall deposit the same in bank designated by the Board in
the name
of the club. Hers/his books shall be open to the inspection of the
Board at all
times, and she/he shall report to them at every meeting the condition
of the
club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before
reported. The
Treasurer shall submit her/his books for audit by a Public Accountant
at the
conclusion of the fiscal year, and she/he or the newly-elected
Treasurer shall
render an account of all moneys received and expended during the
previous
fiscal year at the September meeting. All club checks must be signed by
two of
the following three officers: President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
The
Treasurer to be bonded, the expense to be born by the club. (f) The AKC
Delegate shall
represent the PHDF at all regular and special meetings of the Delegates
to the
American Kennel Club, and shall serve as liaison between the PHDF and
the AKC. The Delegate
shall be elected by an affirmative vote of 2/3 of
the members present and voting by secret ballot is required. The AKC
Delegate
shall hold office for a two year term. Section
4. Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board of among the
officers during
the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority
vote of
all the members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the
creation of such a vacancy or at a Special 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 1st day of
June and
end on the 31st day of May. 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 May
at
which time 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 that officer who
succeeds her/him the properties and records relating to that office
within
30 days after the election. Section
3. Election. No person may be a candidate in a club election who has
not been
nominated. During the month of January the board shall select a
Nominating
Committee of three persons and two alternates, not more than one of
whom may be a member of the Board. The
Secretary shall notify immediately the committeemen and alternates of
their
selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee, and it
shall be
hers/his duty to call a meeting which shall be held on or before
February 15. (a)
The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and one candidate for each open position on
the Board, and , after securing the
consent on each person to be nominated, shall immediately report their
nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing. (b)
Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary shall
notify
each member of the candidates so nominated at least 10 days prior to
the March
meeting. (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
hers/his
name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate
is not in
attendance at the meeting, hers/his proposer shall present to the
Recording
Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying
hers/his
willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more
than one
position at a time. (d)
Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting other than as provided
for 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, agility trials, trophies, annual awards,
membership, and other fields of interest which might be well 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 committees or 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.
Section 3. The following committees
shall be considered the standing committees of the club and shall be
appointed
by the first meeting of each official year. The
Show Chairman will be appointed by approval of the
membership June
meeting of each year:
(a) Show Committee consisting of:
Show Chairman
Judges Selection
Committee
Hospitality Chairman
Obedience Chairman (b) Agility
Trial Committee
(c) Program and Entertainment
(d) Fun Match Committee
(e) Ad Hoc committee
Section 4. Training Committee. The
committee shall appoint any qualified
members of the club to serve as instructors for dog performance events
in
accordance with Section 1 of this Article. Time
and place of training classes shall be established by
the
instructors. Expenses for classes shall
be submitted to the Board of Directors and paid by the Treasurer. Registration fees shall be established in
accordance with Article XI of these by-laws.
Section 5. The President shall call a
Board Meeting as soon as feasible following the annual meeting to
select
Committee Chairman for the ensuing year. 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 a like period.
Section 2. Charges. Any
member may prefer charges
against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best
interest of
the club. Written charges with
specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Recording Secretary
together
with a deposit of $10, which shall be forfeited if the charges are not
substantiated by the Board 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 club. If
the Board considers that the charges do
not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of
the
club. if may refuse to entertain
jurisdiction. If the Board entertains
jurisdiction of the charges it shall fix a date for a hearing
thereafter by the
Board no less then three weeks nor more than six weeks.
The Secretary shall promptly mail a 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
hers/his own behalf and bring witnesses if she/he wishes.
Section 3. Board Hearing. The
Board shall have a 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 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
reprimand
shall not restrict the defendant’s right to appear before hers/his
fellow-members at the ensuing club meeting which considers the Board’s
recommendation. Immediately after the
Board has reached a decision, its findings 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 not
earlier than
30 days but not later than 60 days after the date of the Board’s
recommendation
of expulsion. The defendant shall have
the privilege of appearing in hers/his own behalf, though no evidence
will 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 hers/his own behalf if
she/he
wishes. The membership shall then vote
by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion.
A 2/3 vote of the membership
shall be necessary for expulsion. If
expulsion is not so voted, the Board’s
suspension shall stand. Article VII: Parliamentary
Authority
Section 1. The rules contained in Robert’s
Rules of Order shall govern
procedures of the club in all cases to which they are applicable and to
which
they are not inconsistent with these by-laws. Article VIII: Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the
constitution and by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or
by
written petition addressed to the Recording Secretary and signed by 20
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 with recommendations of the Board by the Recording Secretary
for a vote
by secret ballot within three months of
the date when the petition was
received by the Recording Secretary.
Section 2. The constitution and
by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting
at any
regular meeting or special meeting called for the purpose, provided the
proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting
mailed to
each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
Section 3. No
amendment to
the constitution and by-laws that is adopted by the club shall become
effective
until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American
Kennel
Club. Article IX: Dissolution
Section 1. Dissolution. The
club may be dissolved at any time by written
consent of not less than 2/3 of the members in good standing. (In
the event of the dissolution of the club, whether voluntary or by operation of
law, none of the assets of the club, none of the property of the club,
nor any
proceeds thereof shall be distributed to any member of the club, but
after
payment of the debts of the club its assets shall be given to a
charitable
organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the membership. Physical property of the club shall be sold
at auction and the proceeds added to other assets.
Article X: 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 the last meeting, report
of the Recording Secretary, report of the Treasurer, reports of
committees,
unfinished business, new business, election of officers(at annual
meeting) election
of new members, 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: Reading of the minutes of last meeting,
Report
of Secretary, Report of Treasurer,
Reports of committees, Unfinished business, New business, Adjournment. Article XI: Special Fees
Section 1. Fees. Fees for
classes shall be assessed by
instructors and the Board. |
