Aka Dog Agility Club of
Chino
CONSTITUTION
SECTION 1. The
name of the Club shall be the Dog Agility Racing Team except for any AKC
sanctioned event where it will be referred to as Dog Agility Club of Chino.
SECTION
2. The objects of
the Club shall be to promote the sport of dog agility and to conduct agility
events under the rules and regulations of the AKC, USDAA, NADAC and any other
sanctioning organization.
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 classes of
membership: Individual, Family, and Junior. An Individual membership shall be
open to all persons 18 years and older who subscribe
to the purposes of this Club. Family memberships shall be open to any
two individuals residing in the same household. Additional household members
may be added at an incremental fee set by the board. A Junior membership shall
be available to any person under the age of 18. Upon turning 18, the Junior
membership will be automatically converted to an Individual membership.
Individual and Family members
shall have full privileges and may vote at all applicable elections and
meetings. For purposes of voting, each Individual membership, Junior and each
individual comprising a Family membership shall be entitled to one vote.
Members under 18 shall have the same rights and privileges as Individual
members except they shall be ineligible to hold office.
SECTION 2. Dues
The annual dues for Individual,
Family and Junior members shall be determined by the Board of Directors each
year in time for a statement of dues. Members will be notified through the
December newsletter. Dues are payable on or before January 31st. Membership
dues for Individual membership shall not exceed $50.00 per year. Dues for
Family membership (for the initial two family members) shall not exceed $75.00
per year, Membership dues for Junior Membership shall not exceed $25.00 per
year. Members who submit their annual dues on or after February 1st
of each year, and before the 30 day grace period has ended (see article 1,
section 4, Termination of Membership), shall be subject to a $5.00 late renewal
fee. Members whos dues are not paid for the current year may not vote.
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 the Club's Constitution and
Bylaws. The application shall state the name, address and phone number of the
applicant and shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.
Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment
for the current year. In the event the prospective member is not accepted by
the Club, the dues will be refunded.
Prospective members must attend
a meeting prior to the meeting that their application is to be voted upon. All
applications are to be filed with the Membership Director on or before the
meeting the prospective member attends. The applicant’s pertinent information
shall be published in the newsletter following the meeting they attend. The
membership will then vote on the applicant by secret ballot at the meeting
following publication. Upon receipt of an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
members present and voting, the applicant shall obtain Membership status.
Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply
until at least one year after such rejection.
SECTION 4. Termination
of Membership
Membership may be terminated:
a. By
written resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon
written notice to the Membership Director.
b. By
lapsing of dues. A membership will be considered to have lapsed and
automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 30 days after the
first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 30
days of grace to such delinquent member in meritorious cases. In no case may a
person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of that
date. A member who has been deemed to have lapsed may immediately re-apply for
membership.
c. By
expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided for in
Article VI of these bylaws.
Termination of membership shall
not relieve the individual of any indebtedness.
ARTICLE II
MEETING AND VOTING
SECTION 1. Club
Meetings
Meetings of the Club shall be
held at least every other month within a 20-mile radius of the county of San
Bernardino, California, at such hour and place as may be designated by the
Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting shall be published in
the newsletter at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum
for such meetings shall be 20% of the members in good standing.
SECTION 2. Special
Club Meetings
Special Club meetings may be
called by any member of the Board. The Secretary must call such a meeting upon
receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club in good standing. Such
meetings shall be held within a 20-mile radius of the county of San Bernardino,
California at such place, time and date as may be designated by the person
authorized to call such a meeting. 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. The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no
other business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall
be 20% of the members in good standing.
SECTION 3. Board
Meetings
Meetings of the Board of
Directors shall be held at least every other month within a 20-mile radius of
the county of San Bernardino, California at such time and place as is
designated by the Board. The quorum for the meeting shall be a majority of the
board.
SECTION 4. Special
Board Meetings
Special Board Meetings may be
called by any member of the Board. The meeting must be within a 20-mile radius
of the county of San Bernardino, California at such place, date and hour as may
be designated by the board member calling the meeting. Written notice of the
meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 15
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
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 four other persons all of whom shall be members in good
standing. All board members 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. Any Officer or Director who is absent from two consecutive
meetings or attends less than 75% of the board meetings without just cause, as
determined by the Board, will be deemed to have vacated the position.
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 the 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 of matters of which a record shall be ordered by
the Club; shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of special
meetings, notify officers and directors of their election to office, and carry
out such 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. There shall
be an annual audit by a person designated or hired by the board.
SECTION 3. Directors
a.
The Membership director shall be in charge of
applications, notify new members of their election to membership, keep a roll
of the members of the Club with their addresses.
b.
The Newsletter Editor shall produce and distribute the
Club’s monthly newsletter in a timely manner.
c.
The Librarian shall maintain the Club’s library and make
available the library to members at meetings and other functions as appropriate
and shall purchase library materials as authorized by the Board.
SECTION 4. Vacancies
Any vacancies occurring on the
Board of Directors during the year shall be filled by a person appointed by a
majority vote of the board until the next annual election, 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. Appointments shall occur at the board’s first regular
meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting
called for that purpose.
SECTION 5. Termination
Board members may be terminated
by a 2/3 vote of the remaining board members for the following reasons:
a. Non-performance
of duties
b. Failure
to attend board meetings (article 3, section 1)
c. Conduct
unbecoming a board member
ARTICLE IV
THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS
SECTION 1. Club
Year
The Club's fiscal year shall
begin on January 1st and end on December 31st.
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 each office or position shall be
declared elected. Only members in good standing may vote at elections.
SECTION 4. Eligibility
for Office
Only Individual and Family
members over the age of 18 and in good standing are eligible to run for office.
Only Individual and Family members who have been a member of the Club for a
year and have served on the current board are eligible to run for the office of
President. This rule is promulgated to insure continuity between successive
boards. In the event that a current board member is unwilling or unable to run,
then the nominating committee will solicit candidates from former board members
prior to opening the position up to the general membership.
SECTION 5. Nominations
No person may be a candidate in
a Club election who has not been nominated. Only persons eligible under Section
4 above may be nominated. During the month of September, the Board shall select
a nominating Committee consisting of three General members and one alternate,
not more than two of who may be a board member. The Secretary shall immediately
notify the committee members 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 5th.
a.
The Committee shall nominate at least 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
Newsletter Editor in writing.
b.
Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the
Newsletter Editor shall, in the November edition, notify all members in writing
of the candidates so nominated.
c.
Additional nominations may be made at the November
meeting by any General 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. The Newsletter Editor shall, in the December edition, notify
all members in writing of any additional candidates so nominated.
d.
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 agility shows, training classes, 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 Board upon
written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those
person whose services have been terminated.
ARTICLE VI
DISCIPLINE
SECTION 1. Suspensions
Any member who is suspended
from the privileges of any sanctioning organization (i.e. AKC, USDAA, NADAC)
automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like
period.
SECTION 2. Charges
Any General member may prefer
charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best
interest of the Club, the sport of dog agility, or for the abuse of any canine
at any time. Written charges, signed by the member, specifying the alleged
misconduct, must be filed with the Secretary along with a $50 deposit which
shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a
hearing. The Secretary shall within 7 days promptly send a copy of the charges
to each member of the Board. The Board shall first consider whether the actions
alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute actionable conduct. If the
Board considers that the charges are not actionable, it may refuse to entertain
jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges it shall fix
a date for a hearing by the Board not less than 3 weeks or 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 his own defense, be
represented by counsel, and bring witnesses on his or her own behalf if so
desired.
SECTION 3. Board
Hearing
A Special Board hearing shall
be convened for the purpose of hearing evidence from both the accuser and
defendant concerning the alleged misconduct. After hearing all of the evidence,
and the arguments of counsel, the board shall immediately meet alone to confer
the charges, and to vote on the complaint. If two-thirds of all board members
vote to sustain the charges, the member shall then be suspended from all
privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the
hearing. If the Board deems that suspension is insufficient, it may also
recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. 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. In the event the defendant
desires to appeal the Board’s suspension to the general membership, he/she may
do so at the following regularly scheduled Club meeting. In such an event, the
suspension will not restrict the defendant's right to appear before the Club
members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation.
Written notice of any hearing shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten
days prior to the date of the hearing to the general membership. Timely
publication in the Club newsletter shall satisfy this requirement.
In event of an appeal of the
suspension, the President shall read the charges, the Board's findings and
recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, either in person or by counsel,
to speak on his own behalf. The members shall then vote by secret ballot on the
proposed suspension. A two-thirds vote of those present can recommend that the
board reconsider the severity of the disciplinary action. In the event the
two-thirds vote is not obtained, the Board's suspension shall stand.
SECTION 4. Expulsion
Expulsion of a member from the
Club may be accomplished only at a Club meeting following a Board hearing and
upon the Board's recommendation (as outlined in section 2 of this article).
Such proceeding may occur at a regular or special Club Meeting 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 right to appear to be
present at the meeting, whether with or without counsel. No evidence shall be
taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges, the Board's
findings and recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, either in person
or by counsel, to speak on his own behalf. The members shall then 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. In the event the
two-thirds vote for an expulsion is not obtained, 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 ten percent of the
members in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be
promptly considered by the Board of Directors. The proposed amendments, along
with the Board's recommendation as to the amendments, must then be submitted by
the Secretary, in writing, to all members. A vote on all amendments must take
place within 3 months of the date when the petition was received by the
Secretary.
SECTION 2. The
constitution and bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members
present and voting at any regular or special meeting call 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.
Timely publication in the Club newsletter shall satisfy this requirement.
ARTICLE VIII
DISSOLUTION
SECTION 1. The
Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less that
two-thirds of the General members. In the event of dissolution of the Club
other than for purposes of voluntary or involuntary reorganization, or by
operation of law, none of the property of the Club, any proceeds thereof nor
any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club. After
payment of the Club’s debts, any remaining property and assets shall be given
to a charitable organization that operates for the benefit of dogs. Such
selection shall be made by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX
ORDER OF BUSINESS
SECTION 1. General
Meetings
At Club meetings, 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 Officers/Directors
Reports
of Committees
Election
of new members
Election
of Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
Unfinished
business
New
business
Adjournment
SECTION 2. Board
Meetings
At meetings of the Board, the
order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present,
shall be as follows:
Minutes
of last board and Club meetings
Report
of Officers/Directors
Reports
of Committees
Unfinished
business
New
business
Adjournment
ARTICLE X
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
SECTION 1. The
rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order 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.