CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I
NAME AND OBJECTS
SECTION 1: The name of the club shall be Klamath Dog Fanciers, Inc.
SECTION 2: The objects of the club shall be:
a) to further the advancement of all pure-bred dogs through education;
b) to foster interest in the training and showing of pure-bred dogs; to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of all breeds of pure-bred dogs and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials, and any other AKC events for which the club is eligible;
c) to conduct sanctioned matches 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 any club activity, dues, or donations to the Club, shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual. The Club will devote profits accruing to the Club to further the objectives outlined in Article I, Section 2, or to make specific bequests to such charitable or canine organizations as shall be approved by a majority vote of those in attendance and voting at a Club meeting; and under no circumstances to pay a salary, fee, commission, or dividend to any member other than for professional services and then only by majority vote of the members.
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.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1: ELIGIBILITY: 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 immediate area.
SECTION 2: There shall be four types of membership open to all persons who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.
a) INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: An individual member is one 18 years or older. Individual membership enjoys all the privileges of the Club including voting and holding office.
b) FAMILY MEMBERSHIP: A family membership is offered for husband, wife, and children under 18 years of age. Adult members of a family membership enjoy the same privileges as an individual member.
c) JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP: A junior member is one who is under 18 years of age. Junior members may be members under the family membership, or may apply for membership on their own. Junior members enjoy all privileges of the Club, with the exception of voting and holding office.
d) LIFE MEMBERSHIP: A life member is one with a total of twenty (20) years of service to the Club. Life members are entitled to all membership privileges, without the requirement of paying dues.
SECTION 3: DUES: Membership dues shall not exceed $10.00 per year. Dues are payable on or before the first meeting in January of each year. Dues for new members joining in the last quarter of the year will be effective for the following fiscal 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 their dues for the ensuing year.
SECTION 4: ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP: Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors, which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and By-laws and Code of Ethics. The application shall state the name, address, and other pertinent data as decided by the Board, and shall carry the endorsement of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, prospective members shall submit dues for the current year. Each applicant shall receive a copy of this Constitution and By-laws, and Code of Ethics with their application.
All applications are to be filed with the Secretary, and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following receipt. Meeting attendance for membership begins upon reading of the application. After attending a total of three (3) meetings, the application will referred to the Board of Directors for recommendation. At the next Club meeting at which a quorum is present, the applicant will be voted upon by secret ballot. An affirmative vote of 3/4 of the membership present and voting at the meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. The secretary will notify the new applicant by mail of the results of the vote. Applications for membership which have been rejected by the Club may not be re-submitted within six months after such rejection. Under extenuating circumstances, meeting attendance may be waived by the Board of Directors six (6) months after receipt of the application.
SECTION 5: 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 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year. However, the Board of Directors 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 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 VII of this Constitution and By-laws.
ARTICLE III
MEETINGS AND VOTING
SECTION 1: CLUB MEETINGS: Meetings of the Club shall be held monthly, in the greater Klamath Falls area, at such a time and place as shall be agreed upon by majority vote of the Board of Directors. When a day, time, and place, is established, meetings shall be on a regular basis, and shall be changed only by a majority vote. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary 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. Meetings may be canceled due to adverse weather conditions or other emergency situations. An attempt to notify members will be made.
SECTION 2: SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS: Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, or by the Recording Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) members. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Klamath Falls area at such hour and place as may be designed by the person or persons authorized herein to call such a meeting. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding 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 thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members.
SECTION 3: BOARD MEETINGS: Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly, in the greater Klamath Falls area, and shall be held at such time and place as may be designated annually by the Board of Directors. The Corresponding Secretary shall notify all Board Members, in writing, at least five (5) days before such meetings. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board. Absence by any Board member for three (3) consecutive Board meetings without just cause may result in a recommendation for dismissal.
SECTION 4: SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS: Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three (3) members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Klamath Falls area, at such an hour and place as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding 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. The 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 they are present. Proxy or absentee voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or election.
ARTICLE IV
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
SECTION 1: BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, the immediate past President, and three other members, whose terms shall be staggered for one, two, and three years, and will be elected at the Club’s Annual Meeting as provided by Article V. The general management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. The President will be the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2: OFFICERS: The Club’s officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Recording and Corresponding Secretaries, and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the general Club meetings and the Board meetings.
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 the President in addition to those particularly specified in this Constitution and By-laws. The President is a member ex-officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee. Committee heads are to notify the president of all committee meetings.
The Vice-President shall have the powers and exercise the duties of the President in case of the President’s death, absence, or incapacity. The club will provide the Vice-President with a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order, and it will be their responsibility to ensure that the club acts in accordance with these rules and the By-laws of the Club.
The Recording 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. They shall notify new applicants of the outcome of the applicants membership vote, and keep a current list of member attendance.
The Corresponding Secretary shall notify members and Board members of meetings as outlined in Article III. They shall send a monthly newsletter to each member, which must include a copy of the preceding month’s General Meeting minutes. The Corresponding Secretary is also in charge of any incoming or outgoing correspondence.
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank satisfactory to the Board, in the name of the Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and 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 shall render an accounting of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as determined by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer is also responsible for the timely filing of all required tax forms. The Treasurer shall issue current membership cards upon receipt of dues and shall keep a current membership list of “paid-up” members. The list shall include the names and addresses and of all members whose dues have been paid.
The AKC Delegate shall attend AKC Meetings on behalf of the Club. The Delegate shall report to the Club, either in writing or in person, at the General Club Meeting following each AKC Meeting. This position shall be appointed annually by the Board of Directors at the first Board Meeting following the Annual Club Meeting.
Three Year Board is responsible for the awards banquet and ordering of the awards for those members who achieved titles on their dogs and met the rules of the working rules.
Two Year Board is responsible for the club’s insurance and other promotions like sale of Tee shirts, medals, etc.
One Year Board is responsible for arranging, organizing and setting up the annual fun picnic, other gatherings, and banquets.
SECTION 3: VACANCIES: Any vacancies occurring on the Board 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 vacancy, or at a special 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 as above.
ARTICLE V
THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS
SECTION 1: CLUB YEAR: The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st 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 January, at the time of the regular monthly meeting, at which time the Directors and Officers for the ensuing year shall be elected by a secret written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. They shall take office immediately upon conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to their 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 and Board position shall be declared elected.
SECTION 4: NOMINATIONS: No person may be a candidate in the Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of September, the Board shall select a nomination committee consisting of at least four general members and one board member. The Board shall name a Chairman for the committee and it shall be the Chairman’s duty to notify committee members and call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before October 15th.
a) The committee shall nominate from among the membership one candidate for each office and one candidate for each available position on the Board. After securing the consent of each person so nominated, the committee Chairman will report their nominations to the Corresponding Secretary.
b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Corresponding Secretary shall, at least one week prior to the November meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
c) The nominations will be read at the November meeting at which time additional nominations will be accepted from the floor, 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, their proposer shall present to the Recording Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying their willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one office, and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who are not nominated by the nominating committee.
d) Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section 4, Article V.
ARTICLE VI
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, publicity, program, education, auditing, sunshine, membership, and other areas 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. Normally, committee appointments are made at the February Board meeting and are effective at the end of February. Appointed committee Chairmen serve through the end of the following February.
SECTION 2: Any committee chairman 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 these persons whose services have been terminated.
ARTICLE VII
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 this 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 $25.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained 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 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 for a hearing by the Board not less than 3 weeks nor more than 6 weeks thereafter. The Recording 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/her 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 complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present 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 findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Recording Secretary. The Recording 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 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 in his/her 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 his/her own behalf if he/she wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 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 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 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 with recommendations of the Board by the Corresponding Secretary for a vote 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 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.
SECTION 3: No amendment to the constitution and bylaws 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 the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of 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 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 dogs selected by the Board of Directors.
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:
Introduction of attendees
Minutes of last General Meeting
Summary of last Board Meeting
Report of Corresponding Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
Report of President
Election of Officers and Board – (Annual meeting only!)
Election of New Members & reading of new applications
Unfinished Business
New Business
Brags & Drawing
Adjournment
SECTION 2: At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
Minutes of last Meeting (Board and Membership)
Report of Committees
Unfinished business
New Members (applications for upcoming meeting.)
New Business
Adjournment
SECTION 3: The rules contained in the current edition of “Roberts 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.
REMINDER NOTES:
January:
Election of Officers and Board Members.
February:
Board appoints general Committee Chairman.
Award Banquet for completing AKC titles.
May:
Board reminds 1 Year Board Member of Picnic & Christmas Party.
June:
Board checks on Fairgrounds FOR THE “NEXT” YEAR!
August:
Annual Fun Picnic organized by One Year Board Member.
September:
Remind membership of Member of the Year nominations.
September:
Board selects Nominating Committee. See Article V.
October:
Nominations for Member of the Year to Recording Secretary!
November:
Corresponding Sec. notifies membership of Nominations.
November:
Vote on Member of the Year at General Meeting.
November:
Treasurer sends reminder to members for dues.
December:
Christmas party, present Member of the Year Award.
COMMITTEES: The following are traditional KDF committees. Committee Chairmen are encouraged to involve other Club members, and Club members are encouraged to volunteer their help. A team effort, with more members involved, will benefit all committees.
(a) SHOW COMMITTEE: The appointment of a Show Committee chairman shall be made by the Board. The Show Committee Chairman shall select at least five (5) members, and will be in direct charge and responsible for all phases of that particular dog show, subject however, to the final authority of the Board. The Show Chairman selects the Co-Chairman and people to be responsible for Grounds, Concessions, Parking, Catalog Ads, Catalog Sales, Ring Stewards, Trophies, Hospitality, Food Concession, Clean-up, Announcer, Veterinarian, and other areas that the Show Chairman may deem appropriate. The Show Chairman shall work with the Obedience Committee Chairman to select an Obedience Trial Chairman for the Show.
(b) JUDGES COMMITTEE: The Board will appoint a Judges Committee Chairman as needed. The Judges Chairman shall be responsible for everything having to do with the judges, including selection, confirmation, scheduling, AKC notification, judges arrival, stay, and departure arrangements.
(c) MATCH COMMITTEE: The Match Chairman shall select a committee, and will be in direct charge and responsible for all phases of the Club’s annual AKC Sanctioned B-OB Match.
(d) OBEDIENCE COMMITTEE: The Obedience Chairman may select committee members, and will be in direct charge of and responsible for the Club’s obedience activities. Duties include working with the Show Chairman, Judges Chairman, and Match Chairman on all phases of the Club’s AKC Licensed Obedience Trials, and the obedience section of the Sanctioned B-OB Match. Other activities may include organizing training trials, coordinating obedience demonstrations with the Education Committee Chairman, and working with other Committee Chairmen when obedience activities are involved.
(e) CONFORMATION COMMITTEE: The Conformation Chairman may select committee members, and will be in direct charge of and responsible for the Club’s conformation activities. Duties include working with the Show Chairman, Judges Chairman, and Match Chairman on all phases of the Club’s AKC Licensed Shows and Matches. Other activities may include organizing handling sessions, coordinating demonstrations with the Education Committee Chairman, and working with other Committee Chairmen when conformation activities are involved.
(f) AGILITY COMMITTEE: The Agility Chairman may select committee members, and will be in direct charge of and responsible for the Club’s agility activities. Duties include working with the Agility Trial Chairman on all phases of the Club’s AKC Licensed Trials and Matches. Other activities may include organizing agility classes, coordinating demonstrations, and working with other Committee Chairmen when agility activities are involved.
(g) AUDITING COMMITTEE: The Board shall select two (2) members, which committee shall examine the Club records kept by the Treasurer. No later than May 15, the Auditing Committee will collect from the treasurer all records relating to the calendar year which ended on December 31 of the preceding year. The Committee shall examine the records and report its findings to the Club at the July
meeting.
(h) PROGRAM CHAIRMAN: The Program Chairman is responsible for organizing a program which may precede the regular monthly membership meeting. This can be a speaker, a film, a pot-luck, or anything deemed appropriate by the Program Chairman. Program information should be given to the Corresponding Secretary for inclusion in the Club calendar.
(i) SUNSHINE CHAIRMAN: The Sunshine Chairman is responsible for sending cards and/or gifts, to members who have experienced a loss, an illness, or a sad time. The membership will work with the Sunshine Chairman to make them aware of events that require attention. The Sunshine Chairman will be responsible for the telephone tree, which shall be used for notification of members.
(j) EDUCATION CHAIRMAN: The Education Chairman is responsible for all educational functions of the Club. This may include organizing programs to be presented at school, civic organizations, and fairs; demonstrations and exhibits at the malls, educational information at the dog show, Club participation in community parades, and other educational activities.
(k) PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN: The Publicity Chairman is responsible for all phases of the Club’s publicity. This includes publicizing the member wins, the match, the dog shows and obedience trials, the seminars, the monthly meetings, and any other Club activity. Publicity could include, newspaper articles written and submitted by the Chairman, Club meeting information placed in the “What’s Happening” section of the Limelighter and the “Date Book” section of the Herald & News, public service announcements placed on the radio and TV, radio and/or TV interviews, and any other type of publicity that would attract public attention to Club activities.
(l) SEMINAR CHAIRMAN: The Seminar Chairman shall be in charge of organizing at least one seminar a year for the Club.
(m) ANNUAL AWARDS CHAIRMAN: The Annual Awards Chairman is responsible for selecting and purchasing awards for Klamath Dog Fancier members who have completed AKC titles on their dogs. These awards shall be presented to members at the Annual Awards Banquet in February. The Two Year Board Member shall serve as the Annual Awards Chairman.
(n) CLUB PROMOTION CHAIRMAN: The Club Promotion Chairman shall be in charge of promoting Club jackets, T-shirts, decals, and other items displaying the Club’s Logo. The Three Year Board Member shall serve as the Club Promotion Chairman.
(o) SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: The Scholarship committee will provide the club with written plan to determine the qualifications for the giving of scholarships. By following the written plan, the committee will review applications, interview applicants, and determine eligibility and amount of funds to be awarded, not to exceed the amount of available funds in the