Article I - Name and Objects
Section 1.
The name of the club shall be Chattanooga Kennel Club, Inc.
Section 2.
The objectives of the club shall be:
a) To further the advancement of all breeds of purebred dogs
b)
To do all in its power to protect and advance
the interests of all breeds of purebred dogs
and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, obedience trials and
tracking tests.
c)
To conduct sanctioned matches, dog shows, obedience trials, tracking tests
herding tests and trials, lure coursing tests and trials and agility trials
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.
BY-LAWS
Article I: Membership
Section 1. Eligibility. 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.
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.
Single Membership:
Open to all persons eighteen years of age and older. Enjoys all the
privileges of the Club including the right to vote and hold office.
Household Membership:
Open to persons eighteen years of
age and older living in the same residence. Each individual household
member shall have the right to vote and hold office.
Lifetime Membership:
Open to those who have held membership for twenty-five years. A lifetime
member may vote and hold office, but they will not pay dues. A lifetime
member will be elected by a majority of the membership.
Junior Member:
Open to persons 10-17 years of age. Junior members cannot vote or hold
office. They may convert to regular or household memberships upon
reaching their 18th birthday.
(a)
Honorary
Member.
Conferred by the membership to a deserving person. An Honorary member
may not vote or hold office and does not pay dues. This type of
membership is not counted for the purposes of a quorum.
Section 2. Dues: Membership dues are 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.
Membership dues shall not exceed $50.00 per year.
Dues amounts are to be determined by a 2/3
vote of the membership.
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 and it shall carry
the endorsement of two members in good standing, one
of whom shall serve as an advocate for the prospective member at the time of
the second reading. The applicant advocate shall inform the voting membership
of the acceptability of the prospective member and respond, as applicable, to
membership queries during the discussion phase of the membership vote.
Accompanying the application,
the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.
All applications are to be filed with the Membership
Chairperson or in absence of the Membership Chair with the
Corresponding Secretary and each application is to be read at the first
meeting of the club following its receipt. At the next Club meeting the
application 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. Discussion and voting shall be conducted in closed
session by voting membership present. Applicants shall be notified in
writing of the club’s decision prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting.
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 the club upon written notice to
the Corresponding 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 the 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 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 VI of these bylaws.
Article II: Meetings and Voting
Section 1. Club Meetings. Meetings of the club shall be held
each month in within the greater Chattanooga 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 Bulletin Secretary at least 10 days prior to
the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20 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 the greater Chattanooga 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
Bulletin 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 percent of the members in good standing.
Section 3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors
shall be held each month within the greater Chattanooga area at such hour and
place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting
shall be mailed by the Bulletin Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date of
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 Corresponding
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
Chattanooga area at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the
person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of 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 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
12 members all of whom shall be members in
good standing and shall meet the qualification
criteria set forth in Article IV, Section 5. The Board shall consist of the
officers listed in Article III, Section 2, all elected at the Annual Meeting
for a one year term and 6 Directors At Large elected for two year terms, three
of which shall be elected at each annual meeting so that three Directors
always hold over from one year to another. 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. No elected
Officer may succeed himself for more than three terms. No Director At
Large may succeed himself for more than one term.
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, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary,
Bulletin 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. The President shall
not have a vote on any proposal before the Board except if needed to break a
tie. This is in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
(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 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.
(d)
The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all
AKC correspondence and other general correspondence and keep a roll of the
members of the Club with their addresses and carry out other duties as
prescribed in these bylaws.
(e) The Bulletin Secretary shall be
responsible for the editing and circulation of the Club’s monthly bulletin and
notify members of regular Club meetings.
(f) The Treasurer shall collect and
receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Monies 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 by the Board and a report shall be given at
every meeting on 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 monies received and expended during the
previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount, as the
board of directors shall determine.
(g) The AKC Delegate shall represent the membership at AKC delegate voting and
shall advise the Club of AKC rulings. He shall be elected to a
two- year term by the membership. He is
not a member of the Board and therefore, is not
subject to term limits.
(h) The
past President is a non-voting member of the Board and will serve in an
advisory capacity to the new President for one year. The past President
may attend the Board meetings in a non-voting capacity.
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 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 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 November, at which Officers, Delegate to The American Kennel Club
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 shall be declared elected. The three
nominated candidates for other positions on the board who receive 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 August, the Board
shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two
alternates, not more than one of who 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 September 1.
(a)
The Committee shall nominate one candidate for
each office (and for Delegate, who may but need not be an officer or director
of the club) and positions on the Board
and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately
report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.
(b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Corresponding
Secretary shall, before September 15, notify each member in writing of the
candidates so nominated.
(c) Additional nominations may be made at the October meeting 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 Corresponding
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 (except for the position of Delegate).
(d) Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other
than as provided in this Section.
Section 5.
Qualifications. No member may be elected to the Board until he or
she has been a member in good standing for one (1) year and has attended a
minimum of five (5) regular meetings during the preceding Club year.
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,
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 this club for a like period.
Section 2. Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a
member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club.
Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the
Secretary together with a deposit of $100.00,
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 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 interests of the
Club. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct, which
would be prejudicial to the best interests 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 Corresponding 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 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 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 Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding 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 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 in his
own behalf if he wishes. The members shall then vote by secret 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 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
Corresponding
Secretary 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 Corresponding Secretary for a vote within three months of the
date when the petition was received by the Corresponding Secretary.
Section 2. The constitution and bylaws may be amended by a secret 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 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 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 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:
Roll Call
Minutes of last meeting
Report of President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of committees
Election of officers and board (at annual meeting)
Election of new members
Unfinished business
New business
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 minutes of
last meeting
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
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, 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.
Amended by the
membership, October 12, 2004
Approved by the American Kennel Club, January 4, 2005
Amended by the membership, August 8, 2006
Approved by the American Kennel Club, September, 2006
Amended by the membership, February 9, 2010
Approved by the American Kennel Club, May 4, 2010
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