Northstar Irish

Wolfhound Club

Constitution & Bylaws

 

 

Constitution & By-laws

Approved February 2014

 

CONSTITUTION

 

ARTICLE I

 

Name and Objectives

 

SECTION 1.  The name of the club shall be Northstar Irish Wolfhound Club.

 

SECTION 2.  The objectives of the specialty club shall be:

 

(a)        to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Irish Wolfhounds 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 shall be judged;

 

(c)        to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sports­manlike conduct at all times including at

 

•           dog shows

•           obedience trials

•           tracking tests

•           agility trials

                        •           lure coursing

 

(d)       to conduct sanctioned matches,

 

•           dog shows

•           obedience trials

•           tracking tests

•           agility trials

                        •           lure coursing

•           and any other event for which the club is eligible 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 two (2) types of membership open to all persons 18 years of age and older who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club - Regular and Associate.

 

Individual/Regular - Enjoys all club privileges including the right to vote and hold office.

 

Associate  - Entitled to all club privileges except voting and office holding (offered to individuals who live outside of the club’s area; also offered to individuals who live in the club’s area but are not active).

 

There shall also be Junior membership

 

Open to children 9-17 years of age; a non-voting/non-office holding membership which may automatically convert to a Regular membership at age 18.

 

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.  Dues.  The annual dues for Individual/Regular Membership shall not exceed $30.00 per year and the Associate Membership $25.00 per year, payable on or before the 1st day of July of each year.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.  During the month of May 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 the constitution and bylaws and the rules of The American Kennel Club.  The application for Individual/Regular Membership shall state the name, address, email and telephone number of the applicant and Individual/Regular Membership shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.  Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.

 

All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first Board meeting of the club following its receipt.  At the next Board meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of two-thirds 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 the club upon written notice to the Secretary, but no member may resign when in debt to the club.  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 member’s dues remain unpaid sixty (60) days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an addi­tional sixty (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 at least six (6) times per year in or within the greater Twin Cities/Minneapolis/St. Paul 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 ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quo­rum for such meetings shall be twenty (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 Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) members of the club who are in good stand­ing.  Such special meetings shall be held in or within the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul 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 ten (10) days and not more than fifteen (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 there at that meeting.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be twenty (20%) percent of the members in good standing.

 

SECTION 3.  Board Meetings.  Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least six (6) times per year in Minneapolis/St. Paul or within the greater Twin Cities area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

 

(b)        The Board may conduct its business, other than in person meetings, only via teleconference and videoconference.  Board business cannot be conducted via email/telephone/mail.

 

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 in Minneapolis/St. Paul or within the greater Twin Cities 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 Secretary at least five days and not more than ten (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 of the officers and two (2) other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for two-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 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 of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the club; have charge of the 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 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 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 five (5) 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 the members of the Board at its first 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 July and end on the last day of June.

 

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 AGM (Annual General Meeting) shall be held in the month of June 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 (thirty) days after the election.

 

SECTION 3.  Elections.  The nominated candi­date receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.  The 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 February, 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 nominating committee meeting, which shall be held on or before April 1.  The Secretary shall mail written notice of the nominated candidates to each member at least two (2) weeks prior to the May meeting at which additional nominations can be made.

 

            (a)        The committee shall nominate no more than two candi­dates for each office (and for Delegate, who may, but need not be, an officer or director of the club) and positions on the Board.  After securing the consent of each per­son so nominated, the committee shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.  No person may be a candidate for more than one position.

 

(b)        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 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 any of the privileges of the American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this club for a like period.

SECTION 2.  Charges.  An individual member may prefer charges against another individual 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 $25.00 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 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 three weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter.  The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges and the specifications 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 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 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 two-thirds (⅔) 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 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 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 ⅔ 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.

 

ARTICLE VIII
            Dissolution

 

SECTION 1.  The club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than ⅔ of the members in good standing.  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.