Constitution & By-Laws
 

Constitution

 Article I - Name and Objective

Section 1 - Name
Section 2 - Objectives
Section 3 - Non-profit status
Section 4 - By-law

SECTION 1.   The name of the club shall be:

SAMOYED CLUB OF AUSTIN

SECTION 2.   The objectives of the Club shall be:

a)   to encourage and promote the quality breeding of pure-bred Samoyeds by presenting knowledge regarding the breed and to do everything 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 Samoyeds shall be judged;

c)   to do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of all breeds of pure-bred dogs and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials; and

d)   to conduct sanctioned matches, dog shows and obedience trials under the rules of The American Kennel Club.

SECTION 3.

The Club shall not be conducted or operated for a 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 by-laws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

By-laws

Article I - Membership

Section 1 - Eligibility
Section 2 - Dues
Section 3 - Election to Membership
Section 4 - Termination of Membership

SECTION 1.

Eligibility - There shall be two types of membership, individual and family, open to all persons who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Samoyed Club of America (SCA) and who subscribe to the purposes of this club.

a)   Individual membership is open to all persons 18 years and older.

b)   Family membership is open to all persons 18 years and older and their minor children or minor dependents residing in the same household.  There may be no more than two voting members in any family, and these members must be 18 years or older.  Votes are non-transferable among family members.

While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the owners, exhibitors and breeders in its immediate area.

SECTION 2.

Dues - Membership dues shall be set by the general membership at least 90 days prior to the due date.  Individual membershipnot to exceed $15.00 per year, and family membership not to exceed $25.00 per years.

Dues shall be payable on or before the last day of February of each year.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.  During the month of January the Treasurer shall send to each members a statement of his 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, By-laws and Code of Ethics of The Samoyed Club of Austin, The Samoyed Club of America, 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 endorsements of two members in good standing.  In addition to the application the prospective member shall submit the dues payment for the current year.  All membership applications shall be voted on during closed meetings, by secret ballot.  A simple majority is necessary to accept applicants for membership.

Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club will have their dues refunded, and 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.  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 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.  In order to be considered for re-election to membership after such a termination, the terminated member must re-apply following all requirements and procedures described in Section 3 of this Article.

c)   by expulsion.  A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these By-laws.

Article II - Meeting and Voting

Section 1 - Club Meetings
Section 2 - Special Club Meetings
Section 3 - Board Meetings
Section 4 - Special Board Meetings
Section 5 - Voting

SECTION 1.

Club Meetings - Meetings of the Club shall be held in the greater Austin area; date, time and site to be designated at each meeting for the following meeting.  Club meetings will be held at least six times per year.

Written notice of each such meeting shall be posted in the club newsletter (Sammy Tails) at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting; first class mail.  The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of the members in good standing.  A simple majority is necessary to pass motions.  There may be one closed meeting per quarter, if necessary, to vote on new membership applications.  Such meetings shall be reported in the Club's newsletter (Sammy Tails) at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The newsletter (Sammy Tails) shall be sent to all members in good standing via first class mail.

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 members of the Club who are in good standing.  Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Austin 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 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting, and no other Club business may be transacted thereat.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing.

Dues shall be payable on or before the last day of February of each year.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.  During the month of January the Treasurer shall send to each members a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

SECTION 3.

Board Meetings - Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be one half hour before the regular membership meeting when necessary, at the meeting site so designated.   The Board shall meet at least six times per year.  The quorum for such meetings 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 Secretary upon receipt of the written request signed by at least three members of the Board.  Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Austin area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting.  Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 day and not more than 10 days prior to the date 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 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.  There shall be no proxy voting.

Article III - Directors and Officers

Section 1 - Board of Directors
Section 2 - Officers
Section 3 - Vacancies

SECTION 1.

Board of Directors - The Board shall include the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three other members in good standing, all of whom 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.  General management for the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.  No member shall be elected to the same office for more than two consecutive years.  There shall be an ex-officio position on the Board of Directors for the past year's President.  This ex-officio position is a voting member of the Board.  In the case that a member is elected President two consecutive years, his ex-officio position on the Board of Directors shall be filled by another member duly elected according to these By-laws.

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 by-laws.

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.  In addition, the Vice-President will automatically assume the Membership Chairman responsibilities.

c)   The Secretary shall keep a record of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club.  He will maintain and keep minutes of all meetings of the Club to be approved by the members.  The roll of those members in attendance at any club meeting will also be the responsibility of the Secretary.  In addition, he shall have charge of any and all correspondence on behalf of the club.

d)   The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club.  He shall deposit the same in the bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club.  His books shall be at all times open to inspection of the Board and he shall report to them at every meeting, the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous official year.  All checks issued by the Club shall require the signature of two of the following four:  President, Treasurer, and two Board members chosen by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 3.

Vacancies - Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled unti the next annual election by a majority vote of all the remaining 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 teh office of Vice-President shall be filled by the Board.

Article IV - Club Year, Annual Meeting, and Elections

Section 1 - Club Year
Section 2 - Annual Meeting
Section 3 - Elections
Section 4 - Nominations

SECTION 1.

Club Year - The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of February and end on the 31st day of January.

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 which Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article.  They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each successor shall have 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 October, 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 Chairperson for the Committee and it shall be his duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before November 1st.

a)   The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and three candidates for the three other 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 Secretary shall, before November 15th, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.

c)   Additional nominations may be made at the December meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated accepts when his name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the nominating member shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his willingness to be a candidate.

d)   Nominations can not be made at the annual meeting or in any other manner than provided for in this section.

Article V - Committees

Section 1 - Committee Appointments
Section 2 - Committee Terminations

SECTION 1.

Committee Appointments - The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club i such matters as Shows, Awards, Education, Newsletter Editor, Way and Means, Matches, Programs, Hospitality, and Activities, etc.  Such committees shall always be subject to final authority of the Board.  Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.

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.

Committee Terminations - 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 person whose services have been terminated.

Article VI - Discipline

Section 1 - American Kennel Club Suspension
Section 2 - Charges
Section 3 - Board Hearing
Section 4 - Expulsion

SECTION 1.

American Kennel Club Suspension - Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The American Kennel Club shall automatically 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 or the breed.  Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 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 of a hearing by the Board not less than 3 weeks nor 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 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 the 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 6 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 proceeding 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 findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes.  The members shall then vote by secret, written ballot on the proposed expulsion.  A two-thirds 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 - Amending the Constitution and By-laws
Section 2 - Voting on the Amendments

SECTION 1.

Amending the Constitution and By-laws - Amendments to the Constitution and By-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the 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 within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

SECTION 2.

Voting on Amendments - The Constitution and By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for this 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 - Dissolution

SECTION 1.

Dissolution - The Club may be dissolved at any times by the written consent of not less than two-thirds of the members.  In the event of the dissolution of the Club, other than for the purpose of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of the 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 transferred to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs, selected by the Board of Directors.

Article IX - Order of Business

Section 1 - Club Meetings
Section 2 - Board Meetings

SECTION 1.

Club Meetings - At meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call
Minutes of the last meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Vice-President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of the Committees
Election of Officers and Board (at the annual meeting)
Election of new members (after election of Officers and Board, if taken up at annual meeting)
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment
Brags and Bitches

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:

Roll Call
Minutes of last meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of the Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment

Article X - Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 - Parliamentary Authority

SECTION 1.

Parliamentary Authority - 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 By-laws and any special rules of order the club may adopt.