CONSITITUION
AND BY-LAWS OF
THE MUNCIE KENNEL CLUB
ADOPTED FEBRUARY 1980
APPROVED REVISION – CONSITITUION & BY-LAWS OF MUNCIE KENNEL CLUB, INC.
ARTICLE I
Name and Objects
SECTION 1. The name of the Club shall be Muncie Kennel Club, Inc.
SECTION 2. The objects of the Club shall be:
(a) to further the advancement of all breeds of pure-bred dogs;
(b) to do all in its power to protect an advance the interests of all breeds of pure-bred dogs and to encourage sportsman-like conduct and competition at dog shows
(c) to conduct sanctioned matches and dog shows under the rules 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. All profits accruing to the Club shall be devoted to the above purpose except specific bequests to charitable or civic organizations as follows:
(a) Bequests not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the majority vote of those in attendance and voting at a Club meeting;
(b) Bequests in excess of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by written ballot of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the Club.
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 objects.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I
Membership
SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY. There shall be two types of membership: active and life memberships.
(a) Active memberships shall be open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of the 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 the immediate area.
(b) Life Membership. Life members may be nominated by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership o the Club to those persons who have been members at least fifteen (15) years who have rendered outstanding service to the Club. Life members shall be exempt from paying dues and shall have full eligibility to vote and hold office.
SECTION 2. DUES. Membership dues shall be five dollars ($5.00) per year, payable on or before the first day of April of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of February the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.
SECTION 3. ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. After attending two (2) meetings as a guest, 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 by-laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant, breed of dog and it shall carry the endorsement of two members. 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 meeting of the Board following its receipt. At the next Club meeting, at which the applicant will not be present, the application shall be voted upon by secret ballot and affirmative votes of three-fourths (3/4) of the members present and voting 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. 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 thirty (30) days after the first day of the fiscal year; however the Board may grand an additional thirty (30) 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 by-laws.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1. CLUB MEETINGS. Meeting of the Club shall be held in (or within twenty-five miles of) the City of Muncie on the forth (4th) Thursday of each month except the November meeting, which shall be the third (3rd) Thursday, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least six (6) days prior to the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty per cent (20 %) 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 of Directors who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary within thirty (30) days upon recipe of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meeting shall be held in (or within twenty-five miles of) the City of Muncie at such times, hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (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 thirty percent (30%) of the members in good standing.
SECTION 3. BOARD MEETINGS. Meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held quarterly in (or within twenty-five miles of) the City of Muncie. 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.
SECTION 4. SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS. Special meeting 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 (or within twenty-five miles of) the City of Muncie at such place, date and time as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) 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. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
SECTION 5. VOTING. Each member is 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 President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three (3) other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one year terms and 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.
The immediate past president and the show chairman may attend Board meetings in an advisory capacity without voting privileges unless already elected as Board members.
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. The same person may not serve ore than two (2) consectitive terms as President.
(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. He shall carry out any other responsibilities as the President my designate.
(c) The Secretary shall keep a record of all the meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He shall have chard 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 other such duties as are prescribed in these by-laws.
(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He shall deposit same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. His books shall at all times be 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 fiscal year, and shall report the findings of the audit at the annual meeting. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
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 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 April and end on the thirty-first day of March.
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 at the regular Club meeting in the month of March at which officers, Delegate to the American Kennel Club 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 retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within thirty (30) days after election.
SECTION 3. ELECTIONS. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The three (3) 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. For a member to become eligible as a candidate to an office or delegate to the AKC, he or she must attend at least five (5) of the nine (9) regular meetings held during the twelve month period immediately preceding the nomination. During the month of November, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) members and two (2) alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and the alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee and it shall be his duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before December 15th.
(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 three (3) candidates for the three (3) 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 January 15th, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
(c) Additional nominations may be made at the February meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his willingness to be a candidate. Except for the position of Delegate, no person may be a candidate for more than one position.
(d) Nomination 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 shall, at its first meeting of each official year, appoint standing committee chairmen to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, annual awards, education, program, conformation school, membership and other fields which may be well served by committees. Such committee chairmen and their committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to and it on particular projects. Each show chairman shall select a secretary.
(a) The Board shall select a Certified Public Accountant to audit the Treasurer’s books during the month of February.
(b) The Hospitality chairman shall be in charge of the social activities of the Club.
SECTION 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice with explanation 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 ten dollars ($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 three (3) weeks nor more than six (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 complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges by sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority of those present suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six (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 findings 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 the Article. Such proceedings may occur at a regular of special meeting of the Club be held within sixty (60) days but not earlier than thirty (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. A two-thirds (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 by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directory or by written petition addressed to the Secretary, signed by twenty percent (20%) 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 (3) months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.
SECTION 2. The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
SECTION 3. No amendment to the constitution and by-laws 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. DISSOLUTION. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club, other than for the 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 recognized organization or organizations conducting canine medical research 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 Board
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 President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment