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American Hairless Rat Terrier Club |
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Constitution and By-Laws |
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Constitution |
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Article 1 |
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NAME, LOGO, AND OBJECTIVES |
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SECTION ONE: The name of the club shall be The American Hairless Rat Terrier Club. |
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SECTION TWO: The official logo for the American Hairless Rat Terrier Club shall be the image appearing above. |
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SECTION THREE: The following are the objectives set forth for the Club. |
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A. To protect and preserve the quality of the Rat Terrier- Hairless Variety. |
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B. To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Rat Terriers -Hairless Variety and to do everything possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection. |
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C. To urge members and breeders to accept and abide by the Standards of the breed set forth by UKC. |
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D. To encourage organization of independent American Hairless Rat Terrier Clubs in localities where there are sufficient numbers of fanciers of the breed. |
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E. To provide information in order to educate and promote interest in the breed Worldwide. |
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F. To do everything possible to protect and advance interest of the breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, obedience trials, and field trials. |
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G. To seek and attain recognition in as many Rare Breed and major Kennel Clubs as possible. |
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H. All licensed events sponsored by the club will be run in accordance with the rules, policies, and procedures of the organization from which the license has been issued. |
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SECTION FOUR: 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 benefit any member of said Club. |
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SECTION FIVE: All members of the AHRTC will abide by the AHRTC Code of Ethics. |
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SECTION SIX: The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such bylaws as may be required to carry out certain objectives. |
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By-Laws |
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Article 1 |
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MEMBERSHIP |
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SECTION ONE : Eligibility. Membership will be open to all eighteen years of age or older who subscribe to the objectives of the American Hairless Rat Terrier Club and abide by the rules and regulations of all clubs involved with the Rat Terrier -Hairless Variety. |
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SECTION TWO: Types of membership. There shall be three types of membership, as follows: |
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A. Single/Individual Membership: Open to anyone age 18 or older. They will have the right to vote and hold office. |
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B. Family Membership: Open to two members of a household age 18 or older. Each may vote and hold office. |
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C. Honorary Membership: Open to persons living outside of the United States or to persons wanting only the Newsletter. They will not be allowed to hold office or vote and may not be counted in an official quorum. |
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SECTION THREE: Dues. Membership dues shall be payable on or before September 1st of each year. Members who have not paid their dues for the year may not vote. During the month of July, the Treasurer will send a reminder notice to members concerning dues for the coming year. Dues are as follows: Single/Individual will be $15 per year, a Family Membership will be $20 per year, and an Honorary Membership will be $10 per year. Dues are not to exceed $40 per year. |
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SECTION FOUR: Election to Membership. Each applicant must apply on our official AHT application form. Each applicant must fill out information about his/her self and reasons for wanting to join the club. The prospective member must include dues for the year along with the application. Applicants may be elected by secret ballot at any meeting of the Board of Directors or by secret vote of the Directors by mail. A 2/3 affirmative vote is required to elect an applicant. An applicant receiving negative votes by the Board may be presented by one of the applicant's endorsers at the next meeting of the Club and the members can elect applicant by secret ballot. A 75% favorable vote will be required. |
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SECTION FIVE: Termination of Membership. The termination of a member shall be as follows: |
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A. Resignation: Any member in good standing may resign by written notice to the Secretary. |
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B. Delinquency: Any member may be terminated if dues aremore than 90 days past the due date. The Board may grant another grace period for meritorious cases. |
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C. Expulsion: Any member may be expelled for failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the Club. Expulsion may be accomplished following a hearing and recommendation by the Board. A 2/3 vote shall be required. |
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Article II |
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MEETINGS |
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SECTION ONE: Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of August in conjunction with the Club's Specialty Show at a place, date, and time designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of the annual meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary to all members at least 30 days prior to the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing. |
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SECTION TWO: Special Club Meetings. Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the members of the Board either at a meeting or by mail. Such meeting shall be held at such a place, date, and time designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting. The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other club business may be transacted. The quorum of the meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing. |
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SECTION THREE: Board Meetings. The first meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the election. Other meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such times and places as are designated by the President or by a majority vote of the entire Board. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for a Board Meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person, by mail, by email, FAX or telephone conference call. |
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SECTION FOUR: The Board of Directors may conduct its business by mail, email, FAX, or conference call through the Secretary. Items voted on by telephone must be confirmed in writing within 7 days. |
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Article III |
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DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS |
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SECTION ONE: Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the officers and 5 other persons all of whom must be members in good standing and residents of the United States. They shall be elected for one year terms as provided for in Article IV and shall serve until their successors are elected. The general management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. |
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SECTION TWO: Officers. The Club's officers which shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and a Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities with regard to Club meetings as well as Board meetings. |
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A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally associated with the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in the bylaws. |
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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. |
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C. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and the Board and of all votes taken by mail 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 into the Club, 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 described in these bylaws. |
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D. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank account approved by the Board and in the name of the Club. The books must be open at all times for 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 reported before. At the annual meeting an accounting shall be given of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such an amount as determined by the Board of Directors. |
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E. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person. In this case the Board shall be comprised of the Officers and 6 other persons. |
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F. The office of Secretary may be divided into two categories, Recording and Corresponding. In this case the Board shall be comprised of the Officers and 4 other persons. |
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SECTION THREE: Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the officers during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board. |
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* Except the office of President which shall automatically be filled by the Vice President and the resulting vacancy shall be filled by the Board. |
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Article IV |
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THE CLUB YEAR, VOTING, NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS |
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SECTION ONE: Club Year. The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of September and end on the last day of August. The Club's official year shall begin immediately following the election and shall continue through the next election. The elected officers and directors shall take office on the first day of the month following the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to his or her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election. |
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SECTION TWO: Voting. At the Annual Meeting or a special meeting of the Club, voting shall be limited to those members in good standing who are present at the meeting, except for the annual election of Officers and Directors and amendments to the constitution and bylaws. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. The Board of Directors may decide to submit other specific questions for decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail. |
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SECTION THREE: Annual Election. Election of Officers and Directors shall be conducted by secret ballot. To be valid the ballots must be received by the Secretary or other person designated by the Board. Ballots shall be counted by three inspectors who are members in good standing and not members of the current Board or candidates on the ballot. The Board may designate an independent firm to send, collect, and count the ballots apart from the Annual Meeting. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. At the time of the meeting, if any nominee is unable to serve for any reason, such nominee shall not be elected and the vacancy created shall be filled by the new Board of Directors as provided for in Article III, section three. |
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SECTION FOUR: Nominations and Ballots. No person may be a candidate in a club election who has not been nominated in accordance with these bylaws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board of Directors before April 15th. The Committee shall consist of three members from different areas of the United States and two alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board of Directors. The Board shall name a chairman for the Committee. The Nominating Committee may conduct business by mail. |
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A. The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club, a candidate for each office and for each position on the Board of Directors and procure the acceptance of each nominee chosen. The Committee shall then submit their slate to the Secretary who shall mail the list, including the full name of the candidate and the State in which he/she resides, to each member of the Club on or before July 1st so that additional nominations may be made by the members if they so desire. |
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B. Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and postmarked on or before July 15th. They must be signed by five members and accompanied by the written acceptance of each nominee, showing his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one position. |
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C. If no valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before July 15th, the Nominating Committee's slate shall be declared elected and no ballot shall be required. |
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D. If one or more valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before July 15th, the Secretary (or independent firm) shall mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all the nominees for each position, in alphabetical order with the name of the State that each resides in. So that the vote may remain secret, after marking the ballot, the voter shall place his/her ballot in a blank envelope and seal it. Then he/she should place the blank envelope inside an envelope addressed to the Secretary, designated firm or individual and mark on the outside of that envelope BALLOT. The ballots must be returned to the Secretary or designated firm no later than July 30th. The Secretary will then turn the ballots over to the election inspectors who will then check each returned address against the members in good standing list before opening the outer envelopes and certify the eligibility of the voters. The blank envelopes will then be removed and the votes counted. The results of the voting shall be announced at the Annual Meeting. |
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E. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or any other manner other that provided above. |
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F. No person may be a candidate in a club election who has not been a member of the club for a minimum of 6 months. |
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Article V |
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COMMITTEES |
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SECTION ONE: The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club as far as dog show, trophies, annual prizes, membership, fund raising and other fields which may be served by Committees. Such committees shall be subject to the final authority of the Board. The Board may also appoint committees to work on special projects for the Club. |
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SECTION TWO: 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 a successor to the person terminated. |
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Article VI |
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DISCIPLINE |
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SECTION ONE: United Kennel Club Suspension. Any person who is suspended from the privileges of teh United Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this club for a like period. |
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SECTION TWO: Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or breed. Written charges with specifications must be filled in duplicate with the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board or present them at a Board Meeting. The Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the interest of the Club or breed. If the Board considers the charges do not allege misconduct it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board does entertain jurisdiction it must fix a date for a hearing by the Board or a Committee of not less than three members of the Board, not less than 3 weeks or more than 6 weeks thereafter. The Secretary must then promptly send a copy of the charges by certified mail to the accused member together with a notice of the hearing date and an assurance that the defendant may appear personally in his own defense and bring witnesses. |
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SECTION THREE: Board Hearing. The Board or Committee shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing. Both complainant and defendant shall be treated equally in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board or Committee may by a majority vote of those present suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than 6months from the date of the hearing. If the penalty does not seem sufficient, the Board may recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. Immediately after the Board or Committee reaches a decision, its findings shall be put into writing and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary shall then notify each of the parties involved of the decision and penalty, if any. |
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SECTION FOUR: Expulsion. Expulsion of a member may only be accomplished at an Annual Meeting of the Club. It must follow a hearing and have the recommendation of the Board or Committee as provided in Section Three of this Article. The defendant will have the benefit of appearing in his/her own behalf but no evidence will be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings and the recommendations and then give the defendant, if present, a chance to speak on his/her own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present at the meeting will be required. If expulsion is not so voted the suspension shall still stand. |
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Article VII |
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AMENDMENTS |
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SECTION ONE: 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% of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted by the Secretary to the members along with the Board's recommendations. It must be submitted for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary. |
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SECTION TWO: The constitution and bylaws may be amended at any time provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the Secretary to all members in good standing. The proposed amendment must be accompanied by a ballot on which a choice of "for" or "against" the action to be taken has been indicated. To assure secrecy of the vote the same procedure described in Article IV, Section Four D shall be followed. Ballot shall specify a date, not less than 30 days from the postmarked date by which the ballot must be returned to the Secretary. A 2/3 vote of the members of good standing shall be required to effect such amendment. |
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Article VIII |
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DISSOLUTION |
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SECTION ONE: The Club may dissolve 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 purpose of reorganization, 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 payments of all 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. |
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Article IX |
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ORDER OF BUSINESS |
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SECTION ONE: At meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be a follows: |
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Roll Call
Minutes of the last meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Election of Officers and Board (annual meeting)
Election of new members
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment |
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SECTION TWO: At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by the majority vote of those present, shall be as follows: |
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Reading of minutes of last meeting
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished business
Election of new members
New business
Adjournment |
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Article X |
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PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY |
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SECTION ONE: 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 specific rules of order the Club may adopt. |
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Health Committee Chairperson/Statistician-Kady Harrington |
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Health Database & Registry |
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Site Contents: |
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[ AHRTC Home ] [ Constitution and By-Laws ] [ Code of Ethics ] [ Officers ]
[ Member Application ] [ UKC ] [ ARTA-UKC Parent Club ]
[ Hairless Variety ] [ Rat Terrier Standard ]
[ Member Webpages ] [ Chat List ] [ Rescue ] [ Housebreaking ] [ Upcoming Events ]
[ Pictures ] [ Guestbook ] [ Boutique ] |
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Copyright 1999-2002 American Hairless Rat Terrier Club
URL http://www.oocities.org/americanhairlessratterrierclub.htm |
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