Constitution and By-Laws

 
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Constitution

Heart of the Plains Kennel Club

Lubbock, Texas

 

Article I

Name

Section A The Name of the Club shall be the Heart of the Plains Kennel Club.

Article II

Objectives

Section A The objectives of the Club shall be:

To further the advancement of all breeds of purebred dogs.

  1. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of all breeds of purebred dogs.
  2. To encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials.
  3. To conduct sanctioned matches, dog shows and obedience trials, and other events under the rules of The American Kennel Club.

Section B The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit; and no part of any profits or remainder or residual from dues or donations to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.

Section C The members of the Club shall adopt and may revise such By-Laws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

By – Laws

Heart of the Plains Kennel Club

Lubbock, Texas

Article I

Membership

Section A Eligibility

  1. There shall be two types of membership (Regular and Life); 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 this Club.
  2. 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 B Dues

  1. Membership dues shall be set by the Board and approved by the membership and shall not exceed $20.00 (Twenty Dollars) per member per year, payable on or before the 1st of January of each year.
  2. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
  3. During the month of December the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

Section C Election to Membership

  1. 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 this Constitution and its By-Laws as well as the rules of The American Kennel Club.
  2. The application shall state the Name, Address, and Occupation of the applicant; and it shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.
  3. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.
  4. All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt.
  5. The applicant must attend 3 (three) meetings within a 6 (six) month period.
  6. The applicant shall be voted on at his/her third meeting by secret ballot and affirmation of 2/3 (two thirds) of the members present and voting at the meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.
  7. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within 6 (six) months after such rejection.
  8. Life Membership shall be voted by a majority of the membership of the Club. Dues will be waived for Life members.

Section D Termination of Membership

  1. Memberships may be terminated:
    1. 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.
    2. By Lapsing – A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 90 (ninety) days after the first of January; however, the Board may grant an additional 90 (ninety) 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.
    3. By Expulsion – A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI Section D of the By-Laws.

Article II

Meetings and Voting

Section A Club Meeting

  1. Meetings of the Club shall be held in the City of Lubbock, Texas on the last Tuesday of each month as such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors.
  2. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 10 (ten) days prior to the date of the meeting.
  3. The quorum for meetings shall be 20 (twenty) percent of the Club’s membership in good standing.

Section B Voting

  1. 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.
  2. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any club meeting or election.

Section C Special Club Meeting

  1. Special Club meetings may be called:
    1. By the President
    2. By a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board.
    3. By the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by 5 (five) of the members of the Club who are in good standing.
  2. Such special meetings shall be held in the City of Lubbock, Texas and at such an hour and place as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such a meeting.
  3. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 (five) days and not more than 15 (fifteen) days prior to the date of the meeting; and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting.
  4. No other Club business may be transacted thereat.
  5. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20 (twenty) percent of the members in good standing.

Section D Board Meeting

  1. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the City of Lubbock, Texas prior to each regular scheduled Club meeting or at least 6 (six) times per year, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board.
  2. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 (five) days prior to the date of the meeting.
  3. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the membership of the Board.

Section E Special Board Meeting

  1. Special Board meetings may be called:
    1. By the President.
    2. By the Secretary upon written request signed by at least three members of the Board.
  2. Such special meetings shall be held in the City of Lubbock, Texas at such hour and place as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.
  3. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 (five) days and not more than 10 (ten) days prior to the date of the meeting.
  4. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat.
  5. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

Article III

Directors and Officers

Section A Board of Directors

  1. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of:
    1. The President
    2. The First Vice President
    3. The Second Vice President
    4. The Secretary
    5. The Treasurer
    6. And 5 (five) other members
  2. All of whom shall be elected for 1 (one) year terms at the Club’s Annual Meeting as provided by Article IV Section B and shall serve until their successors are elected.
  3. General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
  4. All Board members shall be members in good standing.

Section B Officers and AKC Delegate

  1. The Club’s officers, consisting of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.
    1. The President

    2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and 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.

  2. The First Vice President

    3. The First Vice President shall have the powers and exercise the duties of the President in case of the President’s death, absence, or incapacity and shall also act as show Chairman at the dog shows, obedience trials, sanctioned matches, etc.

  3. The Second Vice President

    4. The Second Vice President shall have the powers and exercise the duties of the First Vice President in case of his/her death, absence, or incapacity and shall also direct the Publicity for the Club.

  4. The Secretary

    5. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and the Board of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such duties as are prescribed in these By-Laws.

  5. The Treasurer

    6. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. His/Her books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board, and he/she 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/she shall render an account 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.

  6. The AKC Delegate

    7. The Delegate to the American Kennel Club shall attend meetings of the American Kennel Club. The Delegate shall report activities of the meetings of The American Kennel Club to the Heart of the Plains Kennel Club in a timely manner. The membership of the Heart of the Plains Kennel Club may direct the Delegate of the Heart of the Plains Kennel Club on votes of The American Kennel Club. The term of office of the Delegate shall be for 1 (one) year and shall be voted upon by the membership as provided in Article IV.

Section C Vacancies

  1. 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 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.
  2. Except that the vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the First Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of First Vice President shall be filled by the Second Vice President, and the resulting vacancy of Second Vice President shall be filled by the Board.
  3. Should any Officers or Directors fail to attend 3 (three) regular Board meetings or 3 (three) regular club meetings without just cause during a fiscal year, they may be removed from office by 2/3 (two thirds) vote of the Board and the same procedure for a vacant office shall follow.

Article IV

The Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections

Section A Club Year

  1. The Club’s Fiscal Year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the 31st day of December.
  2. 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 B Annual Meeting

  1. The Annual Meeting shall be held in the month of November.
  2. The Officers, the Delegate to The American Kennel Club, the Board of Directors, and the Judging Committee Member for the ensuing Official Year shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.
  3. Election shall be by secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Article IV Section D.
  4. The Officers, Delegate, and Directors shall take office immediately upon conclusion of the election.
  5. Each retiring Officer shall turn over to his successor in Office all properties and records relating to the Office within 30 (thirty) days after the election.

Section C Election

  1. The Nominated Candidate receiving majority of the votes for each office shall be declared elected.
  2. The 5 (five) Nominated Candidates for other positions on the Board of Directors who receive the majority of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.

Section D Nominations

  1. No person may be a Candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated.
  2. During the month of July, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of 3 (three) members and two alternates, not more than 1 (one) of whom shall be a member of the Board.
  3. The Secretary shall immediately notify the Nominating Committee and alternates of their selection.
  4. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Nominating Committee, and it shall be his duty to call a Committee Meeting which shall be held on or before September 1st.
  5. The Nominating Committee shall nominate 1 (one) candidate for each Office, the Delegate to The American Kennel Club and Judging Committee Member, who may, but need not be an Officer of Director of the Club, and five candidates for the other positions on the Board of Directors.
  6. After securing consent of each person so nominated, the Nominating Committee shall report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.
  7. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary shall, at least two weeks before the October meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
  8. Additional nominations may be made at the October Meeting by any member in attendance provided:
    1. That the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed.
    2. 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.)
  9. No person may be a candidate for more than one position, except the Delegate to The American Kennel Club and the Judging Committee Member who may hold another Office.
  10. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in Article IV Section D.

Article V

Committees

Section A Standing Committees

  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 of Directors.

Section B Special Committees

  1. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board of Directors to aid on particular matters.

Section C Termination

  1. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board of Directors upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board of Directors may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated.

Article VI

Discipline

Section A American Kennel Club Suspension

  1. 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 B Charges – Heart of the Plains Kennel Club Suspension

  1. Charges
    1. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club.
    2. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary accompanied by a deposit of $10.00 (ten dollars) which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing.
    3. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board, or present them at a Board Meeting.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board not less that 3 (three) weeks nor more than 6 (six) weeks thereafter.
    7. 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 C Board Hearing – Heart of the Plains Kennel Club Suspension

  1. 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.
  2. Should the charges be sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board of Directors may, by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant of all privileges of the Club for not more than 6 (six) months from the date of the hearing.
  3. If the Board of Directors deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that 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.
  4. 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 D Expulsion

  1. Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board of Directors hearing and upon the Board of Directors recommendation as provided in Article VI Section C Subsection 3.
  2. Such proceedings may occur at a Regular or Special Meeting of the Club to be held within 60 (sixty) days, but not earlier than 30 (thirty) days after the date of the Board of Director’s recommendation of expulsion.
  3. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting.
  4. The President shall read the charges and the Board of Director’s findings. The President shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he/she wishes.
  5. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion.
  6. A 2/3 (two thirds) vote of those present at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion.
  7. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board of Directors’ suspension shall stand.

Article VII

Amendments

Section A Proposals

  1. 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 20 (twenty) percent of the membership in good standing.
  2. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors.
  3. Amendments must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within 3 (three) months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

Section B Vote

  1. The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a 2/3 (two thirds) vote of the members present.
  2. Voting may be 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 2 (two) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

Section C The American Kennel Club

  1. No amendment to the Constitution and By-Laws that is adopted by the Club shall be effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club.

Article VIII

Dissolution

Section A Dissolution

  1. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 (two thirds) of the members.
  2. In the even 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.
  3. The property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization, selected by the Board of Directors, for the benefit of dogs.

Article IX

Order of Business

Section A Meetings of the Membership

  1. The meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:
    1. Call to Order
    2. Roll Call
    3. Minutes of the Last Meeting
    4. Report of the President
    5. Report of the Secretary
    6. Report of the Treasurer
    7. Report of the Committees
    8. Election of Officers and Board (Annual Meeting)
    9. Election of New Members
    10. Unfinished Business
    11. New Business
    12. Adjournment

Section B Meetings of the Board of Directors

  1. At meetings of the Board of Directors, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
    1. Call to Order
    2. Roll Call
    3. Minutes of Last Meeting
    4. Report of Secretary
    5. Report of Treasurer
    6. Report of Committees
    7. Unfinished Business
    8. New Business
    9. Adjournment

Article X

Parliamentary Authority

Section A Authority

  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 By-Laws and any other special rules of order the Club may adopt.

Standing Rules

 

Adopted 27 July 1993

Committees

Section A Standing Committees

  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 that may well be served by committees.
  2. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board.

Section B Special Committees

  1. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.

Section C Show Committee

  1. The Show Committee shall consist of Officers and Board of Directors of the Club.
  2. The Show Committee will be in direct charge of, and responsible for, all phases of the Club’s Sanctioned Matches and Dog Shows.

Section D Auditing Committee

  1. The Auditing Committee shall consist of three members.
  2. The Auditing Committee shall examine the records of the Treasurer during the last month of each fiscal year and report its findings to the Club at the January meeting.

Section E Judges Committee

  1. The Judges Committee shall be elected in accordance with Article IV, Section B, Subsection 2 comprising of a Chairman and 1 (one) member.
  2. This committee shall have authority to select, contact, and hire judges for shows where definite dates have been set.
  3. The decisions of the committee must be unanimous.
  4. No one member shall serve more than one consecutive 2 (two) year term.
  5. The tenure of office shall be for a period of 2 (two) years.
  6. The chairman of the committee shall retire at the end of the fiscal year and shall be succeeded by the member.
  7. One member will be elected each year.
  8. Membership on this Committee does not preclude the member from holding another office in the Club.

Section F Termination

  1. Any Committee Member appointed may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board of Directors upon written notice to the appointee.
  2. The Board of Directors may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated.

 

 
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