NEMKC CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
Name and Objectives
Ratified, April 10, 2018
Section 1. The name of the club shall be Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club, Inc.
Section 2. The objectives 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 and advance the interests of all breeds of pure breed dog, to advocate for the welfare of all dogs, and to encourage sportsman like competition at all AKC Events.
c. To conduct sanctioned matches, dogs shows, obedience trials, and agility trials and other events 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 income 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. ELGIBILITY. There shall be five types of memberships:
Regular (Individual) – Enjoys all club privileges including the right to vote and hold office.
Household – Two (2) adult members residing in the same household, each eligible to vote and hold office.
Associate – Entitled to all club privileges except voting and office holding. Offered to individuals who live outside the club’s area and also offered to individuals who live in the club’s area but are not active.
Junior – Open to all persons under between 9 and 17 years of age; a non-voting/non-office holding membership which may automatically convert to a regular membership at age 18.
Life – For those individuals who have been members for over 20 years. Life members pay no dues but are eligible to vote and hold office.
While membership is 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. Membership dues shall not exceed $30 per person for individuals and associate memberships, $40, for household membership, $10 for Junior membership. Dues are payable on or before January 1 of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.
Section 3. ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP.
a. 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 these constitution and by-laws and the rules of The American Kennel Club. The applicant shall state the name, address, and occupation and it shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.
b. All applications are filed with the Membership Chairman and each application is to be read at the first general meeting of the Club following its receipt. Applications will be voted on at next general meeting attended and affirmative votes of 2/3 of the members present shall be required for each applicant. Associate Members do not have be present for their application to be read or voted. Except for Associate Members, all voting shall be by secret ballot
c. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months after such rejection.
Section 4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.
By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Recording 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. A membership shall be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated If such member's dues remain unpaid 30 days after the first day of the fiscal year. 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. 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 MEETING. Meetings of the Club shall be held in the greater Bel Air, Maryland area. There shall be no fewer than nine meetings per year. Said meetings shall be held on the first Tuesday of the month as designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed or emailed by the Recording Secretary at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20 percent of the members in good standing.
Section 2. SPECIAL CLUB MEETING. Special Club meeting 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 Corresponding Secretary upon the receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such meetings shall be held in the greater Bel Air, Maryland 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 or emailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least five 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 per cent of the members in good standing.
Section 3. BOARD MEETINGS. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the greater Bel Air, Maryland area. There shall be no fewer than nine meetings per year. Said meetings shall be held on the third Tuesday of the month as designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed or emailed by the Secretary at least five 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 MEETING. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President; and shall be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Bel Air, Maryland 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 meeting shall be mailed or emailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least five days and not more than ten days prior to the date of the meeting, a notice shall be filed at least three days and not more than five 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 in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote at any general meeting of the Club at which he/she 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, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, AKC Delegate and (four) other Directors, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all shall be elected. All shall be elected at the Club's annual meeting as provided for 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 President and Vice-President shall be elected for no more than two consecutive one-year terms. Each year, two of the Directors shall be elected to serve two-year terms. Directors will be limited to two consecutive two-year terms. They may not serve as directors for one year following the end of such terms. The Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and AKC Delegate shall be elected for two-year terms and may serve as many consecutive terms as they are voted in.
Section 2. OFFICERS. The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding 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. The Vice President is responsible for scheduling education programs at club general meetings.
c. The office of Secretary shall be divided into offices: The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and all matters of record ordered by the Club, and shall keep a record of all members of the Club and their addresses which shall be sent to any member in good standing upon written notice, not more than once every club year. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence.
d. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club, He/she shall deposit the same in a bank, designated by the Board in the name of the Club. His/her books shall always 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 January meeting he/she shall render an account 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. AKC Delegate shall represent the Clubs interest to the AKC and report to the club all actions and matters discussed at AKC’s Quarterly Meetings.”
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 meeting. This would not affect the eligibility of a person completing the term of a Director to serve for two consecutive terms, if nominated. 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 1st day of January and end on the 31st day of December. The Club's official year shall begin immediately after 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 December at which Officers, Directors and AKC Delegate for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from 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 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 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 the Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of August, 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 Corresponding Secretary shall immediately notify the committee and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a chairman for the committee and it shall be his/her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before September 15.
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 candidates for the other positions on the Board, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing.
b. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Corresponding Secretary should notify each member of the nominating committee's slate at least two weeks prior to the November meeting or by October 15th.
c. Additional nominations may be made at the November meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person 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/her proposer shall present to the Recording Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. Except for the position of Delegate, no person may be a candidate for more than one position.
d. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than provided for 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 awards, 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 projects.
Section 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote 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. 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 Recording Secretary; together with a deposit of $50.00, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Recording 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 weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter. The Corresponding 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/she 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 majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from 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. The board may choose "reprimand" as a lesser penalty than expulsion. In either 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 Recording Secretary. The Recording 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 findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/she wishes. The meeting 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. Amendments to the constitution and by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Recording Secretary signed by 20 per cent of the members 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 Recording Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Recording Secretary.
Section 2. 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 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.
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 written consent of not less than two-thirds of the members. 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 payments 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 Recording Secretary
Report of Corresponding Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Election of Officers and Board (at Annual Meeting)
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
Section 2. At meetings of the Board the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
Reading of Minutes of Last Meeting
Report of Recording Secretary
Report of Corresponding Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
ARTICLE X
Parliamentary Authority
SECTION 1. The rules contained in the cur¬rent 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.