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West Highland White Terrier Club of Northern IL |
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CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS ARTICLE I NAME AND OBJECTS Section
1.
The name of the Club shall be THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER CLUB OF
NORTHERN ILLINOIS, INC. Section
2.
The objects of the Club shall be to: (a)
encourage and promote the quality breeding of
pure-bred West Highland White Terriers and to do all possible to bring their
natural qualities to perfection; (b)
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 West Highland White Terriers shall be judged; (c)
do all in its power to protect and advance the
interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows,
obedience trials and other performance events; (d)
conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows,
obedience trials and other performance events; under the rules of the American
Kennel Club. (e)
encourage the training of judges. 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 insure
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 objects. ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP Section
1. Eligibility – There
shall be to types of membership open to persons who are in good standing with
the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this club. Active
Member - must be 18 years of age or older. Enjoys
all the privileges of the club, including voting and holding office. Junior
Member - must be at least 12 and under 18 years of age. Enjoys all the
privileges of the club, excluding voting and holding office. Section
2.
Membership dues shall be set at the discretion of the Board of Directors,
with a special rate for two or more members living in the same household,
payable on or before the first day of January of each year. No member may
vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
During the month of November, the Secretary shall send to each member 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 these constitution and by-laws 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
endorsement of one member in good standing.
On the date of the second reading of 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 Club following its receipt.
At the next Club meeting the application will be voted upon and
affirmative votes of ¾ 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 by: (a)
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)
Lapsing - A membership will be considered as lapsed
and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 45 days after
the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 90
days grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases.
In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting or be
elected to an office whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting. (c)
Expulsion - A membership may be terminated by
expulsion as provided in Article VII of these Constitution and By-laws. ARTICLE III MEETING AND VOTING Section
1.
Club Meetings - Meetings of the Club shall be held in the Greater Chicago Area.
Unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors these meetings shall
be held on the third Wednesday of every other month at such hour and place as
may be designated by the Board of Directors.
Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at
least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting.
The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of the members in good standing
living in the greater Chicagoland area. 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, or by the Secretary upon
receipt of a petition signed by 15% of the members of the Club who are in good
standing. Such special meetings
shall be held in the greater Chicago Area and at such hour and place as may be
designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings.
Written notice of such 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 such
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 20% of the members in good standing living in the
greater Chicagoland area. Section
3.
Board Meetings - Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the
greater Chicago Area and at such hour and place as may be designated by the
Board. These meetings will be held
as necessary, but at least quarterly commencing January 1st.
Notice of such meetings shall be given by the Secretary at least 5 days
prior to the date of the meeting. 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 or the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at
least three of the members of the Board. Such
special meetings shall be held in the greater Chicago Area and at such hour and
place as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such
meetings. Notice of such meeting shall be given by the Secretary at least 5 days
and not more than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. Any such notice
shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business may be transacted
thereat. The quorum for such a
meeting shall be a majority of the Board. Section
5.
Voting - Each active 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. Proxy voting
will not be permitted at any Club meeting or election. ARTICLE IV DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS Section
1.
Board of Directors - The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice
President, Secretary and Treasurer, and three other persons, all of whom shall
be members in good standing. The
President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected for a term
of one year. The other three Board
Members shall be elected for a term of two years; they will serve staggered
terms with either one or two members elected each year.
Any member of the Board who is serving an unexpired term may be nominated
for another position on the board. Acceptance
of that nomination will automatically create a vacancy of that unexpired
position. All such vacated positions
and all expired positions will be filled at the Club’s Annual Meeting as
provided in Article V and shall serve until their Successors are elected.
General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the
Board of Directors. 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. 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 Constitution and By-laws. (a) The President shall preside at all meeting 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 Constitution and 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, incapacity or resignation. (c)
The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings
of the Club and of the Board and all matters of which a record shall be ordered
by the Club. He shall have charge of
the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of the
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 such other duties as are prescribed in these Constitution and
By-laws. (d)
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies
due or belonging to the Club with the exception of any Rescue Funds.
He shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to 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 of 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 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)
The Rescue Chairman is not a position on the Board
of Directors or an Officer of the Club, however the Rescue Chairman shall
collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Westie Rescue Fund.
He shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to the Board, in the
name of the Club listed as “West Highland White Terrier Club of Northern
Illinois Westie Rescue.” His books
shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and he shall report
quarterly of the condition of the Rescue’s finances and every item of receipt
or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he shall render an
account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal
year. The Rescue Chairman shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of
Directors shall determine. Section
3.
Vacancies - Vacancies occurring on the Board shall be filled as follows: (a)
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among
offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a
majority vote of the membership at its first regular meeting following the
notification to the membership of the creation of such vacancy.
Notification of the vacancy shall be made in writing by the Secretary to
the membership at least 5 days prior to the first regular meeting after the
vacancy occurs. (b)
A vacancy in the office of President shall be
filled automatically by the Vice President and the resulting vacancy shall be
filled in the manner as provided in Article
IV, Section 3,(a).
ARTICLE V CLUB
YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING,
ELECTIONS Section
1.
Club Year - The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of
January at which time the Officers and Directors shall take office, to serve
until their successors are duly elected.
Each retiring Officer shall turn over to their successor in office all
properties and with in 30 days of election. Section
2.
Annual Meeting - The annual meeting shall be held in the month of December at
which directors and officers for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret
written ballot from those nominated in accordance with Section 3 and 4 of this
Article. Procedure to follow at the
conclusion of the election is (a)
Those officers and directors elected shall take
office immediately. (b)
Each retiring officer shall turn over to his
successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30
days after election. (c)
The Treasurer’s and Rescue Chairman’s books
must be audited after each annual meeting and a report submitted to the
President within 60 days. The President shall appoint the auditing committee. 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.
Nomination - No person may be a candidate in a 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 shall be a member of the Board.
The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeeman and alternates of
their selection. The committee shall
name their own Chairman and it shall be his duty to conduct business by meeting,
phone or fax by or before the 15th day of September. (a)
The committee shall nominate one candidate for each
office and candidates for the vacant positions on the Board. After securing the
consent of each person so nominated, will immediately report their nominations
to the Secretary in writing by or before the 20th day of September (b)
Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s
report, the Secretary shall notify each member in writing of the candidates so
nominated by the 1st day of October. (c) Additional nominations may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and received at the his/her regular address on or before the 15th day of November, signed by three members of not less than one year and accompanied by the written acceptance of each additional nominee signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person shall be a candidate for more than one position and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among the members who have not accepted a nomination of the nominating committee.
If
no valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or by for the
15th day of November, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be
declared elected, and no balloting will be required. (d)
If one or more valid
additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or by for the 15th
day of November, he/she shall on or before the 1st day of December,
mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all the nominees for each
position in alphabetical order and an election is to be held in accordance with
Section 2 of this article. (e)
Nominations cannot be made at
the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided for in this section.
ARTICLE VI 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 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. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects. Section
2.
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 persons whose service has been terminated. ARTICLE VII 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 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 charges
are not sustained. 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 interest of the Club or the breed. If
the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be
prejudicial to the Club or breed, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.
If the Board entertains jurisdictions 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 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 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. 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 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 own behalf if he
wishes. The meeting shall then vote
by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion.
A 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 VIII 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 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 with recommendations of
the Board by the Secretary for vote within three months of the date when the
petition was received by the Secretary.
Section
2.
The Constitution and By-laws may be amended by a 2/3 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 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. ARTICLE IX DISSOLUTION Section
1.
Dissolution - The Club may be dissolved 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 purposes of
reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of
the property of the Club nor any of the proceeds thereof not 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 charitable
organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors. ARTICLE X 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 Secretary Report of Treasurer Report 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:
Minutes
of Last Meeting
Report
of Secretary
Report
of Treasurer
Report
of Committees
Unfinished
Business
New
Business
Adjournment ARTICLE XI ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER Section
1.
Any instance not covered by these By-laws shall be governed by Roberts Rules of
Order. Amended November 1968, Amended February 1972, Amended January 1977, Amended November 1978, Amended October 1982, Amended November 1986, Amended January 1989, Amended January 1990, Amended March 1990, Amended May 1996, Amended March 1997, Amended April 1998, Amended August 2000, Amended October 2002.
Page Updated: 05/09/2003 |
