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CONSTITUTION
& BYLAWS OF THE FRENCH BULLDOG FANCIERS
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
Article
I
Name and Objects Section 1. The name of the Club shall be French Bulldog Fanciers of Southern California. Section 2. The objects of the club shall be: (a) to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred French Bulldogs and to do all possible to bring their natural qualifies to perfection; (b) to 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 the French Bulldog shall be judged; (c) to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials; (d) to conduct sanctioned matches and specialty shows, obedience/agility trials and education activities 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 profits 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 objects. BY-LAWS
Article I Membership Section 1. Eligibility. There shall be five types of membership (only voting members may hold an office): (a) Individual Membership. 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 purpose of this Club. Member will have full voting privileges. (b) Household Membership. 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. There will be a limit of 2 votes per household. (c) Associate Membership. 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. For persons who are unable to attend meetings on a regular basis and/or live outside the boundaries of the Club. (Will receive newsletter, dub rate for functions, but will be ineligible to vote.) (d) Junior Membership. Open to all persons eight years of age through seventeen years of age who are interested in handling and/or promoting the breed and whose parent or guardian is not an Individual or Household Member. This will be a non-voting member of the club. Section 2. Dues. (a) Membership dues may be up to $40.00 for Individual Members, $50.00 for Household Membership, $40.00 for Associate Members, no cost to Honorary Members and $25.00 for Junior Members, (amount to be determined by the Board of Directors) payable on or before the first day of May of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of March, the Treasurer (or Secretary) shall send to each member a statement of dues for the ensuing year. Members may pay dues electronically or by mail. Members joining in the last quarter of the year will not be required to pay dues for the next 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 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. It shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing. If the applicant cannot secure the endorsement of two members, the Board reserves the right to vote for the applicant and present the applicant to the club members as a candidate for membership. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. (b) All applications are to be filed with the Secretary. Applications for membership shall be made available to members via email or the club’s website for one month following receipt. New club members shall be announced at the next general meeting of the club. (c) The Secretary shall notify each applicant of their acceptance or rejection of membership via email or in writing within ten days of the acceptance. (d) Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months of such rejection. Section 4. Termination of Membership. Members 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. Obligations other than dues are considered a debt to the Club and must be paid in full prior to resignation. (b) By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 60 days after the first day of the fiscal year however, the Board may grant an addition 60 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 the 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. Meetings of the club shall be held at least once in each calendar quarter in the greater Southern California area 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. Meeting notices shall also be published on the club’s website. The quorum for such meetings shall be 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 who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Southern California 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 by the Secretary at least five days and not more than fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting. No other club business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20 percent of the members in good standing. Section 3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least four times a year in the greater Southern California area, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed 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 Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or may be called by the 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 Southern California area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. The Secretary shall mail written notice of such meeting at least five days and not more than ten 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. The 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 vote, in accordance with Article I, Section 1, 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 Officers and two other persons, all of whom shall be members In good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at 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. Section 2. Officers. The Club’s Officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and members-at-large shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings. (a) 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) Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President’s death, absence or incapacity. (c) Secretary: shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club; 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 by-laws. (d) Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board and a report shall be given 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 an accounting shall be rendered 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 offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person, In which case the Board shall be comprised of five persons including a member-at-large. (f) Members-at-large will serve as support to the rest of the Board in years where the offices of Secretary and Treasurer are combined, or step in to support the club should a Board member be unable to fulfill his or her duties. Section 3. Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the Officers during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by the 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 will 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 May and end on the last day of April. 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 in the month of April, at which Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret ballot from among those nominated in accordance With Section 4 of the Article. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to the successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election. Section 3. Nominations. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of February, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of who may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committee members and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the committee and it shall be such person’s duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held on or before March 15. (a) The committee shall nominate at least one candidate for each office and 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, at least two weeks before the Annual meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated. (c) Additional nominations may be made at the General meeting that precedes the Annual by any member In attendance, provided that the person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposed shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying willingness to be a candidate. (d) No person may be a candidate for more than one position (with the exception of a combined Secretary/Treasurer position). (e) Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section. Section 4. 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 of Directors who receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected. Voting in elections shall be by secret ballot if there is more than one person nominated for any position. ARTICLE
V
COMMITTEES Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience/agility trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other field 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 in particular projects. Section 2. A 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 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 or breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the 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 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 interest of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date for a hearing by the Board not less than three weeks or more than six 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 reprimand or 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 finding 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 proceeding 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 finding and recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes. The members shall then vote by secret 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
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 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 to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a 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 secret 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. ARTICLE
VIII
DISSOLUTION Section 1. 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 or 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 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 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: Roll Call Minutes of Last meeting 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 Secretary Report of Treasurer Reports of Committees Unfinished business New business Adjournment ARTICLE
X
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY Section I. 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. Accepted July 2003 This proposed Constitution and By-laws would replace the original Constitution and By-laws, any attachments or amendments thereto in their entirety used by the French Bulldog Fanciers of Southern California In the formation stage of development |