(revised and ratified August 26, 2003)

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

YORK COUNTY KENNEL CLUB OF MAINE, INC.

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE ONE:  NAME AND OBJECTIVES

Section 1.  The name of the club shall be York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc.

Section 2.  The objectives of the club shall be:

  1. to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of all breeds of purebred dogs;
  2. to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and performance events;
  3. to conduct sanctioned matches, dog shows and performance events under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club (AKC);
  4. to promote the welfare of dogs in general and establish good relations between dog owners and the non-dog-owning public through community education activities.

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 bylaws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE TWO:  MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  ELIGIBILITY.  There shall be 5 types of membership – regular, household, individual associate and family associate – open to all persons aged 18 and older and junior membership for those between 10 and 17 years of age who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who ascribe to the purposes of this club.  While membership in the club is to be unrestricted as to residence, the club’s core membership shall be breeders, exhibitors, and AKC registered companion dog owners who reside in the greater York County, Maine, area.

  • REGULAR MEMBERSHIP.  Regular members may attend club functions, be entitled to vote, hold office and receive club awards.
  • HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIPS are available to households consisting of two adults, with our without children under 18, presiding under one roof.  Household members are welcome to attend all meetings and club functions.  Household members are entitled to one vote per member over 18.  They may hold office and receive club awards.
  • ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP.  The two types of associate membership are individual and family (two adults and children under 18).  Associate members are welcome to attend all meetings and club functions.  Associate members are not eligible to vote or hold office and will not receive club awards.
  • JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP.  Open to those who are between 10 years and 17 years of age.   At the end of the fiscal year (December 31) in which they attained their 18th birthday, junior members may automatically convert to membership as regular or associate members.  Junior members may not vote or hold office but they are eligible for club awards.

Section 2.   DUES.  Membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors at a meeting in October and approved by the membership before the beginning of each fiscal year (January 1 – December 31).  Dues shall not exceed $20 for regular or associate members; $20 for household or associate members; $10 for junior members in a fiscal year.

Dues are payable on or before the first day of January of each year.  During the month of November the treasurer shall send to each member a statement of dues for the ensuing year, noting that dues are due January 1, and members who have not paid by April 1 will be dropped from membership.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.  Those members who join between January 1 and June 1 will be responsible for a full year’s dues.  Those who join after June 1 will be responsible for a half year’s dues.

Section 3.  ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP.  Each applicant for membership shall complete and submit an application form approved by the board of directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the constitution and bylaws of the York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc., and the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club.  The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant, and it shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.  If the applicant is applying for regular membership status, he or she must attend two membership meetings or one membership meeting and assist at at least one club-sponsored event after the time of submitting the application before the application can be acted upon.

Accompanying the application will be a processing fee of $5 which has been set by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership.  It becomes nonrefundable if the candidate is accepted into membership.  It will be returned to the candidate immediately if membership is denied.

All applications are to be filed with the recording secretary, who will publish the candidate’s name and the names of the two sponsors in the next edition of the club newsletter and submit the application to the board of directors at its next meeting after the candidate has fulfilled any necessary qualifications for membership.  At the next club meeting the board shall make its recommendations concerning the candidate and the application will be voted upon by secret ballot and affirmative votes of three-fourths (3/4) 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 re-apply within six months after such rejection.

Section 4.   TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.  Membership may be terminated:

  1. 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.  Dues obligations are considered a debt to the club and they become incurred on the first day of the fiscal year (January 1-December 31).
  2. by lapsing.  A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid for 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year.  However, the board may grant an additional 30 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases.  In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any club meeting if  dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
  3. by expulsion.  A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article 6 of these bylaws.

ARTICLE THREE: MEETINGS AND VOTING

Section 1.   CLUB MEETINGS.  Meetings of the club shall be held in the greater York County, Maine, area on the last Monday of each month except June and July, at such hour and place as may be designated by the board of directors.  Notice of each such meeting shall be posted in the club newsletter and mailed first-class 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.

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 regular or special meeting of the board, and shall be called by the correspondence secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the club who are in good standing.  Such special meetings shall be held in the greater York County, Maine, area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the correspondence secretary at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the meeting and said 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.

Section 3.   BOARD MEETINGS.  Meetings of the board of directors shall be held a minimum of 6 times annually.

Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the correspondence secretary at least five (5) 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 and shall be called by the correspondence secretary upon written request signed by at least three members of the board.  Such special meetings shall be held in the greater York County, Maine, area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person herein authorized to call such a 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 the majority of the board.

Section 5.   VOTING.  Each member eligible to vote who is in good standing and whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the club at which he or she is present.  Proxy voting will not be permitted at any meeting or election.

ARTICLE FOUR:   DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS.  The board shall be comprised of the president, vice president,  recording secretary, correspondence secretary, treasurer and four other persons, all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the club’s annual meeting as provided in Article Four 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, recording secretary, correspondence secretary and treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the club and its meetings and the board and its meetings.

  1. The president shall preside at all meetings of the club and of the board, and shall have the duties and powers normally pertinent to the office of president in addition to those particularly specified in these bylaws.
  2. The vice president shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the president in case of the president’s death, absence or incapacity.
  3. The recording 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.  He or she shall keep a roll of the members of the club with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws.
  4. The correspondence secretary shall conduct correspondence on behalf of the club and notify officers and directors by mail of their election to office, notify officers and members by standard mail of coming events, and send out reminders of club meetings and keep a roll of all members with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws.
  5. The treasurer shall collect and record all monies due or belonging to the club.  He or she shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the board, and in the name of the club.  His or her books shall at all times be open to inspection by the board and he or 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 or 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.

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 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 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 in the office of vice president shall be filled by the board.

ARTICLE FIVE:  THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETINGS, ELECTIONS

Section 1.   CLUB YEAR.  The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December.  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 March at which officers and directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from among 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 or her 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 four 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 a club election who has not been nominated.  During the month of December, the board shall select a nominating committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than two of whom shall be members of the board.  The correspondence secretary shall immediately notify the committee persons and the alternates of their selection and it shall be the chairman’s duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before January 15.

  1. The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and four candidates for the four other positions on the board, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall report their nominations at least two weeks before February 15 to the correspondence secretary in writing.
  2. Upon receipt of the nominating committee’ s report, the correspondence secretary shall immediately thereafter notify the board of directors by standard mail and publish in the club newsletter for February the nominations presented by the nominating committee.
  3. Additional nominations may be made at the February meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated accepts when his or her name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his or her proposer shall present to the correspondence secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his or her willingness to be a candidate.  No person may be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the nominating committee.
  4. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any other manner than as provided in this section.

ARTICLE SIX:  COMMITTEES

Section 1:   The board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as shows, performance events, 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 services have been terminated.

ARTICLE SEVEN: 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 like period.

Section 2.   CHARGES.  Any member may prefer charges against another member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the club or the sport.  Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the board following a hearing.  The correspondence secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each board member 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 or the sport.  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 correspondence 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 or her own defense and bring witnesses if he or 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 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 or her 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 correspondence 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:  The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his or her 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 or her own behalf if he or 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 EIGHT:  AMENDMENTS

Section 1.   AMENDMENTS to the constitution and bylaws may be proposed by the board of directors or by written petition addressed to the recording secretary and 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 recording secretary to the members by being published in two consecutive issues of the club newsletter with recommendations of the board.  A vote of the membership should take place within four months of the date when the petition was received by the recording secretary.

Section 2.   THE CONSTITUTION and bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds secret vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purposed, provided the proposed amendments have been published in two consecutive issues of the club newsletter and at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting..

ARTICLE NINE: DISSOLUTION

Section 1.   THE CLUB may be dissolved at any time by written consent of not less than two-thirds of the members in good standing.  In the event of the dissolution of the club, 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 TEN: 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 the last meeting
  • Report of the President
  • Report of the Recording Secretary
  • Report of the Corresponding Secretary
  • Report of the Treasurer
  • Reports of the 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 a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

  • Reading of the minutes of the last meeting
  • Report of the secretary
  • Report of the treasurer
  • Reports of the committees
  • Unfinished business
  • New business
  • Adjournment

ARTICLE  ELEVEN:  PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 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 bylaws and any other special rules of order the club may adopt.

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Revised and ratified August 26, 2003

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