Constitution
ARTICLE I
Name and Objectives
SECTION 1. The name of the Club shall be The Bluebonnet Norfolk Terrier Club,
(TBNTC)
SECTION 2. The objectives of the Club shall be:
a)
To
encourage
and
promote
quality
in
the
breeding
of
purebred
Norfolk
Terriers
and
to
do
all
possible
to
bring
their
natural
qualities
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 they shall be judged.
c) To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed
through education and by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at all
events.
d) To conduct sanctioned matches and specialty shows 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, remainder or residue of any Club monies shall inure to the benefit of any member
or individual.
SECTION 4. The members of the Club shall adopt and may revise such bylaws as may
be required to carry out these purposes.
By-Laws
ARTICLE I
Membership
SECTION 1. Eligibility
There shall be two types of 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:
1)
Individual membership - Enjoys all Club privileges including the right to
vote and hold office
1)
Household membership – Two adult members residing in the same
household, each enjoys all Club privileges including the right to vote
and hold office
While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary
purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in the State of
Texas.
SECTION 2. Dues
Annual membership dues, in such amounts as recommended by the Board
of directors and approved by the membership, must be paid or postmarked
on or before April 1st of the current calendar year. No member may vote
whose dues are not paid for the current calendar year. During the month of
February the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of dues for
the current calendar year. A second notice of indebtedness shall be mailed,
emailed or faxed April 15
th
and must be paid by May 15
th
. Applicants who
join in either November or December of the current calendar year will have
their dues applied to the next calendar year.
SECTION 3. Election to Membership
Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board
of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the
Constitution and By-Laws of the Club and the rules of the American Kennel
Club. The application shall state the name, address, occupation and canine
experience of the applicant, and it shall carry the endorsement of two
Bluebonnet Norfolk Terrier Club members in good standing. Accompanying
the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the
current year.
All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and the content of each
application is to be mailed, emailed or faxed to all members of the Club
following its receipt. Applications will be read at the following meeting of the
club and the names included in the notice for that meeting. Election to
membership requires affirmative votes of not less than two thirds of the
members present and voting by secret ballot. Applicants who have been
rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months after such rejection.
Applicants must be in good standing with the American Kennel Club.
SECTION 4. Termination of Membership
Membership 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 or are not postmarked by May
15
th
of the current calendar year, which is 45 days after the April 1st due date;
however, the Board, at its discretion, 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 whose dues are unpaid.
(c) By expulsion. A member may be terminated by expulsion as provided in
Article VI of these bylaws.
(d) Membership will be terminated if AKC privileges are revoked.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1. Regular Club Meetings
Meetings of the Club shall be held within the “TBNTC Territory”, which is
defined as the area formed with a focal point of Cameron and beginning from
Dallas-Fort Worth, south along Interstate 35 to San Antonio, east to Houston,
and north to Dallas-Fort Worth along Interstate 45, with communities in Tyler
being considered local to the club. Meetings shall be held at least 6 times
each year, and, whenever possible, in conjunction with an AKC dog show or
TBNTC event, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of
Directors. The Secretary shall mail, email or fax written notice of the meeting
at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum of the meeting
shall be 20% of the Texas 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 meeting shall be held in the “TBNTC Territory” at such place,
date and hour as designated by the President or majority of the Board of
Directors. The Secretary shall mail, email or fax written notice of the meeting
at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the meeting. The notice
shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other Club business may be
transacted. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the Texas
members in good standing.
SECTION 3. Board Meetings
Meetings of the Board shall be held within the “TBNTC Territory” at least six
times per annum, at such date, hour and place as may be designated by the
Board. The Secretary shall mail, email or fax written notice of the meeting at
least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. The Board may conduct its
business in person or via teleconference or video conference through the
Secretary using the applicable AKC guidelines, but, decisions will require a
majority consensus. The quorum for a Board 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 shall 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
“TBNTC Territory” at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the
person authorized herein to call such meeting. The Secretary shall mail,
email or fax written notice of the meeting 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 shall be transacted therein.
The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board. The Board
may conduct its business in person or via teleconference or video conference
through the Secretary using the applicable AKC guidelines, but, decisions will
require a majority consensus.
SECTION 5. Voting
Each member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current calendar
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 Club meeting or
election.
SECTION 6. Email Notification
The Club may send members notification of club meetings, dues notices,
minutes and newsletters and board members notification of board meetings
via email , provided that:
The member or board member has signed an authorization agreeing to this
method of communication. Such authorization, which is revocable, will also
release the club from any liability should the notification be received late or
not received by the member or board member due to circumstances beyond
the club’s control.
ARTICLE III
Board of Directors and Officers
SECTION 1. Board of Directors
The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and three other persons, all of whom shall be members in good
standing. They shall be elected for two year terms at the Club’s biennial
election meeting as provided in Article IV, and shall serve until August 1
st
following the biennial election meeting, where 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.
(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 the President, in addition to those particularly
specified in these By-Laws.
(b) The Vice-President shall have duties and exercise the powers of
the President in case of the President's death, absence or
incapacity.
c) The 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. This person shall have charge of the correspondence,
notify members of meetings, notify new members of their 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) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or
belonging to the Club and shall deposit same in a bank approved by
the Board, in the name of the Club. His or her books shall at all
times be open to inspection by the Board and the Treasurer shall
report to them at every meeting the condition of the Club's finances
and every receipt or payment not before reported. At the Annual
Meeting, the Treasurer shall render an account of all moneys
received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The
signature card for the checking account shall hold three (3) names:
The President, Vice-President, and Treasurer.
SECTION 3. Vacancies
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the officers during the term
shall be filled until the next biennial election by a majority vote of the
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 the President shall be filled automatically by the
Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of the Vice President
shall be filled by the Board.
ARTICLE IV
The Club Year, Biennial Election Meeting, Elections
SECTION 1. Club Year
The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31
st
Day of December.
The Club's official year shall begin on the 1
st
day of August and end on the 31
st
day of July.
SECTION 2. Annual Meeting/Biennial Election Meeting
The annual meeting and/or the biennial election meeting shall be held in the
month of July. Every second year the annual meeting shall be the biennial
election meeting at which, officers, and directors for the ensuing two year
term shall be elected by secret ballot from among those nominated in
accordance with section four of this Article. If the slate of the Nominating
Committee shall be the only slate proposed, the Nominating Committee’s
slate shall be declared elected. After the biennial election meeting, the
Officers and Directors shall take office on August 1
st
of the current calendar
year and each retiring officer shall turn over to the successor in office all
properties and records relating to that office on or before August 1
st
of the
current calendar year. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by
the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum
for such meetings shall be 20% of the Texas members in good standing.
SECTION 3. Election
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 position shall
be declared elected.
SECTION 4. Nominations and Ballots
No person may be a candidate in the Club election who has not been
nominated. By January 15
th
, preceding the biennial election meeting, the
Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and
one alternate, not more than one of whom may be members of the Board.
The Secretary shall immediately notify the committee members and alternate
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 February 1
st
preceding the biennial election. The Nominating
Committee may conduct its business in person or via teleconference or video
conference.
(a) The committee shall nominate one person for each office and
position on the Board, and after securing the consent of each person
so nominated, shall report their nominations to the Secretary in writing
by March 1st preceding the biennial election.
(b) Upon receipt of the nominating committee's report, the
Secretary shall immediately notify each TBNTC member in writing
by mail, email or fax the full name of each candidate so nominated.
(c) Additional nominations may be made at any general meeting
between March 1
st
and May 31
st
, preceding the July biennial election
meeting 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 proposer shall present to the 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.
(d) Nominations cannot be made at the biennial election meeting or in
any manner other than as provided 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, 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 and upon written notice to the
appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose
services have been terminated. Any committee appointment shall be for a
period of one year.
ARTICLE VI
Discipline
SECTION 1. American Kennel Club Suspension
Any member who is suspended from any/all 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 $100 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 or the breed. If the Board considers that the charge does not allege
conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or of the
breed, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains
jurisdiction of the charge, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board of not
less than three members of 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 or her own defense and bring witnesses, if desired.
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 of
the evidence and testimony presented by the 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 the Board 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 recommendations of the Board. Immediately after the Board
has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and filed with
the Secretary. The Secretary shall, in turn, notify each of the parties of the
decision and penalty, if any.
SECTION 4. Expulsion
Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at the
meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the recommendation
of the Board, 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 or her
own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President
shall read the charges and the findings and recommendations of the Board,
and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his or her own behalf.
The members 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 suspension will
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 that such 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 that 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 good standing. In the event of a
dissolution of the Club, other than for purposes of reorganization, whether
voluntary or involuntary or by operation of the 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, 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 the last meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Election of Officers and Board (at Biennial Meeting at which such elections are
scheduled)
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 1. The rules contained in "Roberts 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.