Mid-Florida Brittany Club
MID-FLORIDA BRITTANY
CLUB, INC
CONSTITUTION and
BY-LAWS
Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the Mid-Florida
Brittany Club, Inc.
Section 2. The objectives and purposes of the Club shall
be: to promote cooperation and friendship among the breeders and
owners of Brittanys and to encourage higher standards in breeding,
training and showing of Brittanys in all venues; to discourage the
breed from becoming split into groups of “field dogs” and bench
dogs” and to strive to keep it forever a “Dual dog”.
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
objectives.
BY-LAWS
Article I
Membership
Section 1. Eligibility: Membership to the Club shall
consist of the following classes: Active and Associate. An Active
member shall be the owner of a registered Brittany over the age of
18 or any person over the age of eighteen interested in the
improvement of the breed.
He/she shall
be in good standing with the American Kennel Club. An associate
member may be any person over the age of eighteen years, if another
person of his/her immediate family is an active member. He/she will
not have the privilege of voting or holding office in The American
Brittany Club, Inc. (the “parent club). He will have the privilege
of voting or holding office in the Mid-Florida Brittany Club, Inc.
While membership is unrestricted as to the residence, the Club’s
primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and
exhibitors in the immediate area.
Section 2. Dues: Membership dues shall not exceed the
amount determined by The American Brittany Club, Inc. (the “parent
club”) for Active and Associate members; and will be due each year on
the anniversary of the original application. No member may vote whose
dues are not paid for the current year. The Club shall remit that
portion of the dues as required to the Parent Club for each active and
associate member. In return each active member shall receive THE
AMERICAN BRITTANY MAGAZINE each month. Associate members do not receive
the magazine.
Section 3. Election: 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 phone number of the
applicant and shall be accompanied by the dues’ payment for the current
year.
Section 4. Termination of membership: (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.
Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and become incurred
on the anniversary of the original member's application. (B) By lapsing:
A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated
if such member’s dues remain unpaid ninety days after the anniversary of
the member’s original application; however the Board may grant an
additional ninety 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 that 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
quarterly
in or near the
area of Central Florida, at such time and place as may be designated by the Board of
Directors. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed
or emailed
by the Secretary at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting.
The quorum for such meeting shall be
6 members or 10% of the membership in good standing, whichever is greater.
Section 2. Special Club Meetings: Special Club meetings may
be called by the President, or by a majority vote 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 in or near the
area of
Central Florida
at such time and place 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
at least five days and not more than fifteen days prior to the date of
the meeting, and notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no
other Club business may be transacted therein.
The quorum for
such meeting shall be 6
members or 10% of the members in good standing,
whichever is greater.
Section 3. Board Meetings: Meetings of the Board of
Directors shall be held in or near the
area of
Central Florida
at such place and date as may be designated by the Board.
Web meetings
or teleconferences are allowed to discuss club business and make
proposals. However voting in this manner is not allowed and must be
done at actual meetings with the Board of Directors in attendance.
Notice for such meetings shall be mailed
or emailed not less than 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 Board Meetings
of the Board may be called by the President, or 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 or near the
area of Central Florida
at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the Secretary 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, active and associate, 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/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, Secretary, Treasurer and three other
persons, except when
the office of Secretary and Treasurer are combined. The board will
consist of four other persons in that case; all of whom will be elected
for one year terms at the Club’s annual meeting as provided in Article
lV or until their successor has been 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 President in addition to these specifically
noted 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.
(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. He/she shall
have the charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings,
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 directed in these By-Laws.
(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging
to the Club. He/she shall deposit same in a bank designated by the Board
in the name of the Club. His/her books shall at all times 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 annual meeting, he shall render
an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous year.
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 it’s first 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 IV
The Club Year, Annual
Meeting, Elections,
Mail
Section 1. Club Year: The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on
the first day of (January) and end on the 31st 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
June
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 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. No person may
hold the same office for more than 2 consecutive elected terms. The
three nominated candidates
or in the case of a combined Secretary/ Treasurer
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 one of whom shall be a member of the Board.
of their selection. The board shall name a Chairman for the
committee and it shall be his duty to call a committee meeting which
shall be held on or before February 1st.
(a) The Committee shall nominate one
candidate for the three other 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
Nomination Committee’s report, the Secretary shall, before February 15th,
notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
(c) Additional
nominations may be made at the March meeting by any member in attendance
provided that the person so nominated accepts when his/her 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
Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his
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.
(d) Nominations cannot
be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in
this section.
The
Secretary shall notify the committeemen and alternates
Section
4. Mail: Club members may “opt in” to receive club meeting notices,
premium lists and other correspondence via email rather than regular
mail by notifying the club secretary in writing. Otherwise all
correspondence will be sent to members via regular mail.
Article V
Committees
Section 1. The President may each year appoint standing
committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as shows,
field trials, hunting tests, trophies, annual prizes, membership and
other fields which may be well 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; the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose
services have been terminated
Section 3. Vouchers or
bills will be submitted by committee or others in the Club, to the
Treasurer, for monies spent or purchases made on behalf of the Club.
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 interest 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 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 consider whether the actions alleged in the charges,
if proved, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interests 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 the breed, it
may refuse to entertain. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the
charges it shall fix a date of 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 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
is 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 recommendations. 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 sixty days, but not earlier than
thirty days, after the date of the Board’s recommendation. The
defendant shall have the privilege of appealing in his/her own behalf,
though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall
read the charges and the Board’s recommendations and shall invite the
defendant, if present, to speak in has own behalf if he wished. 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 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 twenty percent of the membership in good
standing. Amendments proposed by such petition must be promptly
considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the
membership with recommendations of the Board of Directors by the
Secretary for a vote within 90 days of the date when the petition was
received by the 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.
Article VIII
Dissolution
Section 1.
Dissolution: The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written
consent of not less than two-thirds of the members. In the event of
dissolution of the Club, other thanfor purposes of reorganization,
whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of law, none of the
property of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club.
The Club’s 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 Report of the
Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Committee Reports
Elections of Officer and
Board (at annual meeting)
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment
Section 2. At the meeting of the Board, the order of
business, unless otherwise directed by 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
Section
3. Meetings of the MID–FLORIDA BRITTANY CLUB will be held according to
ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER except when contrary to the By-Laws of the
Mid-Florida Brittany Club.
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