Constitution
ARTICLE I
Names and Objectives
SECTION 1 The name of the Club shall be the Dog Training Club of Champaign- Urbana, Inc.
SECTION 2 The objects of the Club shall be to promote the training of Purebred and All-American dogs, and disseminate knowledge regarding obedience training for all dogs; conduct classes for the training of dogs; encourage and cooperate with individuals and other groups with similar purposes; hold and support AKC companion and performance events, including tests, trials, exhibitions and matches under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club; promote cooperation and good sportsmanship among its members in the training and exhibition of dogs.
SECTION 3 The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit or remainder or residue 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
SECTION 1 Eligibility.
There shall be one type of membership open to all persons sixteen years of age or older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the objects of this Club as defined in Section 2. Prospective members must attend two club meetings, one of which may be a social meeting or club-sponsored event, and they must also either (1) complete two classes offered by the Club, only one of which may be a puppy class; or (2) have earned either a companion or performance title through the American Kennel Club or a title from another organization that is acceptable to the Board of Directors. The Board may provide for other types of membership at its discretion. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of the trainers and exhibitors in the immediate area.
SECTION 2 Dues.
The Board of Directors shall determine annual membership dues and training fees. Membership dues shall be payable on or before the last day of January of each year. Members who fail to pay their dues by March 30 shall be considered lapsed. The Treasurer or his/her designee shall send an electronic reminder of dues during the month of November each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. Training Fees. Training fees shall be due and payable as determined by the Board of Directors. No one may train whose training and/or membership fees are not paid for the current year. Communication with club members. Official communications with club members shall be sent electronically, unless the member has made a special request for paper copies. The special request must be accompanied by a $5.00 convenience fee to cover postage and handling.
SECTION 3 Election to Membership.
Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form, which is approved by the Board of Directors. The application form shall provide that the applicant agree to abide by these Constitution and By -laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club and shall also state the name, mailing address, phone number, and email address of the applicant. All applications are to be filed with the Secretary or designee and the name of each applicant shall be published in the next available Club publication in any medium. Assuming that eligibility requirements have been met, the application shall be voted on and upon at the Club meeting following the publication of the applicant’s name. To be elected, the applicant must receive Yes votes from three quarters (3⁄4) of the members present at the meeting. Dues are payable when the applicant is accepted for membership. Dues will be pro- rated. Applicants elected January through June 30th shall pay dues for the full year. Applicants elected July 1st through October 31st shall pay dues for half the year. Applicants elected November 1st through December 31 shall pay full dues for the following year. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club must wait at least six months to reapply.
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. b. by lapsing. A membership may be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 60 days after the due date of January 31; however, the Board may grant an additional 60 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases, upon written request to the secretary or designee. In no case is a person eligible to vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of the meeting. c. by expulsion. A member may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these By laws. Termination of membership by any of the above means does not cancel or terminate a member’s financial obligations to the Club. SECTION 5 Reinstatement of membership. Any person whose membership has terminated in accordance with paragraphs (a) or (b) of Section 4 , shall be reinstated upon his or her written request to the Secretary or designee , accompanied by payment of the current year’s dues, prorated as specified in Section 3, and by any other outstanding monies due to the club.
ARTICLE II Meetings and Voting
SECTION 1 Club Meetings.
Meetings of the Club shall be held within 25 miles of the Cities of Champaign- Urbana each month, at such date, hour, and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of such meeting shall be made by the Secretary or designee. The quorum for such meetings shall be 15 members or 20% of the members in good standing, whichever is less.
SECTION 2 Special Club Meetings.
Special Club meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority 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 in (or within 25 miles) of the Cities of Champaign -Urbana at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person(s) authorized herein to call such meetings. Electronic notice of special meeting s shall be sent 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 15 members or 20% of the members in good standing. Notice of special club meetings shall be made in accordance with rules the Board may adopt from time to time for that purpose.
SECTION 3 Board Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in or within twenty- five miles of the Cities of Champaign- Urbana six times yearly and as decided by the Board of Directors at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. 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 scheduled by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by either the President or at least three members of the Board. Such special meetings may be held either in person or electronically. The format of the meeting shall be indicated in the announcement. If it is to be an in-person meeting, it must be scheduled in accordance with the rules regarding regular meetings. Notice of special Board meetings shall be made or be held electronically via electronic communication in accordance with rules the Board may adopt from time to time for that purpose.
SECTION 5 Voting. Each 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.
SECTION 6 Notice of Meetings. Notice of all Club meetings, Board of Directors’ meetings, committee meetings shall be made in accordance with rules the Board may adopt from time to time for that purpose.
ARTICLE III Directors and Officers
SECTION 1 Board of Directors. The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Training and four other persons 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. To be eligible for election to the Board, candidates must be current Club members in good standing.
SECTION 2 Officers. The Club’s officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of Training 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 those particularly specified by 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. The Vice President is also in charge of the events calendar, and for planning various social activities (e.g. annual meeting, holiday parties, and other such events) for club members. 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 or she will have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify officers and directors of their election to office, and carry out other such duties as prescribed by these by laws. The Secretary or designee shall also notify new members of their election to membership and keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses and phone numbers. d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He or she shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. The Board may appoint an Assistant Treasurer with alternate check signing abilities. Additionally, the Treasurer may, with the approval of the Board, appoint specially designated depositors. His or her books shall be at all times open to inspection of 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 monies 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 the officers and five other persons. f) The Director of Training shall supervise and coordinate all training classes sponsored by the Club. The Director of Training shall also be responsible for implementing class policies, directing inquiries into incident reports of events occurring in classes, and investigating complaints against instructors and assistants and reporting to the Board as necessary. The Director of Training shall also promote quality instruction for the club, through selection of qualified instructors and assistants and promotion of continuing education as the opportunities arise. The Director of Training shall also conduct reviews and revisions of the curricula and instructional materials as the need arises. g) Board Members shall attend meetings and work with the Board officers to administer club business and may also serve on special committees as appointed by the Board to oversee proceedings.
SECTION 3 Vacancies. With the exception of the office of President, any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during their terms shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the remaining Board members at either the first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose. In the event that the President’s office is left vacant, the Vice President shall automatically be appointed to that office, a new Vice President appointed by the remaining Board members, and the remaining open Board seat shall be filled as described earlier in this section.
ARTICLE IV The Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections
SECTION 1 Club Year. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st of December.
SECTION 2 Annual Meeting. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of September at which Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. If nominations are contested, and additional nominations made at the August meeting, then the election shall be conducted by secret ballot. If there are no nominations in accordance with Section 4(c), below, officers and directors may be elected by acclamation. New elected officers and Board members shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election. Each retiring officer shall turn over to his or her successor 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 June, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chair for the Committee and it shall be his or her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before July 1st. Board members may not chair the nominating committee. a) The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and four candidates for the four other positions on the Board, and after securing consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations in writing to the Secretary. b) The Secretary or his/ her designee shall notify the membership of the nominations via electronic means by August 1. The slate of candidates shall also be presented at the August membership meeting. c) Additional nominations may be made at the August 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 the meeting, his or her 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, and the additional nominations which are provided herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nomination Committee. d) Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section.
SECTION 4 Elections. The nominated candidates receiving the greatest number of votes for each office or Board position shall be declared elected.
ARTICLE V Committees
SECTION 1 The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as shows, obedience trials, field trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by the committees. Such committees shall be subject always 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 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 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 the Club for a like period.
SECTION 2 Charges. Any member may prefer disciplinary charges against a 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 ten dollars ($10.) 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 interest of the Club or the sport. If the Board considers that charges do not allege conduct which, if proved, would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or sport, the Board may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of hearing by the Board not less than three weeks nor 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 or she wishes.
SECTION 3 In an instance of threat of damage to life or property, an immediate ten-day suspension of membership privileges may be declared. The Board must issue a finding on the charges by the end of this time, determining whether or not to uphold the suspension. If the member is found innocent of the charges, he/she shall receive a refund of any class fees or membership dues he/she may have lost as a result of the suspension.
SECTION 4 Board Hearing. The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both the complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after the 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 6 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 Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board’s decision and penalty, if any.
SECTION 5 Expulsion.
Expulsion of a member may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board’s recommendation as provided in the Disciplinary Policy established by the board. A notice of special meeting of expulsion proceedings must be sent electronically to the membership by the Secretary. The date must be scheduled between 30 and 60 days after the date of the Board’s recommendation. 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 the 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 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. (Last sentence in this paragraph deleted).
ARTICLE VII Amendments
SECTION 1
Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws 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 a 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. The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose. The membership shall be notified of the proposed amendments at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. Notification shall be in accordance with rules set out in Article II, Section 6.
ARTICLE VIII 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 reasons of 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 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 shall permit shall be as follows:
- Roll call Minutes of the last meeting
- Report of the President
- Report of Secretary
- Report of Treasurer
- Report of Committees
- Election of Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
- Election of new members (after election of Officers and the Board, if taken up at an annual meeting)
- 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 minutes of the last meeting
- Report of Secretary
- Report of Treasurer
- Reports of Committees
- Unfinished business
- New business
- Adjournment
Circa l976 Revised September 6, 1988; Revised August 3, 1993; Revised November, 2001; Revised September 3, 2019.