SKC By-Laws

The By-Laws of the Souhegan Kennel Club as given here are copied from the pamphlet "Souhegan Kennel Club, Inc. Constitution, By-Laws and Code of Ethics as approved December 20, 2000" and might contain typos or other errors. For a correct and up-to-date copy of the by-laws contact a member of the SKC Board of Directors.

Membership
Meetings & Voting
Directors & Officers
The Club Year, Annual Meeting & Elections
Committees
Discipline
Miscellaneous
Amendments
Dissolution
Order of Business

Article I – Membership

Section 1. Eligibility

There shall be one type 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.

Section 2. Junior Membership

There shall be a junior membership open to all persons eight to eighteen years of age. Junior members shall enjoy all the privileges of membership in the Club except that they shall not vote, hold office, or participate in the nomination process. A junior membership expires upon attaining the age of eighteen years, at which time application for regular membership may be made.

Section 3. Residence

While membership is unrestricted as to residence, the Club shall primarily represent the breeders and exhibitors in the immediate area of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

Section 4. Dues

The amount of initiation fee and annual dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors and approved by the members at the annual meeting or any special meeting of the Club. Annual dues shall not exceed $30.00. All dues are payable on or before the first day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of October the treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

Section 5. Membership

The initial membership or charter membership shall be designated by the Incorporators. Thereafter members shall be elected.

Section 6. Application Process

After attending one meeting or club event, a prospective member may submit an application to the Corresponding Secretary with the initiation fee and dues payment for the current year. However, dues payments tendered with applications submitted after August shall be applied to the succeeding fiscal year.

Section 7. Application Process for Junior Members

After attending a club function, a prospective junior member may submit an application to the Corresponding Secretary with the dues fee and dues payment for the current year. However, dues payments tendered with applications submitted after August shall be applied to the succeeding fiscal year.

Section 8. Application Form

Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors. The application 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 also state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and it shall carry the endorsement of two members of the Club in good standing no two of whom shall be from the same household.

Section 8A. Election to Membership

After the applicant has attended two Club meetings at which his application has been read, his application for membership will be voted upon by the membership at the second meeting. An affirmative vote of three-quarters of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Section 8B. Election to Junior Membership

The application of a Junior member will be read and voted upon at the next club meeting after the application is submitted. An affirmative vote of three-quarters of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Section 9. Re-Application

Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply within six months of such rejection.

Section 10. Termination of Membership

Membership may be terminated:

(a) By Resignation Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to either Secretary; but no member may resign while in debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and they become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.

(b) By Lapsing A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid on February 1st, however, the Board may grant an additional thirty days of grace to such 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.

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Article II – Meetings and Voting

Section 1. Club Meetings

Meetings of the Club shall be held in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire on the third Wednesday of each month or other date 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 Corresponding Secretary to each member at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty percent 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 Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Corresponding 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 Hillsborough County, New Hampshire at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized to call such meetings. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least five days and not more than fifteen days prior to the date of 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 twenty percent of the members in good standing.

Section 2. Gender

The use in these By-Laws of masculine pronouns (e.g. he or him) and other masculine terms (e.g. chairman) is solely for the purposes of brevity; and any such word or phrase in any Article of the By-Laws shall be construed to encompass the correlative feminine term (e.g. she, her, chairwoman, etc.)

Section 3. Board Meetings

Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire on the first Wednesday of each month or other date at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least ten days prior to 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 Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such 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 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 one vote at any meeting of the Club at which he is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or decision.

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Article III – Directors and Officers

Section 1. Board of Directors

The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and four 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, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer, shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.

Section 3. The President

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and shall have the duties normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these By-Laws.

Section 4. The Vice-President

The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.

Section 5. The Secretaries

There shall be two Secretaries of the Club; a Recording Secretary and a Corresponding Secretary.

(a) The Recording Secretary shall keep full minutes of all meetings of the membership and the Directors and shall have custody of and properly keep all the record books of the Club, and also carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these By-Laws.

(b) The Corresponding Secretary shall maintain all records on Club Members including a roll of the members with their addresses and interests, shall notify the members and Directors of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, and notify Officers and Directors of their election to office, and shall also carry out such other duties as are prescribed by these By-Laws.

Section 6. The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. His books shall be open to inspection by members of the Board at all times and at every Board meeting he shall report on the condition of the Club's finances and on every item of receipt of payment not before reported. At the annual meeting, he 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 7. Vacancies

Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all of the then members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a special meeting called for the 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 the Vice-President shall be filled by the Board.

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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 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 during the month of December at which Officers and Directors of 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 thirty 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 August, 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 Corresponding Secretary 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 September 15th.

The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and one candidate for each of the other four positions on the Board. After securing the consent of each person so nominated, the Chairman shall report the Committee's slate of candidates to the Corresponding Sercretary in writing prior to October 1st.

Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Corresponding Secretary shall before October 10th notify each Club member in writing of the slate of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee.

Additional nominations may be made at the November meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present to the Corresponding 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.

Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any other way than as provided in this Section.

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Article V – Committees

Section 1. Appointment

The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, obedience trials, tracking tests, newsletter, trophies, annual awards, membership, public relations, 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 on particular projects.

Section 2. Termination

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.

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Article VI – Discipline

Section 1. American Kennel Club Suspension

Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the American Kennel Club shall automatically be suspended from the priviliges 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. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Corresponding Secretary, together with a deposit of ten dollars, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Corresponding 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 interests of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. 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 that six weeks thereafter. The Corresponding 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 may bring a witness if he wishes.

Section 3. Board Meetings

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 hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the 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 the 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 findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary, in turn, shall 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 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 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 findings and recommendations and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret 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.

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Article VII – Miscellaneous

Section 1. Principal Office

The Principal office of the Club shall be as determined by the Board of Directors. In the absence of such determination, the principal office shall be the personal residence of the Corresponding Secretary of the Club.

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Article VIII – Amendments

Section 1.

Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by a written petition addressed to the Corresponding Secretary which is signed by twenty percent of the members 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 Corresponding Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Corresponding Secretary.

Section 2.

The 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 the members at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

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Article IX – 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 the dissolution of the Club other than for the purposes 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 member of the Club; but after payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to one or more non-profit organizations for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

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Article X – Order of Business

Section 1. Club Meetings

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:

Call to order
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 Committees
Election of Officers and Board (Annual Meeting)
Unfinished Business
Election of New Members
New Business
Adjournment

Section 2. Board Meetings

At meetings of the Board, the order of business so far unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Call to order
Reading of Minutes of the Last Meeting
Report of the Recording Secretary
Report of the Corresponding Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment

Section 3. Parliamentary Authority

In any matter of parliamentary procedure not specifically addressed by these By-Laws, "Roberts' Rule of Order Revised", shall apply.

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