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Constitution and By-Laws

CONSTITUTION:

ARTICLE I

Section 1: The name of the club shall be The Bichon Frise Club of Northern California, Inc..

Section 2: The objects of the club shall be:

(a) to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Bichons Frises 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 the Bichon Frise shall be judged;

(c) to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, obedience trials and tracking test under the rules of The American Kennel Club; and

(d) to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows, obedience trials and tracking test under the rules of The American Kennel Club.

Section 3: The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any 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 objects.

BY‑LAWS:

ARTICLE I

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 the club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.

1. Individual: Enjoys all privileges of the club including voting and holding office.

2. Family: Consist of husband and wife and children residing at home. Husband and wife shall enjoy all privileges of the club including voting and holding office.

Section 2: DUES: Membership dues shall be an amount determined by the Board of Directors; but not to exceed $40.00 per year per individual; or $50.00 per couple per year; payable on June 1st of each year, with a $10.00 per month penalty for each month thereafter; if unpaid. Membership shall lapse if dues are not paid by July 31st.

Section 3: ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP: 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 this constitution and by‑laws and the rules 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 club members in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues for the current year. All applications are to be filed with the Recording Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the club following its receipt. At the next club meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant to membership. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the club may not reapply within six (6) months after such rejection.

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 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 June of each year.

(b) by lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such members dues remain unpaid 60 days after the 1st of June; however, the Board may grant an additional 30 days of grace to such a delinquent member 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.

ARTICLE II

Section 1: CLUB MEETINGS: Meetings of the club shall be held within the greater Sacramento area on the fourth (4th) Thursday of every other month (even months) i.e., February, April, June, etc. at such a place and hour as may be designated by the Board of Directors. However, the Board has the right to change this date if circumstances warrant such a change. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Recording Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting 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 Board of Directors who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Recording Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) members of the club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Sacramento area; at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Recording Secretary at least five (5) and not more than fifteen (15) days prior to such 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 on alternative months to the regular club meetings (odd numbered months) i.e. January, March, May, July, September & November. To reflect the authority vested in them, the Board should meet a minimum of six (6) times a year. Board meetings shall be held within the greater Sacramento area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Recording 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 Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three (3) members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Sacramento area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days and not more than ten (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 thereat. A 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 election.

ARTICLE III DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1: BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board shall be comprised of the officers and four (4) other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for a two year term at the club's annual meeting, held in even‑numbered years in the month of April 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, Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary 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 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 Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the club and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He or she shall 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 prescribed in these by-laws.

(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. 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 or receipt of payment not before reported; and at the annual meetings he or she shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board shall determine.

(e) The offices of Recording Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person; in which case, the Board shall be comprised of the officers and (5) five other persons.

Section 3: VACANCIES: Any vacancy occurring on the Board or among the officers during their term, shall be filled until the next 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 IV THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS

Section 1: CLUB YEAR: The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the first (1st) day of June and end on the thirty-first (31st) day of May. 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 election annual meeting.

Section 2: ANNUAL MEETING: The annual meeting shall be held in the month of April, at which Officers and Directors for the ensuing two year term will be elected biennially for a two year term (even numbered years) and will serve for a term of two years, Officers and Directors for the ensuing two year period shall be elected from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. They shall take office immediately upon 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 thirty (30) days after the election.

Section 3: ELECTIONS: The nominated candidates receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The four (4) 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 November, the Board shall select a nominating committee, consisting of three (3) members and two (2) alternates, not more than one of who may be a member of the Board. The Board Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and their alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a chairman for the committee and it shall be his or her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before the first (1st) day of January.

(a) The committee shall nominate one (1) candidate for each office and four (4) candidates for the Directors positions, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing.

(b) Upon receipt of the nominating committee's report the Recording Secretary shall before January 15th notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.

(c) 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 Recording Secretary, a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his or her willingness to be a candidate.

(d) Nominations cannot be made at the annual 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 specialty shows, fun matches, obedience trials, annual awards, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board, 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 VI DISCIPLINE

Section 1: AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION: Any member who is suspended from 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 Board's 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 Board 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 best 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 (3) three weeks nor more than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Board's 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 the 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 suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six (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 fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its finding 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 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 (60) days but not earlier than thirty (30) 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 finding and recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes. The members shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two‑thirds (2/3) 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 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 Recording Secretary signed by twenty (20%) percent 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 (3) months of the date when the petition was received by the Recording Secretary.

Section 2: The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote if 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 (2) 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 two-thirds (2/3) of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the club other than for 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 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:

Minutes of last meeting
Report of President
Report of Vice President
Report of Recording Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Corresponding Secretary
Report of Committees
Election of officers and directors (at election 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 majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Reading of minutes of last meeting
Report of Recording Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Corresponding Secretary
Reports of Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment

ARTICLE X 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 by-laws and any other special rules of order the Club may adopt.