A member club of the American Kennel Club.

                     By-Laws Kanadasaga Kennel Club

ARTICLE I - Name and Objects
Section 1. The name of the Club shall be Kanadasaga Kennel Club, Inc.

Section 2. The object of the Club shall be to:
a) promote and improve the breeding of and to protect and advance the interests of all breeds of purebred dogs.
b) encourage the interest in and hold dog shows, exhibitions, matches, obedience trials, agility trials or any AKC approved event:
c) promote sportsmanlike competition at such events:
d) Conduct all events under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club.

ARTICLE II - Membership
Section 1. Eligibility: There shall be five (5) types of membership open to all persons eighteen (18) years of age or older, and two (2) for those under eighteen (18), who must be in good standing with the American Kennel Club, and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.

Section 2. Classes and Qualifications
a) Individual Membership: Individual members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of membership including voting as set forth below.
b) Household Membership: Shall comprise Two persons meeting the qualifications for individual membership and residing in the same household and the minor children under eighteen (18) years of age of the household except that any minor children shall not have the right to vote or hold office. Both individuals shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of membership including voting privileges of the corporation as set forth below.
c) Junior Membership: shall be for individuals under eighteen (18) years of age. Upon election of membership, Junior members shall have all privileges of membership except the right to vote or hold office.
d) Honorary Membership, shall be upon signed recommendation of one member, seconded by another member, and by a majority vote of the Membership. Honorary membership may be conferred upon an individual who shall have rendered notable service to the Club. An Honorary member shall have none of the obligations of membership in the corporation including the payment of Dues but shall be entitled to all of the privileges of membership.
e) Life Membership shall be bestowed upon any member that has been a member in good standing of the Cub for 20 years. Upon notice by the membership chairman the membership must by a majority vote, approve the Life Membership status. Life Members shall have all of the privileges of individual membership and are exempt from paying dues.

Section 3. Dues. Membership dues shall not exceed $20.00 per year for Individual membership. Each member must pay, within the time and on the conditions set forth by the Club, the dues, fees, and assessments in the amount to be fixed from tine to time by the club, provided however that the amount of any dues increases fees or assessments must be approved by a majority vote of the membership.
a) Every new member must pay an initiation fee of $5.00 .
b) Dues are payable on or before the first day of January of each year. Members joining the Club after the first day of July of any year shall pay one-half of the regular dues for the balance of the year; members joining after October first shall pay the full amount of the annual dues and be credited for having paid the dues for the next fiscal year.
c) Notice that the annual dues are due and payable for the ensuing fiscal year shall be included in the meeting notice for the month of November each year.
d) Should any members dues remain unpaid on the 31st day of January shall cease to be a member in good standing , except in the case of absence from the country or illness, in which case his retention as a member shall be left to the discretion of the membership.

Section 4. Good Standing, Those members who have paid the required dues, fees and assessments in accordance with these bylaws, who are not suspended and are in good standing with The American Kennel Club shall be members in good standing.

Section 5. Election to Membership
a) The name of a prospective member will be presented to the membership by a sponsor or the Membership Chairman at a meeting where the proposed new member is not present.
b) If approval is given by a simple majority vote of those members in attendance, an application, copy of he By-laws, and procedures for election to membership will be sent, along with a notice of the next meeting, to the applicant. Each application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant. It shall also provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the constitution and By-laws of both the American Kennel Club and Kanadasaga Kennel Club. The application must be signed by either two (2) sponsoring Kanadasaga Kennel Club members giving their reasons for sponsoring this applicant, or by the Membership Chairman who received the request for application from a non-sponsored individual. The Board of the Kanadasaga Kennel Club may add questions to the application that it deems necessary for the evaluation of the applicants.
c) All prospective members shall be informed that all members are expected to actively participate in the Club activities, e.g. match and or point shows at least once a year.
d) Upon receipt of the completed application, initiation fee and dues, the prospective member¹s names will be published in the next meeting notice as having applied for membership. The application shall be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt.
e)A sponsored prospective member must then attend three (3) meetings after the application has been received by the Club, and before being voted on by the General Membership.
f) A non-sponsored prospective member must attend five (5) meetings after the application has been received by the Club, before being voted on by the General Membership.
g) Balloting for the applicant shall be held at the first meeting of the General Membership after completion of the application and requirements as stated in sections 5 (e) or 5 (f) above. The meeting notice for that month shall contain the names of those applicants who will be voted on. The applicant¹s to be voted on shall be notified that they may not be present at the meeting that their membership is to be voted on
h) The application of each prospective member to be voted on shall be read prior to voting and the two sponsors shall give their speak on their behalf. An Affirmative vote of two-thirds of the General Membership present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applicants who have failed to receive a two-thirds affirmative vote shall not be considered for membership again until the expiration of six (6) months.

Section 6. A person must be a member in good standing of the Club for one full calendar year before that member may sponsor a new applicant for membership.

Section 7. The interest of each member in the property of the Club shall cease with the termination of his membership by death, resignation, lapsing or expulsion.

Section 8. Termination and Suspension of Membership.
a) A membership shall terminate on occurrence of one of the following.
1) Resignation: Any member 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 they are incurred on the first day of each year. Anyone that resigns by written notice may apply for reinstatement at a later date, thus forgoing the application for membership process. An affirmative vote of the majority of the membership present at the next regular meeting is sufficient for reinstatement. The current years dues will be payable on reinstatement.
2) Lapsing: A member will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid on the 31 day of January of each year; however, the board 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 at any club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
3) Expulsion: A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in article VII of these by-laws.
b) A person whose membership is suspended shall not be a member during the period of suspension

ARTICLE III - Meetings and Voting
Section 1. Club Meetings. Meetings of the general membership shall be held on the evening of the first Tuesday of each month or at such a time and place as designate by the Board of Directors, for the transaction of such business as may be necessary. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary to each member at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The quorum for the transaction of business at any regular monthly meeting, special meeting, or the annual meeting shall be Twenty (20) 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 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 at such a date time and place as may be designated. Written notice of such a meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting, and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other club business may be transacted there at. The quorum for the transaction of business at a special club meeting shall be Twenty (20) percent of the members in good standing.

Section 3 . Board Meetings. Meetings of the board of directors shall be held each month prior to the regular monthly meeting of the General Membership. The quorum for board meetings shall be a majority of the executive board of which Two (2) shall be officers.

Section 4.  Special board meetings shall 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 at such a place, date and hour as designated by the person authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least five 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 there at. The quorum for special board meetings shall be a majority of the executive board of which Two (2) shall be officers.  

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 IV - Directors and Officers
Section 1. Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the officers and four (4) directors, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected at the club's annual meeting as provided in Article III and shall serve until their successors are elected. The term of office for the Directors is four (4) years. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
a) The Executive Board shall from make regulations in accordance with the powers herein provided
c) The Executive Board may not obligate the Club for expenditures exceeding one hundred ($100.00) dollars without first getting the approval of the Club
d) The Executive Board shall cause to be prepared annually a detailed statement of the financial condition of the Club showing its receipts and expenditures for the current year, the number of members and other matters of interest to the Club

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. The term of office for Officers is one (1) year.
a) The President Shall preside at all meetings of the club and of the Board of Directors, and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President n addition to those particularly specified in these bylaws.
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 complete record of all the meetings of the club and of the Executive Board, and of all other records ordered by the club. These records shall be available to the club members at all times and the record books shall be brought to all meetings by the Recording Secretary or sent to the meeting in his/her absence. He/She shall furnish the President with a copy of the minutes of all meetings within reasonable tine after such meetings take place. He/She shall keep a roll of members of the club together with their addresses. He/She shall prepare an annual report to be given at the Annual Meeting.
d) The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence of the club. He/She shall write all letters and communications as ordered by the club and shall keep the President informed on all important matters. On the election of members, he shall send him a written notice of his election and furnish him a copy of the By-laws of the club. He/She shall notify Officers and members of their election or appointment and shall issue notices to members of all meetings. He/She shall prepare and mail ballots for the annual election of Officers and Directors.
e) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the club and receipt therefore. His/Her books shall at all times be open for inspection of the Executive Board, and he/she shall report to them at every meeting the condition of finances of the club when requested, and at the Annual Meeting of the club he/she shall render an account of monies received and expended during the year previous, which account must be audited by the President of the club or by someone appointed by him for this purpose. The money of the club shall be deposited in a bank or institution approved by the Executive Board, In the name of the club. The Board of Directors may require that the Treasurer be bonded in the amount as the Board of Directors shall determine, at the expense of the club.
f) The offices of Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary may be held by one person, in which case the Board of Directors shall be comprised of five (5) persons.
g) The AKC Delegate shall be appointed by the Board of Directors, he/she shall hold this position until replaced by the Board of Directors or until he/she resigns this position. He/She shall be required to attend the Annual Meeting of The American Kennel Club and at least one other meeting during the year, unless excused by the board for special reasons. The club shall be responsible for paying transportation and rooming costs for the meetings. He/She shall attend the board meetings report to the board and membership at the monthly meetings. This position holds no special voting rights in the club. Direction for voting at the AKC Delegates meetings should taken from the club.

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 remaining 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 V - The Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections
Section 1. Club Year. The club's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year.
The club's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the elections at the annual meeting and shall continue thorough the election at the next annual meeting.

Section 2. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the club shall be held on the first Tuesday in July of each year. Officers and Directors shall be elected at such Annual Meeting by secret ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. They shall take office immediately on the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to the successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election. Such other business as may be properly brought before the meeting shall be transacted.

Section 3. Nominations. No person may be a candidate for election who has not been nominated. During the month of March, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom is a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and the alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the committee, and it shall be his duty to call a committee meeting which will be held on or before May 10.
a) The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and one candidate for each member of the Board whose terms expiring. After securing the consent of each person so nominated, they shall immediately report their nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing.
b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Recording Secretary shall, at least two weeks before the June Meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
c) Additional nominations may be made at the June meeting by any member in attendance at this meeting, 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, the 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 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 candidate receiving the greater number of votes for each officer's position shall be declared elected. The nominated candidates for other positions on the board, that are open for election, receiving the greatest number of votes, shall be declared elected, to the positions that are available.

Section 5. Voting procedure for Elections;
a) Voting shall be by secret ballot. Ten days prior to the Annual Meeting, the Corresponding Secretary shall mail to each member eligible to vote a printed ballot, together with a plain envelope marked "Ballot" and an instruction sheet.
b) The instruction sheet shall read "After marking your ballot, place it in the envelope marked "ballot". Place the ballot envelope in one of your own envelopes with your name and address on the outside of it and mail it to the Recording Secretary, or bring it to the Annual Meeting, and present it to same." The name and address of the Recording Secretary shall be plainly printed on the instruction sheet and also the date, time and location of the Annual Meeting.
c) The ballots shall not be opened until all are present at the Annual Meeting when the names will be checked against the list of eligible voters. The outer envelopes shall be removed and the ballots opened and counted by board appointed tellers.
d) In case of a tie vote for any office, a second vote (by secret written ballot) shall be taken of the members Present at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VI - Committees
Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as dog shows, obedience trials, annual awards, membership, and other fields which may well be served by committees. 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 notification to the appointee, the board may appoint a successor to those persons whose services have been terminated.

ARTICLE VII - 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 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.

Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Recording 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 first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the club.

If the board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interest of the club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.
If the board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date for a 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 wishes.

Section 2. 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 this 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 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 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 3. 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 60 days but not earliest than 30 days after the date of the board's recommendation of expulsion, 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 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 VIII - 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 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 months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

Section 2. 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. 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.

Section 3. No amendment to the constitution and bylaws that is adopted by the club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club.

ARTICLE IX - 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 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 X - 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
     Reading of the minutes of the last meeting
     Report of President
     Report of Treasurers
     Report of the Secretary
     Report of Committees
     Election of officers and board (at annual meeting)
     Election of new members
     Old Business
     New business
     Reading and approval of minutes
     Adjournment

Section 2. At meetings of the Board of Directors, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

     Roll Call
     Reading of minutes of the last meeting
     Report of President
     Report of Treasurer
     Report of Secretary
     Reports of committees
     Old Business
     New business
     Adjournment
 
ARTICLE XI - 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 bylaws and any other special rules of order the club may adopt.

updated April, 2013