Springfield Missouri Dog Training Club Constitution
Article 1.
NAME AND OBJECTIVE
Section 1.
The name of the club is to be the SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI DOG TRAINING CLUB, INC.
Section 2.
The objects of the Club shall be:
(a) To further the advancement of all breeds of dogs. (2015)
(b) To conduct obedience classes, obedience trials, and other performance, companion and sporting events and sanctioned matches under the rules of the American Kennel Club and to meet the needs of the local community. (2015)
(c) To devote all profits accruing to the Club to the above purposes or to make specified bequests
to such charitable, civic or other organizations or causes as shall be approved by a majority vote of those in attendance and voting at the club meeting, and under no circumstances to pay a salary, fee,
commission or dividend to any member for duties performed in accomplishing the above objects.
(2005) (2015)
Section 3.
The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such bylaws as may be
required to carry out these objects.
BYLAWS
Article I
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility
There shall be four types of membership open to all persons who are in good standing with The
American Kennel Club, and who subscribe to the purpose of this Club:
(a) Regular membership for persons 18 years of age and older.
(b) Junior membership for persons under 18 years of age. Persons under 18 years of age may not
vote, and may not be eligible to hold office of any kind.
(c) Family membership is for members residing in the same household.
(d) Life time membership to SMDTC. It is non-refundable and nontransferable. The cost is $300. (6/98)
Section 2. Dues
The amount of dues for all categories will be established by a 2/3 majority vote at a regular Club
meeting after the proposed change was published in the Newsletter two times. Annual dues are due by April 1st. Individuals submitting the applications for membership after January 1st will have dues paid through the next fiscal year. Any member whose dues are not paid for the current year may not vote. During the month of February the Membership Chair shall cause each member to be notified of dues for the coming year.
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 these Constitution and Bylaws 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. Dues payment shall accompany the application. All applications are to be filed with the Membership Chairperson and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt. At the next Club meeting the applications will be voted upon and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months after such rejections.
Section 4. Termination of membership
Membership may be terminated as follows:
(a) By 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.
(b) By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such
member’s dues remain unpaid thirty (30) days after the first of the fiscal year. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting if his/her dues are unpaid as of the date of that
meeting
(c) By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by the expulsion as provided in Article VI of the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 5. Reinstatement.
An individual, whose membership lapsed, or who resigned without duress, may be reinstated by payment of current year of dues and with the affirmative votes of ¾ of the members present and voting at the next regular membership meeting after being published once in the newsletter. (2015)
Article II
MEETINGS AND VOTING
Section 1. Club Meetings.
Meetings of the Club shall be held in, or within twenty-five miles of the city of Springfield, Missouri. There will be at least six (6) Club meetings per year, the date, hour and place may be designated by the Board of Directors.
(a) The secretary shall cause written or e-mail (1/16) notice of each meeting to be sent at least 10
days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum of such meetings shall be 10% of members (1/16)
in good standing.
Section 2. Special 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, or 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 twenty-five miles of the City of Springfield, Missouri at such an hour and place as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings, but in no case may the meeting be scheduled in excess of 30 days from the date of the request.
(a) Written or email (1/16) notice of such meetings shall be sent by the Secretary at least five days and not more than fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting and no other Club business than that for which the meeting was called may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such meeting shall be 10% of members (1/16) in good standing.
Section 3. Board Meetings.
Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in, or within twenty-five miles of the city of Springfield, Missouri, on alternate months beginning with February, the date, hour and place as
may be designated by the Board. There will be a least 6 Board meetings per year. A quorum for
all Board meetings will consist of 2 Officers and 2 Directors. If any Officer or Director misses either three (3) Board Meetings or three (3) General Membership meetings in a club calendar year (March through February), that individual will be removed from the Board, and they will be replaced as specified in the Bylaws (03/02).Any member in good standing may attend a board meeting unless a special closed meeting is called. Members may contact the President to be placed on the agenda if they wish to speak to 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 members of the Board. Such special
meetings shall be held in or within 25 miles of the City of Springfield, Missouri, at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized therein to call such meeting.
(a) Written notice of such meeting shall be made by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 10 days prior to the date or e-mail (1/16) notice shall be filed at least 3 days and not more than 5 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.
Section 5 Voting.
Each member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one
vote on any matter. 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
(3) Directors, 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 as provided in Article IV, and shall serve for
not more than two consecutive terms, in any one position, or until their successors are elected.
The Training Director, who is appointed by the President and approved by the Board, shall also
be a voting member of the Board. General management of the Club’s business shall be entrusted
to the Board of Directors except that non-budgeted expenditures greater than $1000 (2019) shall be approved by a majority vote of the membership present and voting at meeting of the general membership. In urgent circumstances in which there is not time for a membership vote, the membership must be notified of the expenditure and reason(s) it was required electronically within 24 hours, with full discussion at the next membership meeting, or a special meeting if needed. (2015)
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 the President and in addition to those particularly specified in these Bylaws. (2015)
(b) The Vice-President shall have the powers and exercise the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence, death, or incapacity. This officer will also have responsibilities as assigned in the Yearbook.
(c) The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and activities of the Club, Board of Directors, and all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. At the termination of service, the secretary shall turn over to the newly elected Secretary all records in this regard. The Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence, notifying members of meetings, and shall handle promptly and efficiently all detail work and correspondence designated by the officers of the Club or the Board of Directors. In addition, the Secretary shall carry out such other duties as are prescribed in the Constitution and Bylaws and Yearbook.
(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due the Club, or belonging to the Club, and shall receipt thereof. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to the Board, in the name of the Club. The books shall, at all times be open to inspection by the Board, and the Treasurer shall report to them at each meeting the condition of the Club’s finances, including all balances. At the Annual Meeting of the Club, the Treasurer shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such an amount, as the Board of Directors shall determine.
Section 3. Vacancies
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the officers during the year shall be filled until the term of that position has expired, with an election by a 2/3 vote of the majority of the members in attendance at the first regular meeting following the creation of such a vacancy or at a Special Membership 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 elected by the membership for the remainder of the term. (2015)
Section 4. Removal from Office
Any officer can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote, by a majority vote when previous notice has been given, or by a vote of the majority of the entire membership — any one of which will suffice. A successor may thereafter be elected by the membership for the remainder of the term. (2015)
Article IV
THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS
Section 1. Club Year
The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on tile first day of April and ends on the last day of March.
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 March 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 and Board position shall be declared elected. (2015)
Section 4. Nominations
No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month
of October, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of five 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 and the names of these
individuals shall be published in the Club Newsletter for that month. At the November meeting,
the Nominating Committee will solicit input from the club members regarding potential candidates. The Board shall name a Chairperson for the Committee and it shall be the Chairperson’s duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held before December 15th. A list of those nominated for the open positions on the Board will be published in the January Club Newsletter. (2015)
(a) The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office. For elections in even numbered years, the committee shall nominate a President, Treasurer, and one Director and for elections in odd-numbered years, Vice-President, Secretary, and two Directors. After securing the consent of each person so nominated, the committee shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing or electronically. (2015)
(b) Additional nominations may be made at the February meeting by any member in attendance
provided that the person so nominated doesn’t decline when their name is proposed, and provided
further that if the proposed candidate signifies his willingness to be a candidate. No person may
be a candidate for more than one position.
(c) Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner, other than as provided in this Section.
Article V
COMMITTEES
Section 1 Appointments.
At its first meeting of each fiscal year, the President shall appoint one or more of the following
committee chairpersons and such members deemed appropriate. Such appointments shall be
subject to prior approval by the Board of Directors.
(a) Training Director: it shall be the duty of the Training Director to direct the training program.
The Training Director shall have the responsibility to appoint instructors at any time in accordance with the guidelines approved by the training committee, the Board or the general membership. The Training Director works with a Training Committee and is the Chair of that committee.
(b) Events Committees: Each event committee shall consist of a Chair and Committee members
and shall be in direct charge of and responsible for all phases of the Club’s sanctioned match and
obedience trials, agility trials and tracking tests subject however, to the final authority of the Board.
(c) Budget Committee: The Budget Committee shall consist of three members, one of whom must be a member of the Board. The Committee will prepare a budget prior to the Annual Meeting, which will be placed in the Newsletter published before the meeting. Club members at the annual meeting will vote on the budget. The Chair of the Budget will always be aware of the Club’s financial position so that the Chair can advise the Board on large expenditures. This committee will be responsible for the yearly audit of our books.
(d) Publicity Committee: The Publicity Committee shall consist of a Chair who will be responsible for all publicity, newspaper, radio, TV, etc., which will assist the Club in obtaining its objectives.
(e) Membership Committee: The Membership Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and
other members. The Chairperson will be responsible for processing applications for new
members and keeping records.
(f) Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special
committees may also be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Board to aid it
on particular projects. The President shall serve as ex-officio member of the various committees.
(g) Committee reports may be given by the Committee Chair at any business meeting of the Club
and any Board of Directors meeting by invitation of the President either in person, or in writing
if the Chair is unable to attend the meeting. Committee reports are defined as a Report of Intention, Report of Progress, and/or any other report necessary to keep the Board informed at all times.
Section 2. Committee Terminations.
Any committee member appointed 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 the privileges of the American Kennel Club automatically
shall be suspended from the privileges of the Club for the like period of time.
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 are 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 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 must 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 (3) weeks nor more than six (6) 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 her/his own defense
and bring witnesses if wished.
(a) In the event the $10.00 is forfeited under this section, the person whose alleged misconduct
has been cleared shall have no further recourse.
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 equally in this regard. Should the charges be
sustained after the hearing of 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 (6) months from the date of the hearing. If the Board
deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty is
expulsion. In such case, however, the suspension shall not restrict the Defendant’s right to appear
before 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 who, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board’s decision and the 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
60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board’s recommendation of expulsion.
The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his or her 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 or her own
behalf if he or she wishes. Those members in good standing present at 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 so voted, the Board’s
suspension shall stand. The period for expulsion must be stated in the Board’s recommendation.
ARTICLE VII
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 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 or not for profit
organization, for the benefit of dogs, selected by the majority of members present at the final meeting. (2015)
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments.
Amendments of 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 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 Secretary receives the petition.
Section 2.
The Constitution and Bylaws 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 two successive monthly newsletters published prior to the date of the meeting.
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
Introduction of Guests
Minutes of the last meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Committees
Election of Officers and Board (at Annual 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 the minutes of the last meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment
ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1.
Anything not covered in the Constitution and Bylaws or the Yearbook shall be covered by Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 2.
Interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws shall be made by the Board of Directors.
This document last updated 2/13/16 by Jane Collins, President