By-Laws




	THE NUTMEG AFGHAN HOUND CLUB, INC. CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS REVISED April 1992 BY-LAWS ARTICLE I MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY. There shall be three types of membership open to all persons who are in good standing with THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB and who subscribe to the purpose of the Club. one type, hereinafter known as "Regular Membership" shall be open to all persons 18 (eighteen) years of age or older. A second type, hereinafter known as "Junior Membership" shall be open to all persons between the ages of 8 (eight) and 18 (eighteen). Dues for Junior Memberships to be determined by the B0ARD OF DIRECTORS on or before the first day of September of each year as ruled in ARTICLE I, SECTION 3. Junior Membership to be defined as any member under the age of 18 (eighteen), but not younger than 8 (eight). Such Junior Member shall not have voting privilege nor shall such Junior Member be allowed to hold any office in the NUTMEG AFGHAN HOUND CLUB, INC, A third type, hereinafter known as "Honorary Membership" shall be open to those persons who are widely recognized as having made a significant contribution to the betterment of the breed, and whose knowledge and experience will be beneficial to Nutmeg Afghan Hound Club, Inc. and its members. Such Honorary Member shall not have any voting privilege nor shall such Honorary Member be allowed to hold any office in the Nutmeg Afghan Hound Club, Inc. SECTION 2. DUES. Membership dues shall not exceed: Junior Membership Only $ 10.00 per year Regular Membership $ 15.00 per year Husband & Wife Membership $ 20.00 per year Family Membership $ 25.00 per year Dues shall be payable on or before the first day of May of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of March, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for. the ensuing 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 By-Laws and the rule of THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. The application shall state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and it shall carry the endorsement of 2 (two) members. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. However, the dues of new members joining the Club subsequent to March 31 of any year, will be considered payment through the following 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 meeting the application will be voted and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply within six months after such rejection. Nomination for Honorary Membership maybe submitted by three members in good standing of Nutmeg Afghan Hound Club, Inc. during the month of January on a form approved by the Board of Directors and forwarded to the Recording Secretary for filing. At the next meeting of the Club following its receipt, the nomination well be voted upon, and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members shall be required to elect the nominee. SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP. Memberships may be terminated: 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 each fiscal year. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if 'such member's dues remain unpaid 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 90 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. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI. ARTICLE II MEETINGS AND VOTING SECTION 1. CLUB MEETINGS. Meetings of the Club shall be held in (or within 25 miles of) the City of Meriden on the third Tuesday of every other month, 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 at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings 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 members of the Board 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 5 (five) members of the Club who are in good standing. Such Special meetings shall be held in (or within 25 miles) of the City of Meriden, at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at leas~ 5 (five) days and not more than 15 (fifteen) day 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 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 in (or within 25 miles) of the City of Meriden on the third Tuesday of every other month in months of September through August each year, 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 5 (five) 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 meeting of the Board may be called by the President, and shall be called by the Recording Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least 3 (three) members of the Board. Such Special meetings shall be held in (or within 25 mile) of the City of Meriden, at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least 5 (five) days and not more than 10 (ten) days prior to the date of the meeting, or telegraphic 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 PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, RECORDING SECRETARY, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY,' TREASURER, AND 5 (five) 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. 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 it's meeting. 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. The VICE-PRESIDENT shall have the duties and exercise the power of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity. The RECORDING 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. The CORRESPONDING SECRETARY shall have charge of the correspondence, new members of their election to membership, 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. The TREASURER shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. The book shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board. The Treasurer shall give a full report at every meeting on the conditions of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he/she shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The offices of RECORDING SECRETARY, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY AND TREASURER may be held by the same person in which case the Board shall be comprised of the Officers and 6 (six) other persons. 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 members following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy of the 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. ARTICLE IV THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETINGS, ELECTIONS SECTION 1. CLUB YEAR. The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of May and end on last day of April. 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 MEETINGS. The Annual Meeting shall be held in the month of August 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 (thirty) days after the election. SECTION 3. ELECTIONS. The nominated candidate receiving the most number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The 5 (five) nominated candidates for other positions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such position 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 May, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of 3 (three) members and 2 (two) alternates, not more than one of whom shall be a member of the Board. The Corresponding Secretary shall immediately notify the Committeemen and 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 shall be held on or before June 30. The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office, and 5 (five) candidates for the 5 (five) other Positions on the Board, and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Recording Secretary in writing. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Corresponding Secretary shall before July 15, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated. Additional nomination may be made at the July Meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed, and provided further that of the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his written statement from the proposer shall present to the Recording 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 among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any other manner other than as provided in this Section. ARTICLE V COMMITTEES SECTION 1. COMMITTEES. The Board may each year appoint standing Committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as Specialty Shows, Obedience Trials, Lure Coursing Field Trials, Trophies, Annual prizes, Membership 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 it on particular projects. SECTION 2. Any Committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full Membership of the board upon verbal 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 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 Recording Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 (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 interest of the Club or the Breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the Breed, 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 6 (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 bring witness if he wishes. 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 uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complaint 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 (six) months from the date of the hearing. 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 member 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 Recording Secretary. The Corresponding 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 the Club following a Board Hearing and upon the recommendation as provided in Section 3 of the Article. Such proceedings may occur at a Regular or Special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 (sixty) days but not earlier than 30 (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 written 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 VII AMENDMENTS SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS. Amendments to the CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Recording Secretary signed by 20% (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 of Directors by the Corresponding Secretary for a vote within 3 (three) 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 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 2 (two) weeks prior to the date of the meeting. ARTICLE VIII DISSOLUTION SECTION 1. DISSOLUTION. The Club may be dissolved at any time by written notice of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any member 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. ORDER OF BUSINESS. At meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character of the meeting may permit shall be as follows: ROLL CALL MINUTES OF LAST, MEETING REPORT OF PRESIDENT REPORT OF CORRESPONDING SECRETARY REPORT OF TREASURER REPORT OF COMMITTEES ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD (Annual Meeting) ELECTION OF NEW MEMBERS UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS ADJOURNMENT SECTION 2. ORDER OF BUSINESS. 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 THE LAST MEETING REPORT OF CORRESPONDING SECRETARY REPORT OF TREASURER REPORT OF COMMITTEES (optional) UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS ADJOURNMENT	Dragonfly's Young American "Bowie" Llacue's Special Soul, CGC "Tyson" Beaujon's Summer Wind "Breeze"