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This is the May 2007 document which was submitted to AKC for their approval. It is in .pdf format for easier
printing.
CONSTITUTION SECTION 1.
The name of the club shall be the Wisconsin Italian Spinone Club (WISC). SECTION 2.
The objectives of the club shall be:
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 Spinone
Italiano shall be judged; c. To do all in its power to protect
and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at:
i. Dog
shows
ii. Field
trials
iii. Hunting
tests
iv. Tracking
tests; d. To conduct sanctioned events, including
but not limited to:
i. Dog
shows
ii. Field
trials
iii. Hunting
tests
iv. Any
other event for which the club is eligible under the Rules and Regulations of The American Kennel Club; e. To disseminate knowledge, conduct
related classes and promote the training of purebred dogs; f. To encourage the training of judges. SECTION 3.
The club shall not be conducted or operated for 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 bylaws as may be required to carry out these
objectives. BYLAWS
ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1.
Eligibility. There shall be five types of membership open
to all persons 16 years of age and older who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purpose
and objectives of this club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence,
the club’s primary purpose is to represent the breeders and exhibitors within the state of Wisconsin. Types of membership: a. Regular/Individual: Enjoys all club privileges including the right to vote and hold office; b. Household: Two adult members residing in the same household, each
eligible to vote and hold office; c. Associate: Entitled to all club privileges except voting and office
holding (Example: individuals who live outside of the geographical area of the club, or individuals who are dues paying but
not active); d. Junior: Open to individuals under 16 years of age, non-voting
and non-office holding membership that will convert to regular membership at age 16.
Junior members pay no dues and are not eligible to vote until the membership converts to a level that includes voting
rights. e. Honorary: An individual who has made significant contributions
to the Sport, Breed or the club; Honorary members pay no dues and are not eligible to vote, but may maintain Regular or Household
memberships if they pay dues. SECTION 2. Dues. Membership dues shall not exceed fifteen
dollars ($15.00) per year for Regular/Individual or Associate (single member), and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per year for
Household (two members from same household), and shall be payable on or before the 1st day of May each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
The Treasurer shall send, in April of each year, to each member, a reminder statement of dues for the ensuing year. SECTION 3.
Election to Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply
on a form approved by the Board of Directors, such form to state that the applicant agrees to abide by the Constitution, Bylaws
and Rules of The American Kennel Club and the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules of the Wisconsin Italian Spinone Club. The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant and shall carry the endorsement
of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective
member shall submit dues payment for the current year. All applications are to be filed with the
Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the club following its receipt. At the second meeting of the club following receipt, the applications will be voted upon and affirmative
votes of the majority of the members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applicants who are rejected by the club may not reapply within one year after such
rejection. SECTION 4.
Termination of Membership. Memberships may be terminated: a. By resignation: Any member in good standing may resign from the club upon written notice to the Secretary. No member may resign when in debt to the club. Obligations
other than dues are considered a debt to the club and must be paid in full prior to resignation. b. By lapsing: A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if a member’s dues remain
unpaid on or after August 1 of each 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. c. By expulsion: A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these bylaws. ARTICLE II - MEETINGS AND VOTING SECTION 1. Club Meetings. Meetings of the club shall be held each month in Wisconsin at
such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary
shall distribute email notice or written mail notice of each meeting at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The number of memberships in good standing and eligible to vote
shall determine the quorum for such meetings. If there are: a. 12 - 20
vote eligible memberships, then the quorum shall be 50% of the members in good standing and with voting rights. b. 21 - 40 vote
eligible memberships, then the quorum shall be 33% of the members in good standing and with voting rights. c. More than
40 vote eligible memberships, then the quorum will be 25% of the members in good standing and with voting rights. 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 in Wisconsin 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 emailed or 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 thereat. The quorum
for such a meeting shall be determined as set forth in Section 1. SECTION 3.
Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall
be held each month in Wisconsin at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board.
Meetings may take place by Internet, telephone conference, videoconference or in person. Written notice, either email or regular mail shall be posted by the Secretary at last 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 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 Wisconsin at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person
authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice either by email or regular
mail shall be posted by the 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 thereat. 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 the member 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 three other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for two year terms
at the club’s annual meeting on odd numbered years, 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 and term limits. 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. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined into a single position with the responsibilities
of each position assumed by the same person in which case the board shall be comprised of six persons. Responsibilities and duties of each position
shall include: a.
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 in addition to those particularly specified in these bylaws. b.
Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in the case of the President’s
death, absence or incapacity. c.
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 by the club; have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of
their election to membership, notify officers and Directors of their election to office, keep a roll of members of the club
and with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws. d.
Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board or any member and a report shall be given
at every meeting on the condition of the club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and
at the annual meeting an accounting shall be rendered of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine. Term Limits: Each term of office shall be two years. Members are prohibited from holding the same officer position for more than two consecutive
terms or four consecutive years. Once an officer has served two consecutive terms of office in a single officer position,
that person will not be eligible to run for that same officer position for a period of two years. Term limits apply to officer positions and shall not apply to non-officer positions on the Board of Directors. SECTION 3. American
Kennel Club Delegate An American Kennel Club Delegate shall be
elected for a two year term at the club’s annual meeting on odd numbered years, as provided in Article IV and shall
serve until a successor is elected. The Delegate may, but need not be a member,
officer, or director of the club. Term Limits shall not apply to the Delegate. The Delegate shall be nominated in the same manner as other elected positions. The Delegate shall attend meetings or events associated with the American Kennel Club
and serve at the direction of the Board. SECTION 4.
Vacancies. Any vacancies on the Board of Directors during
the elected term shall be filled until the next scheduled election by a majority vote of the 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 the President shall be filled automatically by the office of the Vice President. The resulting
vacancy in the office of the Vice President shall be filled by a majority vote of the members of the Board. Additional positions on the Board of Directors
may be authorized by a two-thirds majority vote of members present at the Annual Meeting. ARTICLE IV - 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. 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 Board of Directors shall, before February
28 of each year, schedule the annual meeting and provide notice to all members in good standing of the date, time, and location
of the annual meeting. The meeting shall take place before August 31 of each
year. At the annual meeting on odd numbered years,
Officers, Delegate to the American Kennel Club, and Directors for the ensuing two year term shall be elected by secret ballot
from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. Elected
members shall take office immediately upon 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. SECTION 3.
Elections. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest
number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. SECTION 4. Nominations. Nominations shall be made at the Annual Meeting during elections
years. No person may be a candidate in a club election who has not been nominated. Any member in good standing may make a nomination.
The person making the nomination must be in attendance. Any person so
nominated must express willingness to accept the nomination and accept the position if elected. If the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the member nominating the candidate shall
present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one position, except for the Delegate position. No person may be a candidate unless that person has been a member in good standing for a time period of
more than ninety days before the date of the election. Nominations cannot be made 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 dog shows, field
trials, hunt tests, trophies, annual prizes, membership, and other fields which may 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 assist on particular projects. SECTION 2.
Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board and 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.
The 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 this club for a like period. SECTION 2.
Charges. An individual member may prefer charges against another individual
member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the club. Written
charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary with a deposit of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) that
shall be forfeited if the Board following a hearing does not sustain such charges. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each
member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting. The Board shall first
consider whether the charges, if proven, might constitute misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the club. If the Board determines that the charges do not allege conduct that 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 for a hearing by the Board not less than three weeks or more than six weeks
thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges and the specifications to the accused member by certified
mail together with a notice of the hearing and assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his own defense and bring
witnesses if the accused member 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 charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented
by complainant and defendant, the Board may, as determined by a majority vote of those present, reprimand or suspend the defendant
from all privileges of the club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing.
If the Board, as determined by a majority vote of those present, 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 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 member under consideration shall have the privilege of appearing
in his/her 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 member under consideration,
if present, to speak in his/her own behalf. The members 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. 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 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 Secretary received the petition. SECTION 2. The constitution and bylaws may be amended by a two
thirds secret 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 week prior to the
date of the meeting. No amendment to the constitution and bylaws that is adopted
by the club shall become effective until the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club has approved it. ARTICLE VIII - 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 good standing. 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 neither 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: a. Roll Call b. Minutes of last meeting c. Report of the President d. Report of the Secretary e. Report of the Treasurer f.
Reports of committees g. Election of Officers and Board Members (at annual meeting on odd numbered years) h. Election of new members i.
Unfinished business j.
New business k. 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: a. Reading of minutes of the last meeting b. Report of Secretary c. Report of Treasurer d. Reports of committees e. Unfinished business f.
New business g. 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 bylaws and any other
special rules of order the club may adopt. |
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