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Cascade Dock Dogs
BY-LAWS
Article I. Name
and Objects
The objects of the Club shall be: a) Support the governing body of sanctioned dock jumping events, DockDogs. b) To promote and conduct sanctioned DockDogs events on a yearly basis under the rules of DockDogs Worldwide Organization. c) Support the sport of dog dock jumping. d) Educate the members and the public about the sport of dock jumping. e) Conduct training sessions and informal and formal events associated with dog activities. f) Protect and advance the interests of dog activities by encouraging safety, sportsmanlike competition, and responsible dog ownership. g) Promote happy and fun dog activities. h) Maintain financial stability to insure the continuation of the Club and its capabilities. i) Serve the best interests of the Club’s members as they relate to the sport of dock jumping. Section 3:
Elected and / or
appointed Officers and / or Board Members shall adopt and may from
time-to-time revise such bylaws as may be required to carry out the
above objectives. TABLE OF CONTENTSArticle I: Membership· Section 1: Eligibility
Article II: Meetings and Voting
Article III: Directors and Officers
Article IV: Removal of Officers and Directors Article V: Officers
Article VI: Directors
Article VII: The Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections
Article VIII: Committees
Article IX: Expenses and Financial Responsibility
Article X: Discipline
Article XI: Amendments
Article XII: Dissolution Article XIII: Order of Business Article XIV: Parliamentary Authority BYLAWSArticle I: MembershipSection 1: Eligibility Membership shall be open to all persons who support the purposes of the Club and who are in good standing with both the Club and DockDogs Worldwide, and who are interested in promoting the sport of DockDogs. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of participants living in NW Oregon & SW Washington. Membership is established by submitting a membership application, receiving membership approval, and paying dues. There are several types of membership open to all persons 18 years of age and older who subscribe to the purposes of this Club. Description of Membership Levels (samples below): Charter Members: Members who helped form the Club, whether they actively attended any of the meetings prior to the application for affiliation or worked behind the scenes to support the efforts of the club. They are entitled to voting rights and participation in all Club events. General Members: Open to all persons 18 years of age and older. Household Members: Spouse, significant other, or child of a charter or general member. Adult household members are entitled to voting rights and all household members are entitled to participate in all Club events. Honorary Members: Any individual who has served the Club in a significant way and whom the Board and membership chooses to recognize by designating as an Honorary Member by majority vote of the Board and majority vote of the membership. An Honorary Member is not entitled to vote or hold office. No dues shall be required of an Honorary member.
Membership dues shall not exceed an amount designated by the Board per year, payable on or before February 1st of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. Each January, the Treasurer/Secretary shall send each member a statement of dues for the ensuing year. Section 3: Good Standing Membership in good standing requires that dues be fully paid. If any membership payment is in arrears over 60 days, that membership shall be terminated. Payment of dues will reinstate the membership. Section 4: Election to Membership Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Club Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the constitution and bylaws and the rules of Cascade DockDogs. The application shall state the name and contact information of the applicant. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. It will be at the Board of Directors discretion if circumstances warrant alternative dues. The application will be reviewed by a Board Member(s) and approval or rejection will be conveyed to the applicant. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club’s Officers and / or Board Members may not reapply within six months after such rejection. Membership shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, nationality, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or on the basis of the breed, size of dog, neutered / intact status, or mixed breeding of any member’s dog(s). The Board must report to the membership on a quarterly basis the number of applications that have been rejected. Section 5: Code of Ethics All members must follow the DockDogs Code of Ethics attached to these By-laws as Amendment 1. Failure to abide by the Code of Ethics can result in disciplinary action and/or expulsion as provided in the Discipline section of these bylaws. Section 6: Termination of Membership Memberships may be terminated, without refund of paid dues or any other contributions unless determined otherwise by the Board, by the following processes:
Article II: Meetings and VotingSection 1: General Club Meetings Meetings of the Club shall be held a minimum of two times in a fiscal year. The Club meetings will be held via teleconference, internet, or within the greater Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA metropolitan area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Notice of each such meeting shall be e-mailed and / or posted on the Cascade DockDogs forum no less than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% percent of the members in good standing. OPTIONAL: Special Club Meetings Special Club meetings to discuss extraordinary circumstances may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the Members of the Board of Directors who are in good standing. Notification by e-mail of such a meeting shall be sent by the Secretary. No other club business may be transacted at that meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% percent of the members in good standing. OPTIONAL: Special Board of Director Meetings Special meetings of the Board to discuss extraordinary circumstances may be called by the President; or shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request of at least three members of the Board. The Secretary shall e-mail notification of such meeting before the date of the meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose. Notice of each such meeting shall be e-mailed and / or posted on the Cascade DockDogs forum no less than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 60% percent of the Board members Section 3: Annual Business Meeting The Annual Business Meeting will be held during the month of March. Section 4: Voting Each member 18 years of age or older in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year, shall be entitled to one vote at any club meeting. Section 5: Proxy Voting Proxy voting will not be permitted at any club meeting or election. Meeting Notification The means of meeting notification will be e-mail. If a member should require an alternate means, that member shall arrange such with the club Secretary. Article III: Directors and Officers Section 1: Board of Directors The board shall be comprised of an odd sum of four Officers and at least three other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing. Section 2: Meeting Schedule The Board shall meet to conduct business at least two times during the calendar year. Section 3: Quorum The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be 60% of Board members. Section 4: Duties of Board Members Board Members shall attend at least 75% of Board Meetings and actively participate in the business of the club. If Board Member does not comply with participation requirement, they may be removed based on Article IV, Removal of Officers and Directors. Section 5: Expansion, Downsizing The Board may add additional Board Members as deemed necessary to accommodate for club growth and expansion. Additional Board Members will be appointed with a majority vote of the current Board. New Board Members are to be added in groups of two (2) so that an odd number of total Board Members may be retained. Amendment to the Bylaws including the election terms and stated quantity of members must be adjusted and approved according to these Bylaws. By the same process, the Board may also “downsize” if deemed necessary by identifying positions that will not be renewed after the current term expires provided the reduction can retain the odd number of total Board members. Section 6: Conflict of Interest No active Board Member shall serve in any capacity at a competitor’s club event or demonstration. Nor shall they participate in sales, for profit, membership or sponsorship drives for said non-DockDog event or their affiliates without approval by a majority vote of the Board. The Board may pre-approve specific nonprofit activities for specific competitor dog diving vendors with a majority vote. Article IV: Removal of Officers and Directors If an Officer or Director fails to fulfill the duties of his or her office as set forth in these Bylaws, the other members of the Board may notify that Officer or Director in writing of such non-performance. If the Officer or Director continues to fail to fulfill the duties of the position, the other members of the Board, by majority vote, may remove that Officer or Director and appoint a replacement in accordance with these Bylaws. Article V: Officers Section 1: Officers Terms The club's officers shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected to 2-years terms by the members. The President and Secretary shall be elected in even numbered years and the Vice President and Treasurer in odd years. Section 2: Duties and Powers of Officers 1) President a. Presides at all Board and Member Regular and Special Meetings and shall represent the Club at those occasions that require representation. b. May call regular and special meetings as needed. c. May preside as chair of any or all committees or may appoint the chair of such committees. d. Shall exercise supervision over both the Board and the general membership as a body, to ensure that both are functioning in accordance with these Bylaws. 2) Vice President a. In case of disability or absence of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President. 3) Secretary a. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the club and 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 officers and directors of their election to office, keep roll of the members of the club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws. 4) Treasurer a. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the club. Moneys shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board 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 business meeting an accounting shall be rendered of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. b. The Treasurer shall also file all tax returns and pay all tax liabilities and supervise fiscal budgeting, as needed. c. The Treasurer shall also remain available upon request to assist a succeeding Treasurer that has been elected or appointed to the position. They are to remain accountable and assist with taxes and finances applicable to their previous term. 5) Administrative Person a. The Administrative Person shall assist the President, Vice President, and Secretary in communicating with all club members in good standing via e-newsletters, as well as perform other administrative duties. 6) Past President a. The Past President shall assist the President and Vice-President as a mentor and be available for questions and guidance on club activities, meetings, and other club business, including discipline. Section 4: Date of Assuming Duties The Officers shall assume office immediately at the Annual Business meeting when the elected Board Member/s and Officer/s are announced. Section 5: Resignation, Demise, Removal In the event of the resignation, demise, or removal of any Officer, the Board shall appoint a member from the current Board members or from the general membership to fill that vacancy for the remainder of that Office’s term. Section 6: Members in Good Standing All Officers shall be members in good standing as defined by these Bylaws. Section 7: Compensation All directors, officers and committee members shall serve without compensation. Article VI: Directors Section 1: Numbers, Terms There will be three Directors elected to one-year terms in accordance with the directives for the Nominating Committee as described in these Bylaws. Section 2: Date of Assuming Duties Directors shall assume office immediately at the Annual Business Meeting. Section 3: Resignation, Demise, Removal
In the event
of the resignation, demise or removal of a Director, the Board shall
appoint a member from the current Board members or from the general
membership to fill that vacancy for the remainder of that Director’s
term. Section 1: Club Year The club's fiscal year shall begin on February 1, and end on the last day of January. Section 2: Annual Meeting The annual meeting shall be held in the month of February, at which nominations for officers and directors for the ensuing terms shall be announced and voted upon. Newly elected officers take office at the March general meeting. Each retiring officer shall turn over to the successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days of the election. Section 3: Elections The nominated candidates for Officer or Director receiving the greatest number of votes by members, whose ballots have been submitted by the required date, shall be declared elected. Section 4: Nominations No person may be a candidate in a club election who has not been nominated. The board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of 3 members, not more than one of whom may be an officer or member of the board. The board shall name a chairman for the committee and it shall be such person's duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held on or before January 31st. (a) The committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each vacating office and position on the board and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing. Any nominee for the position of “Director” is required to have first been a club member for at least 1 year prior to elections and must have a membership in good standing. Article VIII: CommitteesSection 1: Standing Committees The board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as sanctioned Jumps, training / fun day events, 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. Special committees may also be appointed by the board to aid it on particular projects. Section 2: Committee Appointment Termination 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 IX: Expenses and Financial Responsibility Section 1: Authorization and Limitation Expenses from the Club’s bank account may only be used for club related purposes as deemed appropriate by the Club President. The President has the authority to utilize funds and approve expenses up to $200, each calendar month, without requiring approval from the Board of Directors or General Membership. Expenses above this set limit must be approved by a majority of both the Board of Directors and the General Membership. A description of the expense beyond the limit being proposed will be provided at the meeting prior to a vote being taken. The set limit may be revised to meet operational requirements and/or inflation. Adjusting the set limit will be done by a vote of the General Membership and Board of Directors and will require a majority approval from both. Section 2: Temporary Deposits and Withdrawals It is permissible for the President and Treasurer to utilize the Club’s bank account to transfer, retain, and distribute funds that are allocated for special purposes as required. Such items may include the holding of donations to charities in order to provide one lump sum, funds set aside for special projects, or to facilitate a loan for a Club related expense. Items of this nature will be accounted separately and not reported as available club funds. Any monetary interest gained during the time held will become property of the Club. Section 3: Responsibility It is the responsibility of all Club members as well as the Board of Directors to insure that the Club’s money is being utilized appropriately. It is a primary responsibility of the Treasurer to know the available funds and their purpose, maintain budgets, and protect the account to the best of his or her ability. It is also the Treasurer’s responsibility to report over expenditures and any other financial concerns to the Board of Directors as soon as they are detected. Article X: Discipline Section 1: DockDogs National Suspension Any member who is suspended from the privileges of or expelled from DockDogs National automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this club for a like period or expelled from this Club. Section 2: Violations of the Code of Ethics Violations of the Code of Ethics are not tolerated. In addition to charges of violations of the Code of Ethics brought by members of this Club, any member of DockDogs National or any Judge or official at an event may prefer charges for a violation of the Code of Ethics. If charges are brought at the DockDogs National level, the DockDogs National Disciplinary Procedure shall be followed. Section 3: Charges Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the club or for a violation of the Code of Ethics. Written charges with specifications must be filed with the DockDogs office by the Secretary of the Club. The Secretary shall also 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 or a violation of the Code of Ethics. If the board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the club or a violation of the Code of Ethics, 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 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/her own defense and bring witnesses if he/she wishes. Section 4: 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 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/her 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 5: 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 these Bylaws. 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/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 defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/she wishes. 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 XI: AmendmentsSection 1: Proposals 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: Membership Vote 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 the notice of the meeting and mailed or e-mailed to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. Section 3: Notification All amendments, changes or deletions to the Constitution & By-Laws must be submitted to the DockDogs Worldwide office within 30 days of passage. Article XII: DissolutionSection 1: The Club may be dissolved 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 organization or to another DockDogs Club for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors. Article XIII: Order of Business Section 1: At meetings of both the board and the club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:
Roll Call
Article XIV: Parliamentary AuthoritySection 1: Anything not covered by the Constitution, Bylaws, or Standing Rules shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. Amendment I: CODE OF ETHICS OBJECTIVES :: Training and competing with any dog shall be done discriminately with emphasis placed on developing good health, sound temperament, willingness to work and other outstanding characteristics of dogs. SPORTSMANSHIP :: All Club members shall at all times display good sportsmanship and conduct themselves in a manner which will reflect well upon our dogs and our sport. Whether at home, traveling, at competitions or motels / hotels, Club members will treat all (including competitors, judges, officials, and spectators) with respect and courtesy. Members shall not malign DockDogs, other competitors or their dogs. HEALTH :: All Club members agree to maintain good standards of health and care of their dog(s), including proper veterinary care, adequate quality food and water, and proper socialization. Members shall not use any means to derive better results during training or competition from their dog that are illegal, not prescribed by a licensed veterinarian for a medical condition, artificial and / or harmful to their dog(s). Under no circumstances will abuse of animal(s) or human(s) be tolerated. ENFORCEMENT : All members shall agree that receipt by the Board of Directors of written allegations of violations of this Code of Ethics shall be investigated and acted upon according to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Club.
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Copyright © 2001 [Cascade Dockdogs]. All rights reserved. |
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