NAME AND OBJECTS

Section 1

The name of the Club shall be Coulee Kennel Club, Inc.

Section 2

OBJECTS

of the club shall be:

(a)to further the advancement of all breeds of pure-bred dogs;

(b)to conduct dog shows, obedience trials and sanctioned matches under the rules of the American Kennel Club;

(c)to devote all profits accruing to the Club to the above purposes or to make specific donations to such charitable or civic organizations as shall be approved by a majority vote of those in attendance and voting at a Club meeting; and under no circumstances to pay a salary, fee, commission or dividend to any member.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1

Eligibility

There shall be two types of membership open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.

(a)Voting membership.  Voting Members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Coulee Kennel Club.  They shall be counted in all quorums, vote on all issues, and be entitled to hold any office.  Membership shall be unrestricted as to place of residence.

(b)Associate membership.  Associate members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Coulee Kennel Club with the following exceptions: they shall not be counted in any quorums, entitled to vote or hold any office.  Membership shall be unrestricted as to place of residence.

A junior membership shall be open to all individuals ages 10 through 17.  Birth date shall be required on application.

Section 2

Dues

Dues shall be $7.50 for individual voting membership and $10.00 for voting family membership, consisting of husband, wife and all children under 18 years of age.  Dues shall be $6.00 for individual associate membership and $8.00 for family associate membership, consisting of husband, wife and all children under 18 years of age.  Dues for junior members shall be $3.50.  All dues are payable on or before the first day of January of each year.  During the month of November the Secretary shall send to each member a notice of dues for the ensuing year.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.

Section 3

Election to membership

(a) Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors with the endorsement of two members.  Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues for the current year.  All initial applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the of the Club following its receipt at which the applicant is present.

(b)The applicant's name and sponsors' names shall be published in the first newsletter following the first reading.  At the next Club meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of ¾ of the members present and voting at the meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

(c)Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply within six months after such rejection.

(d)Juniors shall be required to fill out and present an application with the required dues, but voting in of the junior members shall not be required.  One or both parents/guardians shall be required to sign a junior's application for membership in the Coulee Kennel Club.

(e)Persons whose memberships have lapsed may be reinstated by submitting to the Secretary, accompanied by current dues, a new membership application during the calendar year in which the membership lapsed.  The application is to be read at the first meeting following receipt.  An affirmative vote of ¾ of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to reinstate the applicant.

Section 4

Change of Status

(a)Associate membership may be changed to voting membership or vice versa by written notice to the Club Secretary and accompanied by appropriate dues on or before January 1st of the current calendar year.

(b)Any junior member wishing to remain a Club member after the year of his/her eighteenth birthday must pay voting or associate membership dues.  The dues of a junior a member who has changed to voting or associate membership during the year are considered as paid in full until the beginning of the next fiscal year.

Memberships may be terminated:

(a)By resignation:  Any member in good standing may resign form 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 become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.

(b)By lapsing:  A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid 45 days after the first day of the fiscal year.  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 VII of the constitution.

ARTICLE III

MEETINGS

Section 1

Meetings of the Club

Meetings of the Club shall be held in or near the city of La Crosse on the fourth Tuesday of each month except the month of December at such hour and place as may be designated by the President.  Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quorum for such meeting shall be 20 percent of the total voting membership.

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 or near the city of La Crosse at such hour and place as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings.  Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more that 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 meeting shall be 20 percent of the total voting membership.

Section 3

Board Meetings

Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in or near the city of La Crosse as called, at such hour and place as may be designated by the President.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quorum of such meeting shall be a majority of the full Board.  Board meetings shall be held at least quarterly.

Section 4

Special Board Meetings

Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least 3 members of the Board.  Such special meetings shall be held in or near the city of La Crosse and at such hour and place as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.  Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting or wire 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.  A quorum for such meeting shall be a majority of the full Board.

ARTICLE IV

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall consist of seven members and shall be comprised of the President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and three other persons all of whom shall be elected for one year terms at the Club's annual meeting as provided in ARTICLE V.  No person may hold office for more than three consecutive full terms and no person may serve on the Board of Directors for more than four consecutive full terms.  General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.  Any decision made by the Board of Directors may be overruled or modified by a ¾ majority vote of the membership at any regular meeting.

Section 2

Officers

The Club's officers consisting of the President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve 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 the Board; shall, by written notice, call regular meetings of the Board; shall, by written notice, call special meetings of the Board; shall appoint an auditing committee consisting of two members; shall, no later than the meeting following with annual show, appoint an assistant chairperson for the annual show.  If the assistant chairperson or show chairperson is unable to complete a term, the vacancy will be filled by the appointment of the President within 30 days.  All appointments shall be subject to Board approval.

(b)The Vice-president shall have the powers and exercise the duties of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity; shall chair the program committee and shall be responsible for developing a yearly activities calendar.

(c)The 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; shall handle both readings and the voting on all new membership applications; shall have charge of correspondence; shall mail notice of regular meetings at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting; shall mail notice of special meetings at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting; shall be responsible for notifying nominating committee and alternates of their selection immediately following said selection; shall keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses; shall, in the month of November, mail each member a notice of dues for the ensuing year; shall send new membership cards, membership roster and Constitution to each new member and shall send membership cards to all renewing membership.

(d)The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club and receipt therefor; shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to the Board, in the name of the Club; shall, at all times, have the financial records available for inspection of the Board; shall report the financial status of the Club at each meeting with every item or receipt or payment not before reported; shall, at the annual meeting, render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year; shall pay all bills incurred by the Club; shall handle all correspondence dealing with financial matters.

Section 3

Vacancies

Any vacancies occurring on the Board during the year shall be filled for the un-expired term of office by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy; except that a vacancy in the office of the 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

The Club Year

(a)The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of February and end on the 31st day of January of each year.

(b)The Club's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election of 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 January at which directors and officers for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 5 of this ARTICLE.  They shall take office immediately upon 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

Proxies

Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or election.

Section 4

Elections

The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.  The three nominated candidates for other positions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such position shall be declared elected.

Section 5

Nominations

No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated.  No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been a member for a period of three months prior to nominations.  During the month of September, the Board shall select a nominating committee and chairperson consisting of five members and two alternates, not more than one of whom shall be a member of the Board.  The Secretary shall immediately notify the committee and alternates of their selection.  The nominating committee meeting shall be held on or before October 15th.

(a)The committee shall nominate at least one candidate for each office and at least three candidates for the other positions on the Board.  The chairperson of the nominating committee then obtains verbal acceptance of candidates nominated during the meeting of the nominating committee.  Upon verbal acceptance by the candidate, the chairperson notifies, in writing, the Secretary of the Club.

(b)The candidates must then, within 10 days, notify the Club Secretary of their acceptance in writing.  The Secretary shall report the slate of candidates at the October meeting.

(c)Additional nominations may be made at the November meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline such nomination and provided, further, that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the individual proposing the nomination 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 that one office.

(d)If a quorum is not present at the November meeting, additional nominations may be made at the annual meeting immediately prior to the election of officers.

(e)Nominations can not be made at the annual meeting except as provided in ARTICLE V, Section 3(d); or in any manner other than as provided in this Section 5, ARTICLE V.

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

Section 1

Auditing Committee

The auditing committee shall consist of two members, which committee shall examine the records of the Treasurer during the last month of each fiscal year and report its findings to the Club at the annual meeting.

Section 2

Show Committee

(a)Not later than the second meeting following the annual show, a committee for the following year's show shall be appointed by the show chairperson.

(b)The show committee shall consist of at least the show chairperson, all officers and directors, and person(s) in charge of the following areas:  Publicity, trophies, stewards, grounds, concessions, advertising, ticket and catalog sales, and obedience.

(c)The show chairperson shall hire a panel of judges for the annual show, secure a show site, date, superintendent, AKC approval and call regular meetings of the show committee.  Meetings shall begin no later than 7 months prior to the show and be held at least every 8 weeks.  Initial selection of show site, date, and superintendent shall require approval of a majority of Board vote.

(d)The assistant show chairperson shall have chosen and contacted the panel of judges at least 14 months prior to the show which he/she will chair.  This panel shall be presented to the membership at the following meeting.  No person may hire judges for any show other than the show he/she will chair.

(e)Any decision relative to dispersal of any Club show proceeds shall be made at a Board or general membership meeting with a simple majority vote required.

Section 3

Program Committee

Section 4

General

Any other committee deemed necessary shall be established by the President.

Section 5

Any committee appointment may be terminated by the President upon written notice to the appointee and the President may appoint successors to those persons whose service has been terminated.

ARTICLE VII

DISCIPLINE

Section 1

American Kennel Club Suspension

Any member who is suspended from privileges of the American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this 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.  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 could be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.  Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained.  The Secretary shall promptly notify the Board which shall meet and fix a date of a Board hearing not less than 3 weeks nor more than 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 self-defense and, if desired, bring witnesses.

Section 3

Board Hearing

The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, 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 the complainant and defendant, the Board by a majority vote of those present may suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than 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 any case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before 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.  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 2 of the 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 appearance in behalf of self, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting.  The President shall read the charges and the Board's findings and invite the defendant, if present, to speak in behalf of self if desired.  The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion.  A 2/3 vote of those present 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 may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by a written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 40 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 six months of the date with the petition was received by the Secretary.

Section 2

This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the members present and voting at any regular meeting or special meeting called for the purpose; but the proposed amendments must be embodied in the call for any such meeting and the Secretary shall mail them to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of such meeting.

ARTICLE IX

BY-LAWS

Section 1

The Board of Directors of the Coulee Kennel Club or general membership may enact such by-laws as are necessary to carry on business or other functions not covered by the Constitution.

Section 2

By-laws may be initiated at a general meeting by the voting membership and approved by three-fourths (3/4) of the voting membership at that particular meeting.

Section 3

By-laws may be initiated by the Board of Directors and approved by a simple majority of the Board members present at that meeting.

ARTICLE X

DISSOLUTION

Dissolution:  The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members.  After payment of all debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be donated to one or more non-profit and/or charitable organizations chosen by the majority of the members existing at the time of dissolvement, and no assets of the Club shall inure to any member of the Club.

ARTICLE XI

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1

At meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of meetings permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call

Minutes of the Last Meeting

Report of the Board

Report of the President

Report of the Secretary

Report of the Treasurer

Report of 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 Last Meeting

Report of Secretary

Report of Treasurer

Report of Committees

Unfinished Business

New Business

Adjournment

Section 3

The authority by which the Club is governed has an order of precedence as follows:

(a)The Corporate Charter (and the statute law under which the Club is incorporated; the Charter doubles as the Constitution).

(b)By-laws.

(c)Robert's Rules of Order.

(d)Any less formal standing rules adopted by the Board or the Membership.

Standing Rules:

10/55Any member joining past July of any given year is to be billed for one-half the membership fee for the next year.

2/61Should a trainer or instructor be bitten or hurt in any way during obedience training, the Coulee Kennel Club will pay any expense not covered by personal insurance.

8/62Members do not have to pay admission to Coulee Kennel Club dog shows.

2/64A petty cash fund is to be established for the Secretary, Editor of the newsletter, and Show Chairman.

2/64Chairmen of committees may pick their own committee members with subsequent Board approval.

3/71Each member shall be sent a membership card instead of one card for each family.  NOTE:  See 8/82 for up-date of this.

4/78Any changes pertaining to training classes are to go through the Training Committee.

7/78No votes are needed on committee reports but voting is necessary to overrule a committee decision.

2/82Any memberships not renewed on or by 15 March of each year are considered as terminated and can not be reinstituted except by filing a new membership application.

2/82Awards will be given only to those who are members of the Coulee Kennel Club at the time a dog/dogs has/have completed requirements for an obedience degree or championship title.

3/82By-laws are to be published each January for membership review.

4/82At the time of a second reading for election to membership the vote tabulation both for and against is to be announced and become a matter of record.

8/82No alcoholic beverages will be allowed to be present at meetings.  (Passed at 8/12/82 Board meeting.)