Houston Boston Terrier Club bylaws

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I
NAME AND OBJECTIVES

SECTION 1. The name of the club shall be Greater Houston Boston Terrier Club, Inc.

SECTION 2. The objectives of the club shall be:
(a) to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Boston Terriers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection;
(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 Boston Terrier shall be judged;
(c) to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trails;
(d) to conduct sanctioned matches, licensed specialty shows and any other AKC event for which the club is eligible for under the rules and regulationsof the American Kennel Club.

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 by-laws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. Eligibility. There shall be three (3) types of membership:
(a) Regular: Open to all persons 18 years of age or older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of the Club.
(b) Family: Open to all persons 18 years of age and older residing at the same address who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of the Club; to be allowed 2 total votes.
(c) Junior: Open to any persons 10 to 17 years of age who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club and who shall enjoy all the benefits of the Club other than holding office or voting privileges. Junior membership may convert to regular membership upon reaching their 18th birthday.

While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.

SECTION 2. DUES. Membership dues shall be shall not exceed $50 per year for any class of membership and shall be recommended by the Board and voted on by the membership at the annual meeting and are payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year. Those joining after September of any given year will not incur dues for the next year. No member may vote whose dues and outstanding debts to the club are not paid for the current year. During the month of November the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

SECTION 3. ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. Each applicant applying for membership shall attend one general meeting as a guest, and shall then apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors and provided by the Secretary and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these Constitution and By-Laws, The Boston Terrier Club of America Code of Ethics 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 members in good standing accompanying the application. The prospective member shall submit dues payable for the current year.
All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first Board meeting of the Club following its receipt. The application is read at the first Club meeting and prospective member must be present if at all possible. At the next Club meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting by secret ballot shall be required to elect the applicant. The Secretary will send notification to the applicant.
Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club or Board may not re-apply within six months after such rejection.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP. Membership may be terminated:
(a) by resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from 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 60 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 60 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 by-laws.

ARTICLE II
MEETINGS AND VOTING

SECTION 1. Club Meeting. Meeting of the Club shall be held within the greater Houston area 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 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. Club meetings will be held no less than 6 times per year.

SECTION 2. Special Club Meeting. 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 within the greater Houston area 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 Secretary at least 5 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 20% of the members in good standing.

SECTION 3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held each month within the greater Houston area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 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 Meeting. 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 the greater Houston area and at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 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. 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 and whose financial indebtedness is current to the Club shall be entitled to one vote (or as provided in Art. I, Sec. I) 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 President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing and 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, 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 President in addition to those particularly specified in these by-laws.
(b) The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President’s death, absence or incapacity.
(c) The Secretary shall have the responsibility of the correspondence of the Club as directed by the Board or by the President. Copies of all outgoing correspondence will be sent to the President at the time the original letter is sent. The Secretary is also to notify members of meetings, send minutes to the Board Members, notify officers and directors of their election to office and notify the President of any correspondence within a timely manner. The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and shall be responsible for their distribution. An agenda shall be prepared by the President and the Secretary and shall be enclosed with the meeting notice. The Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of ballots and shall notify officers and directors.

(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He or she shall deposit the same in the bank approved by the Board in the name of the Club. Checks drawn from Club funds require signatures of both Treasurer and President for amounts over $300.00. A receipt for money spent must be presented to the Treasurer. The books shall be at all times open to inspection of the Board and he or she shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the Club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he or she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The books shall be audited at the expiration of each Treasurer’s term. The membership of the Club shall vote by simple majority of members in good standing present at a regular or special meeting to approve all Club expenditures which exceed $300.00.

SECTION 3. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, any officer of the Club can conduct the Board and Regular meetings.

SECTION 4. No officers of Board Member should be removed from office without just cause. Any Board Member absent for 3 consecutive meetings without cause shall be considered as “resigned without written notification”.

SECTION 5. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then 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 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 IV
THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS

SECTION 1. Club Year. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st 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 annual meeting shall be held in the month of December 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. If there is no contest for the nominated offices, those nominated will be considered to be elected by proclamation and a vote at the Annual meeting will not be necessary.
They shall take office at the January regular meeting and each retiring officer shall turn over to his or her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election.

SECTION 3. Election. 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 positions shall be declared elected.

SECTION 4. Nominations. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated.
(a) Nominations may be made at the November meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his/her name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposer shall present to the 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. No person shall serve as a Board member for more than (3) three consecutive terms unless there is no other candidate nominated.
(b) Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting, or 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 specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. The Board shall appoint the Chairman for each Standing Committee from a list of those deserving the position. These appointments will be subject to the final approval of the membership. At no such time shall a member act in the capacity of the Chairman for more than two (2) consecutive years. Such Committee Chairmen shall be accountable to the President and are 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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 his own defense and bring witnesses 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 complainant and defendant, the Board may 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. And, if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such cases, 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 proceeding 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 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 3/4 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 by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors of 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 petition was received by the Secretary.

SECTION 2. The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a 3/4 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 weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

SECTION 3. No amendment to the Constitution or by-laws that is adopted by the Club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club since the by-laws of the American Kennel Club require such approval. Amendments to the Constitution and by-laws shall be submitted to the American Kennel Club by the Secretary within (30) thirty days of approval by the membership.

ARTICLE VIII
DISSOLUTION

SECTION 1. Dissolution. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 3/4 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 for the benefit of dogs selected by the general membership.

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:

1) Call to order
2) Minutes of last meeting
3) Report of President
4) Report of Secretary
5) Report of Treasurer
6) Reports of Committees
7) Election of Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
8) Unfinished Business
9) New Business
10) 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:
1) Call to order
2) Reading of minutes
3) Report of Secretary
4) Report of Treasurer
5) Reports of Committees
6) Unfinished business
7) New business
8) Adjournment

ARTICLE X
PARLIAMENTARY

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 by-laws and any special Rules of Order the Club may adopt.

AMENDED JUNE, 1991
AMENDED AUGUST, 1992
AMENDED JANUARY 1, 2005