By-Laws
MASTIFF CLUB OF WESTERN CANADA
Bylaws
Article 1. Membership Section 1. Eligibility
The Club shall consist of Junior, Regular, Associate and Life members.
Junior Membership – Those members who are under the age of 18 years. Junior members shall be eligible for Regular Member status upon their 18th birthday, provided the individual has been a Junior member for one (1) year or more. A Junior member having served less than one (1) year Junior status shall automatically receive Associate member status upon his/her eighteenth (18) birthday. Junior members have no voting or office holding privileges.
Regular Membership – Those members who have been approved by the Executive and by a majority of members in good standing and have been members for a period of one or more years. A regular member has full voting and office holding privileges. A non-resident member may vote but cannot hold office. A lapsed member in good standing may rejoin as a regular member. Note that all founding members are automatically regular members.
Associate Membership – Those members who have applied for membership and have been sponsored by two members in good standing. At least one sponsor must know the applicant for a period of one (1) year. An associate member has no voting or office holding privileges.
Life Members – may be bestowed upon any member who has a long record of service to the Club. The recipient of this membership shall pay no dues, and he/she shall still have voting and office holding privileges in the Club. A non-resident member may vote but cannot hold office. The Executive Committee or the membership may make nominations at the Annual Meeting. Any person(s) so nominated must be approved by a majority vote of those present who are eligible to vote.
Article 1. Membership Section 2. Election to Membership
Junior Membership. An applicant for Junior membership shall apply on a form approved by the Executive which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics of the MCWC and the rules and regulations of the Canadian Kennel Club. The application for Junior membership shall state the name and address of the applicant and shall carry the endorsement of either one (1) family member and one (1) unrelated person or two (2) persons unrelated to each other or the applicant, who are both Regular Members in good standing.
Associate/Regular Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Executive which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics of the MCWC and the rules and regulations of the Canadian Kennel Club. The application shall state the name and address of the applicant and shall carry the endorsement of two (2) Regular members not related to each other or the applicant.
Dues for the current year shall be included with the application/renewal and shall be made payable by check or money order in Canadian funds to the MCWC. The application shall be mailed within thirty (30) days of the last signature to the Secretary/Treasurer whose responsibility it shall be to forward the list of applicants to the Newsletter Editor for publication in the next MCWC Newsletter. Within thirty (30) days from receipt of the application, the Secretary/Treasurer shall then send to the applicant a notice of acknowledgment either by post or email. If a negative response is received by the Executive within 30 days of publication of the membership application in the Club newsletter, it shall be their duty to inform the applicant and sponsors and provide a complete copy(ies) of the negative response to the applicant and related sponsors. The applicant shall have 30 days to respond with a rebuttal. The executive shall consider all documentation. The Executive shall then vote on the termination of the Junior or Associate membership . A 2/3 majority is necessary to revoke a Junior or Associate membership and all dues shall be returned if the vote is negative. Alternatively, the Executive may strike a committee of 5 unbiased regular or life members to resolve the issue. If no negative responses are received 30 days after the release of the Newsletter, the application shall be approved.
Article 1. Membership Section 3. Termination of Membership
(a) By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Secretary/Treasurer. No member may resign when in debt to the Club or when facing charges pursuant to Article 6, Section 2 of the Bylaws. Dues and advertising obligations are considered a debt to the Club. Dues are incurred on the first day of June of each calendar year.
(b) By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such members’ dues remain unpaid thirty (30) days after the first day of June. After this time, the member has an additional 30 days to pay their dues in full, plus a $5.00 late fee. In no case may a member be entitled to vote whose dues are delinquent. A member whose dues have lapsed after this time must reapply for membership as outlined in Article I. Section 2. Election to Membership.
(c) By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion for such: No person shall be eligible for or continue to enjoy their membership who: (a) Has been convicted of cruelty to animals (b) Is under suspension or expulsion by the Canadian Kennel Club (c) Is actively engaged in breeding, buying or selling of dogs that are not purebred. (d) Is involved in providing puppies, dogs or related services to commercial pet wholesalers, retailers or raffles.
Article 1. Membership Section 4. Dues & Club Year
Membership dues shall be set by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive. Dues are payable in Canadian funds and are due on or before the 1st of June of each year. Upon renewing the dues each year, the member is agreeing to abide by the current Constitution, By-Laws and Code of Ethics that are in force as of the year in renewal. Past due indebtedness to the Club and any bank charges for returned checks will be paid by the applicant/member before membership is valid or is renewed. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of May, the Secretary/Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on June 1 and end on the last day of May. Family dues will be available for those individual members living in the same household.
Article 2. Meetings Section 1. Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the club shall be held electronically in the month of September and the date shall be designated by the Executive. Written notice of the Annual Meeting shall be mailed/emailed by the Secretary/Treasurer to each member at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the Annual Meeting shall be ten percent (10%) of the Regular and Life members in good standing. Only Regular and Life members may vote at this meeting.
Article 2. Meetings Section 2. Special Club Meetings
Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the Executive who are present at the Executive meeting. The Special Club meeting shall be called by the Secretary/Treasurer upon receipt of a petition stating the subject of said meeting and signed by ten percent (10%) of the Regular and Life members in good standing. The time and date may be designated by the Executive and notice by mail or email shall be sent at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting. The quorum for a special club meeting shall be ten percent (10%) of the Regular and Life members in good standing. Only Regular and Life members may vote at this meeting.
Article 2. Meetings Section 3. Executive Meetings
The first executive meeting shall take place in the month of June, following the executives’ assuming office on the first of June. Executive meetings shall take place every two months. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed or emailed to all executive members 7 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the executive meetings shall be a majority of the executive members. Regular and Life members are encouraged to participate in these meetings but may not make motions or vote.
Article 2. Meetings Section 4. Order of Business
Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, shall govern the Club in all cases where applicable. At meetings of the Executive or Annual General Meetings, the order of business shall be as follows: - Roll Call - Minutes of last meeting - Report of the President - Report of the Secretary/Treasurer - Report of Committees - Elections of Officers and Directors (AGM) - Unfinished Business - New Business - Adjournment
Article 3. Directors & Officers Section 1. Officers
The Officers of the Club shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, B.C Director and Prairies Director (including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), elected for a term of two years. All officers must reside in the area of operation. Only members residing in the area may vote for their Director. Where membership is low, a Director may be appointed by the remaining Executive. The signing officers empowered to make authorized withdrawals of funds shall be the Secretary/Treasurer and either the President or Vice-President. All positions are solely volunteer and no remuneration is required or allowed. An audit shall be done every two years or when there is a change of secretary/treasurer.
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Executive and shall have the duties and powers normally apparent 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 the case of the Presidents’ death, absence or incapacity.
(c) The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Executive and of all votes taken and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare and submit to the Newsletter Editor for publishing a summary of the Executive minutes, including all motions and votes. He/she shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club and shall deposit the same in a bank approved by the Executive in the name of the Club. His/her books shall at times be open to the inspection of the executive and he/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. He/she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year at the General Meeting.
(d) Directors must reside in the area that they represent and shall consider the wishes of their regional members and bring their concerns to the executive for consideration.
In the event any vacancy occurs on the Executive or among the officers, the remainder of the term of the vacated position shall be filled at the next scheduled Executive meeting by a Regular member in good standing who is eligible to hold office, by a 2/3 vote of the Executive. 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 Executive appointment.
Article 4. Voting, Nominations, Elections Section 1. Voting
At the Annual Meeting or a special meeting of the Club, voting shall be limited to Regular and Life members in good standing who are present at the meeting. The election of Officers and Directors and amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail. The Executive may decide to submit other specific questions for decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail.
Article 4. Voting, Nominations, Elections Section 2. Election
The election of officers and directors shall be by written ballot cast by mail. An elections committee consisting of one to three people shall be struck by the Executive. The secretary/treasurer will provide the election committee chair with the names and addresses of all eligible Regular and Life members in good standing. The elections committee shall be responsible for distributing, collecting and tabulating the results of the ballots and shall insure that the list of eligible voters for each region is correct. Elections for all positions are to be held every odd year. No member of the Executive nor any member who is or wishes to be nominated may be a member of the elections committee. The elections chair shall inform the Executive should there be a lack of nominations for a position. The election committee shall not disclose the names of the nominees to the Executive until the nominations have closed.
(a) A call for nominations and a nomination form shall be sent out with the December Newsletter. All nomination forms shall be submitted to the elections chair by February 15 of the election year.
(b) Any Regular, Life or Associate member may nominate any resident Regular or Life member. The proposed nominee shall be contacted and his/her acceptance of the nomination shall be verified before the nomination is formally accepted by the elections chair. A Regular or Life member may stand for one (1) position.
(c) If no more than one valid nomination for each position is received by the elections chair on or before February 15, the new executive positions shall be declared by the elections chair on or before February 22. Where a vote is necessitated, ballots shall be mailed out to all Regular and Life members by March 15.
(d) Where more than one nomination for a position is received, the elections committee shall mail to each Regular and Life member in good standing a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, with the names of the provinces or territories in which they reside, together with an envelope addressed to the elections chair with the members’ name on the return portion and a smaller blank envelope marked “ballot”. These ballots shall be returned to the elections chair by April 15. So that ballots may remain secret, the member shall fill in the ballot, place it in the envelope marked “ballot” and then within the envelope with the election chair’s address and the members’ return address for verification. Where more than one member resides at the same address, the elections chair shall mail a ballot to each Regular or Life member of the household individually and each ballot shall be returned in individual envelopes for accounting purposes.
(e) The elections chair shall check the returns against a list provided by the Secretary/Treasurer of members whose dues are paid for the current year prior to opening the outer envelopes and removing the blank envelopes. The results of the voting will be announced by the elections chair by May 1 and shall be disseminated to the membership in the following Newsletter.
Article 5. Committees Section 1.
The Executive may, each year, appoint special committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, trophies, annual prizes, and other fields. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Executive. The Executive shall review all committees at the first annual meeting and appoint each chairperson and committee for the coming year. Any committee appointed may be terminated by a majority vote of the Executive and by written notice to the committee by the Secretary/Treasurer. The Executive may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated.
Article 6. Discipline Section 1. Canadian Kennel Club Suspension
Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the Canadian Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.
Article 6. Discipline Section 2. Charges
A member or non-member may prefer charges against any member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the breed or Club. Written charges with substantiating documents must be filed with the Secretary/Treasurer together with a fee of one hundred dollars ($100). The Secretary/Treasurer shall promptly notify the Executive and, at the direction of the President, set a date, time and place for a hearing where this hearing may be held in person or via electronic media. A minimum of three (3) Executives present is required for the hearing; the presence of all Directors may be impossible due to geographical location. In that case, the opinion of all other Executives must be received in writing and presented to the hearing. The Secretary /Treasurer shall promptly send one copy of the charges to all members of the Executive, and the accused member inviting him/her to attend the hearing and offering an assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his/her own defence and bring witness if he/she so wishes. If the accused member is unable to attend the hearing, he/she may give his/her defence in writing not less than two (2) weeks prior to the hearing.
Article 6. Discipline Section 3. Hearing
Should charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and defendant the Executive may, by a majority vote, suspend the defendant of the privileges of the Club for not more than twelve (12) months from the date of the hearing or until the next Annual General Meeting, reducing the member's membership from Regular (if applicable) to Associate. If this should be deemed 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 and his right to a hearing before the entire membership at the Annual General Meeting which will consider the recommendation of the Executive. Immediately after the Executive has reached a decision its findings shall be put in writing by the Secretary/Treasurer who shall, in turn, notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.
Article 6. Discipline Section 4. Expulsion
Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at the Annual Meeting of the Club following a hearing and upon the recommendation of the Executive. The President shall inform the membership of the charges, findings and recommendations. The defendant and the complainant shall then have the right to present a short statement to the membership although no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The membership shall then vote on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the suspension shall stand.
Article 7. Amendments Section 1.
Amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws or the Code of Ethics may be proposed by the Executive or by a petition from the membership where 20% of the regular and life members have submitted a proposal for review. At such time, a committee shall be struck to review the existing document and offer a revision. The proposed changes shall be distributed to all Regular and Life members for perusal and a vote by mailed ballot shall be carried out.
Article 8. Dissolution Section 1.
The Club may be dissolved at anytime by providing to the Canadian Kennel Club written documentation signed by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Club who are in favour of the dissolution; proxies are not permitted. In the event of dissolution of the Club, whether voluntary or involuntary or by the operation of the law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any member of the Club, but after assessment of its liabilities, shall be distributed to one or more organizations having cognate or similar objectives, at the discretion of the membership as constituted at dissolution.
No alterations to the Constitution, Bylaws or Code of Ethics shall become effective until approved by the Canadian Kennel Club.