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CONSTITUTION
Article I
Name and Objectives
SECTION 1.
The name of the Club shall be Finnish Spitz Club of
America, Inc.
SECTION 2.
The objectives of the Club shall be:
(a) to encourage and promote the breeding of quality purebred Finnish Spitz,
and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection.
(b) to educate members, prospective members, owners and judges.
(c) to urge breeders to adhere to the standard of the breed as approved by
the American Kennel Club as the only standard of excellence by which Finnish
Spitz shall be judged.
(d) to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed
through a code of ethics, and sportsmanlike conduct at dog shows, obedience
trials, field trials and other activities.
(e) to conduct sanctioned matches, specialty shows and other approved events
under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
SECTION 3.
The Club shall be a not-for-profit organization. No
individual shall receive or benefit from any profits or remainder or residue
from dues or donations.
SECTION 4.
The members of the Club shall adopt, and may, from time to
time, revise the Bylaws as may be required to carry out these objectives.
The process for any such revisions and adoptions shall be the procedure
outlined in Article VII.
BYLAWS
Article I
Membership
SECTION I: ELIGIBILITY.
There shall be the following categories of members:
(a) Regular (voting). Individual persons eighteen years of
age or older who subscribe to the purposes of this organization; who meet
all the requirements set forth in this section and Section 3 of this
article; and who are in good standing with the FSCA and The American Kennel
Club.
An applicant for Regular membership must own or have owned
a Finnish Spitz for at least one (1) year. Either of the following two
conditions may be substituted for the one year ownership of Finnish Spitz:
1. At least one (1) year's involvement as dog fanciers in
good standing with The American Kennel Club (and any all-breed or specialty
Cub to which they may belong) in addition to present (less than one year) or
prior ownership of a Finnish Spitz;
2. Participation in rescue efforts, or volunteers or Board
members of humane organizations for one (1) year in addition to present
(less than one year) or prior ownership of a Finnish Spitz. Individuals not
meeting these requirements may apply for an Associate membership as defined
in Article I, Section (b).
(b) Member candidates (non-voting and not considered as
part of a quorum nor eligible to hold office).
Member Candidates members are persons who:
1. are Junior Members (under eighteen years of age) or
2. do not meet all the requirements of Section 1 (a) of
this article.
Junior Members who have reached their eighteenth birthday
automatically convert to Regular Membership status.
Member candidates 18 years of age and over who are citizens
or residents of the United States may request, by letter to the Membership
Chairman, to be granted Regular Member status when they meet the
requirements in Section 1 (a) above. The Board shall review the request and
vote on it within 45 days. Denial of Regular Member status to a Member
Candidate must be with just cause and follow the procedure defined in
Section 3 (a) of this Article.
(c) Foreign Members: persons who are not residents or
citizens of the United States.
(d) Honorary Members. On occasion, the Board of Directors
may recommend persons for election by the membership as Honorary Members.
Honorary Members shall not be required to pay dues. They shall not have the
right to vote or hold office, except an honorary office if elected to one.
SECTION 2. DUES.
(a) Annual membership dues, set by the Board of Directors,
are due on or before December 31 of each year and shall be paid to the FSCA
Treasurer. A postmark of December 31 on an envelope containing dues and
addressed to the Treasurer meets the deadline requirements.
(b) In any year when the Board does not change the dues
rate by July 1, the dues shall continue without change.
By August 15 each member shall be notified of dues payable.
(c) New members accepted into FSCA after August 1 shall pay
one-half of the annual dues for the remainder of their initial year of
membership.
(d) No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the
current year as prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section.
SECTION 3. ELECTION TO
MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Each applicant for membership shall apply on official
Club forms. The Application shall include agreements to abide by these
Constitution and Bylaws, the code of ethics, and the rules of The American
Kennel Club.
1. The application shall state the name and address of the
applicant and any other information required by the Board. It shall carry
the endorsement of one member in good standing, not of the same household.
The prospective member shall submit dues payment for' the current year with
the application. The dues payment will be returned if his / her application
is not accepted.
2. All applications shall be submitted to the Membership
Committee Chairman, who shall promptly forward the attached dues to the
Treasurer and copies of the application form to the Committee. The Committee
shall review the application and make recommendations to the Board through
the Chairman.
3. The name, address, and qualifications of each applicant,
together wit: the name and address of the sponsor, shall be published in the
FSCA newsletter, or mailed to all members within 60 days of receipt of the
application, whichever is sooner.
4. Any objection to an applicant for membership, together
with the reasons for such objections, shall be filed in writing with the
Membership Chairman within 21 days after publication or the mailing which
sets forth the applicant's name and qualifications.
5. If any objection is received by the Membership Chairman
within the time specified in paragraph (4) above, he / she shall promptly
transmit the objection to the Board.
6. If no objection is received by the Membership Chairman
within the time specified in paragraph (4) above, the application shall be
presented to the Board of Directors for vote at its next meeting or by
written ballot within 30 days, whichever is sooner.
7. Applicants may be elected at any meeting of the Board of
Directors or by written vote of the Directors by mail. Affirmative votes of
2/3 of the Directors present at a meeting of the Board or of 2/3 of the
entire Board voting by mail, shall be required to elect an applicant to
membership.
8. The application of an individual who has not received
affirmation by the Board may be presented by a member at the next Annual
Meeting of the Club. The Club may elect this person by written ballot. A
favorable majority of the members present and voting is required to approve
an applicant.
9. The Membership Committee shall consist of one (1)
member.
SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.
Memberships may be terminated:
(a) By resignation. Anyone in good standing may resign from
the Club upon written notice to the Secretary.
(b) By lapsing. A Membership shall be considered as lapsed
if a member's dues remain unpaid after January 31. If dues remain unpaid
through February 28, the membership is automatically terminated. However,
the Board may grant an additional 90 days of grace to delinquent members in
meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Cub
meeting or on any Club issue whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that
meeting or ballot.
(c) By expulsion. A Membership may be terminated by
expulsion as provided in Article VI of these constitution and Bylaws.
Article II
Meetings
SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING.
The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be held during the
period beginning September I and ending November 30 of each year at a place,
date, and hour designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of the
Annual Meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary (or Newsletter Editor) to
each member at least thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.
The quorum for the Annual meeting shall be 10% of the
Regular Members who are in good standing, but no fewer than 15 Regular
Members who are in good standing.
SECTION 2. SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS. Special Club meetings may
be requested by the President and/ or called by a majority vote of the
members of the Board who are present at a meeting of the Board or who vote
by mail. Meetings shall also be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a
petition signed by 10% of the Regular Members of the Club who are in good
standing or 10 Regular Members, whichever is less. The meeting shall be held
at such place, date, and hour as is designated by the Board of Directors,
but must be set within 30 days of receipt of said petition.
Written notice of the meeting shall be mailed by the
Secretary (or Newsletter Editor) at least 14 days and not more than 30 days
before the meeting. The notice of the meeting shall state the purpose of the
meeting and no other Club business may be transacted.
The quorum for the meeting shall be 10% of the Regular
Members who are in good standing, but no fewer than 15 Regular members, who
are in good standing.
SECTION 3. BOARD MEETINGS.
The first meeting of the Board shall be held as soon as
possible following the Annual Meeting and election. Other meetings of the
Board of Directors shall be held at such times and places as are designated
by a majority vote of the entire Board. All Board meetings, except those in
executive session, shall be open to Club members.
Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the
Secretary (or Newsletter Editor) to each member of the Board at least 21
days before the date of the meeting. The quorum for a Board meeting shall be
a majority of the voting members of the Board.
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the
President and may be called upon the written request of the majority of the
Board. The purpose of the special Meeting shall be stated in the call for
the meeting.
SECTION 4.
The Board of Directors may conduct its business by mail
(including electronic transmission) through the Secretary, or by telephone
conference. If the meeting is conducted by telephone, minutes shall be
recorded and all actions of the Board shall be ratified by mail vote by a
majority of the Board within 14 days.
SECTION 5. Approved minutes of Board meetings shall be
published in the next FSCA newsletter.
ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers
SECTION 1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
General management of the Club's affairs shall be the
responsibility of the Board of Directors, including determination of time,
place, and other details of any event which the Club may sponsor or support.
The Board shall be composed of the following officers:
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer. It shall also include three
(3) Directors and one AKC Delegate. Board Members shall be Regular Members
in good standing who are residents of the United States. In addition, they
shall meet one or more of the following qualifications:
(a) Professional expertise and leadership experience needed
by the Club with demonstrated ability to produce results;
(b) Service as a Committee Member or Chairman in the Club
having produced satisfactory results in execution of responsibilities;
(c) Service as a Board Member of a local or national dog
Club or organization related to dogs.
The Board shall present an annual report to the membership
at the Annual Meeting.
The Past President, if not elected to the Board in some
capacity, shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Board. The Past
President shall not vote at the Board meetings but shall be entitled to
speak at all Board meetings.
SECTION 2. TENURE ON BOARD.
A term of office for President, Vice President, Secretary,
and Treasurer shall be one year. No one shall serve more than eight (8)
consecutive years as an elected member of the Board. Officers serving on the
Board are limited to a maximum of six consecutive years on the Board, after
which they shall wait two years before being eligible for a Board position.
Officers and Directors shall meet additional tenure requirements specified
in Section 3 of this Article.
SECTION 3. OFFICERS.
The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer
shall each be elected for a one-year term at the Annual Meeting as provided
in Article IV. They shall serve until their successors are elected. They
shall be limited to a maximum of two successive terms in the same office.
Each Officer, upon completing two (2) consecutive terms in his/her office,
shall not be eligible for election as Officer in that same position for two
consecutive years. He / she may be eligible for other Board positions.
DIRECTORS. Directors shall each be elected for a three year
term at the Annual Meeting as provided in Article IV. They shall serve until
their successors are elected. They shall be limited to a maximum of two
successive terms. These shall be rotating terms, with one seat expiring each
year. To implement this rotation, the 1995 nominating slate shall have one
1-year term, one 2-year term, and one 3-year term. Any vacancy of a
directorship prior to that election shall be filled only to the time of that
election. Each Director, upon ceasing to hold office, shall be ineligible
for re-election as Director until after the expiration of one year, but may
be elected an Officer without the one year interval.
SECTION 4. VACANCIES.
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the Offices
during the year shall be filled for the unexpired term of office by a
majority vote of the remaining members of the Board, except that a vacancy
in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice-President, and the
resulting vacancy shall be filled by the Board. Any Officer or Director who
vacates a position shall, within 30 days, turn over Cub records and property
in his/her possession to either his/her successor or an individual named by
the President. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
SECTION 5. DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club
and of the Board. He/ she shall have the duties and powers normally relating
to the office of President according to the adopted Parliamentary authority
in addition to those particularly specified in these Constitution and
Bylaws.
(b) The Vice President shall have the duties and exercise
the powers of the President in case of the Presidenf s absence, incapacity
as determined by the Board of Directors, or death. He/ she shall also
perform other duties as directed by the Board.
(c) The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of
the Club and of the Board and of all votes taken by mail, and of all matters
of which a record shall be ordered by the Cub. He/ she shall have charge of
the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify officers and
Directors of their election to office and appointees of their appointments
by the Board. The Secretary shall also keep a current roll of the members of
the Cub with their addresses and phone numbers, and carry out other duties
as are prescribed in these Bylaws.
(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due
or belonging to the Club. He/she shall make deposits in a bank approved by
the Board, in the name of the Club. The Treasurer's books shall always be
open to inspection by the Board and he/ she shall report to them at every
meeting the condition of the Club's finances. At the Annual Meeting he/ she
shall render a report of all moneys received and expended during the
previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall also disburse funds necessary to
discharge the liabilities of the Club. Such disbursements shall in no event
exceed a maximum limit on all expenditures imposed by the Board of
Directors. If liabilities are incurred in excess of this maximum limit,
prior approval of the Board must be obtained before payment can be made.
ARTICLE IV
The Club Year, Voting,
Nominations, Elections
SECTION 1. CLUB YEAR.
The Cub'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 Annual Meeting and shall continue
through the next Annual Meeting. The newly elected Officers and Directors
shall take office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
Each retiring Officer and Director shall turn over to his /
her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office
within 30 days after the election.
SECTION 2. VOTING.
(a) At the Annual Meeting, or at a special meeting of the
Club, voting shall be limited to those qualified members in good standing
who are present.
(b) The annual election of Officers and Directors,
amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, and changes to the breed standard
shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail. Voting by proxy shall not
be permitted.
(c) The Board of Directors may decide to submit other
specific questions for decision of the members by written ballot cast by
mail. The Board shall be required to present to the membership for a vote
within 30 days any question submitted by a Regular Member with the
endorsement of five other Regular Members, no two of whom are from the same
household.
SECTION 3. ANNUAL ELECTION.
The election of officers and Directors shall be conducted
by mail ballot. Ballots to be valid must be received seven (7) days before
the Annual Meeting by the Secretary or independent Professional Registered
Parliamentarian appointed by the Board. If the Secretary or a member of his
/ her household Is a candidate for election with opposition, the ballots
shall be received by an independent Professional Registered Parliamentarian
appointed by the Board.
Sealed ballots shall be opened and counted at the Annual
Meeting by three (3) inspectors of election chosen by the members present at
the meeting. Members of the current Board, candidates, household members of
the current Board or candidates shall be ineligible as inspectors.
EXTREME CASES. In an extreme case where the Annual Meeting
must be cancelled or postponed, the ballots of election must be counted no
later than November 15 at a time and place designated by the Board by
November 1. Those elected shall take office immediately thereafter. In this
case, an independent Professional Registered Parliamentarian appointed by
the Board shall count the ballots and report the results of the election to
the Board by November 20.
In the absence of a quorum at an Annual Meeting, thus
preventing legal transaction of business, the ballots shall be counted no
later than November 15 by an independent Professional Registered
Parliamentarian appointed by the Board. This person shall report the results
to the Board by November 20. The newly elected Officers and Directors shall
take office immediately. In extreme cases where the Annual Meeting must be
cancelled or postponed, or in the absence of a quorum, if balloting is not
required, the Nominating Committee's candidates shall take office November
15.
The person receiving the largest number of votes for each
position shall be declared elected. If any nominee, at the time of the
meeting, is unable to serve for any reason, this person shall not be
elected. The vacancy created shall be filled by the new Board of Directors
in the manner provided by Article III, Section 3.
In case of a tie, the Secretary shall send out a second
ballot by November 25 which shall be returned to and counted by an
independent Professional Registered Parliamentarian. The ballots must be
returned to the Professional Registered Parliamentarian by December 15. This
person shall report the results to the Board by December 20. The newly
elected officers and Directors shall take office immediately.
SECTION 4. NOMINATIONS AND BALLOTS.
A Nominating Committee shall be elected by the membership
at the Annual Meeting. Nominees for this Committee must agree in person at
the Annual Meeting or in writing to serve on this Committee prior to being
elected. Persons who agree in writing need not be present at the Annual
Meeting to be elected. The Committee shall consist of three members and two
alternates, all members in good standing, none of whom shall be a member of
the current Board of Directors. It shall be geographically diverse. The
members shall name a chairman for the Committee. The Nominating Committee
may conduct its business by mail or telephone. The nominating committee
shall not select a slate without first publishing to the membership the
names of the committee members to allow time for input.
(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the
eligible members of the Club, one candidate for each office and for each
other position on the Board of Directors. It shall procure the acceptance in
writing of each nominee chosen. The Committee should consider geographical
representation of the membership on the Board to the extent that it is
practical to do so. By July 1 the Committee shall then submit its slate of
candidates to the Secretary. The Secretary shall mail the list, including
the full name of each candidate and the name of the State in which he/ she
resides, to each Regular and Associate Member of the Club by July 15.
(b) Additional nominations of eligible members may be made
by written petition addressed to the secretary and be received at his/her
regular address on or before September 1st. Each petition shall be signed by
five (5) Regular members other than by the nominees, and be accompanied by
the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his/her
willingness to be a candidate. No person shall be a candidate for more than
one position.
(c) If no valid additional nominations for Board positions
are received by the Secretary on or before September 1st, the Nominating
Committee's slate shall be declared elected at the time of the Annual
Meeting and no balloting will be required.
(d) If one or more valid additional nominations are
received by the Secretary as provided in (b) of this Section, he/ she shall
mail to each member in good standing on or before September 15th, a ballot.
This ballot shall list in alphabetical order all of the nominees for each
position along with the names of the states in which they live. With the
ballot the Secretary shall include instructions for completing the ballot, a
blank envelope and a return envelope marked "Ballot" addressed to the party
designated by the Board to receive the ballots and bearing the name of the
member to whom it was sent.
To ensure that ballots may remain secret, each voter, after
marking his/her ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, one ballot per
envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to
the Secretary or designated Professional Registered Parliamentarian. The
inspectors of election shall check the return against the list of members
whose dues are paid for the current year before opening the outer envelopes
and removing the blank envelopes. They shall certify the eligibility of the
voters as well as the results of the voting which shall be announced at the
Annual Meeting.
(e) Nominations shall not be made at the Annual Meeting. No
person may be a candidate in a Cub election who has not been nominated in
accordance with these Bylaws.
(f) In the absence of a quorum, thus preventing legal
transaction of business at the Annual Meeting, the Nominating Committee
shall be elected by the members present at the meeting and ratified by a
majority vote conducted by mail ballot. Ballots for ratifying the Nominating
committee under these circumstances shall be mailed to the membership no
later than November 20 and returned by December 10 to an independent
Professional Registered Parliamentarian appointed by the Board. This person
shall report the results to the Board by December 15.
Failure of the membership to ratify the Nominating
Committee members as defined in the above paragraph shall result in the
Nominating Committee being elected by a majority vote by mail ballot from
among the candidates who agreed in writing to serve on this Committee.
The person receiving the largest number of votes shall be
declared Committee Chairman. The two persons receiving the next largest
number of votes shall be declared Committee members, and the remaining two
shall be declared alternates. Balloting procedures shall be the same as for
electing Board members. The ballot shall be sent out by January 5th and
returned to an independent Professional Registered Parliamentarian by
January 20th. This person shall report the results to the Board by January
25th.
In case of tie votes among any of the top five Candidates,
the President shall break the tie and thus determine the Committee and
alternates.
ARTICLE V
Committees
SECTION 1. STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES.
The President, with the approval of the Board, may each
year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Cub in such
matters as dog shows, field trials, obedience trials, trophies, annual
awards, membership, and other areas 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 aid it on
particular projects.
SECTION 2. OTHER APPOINTMENTS. Following the Annual
Meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint an editor of the Newsletter, a
columnist for the AKC Gazette, and a columnist for any other publication
deemed by the Board to be appropriate. All such appointments shall serve for
the ensuing year.
SECTION 3. TERM. All appointments terminate upon the annual
election of Officers and Directors. Any appointment may be terminated by a
majority vote of the full Board upon written notice to the appointee; and
the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose service has been
terminated. Any Committee Chairman who vacates a position shall, within 30
days, turn over Club records and property in his/her possession to either
his/her successor or an individual named by the President. Failure to do so
may result in disciplinary action.
ARTICLE VI
Discipline
SECTION 1. AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION.
Any Regular or Associate Member who is suspended from the
privileges of The American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from
the privileges of the Club for a like period.
SECTION 2. CHARGES.
Any member may prefer charges against another member for
alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or breed.
Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the
Secretary together with a deposit of $25.00 which shall be forfeited if such
charges are not sustained by the Board or a committee following a hearing.
The Secretary shall send a copy of the charges to each
member of the Board within two (2) weeks of receipt or present them at a
Board meeting, whichever is sooner. 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 breed. If the Board
considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial
to the best interests of the Club or of the breed, it may refuse to
entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges,
between 21 days and 42 days later it shall fix a date of hearing by the
Board or a committee appointed by a majority of the Board. The committee
shall consist of not fewer than three (3) members of the Board. The
Secretary shall promptly send a 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 3. BOARD HEARING.
Both the complainant(s) and the defendants(s) shall have
the right to counsel at their own expense.
Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the
evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board or
committee may, by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant
from all privileges of the Club for not more than six (6) months from the
date of the hearing, or until the next Annual Meeting if that will occur
after six (6) months. H 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
recommendation of the Board or committee.
Immediately after the Board or committee 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
decision and penalty, if any.
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 Board or committee as provided in
Section 3 of this article. 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 findings and
recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in
his/her own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on
the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present and voting at the Annual
Meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not voted, the
suspension shall stand.
SECTION 5. REASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES.
If the President is the subject of the charges or
disciplinary action, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the
President as described in this article. If any other Officer or Director is
the subject of the charges or disciplinary action, the remainder of the
Board shall select by majority vote another Board Member to fulfill the
duties of said Officer or Director until the charges are either dismissed or
the time of the disciplinary action is completed.
SECTION 6. RIGHTS UNDER SUSPENSION. A member under
suspension shall receive all Club information and notices which are sent to
members in good standing. This includes dues notices and the Club
newsletter, as well as other pertinent communications as defined by the
Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VII
Amendments
SECTION 1.
Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and to the breed
standard may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition
addressed to the Secretary, signed by 20% of the membership in good
standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered
by the Board of Directors. Within 60 days of the date when the petition was
received by the Secretary, he/ she shall submit the recommendations of the
Board to the membership for a vote.
SECTION 2.
The Constitution and Bylaws and the breed standard may be
amended at any time provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been
mailed by the Secretary to each member in good standing on the date of
mailing. It shall be accompanied by a ballot on which the member may
indicate his / her choice for or against the action to be taken.
Dual-envelope procedures described in Article IV, Section 4 (d) shall be
followed in handling such ballots, to assure secrecy of the vote. Ballots
shall be returned within 30 days to be valid. The favorable vote of 2/3 of
the members in good standing who return valid ballots within the time limit
shall be required to effect any such amendment.
SECTION 3.
No amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws or to the breed
standard that is adopted by the Club shall become effective until it has
been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel dub. [This
Section shall not be deemed in effect until the Finnish Spitz Club of
America, Inc. is accepted as a member Club by The American Kennel Club.]
Article VIII
Dissolution
SECTION 1.
The club may be dissolved at any time by written consent of
not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the
Club, other than for purposes of reorganization as permitted by the laws of
the state of incorporation, 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. After
payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to
one or more charitable organizations for the benefit of dogs. The Board of
Directors shall select the charitable organization to receive the property
and assets.
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:
-
Roll taking
-
Minutes of previous
meeting
-
Counting of ballots for
election of officers and Board (at Annual Meeting)
-
Report of the President
-
Report of the Secretary
-
Report of the Treasurer
-
Report of the Board of
Directors
-
Report of Committees
-
Unfinished business
-
New business, (including
appeals of Board decisions which may involve but are not limited to appeals
of decisions regarding election of New Members)
-
Member Forum
-
Adjournment
SECTION 2.
At meetings of the Board, the order of business so far as
the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:
·
Reading of
minutes of previous meeting Report of the Secretary
·
Report of
the Treasurer
·
Reports of
Committees
·
Unfinished
business
·
New
business
·
Adjournment
ARTICLE X
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 special rules of order the Club may adopt.
Adopted as the official Constitution and Bylaws of the
Finnish Spitz Club of America, Inc. on April 20, 1975.
Revised August 1, 1988. Revised November 15, 1989. Revised
June 1, 1991. Revised May 1, 1995.
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