Denali Schutzhund Club Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME OF CLUB

This organization shall be known as the Denali K9 Club.

ARTICLE II: OBJECT OF THE CLUB

To encourage and promote the training of all working dogs toward achieving their Schutzhund titles while following the rules, regulations and guidelines of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America or other national parent club.

To protect and promote the sport of Schutzhund and all working dog sports.

To interest and educate the public about Schutzhund and its practical applications.

To support and organize Schutzhund or other dogs sport trials.

To encourage and promote sportsman-like competition at trials, shows and training sessions.

To preserve the German Shepherd Dog in accordance with the Breed Standard as a working dog.

To promote humane training methods for the working dog and to support responsible dog ownership and breeding practices for all breeds.

ARTICLE III: NON PROFIT STATUS

The DKC is and shall be conducted as a non-profit organization. All dues, levies, and other income shall be disbursed to promote the objectives of this club, along with associated activities.

ARTICLE IV: DISOLUTION

This club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of a four-fifths majority vote of its active members in good standing. In such case, after payment of all debts and liabilities of the club, its assets and property shall be divided equally among the active, full members in good standing.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP

Section A: Types of Membership

Full Members. Full members are entitled to all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of this club including the right to vote and hold office. They have unlimited training privileges. Full members are responsible for cost overruns, the amount to be determined per event. All Full Members must be members in good standing of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America or other national parent club. Full members are entitled to vote on club issues and hold office if elected. Full members must be ready to help at all seminars and trials, may participate in all club training sessions, and will be included on the website, including their own personal page/s if desired.

Family membership is Full membership for any couple living or family unit residing together, at the same physical address. in addition, and child 18 years old or younger may qualify, with his/her parent(s), for a family membership, without necessarily residing at the same physical address as the parent member(s). Regardless of the actual number of participating members in a family, a family membership confers with it only two votes.

Associate Members. Associate members may not vote and may not hold office. Associate members are not responsible for cost overruns, but may be responsible for special levies assessed by the club. Associate members have unlimited training privileges with regards to tracking and obedience, but may ONLY participate in protection at the discretion of the Training Director and the assent of the helper(s) in question to work the dog(s) in question. Associate members must be member in good standing of The United Schutzhund Clubs of America or other national parent club. An Associate Member is, for all intents and purposes, a probationary member and may be denied membeship at any time by a vote of the board.

Satellite Members. Satellite members are affiliated with the club, but must live at least 2 hours from the club's regular training areas to qualify for this type of limited membership. Satellite members are non-voting members.They must attend 4 working club sessions per year and must attend trials and/or seminars, unless a waiver from trial/seminar participation, voted on by the board, is approved.

Non-Members. May participate in training sessions at the discretion of the training director AND club president and after paying $10 per dog per session.

Helpers. A training helper is one who does helper work on a REGULAR basis, (performing helper work at in at least 65% of scheduled club meetigs) A helper will consistently works to maintain and upgrade his/her technical and theoretical skills, will attend training regularly and must have an official, current USCA or other national parent club helper book.

Section B: Application for Election to Membership.

Applications for membership shall be made to the Secretary in writing upon forms provided for application.The application shall be voted upon at the next meeting of the club. After application has been received, the board shall determine whether the applicant shall be invited to preliminary, evaluative training sessions. The final determination to either invite or not invite the prospective applicant and dog(s) to evaluation shall be made by the Training Director and Club President.

If the application receives preliminary approval, the Applicant shall attend four training sessions as a non-member. The Training Director and Club President will evaluate the applicant’s dog. The applicant will be informed if their dog(s) is/are not suited to the sport of Schutzhund. Applicants who complete 4 training sessions showing enthusiasm, a positive attitude and motivation to fully participate in sport, (and a dog that can do the work),will be accepted into the club as Associate Members, after the Training Director and President approve the membership and the board votes by a 4/5 majority to invite the new member into the club as an Associate member. The board may also decide to vote on Associate membership before the 4 training sessions are complete. This is at the board's discression. The vote required to join shall still be 4/5 majority to be approved for membership. The secretary shall notify the applicant of the board's vote and membership determination, by telephone, within 24 hours of the said vote, with a confirming copy sent by mail. If a member is denied admission, s/he may reapply again in 1 year, and redo the 4 training sessions and application process entire. S/he may continue to apply up to 4 times in total, after which, the membership denial becomes permanent.

Election to Full Membership from Associate Membership shall require approval by three-quarters of the members present, and this vote will take place 6 months after the 4 month non-member sessions, starting 6 months after Associate Membership status has been voted on and approved.

Section C: Resignation

Any member may resign at any time and may be deleted from the membership upon receipt of a written letter of resignation, signed by resigning member and delivered personally or by certified mail to a member of the Board.

No monetary refund of dues, training fees, or special levies will be given to a member resigning.

Section D: Suspension

Any member may be suspended by a three-quarters majority vote of the club members.

Non-payment of dues may result in suspension.

Any member under suspension shall not be entitled to vote or participate in training sessions.

Section E: Expulsion

Any member may be expelled by a three-quarters majority of voting members.

ARTICLE VI: Payment of Dues and Special Levies

Section A: Membership dues and training fees will be voted on by the membership.

Full Members: $75 annual fee at time of membership approval, and $25 per person per month thereafter.

Family Membership $1OO per family annual dues. This amount will be reduced to $75 dollars every subsequent year that the member family has shown dedication to the club and sport. The monthly membership fee shall be $30.

Regular Helpers These members can waive their membership fees. A regular helper is a member not subject to the probationary membership period and a memeber who performs helper work at at least 75%

Associate Members: $100 initiation fee, a one time fee at time of membership approval, and $25 dollars per person per month thereafter. An Associate Member is, for all intents and purposes, a probationary member. An Associate Member must be over the age of 18 years to join as an individual. A member under 18 years of age can join as part of a family membership and may handle dogs with only with parental consent and the physical presence of the parent(s) at the field or training area at the time their child will be working any dog. With regards to voting and holding office, a member under the age of 18 has the same rights as a member 18 years or older.

Satellite Members: $40 per person per year. $10 per attended training session. This membership status is limited to members who can only attend on an irregular basis. Only individuals who live more than 2 hours drive from the training facility may qualify for this category of membership. A satellite member must still attend at least 4 training sessions per year and must attend all trials and seminars, unless pressing personal circumstances preclude attendance at these events. In such a case a written request for excuse from trial/seminar participation must be submitted to the board at least 2 weeks in advance and must be approved by the 2/3 of the voting membership.

Non-members: $10 per dog per training session; dog to be worked at discretion of training director. If an application for membership is received within six months of the fourth training session and an applicant is accepted into the club, all training fees will be credited to the applicant‘s initial membership dues.' Non -member guests may only attend 4 meetings and pay for 4 training sessions before a mandatory Associate Membership application is required. No dogs may be trained after these 4 paid training, guest-status sessions until an Associate Membership application is received and approved by the voting members. At any time during a guest's first attendance, a vote may be held by the voting mebers, and upon a 3/5 vote, this member can be dismissed from further attendance at guest sessions and have any current or future application for membership denied.

NOTE- All membership fees are subject to change without notice upon approval by 3/5 of the board. The board also has the power to lower or waive dues/fees for full members is good standing who are experiencing hardship. The board will determime all such applications on a case by case basis and will have the authority to define the terms of 'hardship."

Section B: Payment

Dues are due at the beginning of every month, and must be paid in full within five days of the first of each month. Dues not paid by the end of a given month will result in a late penalty and/or suspension, to be voted on by the board. Special arrangements may be made with the Treasurer in cases of hardship.

Section C: Special Levies

The membership may approve by a majority vote the collection of special equal levies against the membership, to meet the expenses of the club.

Section D: Nonpayment of Dues or Special Levies

Any member whose dues remain unpaid 30 days afer the beginning of the month in question shall be notified by the Secretary in writing that all privileges are suspended until payment is made.

Any member whose share of a special levy remains unpaid for one month after approval by membership vote shall be so notified in writing by the Secretary. If said levy remains unpaid for another thirty days, the member shall be automatically suspended.

ARTICLE VII: General and Board Meetings

General membership meetings to conduct club business may be held by notice of the President of this club. Two-thirds of the membership present at a club meeting constitutes a quorum. The meetings shall be held as needed. The President is responsible for giving adequate verbal notice to all members of the meeting.

Board Meetings — Meetings of the Board of Directors will be held as deemed necessary by the Board or President, at a time and place specified by the Board. Notice of such meeting shall be the responsibility of the Secretary. The quorum for such meetings shall be a majority of the Board. Appearance at board meetings CAN be made telephonically.

Special Board Meetings — Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by the Secretary upon request by at least 3 members of the Board. Such a meeting shall be held at a time and place specified by the Board. Such special meetings CAN be made telephonically.

Annual Meetings — A yearly club meeting will be held in October for the purpose of electing officers for the coming fiscal year. Elected persons shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, except for the President, the Board shall appoint a member in good standing to fill that vacancy for the unexpired term.Appearance at this annual meeting CANNOT be made telephonically.

Electronic Meetings. Club business may be conducted via email provided that all Full members have an opportunity to participate in the discussion and to vote via this mechanism.

ARTICLE VIII: Government

Section A: Board of Directors

The control and management of the affairs of the club shall be vested in the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall consist of: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Training Director, or, in pace of a training director, by an board member at large.

Regular meetings of the Board of directors shall be called by the President as required. Board meetings may precede or follow regular meetings.

Special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the President or at the request of another Board member.

A majority of the Directors in office being present shall constitute a quorum to conduct regular business. The Board shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur between elections.

The President shall lead the Board meetings.

The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Board meetings, and these will be available to members. The Secretary shall handle all club correspondene, including correspondence with USCA and wih potential new members.

The Board shall have general supervision over all disbursements of the Treasurer and shall appoint an auditing committee to consist of three members of the Board who may audit the accounts and records of the club at any time deemed appropriate.

The Training Director may be elected by the club.

The Board shall have the power to appoint committees and assistant officers from among the membership.

ARTICLE IX: Officers and their responsibilities

PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all Board and general meetings of the club. S/he shall have the duties and powers normally associated with this office in addition to those particularly specified in these Constitution and Bylaws. S/he shall be a member of all committees. All club officers and Board members shall be under the supervision of the President. The Secretary shall be listed as club liaison. The office of the President shall be a 2 year term.

VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President, perform all duties of the President. The office of the Vice-President shall be a 1 year term.

SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep a record of all formal meetings of the club and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the club. The Secretary shall have charge of all the correspondence, keep the records and roll call of members, the minutes of Board and general meetings, tabulate all election results, notify members of special meetings, keep an active roster of all club members with their current addresses and phone numbers. The Secretary shall provide new members with a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and a current list of club members with their addresses and phone numbers. The office of the Secretary shall be a 1 year term.

TREASURER. The Treasurer shall receive, collect and disburse all funds of the club. S/he shall deposit all funds in the club’s name in a bank that is satisfactory to the Board. At each formal meeting, the Treasurer shall give a report of all monies received and disbursed since the last report. At the annual meeting, the Treasurer shall submit an accounting of all monies received and disbursed during the fiscal year. Disbursements can be made only by direction of the Board. It is the Treasurer’s responsibility to keep an up-to-date and accurate accounting of all credits and debits. The Treasurer shall render a formal statement regarding club funds at each Board and general meeting or at the request of the President. The office of the Treasurer shall be a 1 year term.

TRAINING DIRECTOR. The Training Director may be elected to supervise the training of all club dogs for Schutzhund competition and will assist all club members in setting of goals in the training of their dogs. S/he will, in conjunction with or after approval by Club President, have discression to:

Determine time(s) and place(s) for training sessions;

Make recommendations for club participation in various Schutzhund trials;

Arrange for hiring judges for trials sponsored by the club and arrange for educational Schutzhund workshops or seminars related to performance dogs;

Shall maintain equipment used in the training program;

Shall see that adequate supplies of equipment are available for all training sessions;

Shall specify equipment needs and have authority to order up to $100.00 of training equipment without prior Board approval.

The Training Director and Club President shall evaluate prospective member-dog teams and shall make a recommendation to the Board for approval or disapproval.

The Training Director and Club President shall have the final say which dogs will be worked in the club.

The office of the Training Director shall be a 1 year term.

ARTICLE X: Election of Officers and Directors

The Officers and Directors shall be elected by the Full members in good standing for a term of one year or two years, by secret ballot, at the annual meeting of the club. Each Full Member may vote for only one nominee for each office. If there is more than one candidate nominated for any office, voting will be done by secret written ballot.

All elected officers and directors shall assume office immediately after election results are known. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, except for the President, the Board shall appoint a member in good standing to fill that vacancy for the unexpired term.

Nominations for Officers and Board members shall be made from the active membership at the annual meeting. All nominations must be seconded. Prior to the election, the Secretary shall receive a written or verbal consent to hold office from all nominees.

Any Full Member whose membership fees or levies remain unpaid on election day shall be disqualified from voting or holding office.

Each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records related to that office.

ARTICLE XI: Parliamentary Authority

The current edition of The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Sturgis shall govern this club in all parliamentary situations that are not covered in the law, or in this Constitution and Bylaws, or adopted rules. In case of conflict between the provisions of the constitution and bylaws and the parliamentary provisions of “Sturgis” the provisions of these constitution and bylaws shall prevail.

ARTICLE XII: Disciplinary Procedures

Any member may profer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the interest of the club. Written charges with specifications must be proferred in duplicate and forwarded to the Secretary with a deposit of $10.00, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained. All charges shall be heard before the Board of Directors only. The Board shall warn ,fine, suspend or expel any member from the club, or take other action deemed necessary. The accused member must be allowed to present his/her case to the Board. Any member against whom charges have been filed may, by a three-quarter vote of the Board of Directors, be suspended for a period not exceeding sixty days, or expelled from membership.

ARTICLE XIII: Constitutional Amendments

The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the active members in good standing.

Any proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws shall be formally read at the meeting at which actual voting takes place, and shall appear in the minutes of that meeting.

ARTICLE XIV:Empowered Representative

One person will be elected from the general membership to be the club delegate to the United Schutzhund Clubs of America.

This delegate must be an active member in good standing with the club; S/he must not have any disciplinary action pending with the United Schutzhund Clubs of America. All dues payable to both this club and the United Schutzhund Clubs of America must be paid in full.

This delegate must be empowered to represent the club in all matters, as s/he will be a member of the Board of directors of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America.

This delegate will begin his/her one year as the club’s empowered representative to the Board of Directors of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America or other national parent club,effective with the annual meeting of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America or other national parent club.

STANDING RULES

Membership dues and training fees

Full Members: $75 annual fee at time of membership approval, and $25 per person per month thereafter.

Regular Helpers These members can waive their membership fees. A regular helper is a member not subject to the probationary membership period and a member who performs helper work at during at least 75% of the working club meetings.

Associate Members: $100 initial fee, a one time fee at time of membership approval, and $25 dollars per person per month thereafter. An Associate Member is, for all intents and purposes, a probationary member.

Satellite Members: $40 per person per year. $10 per attended training session.

NOTE- All membership fees are subject to change without notice upon approval by 3/5 of the board.