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SCSSC

Southern California Sporting Spaniel Club

An AKC all spaniel breed club dedicated to field events and hunting

By-Laws

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

OF THE

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SPORTING SPANIEL CLUB

Article I

Name and Objectives

Section 1 Club name: The name of the club shall be

Southern California Sporting Spaniel Club

Section 2 Club Objectives: The objectives of the club shall be

a. To preserve and promote the hunting capabilities of the flushing spaniel breeds.

b. To do all in its power to advance the interests of flushing spaniels at working tests,

hunt tests, and field trials. And to encourage sportsmanlike conduct at such events.

c. To conduct hunting tests, and field trials under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club.

Section 3 Non-profit Status: 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 Bylaws Revisions: The members of the club shall adopt and may, from time to time,

revise such Bylaws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

Article II

Membership

Section 1 Eligibility: While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the club’s

primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in the Greater Los Angeles area including communities within Riverside County no further east than Hemet

and communities within Orange County no further south than Mission Viejo. All members residing outside of the club’s local area will be offered Associate membership. At the club’s discretion, a very small number of members who are active, but are “non-local” may be offered regular membership. There shall be three (3) types of memberships open to all persons who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purpose of the club.

a. Regular members: Any person eighteen (18) years of age or over and interested in

the objectives of this Club shall be eligible to apply for regular membership in this Club.

b. Junior members: Any person under eighteen (18) years of age and interested in the

objectives of this Club shall be eligible to apply for junior membership in this Club.

Junior members shall have the same privileges as regular membership except they shall

not have voting privileges nor be able to hold office. Junior members in good standing shall, upon attaining their 18th birthday, automatically become regular members and shall thereby pay the current dues for the regular membership with the termination of this junior membership.

c. Associate members: Individuals who reside outside the club’s local area or who are not able to attend club meetings and functions on a regular basis may be offered associate membership. Associate members are non-voting members and will not affect a club quorum for voting.

Section 2 Dues:

a. The amount of the annual dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors,

and approved by members and will be payable on or before the 1st day of January

each year.

(1) Dues for regular membership shall not exceed $25.00 per year.

(2) Dues for junior membership shall not exceed $12.00 per year.

(3) Dues for associate membership shall not exceed $15.00 per year.

b. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month

of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his/her dues for

the ensuing year.

Section 3 Election to Membership: Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as

approved by the Board of Directors which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and Bylaws, and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state 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 payment of the current year.

All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each applicant’s name shall be

published in the next newsletter of the Club following its receipt. At the next meeting,

the application will be voted upon by secret ballot and affirmative votes of 2/3 of the

members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club many not reapply within

six (6) months after such rejection.

Section 4 Termination of membership: Memberships may be terminated by:

a. 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. Lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid ninety (90) days after the first day of the fiscal year.

However, the Board may grant an additional ninety (90) 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. Expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VII

of these Bylaws.

ARTICLE III

MEETINGS AND VOTING

Section 1 Club Meetings:

a. Meetings of the club shall be held within the greater Los Angeles area (at a

mutually agreed upon location) at such hour and place as may be designated by the

Board.

b. There will be a minimum of six (6) general meetings held each year. Written notice

of each such meeting including the date, place and time shall be mailed to each

member by the Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting date.

c. The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty percent (20%) of the members in good

standing.

Section 2 Special Club Meetings: Special club meetings may be called by the President OR by

a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular

or special meeting of the Board, OR shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a

petition signed by five (5) members of the Club, who are in good standing. Such

special meetings shall be held within the greater Los Angeles area at a place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call

such meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at

least five (5) and not more than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of that meeting; and

said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other Club business my be

transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing.

Section 3 Meetings of the Board of Directors: Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held

within the greater Los Angeles 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 five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting

shall be the majority of the Board.

Section 4 Special Board Meetings: 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 (3) members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Los Angeles area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days and not more than ten (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 shall

be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the club at which he is present. Proxy voting

will not be permitted at any club meeting or election.

ARTICLE IV

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1 Board of Directors: The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President,

Secretary, Treasurer and five (5) other persons, all of whom shall be elected for

one-year terms at the Club’s annual meeting as provided for in Article V, and shall serve

until their successors are elected, but in no event shall the President, Vice-President,

Secretary or Treasurer serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. 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 the President in

addition to those particularly specified in these Bylaws.

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 keep a record of all meetings of the Club and the Board and all

matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He or she shall have charge

of the correspondence; notify members of meetings; notify new members of their

election to membership; notify officers and directors of their election to office; keep

a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses; and carry out such duties as are

prescribed in these Bylaws; or as directed by the Board.

d. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He or she shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the

Club. His/her books shall be at all times open to inspection by the Board, 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; and at the annual meeting he/she shall render

an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The

Treasurer may be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

Section 3 Vacancies: Any vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors or among the officers

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. A special board meeting shall be called for that purpose; except if that

vacancy is the office of the President, which shall be filled automatically by the

Vice-President. The resulting vacancy in the office of Vice-President shall be filled by

majority vote at the special board meeting indicated above.

Section 4 Inability or Refusal to Serve: If the Board of Directors, by the affirmative vote of

two thirds (2/3) of the Board, determines that any officer or director is unable to act or

refuses to fulfill the responsibilities of the office, the Board of Directors, by the

affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of the Board, shall delegate the powers and duties of

such officer or director to any other regular member for such period of time as the

Board may deem advisable, or they may declare the office vacant. If the office is

declared vacant, it shall be filled according to the provisions of Section 3 of this

Article. No officer or director should be removed from office for any reason less serious

than would warrant the filing of disciplinary charges.

ARTICLE V

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. They shall

take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall

turn over to his/her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office

within thirty (30) days after the election.

Section 3 Elections: The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each

office shall be declared elected. The five (5) 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. During the month of September, the Board may elect a nominating

committee consisting of three (3) members and two (2) alternates, not more than one of

whom shall be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the

committee and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the

Committee and it shall be his/her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held

on or before October 1st.

a. The committee shall nominate one (1) candidate for each office and five (5)

candidates for the five (5) other positions on the Board, and after securing the consent

of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary

in writing October 15th.

b. Upon receipt of the nominating committee’s report, the Secretary shall notify each

member in writing of the candidates so nominated before November 1st.

c. Additional nominations may be made at any meeting held prior to November 20th or

in writing by November 20th, provided that the person so nominated accepts when

his/her name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in

attendance at this meeting, his or her provider shall present the Secretary with a written

statement from the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate.

No person may be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than provided in this Section.

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

Section 1 Committee Appointments: The Board may, each year, appoint standing committees

to advance the work of the Club in such matters as hunt tests, and field trials, trophies,

annual prizes, membership and other areas which may be well 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 Committee Terminations: Any committee appointment 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 terminated.

ARTICLE VII

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 duplicated with the Secretary together with a deposit of

$10.00 which will 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. The Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the

best interest of the Club or the breed. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges,

it shall fix a date for a hearing by the Board not less than three (3) weeks nor more than

six (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/her own defense and

bring witnesses if desired.

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 the complainant and the 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 (6) 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 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 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 recommendations

as provided for in Section 3 of this Article. Such proceedings my occur at a regular or

special meeting of the Club to be held within sixty (60) days but not earlier than thirty (30) days after the date of the Board’s recommendations. The defendant shall have the

privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf though no evidence shall be taken at the

meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board’s findings and

recommendations; and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak on his/her behalf.

The members shall then vote by secret, written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two

thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at this meeting shall be necessary for

expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board’s suspension must stand.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

Section 1 Proposal of Amendments: Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws may be

proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary

signed by twenty percent (20%) 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, along with the Board’s recommendations, for a

vote within three (3) months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

Section 2 Voting on Amendments or Acceptance of Amendments: The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a two thirds (2/3) secret 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 all members at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

ARTICLE IX

DISSOLUTION

Section 1 Dissolution: The club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two thirds (2/3) 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. After payment

of any Club debts, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization

for the benefit of dogs as selected by the Board of Directors.

SECTION X

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1 Club Meetings - Order of Business:

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 Call

Minutes of Last Meeting

President’s Report

Secretary’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Report of Committees

Election of Officers and Board (at Annual Meeting)

Election of New Members

Unfinished Business

New Business

Adjournment

Section 2 Board Meetings - Order of Business:

At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a

majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Reading of the Minutes of the Last Meeting

Secretary’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Report of committees

Unfinished business

New business

Adjournment

ARTICLE XI

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

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 other special rule of order the Club may

choose to adopt.