Canadian Manchester Terrier Club

ARTICLE 1 _ MEMBERSHIP

1) MEMBERSHIP YEAR:

a) The membership year shall be from January 1 to December 31 inclusive.

2) ELIGIBILITY:

a) Any person of the full age of 18 years, and any minor whom is endorsed by their parent/legal guardian shall be eligible to join the Club. Ownership of a Manchester Terrier is preferable.

3) CLASSES of MEMBERSHIP:

a) Regular Single Membership is available to all persons who are in good standing with the Canadian Kennel Club, are Canadian residents and who subscribe to the purposes of this club. Members meeting such standards are afforded all regular privileges of membership, including voting privileges.

b) Regular Household Membership is available to two or more applicants residing in the same household who are in good standing with the Canadian Kennel Club, are Canadian residents and who subscribe to the purposes of this club. Members meeting such standards are afforded all regular privileges of membership, voting is limited to a maximum of two (2) votes per household. A household membership may include persons under 18 years of age. This household shall receive only one (1) copy of general mailings.

c) Junior Membership is available to all person of less than 18 years of age who are Canadian residents and subscribe to the purposes of this club. Applications for minors must be endorsed by their parent or legal guardian. Junior Members meeting such standards are afforded all privileges of membership, except voting privileges and holding office.

e) Non_Resident Membership is available to all persons residing outside of Canada, who subscribe to the purposes of this club and who are in good standing with any other recognized registering body. Members meeting such standards are afforded all privileges of membership, except voting privileges and holding office.

4) ADMISSION to MEMBERSHIP:

a) Any person desiring membership in the Club shall submit their application, on a form approved by the Board, together with one year's fees to the Club Secretary. All provisions of the application must be satisfied including the submission of an introductory letter as described on the application.

b) Upon receipt of the completed application, the Secretary shall record the application and send a copy to each member of the Board for approval. The Board shall approve all applications and return them to the Secretary within 21 days. If a member of the Board does not approve an application, the reasons for withholding approval shall be attached to the application and returned to the Secretary. An affirmative vote of 2/3 of the Board is required for approval. Any unapproved application shall be discussed at a meeting of the Board. All rejected applicants shall receive a written explanation from the Board.

c) Any application duly approved by the Board shall then be published in the Club's next newsletter for general comment. Any written complaint received by the Secretary from the general membership shall be duly recorded and a copy shall be forwarded to each member of the Board for their deliberation. The applicant shall immediately receive a copy of any written complaint received by the Club Secretary. If no complaint/comment is received within 30 days of publication the application will be granted final approval.

d) Notwithstanding the provisions of " Section 4(a), (b) or (c) ", any application rejected under the provisions there set out may be re_submitted by the individual, along with sufficient evidence that the conditions, which caused the rejection, have been rectified.

5) RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES of MEMBERSHIP:

a) All members shall:

i) Uphold the Constitution and Bylaws of the Club.

ii) Uphold the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of the CKC.

iii) Pay the annual membership fees prescribed.

iv) Be limited in their financial liability to the creditors of the Club by the amount owing for membership dues or fees.

b) An individual must be a member for 90 days before being granted voting privileges. Unpaid membership dues shall constitute denial of voting privileges. Only regular members are entitled to vote.

c) All voting members shall:

i) Be entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at all regular, and/or annual meetings of the Club.

6) RESIGNATIONS:

a) 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 are incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.

b) Any membership will be considered lapsed and terminated automatically if the membership dues remain unpaid 60 days after the first of January in each year.

7) EXPULSION of MEMBERS:

a) Any person who is suspended, debarred or deprived of privileges of the Canadian Kennel Club, or any other recognized registering body; shall be suspended from this Club for a like period.

b) The Board may suspend any person for conduct considered to be detrimental to the enhancement of the Canadian Manchester Terrier Club.

8) CHANGE of ADDRESS:

a) It shall be the duty of each member to notify the Club Secretary of any change of address. The Club shall issue all notices to the address that appears on the roll.

b) All address changes shall be forwarded by the Secretary to appropriate sources and shall be published in the next CMTC newsletter.

ARTICLE 2 _ ORGANIZATION

1) NOMINATIONS:

a) The Board shall appoint a Nominations Committee by June 1 of the election year. The committee shall consist of three members in good standing, no more than one of whom shall be a member of the current Board of Directors. The Board shall name a Chairperson for the committee. The nominating committee may conduct its business by mail or by email, provided appropriate records are kept.

b) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club one candidate for each office to be filled, and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The nominating committee shall consider geographical representation on the Board to the extent that it is practical. The committee shall then submit its slate of candidates, including a brief biography of each nominee, to the Secretary who shall mail the "Proposed Nominations List" to the membership on or before Aug. 1, so that additional nominations may be made by the general membership, if so desired.

c) Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition, signed by two (2) members entitled to vote in the forthcoming election; addressed to the Secretary and accompanied by the written acceptance of the nominee. No person shall be a candidate for more than one position and the additional nominations provided for herein may be made only amongst those members who have not accepted a nomination from the Nominating Committee.

d) If the Secretary on or before September 1 receives no valid additional nomination for an office, the Nominating Committee's nomination for that office shall be declared elected by acclamation at the Annual Meeting. No further balloting for that office is required.

2) ELECTIONS:

a) The Club shall elect its Executive for a two (2) year term.

b) The Regional Directors of the Club shall be elected only by the members residing in their respective region.

c) A ballot shall be mailed to each member in good standing who is eligible for voting privileges as set out in "ARTICLE 1 Section 3".. These ballots shall be mailed on or before September 15, listing all nominees for each position in which more than one nomination has been proffered. The names shall be listed in alphabetical order and the ballot shall be accompanied by a blank envelope as well as a return envelope addressed to the Secretary marked "Ballot" and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So that ballots may remain secret, each voter, after marking their ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Secretary and returned to the Secretary by Nov. 15. The scrutinizers of the election shall check the returns against the list of members in good standing to certify the eligibility of the voters, prior to opening the outer envelopes and removing the blank envelope. The blank envelopes shall be mixed together by the scrutinizers of the election before being opened.

d) At least two (2) impartial scrutinizers appointed by the Board, and the Secretary, must be present for ballot counting.

e) The Secretary shall retain all ballots for three (3) months, to ensure availability for possible inspection.

f) All nominees shall be notified of the complete election results, within seven (7) days of counting completion. Statistical election results will not be made available to the membership at large and will be privy only to the Club Executive and each candidate.

3) OFFICERS:

a) The Officers of the Club shall be President, Vice_President, Secretary, Treasurer (or combined Secretary/Treasurer).

4) DUTIES of OFFICERS:

a) The President shall:

i) Supervise the Board by overseeing the Board members in the execution of their duties.

ii) Chair any meeting of the Board or the general membership.

iii) Be an ex_officio member of all committees.

iv) See that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried out.

b) The Vice_President shall:

i) In the absence of the President perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President.

ii) Coordinate the efforts of members to organize local clubs, plan and promote specialty shows, obedience trials, sanction matches, and educational programs.

iii) Have such duties and powers as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board.

c) The Secretary shall:

i) Make and preserve all records of all meetings of the Club and the Board of Directors and of all votes taken by mail, and of all matters that a record shall be ordered by the Club.

ii) In conjunction with the Treasurer maintain the official membership list of all members, giving names and addresses, and date of membership application.

iii) Notify each member at the last address shown on the books of the Club of all general meetings at least 30 days prior to such meetings, and provide the members a date by which all items for discussion at the general meeting must be submitted in writing.

iv) Prepare and make available for publication in the official organ of the Club (i.e., Newsletter) a synopsis of all minutes of the meetings of the Club, both Board and General.

v) Attend to all regular correspondence of the Club.

vi) Distribute to each new member, a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws together with changes thereto, and a list of the names and addresses of all members in good standing.

vii) Record and forward all applications for membership to appropriate sources, as outlined in "ARTICLE 1 section 4 (b)".

viii) Coordinate with the Treasurer and transmit all dues from new members to the Treasurer promptly.

d) The Treasurer shall:

i) Have custody of the books, records and other property belonging to the Club and shall allow the use of same only under the orders of the Board.

ii) Collect all fees and monies owing to the Club and properly record same.

iii) Keep a book for the purposes of account of all monies of the Club and of all financial dealings therewith and have same present at all meetings and for inspection upon request.

iv) Deposit all monies in a chartered bank account or trust company in an account entered in the name of the Club.

v) Present a summary financial report at each Club meeting and annually to all Club members via the official organ of the Club (i.e., Newsletter).

vi) Receive, record and inform the Secretary (within 30 days) of all renewals of membership.

vii) Hold the books of the Club for inspection by two appointed club members for the purposes of annual auditing.

viii) The Treasurer shall be designated as one of two signing officers on all cheques drawn against the account of the Club

5) BOARD of DIRECTORS:

a) The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Past President and at least four (4) Regional Directors. All of the above shall be members in good standing of the Canadian Manchester Terrier Club as well as the Canadian Kennel Club, and residents of Canada. The aforementioned officers of the club shall serve for a two year term as herein provided in "ARTICLE 2 section 2 (a)" and shall serve until their successors are elected.

b) Notwithstanding the provisions of "section 5 (a)", no member shall be entitled to hold the office of President for more than two consecutive terms. After which time the person must step aside to become the immediate Past President. After a period of one term the person may again stand for election to the office of President.

c) The Regional Directors shall:

i) Reside in the region that they represent as defined by the CKC

ii) Maintain liaison with and submit an annual report to the Vice_President, and be responsible for the work of the Club in their region.

iii) Serve on the Board and have one vote thereon. The Directors may participate in all meetings and shall represent the Club in areas where no other Board member is normally present. The Directors may serve on any committee of the Club and are elected to promote the best interests of the membership.

d) The Past President shall:

i) Act as an advisor to the President.

ii) Have such duties and powers as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board.

e) Directors and Officers shall not receive remuneration for their services to the Club. Directors and Officers shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses.

6) DUTIES of the BOARD of DIRECTORS:

a) The duties of the Board of Directors shall be to endeavor to further the objectives as set forth in the Constitution, and to secure and maintain an efficient organization of the Club. The President of the Club may at any time call a meeting of the Board, via any means outlined in ARTICLE 3 of this document, on giving seven (7) days notice and shall also do so when requested in writing by three (3) or more members of the Board.

7) STANDING COMMITTEES:

a) The Board may appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as Dog Shows, Obedience Trials, Trophies, Annual Prizes, Membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. The President, may select committee members who may serve for the term of the President. 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.

b) The Disciplinary Committee shall:

i) Investigate all complaints received by the Secretary.

ii) Invite all parties to submit written explanations, of their view, of the events or practices resulting in the complaint.

iii) Review all the evidence and make a written recommendation to the Board.

c) Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board, upon written notice to the appointee from the Secretary, if not the appointee, and in such a case, then by the President.

8) REMOVAL from OFFICE:

a) The Board may, by a two_thirds (2/3) majority vote, remove an Officer before the expiration of the Officer's term of office and may appoint a successor to complete the term.

9) FILLING of VACANCIES:

a) Any vacancy occurring on the Board shall be filled for the balance of the term of office, by a majority vote of all the members of the Board. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled automatically by the Vice_President and the Board shall fill the resulting vacancy in the office of the Vice_President.

ARTICLE 3 _ MEETINGS

1) MEETING MODES:

a) Due to the distributed nature of the Club Executive and its membership, Club meetings will not be held at regular intervals. Club business will be discussed and resolved by telephone or Email initiated by the President or a member of the Board. The Club newsletter will provide official notice of business resolutions to the general membership.

2) ANNUAL MEETING:

a) The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be held in conjunction with the Club's Specialty Show if possible, at a place, date and hour designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall make written notice of the Annual Meeting to each member at least sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.

3) EXECUTIVE and BOARD MEETINGS:

a) Executive and Board meetings are essential for the continuing operation of the Club. Executive meetings monthly and Board meetings quarterly are mandatory.

b) The meetings of the Board shall be at the call of the President or by the request of three (3) other members of the Board. Final resolutions will be mailed to all members of the Board, signed by them, and returned to the Club Secretary for the purpose of recording. Meetings of the Board may be held at any time/place as determined by the Board, provided that 48 hours written notice of said meeting is provided, other than by mail, to each member of the Board. Notice, if by mail, shall be sent at least 14 days prior to the meeting.

c) Board members may participate in a meeting of the Board or of a committee or of the Executive by means such as telephone conference call, Email or other means providing all participants can participate equally. A member participating in a meeting by such means shall be considered present at said meeting. A resolution, in writing, reached during said meeting and signed by all members of the Board entitled to vote on that resolution, is as valid as if it had been passed at a meeting at which all members were physically present.

4) QUORUM:

a) A quorum for conducting the business of the Club at a Board of Directors meeting shall be a simple majority of the Board members.

b) A quorum for conducting the business of the Club at the Annual Meeting shall be one_third (1/3) of the eligible voting members of the Club.

5) ORDER of BUSINESS:

a) All meetings of the Club and its governing bodies and all other matters of practice and procedure not otherwise herein specified shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order, current edition.

b) The order of business at all meetings shall be as follows:

i) Recording of members present by roll call.

ii) Reading and acceptance of the Minutes of the previous meeting.

iii) Business arising from the minutes.

iv) Reports of officers, committees, etc.

v) Business arising out of correspondence.

vi) Unfinished business.

vii) New business.

viii) Scheduling of next meeting and Adjournment.

6) VOTING:

a) At the Annual General Meeting or at a special meeting of the club, voting shall be limited to those members in good standing who are present at the meeting and who are eligible to vote as provided in "ARTICLE 1 section 5, (b), (c)".. Voting shall be by a show of hands. Any member making a motion may request a vote by secret ballot. No person may cast more than one vote.

b) Election of Officers and Directors, amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, Club dissolution and amendments to the Breed Standards ( both Toy and Standard ) shall be by secret ballot cast by mail. A two_thirds (2/3) majority, of the registered voting membership, is required for approval. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

ARTICLE 4 _ FINANCIAL

1) FINANCIAL YEAR: The fiscal year of the Club shall be from January 1 to December 31.

2) MEMBERSHIP FEES:

a) Membership fees for the following year shall be as established at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. Dues shall be payable on or before the first day of December of each year. Without exception, voting powers shall be denied to members whose dues are unpaid as of the date of any Club voting.

b) Persons having their membership approved in September, October or November are considered to have an effective membership date of the following January 1. In such cases, during the interim period between membership approval and the following January 1 the member(s) are afforded all privileges of regular membership, except voting. Persons having their applications approved before September 1 will be afforded all privileges of their membership, immediately effective upon notification of approval.

c) All fees are to be paid in Canadian funds.

3) AUTHORIZATION of EXPENDITURES:

a) All outstanding accounts approved by the Board shall be payable by cheque signed by the Treasurer and one other designated Board member.

4) AUDIT:

a) The financial records of the Club shall be audited by two members (not the Treasurer) appointed to do so, and such audits shall be conducted within 30 days, of the end of the fiscal year.

5) DISSOLUTION:

a) If for some reason the Club remains inactive for a period exceeding two years, or is disbanded, all funds shall be donated to the following organization: University of Guelph, Veterinary College, Animal research Programs.

ARTICLE 5  LEGAL

1) SIGNING OFFICERS:

a) Two (2) duly authorized officers shall sign all contracts, documents and written instruments, executed on behalf of the Club.

b) The Board may, by resolution, appoint one or more officers of the Club to specific contracts, documents and instruments in writing.

2) INSPECTION of RECORDS:

a) Upon request by three (3) members, any/all records of the Club shall be open for inspection at any time during the year.

3) ACQUISITION of PROPERTY:

a) All property acquired on behalf of the Club, shall be the property of the Club, and shall not be used for the benefit of any persons.

ARTICLE 6   PROCEDURE

1) AUTHORITY:

a) The day_to_day operation of the Club shall be entrusted to the Executive.

b) The general management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. The business of the Board may be done by scheduled meetings, mail, email or telephone conference call. It shall be the practice of the board to have the venue of its executive meetings equally divided, as nearly as practicable, to balance East/West regions in Canada.

c) All meetings of the Club and of its governing bodies and all other matters of practice and procedure not otherwise specified herein shall be governed by the Common Law of Canada and Roberts' Rules of Order, current edition.

2) BRANCH CLUBS:

A branch of a club whose name indicates national coverage for Manchester Terriers may apply on its own for accreditation, and such may be granted by The Canadian Kennel Club providing that all requirements have been met.

A letter of acknowledgment from the parent club must be attached to the application.

A branch of a club wishing to hold events under its own name, must be accredited before holding such events. If the branch is simply assisting the "parent club", or acting as a sponsor for the parent club, official accreditation is not needed. However, all credits will be given to the National Club.

The Branch Club must maintain affiliation with the National Club.

ARTICLE 7   ALTERATION of BYLAWS

1) AMENDMENTS:

a) Amendments to the bylaws and breed standards may be proposed by the Board or by written petition addressed to the Secretary, signed by 10 members in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board and must be submitted to the members of the Club with the recommendations of the Board for a vote within ninety (90) days of the date when the petition was received.

b) The bylaws and breed standards may be amended at any time provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed, by the Secretary, to each eligible voter on the date of mailing, accompanied by a ballot on which they may indicate his choice on the action to be taken. Dual_envelope procedures shall be followed in handling such ballots, to ensure secrecy of the vote. Notice with such ballot shall specify a date not less than thirty (30) days after the date of mailing, by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be counted. The majority vote of the members in good standing, who return valid ballots within the time limit, shall be required to affect any such amendment. In the case of breed standards, a two_thirds (2/3) majority is required to affect an amendment. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

c) The Board may, from time to time by Resolution, establish, amend, vary or abolish such Resolutions, not inconsistent with these Bylaws, relating to the management and operation of the Club.. Such Resolutions shall have force and effect only until the next Annual Meeting, when they shall be confirmed, and failing such confirmation, shall from that time cease to have any force and effect.