CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE
DOG TRAINING CLUB
OF CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, INC.

Constitution

ARTICLE I
Names and Objectives

SECTION 1

The name of the Club shall be the Dog Training Club of Champaign-Urbana, Inc.

SECTION 2

The objects of the Club shall be to promote the training and quality breeding of pure-bred dogs; disseminate knowledge regarding obedience training; conduct classes for the training of dogs; encourage and cooperate with individuals and other groups with similar purposes; hold and support obedience trials, exhibitions and matches under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club; promote cooperation and good sportsmanship among its members in the training and exhibition of dogs.

SECTION 3

The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit or remainder or residue or donations to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.

SECTION 4

The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such By-laws as may be required to carry out these objectives.

By-Laws

ARTICLE I

SECTION 1

Eligibility. There shall be one type of membership open to all persons sixteen years of age or older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club and who have attended two Club meetings, one of which may be a social meeting or club-sponsored seminar, and who have either (l) completed two classes (or are currently completing the second class) offered by the Club, only one of which may be a puppy class; or (2) have previously earned an obedience title through the American Kennel Club or who have earned some other title acceptable to the Board of Directors. The Board may provide for other types of membership at its discretion.

While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the trainers and exhibitors in the immediate area.

SECTION 2

Dues. The Board of Directors shall determine annual membership dues and training fees. Membership dues shall be payable on or before the last day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of November the Treasurer or his designee shall send each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

Training fees shall be due and payable as determined by the Board of Directors. No one may train whose training fees are not paid for the current 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 agree to abide by these Constitution and By-laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address, and the phone number of the applicant.

All applications are to be filed with the Secretary or designee and the name of each applicant shall be published in the next available Club newsletter or other regular Club publication in any medium. At the Club meeting following the publication of the name of an applicant, provided eligibility requirements have been met, the application shall be voted on and votes of three quarters (¾) of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Dues are payable when the applicant is accepted for membership. Dues will be pro-rated. Applicants elected January through June 30th shall pay dues for the full year. Applicants elected July 1st through October 31st shall pay dues for half the year. Applicants elected November 1st through December 31st shall pay full dues for the following year.

Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months after such rejection.

SECTION 4

Termination of Membership. Membership may be terminated:

a. by resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to he Secretary.
b. by lapsing. A membership may be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid 60 days after the due date; however, the Board may grant an additional 60 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 the meeting.
c. by expulsion. A member may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these By-laws.

Termination of membership by any of the above means does not cancel or terminate a member's financial obligations to the Club.

SECTION 5

Reinstatement of membership. Any person whose membership has terminated in accordance with paragraphs (a) or (b) of Section 4 above, shall be reinstated upon his or her written request for reinstatement to the Secretary and upon payment of the current year's dues, as specified in Section 3 above.

ARTICLE II
Meetings and Voting

SECTION 1

Club Meetings. Meetings of the Club shall be held within 25 miles of the Cities of Champaign-Urbana each month, at such date, hour, and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of such meeting shall be made by the Secretary. The quorum for such meetings shall be 15 members or 20% of the members in good standing, whichever is less.

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

SECTION 5

SECTION 6

ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers

SECTION 1

Board of Directors. The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Training and four other persons all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the Club's annual meeting as provided in Article IV and shall serve until their successors are elected. 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, Treasurer, and Director of Training 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 President in addition to those particularly specified by these by-laws.

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 of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He or she will have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify officers and directors of their election to office, and carry out other such duties as prescribed by these by-laws. The Secretary or designee shall also notify new members of their election to membership and keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses and phone numbers.

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. The Board may appoint an Assistant Treasurer with alternate check signing abilities. Additionally, the Treasurer may, with the approval of the Board, appoint specially designated depositors. His or her books shall be at all times open to inspection of the Board and he or 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 or she shall render an account of monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

a) The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person in which case the Board shall be comprised of the officers and five other persons.

SECTION 3

Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board at the first regular meting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting call for that purpose; except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled by the Board.

ARTICLE IV
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 of December.

SECTION 2

Annual Meeting. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of September at which Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article. If there are no nominations in accordance with Section 4(c), below, officers and directors may be elected by acclamation. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to his or her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 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 four nominated candidates for other positions of 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 June, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may ("may" substituted for shall) be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee and it shall be his or her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before July 1st.

a). The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and four candidates for the four other positions on the Board, and after securing consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.

b). Before August 1st the Secretary or his/ her designee shall notify each person selected of his/her nomination. The slate of candidates shall be presented to the membership at the August meeting.

c). Additional nominations may be made at the August meeting by any member in attendance 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 the meeting, his or her proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his or her willingness to be a candidate.

No person may be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations which are provided herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nomination Committee.

d). Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section.

ARTICLE V
Committees

SECTION 1

The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as shows, obedience trials, field trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by the committees. Such committees shall be subject always to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.

SECTION 2

Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority 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 been terminated.

ARTICLE VI
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 the 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 sport. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of ten dollars ($10.) which shall 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, and 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 sport. If the Board considers that charges do not allege conduct which, if proved, would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or sport, the Board may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of hearing by the Board not less than three weeks nor more than six 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 own defense and bring witnesses if he or she wishes.

SECTION 3

Board Hearing. The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both the complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after the hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may, by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than 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 or her fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board 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 Board's decision and penalty, if any.

SECTION 4

Expulsion. Expulsion of a member may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of this Article. Such proceedings may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board's recommendation. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his or 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 in his or her own behalf if he or she wishes. The members shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present and voting at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. (Last sentence in this paragraph deleted).

ARTICLE VII
Amendments

SECTION 1

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 of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such a petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose. The membership shall be notified of the proposed amendments at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. Notification shall be in accordance with rules set out in Article II, Section 6.

ARTICLE VIII
Dissolution

SECTION 1

Dissolution. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club, other than for reasons 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 but after payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

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 shall permit shall be as follows:

• Roll call
• Minutes of the last meeting
• Report of the President
• Report of Secretary
• Report of Treasurer
• Report of Committees
• Election of Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
• Election of new members (after election of Officers and the Board, if taken up at an annual meeting)
• Unfinished business
• New Business
• Adjournment

SECTION 2

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 minutes of the last meeting
• Report of Secretary
• Report of Treasurer
• Reports of Committees
• Unfinished business
• New business
• Adjournment

Circa l976
Revised September 6, l988; Revised August 3, 1993; Revised November, 200l.

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