Section 1 - Name: The name of the Club shall be "Boxer Club of Arizona, Incorporated."

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

(a) to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Boxers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection;

(b) to urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by the American Kennel Club and the parent club, the American Boxer Club, as the only standard of exellence by which the boxer shall be judged;

(c) to support shows and obedience trials and to maintain a program of awards which will encourage sportsmanlike competition, protect and advance the interest of the breed;

(d) to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club;

(e) to initiate educational programs and promotional activities, which will stimulate and extend public interest in the Boxer.

(f) for members of the Boxer Club of Arizona to abide by those portions of the American Boxer Club By-Laws and Code of Ethics which are applicable to members of member clubs.

Section 3. The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or reside from dues or donations to the Club Shall inure to the benefit of any member.

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.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1. - Eligibility: To be eligible, an applicant must own at least one registered Boxer and be in good standing with the American Kennel Club and willing to subscribe to the objectives of this Club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors of its immediate area.

Section 2. - Classes of Membership: Regular, Associate, Junior, and Life.

Regular - Regular members shall be entitled to serve on all Committees, attend all functions of the Club, vote and hold elective office.

Associate - Associate members shall consist of those members living out of state. They are entitled to all privileges of the Club except voting and holding office. Dues are assessed at a lower rate than regular members. Such members are not computed in determining a quorum.

Junior - Junior members shall consist of children between the ages of 12 and 18 years, whose parents are members. The Junior member shall be entitled to attend all functions of the Club, to win awards for his own accomplishments, and to be listed on the membership rolls. He shall not be entitled to vote or hold elective office. Junior members may automatically convert to regular membership upon reaching their 18th birthday.

Life - Life members shall have this status after 15 consecutive years of membership. Life members are entitled to all privileges of the Club including voting and holding elective office and are exempt from payment of dues.

Section 3 Dues: Regular member dues shall be $15.00 per the first adult individual and $5.00 per each additional member of the same family, payable on the 1st of January each year. Associate member dues shall be $10.00. Members joining after July 1st shall pay half of the annual dues for the balance of the year. During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

Section 4 Elections to Membership: Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these constitution and by-laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application will state the 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 for the year. All applicants within the State of Arizona must attend one meeting prior to submitting application for membership. Applications for membership will be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt, by the Vice President or Membership Chairman. Applications will then be submitted to the Board for recommendation of membership at the next general meeting, where a vote of 90% of the members in attendance will be required to approve the application. All voting will be by secret ballot. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six (6) months after such rejection.

Section 5 - Termination of Membership - Membership may be terminated:

(a) by 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) by lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid 90 days after the first day of January of each year; however, the Board may grant an additional 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 the meeting.

(c) By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VII of these By-Laws.

Article III

MEETINGS

Section 1 - Club Meetings: Meetings of the Club shall be held in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area on the second (2nd) Wednesday of each month, at such an hour and place as may be designated by the membership. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing.

Section 2 - Special Club Meetings: Special Club meetings may be called by the President, or a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by seven members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area at such a date, place, 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 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other Club business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing.

Section 3 - Board Meetings: Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area at least six (6) times per year at such hour and place as may be designated by the President with Board approval. Written notice of each 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 a majority of the Board. If more frequent regular Board meetings are to be called, a majority vote of the Board members is required.

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 in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area at such a date, place, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such a 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 or telegraphic notice shall be filed at least three (3) days and not more than five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other businss 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, with the exception of the Junior members, shall be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the Club at which he/she is present. Proxy will not be permitted at any meeting or election, nor will ballots by mail be accepted.

ARTICLE IV

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

Section 1 - Board of Directors: The Board shall consist of seven (7) voting members who shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Bench Show Chairman, and two (2) elective members, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the Clubs annual meeting as provided in Article V and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors, except in no one case may it spend more than $250.00 at one time. Not more than one member of each household shall serve on the Board at any one time.

Section 2 - Officers: The Officers of the Club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Bench Show Chairman, and two Members at Large. They shall be elected at the annual meeting in May and their term shall be for one (1) year, beginning at the conclusion of the May meeting.

(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the 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 by-laws. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

(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. The Vice President shall serve as Membership Chairman, and shall be responsible for preparing the annual awards.

(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/she shall have charge of the correspondence, notify Officers and Board members of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these by-laws. The Secretary shall be especially cognizant of the timely submittal of all reports required by the American Kennel Club and the American Boxer Club.

(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all money due or belonging to the Club. He/she shall deposit the same in the bank designated by the Board in the name of the Club, and withdrawals therefrom shall require the double signatures of the Treasurer and the President. The Books of the Treasurer shall be opened for the inspection of the Board and he/she shall report the condition of finances of the Club whenever requested. At the first meeting of the Club following the close of its fiscal year, the Treasurer shall render an audited account of all monies received and expended during the fiscal year, which account must be audited by the President or his/her appointee.

The Treasurer shall be authorized to pay routine bills when they come due, not to exceed a total of $150.00 without specific instructions by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall prepare a report for each meeting with a complete list of receipts and expenditures, and shall keep the Club advised of all anticipated disbursements.

The Treasurer shall not pay, nor shall the Board authorize the Treasurer to pay, any amount in excess of $300.00 without the approval of the Club.

(e) The Bench Show Chairman shall appoint a committee to assist in planning, organizing and operating Sanctioned matches and licensed shows. The duties of the Bench Show Chairman are: to conduct all correspondence pertaining to shows, prepare premium lists and catalogues, secure trophies, process entries, and be responsible for the actual preparation of the shows. The establishment of dates for shows and the selection of judges will be by the membership at large.

Section 3 - Removal from Office: I any member of the Board ceases to function effectively as a member of the Board, in the opinion of a majority of the Board, the Board shall present its facts at the next general meeting of the membership and ask the general membership to remove the Board member from office. A majority vote of those members in good standing shall be required. No officer or Board member shall be removed without just cause.

Section 4 - 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 its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a special board meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy of the Office of the President shall by automatically filled by the Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the Office of the Vice President shall be filled by a vote of the Board.

ARTICLE V

THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETINGS, ELECTIONS

 

Section 1 - Club Year: The Club's official year shall begin January 1st and continue through December 31st.

Awards Meeting: The awards meeting shall be held in the month of December, at which time awards shall be presented.

Section 2 - Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held in the Month of May at which time the Officers and Board for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret ballot.

Section 3 - Election: The nominated candidates receiving the greatest number of votes for each office 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 February, the Board shall select a nominating committee consisting of three (3) members, not more than one of whom shall be a member of the Board. The secretary shall announce the names of the committee. The nominating committee shall first secure the acceptance of each candidate and immediately inform the Secretary of their selection in writing, the Secretary in turn, shall notify each member in writing (may be included in the March minutes mailed) of the committee's slate at least two weeks prior to the April meeting.

A. The committee shall nominate one candidate for each position on the Board.

B. Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the April meeting, provided the prior acceptance of the nominee has been obtained.

C. The Secretary shall notify the membership in the April minutes of all nominees for the election to be held in May.

D. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this section.

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well 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. Any committee appointment may be terminated by 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 been terminated.

ARTICLE VII

DISCIPLINE

 

Section 1 - American Kennel Club Suspension. Any member, who is suspended from the privileges of the American Kennel Club, 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 interest of the Club or Breed. Written charges with specification must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 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 Breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct, which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board not less than 3 weeks nor more than 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 he/she wishes.

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 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 six (6) months from the date of the hearing, and if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the member that the penalty be expulsion. In such cases the suspension shall not restrict the Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after their 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 from the Club 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 the Article. Such proceeding 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 of expulsion. 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 Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/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. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand.

 

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

Section 1. - Amendments to the constitution and By-Laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty (20) percent 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 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.

Section 2. - The constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a 2/3 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 mailed to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

  ARTICLE IX

DISSOLUTION

 

Section 1. - Dissolution. 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 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 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 X

ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

Section 1 - Club Meetings: 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

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

REPORT OF SECRETARY

REPORT OF TREASURER

REPORT OF COMMITEES

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD (ANNUAL MEETING)

ELECTION OF NEW MEMBERS

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

Section 2 - Board Meetings: At meetings of the Board the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

READING OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

REPORT OF BENCH SHOW CHAIRMAN

REPORT OF SECRETARY

REPORT OF TREASURER

REPORT OF COMMITEES

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

RECOMMENDATION OF NEW MEMEBERS

NEW BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

  ARTICLE IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

 

Section 1. - The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts 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 by-laws and any special rules of order the Club may adopt.

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