CBARRC Constitution and Bylaws

Article I - Membership

SECTION 1. Eligibility
There shall be three (3) types of paid membership open to all persons 18 years of age and older who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.   These will include:

Membership Options :
• individual membership (one person, one vote)

• family membership (two or more persons, two votes)

• associate membership, (one person) entitled to all Club privileges except voting and holding office, for those living outside of the club’s local area and/or who are not active.

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

SECTION 2. Dues

Membership dues shall not exceed $35.00 per year (family), $25 (individual voting) and $20 (associate), payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of December, the Treasurer shall send to each member by electronic transmission (email) a statement of dues for the following 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 the Constitution and Bylaws of CBARRC and the rules of The American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and it shall carry the endorsement of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. All applications for membership are to be filed with the Secretary, and each application is to be published on the website and by electronic transmission (email) to each member.

Applications will be voted upon by an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the membership in good standing and will be considered approved by the membership if after 30 days of being published on the website no negative responses have been filed with the secretary. If there are negative responses from 2/3 of the present membership, the applicant is considered rejected. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may reapply six months or later after such rejection.

​

SECTION 4. Termination of Membership
Memberships 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 are 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 60 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 30 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) by expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these bylaws.

Article II - Meetings and Voting

SECTION 1. Club Meetings
General Club and Board meetings shall be held at least six (6) times per year in the greater Washington, D.C. area, at such date, hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by electronic transmission (email) by the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting (e-mail notification, a record of which must be maintained by the Secretary, shall constitute “mailing” in most cases). The quorum for general membership meetings shall be 20 percent of the voting 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; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by electronic transmission (email) 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 percent of the members in good standing.

​

SECTION 3. Board Meetings
There shall be no less than four (4) meetings of the Board of Directors and shall be held at such date, hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by electronic transmission (email) by the Secretary at least five days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a 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 members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held in such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by electronic transmission (email) by the Secretary at least five days and not more than 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. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

​

SECTION 5. Voting
Each voting 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 III - Directors and Officers

SECTION 1. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the officers and three (3) other persons all of whom shall be called Directors, all of whom shall be voting members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for two-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 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 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 of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club; 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 other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws.

(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board and a report shall be given at every meeting on the condition of the Club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting an accounting shall be rendered of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

​

SECTION 3. Vacancies
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the two-year term 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 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 first day of January and end on the last 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 last quarter of the year, 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. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to the 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 three 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 shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chair for the committee and it shall be such person’s duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held on or before September 30.
(a) The committee shall nominate one candidate for each position on the Board and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing or by electronic transmission (email). 
(b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary shall, at least two weeks before the October meeting, notify each member in writing or by electronic transmission (email) of the candidates so nominated.
(c) Additional nominations may be made at the October meeting by any member in attendance, provided that the person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one position.
(d) Nominations cannot be made at the December 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 dog 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 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 been terminated.

Article VI - Discipline

SECTION 1.   American Kennel Club Suspension
Any member who is suspended from any of 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. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $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 interests of the Club. 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 for a 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 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 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 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 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 of expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board’s finding and recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he 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 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 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 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, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

Article VIII - Dissolution

SECTION 1. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members in good standing. 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 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 may permit, shall be as follows:
Roll Call
Minutes of last meeting
Report of President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of committees
Election of officers and Board (at annual meeting) 
Election of new members
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment

SECTION 2. 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 Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Reports of committees
Unfinished business 
New business 
Adjournment

Article X - Parliamentary Procedure

SECTION 1. At meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may 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 rules of order the Club may adopt.