SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DOG OBEDIENCE COUNCIL, INC.
BYLAWS
Amended May 17, 2019
Article I – Name and Definition
SECTION 1. The name of this corporation shall be: Southern California Dog Obedience Council, Inc. hereinafter identified as “Council.”
SECTION 2. This Council shall be a non-profit confederation of representatives of clubs, associations, organizations, and societies, hereinafter (known as “members.” Members representing the same club shall form a “membership” representing that club, subject to the limitations of the membership defined under Article VII, Section 1 of these bylaws. It shall be politically non-partisan and non-sectarian.
Article II – Object
The objectives of the Council shall be:
SECTION 1. To assist members in dispensing information on dog obedience training to the general public;
SECTION 2. To coordinate efforts toward the qualitative improvement of dog obedience training;
SECTION 3. To encourage exhibitor participation in dog obedience trials, sanctioned matches and practice matches;
SECTION 4. To promote the standardization and improvement of judging at dog obedience trials and matches;
SECTION 5. To promote friendly relations among all organizations interested in dog obedience;
SECTION 6. To assist any club in conducting obedience trials, matches and demonstrations;
SECTION 7. To provide opportunities for, and assistance in, exchange of obedience information;
SECTION 8. To perform community service in connection with canine welfare on Federal, State, and local levels, as the members shall approve.
Article III – Membership
SECTION 1. Membership in the Council shall be for the representatives of clubs, associations, or societies which are organized as dog obedience specialty organizations, whose purposes, either wholly or in part, are dedicated to the obedience training and advancement of dogs, and whose principal locations are within the following counties: San Luis Obispo, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial.
SECTION 2. All members shall be representatives of associations or societies having open membership, and having officers and a Board of Directors elected by vote of the general membership, and which associations or societies hold at least eight regular membership meetings throughout a calendar year.
Any change of the constitution or bylaws of a club represented by a member must be submitted to the Council after approval by such club and if such club, due to changes in its constitution or bylaws or other reason, no longer meets the requirements of these bylaws, then the membership of the members representing said club will be subject to cancellation ninety days after notification by the Council secretary that this section of the bylaws will take effect.
SECTION 3. Any representatives of an association or society conforming to the requirements of Article III, Section 1 and Section 2 which association or society has been in existence for a period of at least one year or has given one successful OA sanctioned match, whichever is first, and which association or society is a non-profit club are eligible to apply for membership in the Council.
SECTION 4. Any representative of a club may apply in writing for a membership in the Council. Such application shall include a copy of the articles and bylaws of the club the applicant represents.
SECTION 5. Upon receiving an application for a membership, the Board shall review the application and shall also verify that the submitted bylaws conform to the requirements of the Council. The requirements of the Council having been met, the president shall appoint a committee consisting of two members, each representing a different club, to attend a meeting of the club from which the applicant is a representative and report on the conditions observed.
SECTION 6. Election to membership in the Council shall require a majority vote in the affirmative by written ballot of the membership present.
SECTION 7. Any membership failing to have representation at three regular meetings in one year shall be dropped from membership.
Article IV – Dues
SECTION 1. Annual dues shall be fixed in the Standing Rules of the Council and memberships shall submit their dues upon receiving notification of acceptance to membership status and annually thereafter, not later than the regular February meeting. Annual dues are due and payable at the regular January meeting. Failure to submit dues by the February meeting shall result in mandatory suspension of membership privileges.
Loss of membership shall be final if the annual dues are not paid by the regular March meeting. Dues for the balance of the fiscal year for memberships accepted after the middle of the fiscal year shall be prorated to 50% of the annual dues.
SECTION 2. During the month of November, the treasurer shall notify each membership by first class mail at the address of the secretary of the club that the membership represents as appears in the Council directory that the membership dues are payable on the first day of January of the following year.
Article V – Suspension of Membership
SECTION 1. The following conditions are cause for suspension of Council membership as defined in Section 2 and for the time span noted in Section 3.
A. Suspension from privileges of the AKC.
B. Failure to abide by the Bylaws of Council.
C. Failure to abide by the Standing Rules of Council.
D. Failure to accept a decision of the Council BOD when said discussion has not been reversed by the members in a formal Council meeting.
E. Failure to immediately discontinue a heated/disagreeable argument/discussion/discourse in formal Council meeting when the chair has ruled to discontinue.
F. Being suspended as representative of the club represented.
SECTION 2. Suspension of Council membership for the conditions noted in Section 1 shall be
A. Automatic suspension of Council membership. Automatic suspension of the member.
B., C., & D. The decision on suspension shall follow an investigation by the Council BOD and shall be submitted to the members in formal Council meeting for approval or disapproval by closed ballot vote, one vote per membership. Suspension shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the membership’s present, excluding the offending membership.
E. Automatic suspension of the members, automatic suspension of the membership subject to reversal by the members.
F. Automatic suspension of the member.
SECTION 3. The period of suspension from Council membership for the conditions voted in Section 1 shall be:
A. The time period during which the suspension from AKC privileges is in force.
B. C. & D. As recommended by the Board and approved or modified by the members in formal Council meeting by closed ballot vote, one vote per membership, excluding the offending membership or that of the offending member, two-thirds majority vote of the memberships present being required for passage.
E. For the balance of that Council meeting.
F. Until such time as the club which the member represents reinstates said member as its representative.
SECTION 4. In Cases A, B, C, D, or E, formal notification by certified mail shall be transmitted within seven days to the members of the offending membership and to the president of the club they represent.
Notification shall define the applicable condition under Section 1, the action taken by the Board and the members under Section 2, and the penalty invoked by the Board and by the members under Section 3.
Article VI – Property Rights of Members
Members shall have no right, title, or interest in the whole or any part of the property or assets of the Council and no member shall be entitled to either the whole or any part thereof in the event of the termination of membership in Council.
Article VII – Members
SECTION 1. Each club which is represented may be represented by not more than three members.
SECTION 2. A member shall be a person who:
A. has reached the age of 18 years;
B. has been a member of his/her club for at least six months;
C. has trained or shown at least one dog through an obedience degree or title granted by a Council-recognized organization.
SECTION 3. Special delegates to Council shall be provided for in the Standing Rules of the Council.
SECTION 4. New clubs represented by a member may appoint two additional members upon acceptance of that member.
SECTION 5. No person shall concurrently represent more than one club as a member.
SECTION 6. No person will be accepted in Council as an additional member or replacement member until the corresponding secretary of the Council has received written notice from the represented club naming that person as their additional member or replacement member.
SECTION 7. No person may receive remuneration in any form from the Council as a result of being a member or of performing duties as a member acting on a committee of the Council.
SECTION 8. Liaison Delegates. The category “Liaison Delegates” is established for the specific purpose of providing official Council recognition of certain organization which are involved in dog obedience activities. Liaison delegates shall enjoy no voting privileges in Council affairs and specific rules of qualification and rights of liaison delegates shall be provided for in the Standing Rules of the Council.
Article VIII – Officers, Board of Directors
SECTION 1. The administrative body of the Council shall be the Board of Directors, identified elsewhere in these bylaws as the Board, and consisting of the following officers:
A. President;
B. President elect;
C. Vice-President;
D. Recording Secretary;
E. Corresponding Secretary;
F. Treasurer;
G. three Board members-at-large.
SECTION 2. The member s of the Board shall be elected from among the members and the incumbent Board. In order to be eligible for election to the Board, a member must have been a member of Council for more than six months. The six-month period need not be continuous.
SECTION 3. The term of office for members of the Board shall be from the January meeting next following the election to the regular January meeting one year thereafter. No officer may hold the same elective office for more than two consecutive years.
SECTION 4. The president shall appoint at the August meeting a nominating committee consisting of a chairman and four members. Each committee member shall be a member representing a different club from the others. The committee shall obtain a slate of nominees for election to the Board and shall present the slate to the assembled delegates at the October meeting.
SECTION 5. Regular members of Council and incumbent members of the Board may be nominated for the Board from the floor at the election meeting.
SECTION 6. The officers, except the president, and Board members-at-large shall be elected at the November meeting. Voting on elections shall be by written closed ballot when there is more than one nominee for the office. Election shall be by majority of votes cast, one vote per regular member. When only one nominee stands for office, the recording secretary shall cast one vote which shall elect the nominee to office.
SECTION 7. The president shall appoint three inspectors of the election, one of whom shall be the recording secretary. In the even the recording secretary is also a nominee, the president shall appoint a substitute. The president shall appoint election inspectors from among the members representing clubs other than those represented by the nominees.
SECTION 8. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the corresponding secretary shall notify the members that such vacancy exists and that a special election will be held at the next regular Council meeting for the purpose of filling the vacancy for the unexpired term. If the vacancy is in the office of corresponding secretary, the recording secretary shall perform the duties defined in this section.
SECTION 9. Upon being elected to the Board, the president may relinquish his membership status. The club when he represented shall then fill the vacated position in the manner usually employed by that club.
SECTION 10. Pecuniary profit in any form shall not accrue to the benefit of any person as a result of being a member or officer of the Council, or as a result of performing any action or service for the Council as a member or officer. Actual expenditures made on behalf of the Council and for actual expenses encountered while performing duties for the Council may be reimbursed from the Council treasury upon approval by the Board.
SECTION 11. Duties of the Officers.
A. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Council and of the Board and shall be responsible for the observance of proper procedures during each assembly. He/she shall enforce the provisions of these bylaws, of all Standing Rules, regulations, and policies of the council, and he/she shall perform such other duties as may be duly defined by the members in a regular meeting of the Council. He/she shall appoint all committee chairpersons and be an ex-officio member of all committees.
B. The president-elect shall perform the duties of the president in case of the absence or disability of the president and such other specific duties as the president may delegate to him/her. The president-elect may appoint chairpersons during his/her term as president-elect to committees that shall govern activities for the following year. The president-elect shall automatically assume the office of the president following the annual election or the resignation of the president prior to an election.
C. The vice-president shall perform the duties of the president-elect in case of the absence or disability of the president-elect and such other specific duties as the president may delegate to him/her.
D. The recording secretary shall record and maintain accurate minutes of all proceedings, of all meetings of the Board and of the members, and such other duties as may be assigned by the president.
E. The corresponding secretary shall keep a roll of all members and their contact information and shall have charge of all correspondence of this Council and attend to the giving and serving of notices of all regular and special meetings of the members and the Board. Notices of Council and Board meetings shall be distributed between the twelfth and seventh day prior to the meeting.
F. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the Council and shall receive and deposit all money and other valuables of the Council in the name and to the credit of the council. The funds shall be deposited in a bank selected by the treasurer. All disbursements of Council funds shall be made by check signed by the treasurer and countersigned by the president or president-elect. Professional services exceeding $500 shall require a minimum of two (except for unique suppliers) written estimates submitted to the treasurer. The treasurer shall make disbursements according to the following:
COUNCIL SHALL NOT PAY
1. for rental cars, gifts, or alcoholic beverages; nor
2. for meals (except for workers’ lunches during events), transportation, or lodging of SCDOC officers, committee members, workers, or guests other than those invited by the Board.
COUNCIL SHALL PAY
1. Applicable fees, meals, transportation, and reasonable expenses of guests invited by the Board (e.g., judges, speakers, and the like);
2. Reimbursement of actual expenses incurred by SCDOC officer, committee members, or workers upon submission to the treasurer of receipts or bills for said expenses;
3. Expenses for professional services (e.g. park fees, rentals, printing, postage, etc.) upon submission to the treasurer of bills or invoices; and
4. Deposits for approved future services.
Interpretation of “reasonable” and “applicable” shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the Board subject to the limitations of Article IX, Section 4.
The books of account shall be made available upon written request of any member at the meeting following the submission of said request. The treasurer shall keep such other records as the president may direct.
SECTION 12. Any officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at a regular or special meeting of the members. Absence from three consecutive meetings of the Board, without adequate reason acceptable to the Board, shall be a cause for initiation of the action to remove the offending Board member from office and thereby establish a vacancy on the Board. Charges against officers shall be in writing filed with the recording secretary or the president. The matter shall be presented at the next regular or special meeting of the Board. The officer involved should be present and the accusing member and any witnesses they may require shall be present at the said Board meeting. The Board shall investigate the charges and accumulate all facts available unless the charges are absenteeism from the Board meetings. The accumulated facts shall be presented to the members at the next regular Council meeting and the matter shall be disposed of at that time by action of the members. Notice of impending action shall be mailed to the offending officer by registered mail and he/she shall have the opportunity to speak in his/her own defense.
SECTION 13. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at a time and place defined by the Board. No December meeting is required.
Special meetings of the board may be called by the president or by four or more Board members upon proper notification. Notice of time and place of regular and special Board meetings shall be distributed to all Board members and other specifically concerned parties.
All meetings of the Board shall be open to attendance by the members of the Council. A voice in all Board meetings shall be strictly reserved to Board members and to those whom the Board members invite to speak.
SECTION 14. The presence of a quorum is required for the conduct of business at all Board meetings. A quorum of the Board shall be five Board members, excluding the president. Each Board member shall have one vote with the exception of the president, who may vote only in the case of a tie.
Article IX – Specific Authorities
SECTION 1. The governing body of the Council shall be the members representing clubs assembled as a quorum in a regular or special meeting of the Council. During the periods between regular and/or special meetings of the Council the governing function shall be delegated to the Board assembled in a regular or special meeting. All decisions and rulings of the Board made under the delegated authority shall be submitted to the members for ratification or rejection at the next regular or special meeting of the Council, except as specified herein.
SECTION 2. All matters affecting the maintenance of discipline and the conduct of business during the regular and/or special Council and Board meetings shall be referred to the Board which shall resolve such matters under the authority hereby assigned and in accordance with these bylaws and such standing rules as may be currently in effect.
SECTION 3. Interpretation of these bylaws and of Standing Rules of the Council shall be the duty of the Board and shall require agreement by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board. All such interpretations that shall affect clubs represented by members shall be reported to the members and to the secretary of each club the members represent, in writing, and considered at the next regular Council meeting. All interpretations affecting the internal administration shall be reported to the members for consideration at the next regular Council meeting.
SECTION 4. Normal financial disbursement of Council funds shall be conducted by the Board within a total monthly value of $200 and $75 per transaction. Within said amount, the Board is authorized:
A. To pay all bills attendant to the normal operation of the Council;
B. To incur indebtedness attendant to the normal operation of the Council;
C. To approve any extraordinary expense deemed worthy.
Any expenditure in excess of the above amount must receive approval by vote of the members at a regular or special meeting of the Council.
Article X – Parliamentary Authority
The parliamentary authority for conduct of Council and Board meetings is contained within the documents:
A. Bylaws of Council;
B. Standing Rules of Council
C. Robert’s Rules of Order Revised by Henry M. Robert.
Article XI – Council Meetings
SECTION 1. The annual meeting of the Council shall be the regular January meeting. The fiscal year shall start on the date of the meeting in January.
SECTION 2. The Council shall hold a regular meeting on the third Friday of each month. There shall be at least six meetings annually.
1. January to install the new Board and also the draw for Top Dog jobs.
2. March to keep everyone updated and possibly an educational presentation.
3. June to keep everyone updated and possibly an educational presentation.
4. August for the distribution of Top Dog materials. The entries are to be returned to the Trial Secretary by October 1st.
5. October to solicit nominations for the upcoming election.
6. November, at Top Dog, to hold the election for the upcoming year.
SECTION 3. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the president or by the Board or by 20% of all the memberships of the Council. Notice of such special meetings shall be distributed to all members and to the presidents of the clubs represented by the members not less than ten days prior to such meetings. These meetings may include electronic, but not restricted to teleconferencing. The meeting notice shall define the business to be conducted at the meeting and no other business may be considered.
SECTION 4. For the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting of the Council, a quorum shall consist of members representing clubs; the number of clubs represented at the meeting shall be at least 50% of the total number of clubs which are represented by Council members.
SECTION 5. Passage of a motion at a regular or special meeting of the Council shall require approval by the following percentages:
A. Motions affecting establishment of committees and administration of the Council – majority vote of the members present.
B. Motions affecting social questions – majority vote of the members present.
C. Motions affecting actions and decisions of the Board – majority vote of the members present.
D. Motions affecting election of the members of the Board – majority vote by written ballot of regular members present.
E. Acceptance of applicants for membership to Council – majority vote by written ballot of members present, one vote per membership.
F. Motions affecting Standing Rules of the Council, Council policy, and Council activities – two-thirds majority vote of members present, one vote per membership.
G. Amendments to the bylaws – two-thirds majority vote of members present, one vote per membership with 60 days prior notice.
H. Dissolution of the Council – 75% majority vote of memberships of record.
Article XII – Motions
The second to any motion shall be from a member representing a club other than the club represented by the member proposing the motion. No proxy or absentee vote shall be allowed.
Article XIII – Committees
SECTION 1. All committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the president after consultation with the Board. Other members of the committee may be selected by the chairperson, or may be appointed by the president after consultation with the chairperson.
SECTION 2. A written general definition of the duties of each committee shall be presented by the president to the committee chairperson.
SECTION 3. Upon completion of the duties of the committee and presentation of a final report of the activities and accomplishments, or at the next installation of officers following establishment of the committee, whichever comes first, the committee shall be dissolved. If desired the newly installed president may reactivate the committee in accordance with Section 1. Permanent committees as directed in the Standing Rules shall be exempt from this paragraph.
SECTION 4. Removal of any member of a committee including the chairperson may be accomplished by:
A. Voluntary resignation of the member by oral or written notice to the Board;
B. Dismissal from office by action of the Board or by two thirds majority vote by written ballot of the members present based on substantiated evidence of action or inaction detrimental to the work of the committee.
Such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Section 1.
SECTION 5. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees; excluding committee’s associated with elections. The president may submit recommendation to committees, but they shall not be bound by such recommendations.
Article XIV – Amendments to these Bylaws
SECTION 1. These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Council buy a two-thirds majority vote of the members present, one vote per membership, provided that the proposed amendment(s) shall have been distributed to the members and also the secretary of each club represented by the members at least sixty days before such amendments shall be voted upon.
SECTION 2. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed at any time by the Board or by any member. Proposed amendments shall be presented to the corresponding secretary in writing and signed by the president or secretary of the clubs represented by the member. The proposed amendment(s) shall be promptly reported to the members and each club represented by members.
Article XV – Miscellaneous Functions
The Council shall make available to members and the clubs they represent such information as is required for the proper conduct of the Council business which shall include these bylaws and Standing Rules of the Council.
Article XVI – Order of Business
SECTION 1. The order of business at Council shall be
A. Call to order
B. Flag salute
C. Verification of quorum, including roll call and 2-minute announcements
D. Installation of newly elected memberships and/or members
E. Reading and approval or correction of Council minutes
F. Reading of current Board minutes
G. Reading of correspondence
H. Treasurer’s report
I. Committee reports
J. Unfinished business
K. New business
L. Adjournment
Confirmation of quorum shall be taken from the attendance list.
Members who have announcements to make shall so indicate when signing the attendance list. The list shall have a column wherein such indication can be made. The recording secretary shall call for announcements from only those members who have indicated in the attendance list that they have an announcement to make.
SECTION 2. The order of business at Council Board meetings shall be:
A. Recording the presence of a quorum of officers.
B. Reading and approval of the previous month’s Board minutes and reading of the previous month’s general membership minutes.
C. Reading of correspondence
D. Treasurer’s report
E. Reports of committees
F. Unfinished business
G. New business
H. Adjournment
Article XVII – Dissolution of the Council
The Council may be dissolved at any regular or special meeting by the written consent of not less than 75% of all memberships of the Council, when these members have been so instructed by the clubs they represent.
After dissolution having been authorized, all debts of the Council shall be paid, the books of the Council shall be audited and the audit shall include a complete accounting of all Council property. All assets and property of the Council shall then be given to a charitable organization associated with dogs.