CONSTITUTION
                              
ARTICLE I

Name and Objectives  

SECTION 1.  The name of the club shall be Carolina Kennel Club, Inc.

SECTION 2.  The objectives of the Club shall be:

a) To further the advancement of all breeds of pure-bred dogs;
b) To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of all breeds of pure-bred dogs and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, obedience trials, and all other AKC events.
c) To conduct sanctioned matches, dog shows and obedience trials under the rules of The American Kennel Club.                  

SECTION 3. The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues 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.

4/6/73
8/14/73 First Club vote
9/11/73 Final adoption
3/9/94 Amended 
 

CAROLINA KENNEL CLUB, INC.

BY-LAWS 

ARTICLE I

SECTION 1.  Eligibility.  There shall be one type of memberships open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club.  In addition, there shall be a junior membership available to persons 10 - 17 years of age.  Junior members cannot vote or hold office and may convert to regular membership upon reaching their 18th birthday.  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.

Amended 3/94 

SECTION 2.  Dues.  Membership dues shall be up to $30.00 (junior $1) per year, 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 November, a notice shall be send to each member of his dues for the ensuing year.

Amended 5/24/78 9/91 3/94
        
SECTION 3.  Election 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 applicant may obtain an application after attending 3 general meetings as a guest, not necessarily consecutively.  The application shall state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and it shall carry the sponsorship of two members in good standing.  Both sponsors of applying members are to attend the meeting when the applicant is voted on, or make a written statement to the Secretary as to why they are promoting the applicant.  Sponsorship of prospective member may be changed in extenuating circumstances on or before the night the vote is taken on their membership.  Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.  All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt.  At the next Club meeting the application will be voted upon and affirmative votes of 2/3 of the members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.  The applicant need not be present at this meeting.  Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply within six months after such rejection.

Amended 3/94

SECTION 4. Termination of Membership.  Membership may be terminated by:

a) 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 calendar year.
b) Lapsing.  A member will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid 90 days after the first day of the calendar 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 that meeting.
c) Expulsion.  A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these by-laws.

ARTICLE II

Meetings and Voting

SECTION 1. Club Meetings.  Meetings of the Club shall be held in the greater Greensboro, North Carolina area on the second Tuesday of each month, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary or announced in the Club's Newsletter 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.

Amended 3/94

SECTION 2. Special Club Meetings.  Special Club meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority note 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 in the greater Greensboro, North Carolina area 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 the Secretary or announced in the Club's Newsletter at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting, and said notice or announcement shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other Club business may be transacted there at.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing.

Amended 3/94

SECTION 3. Board Meetings.  Meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held in the greater Greensboro, North Carolina area on the fourth Tuesday of each month at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary or announced in the Club's Newsletter at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

Amended 5/24/78   3/94
 
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 the greater Greensboro, North Carolina area at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting.  Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting, or telegraphic notice shall be filed at least 3 days and not more than 5 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 there at.  A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

Amended 3/94

SECTION 5. Voting.  Each 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 shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and four other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing and 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.  Officers or members of the Board wishing to resign must do so in writing, and the resignation must be approved by the Board.

Amended 5/24/78   3/94

SECTION 2. Officers.  The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding 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 by-laws.  The President will have authority to carry on banking matters in the absence of the Treasurer.
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 Recording 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.
d) The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these by-laws.  
e) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club, and shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club.  The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board, and the Treasurer 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 the Treasurer shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year.  The Treasurer shall be bonded if so directed by the Board in an amount directed by the Board.
f) The AKC Delegate is elected by the membership to represent the Club and act as intermediary with the American Kennel Club.  The delegate shall attend delegate meetings of AKC and keep the Club apprised of all AKC business.  The Delegate will vote as instructed by the Board with the right of decision.  The term of office shall be one year. 

Amended 5/24/78 3/94
        
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 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, And Elections

SECTION 1. Club Year.  The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of July and end on the 30th day of June.  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 month of June at which Officers, Delegate to the American Kennel Club, and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written 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 his 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 member of votes for each office shall be declared elected.  The four 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 February, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of who 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 duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held on or before April 1st.

a) The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office, and for Delegate who may but need not be an officer or director of the Club and four candidates for the four other positions on the Board, and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing. 

Amended 3/94

b) Upon receipt of the Nomination Committee's report, the Secretary shall before April 15th notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.
c) Additional nominations may be made at the May meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his willingness to be a candidate.  Except for the position of Delegate no person may be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations, which are provided for herein, may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee.

Amended 3/94

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 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 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.