Constitution & Bylaws

Approved by the AKC Board of Directors, April 8-9, 2024

CONSTITUTION

NAME AND OBJECTIVES

Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the Baltimore County Kennel Club, Incorporated, hereinafter referred to as the “Club”.

Section 2. The Objectives of the Club shall be:

a) to further the advancement of all breeds of purebred dogs ;
b) to do all in its power to protect and advance the health and well being of all breeds of purebred dogs and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, companion and performance events;
c) to conduct dog shows, performance and companion events, educational activities, and all events for which the club is eligible under the rules and regulations of the AKC.

Section 3. The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from its activities, 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.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Eligibility. There shall be three (3) types of voting membership: Regular, Lifetime, Associate, open to all persons eighteen years of age and older and who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club. In addition, a class of membership, known as “Junior” shall be open to all persons under the age of 18 and an additional non-voting category, known as “Associate” shall be open to persons not able to fully participate in the activities of the club.

REGULAR: A voting member recommended by the Membership Committee and approved by a 2/3 majority vote at a regular club meeting. They shall be eligible to hold any office within the Club

LIFETIME: A voting member, recommended by the Board of Directors from members in good standing who have had at least 20 years of service and approved by at least a 2/3 majority vote at a regular Club meeting. They shall be eligible to hold any office within the Club.

ASSOCIATE: A non-voting membership, recommended by the Membership Committee and approved by at least a 2/3 majority vote at a regular Club meeting. This membership is open to all owners of AKC registered and mixed breed dogs, or persons interested in the health and well being of all dogs including mixed breed dogs. They shall not be eligible to hold any office within the Club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.

JUNIOR: a non-voting membership, recommended by the Membership Committee and approved by at least a 2/3 majority vote at a regular Club meeting. Junior members shall be eligible for regular membership at the age of 18.

Section 2. Dues. Membership dues and fees shall be determined by the Board of Directors but shall not exceed $40.00 per year per person. Membership dues shall be 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. Lifetime members shall be exempt from dues and are entitled to vote and hold office.

Prior to December 1st, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of their dues for the ensuing year.

Section 3. Election to Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this constitution and by-laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and contain information on the prospective member’s history or interest in dogs. It shall carry the endorsement of two club members in good standing, not residing in the same home. The application must be accompanied by the annual dues amount. All applications are to be filed with the Membership Chairperson and each application shall be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt. At the next meeting the application will be voted upon. Affirmative votes of 2/3 of the members present and voting by secret ballot at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant. Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not re-apply 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 the Corresponding 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 ninety days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional thirty 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. Membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these bylaws.
d) a Regular Member who does not work at least one (1) Club event per Club year and serve on at least one (1) Club committee per Club year.
e) a Lifetime Member who does not serve on at least one committee during the Club year.

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS AND VOTING

Section 1. Club Meetings. Meetings of the Club shall be held within the greater Baltimore County, MD area or by such electronic, virtual, teleconference or such other methods as may be developed. Meetings shall occur monthly, except for the months of July, August, and December, when no meeting shall be held. Such meetings shall occur at such place, date, and hour, as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of each such meeting shall be sent by the Corresponding Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty percent (20 %) of the Club 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 meetings of the Board, and may be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings may be held virtually/electronically or in person. If it is to be conducted in person, the session shall be held within the Baltimore County, MD area, at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Notice of such a meeting shall be mailed or sent by such electronic method as may exist by the Corresponding Secretary at least 5 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 twenty percent of the Club members in good standing.

Section 3. Board Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held not less than four times per year within Baltimore County, MD, area (if held in person) at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the Board.

Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed, emailed or sent by the Corresponding Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be a majority of the Board.

Section 4. Special Board Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, and may be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a written(paper or electronic) request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such special meetings shall be held within the Baltimore County, MD 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 or emailed or electronically conveyed by the Corresponding Secretary at least 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. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

Section 5. Voting.
Each Regular and Lifetime 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 they are 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 Directors all of whom shall be Regular or Lifetime members in good standing, and the immediate previous President. The Past President shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall not have voting privileges. The Officers shall be elected for two-year terms and the Directors 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, 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.
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 complete set of the minutes of every meeting of the Club and of the Board of Directors and of all matters which shall be so ordered.
d) The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify officers, and directors of their election to office, keep roll of the members of the Club with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in the by-laws.
e) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all money 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 Treasurer’s books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board and the Treasurer shall report at every meeting the condition of the Club’s finances and every item of disbursement or receipt of payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. There will be an annual review to verify the accuracy of the Club’s finances and the Treasurer shall be bonded.
f) The AKC Delegate may but need not be an officer or director of the Club. The Delegate shall be a Regular or Lifetime member in good standing and shall be elected by the membership for a two year term. It is the responsibility of the Delegate to regularly attend the AKC Delegate meetings and report any significant agenda items or activities to the Club at its monthly meetings.

Section 3. Directors. The total number of Directors-at-Large shall not exceed four. The first class of 2 Directors shall be for a term of two years and each May thereafter the subsequent classes shall be for a term of two years.

Section 4. Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the officers 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 meeting following the creation of such a 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 MEETINGS, ELECTIONS

Section 1. Club Year. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st 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 month of May at which Officers, Delegate to the American Kennel Club, and Directors for the ensuing term 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 the office within thirty days after the election.

Section 3. Elections. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The 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 January, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three Regular or Lifetime members and not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Corresponding Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the committee, and it shall be their duty to call a committee meeting, which shall be held at least two weeks prior to the club’s meeting in March.

a) The Committee shall nominate one candidate, from the Regular or Lifetime members in good standing, for each office and for Delegate who may, but need not be, an officer or director of the Club, and candidates for the other positions on the Board, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall, by March 1st report their nominations to the Corresponding Secretary in writing.
b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report the Corresponding Secretary shall notify each member in writing of the candidates nominated at least 2 weeks prior to the April meeting.
c) Additional nominations, of either Regular or Lifetime members, may be made at the April meeting by any Regular or Lifetime member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, their proposer shall present to the Corresponding Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying their 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.
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. In June of each year the Board will appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, performance trials, trophies, 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. Service for these appointments shall be specified at the time of appointment.

Section 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote 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 any of 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. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Corresponding Secretary together with a deposit of $100.00, which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Corresponding 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. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct, which would be prejudicial to the best interest 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 three weeks and not more than six weeks thereafter. The Corresponding 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 witness if he wishes. Legal counsel may represent both the complainant and defendant.

Section 3. Board Hearing. Should the charges be sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present reprimand or 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 findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Recording Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board’s decision and penalty, if any.

Section 4. Expulsion. The 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 sixty days but not earlier than thirty days after the date of the Board’s recommendation of expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing on their own
behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings of the Board and it’s recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in their behalf if they wish. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A ¾ 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 by-laws may be proposed by the Directors or by written petition addressed to the Corresponding Secretary signed by twenty percent of the Regular and Lifetime 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 Corresponding Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Corresponding Secretary.

Section 2. The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 secret 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.

Section 3. No amendment to the constitution and by-laws that is adopted by the Club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club. When the revised document is printed, submit a copy of the amendment meeting notice containing the proposed amendments mailed to each member, a clean copy of the revised document to the AKC along with the date of the vote, the percentage of total membership that voted, and the breakdown of the vote.

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 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 member of the Club but after payment of the debts of the Club its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization selected by the Board of Directors for the benefit of dogs.

ARTICLE IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. The rules contained in the current edition of the “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.

ARTICLE X

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 the last meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Corresponding Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the committees
Election of Officers, Delegate to the AKC, 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 in the minutes of the last meeting
Report of the Corresponding Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment