BARNSC Constitution and Bylaws
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I – Name
Section 1: The name of this association shall be the Breeders of the American Rabbit (a non-profit organization). Hereafter; it may be referred to as BAR.
ARTICLE II – Object
Section 1: To maintain and improve the breeding and exhibition of American Rabbits.
Section 2: To provide memberships to all persons interested in promoting and/or supporting the American rabbit.
Section 3: To develop and create greater interest and demand for the American Rabbit as a meat producer, for exhibition and as pets.
Section 4: To maintain a sweepstakes system to promote the exhibition of American Rabbits.
Section 5: To acknowledge the youth of BAR, positively promote and support youth activities, and provide leadership opportunities for the youth within BAR.
ARTICLE III – Affiliation
Section 1: This club shall be affiliated with the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
ARTICLE IV – Membership
Section 1: Any person may apply for the membership by submitting a completed membership application along with payment of one (1) years dues (Adults – Nineteen (19) years of age or older; and Youth – under Nineteen (19) years of age) to the Secretary of the BAR. By submitting an application for membership, the applicant agrees to comply with all rules, regulations and mandates of the BAR.
Section 2: New memberships shall be acknowledged by issuance of a club membership card. All memberships expiring in the then current year shall terminate on December 31″.
Section 3: The BAR Board of Directors reserves the right to accept or reject, for just cause, any application for membership. This action would require unanimous approval of the Board.
Section 4: Members who do not renew their membership within thirty (30) days from the date of the expiration of their membership will be deleted from the membership files and shall lose all membership privileges.
Section 5: All members upon reaching the age of 12 have the right to vote by mail for election of officers and for elective members of the BAR Board of Directors and put forward proposed amendments to the Constitution and ByLaws.
Section 6: Members may not vote by proxy. Voting by proxy is defined as consenting for another officer or member to cast your vote for you in your absence.
ARTICLE V – Officers
Section 1: All elected officer positions must be held by an adult member. Any youth, upon reaching their 12′ birthday, may run for a director position.
Section 2: The elected officers of the BAR shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and five (5) Directors and shall be elected by simple majority of the mail ballot from the club’s membership. There will be 5 regions represented by directors in BAR. The regions are to be broken down by time zones with minor modifications as follows: Pacific Zone (to include Hawaii and Alaska), Mountain Zone, Central Zone, Eastern Zone, and Canada. In the event that a member cannot be found within a listed zone to fill the position, eligible members from the neighboring zones will be allowed to run for the unfilled position. No two members of the same household may hold office at the same time.
States are divided into districts as follows:
Canada
Pacific: WA, OR, CA, NV, AK, HI
Mountain: MT, ID, WY, UT, CO, NM, AZ
Central: ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, LA, WI, IL, TN, MS, AL
Eastern: MI, IN, OH, KY, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, WV, PA, NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, RI, CT, NJ, DE, MD, DC
Section 3: Any member, in order to be eligible for office, must be actively engaged in the breeding of American Rabbits, be a member of The American Rabbit Breeders Association, and must have been a member in good standing of this club for at least one (1) year continuously prior to becoming a candidate for office. In the event that no member has been in good standing for one (1) year prior to elections, all interested members will be eligible to run for office. All founding members who meet all requirements other than length of membership shall be allowed to run for office. Any one (1) member may not hold more than one (1) position on the BAR
Board of Directors at the same time.
Section 4: All elected members of the BAR Board of Directors shall be granted two (2) year terms of office. In order to sustain the continuity of the club only half the officers will be elected in a given year. President, Secretary, Treasurer, Pacific, and Central will be elected in odd years.
Vice-President, Mountain, Eastern and Canada will be elected in even years.
Section 5: The terms of the newly elected officers shall begin July 1″ of the year elected.
Section 6: Vacancies in any office, for any reason, shall be filled by appointment by the President subject to a two-thirds (2/3) majority approval of the BAR Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI – Discipline
Section 1: The BAR Board of Directors may suspend or expel any member or reject a membership application or renewal, for conduct which in its judgment warrants such action. This action would require unanimous approval of the Board. Any person expelled or refused membership shall not be reconsidered for membership for a period of two (2) years following expulsion or rejection.
Section 2: Any charge brought against a member for misconduct and/or misdoing, must be made in writing and signed by the author and forwarded to the BAR Secretary. The BAR Secretary shall inform the BAR Board of Directors of the receipt of a complaint. The BAR Secretary will send a copy of the complaint to the accused member by registered mail within ten (10) days of receipt. The accused member shall have thirty (30) days from the date of mailing to respond to the complaint in writing. Said response is to be forwarded to the BAR Secretary by registered mail. Upon receipt of the response the BAR Secretary shall forward copies of the original complaint and the response to the BAR Board of Directors for their review and determination of any necessary action. In the event the accused member fails to respond to the BAR Secretary as set forth above, said person shall be removed from the membership files and shall have no right to appeal said action.
Section 3: Any Officer or Director, who becomes delinquent in his /her dues, shall be notified by the BAR Secretary by registered mail. If membership dues are not received within thirty (30) days from the date of the mailing, that office will be declared vacant and the President, with approval of the BAR Board of Directors, shall, as soon as possible, appoint a replacement to the vacated position. In the event that the President is the faulty party, the Vice-President will become President for the remainder of the term. Any replacements must be approved by 2/3rds vote of the Board
Section 4: If any Officer or Director fails in the fulfillment of his/her duties and/or displays a lack of interest in BAR matters, the BAR Board of Directors may, by 2/3rds vote, request that Officer or Director to resign. If he/she fails to resign, the BAR Board of Directors may, by 2/3rds vote, declare the office vacated.
Section 5: In the event an Officer and/or Director has been removed from office pursuant to section 4 of this article, said person shall be ineligible to offer a petition, be appointed and/or run for any office for a period of three (3) years.
ARTICLE VII- Meetings
Section 1: The BAR Board will communicate with each other by mail, email, phone, etc. regularly, but not less than once per quarter. The BAR will have an Annual Meeting to coincide with ARBA National Convention.
Section 2: Should the need arise, the President may call a meeting of the BAR Board of Directors at any time by means of mail correspondence, telephone conference or electronic communication (i.e., email or fax transmission).
Section 3: Results of any balloting among the BAR Board of Directors shall be kept on file in the office of the Secretary for a period of two (2) years following the vote. A BAR Board of Directors Member failing to report his/her vote to the President within ten (10) days of notification shall, by his/her silence, forfeit the right to vote on the matter at hand.
ARTICLE VIII – Amendments
Section 1: Any member may submit a proposed amendment to the Constitution and ByLaws
Committee by forwarding same to the Chairperson of said Committee by March 1″. The proposed amendment must be signed by five (5) adult members of the BAR in good standing.
Section 2: Any proposed amendment will be published in the BAR Newsletter and then placed on the next general ballot before membership. Any amendment receiving a simple majority of the votes cast by the general membership shall be adopted.
Section 3: Any member in attendance of the Annual meeting at the ARBA National Convention may propose an amendment to be discussed and voted upon during the course of the meeting.
Any approved amendments at this meeting will be effective January 1 of the following year.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I- Membership Fees
Section 1: Changes in membership fees shall be recommended by the BAR Board of Directors, subject to majority approval by the membership present at the annual meeting during American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention.
Membership Classifications:
Individual $10 1/yr; $25 3/yr
Husband/Wife $15 1/r; $40 3/yr (2 adults in the same household)
Family add $1/year per child
All membership dues are to be prorated as follows: Any member joining after June 30″ will only be charged ½ their first year’s membership fees.
Section 2: All members shall be notified by mail or electronic communication by the BAR
Secretary not less than thirty (30) days prior to membership expiration. On the date of membership expiration, the member shall have an additional thirty (30) days in which to renew their membership hereinafter referred to as “Grace Period”. At the expiration of the thirty (30) day Grace Period, said member failing to renew will be deleted from the membership files and shall forfeit all privileges and sweepstakes points.
ARTICLE II – Duties of Officers
Section 1: The President of BAR, with the Board of Directors approval, may appoint all committees and fill all vacancies. He/She shall perform all other duties pertaining to that office.
The President may vote only in case of a tie. At all BAR Meetings, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, the BAR Board of Directors shall elect a BAR Board of Directors member to act as Chairperson for that particular meeting.
Section 2: The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in his/her absence or inability to serve. In case of vacancy of the President’s office, the Vice-President shall succeed him/her in office.
Section 3: The BAR Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds; shall maintain a bank account in the name of the BAR; shall maintain a complete set of books and records;; shall issue all show sanctions; shall consult and advise the President on any unusual matters; shall furnish a quarterly report to the membership on the BAR’s financial condition; shall pay all claims promptly as approved by the BAR or the BAR Board of Directors, and shall perform such duties as pertain to the office and/or requested by the BAR Board of Directors. The position of Treasurer will be bonded with the amount of bond to be set by the Board of Directors.
Section 4: The BAR Secretary shall be responsible for issuing all ballots; shall maintain current membership files, shall receive and respond in a timely manner to membership applications; shall notify members not less than thirty (30) days prior to Membership expiration; and shall perform such duties as pertain to the office and/or requested by the BAR Board of Directors
Section 5: BAR Board of Directors shall have the authority to make such laws, establish such rules and adopt such regulations as may be necessary for the government of it’s members; shall have the power to transact all necessary BAR business between meetings; carry out the instructions of the BAR; act upon charges brought to their attention; authorize expenditures; devise ways and means of carrying out the objects and purpose of the club; and formulate rules during the year not covered by the present Constitution and ByLaws.
ARTICLE III – Standing Committee
Section 1: All Standing Committees, with majority approval of the BAR Board of Directors by a simple majority vote, shall be appointed by the President. All members of BAR in good standing, including officers, shall be eligible for appointment on any committee. All committees shall consist of at least one officer or director.
Section 2: In the event that the Secretary does not wish to produce a newsletter, a newsletter editor shall be selected. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for complete editing and publication of the BAR Newsletter six (6) times annually, mailing to occur (if possible) on the first of January, March, May, July, September, and November. The newsletter may be electronically mailed as an alternative to traditional mail. The editor shall receive and process all information pertaining to advertising and shall forward monies received to the BAR Treasurer on a timely basis. The editor shall, at all times, use the utmost discretion in editing any and all information received for the articles and advertising. Any materials received and deemed to be of a questionable nature shall be brought to the attention of the President. The newsletter editor, at their discretion, with majority approval of the board, may appoint a committee to assist in the production of the newsletter.
Section 3: A Sweepstakes Chairperson may be appointed at the discretion of the BAR Board of Directors. If so appointed, he/she shall promptly process all completed sanctions and shall provide an accurate report of all show results to the Newsletter Editor for publication.
Section 4: In addition to the aforementioned committees, the President, with majority of the BAR Board of Directors by a simple majority vote, may appoint such other committees as may be necessary.
Section 5: There will be an Election Committee comprised of 3 members who are not currently on the Board of Directors and who have no intention of running for office. All members interested in becoming a member of the Election Committee shall inform the President of their interest. The President shall select a chairman with 2/3rds Board approval and appoint the committee from the list of interested members with a simple majority Board approval. This committee is responsible for preparing ballots and counting the results. All completed ballots are to be mailed to the chairman of this committee and remain sealed until a member of this committee together with the chairman can be present to count them. This meeting shall take place prior to June 15th. The results will be posted in the July newsletter.
Section 6: There will be a Constitution Committee comprised of 5 members. The President will appoint a chairman and committee from a list of interested members. All appointments must meet 2/3rds approval from the Board of Directors. The Constitution Committee will accept all suggestions for changes in the Constitution and Bylaws, review these suggestions and draft conforming Constitution and/or Bylaws Amendments to be submitted to the general membership for vote. All submissions must be in to the committee by May I. The committee will review all changes and have a list of changes ready to be voted on at the same time as officer elections.
Section 7: There will be a Standards Committee comprised of 5 members. This committee is responsible for evaluating the current Standard for Americans and suggesting possible changes to clarify and improve the way the standard reads. The President will appoint a chairman and committee from a list of interested members. All appointments must meet 2/3rds approval from the Board of Directors. All suggestions for changes to the Standard will go before the membership for vote before being put into submission to ARBA for acceptance.
ARTICLE IV – Election Procedures
Section 1: Any member in good standing desiring to become a candidate for office, and having been a member of BAR for at least one (1) year immediately prior to elections, can submit their name to the election committee chairperson to be included on the ballot for the office they desire to hold. No person may run for more than one office at a time. In the event that no member has been in good standing for one (1) year prior to elections, all interested members will be eligible to run for office. All founding members who meet all requirements other than length of membership shall be allowed to run for office. Any one (1) member may not hold more than one
(1) position on the BAR Board of Directors.
Section 2: In the event that any office does not receive a nominee, the President shall appoint two
(2) members of the BAR Board of Directors and one (1) Member to assist in obtaining one or more nominees to complete the ballot.
Section 3: The BAR Secretary shall be responsible for sending ballots to all eligible members.
Ballots will be mailed to the membership no later than the first week of May. The reverse side of the ballot shall be blank.
Section 4: Ballots must be postmarked no later than June 1st. The Election Committee shall count all acceptable ballots and announce the results to the membership in the July Newsletter.
Section 5: Facsimiles or copies of the ballots shall not be considered acceptable and will be declared void. Valid and voided ballots shall, sixty (60) days following the election, be forwarded to the BAR Secretary and shall be retained for a period of two (2) years.
Section 6: The candidate for any office receiving the most votes for said office shall be declared the winner. If an office receives only one (1) qualified candidate for that office, the candidate
shall, by the BAR Board of Directors, be declared the winner of that particular office. No election expenses shall be incurred for election to an unopposed office.
Section 7: The President shall notify all candidates of the results of the election after he receives the results from the Chairman of the Election Committee.
Section 9: In case of a tie, selection shall be made by two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the BAR Board of Directors prior to the June 15th.
ARTICLE V- Parliamentary Authority
Section 1: In order to transact business at any general membership meeting of the BAR, a minimum of three (3) members and four (4) officers in attendance shall constitute a quorum. If no quorum is present, the presiding officer may adjourn the meeting to a day and hour of his/her designation. No decisions may be made at any such meeting lacking a quorum; however, reports, communications and discussions may be heard. Any officer participating in a conference call or video conference of the meeting shall be considered in attendance and included in the count for a quorum. If participating via conference call, the phone shall be placed on speakerphone in order that all members in attendance may hear what this officer has to say and how they are voting.
Section 2: Roberts Rules will be the final authority for any questions not covered in the operations of this club.
ARTICLE VI- Order of Business
Section 1: The order of business at all meetings shall be:
- Call to order
- Roll Call of Officers
- Reading of Minutes
- Report of Committees
- Reading of Communications
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Report of Officers
- Discussion
- Adjournment
ARTICLE VII – Amendments
Section 1: Any member may submit a proposed amendment to the Constitution and ByLaws
Committee by forwarding same to the Chairperson of said Committee by March I”. The proposed amendment must be signed by five (5) adult members of the BAR in good standing.