Humboldt County RCBA
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Constitution and By-Laws

Constitution and By-Laws

ARTICLE I – NAME


Section 1:  This club shall be known and designated by the name: Humboldt County RCBA, and shall be referred to herein as HCRCBA

ARTICLE II – OBJECT


Section 1:  To promote, encourage and develop responsible rabbit and cavy raising and showmanship to the mutual benefit of all concerned.
Section 2:  To afford memberships to any persons interested in breeding and/or exhibiting rabbits and/or cavy.
Section 3:  To promote and conduct exhibitions of rabbits and cavy.
Section 4:  To provide a center for information and to disseminate data to members.

ARTICLE III – AFFILIATION


Section 1:  This club shall be chartered by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP


Section 1:  Any person who is engaged in raising rabbits and/or, or who is interested in rabbits and/or cavy, whether engaged in raising them or not, shall be eligible to apply for membership in this club.
Section 2:  The term of membership shall be for the period of one calendar year beginning on the date of payment of dues and terminating on the same date the following year.
Section 3:  Any member over sixteen (16) years of age shall have the right to vote in person at all regular or special meetings of the club and shall have the right to vote by mail for election of officers or upon any other matter submitted by the Board of Directors.
Section 4:  The Board of Directors reserves the right to accept or reject, for just cause, any application for membership or renewal.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS


Section 1:  The elective officers of the Club shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary/Treasurer, and three (3) members of a Board of Directors.
Section 2:  The office of Secretary/Treasurer may be separated at any time to form two offices. 

Section 3:  All officers shall be elected for two (2) year terms by and from the membership. 
Section 4:  The elective officers of the HCRCBA shall enter upon and discharge their duties immediately following their election and shall serve for the period for which they were elected, or until their successors are elected and qualified.
Section 5:  Vacancies in office shall be filled on appointment by the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 6:  All elective officers shall actively be raising Rabbits and shall be members in good standing of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc., and of the HCRCBA at the time of their election and shall remain so for the full period of their term. Any officer found in violation of the section shall be given written notice by the Secretary. If the violations have not been corrected within thirty (30) days thereafter, the officer in violation shall be removed from office.
Section 7:  Any member of this club in good standing who is in compliance with Article V, Section 6, shall be eligible to become a candidate for any elective office in this club.

ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF OFFICERS


Section 1:  The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and act as Chairman of the Board of Directors with full power and prerogatives, appoint all committees, call special meetings of the Club or of the Board of Directors in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws and perform other duties as usually pertain to this office.  The President shall have such powers as may be conferred upon him/her by the Board of Directors at any meeting of such Board. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2:  The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in the event of his/her absence or disability.
Section 3:  The Secretary/Treasurer shall conduct the general correspondence of the Club, keep minutes of all meetings and have charge of all books, papers and records pertaining to the office.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall act on all membership applications, shall keep a complete up-to-date membership list, including current addresses and telephone numbers, shall make quarterly membership reports to the Board of Directors, and shall perform all duties and other responsibilities as outline in this Constitution and By-Laws.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall be custodian of all club funds, shall maintain a bank account in the name of the Club, and shall keep a set of books and records suitable to the board of Directors.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall collect all dues and funds, and shall pay all bills not exceeding a maximum set by the Board of Directors, for which a written receipt has been furnished.  He/she shall pay all bills exceeding this amount with signature and approval of the President, for which a written receipt has been furnished.
Section 4:  The Board of Directors shall have the power to act for the Club on all matters which may arise between meetings and discharge such other duties as may be assigned to them by the Constitution and By-Laws or by the membership.  The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Club, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Club.



ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS


Section 1:  This club shall hold meetings at such time and place as may be designated by the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII – AUTHORITY


Section 1:  This club shall have authority to make such laws, establish such rules and adopt such regulations as may be necessary for the governing of its members.
Section 2:  This club shall have the authority to require members to obey its mandates and all ethics peculiar to the industry, and to inflict such penalties as it may deem necessary for the disobedience of its will, provided that it's members shall not be required to commit any act which would make them amenable to the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof.
Section 3:  The interpretation of this Constitution and By-Laws by the Board of Directors shall be binding on all members of this club.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS


Section 1:  Any alteration of or amendment to the Constitution to be offered at any regularly scheduled meeting of this club shall be made in writing, shall be red at the meeting, and shall be provided adequate opportunity for discussion.  A second reading and opportunity for discussion shall be provided at the next regularly scheduled meeting.  The membership shall receive a written copy of the proposed amendment before the second meeting.
Section 2:  This Constitution may then be amended by an affirmative two-thirds vote of all members eligible to cast votes at the meeting of the second reading or at any meetings subsequent thereto, or by an affirmative two-thirds vote of all members voting by mail ballot mailed subsequent to the meeting of the second reading of said amendment.
Section 3:  Any amendment to this Constitution that is adopted shall take effect immediately following such adoption.

ARTICLE X – DISSOLUTION


Section 1:  In the event that this club is dissolved, all debts shall be paid in full and all remaining assets shall then be donated to the youth scholarship fund of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.

BY-LAWS


ARTICLE I - MEETINGS:


Section 1:  Meetings of this club shall be held at a location to be designated by the Board of Directors.  Members shall be notified of the time and place of meetings either by newsletter or by the Secretary/Treasurer at least fourteen (14) days prior to each meeting.
Section 2: Meetings shall be held once a quarter. A quarter refers to three month intervals starting on the 1st of January and ending on the 31st of December

Section 3:  The President may call a meeting of the Board of Directors at any time.  Board members shall be notified by the Secretary/Treasurer of the time and place of such meetings.  Except in cases of emergency, at least seven (7) days notice shall be given prior to such meetings.
Section 4:  At any regular or special meeting of the Club, four (4) officers and five (5) members-at-large in good standing shall constitute a quorum.  If a quorum is not met, the presiding officer shall adjourn the meeting to a day and hour of his/her designation.
Section 5:  At any Board of Directors meeting, five (5) officers shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not met, the presiding officer shall adjourn the meeting to a day and hour of his/her designation.
Section 6:  In the event of the absence of all executive officers, the majority of the members and directors present shall elect a presiding officer. In the event of the absence of the Secretary/Treasurer, the presiding officer shall appoint a secretary for the meeting.
Section 7:  At any meeting of the Club, the order of business, unless otherwise determined by a majority vote of the members of the Club in attendance shall be:
1)  Call to Order     2)  Roll call of officers     3)  Reading of minutes     4)  Treasury report     5)  Report of officers
6)  Committee reports     7)  Unfinished business     8)  Reading of correspondence     9)  New business     
10)  Next meeting     11)  Good of order  12)  Adjournment

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP


Section 1:  All individual members shall pay a fee of $8 (eight dollars) per annum. Such fee to accompany application for membership.
Section 2:  Youth members through the age of eighteen (18) years shall pay a fee of $5 (five dollars), such fee to accompany application for membership.  Youth members shall be entitled to all of the privileges of adult members except that youth may not vote or hold office until age sixteen (16).
Section 3:  A combination membership shall be available for more than one member residing at the same household in which the primary member shall pay a fee of $10 (ten dollars) for two or $15 (fifteen dollars) for entire household per annum. (Example: Husband and wife $10.00, father and son $10.00, husband and wife with two children $15.00).  All combination members must join at the same time. 
Section 4:  Out-of-state members shall be eligible to hold any of the above memberships in this club and shall be entitled to all of the privileges of such membership for which they may qualify including the right to vote and to hold office.
Section 5:  A $3.00 per annum service charge shall apply to all foreign memberships and all foreign dues must be tendered in American funds.
Section 6:  All memberships shall be acknowledged by a membership card.
Section 7:  The Secretary/Treasurer shall notify all members of the expiration of their memberships.  Members who do not renew their memberships within thirty (30) days of their expiration date shall be dropped from the Club roster.
Section 8:  When dues are paid past the thirty (30) day grace period, applicant shall be considered  a new member and membership shall be dated as of the date paid with no-carry-over of show points or their privileges.

ARTICLE III - STANDING COMMITTEE


Section 1:  The Auditing Committee shall consist of a Chairman and one (1) other member.  Their duties shall be to make an audit of the books of the Secretary/Treasurer and to report their findings at the first meeting of the year.
Section 2:  The Election Committee shall consist of a Chairman and two (2) other members.  Their duties shall be to receive and count election ballots, ballots cast on amendments of the Constitution and of the By-Laws and to certify the results to the Secretary/Treasurer within ten (10) days after the mailing deadline of the ballots.  No person whose name appears on the Election ballot may be a member of the Election Committee.
Section 3:  The Show Committee shall consist of a Superintendent, Show Secretary and Treasurer, plus other supporting personnel that may be required to carry out its duties.  They shall be responsible for printing and distributing the Show Catalog, for hiring the show judges as recommended by the membership, recording of show results, the procurement of awards and trophies and the completion of a detailed financial show report within three (3) weeks following the show date.
Section 4:  All standing committees shall be appointed by the President. In addition to the aforementioned standing committees, the President shall appoint such other committees as are necessary.  All appointments shall be with the majority approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 5:  The amount of indebtedness which may be incurred by any committee (Show Committee and  Editing Committee excepted) shall in no case exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) without the prior approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV – ELECTIONS


Section 1:  Any member sixteen (16) years of age or older who is in good standing who wishes to become a candidate for office shall obtain a nominating petition from the Secretary/Treasurer.  The nominating petition shall be completed by the candidate, signed by three members in good standing and returned to the Secretary/Treasurer postmarked no later than October 1.
Section 2:  A candidate for President, Vice-President, or Secretary/Treasurer must have at least on full year's membership prior to his/her filing date and must also be listed in the ARBA yearbook.
Section 3:  Upon receipt of the nominating petition, the Secretary/Treasurer shall determine if the member is eligible to run for the office.  All nominees who qualify must appear on the ballot.
Section 4:  In the event that any office does not have at least one (1) nominee from these petitions, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of two (2) members to work with the President to obtain the number of nominees necessary to complete the ballot.  No name may appear on a ballot without the person's consent.
Section 5:  The Secretary/Treasurer shall mail the ballots. All ballots must be mailed no later than November 1.  The names of all candidates who have properly qualified under Article V, Sections 6 and 7 of the Constitution or under this Article IV, Sections 1 and 2, or who have been selected under this Article IV, Section 4, shall appear on the ballot with space left for a "write-in" candidate for each office. A self-addressed envelope shall accompany each ballot with the Election Chairman's name and address thereon.
Section 6:  Ballots must be returned to the Chairman of the Election Committee postmarked no later than  December 1.  The Election Committee shall count all acceptable ballots and send a certified statement of the results to the President and to the Secretary/Treasurer postmarked no later than December 15. All ballots shall be retained by the Secretary/Treasurer for one (1) year in the event there should be any questions concerning the ballots.
Section 7:  Facsimiles or copies made from any of the original ballots shall not be an acceptable ballot and shall be declared void.  Voided ballots shall be held by the Secretary/Treasurer along with acceptable ballots for one (1) year.  Voided ballots shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors at the first meeting following the election to determine their validity.  If any ballots such improperly voided ballots would reverse the results of any or all matters or individuals voted upon, the Election Committee's report to the Secretary/Treasurer shall be designated as unofficial.  The official report shall then be determined by the Board of Directors after reviewing all improperly voided ballots.
Section 8:  In the event of a tie between two (2) or more persons for the same office, there shall be a run-off election for the office or offices involved.

ARTICLE V – COMPENSATION


Section 1:  No compensation, salary, or wages shall be paid in any form to any Officer, Director or member of this club.
Section 2:  Reimbursement for materials and supplies used in the normal course of club activity shall not be regarded as compensation, but all expenditures must be accompanied by receipts in order to be reimbursed.  Receipts are too be kept with club records and turned over to the auditing committee each year.

ARTICLE VI – DISCIPLINE


Section 1:  The Board of Directors may by majority vote, expel any member or reject any application for membership or renewal providing charges have been preferred by another member.  The lack of good sportsmanship or other action detrimental to the objectives of this club shall likewise be grounds for expulsion.
Section 2:  Any member against whom charges have been preferred shall be fully informed by the Secretary/Treasurer and given thirty (30) days to reply before action is taken by the Board of Directors.
Section 3:  Any person expelled or rejected may be eligible for reinstatement after a period of six (6) months, upon authority of the Board of Directors.
Section 4:  If an officer of Director does not fulfill his/her duties or shows lack of interest in club matters, he/she shall be asked to resign by the President.  If he/she fails to do so, the Board of Directors, by a majority vote, shall declare the office vacant.

ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENT


Section 1:  Any alteration of, or amendment to, the By-Laws to be offered at any regularly scheduled meeting of the club shall be made in writing, shall be read at the meeting, and shall be provided adequate opportunity for discussion.  A second reading and opportunity for discussion shall be provided at the next regularly scheduled meeting.  The membership shall receive a written copy of the proposed amendment before the second reading.
Section 2:  These By-Laws may then be amended by an affirmative two-thirds vote of all members casting votes at the meeting of the second reading or at any meetings subsequent thereto, or by an affirmative two-thirds vote of all members voting by mail ballot mailed subsequent to the meeting of the second reading of said amendment.
Section 3:  Any amendment to these By-Laws so adopted shall take effect immediately.

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