Section 2.
The objectives of the Club shall be:
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
objects.
Section 5. Affiliated clubs must adhere to the Constitution
of The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club and may adopt additional by-laws
provided they are not in contradiction to those of the national club.
Applications and endorsements must be in the hands
of the Membership Committee Chairman three weeks prior
to a scheduled meeting of the Board. A summary of each
completed application will be sent to each Board member ten
days prior to the meeting. Applications will be reviewed
by the Board and may be returned to the Membership
Committee for additional information. If passed by
a two-thirds majority of the Board, the names of the
applicants will be presented to the general membership
and circulated via the Minutes of the Club meeting with a
stipulated waiting period of six weeks following the date
of mailing, during which period members may challenge
the admission of a nominee by written, factual, signed
comment to the Corresponding Secretary. Those nominees
not contested will be admitted to membership at the
conclusion of the waiting period. Challenged applicants
will be reconsidered at the next Board meeting; a negative
decision of the Board shall be binding for two years.
Section 2. Special Club Meetings. Special
Club meetings may be called by (a) the President, (b)
a majority vote of the members of the Board, or (c)
the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a petition
stating the purpose of such meeting and signed by 10
per cent of the regular members of the Club who are
in good standing. Such meeting shall be held at such
place, date and hour as may be designated by the Board.
Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed to all
regular members by the Corresponding Secretary at least
14 days and not more than 30 days prior to the meeting.
The notice of the meeting shall state the purpose of the
meeting, and no other Club business may be transacted.
The quorum for such a meeting shall be 10 per cent of the
regular members in good standing.
Section 3. Board Meetings. The Board shall meet
immediately following the annual meeting and election.
Other meetings of the Board shall be held at such times
and places as are designated by the President or by a
majority vote of the entire Board. Written notice of each
such other meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding
Secretary to each member of the Board at least 14 days
prior to the date of the meeting, and Board members must
reply concerning their intention to attend at least five
days prior to the date of the meeting. A quorum for a
Board meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
Section 4. The Board may conduct its business by
mail through the Corresponding Secretary or by conference
call, but decisions will require a majority consensus.
All Officers and Governors are elected for two-year terms
and may be elected for one successive term but thereafter
are ineligible for re-election to the same office for one
full term (two years), except the President, who may serve
two consecutive terms but may not serve additional terms
as years have elapsed.
There shall be a Delegate to The American Kennel Club
who may be, but need not be, an Officer or Governor of
the Club. The Delegate is elected at an annual meeting for
a term of two years but may be continued in office for two
more terms by majority vote of the Board. Thereafter,
the Delegate must again be elected by ballot at the
annual meeting. The Delegate shall attend Board meetings
with vote. He shall represent the Club at The American
Kennel Club until such time as his successor is seated.
Section 2. Duties of Officers
Section 2. Voting. At the annual meeting or at a
special meeting of the Club, voting shall be limited to
those regular members in good standing who are present
at the meeting. The election of Officers, Governors and
Delegate, amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws,
and amendments to the Standards of the two breeds shall be
conducted by mail. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.
The Board may decide to submit other specific questions
for decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail.
Ballots for vote by mail will be sent by the Corresponding
Secretary only to regular members in good standing at the
time of the mailing and shall be in unduplicatable form.
Unless otherwise specified in these By-Laws, a two-thirds
majority of those voting shall be required for passage.
Section 3. Annual Elections. At the annual
meeting for the election of Officers, Governors and
Delegate, the vote shall be conducted by ballot unless
the slate of the Nominating Committee shall be the only
slate proposed, in accordance with Section 4 of this
Article IV. To be valid, ballots must be received by the
Corresponding Secretary before the opening of the meeting,
either by mail or submitted by the member in person.
Ballots shall be counted at the meeting by three inspectors
of election who are regular members in good standing,
who are neither members of the current Board nor of the
Nominating Committee nor nominees on the ballot, and
who shall be appointed by the President at the meeting.
The person receiving the highest number of votes for each
position to be filled shall be declared elected. In case
of a tie vote, the tie shall be broken by a secret written
ballot of regular members attending the annual meeting.
If any nominee at the time of the meeting is unable to
serve for any reason, such nominee shall not be elected
and the vacancy so created shall be filled by the new
Board in the manner provided in ARTICLE III, Section 3.
Section 4. Nominations and Ballots. No person
may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been
nominated in accordance with these By-Laws. A Nominating
Committee shall be chosen by vote of the Board at the
Fall meeting. The Committee shall consist of three members
and two alternates, all have been regular members in good
standing for at least one year and none being a member of
the current Board. The person receiving the highest number
of votes shall become Chairman of the Nominating Committee.
The Chairman of the previous Nominating Committee shall be
an ex officio member of the current Committee, with a vote.
The Nominating Committee may conduct its business by mail
or by telephone.
and such other committees as are appropriate. All
committees shall be subject to the final authority of
the Board. They shall submit reports and await Board
approval of major programs.
Section 2. The committee chairmen shall be proposed
by the President and approved by a majority vote of the
Board within 30 days following the annual meeting. Each
chairman shall have the authority to appoint the members of
his or her committee, subject to the approval of the Board.
Section 3. The committee chairmen shall serve for
a term of two years and are eligible for reappointment for
one full term of two years. The duties and obligations
of all committees shall be set forth in detail in the Club
Committee Manual.
Section 4. Any committee appointment may be
withdrawn at any time by a majority vote of the full
membership of the Board upon written notice to the
appointee, and the Board may then appoint successors.
Section 1. Membership. Members of affiliated clubs
must reside within the territory of the affiliated club as
approved by The American Kennel Club. An affiliated club
must maintain a membership of at least ten persons and
must be open to both Norwich and Norfolk Terrier owners.
Members of affiliated clubs may be members of The Norwich
and Norfolk Terrier Club. Clubs may apply for affiliate
membership when eligible to apply to The American Kennel
Club to hold a B-level Sanctioned Match or any level
above B.
Section 2. Dues. Annual dues are payable on or
before the first day of January of each year. Dues payable
to The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club by an affiliated
club shall be determined by the Board of Governors of
The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club, not to exceed three
times the dues for an individual member of The Norwich and
Norfolk Terrier Club. The Treasurer shall send a statement
of dues for the ensuing year during the month of November.
A second notice of indebtedness shall be mailed six
weeks after the dues are payable. An affiliation will
be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if
unpaid by April 1.
Section 3. Rights and Privileges of Membership.
The affiliated club may appoint a delegate, preferably
an officer of the club, who may attend meetings of The
Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club, and if the affiliated
club is in good standing, may vote as instructed by
the club. The delegate may be invited to attend portions
of Board meetings as appropriate. The club will receive,
via its Secretary, all mailings and newsletters. News of
affiliated club activities will be published in The
Norwich and Norfolk News and AKC Gazette
column by submission to the editor(s) thereof. Shows and
other activities of affiliated clubs will be supported as
appropriate by the parent club, and committee chairmen of
the parent club will be expected to assist their affiliated
club counterparts when requested, if possible.
Section 4. Application for Affiliate Status.
Any Norwich and Norfolk Terrier club having a membership
in conformity with Section I of ARTICLE VI may apply
for affiliate member status. Such application shall
be submitted to The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club
Membership Committee on an application form supplied by
The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club. The form shall
provide that the affiliated club agrees to abide by the
Constitution and By-Laws of the parent club, the NNTC Code
of Ethics, and the rules of The American Kennel Club.
The application must be accompanied by a complete list
of members, their addresses, occupations, dog-related
activities, and whether junior or regular members; a
copy of the club's constitution, by-laws and other rules;
a history of the club and its activities; and a statement
of the territory within which the club wishes to function,
this territory to be approved by The American Kennel Club.
This application will be reviewed by the Membership
Committee and then referred to the Board for review.
Either body may return the application for further
information and/or clarification. Election to affiliate
status requires affirmative votes of two-thirds of the
entire Board voting by mail. A club whose application
is declined by the Board may reapply after a one-year
waiting period.
Section 5. An affiliated club may be lapsed,
suspended or expelled as provided elsewhere for members.
Section 2. Charges. Any member may prefer charges
against a member for alleged misconduct in contradiction
to the NNTC Members' Code and thus prejudicial to the best
interests of the Club or the breeds. Written charges
with specifications must be filed in duplicate with
the Corresponding Secretary together with a deposit
of $50.00, which shall be forfeit if such charges are
not sustained following a hearing by the Board or a
committee. The Corresponding Secretary shall promptly
send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board or
present them to a Board meeting. The Board shall first
consider whether the actions alleged in the charges,
if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the
best interests of the Club or the breeds. If the Board
considers that the charges do not allege conduct which
would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or
of the breeds, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.
If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges,
it shall fix a date for a hearing by the Board or by a
committee of not less than three members of the Board, not
less than three weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter.
The Corresponding Secretary shall promptly send one copy
of the charges to the accused member by registered mail,
return receipt requested, together with a notice of the
hearing and an assurance that the defendant may personally
appear in his own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes.
Section 3. Board Hearing. The Board or committee
shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel
may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant
shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the
charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence
and testimony presented by complainant and defendant,
the Board or committee may by a majority vote of those
present suspend the defendant from all privileges of
the Club for not more than six months from the date of
the hearing. If the Board or committee deems suspension
insufficient, it may recommend to the membership that
the penalty be expulsion and suspend the defendant until
the next annual meeting. In such cases, the suspension
shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before
his fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which
considers the recommendation of the Board or committee.
Immediately after the Board or committee has reached a
decision, its findings shall be put in written form and
filed with the Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding
Secretary shall in turn notify each of the parties of the
decision and penalty, if any.
Section 4. Expulsion. Expulsion of a member from
the Club may be accomplished only at the annual meeting of
the Club following a hearing and upon the recommendation
of the Board or committee as provided in Section 3 of this
ARTICLE VII. The defendant shall have the privilege of
appearing in his own behalf although no evidence shall
be taken at this meting. The President shall read the
charges, findings and recommendations and shall invite
the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf.
The members shall then vote by secret written ballot on the
proposed expulsion. A two-thirds vote of those present
and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary for
expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the suspension
shall stand.
Section 2. The Constitution and By-Laws and the
Standards may be amended at any time provided a copy of the
proposed amendment has been mailed by the Corresponding
Secretary to each regular member in good standing on the
date of the mailing, accompanied by a ballot on which he
may indicate his choice for or against the action to be
taken. The notice shall specify a date not less than 30
days after the date of mailing, by which date the ballots
must be returned to the Corresponding Secretary to be
counted. The favorable vote of two-thirds of the regular
members in good standing who return valid ballots within
the time limit shall be required to effect such amendment.
Section 3. No amendment to the Constitution and
By-Laws or to the Standards that is adopted by the Club
shall become effective until it has been approved by the
Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club.
ARTICLE I
Names and Objectives
Section 1. The name of the Club shall be THE NORWICH
AND NORFOLK TERRIER CLUB.
(a) to operate and function as an educational non-profit
organization;
(b) to conduct educational meetings, programs, classes,
seminars, match and other shows, and any and all other
activities that relate to the education of the general
public, dog owners, dog breeders, and dog trainers
in matters pertaining but not limited to the welfare,
well-being, training, protection and advancement of the
interests of dogs in general and Norwich and Norfolk
Terriers in particular;
(c) to do all possible to bring the natural qualities of
Norwich Terriers and Norfolk Terriers to perfection;
(d) to urge members and breeders to accept the Standard of
each breed, as approved by the American Kennel Club, as the
only standards of excellence by which Norwich or Norfolk
Terriers, respectively, shall be judged;
(e) to do all in its power to protect and advance the
interests of the breeds and to encourage sportsmanlike
competition at dog shows, field trials, and obedience
trials;
(f) to conduct sanctioned matches, specialty shows,
and obedience trials under the rules of the American
Kennel Club; and
(g) to encourage the organization of affiliated Norwich
and Norfolk Terrier specialty clubs in limited
geographical areas where there are sufficient fanciers
of the breeds to form a cohesive and mutually supportive
organization, and to assist these clubs in their activities.
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.
By-Laws
ARTICLE I
Membership
Section 1. There shall be four types of membership:
(a) Regular Members. Individuals 18 years of age
and older who presently own or have owned a Norwich or
Norfolk Terrier, or whose immediate family members own
or have owned a Norwich or Norfolk Terrier, and who have
been elected to membership in the Club in accordance with
these By-Laws. They shall received all Club mailings
and newsletters. Spouses of regular members in good
standing may join the Club upon payment of dues specified
for couples and are then entitled to an individual vote.
(b) Junior Members. Individuals up to and including
17 years of age who presently own or have owned a Norwich
or Norfolk Terrier, or whose immediate family members own
or have owned a Norwich or Norfolk Terrier, and who have
been elected to membership in the Club in accordance with
these By-Laws. They may attend Club meetings but may not
hold office or vote. They shall received all Club mailings
and newsletters. Junior members in good standing shall
be admitted to regular membership automatically at age 18.
(c) Honorary Members. Individuals selected by
the Board with this lifetime designation for outstanding
contribution to the breeds. Only one honorary member
may be named in any calendar year. They shall have all
the rights and privileges of regular members but shall be
exempt from paying dues.
(d) Affiliated Clubs. Clubs formed and accepted in
accordance with ARTICLE VI of these By-Laws. They shall
have all the rights and privileges as set forth in
ARTICLE VI.
Section 2. Dues
(a) Annual dues are payable on or before the first day
of January of each year in such amounts as recommended
by the Board and approved by the membership. No member
may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
The Treasurer shall send each member a statement of his
dues for the ensuing year during the month of November.
A second notice of indebtedness shall be mailed by January
15th and must be paid by January 31st.
(b) Dues for those persons elected to membership during
the year shall be prorated.
Section 3. Election to Membership.
(a) Regular and Junior Members. Each applicant
for membership shall be provided with a copy of the
Constitution and By-Laws and shall apply on a form approved
by the Board. The application form shall provide that
the applicant agrees to abide by the Constitution and
By-Laws of the Club, NNTC Members' Code, and the rules
of the American Kennel Club. The application shall
state the name, address and occupation of the applicant,
information concerning his or her activities within the
fancy, and any special qualifications which may relate to
the business and operation of the Club. Each application
shall be accompanied by letters of endorsement from two
regular or honorary members. Endorsers must be personally
acquainted with the applicant and must represent two
separate households.
(b) Honorary Members. Any member may present
in writing a candidate for consideration as an honorary
member to the Board, which shall have the privilege of
electing one honorary member each year in recognition of
some outstanding contribution or service to the breeds.
(c) Newly elected members will receive written confirmation
of election to the Club and notification of dues payable.
On payment of dues, the new member shall receive a current
membership directory. If dues are not paid within 30 days,
the Board has the option to void that person's membership.
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. No member may resign when in
debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt
to the Club, and they become incurred in the first day of
each calendar year.
(b) by lapsing. A membership will be considered
as lapsed and automatically terminated if such members
dues remain unpaid by January 31st following a second notice
from the treasurer, mailed on January 15th.
In no case may a person be entitled to vote on any Club
matter whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that vote.
(c) by expulsion. The Board shall have the power
to suspend and the Club the power to expel as provided in
ARTICLE VII of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE II
Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting
of the Club shall be held in conjunction with the Club's
Specialty Show, if possible, at a place, date and hour
designated by the Board. Written notice of the annual
meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary
to each member at least 30 days prior to the date of
the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be
10 per cent of the regular members in good standing.
ARTICLE III
Governors and Officers
Section 1. Board of Governors. The management
of the Club shall be vested in a Board constituted of
Officers (President, First Vice President, Second Vice
President, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, Recording
Secretary) and six Governors, all elected from among
the membership at large. All shall serve for a term
of two years and shall be elected a the Club's annual
meeting as follows: in even-numbered years, the President,
Second Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, and three
Governors; in odd-numbered years, the First Vice President,
Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and three Governors.
The Nominating Committee shall give reasonable attention
to regional representation in its selection for the
ballot and shall require assurance that the candidate
will make every reasonable effort to attend meetings.
The Past President shall serve on the Board for one year,
with voting privilege.
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club
and of the Board and shall have the power to call special
meetings. Interim decisions may be made by the President
in communication with the Board. The President shall have
the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of
the President in addition to those particularly specified
in these By-Laws.
(b) The First Vice President shall have the duties and
exercise the powers of the President in case of the
President's absence or incapacity. In the absence or
incapacity of the First Vice President, these duties are
assumed by the Second Vice President. The Vice Presidents
may assume other duties, including committee Chairmanships,
either standing or ad hoc, as requested by the President
and/or Board.
(c) The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all
correspondence in Club matters, keep the list of members,
send out Club notices and ballots, and notify new members
of their election. His or her signature shall be the
official signature on documents requiring the signature
of the Club Secretary, and his or her name and address
shall be listed as Secretary by The American Kennel Club.
(d) The Recording Secretary shall take the minutes of
Board meetings and general meetings and send them to the
Corresponding Secretary for distribution.
(e) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies
due or belonging to the Club and keep a record thereof.
He shall deposit the same in the name of the Club in the
bank approved by the Board. His books shall at all times
be open to the inspection of the Board, and he shall report
at every Board meeting the condition of the Club's finances
and every item of receipt or payment not before reported.
At the annual meeting he shall submit an account of all
monies received and expended during the previous fiscal
year. The Treasurer's books shall be audited by an auditor
appointed by the President with the approval of the Board.
The Treasurer shall be bonded, the expense to be borne by
the Club.
Section 3. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring among
the Officers or Governors shall be filled for the remainder
of that term of office by a majority vote of the Board,
except that the office of the President shall automatically
be filled by the First Vice President, and the resulting
vacancy in the office of the First Vice President shall
be filled by the Second Vice President, and the office
of the Second Vice President may then be filled by Board
appointment. Any vacancy in the position of Delegate
shall be filled by an election held in the prescribed way.
ARTICLE IV
Meetings
Club Year; Voting; Elections; Nominations
Section 1. Club Year. The Club's fiscal year
shall begin on the first day of January and end on the
thirty-first day of December. The Club's official year
shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the annual
meeting and shall continue through the next annual meeting.
The elected Officers, Governors and Delegate shall take
office immediately upon the conclusion of the annual
meeting, and each retired Officer shall turn over to his
successor in office all properties and records relating
to that office within 30 days after the election.
(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among
the eligible members of the Club one nominee for each
office or Board position to be filled and shall obtain
in writing the acceptance of each nominee so chosen.
No nominee shall be a member of the Nominating Committee.
The Committee should consider geographical representation
of the membership in selection of nominees. At least
14 weeks prior to the annual meeting, the committee
shall submit its slate of nominees to the Corresponding
Secretary, who shall send by first-class mail the list of
nominees, designated "Slate of Nominating Committee" and
including the full name, address, occupation and previous
service to the Club of each nominee, to each regular member
of the Club at least 12 weeks prior to the annual meeting
in order that additional nomination may be made by the
members if they so desire.
(b) Additional nominations of eligible members may be
made by members' written petition signed by five regular
members from five different households, addressed to the
Corresponding Secretary and received at his published
address at least eight weeks before the annual meeting.
The petition must be accompanied by the written acceptance
of each such nominee signifying his willingness to be a
candidate and listing his full name, address, occupation
and previous service to the Club. No person shall accept
nomination for more than one position, with the exception
of the position of Delegate to The American Kennel Club.
(c)
(1) If there are both a "Slate of Nominating Committee"
and a "Slate of Additional Nominees Nominated by Members'
Petition(s)," the Corresponding Secretary shall mail to
each regular member of the Club in good standing these
two slates, a statement from each candidate, and a ballot
listing all alphabetically. So that the ballots may remain
secret, each voter shall be instructed to seal his marked
ballot in a blank envelope which in turn shall be placed in
a second envelope addressed to the Corresponding Secretary
and indicating the name of the sender. Only ballots
received from regular members in good standing will be
accepted.
(2) If no valid nominations by members' petition are
received by the Corresponding Secretary on or before
the deadline set in Section 4(b) of this ARTICLE IV, the
Nominating Committee's slate shall be declared elected
at the time of the annual meeting, and no balloting will
be required.
(d) Nominations may not be made at the annual meeting nor
in any manner other than as provided above.
ARTICLE V
Committees
Section 1. The Board may appoint standing committees as follows:
Annual Club Prizes
Ethics
Program
and Show Statistics
Finance
Publications
Bench
Membership
Standards
Education
Obedience
Trophy
ARTICLE VI
Affiliated Clubs
The purpose of this Article is to promote participation in
dog-related activities by owners of Norwich and Norfolk
Terriers and interested persons who may not be able or
wish to participate as regular members of The Norwich
and Norfolk Terrier Club and to supply to such persons a
small, localized group in a limited geographic area for
exchange of information and mutual support of activity
with their dogs. Such a group should in no way be used
to dilute the activities of the national Club and must
in all ways conform to the Constitution and By-Laws of the
national Club. The Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club, as
the parent club, will advise and assist affiliated clubs
and their activities as requested and as feasible.
ARTICLE VII
Discipline
Section 1. American Kennel Club Suspension.
Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The
American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from
the privileges of this club for a like period.
ARTICLE VIII
Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the Constitution
and By-Laws and to the Standards for the breeds may be
proposed by the Board or by written petition addressed to
the Corresponding Secretary signed by 20 per cent of the
regular membership in good standing. Amendments proposed
by such petition shall be promptly considered by the
Board and must be submitted to the regular members with
recommendations of the Board by the Corresponding Secretary
for a vote within three months of the date the petition
was received by the Corresponding Secretary.