SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER CLUB
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1
The name of the Club shall be the SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (hereafter, THE CLUB).
SECTION 2
The objectives of THE CLUB shall be:
a) to do all possible to bring the natural qualities of Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers to perfection;
b) to urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by The American Kennel Club as the only standard of excellence by which Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers shall be judged;
c) to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials;
d) to guard against the commercial exploitation of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
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.
SECTION 5
The use of THE CLUB’S emblem or name in any form of advertising by any member or group of members is prohibited, except by THE CLUB itself, with the approval of the Board of Directors or a vote of the general membership.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE 1
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1
ELIGIBILITY There shall be four (4) types of memberships:
a) Regular - Individual, carrying one (1) vote;
b) Regular - Dual (two members of the same household), carrying one (1) vote each;
c) Associate, entitled to all privileges except voting and holding office. Such member is not counted in determining a quorum;
d) Junior, carrying no voting privileges and not eligible to hold any elective office.
The regular and associate types of membership shall be open to all persons 18 years of age and older. Junior memberships shall be open to all persons 8 to 18 years of age.
All prospective members shall be in good standing with The American Kennel Club and subscribe to the purposes of THE Club.
While membership is unrestricted as to residence, THE CLUB=s primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.
SECTION 2
DUES Annual membership dues shall be no more than:
a) Regular - Individual $35.00
b) Regular - Dual $45.00
c) Associate - Household $20.00
d) Junior $ 5.00
At the September Board meeting membership dues will be reviewed by the Board for the following year.
During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of dues for the ensuing year, which will be payable before the first day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.
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 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.
ELECTION TO REGULAR MEMBERSHIP Prior to application, the applicant will be required to attend three (3) meetings in order to help determine level of interest. Application shall carry the endorsement of two Regular Members in good standing.
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 3/4 of the members present and voting at the meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.
ELECTION TO ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP Applications to Associate Membership are to be filed with the Secretary, but do not require sponsors, and there will be no approval process. After a period of one year Regular Membership may be sought in accordance with the procedure outlined in the By-laws.
Accompanying the application, all prospective members shall submit dues payment for the current year.
Applicants for membership who have been rejected by THE CLUB may not reapply within six (6) months after 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 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 90 days after the first day of the fiscal 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 whose dues are unpaid be entitled to a vote at any Club meeting until such dues are paid for the current fiscal year.
c) By 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 within the greater Los Angeles area on the third Tuesday of each month except December, or as scheduled or designated by the Board of Directors.
Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty percent (20%) of the Regular 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 meeting of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) Regular Members of THE CLUB who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Los Angeles 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 meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days and not more than fifteen (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 (20%) of the members in good standing.
SECTION 3
BOARD MEETINGS Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held within the greater Los Angeles area on the second Tuesday of the months of January, March, May, July, September and November. Written notice of meetings of the Board of Directors shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. All regular business is to be conducted at the regular Board of Directors meetings. The quorum for a Board of Directors meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
SECTION 4
SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Board and shall be called by the Secretary upon written request signed by at least three members of the Board. The time and location shall be as designated by the person authorized herein to call such a meeting. Any notice of special meetings shall state the purpose of said meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five (5) days and not more than ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting.
A summary of the minutes of the Board meeting shall be read at the next regular CLUB meeting.
SECTION 5
WRITTEN NOTICE shall be deemed to have been given when such notice has been deposited in the United States mail, addressed to such member, officer, or director at such address as appears in the books of THE CLUB.
SECTION 6
VOTING Each Regular Member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one (1) 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, Secretary, Treasurer, and three other persons, all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at THE CLUB=s November 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, 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 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 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. He or she shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of THE CLUB with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these by-laws.
d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to THE CLUB. He or she shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of THE CLUB. His or her books shall be at all times open to inspection of the Board and he or she 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 November meeting he or she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
e) The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person in which case the Board shall be comprised of the officers and four (4) other persons.
SECTION 3
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 members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a special Board meeting called for the 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, 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 November meeting and shall continue through the election at the next November meeting.
SECTION 2
ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting shall be held in the month of November at which Officers 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 or her successor in office all properties and records relating to the office within thirty (30) days after the election.
SECTION 3
ELECTIONS The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The three (3) 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 July, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) Regular Members and two (2) alternates, not more than one of whom may 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 this Committee and it shall be his or her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held before the third Tuesday in September.
a) The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and three (3) candidates for the three other positions of the Board, and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.
b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee=s report, the Secretary shall, at least two weeks prior to the October meeting, notify each member in writing of the candidate so nominated.
c) Additional nominations may be made at the October meeting by any Regular 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 or her proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his or her willingness to be a candidate.
d) Only one member from a household may be a candidate for elective positions.
e) 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 shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may be well 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 in 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.
ARTICLE VI
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.
SECTION 2
CHARGES Any Regular Member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of THE CLUB or the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The 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 interests of THE CLUB or the breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests 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 (3) weeks nor more than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one (1) 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 witnesses if he or she wishes.
SECTION 3
BOARD HEARING The Board 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 the complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present suspend the defendant from all privileges of THE CLUB for not more than six (6) 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 or her 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 Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board= s decision and penalty, if any.
SECTION 4
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 (60) days but not earlier than thirty (30) days after the date of the Board=s recommendation of expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his or her own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board=s findings and recommendation, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his or her own behalf if he or she wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds (2/3) 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 Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty percent (20%) of the Regular Membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the Regular Members with the recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three (3) months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.
SECTION 2
The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) 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 (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
DISSOLUTION
SECTION 1
DISSOLUTION THE CLUB may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Regular Members. In the event of the dissolution of THE CLUB other than for the purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of law, none of the property of THE CLUB shall be distributed to any members of THE CLUB but, after payment of the creditors of THE CLUB, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs as selected by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX
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 Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of the Committees
Election of the Officers and Board
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:
Minutes of the last meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment
SECTION 3
All meetings of THE CLUB shall follow the procedures contained in Robert=s Rules of Order (latest edition) whenever it is not contrary to the provisions of these by-laws as administered by a parliamentarian who serves in an advisory capacity to the President. The Parliamentarian is appointed by the President.
STANDING RULES
of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Southern California
October 20, 1980
Dues paid by new members elected into membership of our club during the fourth quarter of the year will apply to the remainder of the year plus the following year.
March 14, 1989
The Board was authorized to spend up to $100.00 without general membership vote.
Method to be used when tallying votes for judges:
3rd place=1point, 2nd place=2 points, 1st place=3 points.
October 17, 1989
The general membership approved the following:
At ‘B’ Matches, professional handlers may show only those dogs which they own, co-own or have bred.
March 13, 1990
In appreciation of service to the Club, lifetime membership was given to Rose Smith and Betty Wood.
May 15, 1990
Limits were set on the cost of judges as follows:
1. Round-trip airfare: supersaver or economy rate
2. One overnight lodging at hotel of our choice
3. A maximum judge’s fee of $250
4. Maximum total expenses not to exceed $850
January 6, 1996
Recognition of special events in the lives of club members:
1. Cards will be sent to members for the following events: new baby, illness and wedding.
2. Flowers up to $40.00 will be sent in the event of the death of a member or the member’s spouse.
Certificates for titles received by dogs owned or co-owned by members during the year will be presented each year at the November meeting. Guidelines for the type of awards eligible for a certificate would be the same at those used for the SCWTA yearbook.
March 11, 1996
A separate notice will be sent in November to remind members of membership dues. A follow-up reminder will be sent in February.
The dues structure will allow for the household to include an associate and a regular membership for a fee of $20.00. (The goal of this motion was to make 2 regular members and 1 regular and 1 associate cost the same amount.)
April 16, 1996
A list of the status of membership will be included with the Membership roster when it is mailed each year.
September 9, 1996
A congratulatory communication to members who have litters will be sent and will include the request of $25.00 donation for each letter to enable the Club to continue our advertising and education program.
January 13, 1997
Change of Membership Status: Associate members who wish to become “regular” members must go through the same process as any other new regular member. Regular members who have chosen to become “associate” members and wish to return to “regular“ status will be allowed to do so without repeating the requirements for new membership. [See amendment of May 12, 1997, below.]
May 12, 1997
Action of January 13, 1997, was amended as follows: According to our By-Laws, members who have been “regular” members who have become “associate” and wish to revert back to “regular” will be required to comply with the same requirements as if joining for the first time and pay the appropriate dues.
March 9, 1998
A copy of the Minutes of the current month’s General Membership meeting will be sent to all members with the following month’s meeting announcement.
May 10, 1999
The Club will pay for the dinner of guest speakers at dinner meetings.
January 18, 2000
A Special Recognition Award may be given at the discretion of the Board for outstanding service to the Club.
January 16, 2001
All official SCWTCSC correspondence shall be prepared on SCWTCSC letterhead.
January 15, 2002
Membership dues are increased by $5.00 as follows:
Associate (includes household) $17 Regular (individual) $20
Regular (dual or mixed) $25 Junior $5
October 23, 2005
Any By-Law requirement for “mailing”’ is not limited to the use of the US Postal Service, but may include other means of transmission such as e-mail.
April 17, 2007
The Rescue Chair or Board is granted the authority to spend up to $800 above normal rescue costs (kenneling, basic medical procedures, et cetera) for training to increase chances for potential rescue.
July 14, 2007 (amended July 13, 2008)
No judge may exhibit or judge a SCWT competition in the states of California and Arizona within the 3 months prior to judging Great Western, excluding group competitions.
No AKC-approved breed judge may exhibit or judge a SCWT competition in the states of California and Arizona within the 3 months prior to judging Great Western, excluding group competition.
July 13, 2008
No dog you own or co-own may be exhibited during the weekend prior to and including the day of the assignment. (Pertaining to Sweepstakes judging)
May 16, 2010
The Club supports and treats the SCWTCA Code of Ethics as its own.
October 23, 2011
AKC has approved clubs to hold Board Meetings by Video or Tele–Conferencing. The membership has approved the Club'S conducting its Board Meetings by Tele-Conferencing or Video Conferencing.
September 16, 2014
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Southern California will not purchase, or pay a fee, for any dog advertised online, or anywhere else, for the purpose of rescue. The Club only accepts dogs relinquished by their owners, or taken from an Animal Shelter or another recognized rescue organization.
SCWTCSC never takes Wheatens which demonstrate aggression to people. Any Wheaten which has a documented history of biting people can never be accepted into rescue.
SCWTCSC-Standing Rules Updated 10/14/2014