Mason Dixon
German Shorthaired Pointer
Club, INC.
Mason Dixon German Shorthaired
Club Inc.
Constitution and By –laws
Ratified January 26 , 1974
Effective June 1, 1974
Revised June 26, 1987
Revised January 28,1995
Effective June 25,1995
Revised February 28,1999
Effective January 29, 2000
Revised January 27, 2004
Effective June , 2004
Revised September 2008
Effective January 2009
Objective and purpose
Mason – Dixon German Shorthaired Pointer Club
Is chartered by the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America
And a register breed club with the AKC.
We support the policies of our parent clubs to promote the breed, activities and Rescue.
Membership is not limited to GSP’s and their owners but the focus is GSP’s.
We welcome all sporting dog breeds members
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I page 5
Name
Objects
Profits
ARTICLE II page 5
Memberships
Dues
Honorary Membership
Lifetime Membership
Application for Membership
Termination of Membership
Fiscal Year
ARTICLE III page 7
Regular Club Meetings
Annual Meeting
Special Club Meetings
Regular Board Meeting
Special Board Meeting
Board Transactions
Eligibility to Vote
ARTICLE IV page 9
Board of Directors
Officers
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Standing Committee
Show
Field Trial
Hunting Test
Walking Field Trial
Membership
Rescue
Vacancies
ARTICE V page 12
Club Year
Change Board of Directors
Elections
Nominating Committee
Candidates
Qualification for Office
Nominating Committee’s Report
Nominating by Member Body
One Slate
Official Ballot
Tellers
Balloting
Counting
ARTICLE VI page 14
Auditing Committee
ARTICLE VII page 14
Additional and Special Standing Committees
ARTICLE VIII page 15
Suspension
Charges
Hearings
Discipline
ARTICLE IX page 16
Order of Business
Absence of Officer or Board Members
ARTICLE X page 17
Amendments
ARTICLE XI page 17
Dissolution
ARTICLE XII page 17
Breeder Ethics
Addendums page 18
Recognition Program Rules
CONSTITION and BY-LAWS
MASON-DIXON GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
CLUB, INC.
ARTICLE I
Name
Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the Mason-Dixon German Shorthaired Pointer
Club, Inc.
Objects
Section 2. The purpose of the Club shall be:
(a) to encourage and promote the breeding of better German Shorthaired
Pointers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to
Perfection;
(b) to do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of the breed
by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at breed shows, field trials,
hunting tests, and obedience trials; and
(c) to conduct matches and specialty shows, field trials, hunting tests,
and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
Profits
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.
ARTICLE II
Memberships
Section 1
(a) Full membership will be open to all persons eighteen (18) years of age
or older and who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club
and who subscribe to the purpose of this Club. Each membership shall be considered a family membership with one vote per family unless otherwise specified .
(b) Persons applying for full membership shall be considered members upon receipt of the signed application and receipt of the first year dues by the membership chairperson. The membership application shall include the club by-laws by reference and the applicant’s signature on the membership application shall be deemed acceptance of the by-laws. The by-laws are available for review on the Club’s website. Office eligibility and recognition awards tenure begin on that date.
.
Dues
Section 2
(a) The membership dues shall be payable on or before January 1st.
(b) The membership dues for the coming year shall be determined
by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of members present and
voting at any regular or special membership meeting. The dues
shall be derived and approved by the Board of Directors
prior to the membership meeting where voting on dues is to
occur. New members after SEPTEMBER 1st shall pay one-half
(1/2) the annual dues.
Honorary Membership
Section 3
Any full member may nominate a member for consideration as an honorary
member to the board. This can be done at any time through the year but will be voted on only at
the Club’s two annual meetings.
The requirements to be considered for honorary memberships are
(a) A nominee must have been a member of the club for a minimum of eight (8)
years consecutively.
(b) A nominee must have served as a committee chairperson or an officer of the
Club in at least two different positions and have served at least two terms in
each. These will be the minimum requirements to be used by the Board for
consideration. The honorary nominee should be devoted to the Club for the
betterment of the breed, and should be a person who is deserving of the title
honorary member. Any exceptions to these requirements must be approved
by the unanimous consent of the board.
Lifetime Membership
Section 4
A lifetime membership may be purchased at any time by any member for the fee of $500.00. A lifetime membership has all of the benefits of a full member for life but will no longer be required to pay dues.
Application for Membership
Section 5
Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors, and which shall provide that the applicant agrees ( signed form see addendum) to abide by this Constitution and By-Laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club.
Applicants shall submit dues payment for the current year with their applications. Members shall be welcomed at the next regular meeting of the full membership following submittal of their applications.
Termination of Membership
Section 6
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.
(b) By lapsing. A member will be considered as lapsed
and automatically terminated if such member’s dues
remain unpaid forty-five (45) days after JANUARY 1.
In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any
Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date
of that meeting. Any officer or member of the Board
of Directors whose membership is so terminated will
have his position filled immediately. The Board of Directors
will appoint a member in good standing to fill this position.
(c) By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by
expulsion as provided in Article VIII of the By-Laws.
Fiscal year
Section 7
The fiscal year shall be JULY 1st of each year to align with the election of officers.
ARTICLE III.
Regular Club Meetings
Section 1
There shall be two (2) regular meetings of the Club each year and shall be held in January and June, at a time and place approved by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting will be mailed by the Secretary at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be members present in good standing.
Annual Meeting
Section 2
(a) The June meeting shall be identified as the Annual Meeting
and in addition to the regular business shall be the meeting
at which new officers take office.
(b) Members are encouraged to bring guests to all regular
meetings of the Club. These guests shall have no voting privileges.
Special Club Meetings
Section 3
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 ten (10) members of the
Club who are in good standing. Written notice of such a
meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 10 days
prior to the meeting and said notice shall state the purpose
of the meeting and no other Club business may be trans-
acted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be
twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing.
Regular Board Meeting
Section 4.
There shall be no less than two (2) regular meetings of
the Board of Directors each year. Additional meetings may be scheduled at the presidents or boards request ( see special board meetings). These may use e –mail or conference phone calls. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
Special Board Meeting
Section 5.
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the
President at the request of any three (3) members of the
Board of Directors in writing to the President. The
Secretary shall notify all members of the Board in
writing at least ten (10) days prior to any such special
meeting stating time, place and reason. No other business
shall be transacted there at. A quorum for such a meeting
shall be a majority of the Board.
Board Transactions
Section 6.
The Board of Directors may conduct its business by mail, E-mail,
or by telephone poll through the Secretary, when it is
deemed by the President that time does not allow or that
the matter involved is not of sufficient impact to warrant
the calling of a Special meeting of the Board of Directors.
The results on any business conducted by mail, e-mail or by
Telephone poll shall be summarized and forwarded by the
Secretary to each Board member no less than five (5) days
after the transaction and such summary shall be entered
in the official minutes of the Club.
Eligibility to Vote
Section 7.
Each full member in good standing whose dues are paid
for the current year shall be entitled to one vote at any
meeting of the Club at which the member is present and
to cast one ballot in each election.
ARTICLE IV
Board of Directors
Section 1.
The Board of Directors shall be composed of President,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the Chairman
of the following standing committee: Show, Field Trial,
Membership, Hunting Test, Walking Field Trial, and
Rescue. All officers and chairpeople of these standing
committees shall be elected for a period of two (2) years.
Beginning in 1995, the offices of President, Secretary, and the Chairmen of the Show and Hunting Test Committees shall be elected for a two year term. Beginning in
2000, the offices of Vice President, Treasurer, and the
chairman of the Field Trial, Membership and Rescue
shall be elected for a two (2) year term. The Walking Field
Trial, will be for a one (1) year term and run in the year
2001 for a two (2) year term. The officers and chairmen
will be elected at the Annual Meeting and serve until their
successors are elected. General Management of the Club’s
affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
Officers
Section 2.
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.
President
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board
and shall see that the previsions of this Constitution and By-Laws, and
the rules and regulations and policies established hereunder are ob-
served. The President shall also perform all duties as are by custom
and parliamentary practice required of the office.
Vice President
The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance
of the duties of that office and assume the duties of the President
during his absence. In addition, it shall be the responsibility of the
Vice President to make arrangements for the two(2) regular
Meetings of the Club each year in accordance with the provisions
of Article III, Section 1, and to have such information to the
Secretary at least twenty (20) days prior to the time of such meeting.
Secretary
The Secretary shall prepare and maintain for permanent record
written minutes of the Club and Board of Director meetings, receive
and submit to the proper authorities all communications, attend and
dispose of all administrative correspondence, maintain the Club’s
records, files and seal, and perform all duties pertinent to and re-
motion of the interests of this Club.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the board in the name of the Club. The books shall be at all times open to inspection by the Board, and the Treasurer shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the Club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported. At the Annual Meeting the Treasurer shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded, and the amount shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Standing Committee
Section 3.
There shall be six (6) standing committees: a) Show; b) Field Trial;
c) Hunting Test; d) Walking Field Trial; e) Membership and f) Rescue.
The Chairmen are to be elected at the Annual Meeting in accordance
With Article IV, Section 1 and are to be members of the Board of
Directors. They shall be vested with full authority for promotion and
Operation of all shows, field trials, hunting tests and rescue activities
Sponsored by the Club, including appointment of committee members,
but they shall be limited in this authority to conducting the shows, field
trials, hunting tests, or any other business along lines previously adopted
by the Club as to location and normal expenditures. All drastic changes
in such conduct of these shows, field trials, hunt tests and other business
shall be referred to the Board of Directors for approval. An incumbent
chairman shall make no commitment or agreement which exceeds his
term of office or obligates the succeeding chairman in any manner without
approval of the Board of Directors. All funds of these committees shall be