Constitution & Bylaws | Download Standing Rules

Constitution and By-Laws Revised 2019-July 1 in accordance with changes approved by the membership and the American Kennel Club.

Constitution – ARTICLE I

SECTION 1

The name of the club shall be The Ibizan Hound Club of the United States, Inc.

SECTION 2

The objects of the Club shall be:

To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of pure-bred Ibizan Hounds and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection.
To encourage the organization of independent local Ibizan Hound Specialty Clubs in those locations where there are sufficient fanciers of the breed to meet the requirements of the American Kennel Club.
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 the Ibizan Hound shall be judged.
To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage sportsman-like competition at dog shows and obedience trials.
To conduct matches, specialty shows and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
To publish literature and periodicals in the interest of the Ibizan Hound.

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 bylaws as may be required to carry out these objects.

BYLAWS ARTICLE I – Membership

SECTION 1. Eligibility

There shall be three types of membership open to all persons eighteen years or older who subscribe to the purposes of this club and who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club. Full Membership is open to those reside in the United States or its or territories and such members are entitled to all membership privileges. Foreign Membership is open to those who do not reside in the United States or its territories and who are entitled to all membership privileges except the right to hold office and the right to vote in elections, or on amendments to the bylaws, revisions to the breed standard or to sponsor or vote on membership applicants. Honorary Membership is open to those who the Board of Directors at their discretion and by a majority vote determines in recognition of their service to the breed or to the Club shall be exempt from the payment of an initiation fee and dues. Honorary members shall not vote for or hold office. An Honorary Member may apply for regular membership as provided by Section 3 of this Article.

SECTION 2. Dues

Membership dues, in an amount to be determined by the Board, but not to exceed fifty dollars ($50), shall be payable on or before December 31st for the following year. Each October the Treasurer shall send a statement of dues for the ensuing year, to be printed on the front page of the newsletter, The Third Eye. Only one newsletter shall be sent to each address. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. By majority vote the Board may extend the deadline for the lapse period by another 30 days “in meritorious cases”.

SECTION 3. Election to Membership

Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and these Bylaws, the Club’s Code of Ethics and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address and phone number of the applicant. Applications for full membership shall carry the sponsorship of two members in good standing (preferably not from the same household). Sponsors are encouraged but not required for applications for Foreign Membership and be accompanied by dues payment for the current year and an initiation fee. The initiation fee for Full and Foreign members shall not exceed $30 per application. (See current membership application for current fees. (https://www.ihcus.org/join)

The names of applicants including city and state or country of residence for Full and Foreign membership shall be sent to the membership as received by the Secretary or membership chair. The membership then has twenty (20) days to comment. After the waiting period, the Application and all comments shall be sent to the Board for review and a vote. Applicants may be elected by secret ballot at any meeting of the board of directors or by secret vote of the directors by mail. Affirmative votes of 2/3’s of the director’s present at a meeting of the board, or of 2/3’s of the entire board voting by mail, shall be required to elect an applicant. Upon election, members shall be notified by the Secretary and shall receive a Club pin, copy of the Constitution and Bylaws, and a copy of the Standard of the Breed .

Any which has received a negative vote by the Board of Directors may be presented by one of the applicant’s sponsors at the next meeting of the Club and the Club may elect such applicant by a favorable vote of ninety (90%) percent of the members present.

SECTION 4. Termination of Membership

Memberships may be terminated:

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 at the first day of each fiscal year.
By lapsing. A membership shall be considered lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid after the first day of the fiscal year, however, the Board may grant an additional thirty (30) days of grace in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote whose dues are unpaid.
By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these Bylaws.

A member in good standing is one whose dues are paid for the current year and who is not under suspension by The Ibizan Hound Club of the United States, Inc. or the American Kennel Club.

ARTICLE II – Meetings

SECTION 1. Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be held once each year with an IHCUS Specialty show, at a place, date, and hour designated by the Board. Written notice shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the Annual Meeting shall be ten (10) percent of the 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 at a meeting of the Board or who vote by mail, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by ten (10) percent of the members of the Club who are in good standing. Such meetings shall be held at a place, date, and hour as designated by the Board. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least fourteen (14) days and not more than thirty (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 of such a meeting shall be ten (10) percent of the members in good standing.

SECTION 3. Board Meeting

The first meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the election. Other meetings of the Board shall be held at such times and places as are designated by the President or a majority vote of the entire Board. Written notice of such other meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting. A quorum for a board meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person or by mail.

SECTION 4.

The Board may conduct its business at meetings (where attendees see and/or hear each other, such as in person, by video- or teleconferencing), or through facsimile, or through U.S. Postal Service through the Secretary, or by electronic mail (herinafter refered to as “e-mail”). The Board’s business may be conducted by e-mail only if the following conditions have been met:

Every Board member must have the means to participate.
All Board members must agree to participate in this manner by sending their written approval to the Secretary by U.S. mail. Once written approval is provided, it will assume to be continued until the Secretary receives written notice from the Board member that such approval is revoked.
In order to verify the identity of the individuals participating in the conducting of business via e-mail, a password should be chosen by the Secretary and circulated via U.S. mail to those eligible Board members for use in identifying each other prior to the attending of Board business via e-mail.
In order to verify the identity of the individuals participating in the conducting of business via e-mail, upon receipt of every e-mail pertaining to Board business, each Board member will reply with the agreed-upon password.

ARTICLE III – Directors and Officers

SECTION 1. Board of Directors

The Board shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Past President, and three other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing who are residents of the United States. They shall be elected for two-year terms at the Club’s Annual Election as provided in Article IV, and shall serve until their successors are elected. The exception being the Past President may serve an additional one- (1) year term as a Board member in an advisory capacity who can participate in regular meetings (not executive sessions) with no voting rights nor ability to make motions during these meetings. General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to them.

SECTION 2. Officers

The Club’s officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding 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 of the Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President, in addition to those particularly specified in these Bylaws. The
President has the authority to sign the Club checks.
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 Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all votes taken, and of any other matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club or the Board, and keep a roll of the
members of the Club, and carry out duties as are prescribed in these By-Laws.
d. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify Officers and Directors of their election to Office, and carry out such duties as are prescribed in these By-Laws.
When the word “secretary” is used it always refers to the recording secretary if there is more than one.
e. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He/she shall deposit the same in a bank in the name of the Club. His/her books shall, at all times, be open to inspection by the Board and he/she shall report quarterly the condition of the Club finances. He/she may pay normal Club operating expenses up to two hundred fifty ($250.00) without Board approval. At the Annual Meeting, he/she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer is required to provide the Club with an audit done by a Board approved on-member at the close of each fiscal year. He/she shall be bonded within thirty (30) days of taking office in such amount as the board shall determine.

SECTION 3. Vacancies

Any vacancies occurring among the officers during the year shall be filled until the next annual Election by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board; except that a vacancy in the office of the 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. Any vacancies occurring among the Board will be filled by the alternate person to the Board. The alternate would be the person with the next highest amount of votes for the Board, as taken from the ballot results.

ARTICLE IV – The Club Year, Nominations, Elections

SECTION 1. Club Year

The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the thirty-first (31st) day of December. The Club’s official year shall begin on May first of each year.

SECTION 2. Voting

At the Annual Meeting or at a Special Meeting of the Club, voting shall be limited to those members in good standing who are present at the meeting, except for the Annual Election of Officers and Directors, and amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, and the Standard of the Breed, which shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. The Board may decide to submit other specific questions for decision to the members by written ballot cast by mail or in accordance with AKC’s procedure on Electronic Balloting for AKC Parent Clubs.

SECTION 3. Elections

Elections will take place every two years, odd years only. If there be no valid additional nominations in accordance with Section 4, paragraph b, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected as of March 20, and no balloting will be required. If there be one or more valid nomination for one or more of the positions, a vote by secret ballot shall be conducted in the following manner:

The Secretary shall prepare and mail to each member in good standing a ballot stating nominees by February 20.
The Board shall appoint a committee of three tellers to count ballots, of which none may be a nominee for office. The Secretary shall supply to this committee a list of members to whom ballots have been mailed.
The ballots as sent by the Secretary shall list all the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, with the names of the states in which they reside, together with a blank envelope and a return envelope addressed to the Secretary marked “Ballot” and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So that the ballots remain secret, each voter, after marking his ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Secretary. It must be received by the Secretary by April 20.
The Secretary will mail a list of eligible voters and the ballots by registered mail, to the tellers by April 25. Ballots will only be valid when received by the Secretary in accordance with these Bylaws.
The Tellers will verify the eligibility of each ballot, tabulate the votes, and mail the ballots and the results of the election by registered mail to be received by the Secretary within ten (10) days of the receipt of the ballots. In the event of a tie vote, the Secretary shall re-ballot within ten (10) days. If the tie is not resolved by a second vote, the election will be decided by a simple majority of the Board in office prior to the election. The Secretary shall report the results of the election to the membership within ten (10) days.
Providing there are no tie votes, the newly elected officers shall take office on May 15.

SECTION 4. Nominations

No person may be a candidate in the Club election who has not been nominated in accordance with these Bylaws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board by January 5th. The Committee shall consist of three members and two alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board. The Board shall name a chairman of the Committee. The Committee may conduct its business by mail.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club, one candidate for each office and for each other position on the Board, and shall procure the acceptance of each member so chosen. The Committee shall submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary by February 15. The Secretary shall mail the list to each member of the Club by February 20.
Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition to be received by the Secretary by March 20, signed by three members in good standing and accompanied by the written acceptance of each additional nominee signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate.
Nominations cannot be made in any manner other than as provided above.

ARTICLE V – Committees

SECTION 1.

The Board may, after each election, appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as: Rescue, Health and Research, Historian, Nominating, Judges Education, Newsletter, Fund Raising, AKC Gazette Columnist, Breeder Referral, and any other committees deemed necessary by the Board.

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 service has been terminated.

SECTION 3. Specialty Show Committee

The membership shall nominate and choose the Conformation judge(s) and Sweepstakes judge(s) for all Specialty shows. The Conformation judge(s) for all AKC classes, both regular and non-regular, shall be nominated from the complete list of eligible AKC approved judges. The Sweepstakes judge(s) may be nominated from eligible AKC approved judges, aspiring judges, or Ibizan Hound breeders. The nominees’ names shall be submitted to the membership for a vote, with those receiving the most votes being invited to judge at the Specialty.The membership chooses judges for two consecutive years, and the voting results shall be published in the next regularly occurring issue of the Third Eyenewsletter following the final voting. In addition, the following procedures shall apply:
1. If the first choice judge is not available for the first year, the Show Committee will contact the second choice judge next. However, the first choice judge’s name shall NOT be removed from the list of selected judges; it shall stay on the list and become the first choice for the second year.
2. The same procedure shall apply to the second through fifth choice judges. Any judge who is not available for the first year shall remain on the list in the original order of preference as voted by the membership.
3. If a selected judge who has already accepted the assignment shall for any reason become unable to fulfill that assignment, the Show Committee is required to contact the next judge on the list in the order as selected by the membership and published in the Third Eyenewsletter.The Show Committee shall continue to contact the judges on the list of selected judges in the original order of preference as outlined in subsections 1) and 2) above until an available judge can be obtained.In the event that none of the selected judges are available, the Show Committee shall have the authority to select a suitable replacement judge of their own choice.
Application for a specialty show must be filed with the Secretary on a Board approved application form at least one year before the date of the proposed show.
The list of Specialty applications (show, location, date, and chairman) will be printed in the newsletter and voted on by the membership.

SECTION 4. Lure Trial Committee

The Board must approve all applications for all IHCUS sponsored Lure Trials (AKC/ASFA).

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 member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary, together with a deposit of ten dollars ($10.00), which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board or committee 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 action alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct that would be prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the Breed, 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 or a committee of not less than three members of the Board, not less than three weeks nor more than six weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one 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/her own defense and bring witnesses if he/she 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, by a majority of those present, shall suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six (6) months from the date of the hearing, or until the next Annual Meeting, if that will occur after six (6) months. If it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. On such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant’s right to appear before his fellow members at the ensuing Annual 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 Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.

SECTION 4. Expulsion

Expulsion from the Club may be accomplished only at the Annual meeting following a hearing and upon the recommendation of the Board or Committee as provided in Section 3 of this Article. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges, the findings, and the recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds (2/3) vote, by secret ballot, of those present and voting at the Annual Meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the suspension shall stand.

ARTICLE VII – Amendments

SECTION 1.

Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and to the Standard for the Breed may be proposed by the Board or by written petition to the Secretary signed by twenty (20) percent of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board and must be submitted to the membership with 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 Bylaws and the Standard for the Breed may be amended at any time, provided a copy of the
proposed amendment, or changes to the breed standard, has been mailed or sent in accordance with AKC’s procedure on Electronic Balloting for AKC Parent Clubs by the Secretary to each member in good standing on the date of the mailing. The notice shall specify a date not less than thirty (30) days after the date of mailing by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be counted. The favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members in good standing who return valid ballots within the time limit shall be required to affect any such amendment or breed standard change.

a. The ballots as sent by the Secretary shall list all the proposed changes, together with a blank envelope and a return envelope addressed to the Secretary marked “Ballot” and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So that the ballots remain secret, each voter, after marking his/her ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Secretary. It must be received by the Secretary by the specified date.

b. The Secretary will mail by registered mail, or hand deliver, a list of eligible voters and the ballots, to the tellers within 3 days of the close of voting. Ballots will only be valid when received by the Secretary in accordance with these Bylaws.

c. The Tellers will verify the eligibility of each ballot, tabulate the votes, and mail the ballots and the results of the vote by registered mail to be received by the Secretary within ten (10) days of the receipt of the ballots The Secretary shall report the results of the election to the Board within ten (10) days. The Board will then notify the membership of the outcome in the next Third Eye. Prior to, but NOT instead of, the publication in the Third Eye the Board may notify the members via email of the results.

SECTION 3

No amendment to the constitution and bylaws (or to the standard for the breed) 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 VIII – Dissolution

SECTION 1.

The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club other than for purposes or reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club, but after payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board.

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 meetings shall permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call
Minutes of the Last Meeting
Report of the President
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Editor of the Newsletter
Report of Committees
Unfinished Business
Election of New Members
New Business
Adjournment

These reports must be in writing and read at the meeting and become property of the Club’s records.

SECTION 2.

At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Minutes of the Last Meeting
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Committees
Unfinished Business
Election of New Members
New Business
Adjournment

ARTICLE X – Local Clubs

SECTION 1. Formation of Local Clubs

Formation of Local Clubs shall be encouraged by the Parent Club, and each Local Club will be accepted upon approval by the Parent Club Board and the applicant Local Club’s Constitution and Bylaws. Each January, local clubs will be required to submit to the Parent Club a current membership list and yearly dues of $25.00. All Constitution and Bylaws changes must be submitted to the Parent Club for approval.

SECTION 2.

A Local Club’s Constitution and Bylaws must be approved by the American Kennel Club.

SECTION 3.

Affiliate clubs of IHCUS wishing to hold a Specialty Show must make application as per Article V, Section 3.

ARTICLE XI – Rules of Order

SECTION 1.

The Club shall operate by Robert’s Rules of Order unless otherwise stipulated in these Bylaws.

Revised 2015-July-10 in accordance with changes approved by the membership and the American Kennel Club.