SECTION 1.     The name of the club shall be “Papillon Association of Puget Sound.”

SECTION 2.     The objects of the Club shall be:

   (a)  to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Papillons and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities 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 Papillons shall be judged;
   (c)  to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials;
   (d) to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.

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 of 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 1.     ELIGIBILITY.  There shall be three types of membership open to persons who are in good standing with The American Kennel Club and subscribe to the purposes of this Club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club’s primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area.
   (a) Active Membership. Open to all persons who are 18 years of age or older and are U.S. residents. Active members are eligible to vote, hold office and enjoy all the normal duties, obligations and responsibilities of a member in good standing.
   (b) Associate Membership. Open to all persons who are 18 years of age or older, including non-U.S. residents. Associate membership includes all club privileges except voting and holding office. Associate members do not count in determining a quorum.
   (c) Junior Membership. Open to persons 10 through 17 years of age. Junior members cannot vote or hold office, nor do they count in determining a quorum. A Junior member may convert to Active or Associate membership upon reaching his/her 18th birthday.

SECTION 2.     DUES.  Active membership dues shall be $15.00 per year, payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year.  No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.  Associate and Junior membership dues shall be $10.00 per year, payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year. During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year. Only one (1) club newsletter will be mailed to each household.
   Upon a recommendation from the Board and approval by 2/3 of the membership, an annual assessment may be required from the members and included with the collection of dues.

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 these Constitution and By-Laws and rules of the American Kennel Club.  The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant, and it shall carry the endorsement of two members in good standing.  Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.
     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 by secret ballot, and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.
     Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the club may not re-apply within six months after such rejection.

SECTION 4.     TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.   Memberships 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 be entitled to vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting;
   (c)  by expulsion.  A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these by-laws.
 

SECTION 1.     CLUB MEETING.  Meetings of the Club shall be held within the greater Seattle area on every odd month at such date, place and hour as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten days prior to the day of the meeting.  The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of the membership in good standing.

SECTION 2.     SPECIAL CLUB MEETING.  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 members of the Club who are in good standing.  Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Seattle area at such date, place and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings.  Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five days and not more than 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 20% of the members in good standing.

SECTION 3.     BOARD MEETINGS.   Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held within the greater Seattle area every other month and may precede the general meeting at such date, place and hour as may be designated by the Board.  Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

SECTION 4.     SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS.  Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board.  Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Seattle area at such date, place and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.  Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least five days and not more than ten days prior to the date of the meeting, or telegraphic notice shall be filed at least three days and not more than five days prior to the date of the meeting.  Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat.  A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

SECTION 5.     VOTING.   Each 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 he is present.  Proxy voting will not be permitted at any club meeting or election.
 

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 members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the Club’s annual 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 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 of the Board, and 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 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.  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.  She shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club.  The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and 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 annual meeting 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 the Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person in which case the Board shall be comprised of the officers and four 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 then 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 the President shall be filled automatically by the Vice-President and the resulting vacancy in the office of the Vice-President shall be filled by the Board.
 

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 annual meeting and shall continue through the election at the next annual 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 successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 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 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 members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board.  The secretary shall immediately notify the committeepersons and alternates of their selection.  The Board shall name a Chair for the Committee and it shall be her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before August 15th.
   (a)   The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and three candidates for the three other positions on the Board, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.
   (b)   The members should be notified by the Secretary, in writing, of the committee’s slate at least two weeks prior to the September meeting.
   (c)   Additional nominations may be made at the September meeting by any member in attendance provided the person so nominated does not decline when his/her name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate.  No person may be a candidate for more than one position.
   (d)   Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than provided in this Section.
 

SECTION 1.     The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be 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 on 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.

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 conduct 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.  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 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 own defense and bring witnesses if he 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 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 months from the date of the hearing.  And, if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the members that the penalty be expulsion.  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 Board’s recommendation.  Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its finding 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.  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 proceeding may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board’s recommendation of expulsion.  The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting.  The President shall read the charges and the Board’s findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf if he wishes.  The meeting shall then vote be secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion.  A 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.
 

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 20% of the membership in good standing.  Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

SECTION 2.   The Constitution and By-laws may be amended by a 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 weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

SECTION 1.   Dissolution.  The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members.  In the event of the dissolution of the Club other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds thereof for 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 of Directors.

SECTION 2.   At meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by the majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

SECTION 1.   The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order the Club may adopt.

SR #1 
Adopted: Jan 2002
 

The Conformation Show Chairperson, Assistant Showperson, and anyone living in their household will not exhibit or have a dog in their name exhibited at this show. A statement to this effect must appear in the premium list.
 

SR #2
Adopted: Sept 2006

It is understood that the Papillon Association of Puget Sound is a working club wherein all members are expected to contribute to the Club’s activities to the best of their ability.

Therefore, club members, particularly those who will be signing as sponsor, will make a potential applicant aware of this provision.

Before being given an application, the person must attend two meetings within a 12 month period. At the END of their second meeting attendance, the application may be turned in to the secretary.
 

SR #3  -  CHALLENGE TROPHY
Adopted: Sept 2006
 

1. A Challenge Trophy shall be offered by the Club to the Best of Breed winner at its annual specialty show.

2. At the Club’s expense, each year’s Best of Breed winner will be given a photograph of their win which will include the trophy.

3. The Club shall engrave each year’s winner on the trophy base.

4. The Club shall purchase an insurance rider for its appraised value to cover loss or damage to the trophy.

5. The trophy will remain in the Club’s possession until permanent possession occurs.

6. For permanent possession, the trophy must be won three times by the exact same owner(s), not necessarily with the same dog nor at consecutive shows.
 

SR #4 - JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP AWARD
Adopted: November 2006

In recognition of Junior Showmanship achievement, the Club will award $350 to any Junior member who has met the requirements to enter either Westminster Kennel Club or the AKC/Eukanuba Invitational, and competes at either event. The qualifying wins and subsequent competition must be made with a Papillon. The money will be awarded after they have competed and the Junior will be requested to report on the experience before the membership.