BORDER COLLIE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC.
 Constitution and Bylaws
Revised and Approved August 1, 1996  |  Revised and Approved June 1, 1999
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CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: Name and Objectives

Section 1: The name of the Club shall be the Border Collie Society of America, Inc. (BCSA)

Section 2: The objectives of the Club shall be:

  1. to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Border Collies, emphasizing the breed's natural herding ability as well as soundness.
  2. to encourage the organization of independent local Border Collie Specialties under the American Kennel Club requirements.
  3. to encourage and foster interest and participation in the training, exhibiting, and trialing of all Border Collies.
  4. to conduct a Club that promotes good fellowship and sportsmanship as well as to provide for the pleasure and recreation of its members.
  5. to conduct sanctioned matches and specialty shows and matches, and herding tests and trials, obedience trials, tracking tests, and agility trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
Section 3: BCSA shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder of 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 objectives.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I: Membership

Section 1 - Eligibility: Membership shall be open to all persons who subscribe to the objective of this Club. There shall be four types of membership as described below:

  1. Individual. This membership is for individuals 18 years of age or older who subscribe to the purpose of this Club and who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club. This membership shall be given all rights and privileges as stated in the Bylaws and allows one (1) vote.
  2. Household. This membership is available to households consisting of 2 people 18 years or older who subscribe to the purpose of this Club and are in good standing with the American Kennel Club. This membership shall be given all rights and privileges as stated in the Bylaws and allows two (2) votes.
  3. Junior. This membership is available to individuals between the ages of 10 and under 18 years of age. This membership may not vote, hold office or be counted in any quorum.
  4. Honorary. Honorary membership shall be open to all persons 18 years of age or older who have made a significant contribution to the Border Collie and/or the Border Collie Society of America. This membership provides no rights or privileges nor voting privileges as stated in the Bylaws. However, such members can maintain individual or household membership upon payment of dues.

 

Section 2 - Dues: Membership dues may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Annual dues are payable on or before the last day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. Members who join BCSA subsequent to July 15 of each year shall be paid for the remainder of that year and the next calendar year. During the month of December the Membership Chair shall send to each regular member, separately or included with the BCSA newsletter, a statement of his/her dues for the ensuing 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 the Constitution, Bylaws, Code of Ethics, and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address and phone number of the applicant and carry the endorsement of one member in good standing. The prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. 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 of the directors present at a meeting of the Board, or of 2/3 of the entire Board voting by mail, shall be required to elect an applicant.

Applicants shall be approved by the Board of Directors. An application which has received a negative vote by the Board may be presented by the applicant's endorser at the next annual Meeting of the Club and the members may elect such applicant by secret ballot and a favorable vote of 75% of the members present.

Section 4 - Termination of Membership: Memberships may be terminated, with no fees or monies refunded, in the following ways:

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 obligation 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 30 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 60 days grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote whose dues are unpaid. Those members whose dues are in danger of lapsing must be notified via written notice of this condition by the Membership Chair.   c. by expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these Bylaws. ARTICLE II: Meetings

Section 1 - Annual Meetings: The annual meeting of the Club shall be in September, October or November conjunction with the Club's Specialty Show if possible, at a place, date and hour designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of the annual meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be 20% of 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 10% of such members of the Club who are in good standing. Such meetings shall be held at such place, date and hour as may be designed by the Board of Directors. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the 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 business may be transacted. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of members present and in good standing.

Section 3 - Board Meetings: The first meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the election. Other meetings of the Board of Directors 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 meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for a Board Meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person, by mail, FAX or telephone conference call. Items voted upon by telephone must be confirmed in writing within 7 days to the Secretary.

ARTICLE III: Directors and Officers

Section 1 - Board of Directors: The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President who shall be a voting member of the Board, and two 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 as provided for in Article IV, and shall serve until their successors are elected. No two members of the same family shall serve on the Board of Directors at the same time. The general management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. If the immediate Past President chooses not to serve on the Board of Directors then this position shall remain vacant.

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. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally assigned to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these Bylaws. The President shall have the right to call meetings, appoint special committees, and coordinate officers, committees and Board.   b. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in the case of the President's death, absence or incapacity. This person shall assist the President in any manner which the President deems necessary.   c. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club, the Board, votes taken by mail, matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club, as well as handle all correspondence directed to the Club. The Secretary shall maintain a current master file of all necessary business and legal forms used by the Club. The Secretary shall notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and Directors of their election to office, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.   d. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due to the Club and shall report to the members of the Club, at every meeting, the condition of the Club's financial status. Monies shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Board, in the name of the Club. The books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and a report shall be given at every meeting of the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting an accounting shall be rendered 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. AKC Delegate: The Delegate to the American Kennel Club shall be elected for a term of 2 years. His/her duties will be to represent the club and its interests at the Quarterly Meetings of the American Kennel Club.   f. Membership Chair: The Membership Chair shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall be responsible for processing membership requests, presenting applications to the board, and for maintaining a current master membership roster. The Membership Chair shall forward to the Treasurer a complete accounting of dues received along with all monies collected. Section 3 - Vacancies: Any vacancy occurring on the Board or among the officers during the year shall be filled until the next election by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board; 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 Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections

Section 1 - Club Year: The Club's fiscal and official year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December. The Club's official year shall begin on the 1st day of December and end on the last day of November. The elected Officers and Directors shall take office on January 1, following election, and each retiring officer shall turn over to his/her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within thirty (30) days of the new Board taking office.

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 election of Officers and Directors and amendments to the constitution and Bylaws, and the Standard for the Breed, which shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. The Board of Directors may decide to submit other specific questions for decisions of the members by written ballot cast by mail.

Section 3 - Election: The election of Officers and Directors (and Delegate to the American Kennel Club, who may but need not be a Director or Officer of the Club), shall be conducted by secret ballot. Ballots to be valid, must be received by the Treasurer by November 1. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. If any nominee, at the closing deadline for ballots, 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 of Directors in the manner provided by 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 Bylaws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the President and approved by the Board of Directors on or before July 1. The Committee shall consist of five members from different areas of the U.S.A., all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board of Directors. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen of their selection. The Board of Directors shall name a chairman for the Committee and it shall be such person’s duty to call a committee meeting. The Nominating Committee may conduct its business by mail and/or telephone.

a. The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club, candidates for each office and for each position on the Board of Directors and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The Committee should consider geographical representation of the membership on the Board to the extent that it is practical to do so. The Committee shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary who shall print the list, including the full name of each candidate, his/her qualifications and the name of the State in which he/she resides, which will be sent to each member of the Club on or before August 1, either separately or included in the BCSA newsletter, so that additional nominations may be made by the members if they so desire.   b. Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and postmarked on or before September 1, signed by thirty members in good standing and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate.   c. If no valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before September 1, the Nominating Committee's slate shall be voted on.   d. The Secretary shall on or before October 1, mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, with the names of the states in which they reside. The ballots shall be mailed separately or included with the BCSA newsletter, together with a blank envelope and a return envelope addressed to the Treasurer marked ‘Ballot’ and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So that the ballots may remain secret, each voter, after marking their ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope, which in turn shall be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall check the returns against the list of members whose dues are paid for the current year prior to opening the outer envelopes and removing the blank envelopes, and shall certify the eligibility of the voters. The ballots will then be sent to the Secretary who shall recheck the results of the voting and announce the new officers at the annual meeting and/or in the newsletter.   e. Nominations cannot be made in any manner other than as provided above. ARTICLE V: Committees

Section 1: The President may each year appoint standing committees approved by the Board of Directors to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, herding test and trials, obedience trials, tracking tests, agility trials, newsletter, 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 service 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 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 $20.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board or by a Committee of not less than three members of 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 and/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 and/or of 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, 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 certified 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: Both sides shall be treated uniformly in instances such as these. If the charges are sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and the defendant, the Board or committee may, by majority vote of those present, reprimand or suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing, or until the next annual meeting if that will occur after six months. And if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership the penalty be expulsion. In this case, the defendant has the right to appear before his/her fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board's decision, its findings shall be put into written form and filed with the Secretary, who shall, in turn, notify each party of the Board's decision and penalty, if any.

Section 4 - Expulsion: Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only by a quorum of the entire membership either at a meeting or by mail, 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, or in a written manner. The meeting or notice shall 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 presenting his/her case, though no new evidence shall be taken. The President shall state the charges and the Board's findings and recommendations. The membership shall then vote, by secret written ballot, on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of the ballots received shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand. A quorum of 20% of members in good standing shall be necessary to expel a member.

ARTICLE VII: Amendments

Section 1: Amendments to the constitution and Bylaws and the Standard for the breed may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty percent (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 or the Standard for the breed may be amended at any time provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the Secretary to each member who on the date of the mailing is a member in good standing, accompanied by a ballot on which a choice for or against the action to be taken shall be indicated. Dual envelope procedures described in Article IV, Section 4(d) shall be followed in handling such ballots, to assure secrecy of the vote. Notice with such ballot shall specify a date not less than 30 days after the date postmarked by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be counted. The favorable vote of 2/3 of the ballots received within the time limit shall be required to effect any such amendment.

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 - 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 nor any assets of the Club may be distributed to any members of the Club, but after payment of debts of the Club, its property shall be sold to the highest bidder and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX : Order of Business

Section 1: At the 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 last meeting
Report of President
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Announcements
Adjournment Section 2: At meetings of the Board of Directors, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows: Reading of minutes of last meeting
Report of Secretary
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment ARTICLE X: Parliamentary Authority

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 bylaws and any other special rules of order the Club may adopt.

revised and approved August 1, 1996
revised and approved June 1, 1999

 
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Page Updated 08.02.2007