1. GENERAL
a) The name and designation of the CLUB shall be the “WEIMARANER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA”
b) The club’s official news publication shall be published periodically and distributed to members (electronically).
b) The club’s official news publication shall be published periodically and distributed to members (electronically).
2. OBJECTIVES
a) To assist and encourage owners in training of the Weimaraner, generally to give advice on their dogs whether it be in conformation, obedience, field training or other
performance activities.
b) To acquaint the Weimaraner owner with their dog’s natural pointing, tracking and retrieving ability.
c) To improve the quality of the Weimaraner, both physically and mentally.
d) To encourage congeniality, co-operation and mutual interest in all aspects of the Weimaraner among all members.
e) To uphold the by-laws of the Canadian Kennel Club.
performance activities.
b) To acquaint the Weimaraner owner with their dog’s natural pointing, tracking and retrieving ability.
c) To improve the quality of the Weimaraner, both physically and mentally.
d) To encourage congeniality, co-operation and mutual interest in all aspects of the Weimaraner among all members.
e) To uphold the by-laws of the Canadian Kennel Club.
3. MEMBERSHIP
All applicants for membership must have access to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics. Each adult applicant must agree to adhere to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics. Both written and electronic agreements are acceptable.
a) Regular Member
A Regular Member shall be a member who:
An Associate Member shall be a new member for their first 2 years (24 months), during which time they will enjoy all privileges of the club except:
c) Lifetime Member
A Life Time Member is awarded to a long-term member of good standing in recognition of significant contributions made to the Club and the breed.
Any person interested in the Weimaraner breed may apply for membership. All applicants shall be provided access to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics along with the membership application form.
Resignation of membership from the Club may be effected by notice in writing to the Secretary at any time.
a) Regular Member
A Regular Member shall be a member who:
- i. has voting privileges; and
- ii. is eligible to hold office as an Elected Officer; and
- iii. is eligible to advertise on the Club’s Breeders’ List.
An Associate Member shall be a new member for their first 2 years (24 months), during which time they will enjoy all privileges of the club except:
- i. cannot be voting members; and
- ii. are not eligible to hold office as an Elected Officer; and
- iii. will not be eligible to advertise on the Club’s Breeders’ List .
c) Lifetime Member
A Life Time Member is awarded to a long-term member of good standing in recognition of significant contributions made to the Club and the breed.
- i. Nominations for Life Time Membership must be submitted to the Board in writing by a member in good standing. The nomination must outline the contributions made by this member and shall be considered by the Board of Directors and if approved, the letter of nomination will be submitted to the general membership for an open vote. Said vote shall be by electronic ballot. A simple majority of the vote received will constitute approval.
- ii. Such Member shall be notified in writing by the Secretary and shall be entitled to participate in all the Club’s activities, have full voting privileges, but shall pay no membership fees.
Any person interested in the Weimaraner breed may apply for membership. All applicants shall be provided access to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics along with the membership application form.
- i. Each adult applicant must agree to adhere to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics. Both written and electronic agreements are acceptable.
- ii. All Applicants must be sponsored by a regular member in good standing with the club. Applicants lacking a sponsor shall be provided with the
- name(s) of the closest Regular Members who may, at the member’s discretion, act as a sponsor for the applicant. In the event that a Regular Member is unavailable, the Board of Directors may act as a sponsor for the applicant.
- iii. The completed application(s) shall be sent to the Membership Coordinator, and the fees shall be sent to the Treasurer. The Membership Coordinator shall provide the appropriate information for publication for comment in the next issue of the club newsletter. Regular members shall submit any comments or objections to the Membership Coordinator within 45 days of the distribution date of the Newsletter. If no comments are submitted by regular members, the applicant shall be deemed duly elected as a new member. In the event that comments are received, the membership application and any comments received from the club membership shall be presented to the Board of Directors. If approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, the applicant shall be considered a new member.
- iv. The start date of membership shall be the date the original application and payment were received.
Resignation of membership from the Club may be effected by notice in writing to the Secretary at any time.
4. FEES
a) Annual fees for each membership class, single, family (2 named adults and/or children under the age of 18 years residing in the same residence) shall be as recommended from time to time by the executive and approved by the general membership. Such approval may be obtained at the Annual General Meeting or by e-mailed ballot.
b) Membership fees shall be payable to the Treasurer upon application to the Club and annually to the Treasurer. The fees shall be returned to an unaccepted applicant.
c) Annual membership fees are due and payable on the 1st day of January in each year. Annual membership runs from January 1 to December 31.
d) During the month of November, the Membership Coordinator shall send each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year. If membership dues are not paid within 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year, namely January 1st, such membership will be considered as lapsed. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting or by ballot whose dues are unpaid as of the date of the meeting or ballot. Such lapsed memberships will necessitate the person re-applying for associate membership.
b) Membership fees shall be payable to the Treasurer upon application to the Club and annually to the Treasurer. The fees shall be returned to an unaccepted applicant.
c) Annual membership fees are due and payable on the 1st day of January in each year. Annual membership runs from January 1 to December 31.
d) During the month of November, the Membership Coordinator shall send each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year. If membership dues are not paid within 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year, namely January 1st, such membership will be considered as lapsed. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting or by ballot whose dues are unpaid as of the date of the meeting or ballot. Such lapsed memberships will necessitate the person re-applying for associate membership.
5. BOARD OF DIRECTORS and CO-ORDINATORS
a) Board of Directors
- i. The Board of Directors shall consist of a minimum of three Elected Officers, the Past President and the appointed Regional Directors. They shall be elected/appointed for a term of four (4) years, at which time new elections shall be held. There shall be no limit to the number of terms a member can hold a seat on the Board of Directors.
- ii. All members of the Board of Directors must be members in good standing, must be members of the Canadian Kennel Club, and be residents of Canada. They shall be elected as provided for in Article 5. (e), and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
- iii. The Past President shall be the immediate Past President. If the immediate Past President is unable to serve, the Board of Directors may invite another Past Elected Officer to fill the vacancy.
- i. The elected officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined and held by the same officer. The elected officers shall serve in the respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings.
- ii. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally appropriate to the Office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these by-laws. The President may vote on amendments to the constitution, on the expulsion of a member, and on the election of officers. On all other matters, the President shall vote only in case of a tie when that would be the deciding vote.
- iii. The Vice-President shall assist in supervising the affairs of the Club. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President’s death or incapacity.
- iv. The Secretary shall attend meetings, and keep accurate minutes of the proceedings. The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify Officers and Regional Directors of their election to office, to write at the direction of the Board of Directors all letters sent in the Club’s name. It shall be at the discretion of the Secretary to appoint assistants as required.
- v. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all money due or belonging to the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank approved by the Board, in the name of the Club and pay out money as authorized by the Club. Cheques are to be signed by the Treasurer. Electronic banking is an acceptable form of banking transactions. The Treasurer’s books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board. The Treasurer shall report the condition of the Club’s finances to the Board on a semi-annual basis. A financial report shall be presented to the Board of Directors at its next ensuing meeting following the year end, at which time it shall be approved and printed in the Club’s newsletter. The Treasurer shall ensure that signing authority for the Club’s funds are changed prior to the change of appointment of any Officer of the Club who has signing authority.
- i. The Regional Director has the responsibility to be the Club’s focal point for all matters in his/her area. Their primary function is the coordination between individuals in their region and other members of the Board. This appointment also acts as an inter-region and local conduit for ideas, issues, and information. Each Regional Director will submit a written report of regional activities for publication in each edition of the Club’s newsletter, if applicable.
- ii. A minimum of four Directors will be appointed, representing a minimum of four of the five regions across Canada (Eastern (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island), Quebec, Ontario, Western (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) and Northern (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories)). All appointed Directors shall be residents of Canada and regular members in good standing of both the Club and the Canadian Kennel Club. No more than three Directors may be appointed from one region. Directors must reside in the region they represent.
- i. Coordinators may be appointed by the Board to coordinate the following subject areas as required:
• Rescue
• Conformation • Obedience • Field (pointing, tracking, retrieving) • Athletic (agility, flyball, and other) |
• Membership
• Official News Publication (Editor) • Public Relations • Chairmen of any special current committees • Webmaster |
- ii. The Coordinator, where appropriate, is the single point of contact with the CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB, AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB or other clubs on their subject area. The Coordinator is responsible for copying the Secretary on any communications with CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB, AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB or other clubs. They are responsible for reporting to the Board of Directors.
The procedure for Regular Elections (selecting of the Nominating Committee, submissions of Nominations, and balloting) shall be so arranged as to allow the distribution of electronic ballots to the club membership by the 15th day of October, and completion of the voting process by the 15th day of December. The newly elected Board of Directors typically shall assume their duties on the 1st day of January.
- i. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board of Directors. The Committee shall consist of three members, all members in good standing. The Nominating committee may conduct its business by electronic means.
- ii. The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club one candidate for each Office. The Committee shall procure the acceptance of each nominee. The Committee will then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary who shall e-mail the list to each member of the Club within 30 days. The closing date for additional nominations from the membership shall be clearly indicated on the list of nominations and shall be not less than 30 days from the time of distribution. The slate of candidates will be time-stamped at the time of e-mail distribution.
- iii. Additional nominations of eligible members must be made in writing, and received via e-mail by the Secretary before the posted closing date. This nomination is to be signed by two members in good standing, and accompanied by the written acceptance of each additional nominee signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person shall be a candidate for more than one position.
- iv. If no valid additional nominations are received, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected and no voting will be required.
- v. If one or more valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary, they shall be e-mailed to each member in good standing on a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order. Clear notification of the closing date for the return of the ballot will be listed, and shall not be less than 15 days after the e-mailing date of the ballots.
- vi. Regular members in good standing shall have the privilege of voting by electronic ballot, and only such members shall be eligible for nomination and election.
- vii. The person receiving the largest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. If any nominee, upon being elected, is unable to serve for any reason, the vacancy so created shall be filled by the Board of Directors in the manner so provided by Article 5 (f).
Any vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors or among the Officers during the term of office shall be filled until the next election by a majority vote of all members of the Board.
5. MEETINGS
a) Board of Directors Meetings
The business of the Board of Directors may be conducted by Board of Directors Meeting or by the polling of individual Board of Directors members.
The order of business for Club (Board and General) meetings shall be as follows:
The business of the Board of Directors may be conducted by Board of Directors Meeting or by the polling of individual Board of Directors members.
- i. Board of Directors Meetings can be called by the President or by any two other elected Officers.
- ii. A meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held in January, May and October of each year.
- iii. The quorum for a Board shall consist of two-thirds of the Board voting.
- iv. Board of Directors meetings may be held by electronic means. The Secretary will record the signature of each participating member of the Board of Directors at the end of the minutes and will authorize any action taken by the Board of Directors during these meetings.
- v. Polls of the Board of Directors will be conducted by the club Secretary or a representative appointed by the Elected Officers. The poll may be conducted by telephone, or electronic means. A quorum of at least two-thirds of the Board voting will be required for a poll to be valid. A electronic record of each poll and the resulting vote shall be kept by the Secretary and a copy sent to each member of the Board of Directors.
- i. Meeting of the General Membership shall be at such times as the Board of Directors deems advisable.
- ii. Notice of each meeting of the General Membership shall be e-mailed to all members with the agenda at 30 days prior to the date of said meeting.
- iii. A quorum for each General Meeting shall consist of at least twenty percent (20%) of the regular membership including no fewer than two elected officers, and membership representation from at least two national regions.
The order of business for Club (Board and General) meetings shall be as follows:
- Call to Order
- Roll call of members
- Introduction of new members and guests
- Minutes of last meeting (distributed by email prior to the meeting)
- Announcements and progress reports:
- i. Treasurer
- ii. Directors
- iii. Coordinators
- Unfinished business
- New Business, including any correspondence received, filed or written by the Secretary.
- Discussion
- Adjournment
7. DISCIPLINE
a) General
Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The Canadian Kennel Club shall be automatically suspended from the privileges of this Club for the same period.
b) Handling of Complaints
In the event that disciplinary action is taken against a member, a notice to that effect will be printed in the Club’s newsletter, stating the particular sanctions taken, but not the charges and findings.
Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The Canadian Kennel Club shall be automatically suspended from the privileges of this Club for the same period.
b) Handling of Complaints
- i. All members should respect the privacy of the individual(s) involved in a disciplinary action.
- ii. Each term of office, a Regular Member (other than a member of the Board) will be appointed to chair a Disciplinary Investigation Committee.
- iii. Written complaint(s) shall be forwarded to the Secretary. The Elected Officers and Past-President will assess the complaint to ascertain whether the WAC Constitution/By-laws and/or Code of Ethics have been contravened.
- iv. Complaints that do not involve a breach of the WAC Constitution/By-laws and/or Code of Ethics will be acknowledged to the complainant and may be dismissed in writing.
- v. All other complaints will be forwarded, in writing, to the Disciplinary Investigation Committee chairperson, with a copy to individual(s) against whom the complaint has been lodged to allow the individual(s) to respond. Upon receipt of the written complaint from the Officers, the Disciplinary Investigation Committee chairperson will select two (2) members of the Board to form the Disciplinary Investigation Committee.
- vi. The duties of the Disciplinary Investigation Committee will be to investigate the facts surrounding the complaint and report findings and recommendations to the Board of Directors.
- vii. Following further deliberation by the Board of Directors, a final decision for possible disciplinary action will be decided by a majority vote.. A unanimous vote is required for expulsion or suspension of any officer or member who has been proven to have failed to observe the Constitution By-laws and/or Code of Ethics.
- viii. In the event of disciplinary action, a vote from each of the Officers is mandatory
- ix. In the event a complaint is laid against a member of the Board or the Disciplinary Investigation Committee chairperson, that individual cannot be involved in the investigative proceedings and decisions.
- x. Immediately after the Board of Directors 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.
In the event that disciplinary action is taken against a member, a notice to that effect will be printed in the Club’s newsletter, stating the particular sanctions taken, but not the charges and findings.
8. FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Club shall end on the 31st day of December in each year.
9. AMENDMENTS
a) Amendments to the Constitution, By Laws and Breed Standard may be proposed by the Board or by petition from members in good standing. All Amendments shall be in writing, duly seconded and shall set forth the exact wording of the proposed amendment. Amendments petitioned by the membership must be signed by five members in good standing.
b) The proposed amendments and the names of the advocate and seconder will be published in one (1) newsletter. The Secretary shall e-mail a final copy of the proposed amendment(s), along with final notice (in the form of a ballot) to all voting members
within 30 days of the published notice.
c) Votes will be collected electronically. A two-thirds majority vote, of eligible members, shall be required to pass any amendment. A two-thirds majority vote, of eligible votes received, shall be required in the case of Breed Standard amendments. Amendments so passed shall become effective upon CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB approval.
d) Voting by Proxy is not permitted.
b) The proposed amendments and the names of the advocate and seconder will be published in one (1) newsletter. The Secretary shall e-mail a final copy of the proposed amendment(s), along with final notice (in the form of a ballot) to all voting members
within 30 days of the published notice.
c) Votes will be collected electronically. A two-thirds majority vote, of eligible members, shall be required to pass any amendment. A two-thirds majority vote, of eligible votes received, shall be required in the case of Breed Standard amendments. Amendments so passed shall become effective upon CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB approval.
d) Voting by Proxy is not permitted.
10. DISSOLUTION
a) The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds of the Club’s voting members.
b) In the event of dissolution of the Club 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 member of the Club, but after payment of the debts of the Club its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization or charitable organizations selected by majority vote of the membership at a meeting held pursuant to Article 6 (b) of this Constitution.
b) In the event of dissolution of the Club 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 member of the Club, but after payment of the debts of the Club its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization or charitable organizations selected by majority vote of the membership at a meeting held pursuant to Article 6 (b) of this Constitution.
*THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION WAS AMENDED THE 30TH DAY OF MAY, 1980 BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS.
*FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION WERE PASSED THE 22ND DAY OF MARCH 1996 BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS.
*FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION WERE PASSED THE 23 DAY OF JANUARY 2022 BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS.
*FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION WERE PASSED THE 22ND DAY OF MARCH 1996 BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS.
*FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION WERE PASSED THE 23 DAY OF JANUARY 2022 BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS.
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