Constitution
ARAUCANA CLUB of AMERICA
ARTICLE I
The name of this Club is: Araucana Club of America
ARTICLE II
The purposes of this Club are:
A: To promote interest in, and knowledge of the Araucana Breed, and to foster sportsmanship, goodwill, and friendship among Poultry Fanciers.
B: To encourage the study of all phases of breeding Araucana with the aim of improving conformation and temperament.
ARTICLE III
Annual dues will be paid to the Club as a membership fee, dues which will be used by the Club for Newsletter costs, Show Awards and so on.
ARTICLE V
Donations to the Club will be used according to the intentions of the donor if expressed. Otherwise they will be use to promote Club activities.
ARTICLE VI
The operations of the Club may, incidental to its purposeful activities, produce profit, and all such profits shall be used for the promotion of the Club's purposes.
ARTICLE VII
a. The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such By-Laws as may be required to carry out the objects of the Club.
b. Only members in good standing order can vote or decide club's matter
ARTICLE VIII
In the event that this Club should at any time be dissolved, the assets remaining after all debts and liabilities have been paid shall be transferred to a Group or Organization selected by a majority of the Directors. Such a group is to operate for similar purposes as this Club.
ARTICLE IX
MEMBERSHIP
All memberships are Family Memberships with one vote.
ARTICLE X
Club Newsletters
A. Club Newsletters are sent quarterly every year.
ARTICLE XI
Committee of Volunteers
1. The positions shall be:
President
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
Newsletter Editor
Webmaster
Forum Administrator
Standards Representative
Historian
Show Committee
2. Elections and Appointments
a. President: Nominations for President will be accepted from any member who has served on the Committee of Volunteers for a minimum of six months. If only one person is nominated, that person can be elected by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers. If more than one person from the Committee is nominated, the election will be by majority vote of the Club Members. In the event no one from the Committee of Volunteers steps forward, then nominations can be solicited from the general membership by majority vote of the Committee. Election will be by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers, even if more than one person was nominated. The Membership Secretary will receive nominations and tally the ballots.
b. Majority vote is defined as the majority of votes cast within the time limits specified.
c. All other positions will be open to any Club member. If only one person is nominated, then that person can be elected by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers. If more than one person is nominated, the election will be by majority vote of the Club members. The Membership Secretary will receive nominations and tally ballots. For the office of Membership Secretary, the President will receive nominations and tally the ballots.
d. The term of service for each elected office shall be two years. A person may stand for re-election for any office. Term limits for all current officers will start with the acceptance of these revisions by the Club.
e. Vacancies in positions on the Committee of Volunteers will be posted on the Club Forum and in the Newsletter, with a deadline for nominations of two weeks after notification. If necessary sooner, Club members may be notified of the call for nominations by email or regular mail, depending on how they receive the newsletter.
f. Elections, where more than one person is nominated, have the following guidelines. The Editor of the Newsletter will invite each candidate to provide a brief description of their views for publication. A ballot will be provided in the Newsletter for mail-in, and the email address of the Club Secretary will be provided for electronic voting. The deadline for receiving ballots will be two weeks after mailing of the Newsletter. In the case of voting for Secretary, the ballots will be sent to the President. If necessary sooner, Club members may be notified of the election by email or regular mail, depending on how they receive the newsletter.
g. Persons can be removed from the Committee of Volunteers if they no longer are a member in good standing, if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or for any other breach of duties. The removal is by majority vote of Committee members.
h. New positions can be created and outdated ones removed by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers. The position descriptions can also be modified by majority vote.
i. No person shall be elected or appointed to any position on the Committee unless that person is a member of the Club in good standing.
j. No member shall be nominated for office without receiving his prior consent.
k. A person can hold more than one position.
l. If a person wishes to resign, the person should hold office until a successor is elected or at least for a reasonable period of time that would give the Club time to find a replacement.
Description of Duties:
President: The President shall be the Chief Executive exercising general supervision over the interests and welfare of the Club.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Club. He/she shall collect all dues and revenues and deposit all monies to the credit of the Club in a bank account. He/she will provide a yearly report to the Club membership.
Membership Secretary: The Secretary will receive new member applications, maintain records of members, and send out the new member “Packet of Information”. The Secretary will also print the newsletter and mail or e-mail it to the members. The Secretary will receive nominations for Club officers and tally the votes.
Newsletter Editor: The Editor will publish the Club Newsletter on a quarterly basis.
Webmaster: This person will maintain and update the Club website in a timely fashion.
Forum Administrator: This person will administer and moderate the Forum.
Standards Representative: This person will represent the Club in any dealings with the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association involving changes to the Araucana standard.
Historian: The Historian will collect and store information concerning the history of the Club.
Show Committee: The Show Committee is made up of 5 members. It decides where the National Meet will be held each year and approves Special Meets. It approves Qualifying Meets and sets the criteria for them. It also decides on awards and prize money for shows.