“CONSTITUTION”

ARTICLE I

Name and Objects

​

SECTION 1: The name of the Club shall be the Texas Gulf Coast Bull Terrier Club.

​

SECTION 2: The objects of the Club shall be:

​

1. To encourage and promote the quality breeding of pure-bred Bull Terriers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection;

2. 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 Bull Terriers shall be judged;

3. 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;

4. To conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows and obedience trails and any other event for which the club is eligible under the rules and regulations 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 or 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 objects.

​

"B Y - L A W S"

​

ARTICLE I

Membership

​

SECTION 1: ELIGIBILITY. Full membership shall be open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and the Bull Terrier Club of America and who subscribed to purposes of this club. Full membership entitles the member the right to vote and hold office.  Household membership shall be open to two adult members residing in the same household, each eligible to vote and hold office. Associate Membership shall be open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club.  Associate Membership entitles the Associate Member to all the privileges of the club except the right to vote in all club elections or the right to be elected or appointed to any club office or committee.  Junior Membership shall be open to all persons under the age of eighteen. Junior members shall not have voting rights and shall not be counted in determination of a quorum.

​

While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeding and exhibitors in its immediate area.

​

SECTION 2: DUES. Membership dues will be set by the membership at the annual (July) meeting. The dues will not exceed $25.00 per person.

​

     During the month of April, the Treasurer will send to each member a statement of their dues for the ensuing year. Dues shall be payable on or before the last day of July of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.

​

SECTION 3: ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. Each application 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 and By-Laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name and address of the applicant and it shall carry the endorsement of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues for 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 and included in the minutes of the meeting. At the next month's meeting of the Club, the application will be voted upon by secret ballot, and affirmative votes of 2/3 of members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant to membership.

​

     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. Obligations other than dues are considered a debt to the club and must be paid in full prior to resignation.

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 grand an additional 30 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.

 

 

ARTICLE II

Meetings and Voting

​

SECTION 1: CLUB MEETINGS. Regularly scheduled meetings of the Club will be held every month in the greater Houston area. The Board of Directors will designate the hour and place of each regular club meeting.  Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed to the membership by the Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting. A prominent announcement in the Club newsletter may constitute such notice or the notice may be sent by email, provided that the member or Board member has signed an authorization agreeing to this method of communication.  Such authorization, which is revocable, will also release the club from any liability should the notification be received late or not received by the member or board member due to circumstances beyond the clubs control.  The quorum for such meetings shall be twenty (20) percent of the voting membership.

​

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 and voting at any special or regular meeting of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) voting members of the Club. Such special meetings shall be held in the greater Houston area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed or emailed by the Secretary at least five (5) 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 twenty (20) percent of the members in good standing.

​

SECTION 3: BOARD MEETINGS. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held every month at such time and place in the greater Houston area as may be designated by the Board. Board Members will be notified by the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting. A prominent announcement in the Club's newsletter or email may constitute notice of such meeting.  The quorum for Board meetings shall be the 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 Houston area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.  Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed or emailed by the Secretary at least five 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.  The 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.

 

ARTICLE III

Directors and Officers

​

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 two-year terms at the Club's annual meeting as provided in Article IV or 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 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.

​

1. 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 By-Laws.

2. The Vice President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.

3. 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. The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of the 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.

4. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. He 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 the Treasurer shall report to the Board 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 he shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

5. ​

SECTION 3: VACANCIES. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year may be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of the members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose; 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 Club Year, Annual Meeting, Elections

​

SECTION 1: CLUB YEAR. The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of July and end on the 30th day of June. 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 July at which time 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 thirty (30) days after election.

​

SECTION 3: ELECTIONS. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The nominated candidates for the other possessions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.

​

SECTION 4: NOMINATIONS. No person shall be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of April, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. No member of the Nominating Committee shall be eligible for nomination by such committee; however members of the Nominating Committee shall still be eligible for nomination at the meeting where additional nominations may be made. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee and it shall be their duty to call a Committee meeting, which shall be held on or before April 25th.

​

1. The Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office, and one candidate for each of the 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.

2. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Secretary shall by May 5th mail to each member a list of the candidates so nominated. The Club newsletter may be considered as a proper vehicle for the announcement.

3. Additional nominations may be made at the June meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, their proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement for the proposed candidate signifying their willingness to be a candidate.

4. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section.

 

ARTICLE V

Committees

​

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 matters.

​

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.

​

ARTICLE VI

Discipline

​

SECTION 1: AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION. Any member who is suspended from (any/all) the privileges of The American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period by a majority vote of the Board.

​

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 $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 or breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests 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 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 this 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, reprimand or 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 membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such case, 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 findings 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 proceedings may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within sixty 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 appearing in his 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 members shall then vote by 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.

​

ARTICLE VII

Amendments

​

SECTION 1: Amendments to the constitution and by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directions or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty (20) percent of the membership in good standing. Amendment proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directions and must be submitted to the members in good standing 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 by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of 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. Votes for amendments shall be by secret ballot.

​

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 good standing. In the event of the dissolution of the Club whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property the Club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club, but after payments 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.

  

 

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 meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

      Roll Call
     Minutes of Last Meeting
     Report of the President
     Report of the Secretary
     Report of the Treasurer
     Reports of the Committees
     Election of the Officers and Board (at annual meeting)
     Election of New Members
     Unfinished Business
     New Business
     Adjournment
<>

SECTION 2: At meetings of the Board, 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 the Secretary
     Report of the Treasurer
     Reports of the 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 February 1, 2009