Orientals West Constitution
Article I: Name This organization shall be known as Orientals West. Article II: Affiliation This organization shall be a non-profit club affiliated with The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. ("CFA"). No part of any profit, dues or donations to the organization shall be used to the benefit of any member or individual. Article III: Objectives The objectives of the organization shall be: a. To promote the breeding and exhibiting of Orientals, both Longhair and Shorthair, to the show standards as accepted by CFA. b. To educate the cat fancy and general public about Orientals by sponsoring breed exhibits, specialty rings and awards. c. To promote communication and friendship among breeders and exhibitors of Orientals, primarily through use of the Internet. d. To encourage sportsmanship, responsible breeding, ethical and professional business practices, and the mentoring of new breeders. e. To promote the welfare of all cats. Article IV: Membership Persons interested in the objectives of this organization shall be eligible for membership. Requirements for attaining membership and grounds for termination of membership are delineated in Articles I and IX of the By-Laws, respectively. Article V: Officers The officers of this organization shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. There shall be three (3) Directors in addition to the four (4) officers. These seven (7) individuals shall be elected by the membership and shall serve as the Executive Board, of which the President shall be chairperson. Article VI: Meetings The annual meeting of this organization shall be held on the last Tuesday in April before the close of the CFA show season. Other meetings shall be held as provided in Article II of the By-Laws. Article VII: Dissolution In the event of the dissolution of this organization, any funds belonging to the organization shall be distributed to a reputable non-profit organization devoted to feline health or welfare consistent with the policy of the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. In no event shall such funds be distributed to any member of the organization, or to any private individual. Article VIII: Amendments This Constitution and the accompanying By-Laws may be amended at the annual meeting of the organization by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members in good standing, provided that the text of the amendment shall have been sent to all members at least thirty (30) days days prior to that meeting.
Orientals West By-Laws
Article I: Membership Section 1: Persons interested in the objectives of this organization and in good standing with CFA shall be eligible to apply for membership. Persons under the age of 18 are eligible for membership but may not serve as an officer or director of the club until reaching majority. Section 2: Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Secretary and be accompanied by one (1) year's dues. The Secretary shall post the names and eligibility information of prospective members to all current members. An applicant for membership must receive favorable votes from a simple majority of the membership. A tie vote shall be considered a rejection. If fewer than the required number of votes are cast, the application(s) shall be tabled until the next scheduled meeting or the club's annual meeting, whichever comes first. Section 3: Dues of $15.00 per year are due on May 1 of each year. Any member who fails to pay his/her dues by that date shall be dropped from membership; however, if he/she pays his/her dues within the following three (3) months, such person shall be automatically restored as a member provided he/she is in good standing with both the club and CFA. Former members who are not reinstated as set forth above must reapply for membership. Article II: Meetings Section 1: The club's annual meeting for the election of officers and directors shall be held on the last Tuesday in April before the close of the CFA show season. Section 2: Meetings other than the club's annual meeting may be called as necessary for transaction of important business, and may be called by the President, the Executive Board or upon written demand of five (5) members. The business of such a meeting shall be limited to that mentioned in the meeting notice. Five (5) members shall constitute a quorum, at least three (3) of whom must be members of the Executive Board. Section 3: Executive Board meetings shall be held (preferably by online conference) once every six (6) months, the exact dates to be determined by the Board. A quorum for a Board meeting shall be four (4) members of the Executive Board. Board meetings shall be open to all members, but voting is restricted to Board members. Section 4: All meetings, including the club's annual meeting, may be held by online conference, by telephone conference call or in person. The meeting notice shall specify the type of meeting to be held. Meeting notices shall be posted to the membership by the Secretary at least ten (10) business days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting. Section 5: All meetings shall be governed by the parliamentary authority of Roberts Rules of Order Revised (1981 edition). Section 6: The Secretary shall post the meeting minutes to the membership within seven (7) days following the conclusion of the meeting. Article III: Elections The election procedures shall be as follows: a. Officers and directors shall be nominated no later than thirty (30) days prior to the club's annual meeting. Nominees must be members in good standing with the club and with CFA. Members shall send nominations to the Secretary. b. The ballot listing the candidates for each position shall be posted by the Secretary to the membership within five (5) business days of the close of nominations. c. Members may vote by U.S. Mail, facsimile or by e-mail. All ballots must be received by the Secretary prior to the scheduled start time of the club's annual meeting. E-mail votes should be sent to the Secretary within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled start time. d. Each member voting by e-mail shall vote by sending a private e-mail to the Secretary, stating his/her choices for the elected positions. Members are asked to use one message to vote for all the positions. Votes may be changed once cast if the new vote is received by the Secretary before the close of voting; however, members are encouraged to avoid doing so if possible. e. If two or more members share one e-mail account, each member must vote in separate messages, and each message must clearly identify which member is casting the vote. f. The votes shall be counted by the Secretary when voting is completed, who shall then announce the results within twenty-four (24) hours of the conclusion of the club's annual meeting. In the event of a tie between two or more candidates for an office, a second ballot shall be held, using the same procedures. Article IV: Voting Procedures Voting procedures for all ballots except the election of officers and directors shall be as follows: a. The Secretary shall post to the membership a message clearly stating the issue(s) and the choices, or, in the case of membership applications, the names and eligibility information of prospective members. The message shall specify a date and time for the close of voting, which shall be no less than five (5) business days from the date of posting. b. In order to vote, a member must either: (1) E-mail or fax the Secretary, clearly stating the issue on which he/she is voting and how he/she chooses to cast his/her vote. Late votes or votes cast by ineligible parties shall be disregarded. Members shall not use such messages/faxes to discuss any other issues or topics; OR (2) Be available by telephone if he/she does not have e-mail or fax capability. The Secretary will conduct a telephone poll of those members on or about 5:00 p.m. PST/PDT on the last day for voting. c. The Secretary shall count the votes and post a message with the results of the voting. Except as otherwise provided in the club's Constitution or By-Laws, all issues require a simple majority vote to become effective. The results shall be posted within twenty-four (24) hours of the close of voting. Article V: National/Regional Ballots Orientals West is an international breed club. The club's historical and official region of residence is the Southwest Region, in which the club Secretary resides. Section 1: The club may vote for its CFA Regional Director; the CFA President, Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer and Directors-at-Large; and on all CFA ballots (at the Annual, regional meetings, etc.). The candidates for CFA offices shall be presented to the membership and voted upon in a timely fashion. Proposals to be voted on at the Annual shall be presented to the membership and voted upon prior to the Annual. Section 2: At the club's annual meeting the President shall solicit volunteers and appoint from them the club delegate to the CFA Annual Meeting. The delegate will vote according to the wishes of the club membership as determined by its vote. Article VI: Elected Officials Section 1: The term of office for any elected official of this club is one (1) year, commencing May 1 and ending April 30. Should a vacancy occur in any office except President, the Executive Board shall appoint a member to that office for the balance of the unexpired term. The Vice-President shall fill the office of President for the remainder of the term should the President be unable to serve for whatever reason. All officials of this club must be at least 18 years of age and members in good standing with the club and with CFA. Section 2: The elected officers of this club are as follows: a. President: The President shall be the chief executive officer, and shall preside as leader/conference leader for all meetings. He/she shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, shall appoint the club delegate, and shall perform all other functions consistent with his office. b. Vice-President: The Vice-President shall serve as the chairperson of major committees as appointed by the President, and shall act in the stead of the President in all respects whenever the President is absent or unable to fulfill his/her duties. c. Secretary: The Secretary shall be the organization's recording and corresponding officer, as well as the official contact person for CFA. Transcripts of club meetings and club-related information shall be posted by the Secretary to the membership. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining a current and accurate membership list with U.S. Mail addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses; notifying new members of election/rejection; and for periodically producing and posting a newsletter. Correspondence in the club's name shall be conducted at the instruction of the President. The Secretary shall be in charge of all voting and balloting. d. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer. He/she shall keep account of all receipts and expenditures and shall present the membership with a yearly financial report before the club's annual meeting. The Treasurer shall have custody of all club moneys and shall open a bank account in the name of the club when the assets of the club exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00). Section 3: Directors: Three (3) Directors of the club shall also be elected. They shall join with the officers to compose the Executive Board, and shall serve to represent the interests of the membership. Directors shall serve on committees as needed, and use their skills to best promote the interests of the club. Article VII: Finances Section 1: An accounting year of this club shall run from May 1 to April 30. Section 2: In the conduct of the affairs of this club, the Executive Board is authorized to spend, as required, sums of money not to exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) during any one accounting year without prior approval of the membership. Section 3: In the conduct of the affairs of this club, the Secretary is authorized to purchase required postage and clerical supplies without prior approval. Statements of expenditures will be promptly reimbursed without fanfare. The Secretary shall include a financial report of all such expenditures in the club's meeting minutes and newsletters. Section 4: No other club funds will be disbursed without the prior approval of the Executive Board. Section 5: As stated in Article VII of the Constitution, in the event that this club is dissolved, any accumulated funds will be donated to a reputable non-profit organization devoted to feline health or welfare. Dissolution will be deemed to have occurred when the membership elects to disband or the officers have not been elected as provided in the Constitution and By-Laws. Article VIII: Ring Sponsorship Section 1: The club may produce individual rings in cooperation with other CFA clubs holding show licenses. Two types of rings may be produced. a. The club may sponsor a scored allbreed, specialty or breed specialty ring by providing assistance to a club licensed to hold a CFA show. This may include financial assistance, i.e. paying for the expenses of a judge, and/or other forms of assistance as needed by the licensed club. b. The club may sponsor an educational ring to be held during a cat show licensed by another CFA club. The theme of the educational ring shall be determined in conjunction with the other club. Section 2: This club may not sponsor any show rings except in cooperation with an existing CFA club. It may not sponsor more than one (1) ring per show, nor four (4) rings per year. It may not obtain a show license to produce its own show. Article IX: Discipline Section 1: The club as a whole shall have the power, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, to expel from membership any person who, after a fair hearing of both accuser and accused, shall be found guilty of (a) violating a club rule; (b) committing a dishonest, fraudulent act in any transaction involving cats; or (c) conduct detrimental to the interests of the club or the cat fancy at large. Charges against any member must be sent both by an e- mail to the President and by certified return receipt letter to the Secretary, who shall in turn inform the Executive Board. The Board shall then schedule a hearing at which both the accuser and the accused must be present. Section 2: If charges are filed against a member of the Executive Board, the procedure shall be the same, except that the accused Board member may not vote for or against the charges. The accuser may send the charges to a different member of the Executive Board if either the President or the Secretary is the person being accused. Section 3: If the membership determines that charges brought against a member by another member are fraudulent and that the accuser had malicious or slanderous intent, the accuser shall in turn be subject to immediate discipline from the membership. Section 4: If a member is temporarily or permanently suspended by CFA, he/she is automatically suspended from this club for the same period of time. Article X: Amendments These By-Laws may be amended as provided in the Constitution. Article XI: Definitions a. "E-mail" -- private written correspondence sent to a member's computer mailbox via the Internet. E-mail is the club's preferred communications method. b. "Online conference" -- real-time discussion among members via computer modem, which may take place in a "conference room" in the Cats Forum on Compuserve or in a "chat room" on the Internet. These discussions may be open to the general public or limited to members only. They will usually start at 4:00 p.m. PST/PDT. c. "Post", "posting" -- sending club-related information to the membership by: (1) e- mail; (2) facsimile; (3) U.S. Mail; or (4) uploading to a Web page. d. "Web page" -- Internet address (URL) where members using a Web browser can review/download meeting transcripts and club-related information maintained by the Secretary. This Web page is open to the general public. July 1997
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