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CONSTITUTION OF THE WEIMARANER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
The name and designation of the CLUB shall be the "WEIMARANER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA"
a) To assist and encourage owners in training of the Weimaraner,
generally to give advise on their dogs whether it be in conformation, in obedience or in
field training. All applicants for membership must receive a copy of the Constitution and the Code of Ethics. The application for membership must be signed individually by each adult applicant agreeing to adhere to the Constitution and the Code of Ethics.
A Regular Member shall be a member who enjoys full voting privileges of the club b) Associate Member 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:
ii) Associate Members will not be considered eligible for entry into the Club’s Breeders List. Associate Members 18 years of age or older will automatically become Regular Members with full privileges at the end of the 24 month probationary period.
d) Membership Application
a) Annual fees for each membership class, single, family (2 named adults and/or children under the age of 18 years) shall be as recommended from time to time be the executive and approved by the general membership. Such approval may be obtained at the Annual General Meeting or by mailed ballot. b) Membership fees shall be payable to the Membership Director upon application to the Club and annually to the Membership Director. 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. d) During the month of November, the Membership Director 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 and terminated. 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 terminated membership will necessitate the person re-applying for membership as if he/she had never been a member.
a) Executive Committee Meetings The business of the Executive Committee may be conducted by Executive Committee Meeting or by the polling of individual Executive Committee members as provided herein. i) Executive Committee Meetings shall be called by the President or by any tow other elected Officers. ii) A quorum for an Executive Committee Meeting shall consist of at least three members of the Executive Committee, two whom must be elected officers. iii) It shall be sufficient for such Executive Committee meetings to be held by telephone conference call and signature of each participating member of the Executive Committee at the end of the minutes recorded by the Secretary will authorize any action taken by the Executive Committee during these conference call meetings. iv) Polls of the Executive Committee will be conducted by the club Secretary or a representative appointed by the Executive. The poll may be conducted by telephone or by mail. A quorum of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Executive members, including two elected officers, will be required for a poll to be valid. A written record of each poll and the resulting vote shall be kept by the Secretary and a copy sent to each member of the Executive Committee. v) Each participating member of the Executive Committee will return to the Secretary a signed copy of the poll summary to authorize any actions taken by the Executive Committee. b) General Meetings i) Meeting of the General Membership shall be at such times as the Executive Committee deems advisable. ii) Notice of each meeting of the General Membership shall be mailed to all members with the agenda at 60 days prior to the date of said meeting. iii) Notice of such meeting shall be deemed sufficient if carried in the Club’s official news publication. iv) A quorum for each General Meeting shall consist of at least twenty percent (20%) of the regular membership including no fewer than two elected officer, and membership representation from at least two national regions. The order of business for Club and Executive meetings shall be as follows: a) Call to Order b) Roll call of members c) Introduction of new members d) Introduction of Guests e) Minute of last meeting f) Announcements and progress reports: i) Treasurer
g) Unfinished business i) Elections of Officers h) New Business, including any correspondence received, filed or written by the Secretary. i) Discussion j) Location of next meeting and adjournment The order of business may be varied or any item of business may be deleted by the Chairman.
a) Executive Committee i) The Executive Committee shall consist of a minimum of three elected
offices, the Past President and the appointed Regional Directors. b) Elected Officers
c) Directors
d) Nominations and Elections
i) Regular members in good standing shall have the privilege of voting by secret ballot mailed by the Secretary, and only such members shall be eligible for nomination and election. ii) a Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Executive Committee. The Committee shall consist of three members, all members in good standing, one of whom shall be one of the members who signed the petition requesting the election. The Nominating committee may conduct its business by mail. iii) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club one candidate for each office, being for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer (or Secretary-Treasurer as required), and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. - The Committee shall then submit its slate of candidates tot eh
Secretary who shall mail list to each member of the Club within 30 days of receiving the
slate of candidates from the Nominating Committee. The closing date for additional
nominations from the membership shall be clearly indicated on the list of nominations and
shall be not less than 60 days from the time of mailing. iv) Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and received at his or her address before the advertised closing date. This petition is to be signed by five members in good standing and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person shall be a candidate for more than one position, and additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee. v) If no valid additional nominations are received, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected and no balloting will be required. vi) If one or more valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary on or before the closing date for nominations, he/she shall mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, along with clear notification of the closing date for the return of the ballot. The closing date shall not be less than 45 days after the mailing date of the ballots. The secretary shall also include with the ballot a blank envelope and return envelope addressed to the independent body appointed by the Nominating Committee to receive and count the ballots. To be valid, ballots must be received by the independent body at the address given on the return envelope on or before the stated ballot closing date. Ballots shall be counted by the appointed body, who shall check the returns against the list of member whose dues are paid for the current year prior to the opening of the outer envelopes and removing the blank envelopes, and shall certify the eligibility of the voters. The ballots and envelopes shall be kept by the independent body for a period of 90 days following the 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, such nominee shall not be elected and the vacancy so created shall be filled by the Executive Committee in the manner so provided by Article 7 (c). The Executive Committee may appoint from the members in good standing of the club , a replacement, who shall assume the duties and privileges of any vacant elected office while elections for that office are held. Where any vacancy in the elected Executive Committee is created within 6 months of an election year, the Executive Committee may waive the election of the new officer until the regular executive election.
a) President The duties of the President shall be to supervise the affairs of the Club. He/She may vote on amendments to the constitution, on the expulsion of a member, on the election of officers, and on veto of the Executive Committee. On all other matter, he/she shall vote only in case of a tie when he/she shall cast the deciding vote. b) Vice-President The duties of the Vice-President shall be to assist in supervising the affairs of the Club and to act in the absence of the President. c) Secretary The duties of the Secretary shall be to attend meetings, and to keep accurate minutes of the proceedings in a book provided by the Club for that purpose; to file all correspondence after it has been read at the meeting immediately following receipt of same; to write at the direction of the Executive Committee all letters sent in the Club’s name. It shall be at the discretion of the Secretary to appoint assistants as required. d) Treasurer the duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive all money due to the Club and to deposit it in a bank to the credit of the Club; to pay out money as authorized by the Club, cheques to be signed by the Treasurer and any one of the other elected officers, to keep an accurate record of all receipts and disbursements, and to present a report of same at each meeting. A financial report shall be presented tot he Executive Committee at its next ensuing meeting following the year end, at which time it shall be approved and printed in the Club’s newsletter. The books shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Executive Committee or their appointee. e) Regional Directors The duties of the Regional Directors shall be to represent their respective region as a liaison between their region and the Executive Committee and to relay any complaints, information on regional activities and the like tot he Executive Committee for their action or approval. Each Regional Director will annually submit a written report of regional activities for publication in the Club’s newsletter. f) Appointed Directors the duties of Appointed Directors shall be as determined, from time to time, by the Executive Committee, and as set down as Executive Committee and/or Club Policy. a) Only active members in good standing shall have the privilege of submitting and voting on Amendments to the Constitution. Such Amendments shall be in writing, duly seconded and shall set forth the exact wording of the proposed amendment. Such Amendments 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 two (2) successive newsletters. The Secretary shall mail the third and final notice of the proposed amendment(s) (in the form of a ballot) to all voting members within 30 days of the second published notice.
c) Ballots should be marked, sealed and returned tot he independent body appointed by the Executive Committee within a 60 day period of the mailing of the ballots, as dated by the Secretary. The sealed ballots will be counted by the appointed independent body. A two-thirds majority vote shall be required to pass any amendment. Amendments so passed shall become effective immediately. d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provision of this article, whenever in the opinion of the two-thirds of those voting members duly assembled at any ordinary meeting of the Club, that early amendment of any part of the constitution is considered desirable, a special referendum (polling the entire paid up membership by mail) shall be held. Voting shall be pass any amendment. The fiscal year of the Club shall end on the 31st day of December in each year.
Resignation of membership from the Club may be effected by notice in writing to the Secretary at any time.
a) General Any member or adult family member who is suspended from the privileges of The Canadian Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period. b) Complaints and Charges i) Any member may prefer complaints against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed. Written complaints with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the complaints to each member of the Executive or present them at an Executive Committee Meeting, and the Executive Committee shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the complaints, if proven, might constitute action prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed. If the Executive Committee considers that the complaints do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the breed, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. ii) If the Executive Committee entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it may proceed, where believed appropriate, to attempt mediation of the complaint, and/or proceed with a disciplinary hearing. c) Mediation If the Executive Committee elects to attempt mediation of the complaint, it will appoint from its members or the members of good standing of the club a representative to act as mediator. The representative shall receive from the Executive Committee clear instruction regarding his/her mandate and the time frame for negotiations. d) Disciplinary Hearing i) Failing mediation, or if believed warranted by the complaint, the Executive Committee may proceed with a disciplinary hearing. ii) The Executive committee will appoint from its members and/or the members of good standing of the club and Ad Hoc Disciplinary Committee of not less than 3 members including the chairperson, and shall fix the date of the hearing of not less than three weeks nor more, than six weeks thereafter. The Disciplinary Committee shall gather and document evidence, and submit its findings and recommendations in writing to the Executive Committee. The authority to take disciplinary action shall remain with the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may also verify or gather additional information if needed before voting on the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee. iii) The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail or by hand delivery together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the respondent may personally appear in his own defense and bring witness if he wishes. A like notice of the hearing will also be sent to the complainant requesting attendance. e) Disciplinary Action i) Should the charges be sustained after reviewing all evidence, testimony, and recommendations, the Executive Committee may by majority vote authorize a disciplinary action against the respondent and any adult family member. Disciplinary actions may include reprimand, and/or suspension from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the Executive Committee decision. If such punishment is deemed insufficient by the Executive Committee, it may also recommend to the membership that the punishment be expulsion. ii) Immediately after the Executive Committee has reached a decision, its findings shall be ut 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. f) Expulsion
i) The respondent shall have the privilege of appearing at the special meeting in his own behalf though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings and recommendations, and shall invite the respondent, if present, to speak in his own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A majority vote of those present and voting at the special meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted the suspension shall still stand. ii) Should the Executive Committee elect to use a special ballot t proceed with expulsion, the Secretary shall mail to each voting member of the club a ballot (listing the name of the respondent and the motion for expulsion), along with clear notification of the closing date for the return of the ballot. The closing date shall not be less than 30 days after the mailing date of membership ballots. The secretary shall also include with the ballot a written statement by the President outlining the charges and the findings and recommendations, and unless waived by the respondent, a brief written statement by the respondent, a blank envelope, and a return envelope addressed to an independent body as appointed by the Executive Committee. The independent body will convey the results of the ballot to the Executive Committee, who shall immediately authorize the expulsion of the respondent if so voted by a majority of ballots. If expulsion is not so voted the suspension shall still stand. iii) The Secretary shall promptly send to the respondent by registered mail or by hand delivery a copy of the results. g) Notice of Disciplinary Action In the event that disciplinary action is taken against a member and adult family member(s), a notice to that effect will be printed in the Club’s newsletter, stating the particular sanctions taken, but not the charges and findings. 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 to the membership at a meeting held pursuant to Article 5 (b) of this Constitution. BE IT ENACTED THIS 6TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1977, THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT NOW FORM PART OF THE WEIMARANER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA CONSTITUTION AND IS HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT NO. 1 ARTICLE AMENDMENT NO. 1 Mrs. Hilda Pugh shall be appointed Honourary President of the Weimaraner Association of Canada. This appointment shall carry for her lifetime. As Honourary President she shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Club including voting privileges and she shall pay no fees. 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.
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W.A.C.
club at weimaranercanada.org