Bylaws of
Deutsch-Kurzhaar Group North America
A Nonprofit Corporation
December 19, 2017
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION
Section 1 – NAME. The name of this organization is the “Deutsch-Kurzhaar Group
North America”, hereinafter referred to as “DKGNA”. The DKGNA is an affiliate club
of the Deutsch-Kurzhaar Verband (DKV), the German Shorthair Association of
Germany, and a member of Jagdgebrauchshundverband e.V. (JGHV).
Section 2 – PURPOSE. The purposes of this club are to:
- Educate all interested persons in the techniques of training, breeding and
caring for continental hunting dogs, to conduct tests of continental hunting
dogs, and to promote responsible breeding of continental hunting dog breeds; - Foster, improve, promote, and protect the continental hunting dog breeds in
North America; and - Promote the interest of wildlife by fostering ethical hunting and the
conservation of game through educational programs, the use of properly
trained hunting dogs, and other means.
Section 3 – PERMITTED ACTIVITIES. - No part of the net earnings of the DKGNA shall be for the benefit of, or
distributable to, its members, officers, or other private persons, except that
DKGNA shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation for the services
rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the exempt
purposes for which it was formed. - No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on
of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the
corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in any political campaign. - Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not
carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on: (a) by a
corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future
United States Internal Revenue Law), or (b) by a corporation, contributions to
which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of
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1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal
Revenue Law).
Section 4 – ORGANIZATION. The organization shall consist of:
A. A Board of Directors (Board) shall consist of the Officers, elected by the
membership, and the Regional Directors, elected by the members of their Region.
The board shall have responsibility for the operation and continuance of the
DKGNA. An elected Board member removed will be replaced in accordance with
Article II, Section 2 F.
B. The Board, as the executive policy-making group, shall have responsibility for
interpretation of DKGNA Bylaws.
C. Officers, constituting an Executive committee, shall be responsible for the day to
day administration of DKGNA under the direction of the Board. The officers shall
consist of (1) a President, (2) a Vice-President, (3) a Secretary, (4) a Treasurer
and (5) a Breed Warden.
D. Appointed positions, are not members of the Board of Directors. They shall be
nominated by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the Board. They
may consist of, but are not limited to:
Director of Testing, Director of Judging Development, Director of
Promotions, and News Bulletin Editor.
Board members may serve collaterally in these positions.
E. There may be Regions established within North America, with the number and
geographic boundaries determined by the Board before each election to fairly
represent the distribution of the membership. Regional Directors shall be elected
from and by the DKGNA membership within the regional boundaries. Regions
are part of the DKGNA, and are subject to the Board, but they may form their
own Board of Directors.
F. All Directors shall be elected and hold offices in accordance with the provisions
contained in Article II, Section 2.
ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP, ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND MEETINGS
Section 1 – MEMBERSHIP
A. MEMBERSHIP: Any person interested in supporting the purpose of the club
may apply for membership. A member’s regional affiliation shall be the choice
of the member each year at the time dues are renewed. If the member does not
designate a Region their listed address shall determine their Region.
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B. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES: The Board shall have the authority to establish
or eliminate such nominal classes of members as it deems in the best interest of
the DKGNA.
C. MAINTENANCE OF MEMBERSHIP: An existing member must make payment
of the annual dues within forty-five (45) days of when due to maintain
membership. Thereafter, the individual must apply as a new member.
D. MEMBERSHIP RESIGNATION – Members of the DKGNA can resign their
membership at any time. There is no action required of the Board of Directors
and no refund of dues paid will be given.
E. SUSPENSION OR EXPLUSION: Members may be suspended or expelled from
DKGNA for good reason after a hearing and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board.
The Board may delegate part or all of this responsibility, by resolution, to an
independent committee. No refund of dues shall be made and all membership
rights are forfeited.
F. DENIAL: Individuals may be denied membership by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of
the Board.
G. REINSTATEMENT: A member thus expelled may petition the Board for
reinstatement after a period of one year. Reinstatement shall be granted by an
affirmative two-third (2/3) vote of the Board.
H. NONDISCRIMINATION: The qualification for membership and for holding
office will be without regard to age, sex, religion, natural origin or other factors
prohibited by law.
I. APPLICATION: Application of membership shall be made by utilizing the
approved application form and submitting the membership dues.
J. J. Proxy voting is not allowed by regular members.
Section 2 – ELGIBILITY AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND REGIONAL
DIRECTORS
A. ELIGIBILTY: Any voting member in good standing on 1st day of June of the
election year is eligible to vote and will receive an election ballot. Except during
the 12 months following DKGNA’s formation in which any member is eligible to
hold office, any member in good standing, that has belonged to the DKGNA for
not less than the previous twelve (12) months, is eligible to hold office.
B. To be on the national BoD, a person, their spouse, or significant other, within the
last 7 years of the date of the close of nominations must have: 1) whelped a litter
of DKs from a female he/she owns, or 2) judged a JGHV or DKV test, or 3)
trained, handled, and passed a dog in a Derby, Solms, AZP, VGP, NAKP, IKP, or
Kleemann (or equivalent tests under the JGHV).
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C. A BoD member must attend at least 2/3 of the BOD meetings per calendar year,
and cannot miss more than 3 consecutive meetings in a 365 day period. To
qualify as having attended a meeting, the member must be present for at least
50% of the meeting.
D. TERMS OF OFFICE: All Officers and Regional Directors shall be for a three (3)
year period and shall run from January 1 of the first year, through December 31 of
the third year. A person can serve no more than 2 consecutive terms on the BoD
in any capacity.
E. ELECTION:
- Prior to December 31 of every year, elections for Officers and Regional
Directors shall be held by mail or electronic ballot. Commencing in 2018
Officers and Regional Directors will stand for election in the following
order:
1st year Vice-President, Secretary & 1/3 Regional Directors –
(3yr term)
2nd year Breed Warden, Treasurer & 1/3 Regional Directors –
(3yr term)
3rd year President & 1/3 Regional Directors – (3yr term)
The elections shall be by popular vote and a majority of those voting shall be
necessary to elect in each case. If no candidate receives greater than 50% of
the votes received the winner will be determined by a runoff election. The
process shall be determined by the Board. - A Nominating Committee of at least three (3) non-director members shall
be appointed by the President, in years that the President is standing for
reelection, the Secretary will appoint the Nominating Committee. The
committee will solicit nominations from the membership also give
consideration to others it considers qualified. The committee members may
not nominate themselves. Consideration should be given to presenting at
least two candidates when more than one is qualified. Eligible members
nominated by the membership and/or by the committee will appear on the
ballot. The election timing and process will be determined by the Board. - If an executive officer is nominated and chooses to be a candidate for an
office that he/she does not hold, the officer must resign the position they
hold in order to accept nomination for any officer position other than the
one currently held. The resignation will be effective when the results of the
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election take effect. The election for the unexpired term of the resigned
position will be conducted in conjunction with the regular election and will
follow regular election procedures.
F. OFFICERS (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE): The Officers shall function as an
Executive Committee of the Board. The Executive Committee shall be considered
the operating committee charged with the day-to-day functions of the DKGNA
and with carrying out the policies set forth by the Board. All Board members are
to receive copies of all Executive Committee meeting agendas and minutes. - PRESIDENT: The President’s duties shall include, but will not be limited to,
the following:
- Call and preside over all meetings of the Board and the Executive
Committee; - Preside at all national meetings of the membership and conduct said
meetings in the manner provided herein; - Recommend candidates for interim appointments to national office
should vacancies occur. All appointments must be confirmed by the
Board; - Appoint committee chairpersons from the membership dealing with
DKGNA activities; - Be the official spokesperson for the DKGNA; and
- Be the official representative of the DKGNA, in all circumstances,
including but not limited to the JGHV, DKV, and any other
organizations, corporations, or committees.
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- VICE-PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall perform the following duties:
- In the event of the Presidents absence, disability or disqualification, the
Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President; - Attend and participate in all meetings of the Executive Committee and
the Board; and - If both the President and the Vice President are absent or unable to
perform their duties, the Board shall appoint a President, Pro Tempore.
- TREASURER: The Treasurer shall perform the following duties:
- Be responsible for the financial affairs of the DKGNA;
- Prepare, interpret and disseminate budgets and periodic financial reports
to the Board, which after approval by the Board, will be published in the
News Bulletin at least annually; and
Page 6 of 9 - Attend and participate in all meetings of the Executive Committee and
Board.
- SECRETARY: The Secretary shall perform the following duties:
- Be responsible for the minutes of all meetings of Board, Executive
Committee and the national membership meeting of the DKGNA; - Attend and participate in all meetings of the Executive Committee
and the Board; and - Maintain all club records and conduct club correspondence.
- BREED WARDEN: The Breed Warden shall perform the following duties:
- Be responsible for assisting any member who is interested in breeding
and registering his/her Deutsch-Kurzhaar. The Breed Warden will also
answer, or get answers from the DKV, to questions from members
regarding the DKV breeding program; and - Attend and participate in all meetings of the Executive Committee and
the Board.
J. REGIONAL DIRECTORS: If Regional Directors are appointed they shall
perform the following: - Serve as a member of the Board and actively represent the Region at all
Board meetings; - Be responsible to the development and maintenance of their respective
regional program; and - Appoint regional committees as appropriate.
- Regional Directors are required to hold a regional meetings each year with
their regional members (or with the regional BoD if one has been formed)
in that region. This includes a call for Agenda items 7 days in advance. - Regions must form a regional BoD with voting powers when there are at
least 20 members in that Region. The Regional Director is the President of
the Regional BoD. The regional BoD must have at least 5 members. - Regional BoD members are appointed by the RD until the Region has at
least 30 members, at which point they are elected by the regional members.
K. APPOINTED POSITIONS: Positions established by the President and confirmed
by the Board shall perform duties as assigned, but not limited to the following: - The Director of Testing is responsible for organizing all tests.
- The Director of Judging is responsible for developing the uniformity of
judging standards.
Page 7 of 9 - The Director of Promotions is responsible for organizing material and
activities to promote the DKGNA and DKV to prospective new members
and the general public. - The Editor publishes the News Bulletin four (4) times a year and
distributes a copy to each member.
K. VACANCIES: In the event of a vacancy caused by death, resignation, removal
for cause, or otherwise, in the Executive Committee or Regional Directors, the
Board shall fill, by appointment, such vacancy for the unexpired portion of the
term of the office. The Board shall give consideration to candidates nominated by
the President. The Board shall, for Regional Directors, consider candidates
nominated from the Region.
L. REMOVAL: The BoD may remove any Officer or Director for cause by
twothirds (2/3) vote of all Directors then in office, at any regular or special
meeting of the Board, provided that a statement of the reason or reasons shall
have been mailed by Registered Mail to the Officer or Director proposed for
removal at least thirty (30) days before any final action is taken by the Board.
This statement shall be accompanied by a notice of the time when, and the place
where, the Board is to take action on the removal. The Officer or Director shall be
given an opportunity to be heard and the matter considered by the Board at the
time and place mentioned in the notice.
Section 3 – MEETINGS
A. BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS: There shall be at least
one meeting each year in the first half of the year. A simple majority of the
members of the Board or Executive Committee will constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. A minimum of seven (7) calendar days notice, either via
US mail or electronically, must be given to each member of the Board and
Executive Committee priorS to any called meeting. In the event a Board member
is unable to attend a Board meeting, the Board Member may vote via proxy. The
Board of Directors will determine the policy for proxy voting; however, in no
case may a Director vote via proxy more than once in any 365 day period.
B. NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS: There shall be at least one national
meeting of the membership of the DKGNA each year in the first half of the year.
A minimum of thirty (30) days notice, either via US mail or electronically, must
be given to each active member of the DKGNA. The time and place shall be
designated by the Board and included in the notice to the membership. National
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meetings shall be held for the purpose of reviewing and reporting on the DKGNA
and its activities.
C. REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS: There may also be regional meetings
each year, with the time and place of such meetings to be designated by the
respective Regional Director. A minimum of thirty (30) days notice, either via
US mail or electronically, must be given to each active member of the Region.
The time and place shall to be designated by the Regional Board, or in the
absence of a Regional Board by the Regional Director, and included in the notice
to the Regional membership.
D. SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS: Special Meetings of the membership
may be held at any time upon call of a majority of the Board, or upon request of
twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the general membership. A minimum of
thirty (30) days notice, either via US mail or electronically, must be given to each
active member of the DKGNA. The time and place shall be designated by the
Board and included in the notice to the membership. The notice shall include a
brief description of the purpose thereof.
E. SPECIAL MEETINGS of the BOARD of DIRECTORS: Special meetings of the
Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of 1/3 of the Directors.
Special meetings of the Board shall be held upon two (2) calendar days notice by
either via US mail or electronically. The meeting notice must include the action
item and a description of why this action must be addressed outside of the normal
course of business. The Special Meeting will be limited to the listed action item.
F. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE: All meetings shall be conducted in
accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised where the rules apply
and are not in conflict with these bylaws.
G. Minutes of the national and regional meetings are put on the Members Only
portion of the club’s website.
Section 4 – DUES AND FEES
A. Annual membership dues shall be established by the Board and communicated to
the membership annually.
B. Non-Member Fees – Seminar, Test, and other event fees charged non-members
may exceed the fees charged members by the amount approved by the Board.
C. All fees and charges for tests, will be established by the Board.
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ARTICLE III: BREEDING AND TEST REGULATIONS
The DKGNA is required to and fully accepts and commits to abide by all DKV,
JGHV, and VDH regulations.
ARTICLE IV: DISSOLUTION, DISBURSEMENT
Section 1 – DISSOLUTION - Dissolution of the DKGNA must be voted on by US mail or electronic ballot. At
least fifty percent (50%) of the members must vote and at least seventy-five
(75%) of those voting must be in favor of dissolving the DKGNA. Upon
dissolution, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligation
of the DKGNA the remaining assets of the DKGNA will be sent to a tax-
exempt organization that promotes the interest of wildlife.
ARTICLE V: AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended by the membership in mail or electronic ballot by a
2/3 vote of those voting. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws may be submitted by
the Board of Directors or by signed petition of voting members equal to or exceeding
25% of the total number of DKGNA members eligible to vote. A minimum of thirty
(30) days notice, either via US mail or electronically, must be given to each voting
member, in good standing, of the DKGNA. Notice must include the proposed
amendment to the Bylaws.