Download Constitution & Bylaws (1.4 MB PDF)

ARTICLE 1. Name and Objectives

Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the International Siberian Husky Club, Inc.

Section 2. The purpose of this Club is to protect and advance the interests of the registered Siberian Husky in racing, breeding, and showing with prime emphasis on maintaining the racing qualities and workability of the breed.

Section 3. Those becoming members of this Club must subscribe to the Purpose of I.S.H.C. and agree to abide by the Constitution, By-Laws, and Code of Ethics as written herein.

Section 4. The Club shall not be conducted 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 5. 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 objectives.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. Membership

Section 1. Eligibility.

Membership shall be open to all persons 18 years of age and over who are interested in the registered Siberian Husky. There shall be no qualifications as to ownership of dogs, or the breeds of dogs owned, nor any other discriminating qualifications for membership. Participation in Club affairs and payment of yearly dues or any assessments which are levied will constitute membership in good standing. All Club rights, including rights to club property will cease with the termination of membership. Members under the age of 18 years shall be considered Junior Members as outlined in Section 2 of this Article.

Section 2. Dues.

The Officers and Board of Directors shall determine, from time to time, the yearly dues in order to meet the needs of the Club and to be commensurate with services offered by the Club at the time. All payments must be in American Currency or its equivalent. All dues expire December 31st, regardless of time of joining the Club. Notice of dues renewal shall be printed in the October, November, and December issues of the NEWS, no other notice deemed necessary. Members joining after July 1st will pay one-half the yearly dues for the year. Family Membership will be one and one-half the yearly cost of an individual membership. Family memberships entitle two family members, 18 years and over, to vote. Members under the age of 18 shall be considered Junior Members with all rights and privileges, excluding the right to vote and/or hold office. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year.

Section 3. Membership List.

The membership list may not be used as a mailing list for personal (or commercial) reasons unless permission is granted by the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Honorary Membership.

This title is to be bestowed upon an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Club or to the Siberian Husky breed. The procedure for bestowing this title is as follows: First, a proposal must be made to the Board of Directors by a member in good standing. Secondly, the Board of Directors must approve the proposal by a majority vote. Thirdly, the proposal must receive a majority vote of the general membership voting on this issue. This membership excludes the individual from any payment of dues and entitles that individual to all rights and privileges of a regular paid membership.

Section 5. Obligations of Membership.

A. Code of Ethics.

In order to promote the highest ideals among Siberian Husky owners and breeders and aim for the continuous improvement of the breed within the framework of the approved breed standard of the country of residence, I pledge that:

1. I will follow the rules of good sportsmanship in the manner which will be a credit to the breed, the Club and myself in all Siberian Husky competition and activities.
2. I will fully explain to all prospective Siberian Husky purchasers the advantages as well as the disadvantages of owning a Siberian.
3. I will attempt to help and befriend novice exhibitors, racers, and owners.
4. I will keep well informed in the field of genetics and will work persistently to eliminate hereditary defects from the breed.
5. I will, before entering into a breeding agreement or doing any breeding of my own dogs, carefully analyze the conformation and pedigrees of the prospective sire and dam. I shall keep clearly in mind the purpose for which the Siberian Husky was originally bred and the breed standard. I shall refuse the mating, if, in my opinion, it will not be in the best interest of the breed. If I deny stud service, I will fully explain my reasons to the owner of the bitch.
6. When a Siberian has hereditary faults of such nature as to make his or her use for breeding detrimental to the furtherance of the breed, two courses can be followed. The owner/buyer will either provide for the neutering of the animal, or the owner/buyer will enter into a contract, executed in triplicate with a copy going to AKC (or its national equivalent) stating that the Siberian's ownership is being transferred without AKC (or its national equivalent) registration papers.
7. I will refuse to deal with dog wholesalers or to sell puppies to pet shops, and I will include in all stud contracts an agreement to be signed by the owner of the bitch that no puppies resulting from the mating will be wholesaled, sold, or given to pet shops or wholesale breeders or dealers.
8. Furthermore, I will refuse to wholesale (buy or sell) any registered breed of dog, singly or in litter lots, realizing that we as dog fanciers are responsible for not only our own breed but for other breeds as well.

A violation of these ethics by any member will be considered prejudicial to the best interest of the Club and shall be cause for disciplinary action under Article VI, Section 2 of these By-Laws.

Section 6. Termination of Membership.

Membership 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.

b. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if dues remain unpaid after February 15th. In no case may a member vote whose dues are unpaid.

c. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI, Section 4 of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE II. Officers and Directors

Section 1. Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall be comprised of President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Chairman of the Board and Editor.

The members of the Board will serve terms of one year each after election except for the Treasurer and the Editor who shall serve two years each from the time of election or appointment. Terms of office shall be from October 1st of each year until September 30th of the following year.

General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.

A. The chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall be responsible for selecting the Area Directors and will present this selection to the Board of Directors for approval and appointment during the first month of election to office. The Chairman shall also receive and count in the presence of two other Club Members the ballots of all general elections and report to the President and Editor the results of those elections as defined elsewhere in the Constitution. In addition, the Chairman will be in close touch with each Area Director and serve as a liaison in order to reflect the views and opinions of all members in each area where possible. A majority of votes cast by the members voting shall be necessary for election to the office of Chairman of the Board.

1. Area Directors. Area Directors shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of the Board Chairman. They shall be responsible for maintaining contact with members in their area and shall submit a monthly report to the Editor on news and activities in their area. Area Directors do not have voting privileges on the Board of Directors but are to reflect the views of Club members in their area and report to the Chairman of the Board who in turn will serve as liaison with other officers to express those views and observations.

b. The Editor. Shall be appointed as outlined in Article IV, Section 4.

Section 2. Officers.

The officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. A majority of votes cast by the members voting shall be necessary for election to office.

a. President. The President, working in harmony with the other officers and Board of Directors, shall be in charge of all Club affairs and have the authority to draw on the treasury for official expenses. The President shall keep a record of all disbursements from his office and shall present this record to the Chairman of the Board upon request. The term of President shall be one year.

b. Vice President. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President and shall complete any term during which the office of President is vacated. In addition, the Vice President shall be prepared to advise and assist the President in Club matters as requested. The term of Vice President shall be one year.

c. Recording Secretary. The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be to receive applications for membership and membership renewals and keep accurate records of such. The Recording Secretary shall also keep an up-to-date roster of members and communicate same with the Editor and Circulation Manager of the NEWS in order to facilitate the proper and economical distribution of the NEWS. All monies received for membership fees shall be forwarded to the Treasurer on or before the 15th of each month.

d. Corresponding Secretary. The duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall be to answer inquiries on the Club NEWS, membership and general information on Club activities and shall send out all election ballots by first class mail. The Corresponding Secretary shall also maintain up-to-date membership applications and send them to those inquiring about membership.

e. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall oversee all monies paid into the Club and shall, when properly authorized, withdraw money by issuing a check. The Club books shall be open to inspection by Club members and he shall report monthly, or upon request, to the President on the financial condition of the treasury. The books shall be audited yearly by a qualified accountant or CPA, preferably a Club member but not necessarily so. A report of the audit should be sent in writing to the Officers and Board. The term of the Treasurer shall be two years.

Section 3. Removal from Office.

Any officer or the Chairman of the Board may be removed from office upon proper showing of malpractice and if affirmed by a majority of members casting votes. The Editor may be removed from office by a majority vote of elected Board members for not doing an adequate job or for actions prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. Any Area Director may be removed from their position by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for not doing an adequate job or actions prejudicial to the best interests of the Club.

Section 4. Number of Terms.

The number of consecutive terms for any officer or Board member shall be limited to two, except for the Editor, whose total terms are not limited.

Section 5. Vacancies.

Following a vacancy in any office, the President, with approval of the Board, shall appoint an acting official to serve until the next election; except in the case of the Vice President succeeding the President.

ARTICLE III. Club Year and Elections

Section 1. Club Year.

a. The fiscal year shall be January 1 through December 31 of that year.

b. The official Club year shall be from October 1, when officers take over, through September 30 of the following year.

Section 2. Elections.

a. Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot with ballots being sent in plain envelopes inside the mailing envelope to the Chairman of the Board. They shall be counted by the Chairman of the Board and two other members, approved by the Board of Directors. Ballots for election shall be sent first class to each member by the Corresponding Secretary. A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for election. Candidates and their philosophy and platforms will be printed in the May issue of the NEWS. Ballots must reach the Chairman of the Board by July 21st. Two ballots will be sent to those with family memberships. The results of the election will be published in the August NEWS. New officers will be notified within one week of the voting deadline.

b. In case of a tie vote, the voting procedure shall be repeated. Ballots for the runoff shall be mailed by August 10 and returned by September 21st to the Chairman of the Board. Results of the runoff shall be relayed immediately to the concerned parties (President, Editor, and candidate.)

Section 3. Nominations.

a. The Chairman of the Board and the Area Directors shall serve as a nominating committee to recommend a slate of officers for election. All recommendations shall be sent to the Chairman of the Board no later than March 1. A composite list shall be sent to each Director within two (2) days, March 3, for a vote and returned to the Chairman of the Board by April 1st. For each office to be filled, the two names receiving the most votes will be placed on the ballot along with any names submitted by the general membership.

b. Any member may be nominated by members at large, if his/her name, endorsed in writing by at least five (5) other members of the Club, is filed with the Chairman of the Board no later than April 1st.

c. The final list of Candidates and their qualifications will be sent immediately to the Editor. This information will appear in the May issue of the NEWS. The results are to appear in the August issue of the NEWS. New officers will be notified of their status within one week of the deadline for receiving ballots.

ARTICLE IV. I.S.H.C. NEWS

Section 1. Name. The monthly publication shall be known as the International Siberian Husky Club Inc. NEWS.

Section 2. The NEWS shall first reflect the Purpose of the Club as stated in the Constitution and secondly the interests and input of the membership.

Section 3. Distribution.

Each family or individual member is entitled to one copy of the NEWS.

Section 4. Editor.

a. The Editor of the NEWS is to be appointed and approved by a vote of the Board of Directors.

b. The term of office for the Editor is to be two (2) years, automatically renewable at each two year interval upon approval of the current Officers and Board of Directors.

c. The Editor shall be a member of the Board of Directors as outlined in Article II, Section 1.

d. The Editor may be removed from office as outlined in Article II,
Section 3.

e. Specific duties of the Editor.

1. Solicit, coordinate and edit all material for the NEWS.
2. Assemble and be in charge of addressing and mailing the NEWS, making certain that all postal rules, regulations and permits are complied with.
3. Handle all correspondence, advertising and input connected with the NEWS, seeing that all policies of the NEWS are implemented and upheld.
4. Shall have the option to write and include a column pertaining to the NEWS and the job of Editor.
5. Another person or persons may be appointed to collate, staple, and be responsible for mailing the NEWS as described in Sub-Section 'e' above.

ARTICLE V. Committees

Section 1.

The Board may each year appoint committees to advance the work of the Club. Said committees actions are always subject to the final approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 2.

There shall be one standing committee known as the Awards Committee whose purpose is to be in complete charge of the Achievement Awards. This committee shall have an individual operating budget.

Section 3.

A committee shall have a Chairman and a minimum of two (2) additional members. The committee shall begin its assignment by making a study of the proposed project and reporting full details to the President, indicating the time required to complete, personnel required, itemized costs, and the benefit to the membership. The report shall then be approved or rejected by a vote of the Board.

Section 4.

No Club project shall exceed in cost 10% of the annual membership fees or $400.00, whichever is less. In the event a project is to exceed the limit set above, it can only be undertaken by approval of a majority of votes cast by the membership. Prior to such a vote, the complete report of the committee shall be published in the Club NEWS. Votes shall be cast within sixty (60) days from the mailing of the NEWS and shall be mailed to the Chairman of the Board for tally. The Chairman of the Board shall notify the President in writing of the results within five (5) days of the close of voting.

Section 5.

A committee shall cease to exist upon completion of the task assigned or upon the 2/3 majority vote of the Board.

ARTICLE VI. Discipline

Section 1.

Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the American Kennel Club, or its national equivalent, shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.

Section 2.

Any member in good standing 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 with the Corresponding Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to all Officers and Board members. 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 the breed. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, the Secretary shall send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail, reminding the accused that he or she has four (4) weeks in which to submit adequate defense of said charges to the Board.

Section 3.

Should the charges be sustained, after examining all evidence presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may by a 2/3 majority vote suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six (6) months. Immediately after the Board has reached its decision, its findings shall be put in writing and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board¹s decision and penalty, if any.

Section 4.

If the Board deems the punishment of suspension, as outlined in Section 3 of the Article, insufficient, it may recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. A member may be expelled only by a majority vote of the members voting. The Secretary shall send a ballot to every member of record, along with the charges and a statement of defense supplied by the accused. Ballots to be returned within four (4) weeks. The Secretary shall promptly notify the Board and each of the parties of the results. A member who has been expelled may not reapply for membership in the Club.

ARTICLE VII. Amendments

Section 1.

Amendments to the constitution and by-laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary, signed by twenty percent of the membership in good standing. A copy of the proposed changes will be sent to each member along with a ballot. Votes must be returned within four (4) weeks. All amendments will be subject to a majority of the members voting.

ARTICLE VIII. Dissolution

Section 1. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the membership 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 of the Club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club but after payment of the debts of the Club, it's property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

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