Bylaws

ARTICLE TWO: PURPOSE
Section I
A. To promote and encourage the breeding of a better purebred Chinook.
B. To protect the Chinook breed by encouraging responsible breeding practices.
C. To encourage use of a single standard toward which Chinooks are bred.
D. To promote the breed through exhibition in all venues, increasing its popularity in a responsible manner and making known to the public the high standard of excellence of the Chinook.
E. To promote good sportsmanship in the training and exhibition of dogs.
F. To promote exhibition in appropriate competitive working venues for the Chinook. Guardian and attack competitions are not appropriate for the Chinook.

Section II
A. For the accomplishment of its purposes, the Club will have the power to purchase, rent or lease property for its activities, and for the maintenance of a meeting place, etc. To acquire and hold by purchase or gift such personal and real property may be necessary to carry out said objects, and subscriptions and donations, all as provided in the statutes of the Club's Bylaws, as stated herein.

Section III
A. The Club will not be conducted or operated for profit, and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues or donations to the Club will insure to the benefit of any member or individual.

ARTICLE THREE: MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section I
A. Membership meetings will be conducted in a mutually agreed upon manner. Mail, E-mail, teleconference, Internet conferencing and personal meetings are all appropriate meeting forums. Every effort must be made to afford all members an opportunity to attend and be involved in the decision-making process.
B. The Federation will conduct a minimum of one regular Membership Meeting each year.
C. Special Meetings of the Membership at large may be called upon written request of five (5) members in good standing, provided the request contains the business to be discussed and such notification is directed to and received by the president at least thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.
D. At least two members of the Board of Directors must attend.

ARTICLE FOUR: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section I
A. The Board of Directors will consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Information Manager, Immediate Past President and two Members at Large. The initial Board will have an additional Member at Large. There will be no Immediate Past President to serve on the initial Board.
B. All positions are elected positions.
C. The President, Vice President, Secretary and Information Manager will be nominated from among the membership by the Board of Directors and elected by the membership.
D. The Members at Large will be nominated by the membership and elected by the membership. All nominations for Members at Large will be included on the ballot with no input or alteration by the Board of Directors.
E. The Immediate Past President is the prior term's President.
F. Only voting members may be elected to the Board of Directors. In addition, they must be owners of U.K.C. registered Chinooks, and be in good standing with the United Kennel Club.
G. No Board Member will be held personally liable for actions taken while fulfilling their duties as a Federation Board Member on behalf of the Federation.

Section II
A. The President will preside over all Board of Directors meetings. In the event that the President is absent, the Vice President will serve in the same capacity, and with the same authority, as the President.
B. The Vice President will assist the President when and where possible. The Vice President will be responsible for insuring that the Rules and Bylaws are strictly adhered to at all meetings of all bodies of the club. They will be acquainted with all rules, the Federation bylaws and state laws, and their interpretation of those rules and bylaws will be binding on all present at all meetings.
C. The Vice President will also be in charge of the treasury. The Vice President, in their duties regarding the treasury, will furnish such bond as required by the Board of Directors, the premium of said bond to be borne by the club. They will carry out all duties common to the office of a treasurer, and will receive, collect and handle all association funds, and make disbursements as are necessary and proper to meet the just and due obligations of the association. They will render a statement at the annual meeting to the membership, and at such other times as the Board of Directors will request. A Financial Report will be presented annually by April 1^st to the members.
D. It will be the duty of the Secretary to keep an accurate record of the Federation's activities, and carry out all duties common to the office of Secretary. This will include all official notices, correspondence and (optional) ballots. The Secretary will also keep a register of the post office addresses, E-mail addresses and telephone numbers of each member, which will be furnished by such member, and will have general charge of the membership books of the club.
E. The Information Manager will coordinate new technology to effectively integrate quick and economical communications with all members. Responsibilities include maintaining a presence on the Internet to provide members with up-to-date information and provide public advertising.
F. The Members At Large are equal members of the Board of Directors and are responsible for assisting in the general management of the Federation.
G. The Immediate Past President is an equal member of the Board of Directors and is responsible for assisting in the general management of the Federation. Specifically, they are responsible for sharing information from past experiences as a Board member.
H. The Board of Directors will have charge of the affairs of the club.
I. The Board of Directors will have the power to fill vacancies occurring between membership elections.

ARTICLE FIVE: TERM OF OFFICE
Section I
A. The election of the officers of the club will be opened no earlier than January 1^st and no later than February 1^st of each year at a time specified by the Board of Directors. Elections will be closed no later than 30 days after the elections are opened. The new officers will serve a term of three (3) years, with the initial terms of office being offset to ensure the entire Board is not replaced at any one time. They will take office 30 days after the election results are finalized and the new Board Members are notified.

ARTICLE SIX: COMMITTEES

ARTICLE SEVEN: CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS, DEPOSITS
Section I - Contracts
A. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer, agent, or employee to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Federation.

Section II - Loans
A. No land will be contracted on behalf of the club, and no evidence of indebtedness will be issued in its name unless authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

Section III - Checks, Drafts, Etc.
A. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Club will be signed by such officer, agent or employee of the Club and in such a manner as will from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section IV - Deposits
A. All funds of the club not otherwise employed will be deposited from time to time to the credit of the association in such banks, trust companies as the Board of Directors may select.

Section V - Fiscal Year
A. The fiscal year of the club will end on the thirty-first day of December of each calendar year.

ARTICLE EIGHT: MEMBERSHIP
Section I
A. Prospective Breeder/Exhibitor Members must obtain sponsorship from two Federation Board Members before submitting a membership application.
B. Prospective Chinook Supporter Members must submit a membership application.
C. The first year's dues must be included with an application for membership, and dues must be maintained in a current status to maintain membership.
D. Submission of an application for membership does not guarantee acceptance.

Section II - Types of Memberships
A. Breeder/Exhibitor Members are members who want to participate in the decision-making process of the Federation. They must meet the following minimum qualifications:
1. Be 18 years of age or older.
2. Own a U.K.C. registered Chinook, or have 10 years of previous experience
breeding or exhibiting U.K.C. registered Chinooks.
3. Be in good standing with the United Kennel Club, Inc. and the Chinook
Owners Association, Inc.
B. Chinook Supporter Members are members who want to participate in the Federation and support the Chinook at a reduced cost. These members can interact fully in all Federation activities and discussions, but do not vote on official Federation policies. If a Chinook Supporter wants to become a Breeder/Exhibitor Member, the rules of Article EIGHT, Section I, A, apply.

Section III - Membership fees/dues
A. The Board of Directors determine the dues. Dues are paid in the determined amount on or before the 1^st of March of each year.

Section IV - Policies for determining a loss of membership.
A. Any member who has not paid his/her dues within sixty (60) days after the first of January will not be considered a member in good standing for that year, and his/her name dropped automatically from the membership roster, after due notice of such action having been given to the delinquent member. Members will be considered in good standing and their name added to the rolls upon payment of said dues.
B. Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the United Kennel Club, Inc. or the Chinook Owners Association, Inc., will be considered for suspension from the privileges of the Club for a like period.
C. The Board of Directors will have power by majority vote of its members present to suspend or expel any person from membership in the Club who, in the opinion of the Board, is guilty of a fraudulent or dishonorable practice in connection with the Purposes of the Club, or of conduct unbecoming a sportsman and gentleman in their relations with the Club, its members, other exhibitors, owners or spectators.
D. No person will be disciplined without a hearing before the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE NINE: PROCEDURES FOR AMENDMENTS AND ELECTIONS
Section I
A. The Club may conduct its business via telephone, facsimile, First Class mail, email or other method as determined by the Board of Directors.

Section II
A. Written recommendation for changes to the By-Laws will be submitted to the Board of Directors.
B. The change must carry a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors before presented to the Federation membership. Upon majority vote of the membership, the change will be adopted.
C. All By-Law changes must be approved by the Federation membership.

Section III
A. The Board of Directors shall submit its slate of candidates for election to the Secretary.
B. The Secretary will ensure that each member is in good standing.
C. Ballots will be returned to a neutral party, such as a CPA, who will receive and tabulate the results, then forward them to the Secretary.
D. Election requires a majority vote of the ballots cast.
E. The election results will be published to the membership in such a way that it ensures all members receive the results within a reasonable amount of time after the close of the election.

ARTICLE TEN: EVENTS

ARTICLE ELEVEN: PUBLICATIONS
Section I
A. The Federation will establish an Internet presence and will produce paper-based documents for the membership as required. Any publication representing the Federation will be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors before it's publication.

ARTICLE TWELVE: BREED STANDARD, REGISTRATION ENTITIES, ETHICS
Section I
A. The Federation currently recognizes the United Kennel Club Chinook Standard as the only standard by which the Chinook should be judged and bred.
B. The Federation currently recognizes the United Kennel Club Registry, including lineage, as the registry for the Chinook.
C. The Federation and its members support the Code of Ethics of the Chinook Owners Association, Inc.

ARTICLE THIRTEEN: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Section I
The latest edition of "Robert's Rules of Order" will be accepted as the basic of parliamentary procedure and parliamentary authority in all matters of the Club, not specifically covered in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE FOURTEEN: ORDER OF BUSINESS
Section I
The following order of business will prevail at meetings of the Club:

1. Call to order.
2. Reading and approval of minutes.
3. Report of the treasurer.
4. Report of committees.
5. Report of president.
6. Communications
7. Old business.
8. New business.
9. Adjournment.

ARTICLE FIFTEEN: DEFINITIONS
Section I
Exhibiting: Encompasses all working venues where the Chinook is working in a public venue. Most of this work is in the form of competition which includes, but is not limited to, sled races, agility trials, or herding trials. However, it can also encompass activities where the Chinook is meeting the public doing other work. This includes, but is not limited to, search and rescue, therapy visitations, recreational sledding, or obedience demonstrations.

We hereby certify that the foregoing Constitution and Bylaws, consisting of fifteen (15) articles, constitute the Bylaws of the International Federation of Chinook Breeders and Exhibitors, Inc., adopted by its Board of Directors on the date of the last signature below.

	_____________signed_____________	__11 Apr 00__
	Diana Fowler (FL), President	date
	_____________signed_____________	__12 Apr 00__
	Richalene Kelsay (CA), Vice President	date
	_____________signed_____________	__11 Apr 00__
	Diana Fowler (FL), Acting Secretary	date
	_____________signed_____________	__9 Apr 00__
	Joyce Maley (SC), Information Manager	date
	_____________signed_____________	__12 Apr 00__
	Randy Erb (MO), Member at Large	date
	_____________signed_____________	__10 Apr 00__
	Nancy Fishinger (FL), Member at Large	date
	_____________signed_____________	__9 Apr 00__
	Debbie Premus (OH), Member at Large	date