Constitution

ARAUCANA CLUB of AMERICA

Drawing by Cathy Brunson

ARTICLE I

The name of this Club is: Araucana Club of America, a non-profit organization

ARTICLE II

Purposes of the Club:

A: To promote interest in, and knowledge of the Araucana Breed, as well as to foster sportsmanship, goodwill, and friendship among Poultry Fanciers.

B: To encourage the study of all phases of breeding Araucana bird to the Standard set forth by the APA/ABA, with the aim of improving conformation and temperament.

ARTICLE III

Bi-Annual dues will be paid to the Club as a membership fee, dues which will be used by the Club for website costs, show awards, advertising, and any cost incurred in the promoting of the Araucana Club of America that is deemed necessary by the Committee of Volunteers.

ARTICLE IV

Donations to the Club will be used according to the intentions of the donor, if expressed. Otherwise, they will be used to promote Club activities.

ARTICLE V

Operations of the Club may, incidental to its purposeful activities, produce a profit, and if so, then any surplus shall be used for the promotion of the Club.

ARTICLE VI

  1. Members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise these By-Laws as may be required to carry out the mission of the Club.
  2. Only members in good standing order can vote or decide Club issues.

 ARTICLE VII

In the event that this Club should at any time be dissolved, the assets of the Club that remain after all debts and liabilities have been settled in full account, shall be transferred to a Group or Organization that was selected by a majority of the Directors and which operates similarly in purposes and manner as this Club such as the APA or the ABA.

ARTICLE VIII

MEMBERSHIP

All memberships are Family Memberships with one vote.

ARTICLE IX

Club Newsletters

Club Newsletters: Club Newsletters are to be sent quarterly at minimum. Newsletters will be sent electronically and be available on the website.

ARTICLE X

  1. Committee of Volunteers with the following positions:
  • President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Standards Representative
  • Newsletter Editor/ Historian
  • Webmaster
  • Social Media Manager
  • Show Committee
  1. Elections and Appointments

a. President:

  • Nominations for President will be accepted from any member who has served on the Committee of Volunteers for a minimum of six months.
  • If only one person is nominated, then that person can be elected by a majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers.
    •  If more than one person from the Committee is nominated, then the election will be put to all the Club Members. The majority vote from that election is the winner and the new President.
  • In the event that no one from the Committee of Volunteers steps forward, then nominations can be solicited from the general membership to be voted on by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers.
  • The election will be by majority vote of the active Club Members, even if more than one person was nominated.
  •  The Secretary will receive nominations and tally the ballots.
  • Majority vote is defined as the majority of votes cast within the time limits specified.

b.  All other positions are open to any Club member.

  • If only one person is nominated, then that person can be elected by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers.
  • If more than one person is nominated, then the election will be by majority vote of the Club members.
  • The Membership Secretary will receive nominations and tally ballots.
  • For the office of Membership Secretary, the President will receive nominations and tally the ballots.

c.  The term of service for each elected office shall be two (2) years.

A person may stand for re-election for any office.

  • The term of office starts with the candidate’s acceptance of the winning ballot.

d. Vacancies in positions on the Committee of Volunteers will be posted on the current Social Media Platforms and in the Newsletter, with a deadline for nominations of two weeks after notification or if necessary, sooner.

  • Club members may be notified of the call for nominations either by email or social media, depending upon how they receive the newsletter.

e. Elections, where more than one person is nominated, have the following guidelines.

  • The Editor of the Newsletter will invite each candidate to provide a brief description of their views for publication. A ballot will be provided in the Newsletter and the email address of the Club Secretary will be provided for electronic voting. The deadline for receiving ballots will be two weeks after sending the Newsletter.
  • In the case of voting for Secretary, the ballots will be sent to the President. If necessary, sooner, Club members may be notified of the election by email or club website, depending on how they receive the newsletter.

g. Persons can be removed from the Committee of Volunteers if they no longer are a member in good standing, OR if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, OR for any other breach of duties. The removal is by majority vote of Committee members at the President’s request.

h. New positions can be created and outdated ones removed by majority vote of the Committee of Volunteers. The position descriptions can also be modified by majority vote.

i. No person shall be elected or appointed to any position on the Committee unless that person is a member of the Club in good standing i.e., a fully paid member.

j. No member shall be nominated for office without receiving their prior consent.

k.  A person can hold more than one position.

l. If a person wishes to resign, that person must hold office until a successor is elected or for a reasonable period of time that gives the Club the necessary time to find a replacement but no longer than one calendar month i.e., 30 days.

m. A vacant position on the Board will be temporarily filled by the President, with help from the other Board members. If the President leaves, the Secretary assumes the position until an election is held.

Description of Duties: Committee of Volunteers

  1. Description of Duties:

President: The President shall be the Chief Executive exercising general supervision over the interests and welfare of the Club.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Club. They shall collect all dues and revenues and deposit all monies to the credit of the Club in a bank account. They will provide a yearly report to the Club membership as well as file all the necessary IRS tax forms pertinent to the Club continuing its 501(c)5 tax-exempt status.

Secretary: The Secretary will receive new member applications, maintain records of members, and send out the new member information. The Secretary will also publish the newsletter on the website. The Secretary will receive nominations for Club officers and tally the votes.

Newsletter Editor/Historian: The Editor will publish the Club Newsletter, The Blue Egg Clucker, and is responsible for its editorial content, delivery and appearance. The Historian will collect and store information concerning the history of the Club.

Webmaster: This person and their assistants will maintain and update the Club website in a timely fashion as well as ensure that the site is available, stable & secure.  They will also provide full and secure backups of the domain.

Social Media Manager: This person will act as the main moderator/administrator for the club forums, Facebook page and other related social media outlets.

Standards Representative: This person will represent the Club in any dealings with the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association including involving changes to the Araucana standard & notify the club President and/or Show Committee of any changes that may affect the Breed standard as well as assisting members in challenges to judges calls at APA/ABA shows.

Show Committee: The Show Committee is made up of at least 3 members and at most 5 members. This committee will decide where the National Meet(s) will be held each year as well as approve Semi-Annual & Special Meets.  It will also approve Qualifying Meets and set their criteria as well as decide on award(s) and prize money for the various Club shows and events at those shows.