KansasKatz By-Laws

ARTICLE I - NAME

Section 1. This organization shall be known as KansasKatz Inc.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

Section 1. The purposes of this organization shall be:

a. To sponsor and promote the welfare of all breeds of cats, including household pets (mixed breeds);

b. To sponsor cat shows and special programs and otherwise promote the interest in and knowledge of all domestic cats;

c. To cultivate friendship among and promote the interest of the owners, fanciers, and breeders of cats;

d. To encourage breeding toward the TICA Standards and encourage the registration of cats within TICA;

e. To promote and encourage kindness to all animals and assist in the prevention of cruelty and maltreatment of animals;

f. To encourage the spaying and neutering of any and all cats not specifically being used as part of a viable breeding program to reduce the excessive trend to over-population of, and tragedy among, unwanted domestic cats.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Persons interested in the purposes of this club shall be eligible to apply for membership.

Section 2. Types of membership are as follows:

a. Regular members: Regular membership is open to individuals over the age of eighteen who are interested in the objectives of the organization, able to attend meetings or assist in the organization’s project, and participate in the organization objectives.

b. Associate members: Associate membership is open to individuals of all ages who are interested in the objectives of the organization. Such members need not take an active roll in organization functions. Associate members cannot vote or hold office.

c. Junior Members Any youth under the age of 18 may apply for Junior membership by filling out the Junior Exhibitors application form including the signature of parent or guardian and paying dues of $5,00.

d. Honorary members: Honorary membership may be granted from time to time to deserving individuals by a majority vote of the organization. Honorary members cannot vote or hold office.

e. Supporting Exhibitor/Vendor: A supporting exhibitor/vendor is any person of any age that enters or vends at a KansasKatz Inc. show. One dollar from their first cat entry or booth payment in any given calendar year will be applied to dues for the calendar year in which they have entered or vended at a KansasKatz Inc. show. Supporting exhibitors/vendors can not vote nor hold office. They are entitled to attend club meetings.

Section 3. The procedure for membership application is as follows:

a. Applicants for regular membership and adults interested in associate membership shall personally apply for membership by advising a member of the board of directors or submitting a formal application to the secretary and paying one year’s dues. A parent or guardian may apply for associate membership for a person under the age of eighteen, or a child or teenager may apply themselves by filling out the Junior Exhibitors application form, which must contain the signature of a parent or guardian.

b. Any regular or associate member may nominate a person for honorary membership, by submitting a written recommendation to the president.

c. Membership applications and nominations for honorary membership shall be approved or rejected by a vote of the board of directors. The president shall call for such a vote within a reasonable period of time. A simple majority will be sufficient to approve an application or nomination; tie votes will be considered a rejection.

d. The secretary shall send a notice of approval to the applying members; the president shall personally advise the nominee of the honorary member. The president and the nominee shall arrange an appropriate presentation of the honorary membership.

Section 4. - The dues of this club shall be as follows:

a. Twenty dollars ($20) per year for a regular single membership, or twenty-five ($25) per year for two members in one household.

b. Associate membership or junior member dues shall be five dollars ($5) per member.

c. Dues shall be payable on or before January 1 of each year for the ensuing year. Members joining after October 1 of any year shall have their dues credited as payment for the remainder of that year and the following year.

d. Members not paying their dues by April 1 shall be removed from the rolls. The treasurer shall send out a dues notice by December 1 of each year, and send out monthly notices thereafter until the dues are paid or the member is dropped from the membership rolls. The Treasurer shall notify all officers of the impending action two weeks before a member is to be dropped for non-payment of dues, and again when the member has been dropped.

Section 5. It shall be the duty of each member to uphold the purposes of the KansasKatz Inc.by carefully fulfilling the terms of all transactions concerned with cats, such as sales, stud fees and pedigrees, whether such business is carried on with other club members or breeders or within the public at large. Upon receipt of written complaint from any injured party, the member will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Article IX of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE IV - AFFILIATION

Section 1. This organization shall be affiliated with The International Cat Association (TICA). All officers of the club shall be TICA members in good standing; there must be at least five members of the club who are members of TICA in good standing (including the officers).

ARTICLE V - LOCATION

Section 1. This organization is intended primarily to serve the interests of the owners, fanciers, and breeders of cats residing in the South Central Regional area.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held at any cat shows held by the club. The time shall be announced to the membership during the show. The president shall solicit input from membership and notice the meeting at least two weeks in advance through the club Internet list.

Section 2. Special meetings may be held from time to time if there is club business that requires membership vote or attention. Such meetings shall be held online, or a discussion may be held online with voting by mail. Such special meetings must be approved by a majority of the board of directors. Such a meeting shall be called also upon the written demand of five regular members. Agenda items for business action must be prenoticed to the membership by mail, phone, or email, by at least two weeks. Other business not in the prenotice may be discussed but not acted upon.

Section 3. Two members of the board of directors and three regular members not on the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 4. All meetings shall be governed by the parliamentary authority of Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 1. The officers of this organization shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, two director and two Advisors. These eight officers shall constitute the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Officers will be elected at a regular meeting of the club, and will take office on the first Monday after such meeting. The outgoing secretary and treasurer shall turn over the club’s meeting and membership records and financial monies and records within no more than 30 days after the new officers assume office.

Section 3. The president shall call for an election of officers at such a meeting at least once every two years. The election must be noticed to every member by at least one calendar month, by email or phone or mail.

Section 4. Nominations will be taken from the floor at the election meeting. If a member is nominated, he must consent to the nomination either personally, or in writing if absent. Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot when more than one regular member is nominated for office.

Section 5. If there is no regular meeting being held within two years of the last election of officers, the president shall hold a special meeting for this purpose, with the nominations to be taken in a prenoticed online meeting or by mail or fax, and the vote to be conducted by mailed ballots. The notice for such a special meeting to elect officers shall be at least 30 days in advance.

Section 6. The vice-president shall assume the office of president, in the event there is a vacancy in that office. The board of directors shall appoint a regular member to replace any other officer, should one of the other offices become vacant. Such appointment shall be until the next regular election.

ARTICLE VIII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The president shall:

a. Serve as chief executive officer and conduct all meetings;

b. Shall appoint committees as needed;

c. Shall serve as ex officio member of all committees.

Section 2. The vice president shall perform the duties of president in the absence of the president.

Section 3. The secretary shall:

a. Be the recording and corresponding officer;

b. Keep records of all meetings;

c. Inform all applicants of election to membership

d. Serve as the contact person for TICA

e. Maintain a list of club members in good standing with their names, postal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

Section 4. The treasurer shall:

a. Have custody of all monies of the organization and maintain those monies in a bank account in the name of the organization, except as needed for the business of the organization;

b. Keep records of all receipts and expenditures and make financial reports as needed;

c. Maintain a listing of members in good standing, reflecting the dates when dues were last paid.

Section 5. The Director shall provide additional guidance to the club by discussing and voting on matters being considered by the Board of Directors. The advisor shall be a member who is familiar with TICA, the club, and show procedures and be able to guide and advise the club whenever assistance is required or whenever the advisor feels that the club is not acting in the best interest of the club as a whole or is failing in some obligation to TICA,.

Section 6. On or before April 1 of each year, the president, secretary, and treasurer shall make an annual report to TICA which report shall include a list of members of the club with their addresses, a report of any shows held during the year, a copy of the financial report of the club for the year, and such other information as may be required by TICA.

ARTICLE IX - DISCIPLINE

Section 1. The board of directors may reprimand, fine, suspend, or expel from membership, any person who, after a fair and impartial hearing, shall be found guilty of violating any rules of this club or TICA or of conduct detrimental to this club or to the cat fancy.

Section 2. Any member in good standing of this club may request disciplinary action against another member. This complaint must present their request for a hearing in writing to all members of the board. The letter must be specific about the nature of the complaint and why it should be considered. If the complaint is against a member of the board, the member may omit submitting the letter to that member.

Section 3. If a board member wrote the request or is named as the violator in the request, they must be recused from their duties as a board member in the disciplinary proceedings.

Section 4. The board shall review the request and determine if the request indeed involves violation of any rule of this organization or TICA, or conduct detrimental to the club or the cat fancy. A simple majority of the board voting in favor of holding a hearing is required to call for such a hearing.

Section 5. If a hearing is to be held, the president or secretary shall notify the accused and furnish them a copy of the complaint and all correspondence between the complainant and the board of directors. The hearing will be scheduled no less than two weeks after the accused has been informed of the proceedings, and no longer than two months after the board has determined that a hearing should be held. The hearing shall be held in such a way that both the accused and complainant to explain and defend their actions. This may be done in person, through a conference call, or electronically.

Section 6. The board of directors shall determine what disciplinary action shall be taken, if any, within a week of the hearing. The president or secretary shall notify the parties involved of the action to be taken.

ARTICLE X - DISSOLUTION

Section 1. In the event of dissolution of this organization, any property and assets shall be distributed to a non-profit organization consistent with the policy of The International Cat Association. In no event shall any such property or assets be distributed to any member of the organization or to any private individual.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote at any regular or specially scheduled meeting of the organization, provided that the text of the amendment shall have been sent to all members by at least one weeks prior to the meeting.