Constitution & Bylaws

Date December 2021

LEONBERGER CLUB OF CANADA

CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

CONSTITUTION

  1. NAME

The organization shall be called the “Leonberger Club of Canada”, hereinafter referred to as the “Club” or “LCC”.

  1. INSIGNIA

Except by the Club itself, the use of the LCC insignia or name in any form of advertising by any member or group of members is prohibited without prior approval of the Board.

  1. AFFILIATION

The Club shall maintain its recognition by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) and shall operate in accordance with the Bylaws, Rules, Regulations and Policies of the CKC.

  1. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The Club shall:

4.1       Develop interest in, increase knowledge of, and otherwise advance and protect the Leonberger breed.

4.2       Support the conscientious and careful breeding of the Leonberger according to the individual breed standard as recognized by the CKC; seek to preserve the essence of the breed as developed in its country of origin and strive to maintain critical characteristics which allow the breed to perform the work for which it was originally developed.

 4.3       Make information available on the Leonberger breed and conduct educational programs for members and the general public.

4.4       Guard against the commercial exploitation of the Leonberger.

4.5       Support the training and exhibiting of the Leonberger and encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, trials, sports and other events.

4.6       Encourage the organization of local branches of the LCC, in those areas where there  are sufficient fanciers of Leonbergers, consistent with the current CKC zones or combinations thereof, and to support the regional activities.

4.7       Conduct boosters, specialty shows, trials and other activities for Leonbergers under CKC rules.

4.8       Encourage responsible dog ownership and promote the cause of Leonbergers.

4.9       Publish and circulate to all members a newsletter at least twice per calendar year.

 4.10 The Club shall not be conducted nor operated for profit, and no part of any monies or remainder or residue from dues or donations to the Club shall be to the benefit of any member or individual.

  1. AREA OF OPERATION

The area of operation of the Club shall be the Dominion of Canada.

  1. AMENDMENTS

The members of the Club may, from time to time revise such Constitution and Bylaws as may be required to carry out these purposes and objectives.  To carry such changes, a two-thirds (2/3) majority of all votes cast from eligible voting members is required.  Notification and votes may be sent and received by email or regular post.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE 1 – MEMBERSHIP

1.1       MEMBERSHIP YEAR

The membership year of the Club shall be from the first (1st) of January to the thirty first (31st) of December.

1.2       MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

1.2.1 Membership shall be open to all persons with an interest in the Leonberger breed, who are in accord with the purposes and objectives of the Club.

1.2.2 Members of the LCC must be in good standing with the CKC, or eligible for membership in the CKC.

1.2.3 All applications for membership are to be sent to the Secretary or Membership Chair if one is appointed, and must be on the appropriate form as approved by the Board and contain the following:

  1. a) the properly completed and signed form;
  2. b) the prescribed fee payable by cheque, email transfer or other method of electronic payment; the exception is a breeder sponsored membership which is free for the first  calendar year ( also refer to Article 5b)
  3. c) sponsorship by an existing Club member in good standing. A sponsoring member should sign the membership application; alternatively, the sponsoring member can confirm by email to the Membership Chair.  Provisional members are not eligible to

1.2.4 The Board shall have the authority to reject the application of any applicant not  meeting all requirements.  Memberships are approved by a majority vote of the Board of  Directors.

1.2.5 No member shall have a vote or may hold office until they have been a continuous member for one (1) full year from date membership is approved.

1.3       CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIPS

1.3.1 PROVISIONAL MEMBER shall be any new member who is eighteen (18) years of age  or older and meets the requirements of Section 1.2. Provisional Members will have no voting privileges and shall not hold office for twelve (12) months.

 1.3.2 FULL MEMBER shall be any paid member in good standing, who has held a membership for a minimum of the preceding twelve (12) months. Full members will have voting privileges and can hold office.

1.3.3 REGULAR MEMBERSHIP shall be granted to an individual Provisional or Full Member.

1.3.4 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP shall be granted to Provisional and/or Full members who cohabit in the same domicile.  Each household Full Member will have a single vote to a maximum of 3 votes per household.

 1.3.5 JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP is open to those under eighteen (18) years of age.  Junior members do not pay dues and shall not have voting rights in the Club.  On their eighteenth  (18th) birthday, they may apply to become a Provisional Member added to a current  Household Membership or an individual Regular Membership with payment of dues.

1.3.6 LIFE TIME MEMBERSHIP may be granted to those people who have made outstanding  contributions to the Club and breed over a long period of time and who have been continuous members for at least 10 years.  Proposed names will be nominated by the Board of Directors and must be voted on by the general membership by a two-thirds (2/3)  majority of all votes cast.  Life members do not pay dues, but do have voting privileges.

1.3.7 HONORARY MEMBERSHIP may be granted to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Club and the Leonberger breed over a long period of time.  Proposed names will be nominated by, or presented to the Board of Directors and must be voted on by the general membership by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, of all votes cast.  Honorary members neither pay dues nor may hold office or have voting privileges.

1.3.8 BREEDER SPONSORED MEMBERSHIP may be offered to buyers who purchase a Leonberger puppy from a member breeder.  This membership is free for the first calendar year.  Puppy buyers are eligible within 6 weeks of puppy purchase; completed membership application forms must be received by the Membership Chair within that time.  At the end of the calendar year, the member is responsible for renewal with payment of membership dues.

1.4       DISCIPLINE

1.4.1 Any member of the LCC who is suspended from the privileges of the Canadian Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the LCC.  Loss of all privileges will be for the  same period as the CKC suspension.

1.4.2 Any member of the LCC who is charged and found guilty of any act of cruelty or mistreatment of any animal by any Humane Society or court will be automatically suspended or expelled from the Club, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Club.

1.4.3 Any member may be disciplined by the Board of Directors of the Club for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the Leonberger breed.  Upon receipt of an official complaint, the Board of Directors shall appoint a disciplinary committee consisting of one (1) or two (2) members of the board plus one (1) or two (2) other members in good standing, who have been Regular, Household, or Lifetime members of the LCC for a  minimum of one (1) year.  If, for any reason, no members of the board are able to serve on  a disciplinary committee, the board may recruit a board member(s) from another breed club to serve on the committee.  The Disciplinary Committee will conduct a hearing and present their findings to the Board in writing. The Board makes the decision to uphold or  dismiss the complaint and may apply a disciplinary sanction such as a letter of reprimand, request for apology, membership suspension or expulsion.

1.4.4 The Board may appoint a member to be the Standing Disciplinary Chair to review   complaints received by the Secretary, establish merit based on the Club’s Bylaws and Code of Ethics and if warranted form a disciplinary committee.  The Standing Disciplinary Chair would be appointed for a term not exceeding that of the current Board.  The Standing  Disciplinary Chair will not oversee any complaint where a conflict of interest may exist.

1.4.5 A formal complaint must be submitted in writing via email or Canada Post to the Secretary.  The written submission must fully detail the grounds for the complaint and include any supporting documentation.  Any person who submits a formal complaint against a member will be charged a fee of $50 payable to the Club when the complaint is   submitted to the Secretary.

1.4.6 The disciplinary chair and/or committee will notify the complainant via email or Canada Post within 30 days of receipt of the complaint.  If the complaint proceeds to hearing, the committee will provide the accused member written notification of the allegations against them including a copy of the complaint document(s) and set a timeline to submit their testimony in writing.  As part of the hearing process, the committee may request further information from either party be provided in writing either electronically, by Canada Post or via conference call/web conference.

1.4.7 Should a member receive a disciplinary sanction, they may appeal the Board’s  decision within 30 days from the date of the disciplinary decision letter.  The written request for appeal can be sent by regular post or electronically, to the Secretary.  The request must clearly state the grounds for appeal.  An appeal committee will be formed   within 30 days to review the findings of the Disciplinary Committee.  The Appeal  Committee will allow the introduction of new evidence only if it is first established that this evidence could not reasonably have been made available to the Disciplinary Committee.

1.4.8 The Appeal Committee will make the final determination to uphold or dismiss, in whole or in part, the decision levied by the Board of Directors.

1.4.9 An Appeal Committee will be appointed by the Board comprised of three members in good standing, from different regions when possible.  No member of an Appeal Committee will have served on the Disciplinary Committee involved in the case.  Should the Board not  be able to convene an Appeal Committee within the membership, the Board may recruit  from other breed clubs.

1.5       TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

1.5.1 Resignation: Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice, and payment of any financial indebtedness to the Club, notice may be by email or  regular mail.

1.5.2 Lapsing: If a member’s dues remain unpaid 30 days after the first (1st) day of the    fiscal year, as defined in Section 4.1, the membership will be considered as lapsed and  automatically terminated.  If the member should submit their renewal after the 30 days, they will be considered as a new member.

1.5.3 Expulsion: Expulsion of a member may be affected only by recommendation from the  Board, following action under Article 1, Section 1.4 Discipline.  A motion to this effect will  be circulated to all eligible voting members and two-thirds (2/3) of votes cast in favour of expulsion will be necessary.  Such a motion may be circulated by email or regular mail

1.6       MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

The Membership Chair will be appointed by the Board.  The position can be held concurrently by a Board member or by an eligible member.  The duties of the Membership Chair include:

  1. a) receive and record membership applications
  2. b) notify the Secretary of new memberships
  3. c) send welcome letters to new members
  4. d) maintain the membership list, current and historical
  5. e) provide membership reports for the Board and newsletter publication
  6. f) track membership dues payment; work with the Treasurer
  7. g) send membership renewal notices

ARTICLE 2- ORGANIZATION

2.1   EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

2.1.1 Executive officers of the Club shall be members in good standing of the Club, all of whom shall also be members in good standing of the CKC and shall be residents of Canada.

2.1.2 The Board shall be comprised of the Executive Officers including President, Immediate  Past President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer and the Regional Directors, one elected or appointed per region of each of the CKC zones or by province and territory. The position of the Immediate Past President may be vacant after one term if the incumbent President is elected or acclaimed for a second term.

 2.1.3 The property and business of the Club shall be managed by the Board.

 2.1.4 The Board will assume office January first (1st) and hold office for a period of three (3) years.

 2.1.5 Any vacancies occurring on the Executive during the term of office shall be filled by election of a majority vote of the Board, except that of a vacancy in the office of President, which is automatically filled by the Vice President or Immediate Past President, as decided by the Board.

 2.1.6 A board member, who, in the opinion of the Board, fails to fulfill the duties of office or whose conduct adversely impacts board members and/or the ability to conduct club   business, will be advised in writing.  The board member will have opportunity to respond.    If no resolution is found and the conduct continues, the member will be asked to resign.    Should the board member not agree to resign, or refuse to submit the portfolio of office,    he/she will be removed by majority vote of the Board.  In this circumstance, the President will vote concurrently.

2.2       DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

2.2.1 The President shall:

  1. a) Be chief Executive Officer;
  2. b) Automatically be an Ex Officio member of all committees;
  3. c) Have responsibility of over-seeing the Club newsletter editorial team;
  4. d) With the aid of the Secretary, have charge of all external correspondence;
  5. e) Chair all Executive and General meetings, and
  6. f) Give a deciding vote when equality is reached in any voting.

2.2.2 The Immediate Past-President shall:

  1. a) Serve as an officer of the club with full voting rights as a board member. Acts as an advisor to the President and the Board.  Serve as an alternate in the position of President should it become vacant during the term and the Vice President is unable to fulfill the duties.

2.2.3 The Vice-President shall:

 a) Perform all the duties and exercise the powers of the President, for the remainder of the term, in case of the President’s death, absence or incapacity, or potential conflict of interest.

2.2.4 The Secretary shall:

  1. a) Keep records of all activities, decisions and voting of the Club;
  2. b) Produce regular reports of Board decisions, activities and results of all motions;
  3. c) Have charge of internal correspondence, and shall have charge of external correspondence as directed by the Board through the President or their designate;
  4. d) Keep a roll of the members, and
  5. e) Be responsible for the record center and produce subsequent lists and documents.

2.2.5 The Treasurer shall:

  1. a) Collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club; in the form of cheques, email transfer, PayPal and any other means as developed to acquire funds;
  2. b) Deposit, and/or transfer same with a Chartered Bank or Credit Union in an account in the name of the Club;
  3. c) Keep the financial books opened, at all times for inspection by the Executive;
  4. d) Provide quarterly detailed financial reports to the Board and an annual detailed report to all members;
  5. e) Co-sign, with the Secretary or President or other Board appointed officer (necessitated by geography), all cheques;
  6. f) Be bondable, and
  7. g) Have the financial records audited annually or as required, by a member other than those with signing authority.

2.2.6 All previous duties can be assigned to another officer but the responsibilities for their effective completion can not be transferred or delegated.

2.3  ELECTIONS

 2.3.1 A nomination form shall be included with the spring or summer newsletter during an election year.  All nominations for office must be received by the election chair, appointed    by the Board, in writing, by email or regular mail prior to the deadline established.  The election chair will notify all persons nominated and determine their willingness to stand.

 2.3.2 Ballots shall be sent by Regular mail or electric methods to all eligible voting members.  All ballots returned by the specified deadline, will be counted by an election officer and a witness appointed by the Board.  The appointed election officer may be a club member in good standing not seeking a board position or a CKC Director of the CKC zone where the Secretary resides.  Regional Directors will be voted on by members residing in that region only.

2.3.3 A majority of votes cast by eligible voting members shall prevail.

2.4       COMMITTEES

The Board shall appoint such committees it deems necessary to further the aims of the Club.

ARTICLE 3- CONDUCT OF THE CLUB

3.1       MEETINGS

            3.1.1 Board Meetings

Board meetings will be held via email, conference call or web conferencing.  The Board will  be active throughout the year.  Communications will be conducted by email, online group forum, telephone and/or web conferencing.  The record of club business will be maintained in meeting minutes and online group forum.  Motions will be recorded in an official log including voting outcomes.  Motions pass with a majority vote of all Board members excluding President.  Should a tie occur, the President will cast the deciding vote

            3.1.2 Annual General Meeting

This meeting may be held in conjunction with the Annual Specialty show, conference call or via newsletters, electronic or Regular mail, emails, members group.  Its purpose will be to give reports of the Treasurer, all committees and The Board of Directors, and to encourage  dialogue amongst all members of the Club.  

3.2 Official Publication

  1. a) The newsletter shall be the Club’s official publication.
  2. b) The board shall appoint the Editor of the newsletter.
  3. c) The Editor may enlist help and form a newsletter editorial team.
  4. d) Deadlines for all editions shall be printed in each issue.
  5. e) The following statement is to be included in each issue of the Newsletter. “This                                   newsletter is the official publication of the Leonberger Club of Canada (LCC).  The  opinions expressed herein are those of the respective author and not necessarily those of the Editor(s) or the Board of the LCC.  The Editor(s) reserve the right to reasonably edit all material submitted for publication.  Permission to reprint is granted, provided  proper credit is given to the author, the LCC and the newsletter.”
  6. f) The Board’s reports and motions shall be published in an administrative section of the newsletter (including authors’ names).

3.3 Voting – National Issues

  1. a) The Board will make motions from time to time and circulate them to the members for voting.  Matters of significance to all members should be democratically voted on by all voting members.  Matters such as location and names of judges for Specialties  and Standing Resolutions may be voted on by an appointed committee.  Any member may petition the Board to entertain a motion but the Board will reserve the right to               circulate such motions.
  2. b) The Board will also form committees, if required from time to time, to discuss and formulate propositions concerning any topic or any needed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws.  These committees will be comprised of members from all regions and will submit written draft proposals for comments by eligible members.  Brief written comments will be published in subsequent issues of the newsletter and                matters will be thoroughly discussed before any final drafts are sent to the                                          membership for voting.  All correspondence can be sent electronically.

ARTICLE 4 – FINANCE

 4.1 The fiscal year of the Club shall commence on the first (1st) day of January and shall conclude on the thirty first (31st) day of December.

  4.2 All monies due or belonging to the Club shall be governed as per 2.2.5 (Duties of Treasurer).

  4.3 A financial audit will be conducted annually within 3 months of the end of the fiscal year. Two auditors will be appointed by the Board and may be selected from within the membership, other clubs or the community.  Auditors will be required to have prior employment or volunteer experience in bookkeeping, banking or accounting.

ARTICLE 5 – MEMBERSHIP DUES

 5.1 The membership shall be charged the prescribed fee(s) for Regular or Household membership.

5.2 Any new member having paid a membership fee after October 1st (first) of any year shall be deemed to have paid the dues for the ensuing year.

 5.3 The Treasurer or Membership Chair will publish a membership renewal notice in the final issue of the year of the Newsletter.  This shall be the only mandatory members’ notice that dues are payable on or before the first (1st) day of January of each year.  Renewal  reminders may also be sent or by email or posted on the members forum.

ARTICLE 6- PROCEDURE

 6.1 All meetings of the Club, and of its governing bodies, and all other matters of practice and procedure not otherwise herein specified or in CKC bylaws and practices shall be governed by the “Common Law Procedure of Canada, Roberts’ Rules of Order”, current edition.

ARTICLE 7- DISSOLUTION

 7.1 Should this Club remain inactive for a period of two (2) years, or should two-thirds (2/3) of its membership decide to dissolve the Club, all assets will be converted to cash and transferred by way of cheque, eTransfer, or PayPal to an appropriate dog related charity, decided on by the members and to be utilized for canine research.

Amended December 2016

Amended September 2021