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ByLaws
Table of Contents
Article I: Membership
Section 1: Attaining Associate membership
a. All prospective Associate members must have access to a computer and e- mail through the Internet or Internet linked service.
b. All applicants must be in good standing with CFA.
c. Applications for Associate membership shall be made to the Secretary and/or Treasurer, as applicable (see Appendix I and IV). Associate membership shall be granted to those who meet the following criteria: (1) meet the eligibility requirements in Sections 1(a) and 1 (b), Article I of the Bylaws. (2) have submitted an application form (Appendix IV). This application form will be reviewed by the Membership Committee along with all pertinent other information. The application and the recommendation of the Membership Committee then will be presented
for review and discussion by the membership. For Associate Membership to be granted, a
majority of the membership must vote favorably on the application. (4) have paid the requisite dues. These dues must be submitted to the Treasurer within two weeks of acceptance to Associate Membership. (5) have signed and agreed to abide by the Club's Code of Ethics (Appendix III) and are not found to be in violation of this Code of Ethics upon review by the Membership Committee.
d. Associate Members pay $10 dues per year and may not vote. After 6 months
Associate Members may apply for Regular Member status. If the Associate
Member is accepted for regular Member status, Regular Membership dues are
to be paid within 30 days. Associate members who become Regular Members
and pay Regular Membership dues within two months before the deadline for
payment of dues will have those dues applied to the upcoming year, not to
the year that has passed in its majority, but shall be Regular Members from
the time dues are received.
e. Associates are automatically members of the Show Coordinating Committee and are expected to actively participate in putting on one of our shows or helping with the production of a show of another CFA club (if our club's show is not a reasonable possibility) during their year of Associate Membership.
f. Applications for Associate Membership will be available on request from the Secretary. All applications must be made individually and in the applicant's own name.
Section 2: Attaining Regular Membership
a. All prospective Regular members must have been an Associate member for at least six (6) months prior to applying for Regular status and cannot assume Regular Status until they have completed one year as an associate.
b. All prospective Regular members must:
(1) be active breeders who register their purebred cats in CFA and/or exhibitors who compete
primarily in shows held by CFA-affiliated clubs.
(2) have shown their interest and support for the goals of this organization and of CFA.
(3) have participated in CFA shows at least four times in the previous year and provided proof of this to the Board.
(4) be in good standing with CFA and the Club.
(5) have participated in CFA show production (with a show of this club's, if feasible) within the previous year and provide proof of this to the Board on request.
(6) have participated actively in the Show Coordination Committee and at least one other club committee during the previous year and provide proof of this to the Board if requested.
(7) have submitted a completed application form (Appendix V).
c. Regular members may not be judges or officers of, or in the employ of another organization with purposes and goals similar to those of CFA.
d. Requests for Regular membership must be made to the Secretary who will then provide a copy of the application form. The completed application form must be returned to the Secretary along with all proofs of participation in CFA shows and show production as required for membership. The secretary will then present the information to the Board along with any other pertinent information for review and validation.
The Board will review the candidate's functioning as an Associate Member and all pertinent information and present the results of its reviews and recommendation to the membership for discussion within two weeks. The Secretary will post an e-mail vote after the discussion and within two weeks of the Board recommendations being posted. An applicant for Regular Membership must receive favorable votes from 2/3 of the voting members, with a minimum of 2/3 of the eligible members casting votes. If fewer than the minimum required number of votes are cast, the application shall be considered refused. Applicants must apply individually and the application must come from the applicant directly.
e. Once accepted, Regular members who are not Charter Members pay dues of $15 per year, which must be paid within one month of acceptance for membership, and by midnight of January 31st of each year thereafter to remain eligible to vote. Any Regular member whose dues have not been received by April 1st will be considered an Associate Member for the following year and shall be returned to Regular Membership immediately upon payment of dues during that year. Non-payment of dues by the end of that year will result in loss of membership unless the member is a Charter Member in which case they may remain an associate member until such time as their dues are paid. New Regular members may not vote until dues are paid and
will lose their right to Regular membership if their dues are not paid within a month of acceptance. Charter Members also pay dues yearly, or alternatively, may in the first year pay lifetime dues (which shall not imply that the membership is not subject to continuing membership requirements or termination by the Board per the Bylaws, Section I and IX) of $250.
f. All Charter Members are eligible for Regular Membership, provided they pay the normal dues, meet membership requirements and are in good standing both with the club and with CFA.
g. Regular members have all privileges of membership, including the right to vote and hold office.
h. Regular members may apply to the Board one month before dues are due (or later at the discretion of and with the approval of the President and Treasurer) for a hardship allowance in the case of family illness, disaster, or other significant financial crisis. In no case shall the Board agree to a reduction of dues below $15, and any such reduction that the Board shall agree to shall apply only to one year's dues payment. Also, in case of hardship, dues may be prorated rather than reduced at the discretion of the Board.
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Article II: Club Communication and Functioning
Section 1: The definition of a Quorum
A quorum for all business except Bylaws changes and voting on admission of new members shall be seven members, at least four of whom must be members of the Board of Directors. All votes shall be tabulated based on the majority/percentage of those who voted in the prescribed time with the exception of Bylaws changes and votes on the admission of new members to Regular membership.
Section 2: Emergency Meetings
Special electronic meetings may be called at any time by the President and shall be called at the request of three or more Regular members. These meetings shall occur online during a prescribed period on the mail list. In the case of such emergencies all proposals deemed essential for vote by the President may be voted on without waiting the usual requisite 10 days for discussion and responses from the whole membership. All such votes are binding for only 10 days during which time they must be discussed and ratified by the membership based on a majority of those who voted during those 10 days.
Section 3: The Board of Directors
The Board will maintain communication as necessary. A quorum for a Board decision shall be four members of the Board of Directors. Board discussions shall be open to Regular members in the mail list, except during disciplinary hearings, but voting is restricted to Board members. Such disciplinary hearings will be conducted as delineated in Article IX of the Bylaws.
Section 4: Voting Procedure and Ratification
a. All votes will be sent by private e-mail to the Secretary or election clerk or as applies, and not to the mail list.
b. The results of any vote will be announced without details. Any details except specific names and vote by individual will be supplied publicly or privately upon request. Votes will be considered ratified automatically after ten (10 ) days if no member requests a vote for ratification.
c. The Secretary or Election Clerk, as applicable, will archive all club votes for six months so these may, upon a majority vote of the membership, be reviewed by an independent party in case of a serious question of the results.
Section 5: Mail List Communication
A private mail list shall be used for conducting club business. The President shall act as conference leader and shall be responsible for assuring that the mail list remain focused on issues pertinent to the club.
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Article III: Election Procedures
Section 1: Timing of Elections
Regular members shall nominate officers after the Secretary issues a call for nominations on or about March 9th. Nominees must be Regular Members in good standing with the club and with CFA. Nominations close at midnight ten days after the call for nominations. The vote for election of officers shall be posted by the Election Clerk on or about April 1st, closing ten days later at midnight.
Section 2: Election Clerk
While nominations are being made, the Regular members shall also nominate a Regular or Associate member as the Election Clerk. Only members who are not running for an elected position on the Board of Directors may serve as election clerk. The Election Clerk shall receive and count votes only for the election of officers. Election Clerk is a temporary position, and the holder of this post is not to be considered as an officer of the club nor a member of the Board. The members shall vote for election clerk from March 20th to midnight of March 30th.
Section 3: Call For Vote and Announcement of Results
The Election Clerk will post a call for a vote including a list of nominees for each position, which list shall be provided to the Election Clerk by the Secretary. The Election Clerk will count the vote after the voting closes and shall announce the results within twenty-four (24) hours. In the event of a tie between two or more candidates for an office, a second ballot shall be held for that position, using the same procedures.
Section 4: Posting of Votes and Deadline
All votes must be posted by private e-mail or sent by a method that results in a permanent record. Members should use one e-mail message to vote for all the positions. Votes may be changed once cast if the new vote is received by the Election Clerk before the close of voting.
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Article IV: General Voting Procedures
The club members shall follow these procedures for all issues brought to the general membership for voting. The procedures for voting must take into the account the electronic nature of this organization, and shall be as follows:
a. For all ballots, the Secretary or Election Clerk, as applies, shall post a new e-mail message in the club's mail list, clearly stating the issue and the choices. The title of the message shall reflect its topic and shall start with "VOTE:".
b. In order to vote, a member must send a private electronic mail message or other form of commuication that provides a permanent record to the Secretary or Election Clerk, as applies. This e-mail must clearly state the issue on which he/she is voting and how the Regular Member chooses to cast his/her vote. This e-mail must be sent within the time allowed for voting. All votes except emergency meeting votes shall have 10 days from posting as the time allowed for voting. Late votes or votes cast by ineligible parties shall be disregarded.
c. A maximum of two (2) Regular members may share one electronic account for voting purposes. Each member must vote in separate e-mail messages, and must clearly identify which member is casting the vote in each message.
d. The Secretary or Election Clerk, as applies, shall count the votes and post a new public message with the results of the voting. For acceptance of new Regular members and amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws, a 2/3 favorable vote by the majority of those voting and a minimum of seven members of which four are officers is required. For all other issues, a simple majority of those voting is required. The results shall be posted within 24 hours of the end of the time allowed for voting.
e. For elections of Officers, the Election Clerk shall receive and tally votes cast as described in Article III.
f. The time a vote was received, not the time it was posted, will determine eligibility to be counted.
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Article V: National/Regional Ballots
This Club is a national club drawing its membership from all CFA regions. The club's official region of residence is determined by CFA rules concerning the region of residence of the Secretary.
Section 1: Ballots at CFA Annual
The club may vote at the CFA Annual on all ballots, including those for the offices of CFA President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Directors-At-Large. The candidates and proposals to be voted on at the Annual shall be presented to the membership and voted upon prior to the Annual using normal voting procedures as outlined in Article IV.
Section 2: Delegate to CFA Annual
The club delegate to the CFA Annual meeting shall be chosen each April by a vote of the membership. The delegate will vote according to the wishes of the club membership as determined by a majority vote of the membership.
Section 3: Regional Ballots
This club will not participate in any regional ballots in its official region of residence, including elections for Regional Director.
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Article VI: Elected Offices
Section 1: Terms of Office and Vacancies
The term of office for any elected official of this club is two years, commencing May 1 and ending April 30. Should a vacancy occur in any office except President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to that office for the balance of the unexpired term. The Vice-President shall fill the office of President for the remainder of the term should the President be unable to serve for any reason. All officials of this club must be Regular members in good standing with the club and with CFA. All elected positions must be held by individuals and may not be combined.
Section 2: Term Limits
A member may hold a given elected position for no more than two consecutive terms. There is no limit to the number of non-consecutive terms that a club member may serve.
Section 3: Responsibility of Elected Officials to be Active
A member holding any elected position is required to vote on at least 80% of the issues presented during his/her time in office, and is expected to be an active participant in club activities.
Section 4: Officer Positions and Duties
The officer positions of this club and their duties are listed in Appendix I. There are seven members of the Board of Directors: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Show Coordinator, Fund Raising Coordinator and Services Coordinator.
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Article VII: Finances
Section 1: Accounting Year
An accounting year of this club shall run from February 1 to January 31.
Section 2: Authority to Spend
a. In the conduct of the affairs of this club, the Board of Directors is authorized to spend, as required, sums of money not to exceed one hundred dollars during any one accounting year without prior approval of the membership. The Board must provide a detailed explanation to the membership in such case and must provide receipts to the Treasurer.
b. In the conduct of the affairs of this club, the Secretary and Treasurer are each authorized to purchase required postage and clerical supplies without prior approval. Statements of expenditures will be promptly reimbursed. The Secretary shall provide a financial report of all such expenditures to the Treasurer and such report and a report from the Treasurer on such petty cash expenditures will be available on request by any member.
c. No other club funds will be disbursed without the prior approval of the membership.
Section 3: Dues
All dues are non-refundable once paid.
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Article VIII: Show Production
Section 1: Show Frequency
The club will strive to hold at least one CFA licensed cat show a year. Additionally, the club will provide financial aid and will assist other clubs and regional show committees in the production of fund raising shows, regional awards shows and/or qualifiers in at least two regions a year, as requested by the regional director(s) and as feasible, given our resources. Assuming adequate finances and membership level, the club will attempt to produce its first solo show within two years of acceptance to CFA. The club will also participate in the financing of and the production of the International Show if so requested and if financially and geographically feasible.
Section 2: Threefold Purpose of Show Production
a. The club will strive to earn money to support CFA's programs, to include research, legislative activities, disaster relief, annual awards, and the International show by holding shows in several regions.
b. The club will strive to produce regional fund raising shows, the profits of which will go to support that region's activities as best determined by the Regional Director of that region. In determining show expenses, the club will not spend money on things that are not directly related to the production of the show, such as decorations, outside signs, newspaper ads, etc without the approval of the Regional Director or his/her designated representative.
c. The club, in conjunction with local breeders and/or struggling clubs, and upon the advice of the Regional Director, will strive to extend CFA's influence into parts of the country by putting on shows where currently it is not possible for these people or clubs to put on a financially successful show, due to high show hall costs, lack of an active local club, etc.
These goals as stated do not preclude the club from scheduling shows for other reasons, such as club fund raising or fund raising to support local worthy charitable organizations, as long as the Regional Director of the region in which the show is being considered agrees to the Show Coordinator's plan and justification for the show.
Section 3: Show Profits
At least 70% of the profits from a show, after expenses are paid, will go directly to support the purpose for which the show was held. The other 30% or less will go to support the goals stated in this Article, Section 2, Parts (a) through (c). The only indirect show producing expenses authorized are payment for Almanac advertising and for any costs associated with the Club's Web Page. The club's financial records on a show will be made available to the regional director whenever requested, but at a minimum, the club will forward a final expense report to the regional director within two months of the conclusion of the show.
Section 4: Respect for Region and Other Clubs
The show coordinator will not consider a show without obtaining the agreement and support of the Director of the region in which the show is to be held. Additionally, the Show Coordinator will make very effort to avoid scheduling a show within 400 miles of another show on the same date, even if that show is in a different region.
Section 5: Proximity of Membership
No show will be planned unless at least two of this club's members live in adequate proximity of the planned show location so that they may take full responsibility for show production should weather or other problems delay or prevent the arrival of more distant members. One of these two must be the assigned Show Manager. It is highly recommended that the Show Secretary live in reasonable driving distance of the show as well. Every effort will be made to involve local non-club members in the show production as well, but if our club is the sole sponsor and licensee of the show, it will bear all financial liability for the show and must have available local involvement.
This provision does not preclude the club from agreeing to help sponsor another club's show, nor does it preclude our members from volunteering for positions on their show committee in the name of this club, as long as the host club/show committee bears financial liability for the show.
Section 6: Show Planning and Show Coordinating Committee
In planning shows, the Show Coordinating Committee should periodically contact the Regional Directors to discuss general ideas, regional needs, and possible locations and dates for shows. Before doing any detailed planning on a show, the Show Coordinating Committee will need to select a Show Manager and a Show Secretary, within the guidelines stated above. Any club member may volunteer for a position or nominate others to fill them. Once selected, these people become members of the Show Coordinating Committee until the final show expense report is approved, usually within two months after the show. The Show Coordinating Committee must then come up with a more specific plan for the show, based on input from these people. The Show Coordinating Committee will put the tentative show plan to a vote of the regular membership. This plan will include a tentative budget. Once receiving plan approval from the membership, the Show Coordinator will brief the plan to the Regional Director of that region for approval. Once the Regional Director approves the plan, the committee may go ahead with planning for the show. The Regional Director will probably make minor adjustments to the plan, but only if a major revision affecting show format, dates or location occurs does the plan need to be resubmitted to the regular membership for vote. The President will be the final decision maker on whether a plan needs to be revoted if the issue is raised.
Section 7: Show Managers and Secretaries
All current Show Managers and Show Secretaries will be members of the Show Coordinating Committee. The Show Coordinator can appoint additional members as desired. Associate Members are automatically members of the Show Coordinating Committee. The Show Manager/Show Secretary team for each show will keep the committee apprised of progress, problems, and issues relating to the planned show. They will share and discuss all financial planning with the Committee, and will immediately apprise the Show Coordinator of any budget items that are likely to run over budget.
The Show Manager is responsible for assembling a Show Committee, as prescribed in the CFA bylaws.
Section 8: Regional Policies
All club show plans will conform with regional policies regarding classes and awards for household pets. In the absence of regional policy, this club's shows will include HHP judging, normally with top five HHP awards if less than twenty cats are entered and top ten if twenty or more are entered. A Best HHP in show recognition will also be offered in such case.
Section 9: Vendor Booths
Vendor booth space may be offered free to worthy, non-profit causes, at the discretion of the show manager in consultation with the Services Coordinator and the applicable Regional Director. No organization linked with anti-breeding activities shall be allowed booth space, paid or unpaid.
Section 10: Show Catalog Advertising
Organizations or individuals known to have purposes contrary to those of CFA, especially those espousing anti-breeding sentiments, will be denied advertising in the catalog.
Section 11: Show Sponsorship
In providing sponsorship to other clubs' shows, this club requires the sponsored club to provide a free half page ad in the catalog. If the club is doing an educational ring and our club can support it, the show committee should also arrange for a block of time to discuss how online services can assist the cat fancier. In the case of the club providing the money for purchasing rosettes for one ring, the club's name shall be inscribed on the rosettes ribbon by the club being sponsored.
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Article IX: Discipline
Section 1: Enforcement
It shall be the duty of the Board to enforce the Constitution of this organization. The Board of Directors shall have power to reprimand, suspend, or expel from membership any person who, after a fair hearing including both accuser and accused, shall be found guilty of a major violation of the Constitution or Bylaws of this Club, a breach of the ethics, or of a fraudulent, dishonest act or misconduct detrimental to the interests of CFA, the club, or to the welfare of cats or the cat fancy.
a. The Board may conduct a hearing itself or appoint a committee to conduct a hearing.The decision of the majority of the Board or the appointed committee shall be binding against all parties.
b. Charges against any member must be sent both by an electronic message to the President and by a registered letter to the Secretary, who shall in turn inform the Board of Directors and furnish a copy to the accused by return receipt e-mail and registered mail. A response must be received within 14 days of the date of first receipt of mail. Any response received in due time will be considered by the Board of Directors in deciding whether to file formal charges. Should a response not be received in due time, or should the Board decide that a response was insufficient, the Board will define and file formal charges and set a date for a formal hearing at which both the accused and accuser must be present.
c. The Secretary will inform the accused and accuser of the date of the hearing, the mode or location, and the charges by return receipt e-mail and registered mail. The formal hearing shall be scheduled no sooner than 14 days after and no later than six weeks after the charges are defined. by the Board.
d. A minimum of five Board members or five appointed committee members must be present for the hearing or it must be rescheduled with 14 day notice to the involved parties. The accused and accuser and any interested party shall present their evidence and testimony at the hearing and answer questions as asked by the Board.
e. The Board shall review the evidence and testimony presented and issue a decision. Should the accused be found guilty of the charges, the Board may decide to fine the member, suspend the membership of the member for a period of time proportionate to the charges, or revoke the membership of the member.
f. All Board decisions are accepted as binding on all parties in a disciplinary action.
g. The Secretary will inform the accused member of the Board decision by return-receipt e-mail and registered mail. In cases that membership suspension or revocation is decided upon by the Board, the Secretary will assure that the guilty party is removed from the mail list for the prescribed period of time.
Section 2: Location of Disciplinary Hearings
All disciplinary hearings shall occur on the mail list or the Board may choose an alternative private list, electronic form of communication, or location that is accessible to at least five members of the Board and the accused, the accuser, and any necessary witnesses. The Secretary shall take minutes and the hearing will be recorded electronically.
Section 3: Charges Against Board Members
If charges are filed against a member of the Board of Directors, the procedure shall be the same, except that the accused Board member may not vote for or against the charges. The accuser may send the charges to a different member of the Board of Directors if either the President or the Secretary is the person being accused and that officer shall take on the duties of the accused officer (President or Secretary) as relates to the hearing process requirements in that case.
Section 4: Specific Breach of Code of Ethics with Mandatory Sentence
Members who sell or give their kittens/cats to pet stores or to facilities engaged in research other than that aimed at improving the health of cats, who voluntarily place pedigree animals from their cattery breeding program in a shelter, or who otherwise violate the Internet Cat Club Code of Ethics signed on admission to membership (Appendix III) will be subject to temporary (not less than a year) or permanent suspension of their membership upon the decision of the Board of Directors. The Board will make such determination following the procedures outlined in Section One and Two of this Article.
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ARTICLE X: Relationship between Club and Mail List Address
This club operates independently of the electronic service or specific mail listserver and is not financed or otherwise affiliated directly with any online service. Due to the accessibility of the INTERNET, the members of the club may communicate from many different electronic services, but the mail list shall remain at ais.net unless club members vote to change the electronic service or mail list on which club communications occurs. The club members may so elect as long as the service does not profit based on message count and that no staff members of any such service are officers and if such a move were to occur, no officers at any time could become staff on that service during their term of office and no staff could become a new member of the club or an officer. Any such proposed move shall be considered an amendment to the By-Laws, and must follow the procedures for such an amendment.
Table of Contents
APPENDIX I: Officers
APPENDIX II: Definitions
APPENDIX III: Code of Ethics
APPENDIX IV: Application for Associate Membership
APPENDIX V: Application for Regular Membership
