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CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS Adopted 1/04/07
Section 1. Name
& Location The name of this organization shall be the
North Atlanta Racing Pigeon Club,
henceforth referred to as the NARPC, located in North Georgia, Section 2.
Affiliation. The Organization was chartered
with the American Racing Pigeon Union
(AU) in 2007. The North Atlanta
Racing Pigeon Club will fly with the Greater Atlanta Racing Pigeon Club as
well as the Peach State Combine and the Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon
Association. It will compete and conduct its activities in compliance with
the AU rules and Competition Standards.
Members may affiliate with any other club or national organization as
an individual as desired. Section 3.
Purpose. The Purpose of this
Organization is to engage in the friendly competition of racing registered
Homing Pigeons and to foster a positive social
environment for members and their families while promoting the Sport of
Racing Pigeons. Section 4. Motto (optional
but handy in keeping your group focused) Section 5. Sportsmanship. Members of the
NARPC agree to conduct themselves in the spirit of friendly sportsmanship, fairness
and in accordance with the AU Code of Ethics. ARTICLE II. -
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Active
Members: Any
Homing Pigeon fancier who has participated in at least (Select number –
must be at least) race(s) during the previous year, and is current in all
dues and fees of the NARPC and national organizations is considered an Active Flying Member. All other
members who are current of all dues and fees and did not fly are considered
by the NARPC as Active members.
Members must be of good character and have never been expelled by a
recognized national racing pigeon organization. Section 2. New
Members:
Recommendations of individuals as new members in the NARPC may be made by any
active member of the club. A prospective member who has never been a member
shall be eligible for membership if he is eligible to be an AU member. Membership shall not be denied based on
anyone’s sex, race, creed or religion.
Acceptance of the applicant as a member is constituted by a majority
vote in favor by those current members present and voting. Section 3. Invitational Membership: (Optional) If a club chooses to be an invitational (club), membership would
be available in the club by invitation.
A simply majority of current or active members must vote on the
invited prospect to be accepted. (Note, Combines and other organizations
usually accept membership by
written application.) Section 4. Probationary
Membership: (Optional) Any
new member duly accepted by the (organization), shall be a probationary
member for twelve (12) months upon being accepted. During the probationary period, the new
member has full entitlement to participate in races and other activities
sponsored by the (organization).
Probationary members may have limited (describe “limits”) rights and voting privileges during this period. At the first regular meeting following
completion of the member’s probationary period, they shall stand for voting
into full active member status. A
simple majority of active members present may vote to install full active
membership status. Once a new member
has completed this probationary membership period, the organization shall
vote on them prior to conducting any other business and the new member shall
be entitled to vote on all items of business considered at the meeting. Section 5. Junior Membership in the NARPC is defined as any person less than
eighteen (18) years of age and
accepted by the majority vote of the active members present. (Junior members may or may not be allowed
or have limited voting
privileges, depending on the
wishes of the club. (Outline any such
restrictions in this section.) Section 6.
Associate Membership: is defined as any former flying member of the NARPC who is not
presently engaged in racing pigeons. Associates and Junior members are (or
not) eligible to vote on NARPC business, (or,
define specifically if they can only vote on certain sections of organizational
business). Section 6.
Partnership lofts: shall be limited to one (1) vote each, (unless they are flying separate teams and/or paying
separate dues) and
one physical address as defined in the AU Policies 100.02 (Partnership lofts may also be limited by the club to number of teams or birds that can be entered from one
physical or postal address.) Section 7. Family Lofts: Shall be considered a partnership except that special
consideration might be given to Jr. members and the loft may be limited to
number of votes at the discretion of the
club. ARTICLE III-
GOVERNMENT Section 1. Voting: A ¾ vote of the active members
present is required to amend or delete any provisions of articles I, II,
III. A majority vote of the members
present is required on any other issue such as race schedules, race rules,
shipping and the election of officers of the NARPC or where otherwise
noted. All Active members shall have
the right to make and second motions from the floor. a.
Governing by
Delegates. (OPTIONAL) Delegates may be elected or appointed
by the President, as required and allowable with one alternate member.
Delegates shall secure the wishes of the members of the (club) members and communicate
these to the (organization) to the best of their ability. Compromise should always be in the best
interests of the Sport in general.
(Club) Concourse delegates must have attended the previous regular
scheduled club meeting in order to represent the club. b.
Executive
Committee. (OPTIONAL) is
made up of the elected officers of the Organization and is chaired by the
President. Additional members may be
added to the Executive Committee as appointed by the President. (Executive
committees are usually reserved for the largest organizations) Section 2. Election of officers: Officers of the NARPC shall
include a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and a Race
Secretary. Election of officers shall take place at the annual NARPC meeting
during the month of November.
Nominations will be made from the floor of the meeting and upon being
made, the President shall order that they be added to the list of
nominees. All nominees shall have the privilege
to decline nomination. Newly elected
officers will take charge of their office at the January meeting. All terms are for one year and no person
shall hold more then one office at a time.
Should an office become open during the year due to resignation or any
other cause, the President will appoint a replacement. Section 3. Duty
of Officers. a. President: The President shall preside
over all regular or special meetings and in such a manner as to transact all
business. The President shall break all tie votes and shall automatically be on
all committees in an advisory capacity. He is the spokesman for the NARPC,
and will meet the public should the need arise. b. Vice-President: The Vice-President will preside at all
meetings in the absence of the President, and heads up special committees as
appointed by the president, (i.e. publicity or Race committee) The Vice
President may also serve as the NARPC Constitution & Bylaws Advisor
to make sure the NARPC operates as intended, and its constitution and bylaws are kept up to date. c. Secretary: The Secretary shall issue notices of all
NARPC meetings at least a week in advance, and shall attend and keep the
complete minutes of same. It is the Secretary who will order and issue the
bands, and keep the records in accordance with the policies of the AU. The
Secretary is responsible for keeping the NARPC by-laws and Race Rules current
and issues all revisions to the members.
It is the responsibility of the Secretary to make sure the AU secretary
kits with band or diploma orders are returned to the national office in a
timely manner. d.
Treasurer. The Treasurer is
responsible for the financial assets of the NARPC. The
Treasurer will
submit a financial accounting to the membership quarterly, or as directed by
the President. The Treasurer shall keep the president informed as to any delinquent member
accounts, and shall pay the NARPC’s bills with the President’s co-signature
on all checks exceeding $500. The Treasurer shall keep in his custody all books and records pertaining to
the NARPC and deposit all monies received for dues, bands, surplus received
from shipping or any other sources into the NARPC’s official bank account, in
a timely manner. The Treasurer will be sure that bank account signature cards are kept
current. At the termination of his
office, the Treasurer shall immediately surrender to the President or new Treasurer, all books, records, and related papers together with such
funds or monies in his possession. An audit shall always be made by the
incoming Treasurer and two (2) members of the NARPC as appointed by the
President. e. Race Secretary: The Race Secretary is responsible for the conduct of the NARPC’s
races. He/she shall chair the Race
Committee, consisting also of members (at least two), appointed by the President and recorded in
the minutes The Race secretary is
responsible for conduction and maintaining a record of all loft surveys
and shall coordinate the race
liberations and make provisions for notifying NARPC members of release times
. He shall manage all race-figuring
activities, and is responsible for publishing race results and distributing
diplomas and awards. The race secretary will also chair the Loft Registration
committee. ARTICLE IV-
ADMENDMENTS: Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws can only be
acted upon at the annual meeting. A
three-quarters (3/4) majority vote of the active members in attendance shall
be required for adoption. ARTICLE V-
DISPUTES: Disputes (other than race disputes, which are to be
handled by the Race Secretary,) are to be settled as follows: They shall
first be referred to the NARPC’s President for settlement. If his decision is appealed by either party
in the dispute, the matter shall be taken up by the
Organization’s officers for settlement.
If their decision is appealed by either party in the dispute, the entire Organization membership, other than the
parties in the dispute, shall decide the issues by majority
vote. If the dispute can not be
remedied through the local organization or its affiliates,( i.e., Club to
Combine/Concourse, Center, State
Organization), and
an AU rule is involved, then a complaint may be filed with the AU national
office. ARTICLE VI-
EXPULSION/ SUSPENSION: A member accused of dishonorable conduct as outlined by
the AU Rules of Conduct (see AU Bylaw14.), shall be notified to appear
before the officers of the NARPC, who will investigate the charges. Such notification to appear shall be in
writing at least seven (7) days before the date of the hearing and shall
specify the charges. As a result of
the investigation, the officers shall present their findings to the
membership of the NARPC at the next regular meeting or at a special meeting. A secret written ballot will be taken, and
a three-quarters (3/4) majority vote of all active members would be required
to expel or suspend a member. The
hearing must follow procedures outlined in the AU’s Constitution and Bylaws
(see Sec. 15 Disciplinary Rules), and must assure the charged individual is
afforded “due process.” An expelled or suspended member shall forfeit all
privileges and claims against the organization. ARTICLE VII-
DISSOLUTION OF ASSOCIATION: The NARPC shall not be dissolved without the consent,
in writing, of two-thirds (2/3) of its active members, obtained in one and
confirmed in another special meeting convened for consideration of such
dissolution. Upon dissolution, the
property of the NARPC shall be disposed of, to the best advantage, and the
proceeds, after all bills and obligations have been paid, shall be equally
divided among the whole of the membership in good standing as of the date of
the initial dissolution meeting (or as
provided in that organization’s specific Constitution & Bylaws). BY-LAWS OF NARPC AU190
Sample Bylaws Revised
11/30/2006 1.00 MEETINGS: The order for all meetings should be by
Agenda, which should be distributed to all attending the meeting at the
beginning (or prior to the meeting). Items may be added to the agenda from the
floor, prior to the meeting being called to order (or as time permits at the conclusion). Meetings should start and end promptly on
time. 1.01 QUORUM: One
Third (1/3) of the active members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting. If the NARPC is unable to obtain a quorum, then a vote
may be taken by mail with the same requirements for action. 1.02 Annual
meeting: The annual meeting shall be held
in November. The business of that meeting shall include the election of
officers, consideration of any changes to the Constitution and Bylaws; and
payment of dues. All members shall be
provided written notice of the annual meeting at least seven (7) days prior
to the meeting. 1.03 Regular
Meetings: Regularly scheduled meetings shall be held not less than quarterly, or as voted by the membership. 1.04 Special
meetings
may be called by the President or in his absence the Vice-President, if deemed
necessary. Notice of such meeting shall be given each member at
least one week in advance of the date of the meeting either in writing,
personal contact, or by a direct phone call to the member. The President shall call a special meeting
within 10 days of receipt of a signed request from 25% or more of the active
members of the club. 1.05 Order of Business: The normal agenda of business
at regular (organization’s) meetings shall include: Roll
Call; Minutes of Previous Meeting; Proposals for Membership Financial
Report; Committee Reports; Communications Unfinished
Business; New Business; Date of next meeting
Good of
the Sport; Adjournment 1.06 MEETING
DECORUM Meetings should always be conducted in an
orderly manner, without side talking or distractions during the regular
course of the meeting. Drinking of alcohol beverages during any
meeting, shipping or closing a race should be prohibited until the meeting is
adjourned or business at hand is complete.
Exceptions could be special events (shows,
auctions, futurities, etc. ) 2.00
MEMBERSHIP DUES: Annual dues for members shall be determined at the annual
meeting (November), by a majority vote of the active members
present. NARPC dues, as well as those
associated with other organizations, which the NARPC is affiliated, are due,
and payable at the annual meeting.
Members are not allowed to race or purchase bands until dues have been
paid. (Some clubs also include specific work parties or events as part of the
membership “Obligation,” and charge additional fees if a member does not
participate). 2.01 Annual Dues shall
be used for affiliation dues, and all other necessary operating
expenses. 2.02 Partnership lofts shall each pay dues per year in
the same manner provided above. Each
individual composing the partnership shall each be assessed the annual dues
as per AU membership policy. (Sec. 210.23)
(Whether partnerships pay organization dues individually or as one
loft is up to the organization as how they are allowed to vote.)
AU190
Sample Bylaws 2.03 Junior
members
are those members who have not reached their 18th birthday. He/she
shall pay the prescribed AU dues for Juniors and whatever portion of the NARPC
dues that the regular members decide. (Many organizations waive this expense
or greatly reduce the dues for Junior members. A club may want to also stipulate that a
junior must participate at shipping and handle birds. A Junior member characteristic definition should be
placed here.) 2.04 Pro-rated Dues Members joining after July 1
of the year are required to pay full AU Dues, plus any Late Fees, and the
pro-rated amount of NARPC dues assessed for that year. The fiscal year for the NARPC dues shall
begin January 1st and end on December 31st of each
year. 3.00 RACE
RULES Race rules, special races, diplomas, trophies and other
prizes shall be left to the wishes of the current membership provided they do
not conflict with the Official AU Competition Standards. No changes shall be made during the race season in which
the above mentioned items are initiated unless approved by ¾ of the actively flying
members. Race rules, schedules and
release times will be reviewed at the annual meeting. A
copy of the rules and race schedule shall be give to each member annually. Amendment: If a member does not pay the guarantee (shipping fee) to fly a
series of races, he cannot vote on any race matters during that series ( 4.00 COMITTEES.
Regular and temporary committees shall be appointed by the President who
shall designate a chairman of each. 4.01 Race
Committee. The Race Secretary will chair the Race
Committee, consisting also of at least two (2) members, appointed by the
President and recorded in the minutes.
This committee shall have charge of all race details and shall conduct
every race according to these by-laws, and AU Competition Standards as well
as any additional rules the NARPC has.
It will also resolve all questions and disputes regarding racing or
competition, ensure that racing supplies are adequately maintained, and
manage all race-figuring activities. 4.02 Loft
Registration Committee. The race secretary will also
chair the loft registration committee, with a minimum of one other member, to
inspect, photograph, and survey member’s lofts and send in documentation into
the national office. 5.00
RESIGNATION Any member wishing to resign
from the organization must tender his or her resignation in writing to the
Secretary-Treasurer and must pay all indebtedness which may be due the
organization by them, and forfeit all rights and claims to the NARPC’s
property. 6.00 SHORTAGE
OF OPERATING FUNDS (club) Any shortages of funds shall be
assessed equally to all members and restored to the Club treasury. In the event of an assessment of over
(select amount), each member may be given the opportunity to pay their
portion of the assessment in three or more installments. Any agreement to money given, invested, or
loaned to the club must be recorded in the minutes and a written agreement or
contract provided, as appropriate, signed by the Club’s officers. |