CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS
Article I
NAME and OBJECTIVES
Section 1.
The name of the Association shall be the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA).
Section 2.
The objectives of the Association shall be:
(a) to promote and further the advancement of purebred sighthounds and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection;
(b) to protect and advance the interests of the sighthound breeds and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at purebred dog activities;
(c) to institute a system of competitive lure field trials for sighthounds which will attempt to test their historical abilities by providing, as realistically as possible, a simulation of coursing;
(d) to issue appropriate certificates of recognition to those hounds proving their worth by competing in Association sanctioned lure field trials.
(e) to engage in such additional activities, consistent with the expertise and interests of our clubs, which are likely to support objectives (a)-(c) through public education, fundraising or other activities deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors and approved by the Annual Convention of Delegates.
Section 3.
The Association shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from revenues generated by the Association shall inure to the benefit of any member club or individual.
Article II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility.
There shall be one type of membership open to all clubs or groups who subscribe to the purposes of this Association, who have been in active existence for two (2) years or longer and who have held two (2) or more successful sanctioned lure field trials during each of those years; however, no club or group which, either according to its objectives or in fact, is operated for the financial benefit of its members, shall be eligible for membership in the Association.
Section 2. Dues.
Membership dues shall be payable on or before the first day of May of each year and shall be accepted only when accompanied by a list of names and addresses of the current officers of the club, and of the club liaison. No member club may vote, schedule, or hold an ASFA trial whose dues are not paid for the current year. No later than February of each year, the Membership Committee shall send each member club a statement of its dues for the ensuing year.
Section 3. Election to Membership.
Each applicant shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and By-Laws. This application shall state the name of the applicant club, names and complete addresses of its Board of Directors and current members, period of active existence and sanctioned lure field trials held. Accompanying the application, the prospective member club shall submit a copy of its Constitution and By-Laws as well as any other information required by the Board of Directors of the Association.
All applications are to be filed with the Membership Chair and each application shall be considered and voted upon by the Board of Directors within ninety (90) days from the date of a completed filing. The Board of Directors shall consider such applications within the context of the policies regarding membership eligibility established by the Board and the Annual Convention of Delegates, which are in effect at the time the application is received.
Applicants for membership which have been rejected by the Board of Directors may request that their application be considered at the next Annual Convention of Delegates. In such cases the application shall be considered and voted upon immediately following the initial seating of delegates. If the applicant club is elected by a simple majority vote to membership, the convention shall then consider and seat any delegates of such club under its normal procedures.
Section 4. Termination of Membership.
Club membership may be terminated:
(a) by resignation. Any member club in good standing may resign from the Association upon written notice to the Membership Chair; but no member club may resign when in debt to the Association. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Association, and they become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.
(b) by lapsing. Any membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member club's dues remain unpaid after the last day of July; however, the Board of Directors may grant an additional ninety (90) days of grace to such delinquent member clubs in meritorious cases. In no case may a member club be entitled to vote whose dues are unpaid.
(c) by inactivity. Any member club which fails to hold an ASFA sanctioned lure field trial during a period of two consecutive calendar years shall automatically revert to affiliate status. National clubs, as defined by the ASFA, are exempt from this provision.
Article III
AFFILIATION
Section 1. Eligibility.
There shall be an affiliation open to all clubs or groups who subscribe to the purposes of this Association and who are eligible to apply for a sanctioned lure field trial under the provisions for the current Running Rules and Field Procedures for Lure Field Trials.
Section 2. Dues.
Affiliation dues shall be payable on or before the first day of May each year and shall be accepted only when accompanied by a list of names and addresses of the current officers of the club and the person designated to be the ASFA correspondent. No later than April of each year, the Membership Committee shall send each affiliated club a statement of its dues for the ensuing year.
Section 3. Election to Affiliation.
Each applicant club for affiliation shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by this Constitution and By-Laws. This application shall state the name of the applicant club, names and complete addresses of its Board of Directors and current members, period of active existence and a statement as to its eligibility to apply for a sanctioned lure field trial under the provision of the current Running Rules and Field Procedures for Lure Field Trials. Accompanying the application, the prospective affiliated club shall submit a copy of its constitution and by-laws and an application fee, and such additional information as may be required by the Board of Directors of the Association.
All applications are to be filed with the Membership Chair, and each application shall be considered and acted upon by the Board of Directors within ninety (90) days from the date of a completed filing. The Board of Directors shall consider such applications within the context of the policies regarding eligibility for affiliation established by the Board and the Annual Convention of Delegates, which are in effect at the time the application is received.
Section 4. Termination of Affiliation.
Club affiliation may be terminated:
(a) by resignation. Any affiliated club in good standing may resign from the Association upon written notice to the Membership Chair; but no affiliated club may resign when in debt to the Association. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Association, and they become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.
(b) by lapsing. An affiliation will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such affiliated club's dues remain unpaid after the last day of July; however, the Board of Directors may grant an additional ninety (90) days of grace to such delinquent affiliated clubs in meritorious cases.
Article IV
CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS, CONVENTION DELEGATES and VOTING
Section 1. Club Liaisons.
On or before January 1 of each year, each member, affiliate and applied club will appoint a club liaison who shall represent the member club during the ensuing year. Notice of such appointments are to be filed with the Membership Chair and shall be made on a form as approved by the Board of Directors. Names and addresses of all club liaisons shall be posted on the ASFA website and maintained on a quarterly basis by the Membership Committee. A member club may change its club liaison at any time by submitting a revised notice of appointment. No individual may serve as club liaison for more than one member club. Correspondence by mail with clubs shall ordinarily be via the person named as club liaison. It is the club liaison's responsibility to disseminate this information to the club members. Clubs are free to appoint anyone in good standing with the ASFA as their convention delegates, as per Article IV, Section 2, or as special convention delegates, as per Article IV, Section 3. It shall be the responsibility of convention delegates to disseminate information from these conventions to the club. No convention or special convention delegate may cast more than one ballot on any convention issue or be listed as convention delegate for more than one member club. Convention delegates for member clubs may, however, represent as many other clubs as they wish provided they are clearly listed as a non-voting observer for those other clubs.
Clubs may appoint any one (1) club member in good standing with the ASFA as their regional meeting delegate, as per Article IV, Section 7, or as special regional meeting delegate, as per Article IV, Section 8. It shall be the responsibility of the regional meeting delegate to disseminate information from the regional meeting to the club. No regional meeting or special regional meeting delegate may cast more than one ballot on any regional meeting issue or be listed as regional meeting delegate for more than one member club.
Section 2. Annual Convention of Delegates.
There shall be an Annual Convention of Delegates held in March or April of each year. The location should rotate across the country so that each section of the country will have the opportunity to host. The sections are:
- West: Regions 1, 2, 3 and 10;
- Central: Regions 4, 5 and 6;
- East: Regions 7, 8 and 9.
This rotation will be followed if reasonably possible, but if there appears not to be support for a Convention in a particular area, as of the time the Site Selection Committee solicits proposals, then the Committee may recommend an alternate location, with the decision to be made at the upcoming Convention.
The ACoD Site Selection Committee shall, during the year prior to each ACoD, determine the section of the country that will be the site for the ACoD two years hence, and shall solicit written proposals from clubs or other groups. The solicitation process will involve the Regional Directors, working together within a section, to put together proposals. Proposals will follow guidelines as set forth by the Site Selection Committee. The goal is to provide quality locations at a reasonable cost to attendees. The Site Selection Committee shall then recommend to the Board of Directors a list of sites for ACoD consideration from the submitted proposals. The Board of Directors must select a site for the convention from the list recommended by the ACoD Site Selection Committee.
The date for the ACoD shall be selected by the Board of Directors. The date and location shall stand unless overridden by a two-thirds vote of the delegates in attendance at the ensuing Annual Convention of Delegates. Each member club shall be entitled to be represented by two (2) convention delegates, who shall be identified by the club on an appropriate form.
Section 3:
Whenever possible, the ACoD should be held in a physical location, with all ACoD Delegates attending in person. However, should the ASFA Board determine that it is substantially impractical to host a physical ACoD, they may choose to host a virtual or electronic ACoD, using such technology as seems best at the time. When such a decision is made, all clubs will be notified as soon as possible, but in no event less than 60 days prior to the scheduled date of the ACoD, along with an explanation of the reason for the shift to a virtual meeting. Clubs may override such a Board decision to meet virtually by an affirmative vote of 1/3 of the member clubs. To do so, the clubs shall submit a petition to the Corresponding Secretary within 30 days of publication of the Board's decision to move the ACoD to a virtual meeting. Upon receipt of a petition to override signed by the club liaisons of one-third of the member clubs in good standing the Corresponding Secretary shall proceed with publication of the time and place of a physical ACoD. The petition shall state the objection to the ASFA Board's vote to host the ACoD virtually. The Board must have in place clear policies that determine when such a shift may take place, and how such a virtual ACoD shall be run, including details about how voting will be conducted.
Section 4. Special Convention of Club Delegates.
There shall be a Special Convention of Club Delegates called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by the club delegates of one-third of the member clubs in good standing. The petition shall state the date (at least 45 days after the date of the petition), location and purpose of such a Special Convention of Club Delegates and no other Association business shall be transacted thereat. Written notice of such a Special Convention of Club Delegates shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the Special Convention of Club Delegates. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the member clubs.
Section 5. Submission of matters to Club Liaisons during the Fiscal Year by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to poll the club liaisons. The response to any such poll is to be considered by the Board of Directors in arriving at a decision regarding such matters; but the ultimate responsibility for the decision remains with the Board of Directors. All actions of the Board of Directors are subject to review by Annual or Special Conventions of Delegates.
Section 6. Board of Directors Meetings.
(a) The Board of Directors shall meet in person, at least once each fiscal year at such time and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Should the ASFA Board determine that it is substantially impractical to host a physical Board Meeting, they may choose to host a virtual or electronic meeting, using such technology as seems best at the time. Notice of each such meeting shall be given by the Corresponding Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board of Directors. The Board must have in place clear policies that determine when such a shift may take place, and how such a virtual Board Meeting shall be run, including details about how voting will be conducted.
(b) The Board of Directors shall have the authority to conduct its affairs by mail. Questions to be voted upon submitted by the President or by one-third of the members of the Board shall be distributed to members of the Board by the Corresponding Secretary within three (3) days of receipt. Each member of the Board shall have fifteen (15) days from the date of mailing to send comments to the Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall distribute such comments and a ballot to the Board members within three (3) days from the expiration of the period for comment. Each member of the Board shall then have fifteen (15) days from the date of mailing to return a marked ballot to the Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall tally the ballots received and, if a majority of the members of the Board have responded, shall record the vote on the question and distribute the results to the members of the Board.
(c) The Board of Directors shall also have the authority to conduct its affairs via electronic meetings. Meetings held in this manner shall follow the ASFA Electronic Meetings Procedures, a Board policy found in the ASFA Administrative Policies.
Section 7. Special Board of Directors Meetings.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President and shall be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a written petition signed by at least one half of the members of the Board. The petition shall state the date (at least 45 days after the date of the petition), location and purpose of such special meeting and no other Association business shall be transacted thereat. Notice of such a meeting shall be given by the Corresponding Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.
Section 8. Regional Meetings.
At least once a year, the Regional Director shall organize and preside over a Regional Meeting in his/her region. Each club liaison in the region shall be advised of the date and location and nature of the items to be discussed (if known) at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled Regional Meeting. The Regional Director, with agreement from a majority of clubs in his/her region, may choose to hold the Regional Meeting in an electronic format. Should a Regional Meeting be held in this manner, all Regional Meeting delegates must have available to them the technology used to host the meeting. The quorum for a Regional Meeting shall be a simple majority of the member clubs within the region.
Section 9. Special Regional Meetings.
A Special Regional Meeting shall be called by the Corresponding Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by club liaisons of a minimum of 50% of the member clubs in the region. The petition shall state the date (at least 45 days after the date of the petition), location, and purpose of such a Special Regional Meeting. Written notice of such a Special Regional Meeting shall be mailed by the Corresponding Secretary to the club liaisons in the region and the Regional Director at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the scheduled Special Regional Meeting. The ASFA President and Corresponding Secretary, in consultation with the Board of Directors, shall choose a presiding official for a Special Regional Meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a simple majority of the member clubs within the region.
Section 10. Voting.
Each member club whose dues are current shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each convention delegate in attendance (to a maximum of two) at any Annual Convention of Delegates; and to one (1) vote by their club delegate at a Special Convention of Club Delegates. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Convention of Delegates.
Each Director and/or Officer shall be entitled to one (1) vote at any Board meeting at which he is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Board meeting.
Each member club whose dues are current shall be entitled to one (1) vote by its regional meeting delegate at each Regional Meeting or Special Regional Meeting. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Regional Meeting or Special Regional Meeting.
Section 11. Definitions.
Club liaison: a person designated by a member, affiliate, or applied club to represent them for the ensuing year. Their names and addresses are posted on the ASFA website. All official ASFA correspondence ordinarily goes to clubs via this liaison. (It is the responsibility of these liaisons to disseminate this information to the club members.) No individual may represent more than one member club.
Convention delegate: a person who represents a member club at an Annual or Special Convention of Delegates; need not be the club liaison. It shall be the responsibility of this convention delegate to disseminate information from the conventions to the club. No convention delegate may cast more than one ballot on any convention vote. A voting convention delegate may also represent other clubs as a non-voting observer provided a convention fee has been paid for each club represented as either a voting convention delegate or as a non-voting observer. The convention delegate need not be a member of the club they represent.
Convention observer: a person without voting privileges who has paid the appropriate convention fee.
Regional Meeting delegate: a person who represents a member club at a Regional Meeting or Special Regional Meeting; need not be the club liaison. It shall be the responsibility of this regional meeting delegate to disseminate information from the meetings to the club. No regional meeting delegate may cast more than one ballot on any regional meeting vote. The regional meeting delegate must be a member of the club they represent, and if they are not the ASFA-recognized club liaison, the regional meeting delegate must provide a letter signed by a club officer (other than a spouse, family member, or significant other) that gives the delegate the authority to represent the club.
Article V
DIRECTORS and OFFICERS
Section 1. Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall be comprised of six (6) officers (President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Chief Financial Officer), ten (10) Regional Directors, and the Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President will hold this position for one year following his or her term of office and shall be a non-voting member of the Board. The six officers shall be elected for two-year terms at the Annual Convention of Delegates held during even numbered years and the ten Regional Directors shall be elected for two-year terms by the club liaisons of the member clubs in the respective areas during odd numbered years as provided in Article VI and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Association's affairs, within the policies set forth by the Annual or Special Convention of Delegates, shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have no authority to alter provisions of the Running Rules and Field Procedures for Lure Field Trials.
Section 2. Officers.
The Association's officers shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Association and its Convention of Delegates and the Board of Directors and its meetings.
(a) The President shall preside at all Conventions of Delegates and meetings of the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified by this Constitution and By-Laws.
(b) The First Vice President shall preside at all Conventions of Delegates and meetings of the Board in the absence of the President.
(c) The Second Vice President shall preside at all Conventions of Delegates and meetings of the Board in the absence of the President and the First Vice President.
(d) The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all Conventions of Delegates and meetings of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Board or Conventions of Delegates. He shall keep a roll of the member clubs and affiliate clubs of the Association with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in this Constitution and By-Laws.
(e) The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence and such other duties as are prescribed in this Constitution and By-Laws.
(f) The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) shall be responsible for overseeing the financial performance of the ASFA. His responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, fundraising, budget development, variance analysis including financial modeling, managing assets and expenditures, ensure timely audits of the ASFA financials and assist in the long-range financial planning of the ASFA. As head of the Finance and Budget committee, the CFO will direct the Treasurer in his duties and will have the overall responsibility of the financial success of the ASFA. At the Annual Convention of Delegates the CFO will be responsible for a full financial report.
(g) The performance of the duties of any of the members of the Board of Directors as provided for in this Constitution and By-Laws is the overall responsibility of the Board of Directors and such duties may be delegated as required by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Regional Directors.
The ten (10) Regional Directors shall be elected for two-year terms by the member clubs in the respective areas during the odd numbered years as provided in Article VI and shall serve until their successors are elected. They shall represent the various regions of the country as defined below:
- Region 1. Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
- Region 2. California north from the southern boundary of Monterey, Kings, Tulare and Inyo counties. Nevada north of Hwy 6.
- Region 3. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
- Region 4. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
- Region 5. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
- Region 6. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Region 7. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
- Region 8. Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
- Region 9. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Ontario (Canada)
- Region 10. Arizona, California south from the northern boundary of San Luis Obispo, Kern and San Bernardino counties; Hawaii, Nevada south of Hwy 6.
Section 4. Removal.
For violation or dereliction of duty, officers and directors may be removed from service by a two-thirds majority vote of either the Membership of the Board or the delegates of an Annual Convention of Delegates. Consideration of removal must be brought forward by petition of at least five members of the Board or by petition of at least five ASFA Member Clubs. Where the petition is to be heard by the Board, notice of consideration of removal (accompanied by the grounds for removal) must be provided to all Board Members no less than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which the removal vote shall occur. Where the petition is to be heard by the delegates of an Annual Convention of Delegates, notice of consideration of removal (accompanied by the grounds for removal) must be provided to all club liaisons, not convention delegates, no less than thirty (30) days prior to the convention at which the removal vote shall occur.
Section 5. Vacancies.
Any vacancies occurring among the officers during the year shall be filled until the next Annual Convention of Delegates by an affirmative vote of a majority of the then members of the Board, except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be automatically filled by the First Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of First Vice President shall be automatically filled by the Second Vice President. Any vacancies occurring among the Regional Directors shall be filled by a majority of the votes by the member club liaisons representing the respective region.
Article VI
THE ASSOCIATION YEAR, NOMINATIONS, and ELECTIONS
Section 1. Association Year.
The Association's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December.
Section 2. Officer Nominations.
(a) The Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee at the time of each Annual Convention of Delegates held in an odd numbered year. The committee shall include one (1) member of the Board of Directors and two (2) representatives from member clubs. The committee shall submit a list of nominees for officers to the ASFA website and the Corresponding Secretary 150 days prior to the next Annual Convention of Delegates to be posted on the ASFA website, published In the ASFA Communiqué, and sent to each member club liaison. Each member club shall have forty-five (45) days following such publication to submit additional nominees for officers which shall be circulated to each member club and to the ASFA website. Such nominations must be agreed to by the nominee and carry the endorsement of the nominating member club, written copies of both of which shall be submitted to the Corresponding Secretary.
(b) Candidates for office may also be nominated from the floor at the Annual Convention of Delegates. At the time of the election each candidate for office must be a convention delegate in attendance at such Annual Convention of Delegates.
(c) Nomination and election for each office shall be held in the order of the offices in Article V. Delegates may be nominated for more than one (1) office but may be elected to only one (1). No delegate may be nominated for an office who has been elected to that office in each of the preceding two (2) terms; nor may any delegate be nominated or accept a nomination who has, within the preceding year, accepted a fee, over and above expenses, for handling a hound at a sanctioned lure field trial, or for performing or assisting in the performance of the duties of the officials of a sanctioned lure field trial.
(d) No further nominations for an office will be accepted once balloting for that office has begun.
Section 3. Officer Elections.
Officer elections shall take place in accordance with Article V by secret, written ballot at the Annual Convention of Delegates. The nominated candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast for each position shall be declared elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, only the two candidates (more only if required by a tie) receiving the highest number of votes will be included on the re-ballot and an immediate recasting of votes shall occur. This process shall continue until the election is resolved or, in the event that two consecutive ballots produce neither an elected official nor any elimination of candidates, the remaining candidates shall draw lots to determine who shall be elected to the office. Officers elected shall take office immediately upon conclusion of the Annual Convention of Delegates and each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within thirty (30) days after the Annual Convention of Delegates.
Section 4. Regional Director Nominations.
Candidates for Regional Directors shall be nominated by the club liaisons from member clubs located in each respective region during the month of October of each even numbered year. The Corresponding Secretary will notify each member club liaison of the nomination process for Regional Director for the region in which they reside. Such nominations, in either a completed nomination form or electronic message, shall be sent to the Corresponding Secretary and shall be accompanied by written or electronic message acceptance of the nominee. No person may be nominated or accept a nomination as Regional Director who has been elected to the position of Regional Director in each of the preceding two regularly-scheduled elections, or who has, within the preceding year, accepted a fee over and above expenses for handling a hound at a sanctioned lure field trial, or for performing or assisting in the performance of the duties of the officials of a sanctioned lure field trial. No club liaison may nominate more than one candidate for Regional Director. If no eligible person has been nominated by November 1st of the respective year in a Region, the President may extend the nomination period up to 30 days. If, after the extension, no nominations are received, and the current Regional Director is unable or unwilling to continue to represent the region, the Board of Directors shall appoint an Interim Director for that Region, to serve until an eligible person has been nominated and elected. Such Interim Director shall take office on January 15th and need not reside within the Region he represents. Interim Regional Directors would not affect the eligibility of any person to serve as Regional Director. Appointed Regional Directors may be currently serving as a Regional Director. The appointment shall not affect their eligibility to be nominated for the subsequent term.
Every April and October, the Corresponding Secretary shall send to each member club liaison within the region of an appointed interim Regional Director, a request for nominations for Regional Director. If no nominations are received, the interim regional director will continue. If a nomination is received, the normal election process will be implemented. The newly elected director will not lose eligibility to run for a second complete term.
Section 5. Regional Director Elections.
(a) The Corresponding Secretary shall send each member club liaison an electronic ballot including all nominees by November 15 of each even numbered year. Each member club liaison shall then have until January 1 to return a marked ballot to the Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall tally the ballots received by January 8 which were e-mailed or posted on or before January 1 and record the vote. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast in each region shall be declared elected and take office on January 15. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, only the two candidates (more only if required by a tie) receiving the highest number of votes will be included on the re-ballot. Whenever such a re-ballot is necessary, within thirty (30) days of the preceding ballot deadline the Corresponding Secretary shall send each member club liaison a new ballot containing the remaining candidates. Each member club liaison will then have thirty (30) days following the postmark date of the ballot in which to return to the Corresponding Secretary a marked ballot. This process shall continue until the election is resolved or, in the event that two consecutive ballots produce neither an elected official nor any elimination of candidates, the remaining candidates shall draw lots to determine who shall be elected to the office. The Corresponding Secretary shall then notify all candidates, member, and affiliated clubs in the respective region of the election results, including the elected candidate who shall take office immediately. At the time of elections, candidates for Regional Director must reside in the respective region. Only club liaisons from member clubs in each region are eligible to vote for such Regional Director.
(b) The drawing of lots to determine a Regional Director, if necessary, shall take place publicly within the region at a date and location determined by the President and Corresponding Secretary, who together will appoint an official to preside over the election.
(c) If an Interim Director has been appointed under the provisions of Section 4 above, and a nomination for an eligible candidate is subsequently received by the Corresponding Secretary, the Corresponding Secretary shall then send each member club liaison a notice that a ballot will be sent on a specified date, approximately 45 days later. All eligible nominees whose nominations have been received at least seven days prior to the specified date for sending the ballot will be included on such ballot. The procedures specified in Section 5(a) above will be followed for such election, with dates modified as appropriate to the specified ballot mailing date.
Article VII
COMMITTEES
Section 1. Appointments.
The Board of Directors each year shall appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Association. Such committees shall be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board or by a Convention of Delegates to perform a particular function.
Section 2. Termination.
Any committee appointment may be terminated by an affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the Board (if appointed by the Board), or a majority of the Delegates in attendance at a Convention of Delegates, upon written notice to the appointee. If a member of a Board or ACoD appointed committee resigns, is terminated, or is unable to fulfill their committee assignment, the Board may appoint a successor. In the case of ACoD Committees, the Board appointment will end with the next ACoD.
Article VIII
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS
The Board of Directors may, after notification to the clubs, implement experimental programs on a trial basis, without revising the running rules. Such programs shall, whenever possible, be parallel and supplementary to established programs, and shall be reversible in any circumstances where hound records may be affected. Under no circumstances shall experimental programs be implemented in conflict with the Constitution. After one year, the results of the program must be posted on the ASFA website, published in the ASFA Communiqué, and sent to each club liaison. After the Board of Directors presents a complete report on the results of the Experimental Program to the ASFA clubs, the experimental program may continue until the ACoD when the vote is conducted. After reporting, the subsequent ACoD must vote to approve or disapprove the establishment of a permanent program based on the experimental program. Upon ACoD approval, the experimental program shall continue until the running rules change(s) is/are approved.
If the experimental period requires substantive changes in the program, the Board of Directors may approve an additional implementation period as a trial for those changes, not to exceed a total of two years from initial implementation to an ACoD vote.
Article IX
DISCIPLINE
Section 1.
Any club, individual or the ASFA Board of Directors may prefer charges against any individual or club for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the ASFA or any and all breeds of sighthounds. Written charges with specifications must be filed with the Corresponding Secretary together with a deposit of $25 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Corresponding Secretary and the President, in consultation with the Board, will then appoint an Investigating Committee consisting of the Corresponding Secretary (unless he or she is disqualified by conflict of interest) and two other Board members (three in the case of the Corresponding Secretary being disqualified) who shall first review the charges and the evidence available for them. After considering all available evidence, the Investigating Committee shall consider whether the Board should entertain jurisdiction in the matter. If the Investigating Committee decides that there is sufficient evidence of an offense that would constitute alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the ASFA or any and all breeds of sighthounds, the Board shall fix a date of a hearing at the next regular Board meeting not less than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Corresponding Secretary shall promptly send one (1) copy of the charges to the accused by certified mail or other alternative capable of verifying delivery together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant club or individual may personally appear in his own defense and bring witnesses if they (he/she) wish(es).
Section 2.
The charges may be sustained by a simple majority vote of those present, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant. The Board may then, by a two-thirds majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the ASFA for a finite period of time following the date of the hearing or, by a majority vote of those present, issue a reprimand, which shall detail the misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the ASFA. The suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before the ensuing Annual Convention of Delegates. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Recording Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary in turn shall notify each of the parties of the Board's decision and penalty, if any. Any sustained charges or penalties will be published in the official ASFA publications.
Section 3.
The suspended club or individual shall have the right to appear before the next Annual Convention of Delegates to protest the terms of the suspension; and while no evidence shall be heard at the convention, the convention may, by a majority vote, modify the terms of the suspension and may specify conditions and a date for the ultimate reinstatement of the suspended party back into full privileges with the ASFA.
Section 4.
(a) Host clubs that fail to meet and comply with the Running Rules and Field Procedures for Lure Field Trials are subject to suspension of any or all privileges, or to a fine, as may be deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors. Any fine imposed may be appealed to the Board of Directors.
(b) Individuals or clubs with outstanding debts to the ASFA are subject to suspension of any or all privileges by the Board of Directors.
(c) Before suspension of a club or individual is imposed, the Board shall offer the club or individual an opportunity to present any defense it may have.
(d) Under no circumstances does such suspension prohibit a club or individual from appearing before the Board and/or ensuing Annual Convention of Delegates and either body may rescind the suspension. Any suspension imposed in accordance with this section may be appealed to the next Annual Convention of Delegates according to the provisions of Section 3.
Section 5.
Club privileges which may be suspended include but are not limited to eligibility to hold ASFA-sanctioned lure field trials, voting, and being represented by a voting delegate at the Convention of Delegates. Individual privileges which may be suspended include but are not limited to acting as a member of the Board of Directors, representing a club as club liaison, and officiating or judging at a sanctioned lure field trial. In addition, recording of points or placements that are earned by any hound owned by an individual may be suspended.
Section 6.
A suspended club or individual that has served at least one-half of the suspension period may petition the Board to commute some or all of the remaining suspension period. Upon receipt of a commutation petition, the President will convene a committee of three Board members to investigate and make a recommendation regarding the disposition of the petition. The investigation will include a review of the initial offending conduct, the request for commutation, the manner in which the suspended club or individual has complied with the discipline, and any other pertinent information including demonstration of rehabilitation. Upon a favorable recommendation of the Committee, the Board, by a majority vote, may commute some or all of the remaining suspension period.
Article X
RECOGNITION OF ADDITIONAL SIGHTHOUND BREEDS
The procedure for recognizing an additional breed as eligible to enter ASFA sanctioned lure field trials is given herein, in chronological order.
Section 1.
There are two paths for a breed to be considered by ASFA for eligibility.
Path A: Applicant organization must officially represent a breed designated as a sighthound by the national parent club, or the parent club from the country of origin. In addition, the applicant breed must also be recognized with an accredited association that maintains a registry for purebred dogs. A formal application will be sent to the Corresponding Secretary by such organization along with an application fee of $100. If the proposal is not accepted by the Board, the application fee will be refunded.
Path B: After a petition from at least ten owners of a breed, residing in at least three ASFA Regions, along with a petition fee of $100, is sent to the Corresponding Secretary, a Committee appointed by the ASFA Board of Directors shall review the application and determine if the breed is a sighthound. In addition, the applicant breed must also be recognized with an association that maintains a registry for purebred dogs. If the Committee determines that the breed is a sighthound, the petition will be sent to the ASFA Board of Directors with a recommendation to the Board to consider it for recognition. If the proposal is not accepted by the Board, the petition fee will be refunded.
Section 2. Proposing an Additional Eligible Breed.
Subsequent to receipt by the ASFA Corresponding Secretary of a request for recognition from a major national breed organization or a Board appointed Committee, that breed may be proposed for Provisional status approval to the Board of Directors. A two-thirds majority vote of all Board members is required for approval. If the request for recognition is not approved, the proposal lapses. Recognition in Provisional status will be posted on the ASFA website, published in the ASFA Communiqué, and sent to each club liaison and will begin the first of the month following approval by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Provisional Status.
During the Provisional status period, the breed shall be eligible to be entered in ASFA-sanctioned lure field trials. Trial results for the classes shall be recorded and published in the same manner as for fully recognized breeds. However, during this period, no ASFA title or certificate shall be awarded to any member of the breed. When the breed obtains full recognition, all points and placements earned during the Provisional status period will be applied towards the current recognized ASFA titles.
Section 4. Convention Voting for Recognizing New Breeds.
After two years of Provisional status, the member clubs may vote on whether to accord the breed full recognition. If the national parent club or a board appointed committee wishes full recognition, a letter requesting such status must be sent to the Corresponding Secretary by January 1st of the year following at least two full calendar years of Provisional status Member club delegates present at the Annual Convention of Delegates at which a breed has come up for recognition will vote with each member club allowed one vote. However, a member club not in attendance at the ACoD may send in one absentee ballot to be received not less than two weeks before the ACoD in which a breed has come up for recognition. A two-thirds majority of clubs voting shall be required for full approval. Results of such voting shall be announced at the Annual Convention of Delegates. When a breed is fully recognized, it shall assume the same status as any previously recognized breed, and any appropriate titles and certificates, or points toward such titles and certificates, shall then be awarded to the members of the breed based on sanctioned lure field trial results from the Provisional period. If a breed does not achieve full recognition, the breed will stay within the Provisional status. Such a breed may re-apply for recognition every two years. The new fully recognized breed will be eligible the first of the month after approval at the Annual Convention of Delegates.
Section 5. Revocation of Recognition.
Once a breed is recognized as eligible to enter ASFA-sanctioned lure field trials, this eligibility may be revoked only if:
(a) the Board of Directors recommends that a breed be removed from the list of eligible breeds, and
(b) an Annual Convention of Delegates, held not less than six months later than the Board recommendation, votes by a two-thirds majority of delegates present to revoke the breed's eligibility.
(c) In such cases, the breed will be removed from the list of eligible breeds on January 1 of the following year.
Article XI
AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be proposed by the Board of Directors, by a special committee appointed by a Convention of Delegates for such purpose, or by a written petition addressed to the Corresponding Secretary signed by the club liaisons of one-third of the member clubs in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted with recommendations of the Board of Directors for a vote at the next Annual Convention of Delegates held at least forty-five (45) days after receipt of the petition or at a Special Convention of Club Delegates properly requested by the petitioners.
Section 2.
The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the delegates present and voting at such Annual Convention of Delegates or Special Convention of Club Delegates, provided the proposed amendments have been mailed to each club liaison at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such convention.
Section 3.
Amendments to the Constitution shall be posted on the ASFA website, published in the ASFA Communiqué, and sent to each club liaison and shall go into effect the first day of August following the ratification, unless otherwise determined by the Annual Convention of Delegates that approved the amendment. In no event shall any amendment become effective sooner than 120 days following ratification.
Article XII
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Section 1.
At Annual Conventions of Delegates of the Association, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meetings may permit, shall be as follows:
(a) Roll call and seating of delegates
(b) Minutes of the last Annual Convention of Delegates and Special Conventions of Delegates since the last Annual Convention of Delegates
(c) Report of the President
(d) Report of the Vice Presidents
(e) Report of the Recording Secretary
(f) Report of the Corresponding Secretary
(g) Report of the Chief Financial Officer
(h) Reports of the committees
(i) Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws
(j) Amendments to the Running Rules and Field Procedures for Lure Field Trials
(k) Unfinished business
(l) New business
(m) Election of Officers
(n) Adjournment
Section 2.
At meetings of the Board of Directors, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:
(a) Minutes of the last meeting and report of matters handled by mail
(b) Report of the Recording Secretary
(c) Report of the Corresponding Secretary
(d) Report of the Chief Financial Officer
(e) Reports of the committees
(f) Unfinished business
(g) New business
(h) Adjournment
Section 3. Parliamentary Authority.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable, but only when they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and By-Laws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt. A Parliamentarian shall be elected at each of the Association's meetings.
Article XIII
DUES and FEES
All dues and fees, unless otherwise stipulated, shall be determined at and by Convention of Delegates.
Article XIV
DISSOLUTION
The Association may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds of the member clubs. In the event of dissolution of the Association, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the Association nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of this Association shall be distributed to any member of the Association but, after payment of the debts of the Association, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs, selected by the Board of Directors.
APPENDIX to the CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS
The following items are policies established by the Board of Directors and ratified by an Annual Convention of Delegates; however, they are not part of the Constitution of the Association.
Article III. AFFILIATION
Section 3. Fees associated with an application for Affiliation will not be refunded if a club is denied Affiliation.
Article VI. THE ASSOCIATION YEAR, ANNUAL CONVENTION of DELEGATES, NOMINATIONS
Section 4 (d). A national club shall be represented in the region of residence of its club liaison.