Rat Terrier Club of America

RAT TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I Name

A. The name of the club shall be The Rat Terrier Club of America, also known in

abbreviated form as the RTCA.

ARTICLE II Objectives

A. To encourage and promote the highest standards in improving the Rat Terrier breed and to

do all that is possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection while ensuring the

continuation of the breed’s original purpose as that of a working terrier;

B. To encourage members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by

The American Kennel Club as the standard of excellence by which the Rat Terrier breed

shall be judged;

C. To encourage the organization of independent local specialty clubs in those localities

where there are sufficient fanciers of the breed to meet the requirements of The American

Kennel Club;

D. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage

sportsmanlike competition in all canine related competitive events;

E. To conduct sanctioned matches, specialty shows, obedience trials and field trials under

the rules and regulations of The American Kennel Club.

ARTICLE III Non-profit

A. The Rat Terrier Club of America shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part

of any profit or remainder or residue from dues, donations or any form of monetary

income to the RTCA shall benefit any individual member or group of members of said

RTCA.

ARTICLE IV Revisions

A. The members of the RTCA shall adopt and may from time to time revise such bylaws as

may be required to ensure these objectives.

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BY-LAWS OF THE RAT TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA

ARTICLE I Membership

Section 1 Eligibility. There shall be six (6) types of memberships, all of which must support the

objectives of the RTCA and be in good standing with The American Kennel Club.

Section 2 Types of Membership.

Section 2.1 Individual. Open to anyone eighteen (18) years old or older and entitles them

to all club privileges, including the right to vote and the right to hold office after two (2)

consecutive full years of membership in good standing.

Section 2.2 Household. Open to two (2) adult members residing in the same household,

each is entitled to one vote as long as dues are current and either or both may hold office

after two (2) consecutive full years of membership in good standing.

Section 2.3 Associate. Available to those who live outside of the United States or who live

in the club’s area but are not active in the club. Associate members are entitled to all club

privileges except for voting and office holding as long as dues are current.

Section 2.4 Junior. Open to anyone under 18 years of age but does not include voting or

office holding. A Junior membership may automatically convert to a individual or household

membership at the age of 18.

Section 2.5 Honorary. Open only to member or Board recommended individuals who have

made a significant contribution to the sport, breed or the RTCA and who are approved by a

majority vote of the Board. Honorary members pay no dues and may not vote or hold office,

unless they choose to maintain an individual or household membership by paying dues.

Section 2.6 Life. Open only to member or Board recommended individuals who have been

RTCA members in good standing for fifteen (15) or more consecutive years and approved

by a majority vote of the Board. Life members pay no dues but are eligible to vote and hold

office.

Section 3 Membership Dues. Membership dues shall be annual, based on the calendar year of

January 1 to December 31 and are due on or before midnight December 31 prior to the membership

valid year. The Treasurer shall send dues notices for the coming year to all current members on or

before December 15.

Section 3:1 Amount. The amount is to be determined by the Board but shall never be more

than fifty dollars ($50) per individual per year.

Section 3:2 Payment. Dues are payable to the RTCA and are due each year before the

first day of January of the membership valid year. No member may vote whose dues are not

paid for the current year. The Treasurer shall send to each member prior to February 15th a

confirmation statement of his paid dues for the membership valid year.

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Section 4 Application for Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form that

is approved by the Board and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these

Bylaws, the Code of Ethics of the RTCA and the rules of The American Kennel Club. The application

shall state the name, address, phone number, email address and occupation of the applicant and it

shall carry the endorsement of two (2) RTCA members who are in good standing. The application

must be submitted along with payment of dues for the membership valid year. Membership becomes

effective upon approval of a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board.

Section 5 Rejection of Membership. An applicant who receives a negative vote by the Board

may be presented by one of the applicant’s endorsers at the next annual meeting and qualified

members may vote on such applicant by secret ballot in accordance with Article IV Section 3 and

elect with a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members participating. Applicants for membership

who have been rejected may not reapply within 12 months of a rejection. The RTCA can only inform

applicants whether or not the constitutionally mandated affirmative majority vote was received.

Section 6 Termination of Membership. Membership may be terminated for the following reasons:

Section 6.1 Resignation. Any member in good standing may resign by written notice, or

email provided the sender’s address is recognizably documented, to the Secretary but no

member may resign when in debt to the RTCA. Obligations other than dues are considered a

debt to the RTCA and can be disciplined according to Article VI Section 3 of these Bylaws .

Section 6.2 Lapsed Dues. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically

terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid after midnight of January 31st of the valid

membership year, however, the Board may grant an additional grace period of 30 days to

such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote

whose dues are unpaid.

Section 6.4 Expulsion. A membership may be terminated under Article VI Section 1 and

3.3 of these Bylaws.

ARTICLE II Meetings and RTCA Notices

Section 1 Electronic Member Notification. Members and board members may be notified of meetings,

receive RTCA notices, dues notices or minutes via email provided the member or board member

has signed an authorization agreeing to this method of communication. Such authorization,

which is revocable, will also release the RTCA from any liability should the notification be received

late or not received by the member or board member due to circumstances beyond the RTCA’s control.

Section 2 Clarification of Meetings Verses RTCA Business. Meetings are defined as gatherings

where attendees see and/or hear each other. This includes meeting in person in the same room or

conducting a meeting by video conference or teleconference. RTCA Board business, or voting, can

be conducted at meetings or through mail, fax or email. In order for business to be conducted by

email the following precautions must be in place:

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Section 2.1 Agreement. All board members must agree to participate in this manner.

Section 2.2 Participation. Every member must be provided with the means to participate.

Section 2.3 Verification. A procedure must be in place to verify the identity of the individuals

participating to ensure that they are the eligible board member.

Section 2.4 Confirmation. A mechanism must be in place to verify that the eligible board

members are “listening.”

Section 3 Annual Meeting. At present, the annual meeting shall be held in the month of April in

conjunction with the Southern California Pet Expo, if possible, at a place, date and hour designated

by the Board, but in the future may be rescheduled to be in conjuction with the RTCA’s National

Specialty Show at the Board’s determination. Notice of the annual meeting shall be posted by the

Secretary by mail, email (provided consent is given) or in the RATTALES newsletter in accordance

with AKC Club Relations notification policies to reach each member at least 20 days prior to the date

of the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be ten (10) per cent of members in good

standing. Voting by proxy is not permitted.

Section 4 Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President or by a majority

vote of the members of the Board who are participating in a meeting of the Board or called by the

Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by twenty (20%) per cent of the members of the club in

good standing. Date, time and location of such meetings shall be determined by the Board. Notice of

each such meeting shall be communicated by the Secretary to the parties involved by mail, email

(provided consent is given) or in the RATTALES newsletter in accordance with AKC Club Relations

notification policies at least fourteen (14) days and not more than 30 days prior to the meeting. The

notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other RTCA business may be transacted. The

quorum of the meeting shall be ten (10%) per cent of the members in good standing. Voting by

proxy is not permitted.

Section 5 Board Meetings. The first meeting of Board shall be held in the month of June, after

new officers and directors assume their duties. Other meetings shall be held at such time and place

as are designated by either the President or a majority vote of the entire Board. Notice of the purpose,

date, time and location of each Board meeting shall be delivered by the Secretary to each

Board member by mail, email (provided consent is given) or phone (provided consent is given and a

written record is kept by the Secretary) in accordance with AKC Club Relations notification policies

at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. The quorum for a Board meeting shall be a majority

of the Board. Voting by proxy is not permitted.

Section 6 Board Business. The Board may conduct business by phone, conference call, mail,

email or fax provided it does not conflict with any other provision of these Bylaws. No decisions shall

be passed unless all Board members are included and all items voted on by phone, conference call,

mail, email or fax must be supported in writing and delivered to the Secretary within seven (7) business

days. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording all minutes and records of such activity.

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ARTICLE III Board of Directors and Officers.

Section 1 Board of Directors. The Board shall be comprised of the RTCA Officers and two (2)

other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing for a minimum of two (2) consecutive

full years and residents of the United States. The maximum number of possible Board seats shall be

seven (7). If either Article III Section 4.4 or Article III Section 4.7, or both, is enacted, the minimum

possible Board seats shall be five (5). Each person sitting on the Board is allowed one vote, regardless

of the number of positions they may be fulfilling. General management of the club’s affairs shall

be entrusted to the Board.

Section 3 Term of Office. The RTCA official year begins 12 am June 1 and ends at midnight on

May 31. All Officers and Board members shall be elected as provided in Article IV Section 2, 4 and 5

of these Bylaws and shall serve until their successors are elected. A secondary appointed committee

position may be held simultaneously with an elected position. The only elective offices that can be

held simultaneously are stated in Article III Section 4.4 and Article III Section 4.7 of these Bylaws. All

combined elective offices shall serve the same term length as individual elective offices.

Section 4 RTCA Officers. The Officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary,

Treasurer and AKC Liaison shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the RTCA

and its meetings and the Board of Directors and its meetings. All Officers must be a member in good

standing with the RTCA for a minimum of two (2) consecutive full years and a resident of the United

States before they can serve.

Section 4.1 President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the RTCA and of the

Board and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of

President in addition to those particularly specified in these Bylaws.

Section 4.2 Vice-President. The Vice-President shall assist the President when and where

possible. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President

in case of the President’s death, absence or incapacity.

Section 4.3 Secretary. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the RTCA and

the Board and of all votes taken and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the

RTCA. The Secretary may request that the Board appoint an Under-Secretary to help fulfill

the duties of the Secretary but this position will not be an officer or Board position. The

Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence including but not limited to:

a. Notification of meetings.

b. Accepting membership applications and delivering them to the Board for vote per

Article I Section 4 of these Bylaws.

c. Notifying new members of their election status for membership and issuing

membership cards to those applicants accepted.

d. Maintaining a complete list of RTCA members with their addresses, phone

numbers, emails, signed RTCA Code of Ethics and updated status information.

e. Maintaining a list of RATTALES newsletter subscribers with their addresses, phone

numbers and emails and prepare such list for subscriber mailings.

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f. Maintaining a separate Breeders’ List roll for the RTCA Web Site and RATTALES

newsletter and transmit updates to RTCA Web Site Manager and RATTALES Editor

as they occur.

g. Preparing, printing and mailing all official RTCA correspondence.

h. Notifying Officers and Directors of their election status as necessary.

i. Maintaining the RTCA Breed Record Stud Book. The Board of Directors can, upon

written request of the Secretary, designate by majority vote an additional person,

such as the AKC Liaison, to carry out this specific responsibility for as long as the

Board determines this is necessary.

j. Carrying out the duties and exercising the powers of President or Vice-President in

case of either of their absence, incapacity or death until such time as they are able

to resume their duties or until the office vacancy is filled according to Article III

Section 5.

k. Carrying out other such duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.

Section 4.4 Secretary/Treasurer. The Board shall have the right to combine into one (1)

position the office of Secretary with that of the Treasurer. In such a case, this combined

office shall have only one (1) Board of Directors vote privilege..

Section 4.5 Treasurer. The Board shall have the right to request that any person elected to

the office of the Treasurer be legally bonded in an amount to be determined by the Board

before they begin their duties. The Treasurer shall be responsible to the Board for handling all

moneys credited or debited to the RTCA. The Treasurer shall have access to all RTCA money

accounts in order to execute the duties of this position and shall be held accountable for their

maintenance. The Treasurer shall be responsible for:

a. Collecting and receiving all moneys due or belonging to the RTCA and shall be

responsible for depositing them into the appropriate RTCA accounts and ensuring

that all debits against the RTCA are paid in a timely manner. Moneys shall be

deposited in a bank designated by the Board of Directors in the name of the Rat

Terrier Club of America in account types designated by the Board of Directors.

b. Maintaining a written or electronic financial account book which shall at all times be

accurate, up to date and open to inspection by the Board of Directors. The

Board of Directors shall by majority vote determine if any person or persons other

than the Board shall have complete or partial access to said financial account

record document other than the annual financial report to all members.

c. Reporting all RTCA financial transactions not before reported at every Board

meeting and preparing a written financial statement of all RTCA financial activity at

the end of each fiscal year, as well as projected costs and needs for the coming

fiscal year, to be presented to all Board members by the first business day

of the month of February of the new fiscal year.

d. Preparing an annual written financial accounting to all members in good standing

stating all moneys received, expended and held during the previous fiscal year to

be mailed on or before the first business day of February.

e. Obtaining, stocking, processing and mailing any item or items that the Board has

determined by majority vote that the RTCA will offer for sale for raising funds

necessary for the continuing operation and function of the RTCA. The Board can,

upon written request of the Treasurer, designate by majority vote an additional

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person to carry out this specific responsibility for as long as the Board determines.

Any person assigned to this position must fulfill all the required financial

qualifications stated in Article III Section 4.5 of these Bylaws.

f. The Treasurer shall be responsible for any other requirements of their office that is

contained within these by-laws.

Section 4.6 AKC Liaison. Among other duties, and at the Board’s discretion, the AKC

Liaison shall help the Secretary maintain the RTCA stud book. Eventually this position will

fulfill the designation of AKC Delegate and in due course shall report to the RTCA all actions

and matters discussed at the AKC’s Quarterly Meetings.

Section 4.7 AKC Liaison Combined Office. The Board shall have the right to combine into

one (1) position the office of AKC Liaison and any other RTCA Office or Board position. In

such a case, this combined office shall have only one (1) Board of Directors vote privilege.

Section 5 Vacancies. Any time a position becomes available for any reason other than a normal

vacancy, the Board may elect by majority vote a replacement to fill the vacant position for the

remainder of the term. At the conclusion of the term the position shall be open to regular member

nominations and voting at an election as stated in these Bylaws. All candidates considered must be

an RTCA member in good standing for two (2) consecutive full years, residents of the United States

and must accept the position in a written statement to the Board. The only exception shall be that of

a vacancy in the office of President which shall be filled automatically by the Vice President and the

resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled by the Board.

Section 6 Compensation. Board members and Officers shall serve without compensation for time

and labor, but may be compensated for reasonable and necessary material expenses in carrying out

their duties for the RTCA with approval of the Board by majority vote.

ARTICLE IV Club Year, Nominations, Voting, Elections

Section 1 Club Year. The RTCA’s fiscal year shall begin at twelve (12) am on the first (1) day of

January and end at midnight on the last day of December. The RTCA’s official year shall begin at

twelve (12) am June 1 and end at midnight on the last day of May. Each retiring officer shall turn

over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office between the date of

the election result announcement on, or immediately after, May 15 and midnight of May 31.

Section 2 Nominations. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board before January

15th. The committee shall consist of three members from different areas of the U. S. A., and two

alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current

Board. The Board shall name a chairman for the committee. The Nominating Committee may

conduct its business by mail or email. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any

manner other than as stated in these by-laws.

Section 2.1 Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall nominate from

among the eligible members of the RTCA, one candidate for each office and shall procure the

acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The committee should consider geographical

representation of the membership on the Board to the extent that it is practicable to do so.

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The committee shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary who then shall mail

the lists, including the full name of each candidate and the name of the state in which they

reside, to each member of the RTCA in good standing on or before February 15th, so that

additional nominations may be made by the members if they so desire. A Nominating

Committee can reconvene if an individual selected by that committee resigns, but only if the

Nominating Committee’s report has not been mailed by the Secretary to the members.

Section 2.2 Member Nominations. Any member in good standing may request a

nomination form from the Secretary if they wish to petition for additional nomination

candidates. Member nomination forms must be returned to the Secretary postmarked on or

before March 15th and signed by five (5) members in good standing. A written acceptance

of each nominee must accompany the form to signify their willingness to be a candidate.

If no valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before March 15th, the Nominating

Committee’s slate shall be declared elected and no balloting will be required.

Section 2.3 Candidate Qualifications. No person may be a candidate in a club election

who has not been nominated in accordance with these Bylaws, they may run for only one

office at a time and must have been a member in good standing for two (2) consecutive full

years. Access to a computer and email is beneficial, but not required, for candidate

nomination.

Section 3 Voting Ballots. If one or more valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before

March 15th, the Secretary (or separate entity designated by the Board) shall, on or before April 7,

mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all the nominees for each position in alphabetical

order with the names of the states in which they reside, together with a blank envelope and a

return envelope addressed to the Secretary (or designated separate entity) marked “Ballot” and

bearing the name of the member to who it was sent. So that the ballots may remain secret, each

voter, after marking their ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope then place the blank envelope in

the second envelope addressed to the Secretary (or designated separate entity). To be valid, the

ballots must be received on or before May 1st. The inspectors of election (or designated separate

entity) shall certify the eligibility of the voters by checking the returns against the list of members

whose dues are paid for the current year prior to opening the outer envelopes and removing the

blank envelopes to count the results of the voting.

Section 4 Voting. Voting shall be limited to those members in good standing and voting by proxy

shall not be permitted. The annual election of Officers, amendments to charter documents and decisions

regarding standards of the breed shall be decided by members in good standing by written

secret ballot cast by mail. The Board may decide to submit other specific questions on ballots for

decision of the members. Election ballots are to be counted according to Article IV Section 5 of

these bylaws. In case the Nominating Committee’s slate or the election ballots are mailed late, the

Board can extend the return and due dates for additional nominations or election ballots by the requisite

number of days late.

Section 5 Annual Elections. The election of Officers and Directors shall be conducted by secret

ballot once annually in the month of May. To be valid, completed ballots approved by these Bylaws

must be received by the Secretary (or designated entity) by May 1st. Acceptable ballots shall be

counted by a) three (3) inspectors of election who are not members of the RTCA or b) the Board

may designate a separate entity to send, receive and count the ballots. The nominated candidate

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receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. If any nominee at

the time of the election is unable to serve for any reason, such nominee shall not be elected and the

vacancy so created shall be filled by the new Board according to Article III, Section 5.

Section 6 Election Results. The Secretary shall notify all candidates considered for election of the

election results as soon as possible after the election and shall facilitate contact between the new

and previous office holders to ensure that any exchange of documents takes place no later than

midnight of May 31st following the election. Results shall be publically announced on or immediately

after May 15th. All current Officers and Board names shall be posted on the RTCA Web Site and

listed in the Staff Box of the RATTALES newsletter at all times.

ARTICLE V Committees

Section 1 Appointing Committees. Committees shall be appointed by the Board to facilitate the

work of the club in such matters as dog shows, field trials, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes,

membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. All committees shall be subject

to the final authority of the Board who can accept, in whole or in part, any committee recommendation.

Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.

Section 2 Committee Members. All committee members must be a member in good standing.

Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the

Board upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons

whose services have been terminated.

ARTICLE VI Member’s Rights of Hearing

Section 1 Automatic Suspension. Any member who is convicted of charges of animal neglect,

abuse or cruelty is automatically suspended from all RTCA membership privileges, either temporarily

or permanently, to be determined at the Board’s discretion. Any member who is suspended from any

of the privileges of the The American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club is automatically suspended

from all RTCA member privileges for an equal period of time.

Section 2 Member Charges. Any member in good standing may prefer charges against another

member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the RTCA or the Rat Terrier breed.

Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a

deposit of $50.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board or Board

Committee following a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each

member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting. The Board shall first consider whether

the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest

of the RTCA or the Rat Terrier Breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege prejudicial

conduct toward the above mentioned identities, the Board may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If

the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall determine a date for a hearing by the Board,

or Board Committee of not less than three members of the Board, and not less than three (3) weeks

nor more than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges

to the accused member by certified mail together with a notice of hearing and an assurance that the

defendant may present their defense either in person or in written form, and bring witnesses or

include witnesses’ statements in their defense if they wish.

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Section 3 Board Hearing. A Board disciplinary hearing may be conducted via teleconference call

if all parties to the hearing consent in writing and follow these Bylaws. The Board or Board

Committee shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but

both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be

sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by the complainant and defendant,

the Board or Board Committee may by a majority vote of those participating reprimand or suspend

the defendant. Immediately after the Board or Board Committee has reached a decision, its findings

shall be put in written form and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of

the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.

Section 3.1 Reprimand. When charges have been filed against a member in accordance

with these Bylaws but the Board determines that the member’s conduct was not severe

enough to warrant a suspension or a recommendation for expulsion, a written warning

detailing the charges and Board determination shall be delivered to said member. If an official

reprimand is published it shall only indicate that subsequent to a Board hearing (X) member

was officially reprimanded as a result of charges filed by member (Y).

Section 3.2 Suspension. If the Board decides a suspension is appropriate the defendant

shall lose all privileges of the RTCA for a period of not more than six (6) months from the date

of the hearing or until the next annual meeting if that will occur after six (6) months.

Section 3.3 Expulsion. If the Board deems that suspension is insufficient, it may also

recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. Expulsion of a member from

the RTCA may be accomplished only at the annual meeting of the RTCA following a hearing

and upon the recommendation of the Board or Board Committee as provided in Article VI

Section 3 of these Bylaws. In such case, a suspension shall not restrict the defendant’s right

to appear before his fellow members in person or defend himself in a written statement at the

ensuing meeting which considers the recommendation of the Board or Board Committee. No

evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall announce the charges and

findings and recommendations and shall invite the defendant to respond either in person or in

writing. The members shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds

(2/3) majority vote of those participating and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary

for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, any suspension shall stand.

ARTICLE VII Amendments

Section 1 Proposing Amendments. Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and Standard

for the Rat Terrier breed may be proposed by the Board or by written petition addressed to the

Secretary signed by thirty (30) per cent of the members in good standing. The Board shall submit all

proposed ammendments to AKC in a timely manner as AKC directs. The Board will have three

months from the date of receiving AKC’s official response for the Secretary to submit any proposed

amendment(s) with the recommendations of the Board to the members for voting.

Section 2 Voting on Amendments. The Constitution and Bylaws or the Standard for the Rat

Terrier breed may be amended in accordance with Article VII Section 1 as allowed by AKC. The proposed

amendment(s) shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member in good standing, accompanied

by a ballot on which a choice for or against the action to be taken shall be indicated. DualPage

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envelope procedures described in Article IV Section 3 shall be followed in handling such ballots to

assure secrecy of the vote. Notice with such ballot shall specify a date not less than thirty (30)

days after the date postmarked by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be

counted. The favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all members in good standing and the return of

valid ballots within the time limit shall be required to effect any such amendment.

Section 3 A.K.C. Board of Directors Approval. No amendment to the RTCA Constitution and

Bylaws or to the Standard of the Rat Terrier breed shall become effective until it has been approved

by the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club and then ratified by two-thirds (2/3) of all

members in good standing as stated in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII Dissolution

Section 1 Dissolution of the RTCA. The RTCA may be dissolved at any time by the written consent

of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members in good standing. In the event of the dissolution

of the club, other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation

of law, none of the property of the RTCA nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the RTCA

shall be distributed to any members of the RTCA or other persons, but after payment of the debts of

the club its property and assets shall be given solely to a charitable organization for the benefit of

dogs to be selected by the RTCA Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX Order of Business

Section 1 Meetings of the RTCA. The order of business, so far as the character and nature of the

meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call

Minutes of last meeting

Report of President

Report of Secretary

Report of Treasurer

Reports of Committees

Election of Offices (at annual meetings)

Election of new members

Unfinished business

New business

Adjournment

Section 2 Meetings of the Board. The order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority

vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Reading of minutes of last meeting

Report of Secretary

Report of Treasurer

Reports of Committees

Unfinished business

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Election of new members

New business

Adjournment

ARTICLE X Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 Robert’s Rules of Order. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of

Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the RTCA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which

they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any other special rules of order the RTCA may

adopt.

CERTIFICATION

The Board of Directors of the Rat Terrier Club of America certifies that the foregoing Constitution and

Bylaws, consisting of 12 pages, including this page, constitute the official Constitution and Bylaws of

the Rat Terrier Club of America approved by the American Kennel Club July 11, 2008 and duly ratified

and adopted by a minimum of two thirds majority vote of all its members in good standing on

October 1, 2008. All previous constitutions and Bylaws of the Rat Terrier Club of America are considered

to be null and void.

Monte Wolverton, President

Joanne Draper, Vice-president

Pamela Mills, Secretary/Treasurer/AKC Liaison

Kayte Wolverton, Board Member/Editor RATTALES

Sylvia Ann Hebert, Board Member

kw/7-08

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