Article I: Membership, Dues & Fees 

Section 1 -

All dues are to be paid in full at the time of membership application/renewal.

Domestic fees are as follows:

Single Adult $15.00 (1) year $35.00 (3) Years

Single Youth $10.00 (1) year $25.00 (3) Years

Two or More Persons At One Address $20.00 (1) year $50.00 (3) Years 

All Canadian memberships will be charged an additional surcharge of $10.00 per year.

All other foreign memberships will be charged an additional surcharge of $15.00 per year.  

Section 2 -

"Good Standing" Defined

a) A member in "good standing" is defined as a member who is current on payment of yearly dues and has no outstanding debt owed to the NALRC.

b) Members who pay dues more than 60 days after the due date will forfeit sweepstakes points and privileges previously earned. When dues are paid after this 60 day grace period, the applicant will be considered a new member and membership will be dated as of the date paid. 
 

Section 3 -

Membership Defined

a) A Single Adult Membership is open to anyone who has reached their 18th birthday by the date of joining the club, or any youth member who has passed their 18th birthday and wishes to convert their youth membership to an adult membership. Each Single Adult membership is entitled to one vote in club affairs.

b) Single Youth Membership is open to anyone who has not reached his or her 19th birthday. Birthdates must be supplied with the membership application. This category of membership is NOT allowed to vote.

c) "Two or More Persons At One Address" is open to anyone regardless of age. All persons who have not reached their 18th birthday must supply their birthdate on the membership application for NALRC bookkeeping purposes. The "Two or More Persons At One Address" membership category is entitled to two votes in club affairs, if two (2) of the members are eligible under the age requirements for voting.  

Section 4 -

Each membership is entitled to; a subscription to the club newsletter, a copy of "the club guidebook" in the initial year upon joining, and a membership card for each member named on the application.  
 

Article II:  Duties of Officers 

Section 1 - PRESIDENT

The President shall:

A.  Act as the Chairman of the Board, and preside at all meetings. 
B. Call and designate the time and place of all meetings. 
C. Appoint all Committees and fill all vacancies subject to approval of the Board. 
D. Perform such other duties as usually pertain to this office, or as assigned by the Board.  Be accountable to the Board of Directors.  
E. Vote at general membership meetings and Board of Directors Meetings only in case of a tie.

F.  Transact business by means of e-mail or postal mail correspondence with members of the Board of Directors when calling a meeting thereof is impractical.

G. Be bonded in favor of the club in an amount set by the Board of Directors.  The bonding fee will be provided from club funds.   
 

Section 2 - VICE PRESIDENT

The Vice President shall:

A. Perform such duties as assigned by and be accountable to the Board of Directors.

B.  Perform the duties of the President in the absence, disability or disqualification of the President.

C.  Upon a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice President shall assume the responsibilities of the President and appoint a new Vice President for the remainder of the current term with the approval of the Board of Directors.  EXCEPTION:  If the President-Elect has been determined by established club protocol, the Vice President will remain in the office of the Vice President, and the President-Elect shall assume the responsibilities of the President for the remainder of the current term. 

Section 3 -SECRETARY

The Secretary shall: 

A. Act as Secretary of the Board of Directors.

B. Conduct all general correspondence of this Association.  The Secretary shall act promptly on all correspondence received on the club's behalf. Keep on file a copy of all letters received, together with a copy of all letters sent out by him/her.

C. Keep all the records of the club; keep the minutes of all meetings of the club and Board of Directors meetings. Keep a permanent printed copy on file of the minutes of all meetings, signed by secretary. Read such minutes as required and provide minutes/messages to the newsletter editor for inclusion in the Mane Musings quarterly newsletter and to the webmaster of the club's approved website for publication thereof.

D. Perform all duties which pertain to the office.  Perform additional duties as required by the Board of Directors.

E. Turn over all monies to the Treasurer in a timely manner.  If the Board of Directors so require, the Secretary must furnish a bond in an amount set by the Board of Directors.   The cost of any such bond shall be paid by this Association.

F. Keep on file a permanent printed copy of the current approved Constitution and By-Laws, as well as a record of all changes proposed to the Constitution & By-Laws, including a record of the results of the vote on each change.

G. Respond in a timely manner to all membership applications.  Maintain a complete and up-to-date membership list, including current member addresses and report same to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

H. Compile and submit a complete and detailed list of pending membership expirations or recently lapsed memberships to the editor of the Mane Musings for publication in each quarterly issue. This shall be done in a manner that gives at least 30 days notice to each member prior to the membership expiration date. After a 60 day grace period, the Secretary shall remove any member that has not renewed their membership from the master membership list.  

Section 4 - TREASURER

The Treasurer shall:

A.  Be a custodian of all funds.  Collect all monies due the club, keep an accurate record of such

funds, and make payment as directed by the Board of Directors.

B.   Report his/her actions to the Board of Directors and membership by publishing a quarterly Treasurer's report on the

North American Lionhead Rabbit Club's approved website, or in the Mane Musings quarterly newsletter,

C.  Report on the financial condition of the club at the General Membership Meeting at Nationals and ARBA Conventions.

D.  The books must be audited annually by at the end of the calendar year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in favor of the club in an amount set by the Board of Directors.  The bonding fee will be provided from club funds.  The bond must be delivered to the President within 30 days after taking office. 

E. Maintain a bank account in the name of the club with a current signature card showing Treasurer and President as signors on the account. Any signors on the club account must be bonded.

F.  Consult and advise the President on any unusual matters with regard to club finances. 

Section 5 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The general supervision and conduct of the affairs of this Association shall be vested in the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall:

A.  Have charge of the business affairs and transactions of the club.  Have the power to transact all club business between meetings, act upon charges brought before them, and formulate rules & policy which are not specifically covered in the Constitution and By-Laws.

B.   Make contracts in the name of the club.

C.   Interpret any rules, regulations and By-Laws of the club.

D.  Carry out instructions of this Association. Each Director shall be responsible for answering all correspondence addressed to him/her in a timely manner. Each Director shall provide quarterly reports to the newsletter editor of events that are taking place in their district. This can include show wins of the members within their district. Members shall be responsible to submit such wins to their district director.

E.  Authorize expenditures, not exceeding the assets of the Association.

F.  Devise ways and means to carry out the objectives of the Association.

G.  Make decisions as may pertain to the improvement of this Association.

H.  All transactions by the Board of Directors must have a simple majority approval.  Five (5)members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. 
 

Article III:  Compensation 

Section 1 - The NALRC shall pay the Secretary a stipend of $1.50 for each single adult, single youth, and family membership processed. This shall be the total compensation for the Secretary. 

Section 2 - The Newsletter Editor shall receive a stipend of $100.00 per issue for the compilation and publication of the quarterly newsletter for a total of $400.00 per year. This shall be the total compensation for the Newsletter Editor. 
 

Article IV:  Standing Committees 
 

Section 1 - The President will appoint all Standing Committees subject to the approval by simple majority of the Board of Directors. The term of all Committee Chairs and members shall be one year beginning/ending immediately following the conclusion of the annual ARBA Convention. All members reviewed and appointed for any  Committee must be a member in good standing. The Chairperson for each Committee shall have been a member in good standing of the NALRC for a period of one (1) year. 

Section 2 - 

The President or the Board of Directors may request the formation of a Special Committee if the objective for the committee is not met by any of the Standing Committees.  A Special Committee may be appointed  to fill that objective by the President, with Board approval by a simple majority.  Special Committees shall be discharged after their function is fulfilled.  

Section 3 -

Standing Committees shall consist of:  

a) Rules Committee: 

Shall be responsible for reviewing, receiving, and/or proposing amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the NALRC. 

Shall receive and review any proposals for conflicts with the current documents or the ARBA. They shall make suggestions for revisions as deemed necessary.  

b) Auditing Committee:  

Shall be responsible for yearly audit of the Treasurer's books.

Shall furnish a copy of their report to the Board of Directors. 

c) Election Committee:  

Shall receive and count all ballots and maintain a record of the ballots as described in Article 5. 

The Election Committee Chairperson shall send the Secretary a certified statement of the results along with the counted ballots.   These documents shall be retained by the Secretary for one year after the election.  

d) National Show Committee:  

Shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members. Included shall be the Breed Superintendent and the Show Secretary. This committee shall be responsible for the National Lionhead Specialty Show. 

Shall oversee the operation and running of the show, the banquet and the club booth.  

Shall arrange the procurement of the trophies. 

Shall oversee the publishing and mailing of the show catalog. 

Shall oversee the raffle and Live auction, if these events are hosted. 

Shall solicit donations and set advertising prices to defray expenses, subject to the approval of the Board.  

Shall submit to the Board of Directors a list of qualified judges for up-coming years shows. They will solicit bids from judges approved by the Board of Directors and upon approval of the bids by the Board will hire judges as necessary.  

Shall decide any issues dealing with the show during the actual event.

Shall rule on any protest made the day of the show as required in the ARBA show rules.  

Shall interrupt the "show rules" if questions should arise.  

The National Show Committee Chairperson shall be responsible for the coordination of the entire committee. He/She will hold meetings by email or phone as deemed necessary. The Chairperson shall supply information in a time sensitive manner to the website, newsletter and Board.  

The Show Secretary must be a current member of the ARBA and the NALRC. The Show Secretary shall be responsible for the physical running of the show. He/She shall make sure the classes reach the table in a timely manner.  

e) Communications Committee:   

Shall include the Chairperson of the Newsletter, Website, and Promotional Committees. This Committee shall provide input for all promotional literature used by the club. 

The Communications Committee shall oversee the coordination of written and Internet communication areas. It shall provide input and recommendations to the Board on how to best meet the objective of advancing the breed. 

The Chairperson of the Communications Committee shall be responsible for orchestrating any email communications between the above members, and arranging any Internet based meeting for said committee.  

The Communication Committee shall meet via Internet (email) as needed to coordinate all incoming and outgoing written media. These Internet based meetings shall consist of discussions involving advertising, website notifications, announcements, and any other communication which needs to reach members of the NALRC.  

The Communications Committee will provide a combined input of what shall go into the Guidebook, the promotional literature, and any advertisement that will be placed with any outside organizations.  

f) Website Committee:  

Shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members. The webmasters may be members of this committee. The Chairperson of this committee is a member of the Communications Committee. The committee shall be responsible for overseeing the club website. 

All requests for website updates to be sent to the Website Chairperson as well as to all webmasters. This may be done in the form of a website committee email address accessible by all Webmasters and the Committee Chair. 

Webmasters shall not reside at the same household to protect the club website and allow updates to occur regardless of natural disasters, power outages, or other emergencies that may arise. 

Website Chairperson shall be authorized to perform any updates/changes which may become necessary should the webmasters not be able to get them done in a timely manner.   

g) Newsletter Committee:  

Shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members. The Newsletter Editor may serve on this committee. The Chairperson of this committee is a member of the Communications Committee. This committee shall be responsible for overseeing the club newsletter. 

Shall make sure that the newsletter is published in a timely manner. 

Shall review costs and make recommendations to the Board of Directors in financial matters dealing with the publishing and mailing of the newsletter.  

Shall review and set advertising costs.  

Shall be responsible for content decisions that arise, subject to the final determination of the board.  

Shall give direction to the Newsletter Editor. 

The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for solicitation of articles, layout, proofing, publishing and mailing of the club's quarterly newsletter.  The newsletter editor shall collect all monies for advertising and forward said monies, with appropriate accounting records, to the Treasurer in a timely manner.   

An Advertising Coordinator may be appointed, if desired by the Editor.  If so appointed, they shall collect all monies for advertising and forward said monies, with appropriate accounting records, to the Treasurer in a timely manner.  

h) Promotional Committee:  

Shall be a minimum of three (3) persons. The Chairperson of this committee is a member of the Communications Committee. This committee shall be in charge of formulating any Lionhead promotional literature used by the NALRC and overseeing any promotional/educational events the club may choose to take part in.  

Shall oversee any educational projects that would help to promote the breed.  

Shall be responsible for the editing and publishing of the club Guidebook. 

Shall make recommendations and offer information and materials to the webmasters. 

Shall advise and recommend to the Board of Directors events or items that would further the promotion of the breed.  

i) Fundraising Committee: 

Shall consist of a minimum of (5) five members.   

Shall oversee all fundraising for the club throughout the year, including correlating any fundraising opportunities subject to approval by the Board of Directors.   

Shall serve as the Live Auction Committee for the NALRC National Show, if the event is hosted, and will be responsible for all duties pertaining to the said auction. 

j) Sweepstakes Committee:  

Shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members. It shall make sure that current and accurate sweepstakes point records are kept.  

Shall supervise and oversee the performance of the Sweepstakes counter.  

Shall make sure that the website is updated with current sweepstakes points no less than once a month.  

Shall make sure that current sweepstakes standings are published in the club newsletter.  

Shall review and recommend updates to the sweepstakes rule.  

Shall clarify questions on the sweepstakes as they may arise.  

Shall oversee the selection and awarding of yearly sweepstakes awards.  

k) Youth Committee:  

Shall have a minimum of three (3) adult members. This committee can also have a number of youth members equal to the number of adult members. The Youth Committee shall correlate youth programs subject to the Board of Directors.  

k) Standards Committee: 

 
Shall help with the development of the Lionhead rabbit as an American breed and the addition of varieties and groups as they may be brought forth for presentation. 

Shall review the animals selected by the person holding the current Certificate of Development before they are presented to the ARBA Standards Committee in accordance with the American Rabbit Breeders Association rules . 
 

Shall be comprised of nine (9) members. The members shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.  

Shall be of the highest quality, committed to the development of the Lionhead rabbit breed and its acceptance to the breed status with the ARBA and its expansion to additional varieties or groups. They should understand the importance of these duties and be willing to make every effort to fulfill them with the utmost care and diligence. 

The person holding the current Certificate of Development shall be one of the nine (9) members of this committee. This person may not serve as Chairperson.  
 

Article V:  Elections & Voting Procedures 

Section 1 -

Any voting member in good standing over 18 years of age wishing to become a candidate for any office shall submit an Intent to Run for that office to the Secretary of the club. The Intent to Run shall be postmarked to the Secretary no later than May 15th of the election year.  

Section 2 -

Upon receipt of the Intent to Run, the Secretary shall determine if the member is eligible to run for office. The names of all qualifying candidates running for office must appear on the ballot. The unopposed candidate shall automatically win that office. Write-ins shall not be allowed.  

Section 3 -

The Secretary shall prepare ballots yearly and use first class postage to mail all ballots to all eligible members in good standing by June 30th. All ballots shall be returned to the Election Chairperson. All returned ballots must be postmarked no later than July 31st to be considered valid. The Election Committee shall count all acceptable ballots by August 15th and send a certified statement of the results along with the ballots to the Secretary.  Facsimiles or copies of the official ballot shall not be considered an acceptable ballot and shall be declared void. Voided ballots shall be held by the Secretary, along with the valid ballots, for a period of one (1) year.

The statement and the returned ballots shall be retained for one (1) year.  

Section 4 -

Members must be over 18 years of age to vote on club issues. Youth memberships are not allowed to vote. Other memberships are entitled to votes as explained under membership, Article 1, Section 3.  

Section 5 -

No person who appears on the ballot, or any of their immediate family members, may be on the Election Committee.  

Section 6 -

The candidate with the highest number of votes on the acceptable ballots shall be declared the winner.  In the event of a tie between two (2) or more persons for the same office: the Board of Directors, prior to the annual meeting shall vote on the winner.   The Secretary shall notify the candidates of the election outcome by August 30th. 

Section 7 -

Newly elected Officers and Directors shall assume their duties immediately following the close of the ARBA Convention.  
 

Article VI: Parliamentary Authority  

The rules of parliamentary procedure comprised in Roberts Rules of Order shall

govern the proceedings of this organization unless otherwise stated in the Constitution

and/or By-Laws of the North American Lionhead Rabbit Club.  

Article VII: Order of Business 

Section 1 - Order of Business at all Annual Meetings and Board of Directors meetings

shall be:

A. Call the Meeting to Order

B. Roll call of the officers by the Secretary

C. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.

D. Treasurer's Report

E. Reading of Communications and Bills

F. Reports of Committees, Officers, and Delegates

G. Unfinished Business

H. New Business

I. Installation of Officers

J. Adjournment 

Article VIII: Discipline 

Section 1 -

Charges of misconduct may be filed by any member against another member.

Charges must be in writing and filed with the Secretary along with a $75.00 fee. If the Secretary is filed against, the filer shall send the written charges to the President along with the required fee. 

Section 2 -

Any member against whom charges have been filed shall be furnished a complete statement of the charges by the Secretary (President if warranted) and shall be allowed 30 days to file a reply.  

Section 3 -

The charges, together with the reply from the charged member if any has been received, shall be furnished to each member of the Board of Directors for his/her consideration. The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds majority vote, reprimand, suspend, or expel the member. Less than two-thirds majority shall constitute acquittal of the charges.  

Section 4 -

Any member suspended shall not be eligible for reinstatement within one year of the date of suspension. Any member expelled shall not be eligible for membership in this organization at any time.  

Section 5 -

If acquittal of the charges has been reached, the filer shall not be reimbursed his/her fee. If a member is reprimanded, suspended or expelled, the fee is to be returned to the complainant.  

Section 6 -

If an Officer, Director, Committee Chair, or Committee Member does not fulfill their duties, shows lack of interest in Club matters, or undermines the morale of the Club's membership, they shall be asked to resign by the Board of Directors. If he/she fails to resign voluntarily, the Board of Directors may, by a 2/3rds majority vote, declare the office vacant. 
 

Article IX:  Amendments 

These By-Laws may be amended or changed by an absolute majority vote of the Board of Directors in attendance at any Board of Directors meeting, or a special meeting or Conference meeting called by the President by E-mail or phone (according to Article VI, Section 4 of the Constitution). All Board Members must be notified of the proposed changes, by the Chairperson of the Rules Committee two (2) weeks prior to the vote. This notification may be by mail, E-mail, phone or newsletter.