ARTICLE IV
THE CLUB YEAR, NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS
SECTION 1 - CLUB YEAR
The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of
October and end on the 30th day of September. The Club's
official operating year shall begin on the first day of
August, as of which date the elected officers and
Directors take office, and each retiring officer shall
turn over to his or her successor in office all properties
and records relating to that office.
SECTION 2 - VOTING
At the annual meeting or at a special meeting of the
Club voting shall be limited to those members in good
standing, whose dues are paid in accordance with Article
I, Section 2, of these bylaws, who are present at the
meeting, except for the annual election of officers, Board
and delegate; amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws;
and amendments to the breed standards, which shall be
decided by written ballot cast by mail. Voting by proxy
shall not be permitted. The Board of Directors may decide
to submit other specific questions for decisions of
members by written ballot cast by mail.
SECTION 3- ANNUAL ELECTION
At the annual meeting, the election of Officers,
Directors and Delegate to The American Kennel Club, who
may but need not be a Director or Officer of the Club,
shall be by secret ballot. Ballots to be valid must be
received by the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the
annual meeting. Ballots shall be counted at the meeting by
three inspectors of election who are members in good
standing and who are neither members of the current Board
or candidates on the ballot and who shall be chosen by the
members present at the meeting. The person receiving the
largest number of votes for each position shall be
declared elected. If any nominee, at the time of the
meeting, is unable to serve for any reason, the nominee
shall not be elected and the vacancy so created shall be
filled by the new Board of Directors in the manner
provided by Article 111, Section 4.
SECTION 4 - NOMINATIONS AND BALLOTS
No person may be a candidate in a club election who has
not been nominated in accordance with these bylaws. A
Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board of
Directors before January 15, the members of which shall
not be the same in any consecutive year. The Committee
shall consist of three members from different areas of the
USA, and two alternates, all members in good standing, no
more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board
of Directors. The Board shall name a chairman for the
Committee. The Nominating Committee may conduct its
business by mail or telephone.
(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among
the eligible members of the Club, one Candidate for each
office; one candidate for each open position for the Board
of Directors, (two for two year terms and one for a one
year term); a candidate for the Delegate to The American
Kennel Club, whose term shall be two years. The Committee
shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen.
The committee should consider the geographical
representation of the membership on the Board to the
extent that it is practicable to do so. The Committee
shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary
who shall mail the list, including the full names of all
candidates and the states in which they reside, to each
member of the Club on or before February 15, so that
additional nominations may be made by the members if they
so desire.
(b) Additional nominations of eligible members may be
made by written petition to the Secretary and received at
the Secretary's regular address on or before March 15,
signed by five members in good standing and accompanied by
the written acceptance of each additional nominee
signifying willingness to be a candidate. Except for the
position of Delegate, no person shall be a candidate for
more than one position and the additional nominations
which are provided for herein may be made only from among
those members who have not accepted a nomination from the
Nominating Committee.
(c) If no valid additional nominations for office are
received by the Secretary on or before March 15, the
Nominating Committee's slate shall be declared to be
elected at the Annual Meeting and no balloting will. be
required.
(d) If one or more valid nominations are received on or
before March 15, the Secretary shall, on or before April
1, mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing
all of 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 marked "Ballot" and
bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. So
that the ballots remain secret, each voter, after marking
his ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope which in
