ARTICLE I

PURPOSE OF THE LEAGUE

The mission of the Show Me Stock Dog League is to come together as true sportsmen for the purpose of exchanging ideas and training techniques, while promoting and preserving the working ability of stock dogs through sanctioned competitions, education, health and breeding information.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. SHOW ME STOCK DOG LEAGUE. Membership dues for the Show Me Stock Dog League will run from January 1 to December 31 each year.

SECTION 2. DUES. Dues will be $20 per handler per year, $30 per husband/wife handler combination with children under 18 free. Dues will be due on January 1 each year. If member joins after July 1 dues will be $10 per handler plus the additional $20 annual membership for following year. Family membership will be $15 plus the $30 annual membership for the following year.

SECTION 3. VOTING RIGHTS. A paid member in good standing shall be entitled to cast one vote at any annual or special meeting.

SECTION 4. SUSPENSION & EXPULSION OF MEMBER. The association, by an affirmative vote of the majority of the board of directors, may suspend or expel an offending member. The member must be notified in writing within fourteen days of the offense as to the intention of the board. The member will then have the opportunity to be heard by the board of directors within thirty days of written notification. Any member so expelled shall cease to be a member of this association and his/her/ its membership shall thereupon be cancelled.

SECTION 5. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the members shall be held at a suitable place designated by the board of directors in the last quarter of the calendar year with notification 60 days prior to meeting date. A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of 20% of the members.

SECTION 6. SPECIAL MEETINGS. A special meeting of the membership shall be called by the president upon written request by the majority of the board of directors or by ten percent of the membership. The membership shall be notified not less than ten days prior to the meeting stating the purpose, time, and place.

SECTION 7. LIABILITIES OF MEMBERS. No member of the association shall be personally liable to creditors of the association for any indebtedness or liability and any creditor shall look only to the assets of the association for payment.

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ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. POWER OF THE DIRECTORS. The board of directors shall have supervision, control, and direction of the affairs of the association, shall determine its policies or changes therein, within the limits of the by-laws, shall actively prosecute its purposes and shall have discretion in the disbursement of its funds. It may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable and may, in the execution of the powers granted, appoint such agents as it may consider necessary. The board of directors shall be composed of the following, all of whom shall be current active members of the association.

        a.    Immediate past president
        b.    President
        c.    Vice President
        d.    Secretary/Treasurer
        e.    Treasurer
        f.     State Directors
        g.    Representative at large

SECTION 2. QUALIFIED STATE DIRECTOR. Qualified states shall elect a director for a term of one year. The term of the director shall begin January 1 following the annual meeting at which they were elected. The board of directors shall determine the qualification of the state director.

SECTION 3. PLACE OF MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the board of directors shall be held at any place designated by the president or the board of directors.

SECTION 4. REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the board of directors shall be held prior to a regular membership meeting. Notification of the regular meeting shall be sixty days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 5. SPECIAL MEETINGS. All special meetings of the board of directors will be called by the president, or if he/she is absent or is unable or refuses to act, by the vice president or by a majority of the board of directors. Special meeting notice shall be given five days prior to the meeting, if in writing or 36 hours by direct communication.

SECTION 6. COMPENSATION. The board of directors shall receive no compensation, except that upon action by the board of directors they may receive reimbursement of necessary expenses.

SECTION 7. RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL. Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the president. Any director may be removed, with cause, by a majority vote of the directors at any regular or special meeting of the board of directors; provided that for any cause other than nonpayment of dues, expulsion shall occur only after the director has been advised of the complaint against him/her and he/she has been given reasonable opportunity for defense at a meeting of the board of directors; and, such director, if expelled, may appeal the decision of the board to the annual meeting of the association.

SECTION 8. QUORUM. A majority of the directors constitutes a quorum of the board of directors for the transaction of business.

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ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

SECTION 1. OFFICERS. The officers of the association shall be president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, and must be active members of the Show Me Stock Dog League for at least one year. The officers shall be elected annually.

SECTION 2. ELECTION. The president and vice president shall be elected at the association’s annual meeting for a term of one year.

SECTION 3. SECRETARY/TREASURER ELECTION. A secretary/treasurer shall be elected at the association’s annual meeting for a term of one year.

SECTION 4. REPRESENTATIVE AT LARGE. The representative at large shall be elected at the association’s annual meeting for a term of two years.

SECTION 5. PRESIDENT. The president shall be the principal volunteer non-staff officer of the association. He/she shall make appointments to all standing and special committees and shall be a member ex-officio, with right to vote, of all committees except the nominating committee. He/she shall also at the annual meeting of the association and at such other times as he/she shall deem proper, communicate to the association or to the board of directors such matters and make such suggestions as may in his/her opinion tend to promote the welfare and increase the usefulness of the association, and shall perform such other duties as are necessarily incident to the office of president or as may be prescribed by the board of directors.

SECTION 7. VICE PRESIDENT. The vice president shall assume the duties of the president-elect in his/her absence.

SECTION 8. SECRETARY/TREASURER. The secretary is responsible for records including minutes of the executive sessions. The treasurer shall oversee the disbursement of funds and shall be custodian of the association affairs.

SECTION 9. STATE REPRESENTATIVES. The state representatives shall serve in their respective state as spokesmen for Show Me Stock Dog League, as requested by the president. They will assist in membership recruitment and retention in their state and perform other duties as requested by the president.

ARTICLE V

COMMITTEES

SECTION1. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The committee will be comprised of the state representatives. They will be responsible for preparing a slate of officers to be presented at the annual meeting.

SECTION 2. AUDIT COMMITTEE. The president shall appoint a committee of four members in good standing to audit the books of the League annually with a report presented at the annual meeting.

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ARTICLE VI

BY-LAW CHANGES

SECTION 1. BY-LAW CHANGES. Option A: By-law changes must be presented to the board of directors by June 1 in writing. Board must approve unanimously for presentation at annual meeting.

Option B: By-law changes must be presented to the board in the form of a petition signed by

20 % of the membership in good standing by June 1. These by-laws may be amended by a vote from ¾ of membership.

All by-law changes will be presented at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII

DISSOLUTION

SECTION 1. DISSOLUTION. The association can be terminated by a three-fourths vote of the membership in attendance at any regular or special meeting. The assets of the association will be disbursed at the discretion of the board of directors.

ARTICLE VIII

VACANCIES

SECTION 1. FILLING VACANCIES. In the event of a vacancy of an officer or board member, the board may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the annual meeting at which time a person will be elected to fill that position.

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