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Mission
Statement:
To enjoy,
promote and learn with the Icelandic horse while at the same time
preserving its uniqueness and integrity.
Article I
Name and Objective
The name of the association shall be
The Cascade Icelandic Horse Club. Its
objective shall be to provide a venue in which owners of Icelandic
Horses or those interested in the Icelandic Horse can socialize and
communicate in order to learn about, promote and enjoy the talents and
characteristics of this breed.
Article II
Membership
Section 1: Classes of Membership
There are four classes of
membership: Individual Membership, Family or Farm Membership, Associate
and Junior Membership. Individual membership ($20.00) carries one vote
and newsletter privileges. A Family or Farm membership ($30.00) allows
a maximum of four people (maximum three adults over age 18), all of
which must be at the same residence or mailing address. A Family or
Farm membership is allowed one vote and newsletter privileges.
Associate Members are those that have not paid dues but participate via
the Cascade Club E-mail list. They may attend meetings and events but
do not have a vote and might not receive Club mailings. A Junior
membership ($10.00) carries no vote, but Juniors will receive the
newsletter.
All members must meet the following
requirements:
a)
Must be interested in learning about and
enjoying the Icelandic Horse
b)
Must be interested in furthering the aims
of this association in accordance with the Mission
Statement and By-Laws.
c)
All but Associate members must be current
on dues.
d)
Agree to adhere to the Code of Ethics.
Section 2: Annual Dues
The amount of annual dues will be
determined by the Officers. Dues shall be payable on the first day of
December of each year. Failure to pay dues by March 1st will result in
dropping to Associate Member status. For new members only, application
for membership received after July 1st will be half price and
will be good for the remainder of the calendar year. Persons that were
members the previous year will be required to pay the full dues amount
up until December, when dues will be applied to the following year.
Section 3: USIHC Members
This Club shall have at all times
five (5) dues-paying members who are also members of the United States
Icelandic Horse Congress.
Article III
Officers
Section 1: Offices and Terms
The officers of the Club shall
consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The
same person shall not be Secretary and Treasurer. Such officers shall
hold 2-year terms, and elections will be held in June of the appropriate
year. Officers shall hold office for their full two year term or until
the respective successor is chosen.
The Membership Chair will also be
elected every other year and shall vote in Board decisions.
Two Members at Large will be elected
each year, to serve one year terms, and each shall have one vote in
Board or governing body decisions.
Section 2: The Governing Body
The Officers, Membership Chair and
two Members at Large shall be the governing body of the Club and shall
determine all questions of policy which may arise during the interval
between meetings; accept and discipline members; prepare the budget; set
dues; and approve all disbursements.
Section 3: The President
The President presides over all
meetings, is responsible for maintaining decorum at the meetings, and is
the primary spokesperson for the Club and liaison with the United States
Icelandic Horse Congress. The President arranges and submits the agenda
for all Club meetings. The President shall be responsible for arranging
and organizing entry to paid participation events and demonstrations,
and shall make an effort to attend the majority of club events. The
President performs such other duties and functions usually in conformity
with the office of the President.
Section 4: The Vice President
The Vice-President shall preside
over meetings and maintain decorum in the absence of the President. The
Vice-President will also act as a liaison between Members and the
Officers. The Vice-President also should make an effort to attend club
events, especially those not attended by the President. The
Vice-President shall also be in charge of nominations for the next
election. (See Article V Section 1)
Section 5: The Treasurer
The Treasurer will keep the
financial records of the Club, collect dues, and report expenses on a
quarterly basis. The Treasurer will receive, deposit, and disburse al
monies for the Club, maintain an accurate accounting of all financial
transactions and submit a written report of all financial activity for
presentation at the Annual Meeting in January of each year. The
treasurer also maintains the current Membership list including keeping
track of which members are also USIHC members.
Section 6: The Secretary
The Secretary will keep accurate
records of every meeting and is responsible for getting these meeting
minutes to the membership. The Secretary also writes necessary
correspondences, including a report on club activities to the USIHC
Quarterly. The Secretary also coordinates the volunteers who organize,
publish and mail the Cascade Club quarterly newsletter.
Section 7: The Membership Chair
The membership chair will seek out
Icelandic Horse owners and encourage them to become Cascade Club
members. In addition, this position will work to maintain contact with
members via the E-mail list, phone, or mail as required. The Membership
Chair will serve to clarify membership benefits and event information,
and will also be responsible for Club-related materials at any event in
which the Club is represented.
Section 8: The Member at
Large Positions
The Member at Large representatives
will discuss club activities and decisions with members and represent
those members on Board decisions. The Member at Large positions will be
held for one year.
Section 9: Vacancies
The Officers may fill a vacancy in
any office occurring for any reason whatsoever. A member appointed to
fill a vacancy shall remain an officer or a Director until a successor
has been elected by members at the next annual meeting or at any regular
meeting during the year.
Section 10: Officers’ Meetings
The Officers should attempt to meet
at least once a year independently of membership. This meeting could be
in person, by phone, or by E-mail conference. Two or more meetings
would be ideal.
Article IV
Meetings
Section 1: Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Membership
will take place at least twice per year. The annual meetings shall be
in January and June. The dates will be selected by the President.
Additional meetings may be called and may coincide with Club events.
There must be at least two officers and three voting members present for
a meeting to be official.
Section 2: Meeting Agenda
The order of
business at all meetings shall be as follows:
a)
Attendance
b)
Reading of minutes from the previous
meeting
c)
Treasurer’s report
d)
Additional reports
e)
Unfinished business
f)
New business
Section 3: Quorum
At all official meetings of
membership (see Article IV Section 1), there will be no quorum.
Business, including officer elections, may be conducted by any number of
voting members in good standing in attendance.
Article V
Elections
Section 1: Nominations
Elections for President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chair are held every odd
numbered year at the Annual Meeting in June. Board Members at large
elections are held each year at the June meeting. During the few months
prior to the election, the Vice-President will solicit nominations for
each office. The Vice-President is responsible for making sure that
each person nominated has had the opportunity to accept or decline the
nomination. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the
Annual Meeting by any member in attendance, providing the person
nominated does not decline when his or her name is proposed. There are
no term limits.
Section 2: Voting
The manner of voting for Officers
shall be by balloting through the mail. The ballots shall go out with
the newsletter following the meeting where changes or election
discussions were held. Members shall have 30 days from the newsletter
postmark to mail in their ballots to the Membership Chair. The
Membership Chair and another member of the club will count the ballots
and report results to the board to be communicated to the club.
Section 3: Assuming Office
The officers take possession of
their office effective immediately after the voting has determined a
winner.
Article VI
Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the
parliamentary authority for matters of procedure not specifically
provided for by the Constitution.
Article VII
Amendments
Amendments of these By-Laws may be
adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members of the Club,
provided ballots were mailed and received with 30 days of mailing. There
shall be no voting by proxy in the aforesaid matter.
Article VIII
Dissolvement
If for any reason the Cascade
Icelandic Horse Club should dissolve, all monies remaining in the
Treasury after dissolvement shall be donated to a non-profit
organization for use in matters relating to the Icelandic Horse.
Article IX
CASCADE ICELANDIC HORSE CLUB
CODE OF ETHICS
Owners, Breeders and Handlers of
horses have much to gain by observing good ethics and sportsmanship.
All members of the Cascade
Icelandic horse club agree to and shall be bound by this Code of Ethics
during their membership in the club.
In every situation possible, the
welfare of the horse shall be paramount. The best interest of the horse
must be the criterion in all equine related transactions/activities.
Mistreatment and/or neglect of any
horse under the control of a Cascade Club member is prohibited.
Mistreatment
includes every act or omission, which causes, or
unreasonably permits the continuation of, unnecessary or unjustifiable
pain or suffering.
Neglect
includes failure to provide good quality food, clean water, protection
from the elements, opportunity for exercise, or other care which is
normal, usual or proper for the horse’s health and well-being.
Members shall handle their horses
responsibly in public places and shall do everything possible to
minimize the risk of trauma or danger to any human being or animal.
Members shall condition and train
horses naturally and to a level appropriate for the horse’s age,
physical condition and maturity.
They shall avoid using any methods
which could be harmful to the horse physically or mentally. This also
includes the excessive or improper use of artificial appliances
and training aids.
Members should keep extreme weather
conditions in mind at events or competitions if the welfare or safety of
the horse may be compromised.
If there are reasonable grounds to
believe an infraction of the CIHC Code of Ethics exists, this complaint,
in writing, should go before the Ethical Practice Review Board.
The Ethical Practice Review Board (EPRB)
shall consist of the current elected club board members for that term.
(President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair and
two Members-at-large.)
First Infraction:
If a member is found to have violated the Code of Ethics, a written
warning shall be sent to that member, signed by the CIHC BOD. This
letter shall outline the issue at hand and ask that the member
cease/desist said behavior.
Second infraction:
If the same member is found to continue to violate the COE, he/she will
be removed from the membership by the BOD, be prohibited from
participation in future club events and forfeit any awards given at the
event in question where the behavior was noted. The member shall be
notified of these actions by an additional letter drafted and signed by
each member of the BOD.
In every aspect of participation in
the CIHC, good sportsmanship and fair treatment of our horses is
acknowledged to be of utmost importance.
We ask that each and every member
take it upon himself/herself to encourage and exhibit positive behavior
in all aspects of horse ownership.
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