MLRCA Constitution and By-Laws

Mini Lop Rabbit Club of America

Constitution

ARTICLE 1: Name

This organization shall be known as the Mini Lop Rabbit Club of America, herein referred to as MLRCA or the club.

ARTICLE 2: Objectives

The objectives of this not for profit club shall be to promote and improve the breeding of Mini Lop rabbits,

disseminate information to the members, provide educational opportunities, encourage the exhibition in all varieties,

and maintain and improve the Mini Lop standard.

ARTICLE 3: Affiliation

Section 1: The MLRCA shall affiliate with the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc. (ARBA)

Section 2: Any local, district or state Mini Lop Specialty Club chartered with the ARBA and whose organization is in accord with that of this club is strongly urged to affiliate with the MLRCA. Officers of all clubs affiliated with the MLRCA must be members in good standing with the ARBA as well as the MLRCA.

ARTICLE 4: Membership

Any person of good character, who agrees with the objectives of the MLRCA, may become a member of this club. A

signed membership application prescribed by the executive board along with payment of at least one (1) year

membership dues shall be submitted to the secretary/treasurer. The term will begin from the date of receipt of

application and dues.

ARTICLE 5: Officers

Section 1: The officers of the MLRCA shall consist of a president, vice president, immediate past president, secretary/treasurer and nine (9) directors. The four (4) officers and nine (9) directors shall constitute the executive board. Each director shall be elected by the membership from his/her geographical area which is referred to as a district. The districts are as follows:

District 1: Alaska, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Alberta, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming

District 2: Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, and California

District 3: North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin

District 4: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico

District 5: Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri

District 6: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico

District 7: Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Quebec

District 8: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Manitoba, and Ontario

District 9: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, D.C. and foreign countries.

Section 2: The president, vice president, and directors shall be elected by the membership by mail ballot or by a ballot

printed in The Mini Lop Advocate. The executive board will approve and appoint a person to the position of

secretary/treasurer. To be eligible for any office all candidates must be a current member in good standing of the

MLRCA and ARBA, have been an owner and breeder of Mini Lops for at least two years (2) just prior to seeking

office, and must continue with the breed while holding office. No two (2) members from the same household may

serve on the executive board at the same time.

Section 3: All officers except the secretary/treasurer shall have their resume printed in The Mini Lop Advocate for

the benefit of the membership. The president and four (4) directors, one from each district 2, 4, 6 and 8 shall be

elected in even years. The vice president and five (5) directors, one from each district 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 shall be elected

in odd years.

Section 4: The term for all officers, except the office of secretary/treasurer shall be for two (2) years.

There is no specific term limit for the office of secretary/treasurer since it is an appointed office. The term of those

elected shall begin under order of new business at the annual meeting. Each officer may hold office for an

unlimited number of terms.

Section 5: Vacancies in any office shall be filled by appointment of the president, subject to a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the executive board.

Section 6: An executive board member failing to report his/her vote concerning MLRCA matters to the president with fifteen (15) days of request, shall by his/her silence, forfeit his/her vote to the president, who will cast that vote as he/she wishes.

Section 7: The board of directors shall conduct business as usual in the event a quorum of the officers is not present. Any board member unable to attend official MLRCA board meetings will be contacted by the president within two (2) weeks following the board meeting to vote only on those issues presented at the board meeting. The president will not discuss old business nor ask for new business of those board members not present at the board meeting. The president will report the result(s) of the board member’s vote to the rest of the board members in a timely manner.

Section 8: Directors may appoint assistants (such as youth directors) to staff their district subject to approval of the president. Their term of appointment will run concurrently with the director’s term of office and is subject to reconfirmation at the beginning of each term of office.

ARTICLE 6: Voting Procedures

Section 1: Any member who desires to become a candidate for office must be in good standing and must fill out a nomination petition. This petition is published in the winter issue of The Mini Lop Advocate and/or may be obtained from the secretary/treasurer. The petition must be signed by a minimum of three (3) members in good standing who are current residents of the candidate’s district. Completed petitions must be returned to the secretary/treasurer and must be postmarked no later than May 1^st. EXCEPTION: Petitions for secretary/treasurer must be returned to the president and must be postmarked by any date determined by the board of directors in order to keep this office filled.

Section 2: When the nomination petition is received by the secretary/ treasurer, he/she shall determine if the member is eligible to run for office.

Section 3: The secretary/treasurer will mail the ballots, or they may appear in the official publication not later than July 1^st, to all members whose dues do not expire prior to July 1^st. The names of all candidates who have properly qualified under Article 5, Section 2 and Article 6, Section 1, shall appear on the ballot. A self-addressed envelope shall accompany each ballot with the election chairperson’s name and address thereon. Ballots must be postmarked not later than August 1^st. The committee will count all acceptable ballots and send a certified statement of the results to the president and secretary/treasurer. The president and/or the secretary/treasurer will retain the ballots and the certified statement for one (1) year in the event there is any question concerning the ballots.

Section 4: No person whose name appears on the election ballot may be on the election committee.

Section 5: In the event of a tie between two (2) or more persons for the same office, selection shall be made by a runoff election. In the event only one (1) person is running for the office, that person shall be deemed elected to that office.

Section 6: Any member who has previously resigned an office must have executive board approval to run for any future office.

Section 7: Members who submit their membership as a family membership shall have three (3) votes per family. A husband and wife membership shall have two (2) votes. A single ADULT membership shall have one (1) vote. Youth purchasing adult membership may vote.

ARTICLE 7: Duties of Officers

Section 1: The president shall preside at all meetings and perform other duties that pertain to his/her office. The president will fill all positions on standing committees.

Section 2: The vice president shall perform all duties of the president in his/her absence or disability. If the office of president becomes vacant, the vice president will succeed him/her in office.

Section 3: The immediate past president shall provide support and direction to the president and vice president. The “most recent” immediate past president in good standing will hold this position. This person will only preside over meetings or direct the organization if both the president and vice president are unable to serve or attend a meeting. If the immediate past president is not running for office the president may appoint this person to chair the election committee.

Section 4: The secretary/treasurer shall perform the following duties: be custodian of all funds; maintain a bank account in the name of the MLRCA; maintain a complete set of books and records; act on all membership applications received; act on all sanction requests; consult and advise the president regarding unexpected situations; furnish an annual report to the executive board showing the MLRCA’s general condition. In addition, the secretary/treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all the meetings and perform other duties, which may be assigned by the president. The secretary/treasurer shall be bonded to cover the assets of the MLRCA. The executive board will review the amount of bond coverage at each annual meeting. The secretary/treasurer, president, vice president, and immediate past president shall collaboratively prepare a budget for the upcoming year and present it to the board for approval at the board meeting at the ARBA Convention.

Section 5: The executive board shall: have the power to transact all MLRCA business between meetings; approve all appointments made by the president; act upon charges brought before them; formulate rules; award the locations of the National Mini Lop Show; and decide on any questions of policy or anything not specifically covered in this constitution and by laws. The secretary/treasurer shall make a full report at the annual meeting of all matters handled during the year by the board.

Section 6: District directors shall write an article for publication in each issue of The Mini Lop Advocate. These articles must contain information on what is happening in their specific district in relation to Mini Lops. Directors should be able to attend at least 50% of the annual meetings held by the national club during their term in office.

ARTICLE 8: Amendments

This constitution may be amended as set forth in the bylaws.

Reading of minutes of the previous annual meeting
Report of officers
Committee reports -- (eight) 8 standing committees and all special committees
Unfinished business
New business
Selection of next convention show judges
Good of the MLRCA

ARTICLE 1: Meetings

Section 1: The annual meeting shall be held during the annual convention show of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.

Section 2: The president may call a meeting of the executive board at any time during the annual convention of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, or the National Mini Lop Show.

ARTICLE 2: Parliamentary Authority

Section 1: Unless otherwise provided in these Articles, Robert’s Rules of Order governs the transaction of business of all meetings.

Section 2: In order to transact business at any general membership meeting of the MLRCA, there shall be a quorum of at least fifteen (15) voting members, in addition to the officers present.

ARTICLE 3: Discipline

Section 1: The executive board may, by a majority vote, expel any member, or reject an application for membership or renewal, providing charges have been filed by another member. The lack of good sportsmanship or other action detrimental to the objectives of the MLRCA will likewise be grounds for expulsion if substantiated by the board.

Section 2: A member against whom charges have been filed, shall be fully informed by the secretary/treasurer and given thirty (30) days to reply before action is taken by the executive board.

Section 3: Any member expelled or rejected may be eligible for reinstatement after a period of one (1) year, upon a 2/3 majority of the executive board.

Section 4: If an officer or director does not fulfill his/her duties or shows a lack of interest in matters of the MLRCA, he/she shall be asked to resign by the president. If he/she fails to do so, the executive board, by a majority vote, shall declare the office vacant.

Section 5: If an officer or director gives up the breeding of Mini Lop rabbits during his/her term, he/she shall resign his/her office effective immediately.

Section 6: Any member who files charges against another member must submit two hundred dollars ($200.00) with the complaint. If the charges are substantiated by a vote of the executive board, the two hundred dollars ($200.00) will be refunded. If not, the two hundred dollars ($200.00) will not be refunded and will be used for the next convention’s Mini Lop specials.

ARTICLE 4: Standing Committees

Section 1: Election committee

If the immediate past president is running for office, the president may appoint an election committee consisting of a chairperson and two (2) members. Their duties shall be to receive and certify the results to the president and secretary/treasurer within ten (10) days after the closing of the polls.

Section 2: Auditing committee

The president shall appoint an auditing committee consisting of a chairman and two (2) additional members from the membership of the MLRCA. The secretary/treasurer will provide the books and a prepared report to the committee no later than 6:00 PM on Monday evening during the ARBA’s convention. The committee will audit the books and establish that proper procedures are performed by the secretary/treasurer to: insure that all monies received and expended are properly controlled and reported; to review all procedures and assist the secretary/treasurer to insure the most convenient and/or more economical methods are used; and to remain aware of how income is derived and monies are expended. The chairperson will go over the report the secretary/treasurer has prepared with the secretary/treasurer and the secretary/treasurer will present the report for a membership vote at the annual general membership meeting during the ARBA convention.

Section 3: Standard committee

The standard committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least four (4) additional members, appointed from different districts. The standard committee shall perform the following duties: screen all suggested changes to the standard; make recommendations concerning those changes in the breed standard to the membership; insure the membership is polled; and to fulfill the obligation of a specialty club standard committee mandated by the ARBA. Further, they are in charge of protecting and interpreting the breed standard.

Section 4: Show committee

The show committee in charge of Mini Lops at the ARBA Convention Show shall consist of one open and one youth person for the positions of breed chairperson, breed superintendent, breed secretary and recorder. Additional support personnel may also be required to enable this committee to carry out its duties. This committee is also responsible for the proper showing and care of entries, recording of show results, procurement of trophies, operation of the MLRCA’s booths and arrangement of the annual club dinner meeting.

Section 5: Official publication editor

The editing of the official publication, The Mini Lop Advocate, shall be done by a committee of one (1). The editor shall be responsible for all content of the publication and arrange for publication quarterly. All monies will be sent to the secretary/treasurer. The secretary/treasurer and the editor will communicate in a manner so that both are clear regarding members who have paid/unpaid memberships or ads. The editor shall receive from the secretary/treasurer a set of labels of all paid-up members.

Section 6: Constitution committee

The constitution committee shall consist of a chairperson and appointed members, one of which shall be the secretary/treasurer. Their duty shall be to review the MLRCA Constitution and Bylaws on an annual basis to be sure that it reflects the state of affairs. They shall make recommendations for changes to the executive board and shall investigate changes suggested by the executive board and membership. They, along with the secretary/treasurer, shall monitor the club’s actions to ensure compliance with the constitution and bylaws.

Section 7: Sweepstakes committee

The sweepstakes chairperson(s) shall be a committee of one (1) or two (2). They are responsible for open and youth sweepstakes. When a sweepstakes person resigns or quits, the president and the board is to be notified in writing. This opening shall be published in The Mini Lop Advocate. Any member wishing to apply for the position must submit a resume. Although this committee is appointed and governed by the president, resumes shall be reviewed by the board and the candidate selected by a majority vote of the board.

Section 8: Judges Committee

This committee will consist of a chairperson and two (2) or three (3) other members from different states. They will be in charge of developing a list of nominated judges, develop a ballot and poll the members, and hire the best Mini Lop judges for the national ARBA Convention.

ARTICLE 5: Compensation

Section 1: The secretary/treasurer shall receive a portion of the membership as appropriate compensation. This amount will never be less than $1.00 for a single youth/adult, $2.00 for husband and wife, and $3.00 for a family membership. The secretary/treasurer will also not receive less than .50 for each sanction received. The executive board may increase these portions. These amounts, plus the ARBA convention and MLRCA national show expense check, shall be the secretary/treasurer’s total compensation.

Section 2: The president and the secretary/treasurer shall each receive an amount up to, but not exceeding $300 toward their expenses to the annual ARBA Convention and the National Mini Lop Specialty Show. If the president is unable to attend, the vice-president may receive an amount up to, but not exceeding $300 toward the same expenses.

Section 3: The sweepstakes chairperson(s) shall receive not less than $1.50 per show report. This shall be the total compensation for the sweepstakes chairperson(s).

Section 4: The supply chairperson or assistant shall receive fifteen percent (15%) of the gross sales that he/she encumbers. This shall be the total compensation for the supply chairperson or assistant.

Section 5: The board reserves the right to seek and award bids for an editor for The Mini Lop Advocate. This shall be the editor’s total compensation.

ARTICLE 6: Convention judges

Section 1: All members in attendance at the annual general membership meeting may submit the names of two (2) prospective judges. Open will nominate for open judging and youth will nominate for youth judging. A ballot will be generated from those names submitted and printed in the winter issue of the Mini Lop Advocate. The three (3) judges receiving the most votes will be asked to judge in the division in which they were chosen. They will be procured for the first year they are available. Open positions, no further than three (3) years out, are filled with judges with the next highest votes received.

Section 2: It is recommended that a host national club hire an outside judge.

ARTICLE 7: Dues

Section 1: Membership dues shall be recommended by the executive board for approval by the members at the annual meeting. Dues categories include single membership, husband and wife membership, youth membership, family membership and life membership. Age of youth membership shall coincide with the ARBA youth age.

Section 2: All members shall be notified thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of their membership. Points will not be awarded during any period of lapsed membership. If membership is renewed, points will be awarded from the date of the membership renewal and points earned prior to the membership lapse will be added to the current sweepstakes year.

ARTICLE 8: Amendments

Section 1: This constitution and bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast by ballot of the entire membership. All members are to be notified in writing of the proposed amendment and furnished a ballot.

Section 2: This constitution and bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of all members present at the annual meeting. Members must have been notified at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of proposed changes to the constitution and bylaws. There must be at least twenty-five (25) members in addition to the officers in attendance.

Section 3: Any member may submit a resolution to the executive board for an amendment to the constitution and bylaws providing it is signed by three (3) or more members in good standing and submitted at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual meeting. Members must be notified prior to the required thirty (30) days. The resolution must also appear on the agenda of the annual meeting.

Section 4: All resolutions for an amendment to the constitution and bylaws shall be submitted to the chairperson of the constitution and bylaws committee no later than June 1st. This allows time for communication and clarification between the executive board and the constitution and bylaws committee and ensures that it can appear in the fall issue of The Mini Lop Advocate.

ARTICLE 9: Order of Business

Roll call of officers
Reading of minutes of the executive board
Reading of minutes of special meetings
Reading of minutes of the previous annual meeting
Report of officers
Committee reports -- (eight) 8 standing committees and all special committees
Unfinished business
New business
Selection of next convention show judges
Good of the MLRCA