UNITED STATES
LAKELAND TERRIER CLUB, INC.

CONSTITUTION

Article I
Names and Objectives

Section 1. The name of the club shall be THE UNITED STATES LAKELAND TERRIER CLUB.
Section 2.

The object of the club shall be:

  1. to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of pure-bred Lakeland Terriers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection;
  2. to encourage the organization of independent local Lakeland Terrier specialty clubs in those localities where there are sufficient fanciers of the breed to meet the requirements of THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB;
  3. to urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB as the only standard of excellence by which Lakeland Terriers shall be judged;
  4. to do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of the breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials.
Section 3. The club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues or donations to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.
Section 4. The members of the club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such by-laws as may be required to carry out these objects.

BYLAWS

Article I
Membership

Section 1. Eligibility. Membership shall be open to all persons who, at the time of admission to the club, are owners of record of at least one Lakeland Terrier, or are family members of a Lakeland Terrier owner. Prospective members should be in good standing with THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB and should subscribe to the purposes of this club.
Section 2.

Classes of Membership. There shall be two classes of membership:

  1. General membership, open to all persons who are 18 years of age and older.
  2. Honorary membership, selected by the Board from among those people who have made outstanding contributions to the breed over a long period of time. They do not pay dues and have no voting privileges. However, each such member should be able to maintain active/voting status by payment of dues.
Section 3. Dues. The amount of annual dues will be set by the USLTC Board of Directors. The amount of individual dues will not exceed $50. A change in the amount of dues will be presented by the board to the membership for a vote at the annual meeting. Dues are payable on or before the first day of January of each year. No member shall vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his/her dues for the ensuing year.
Section 4. Election to Membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the constitution and by-laws and the rules of THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. The application shall state the name, address and the occupation of the applicant. It shall carry the endorsement of one member in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues for the current year.

Applicants may be elected at any meeting of the Board of Directors or by written vote of the Directors by mail. Affirmative votes of 2/3 of the Directors present at a meeting of the Board or 2/3 of the entire Board voting by mail, shall be required to elect an applicant.

An application which has received a negative note by the Board may be presented by the applicant’s endorser at the next meeting of the Club and the Club may elect such applicant by favorable vote of 75% of the members present.

Please note the following:

The American Kennel Club gave permission to the United States Lakeland Terrier Club in October 1970 to add the following restrictive clause to membership to the application for membership: “It is understood that any member who will sell their dog or dogs to pet shops here or abroad shall automatically be removed from membership. Their case may be reviewed by the Board of directors upon written request.”
— Revised October 7, 1970.

Section 5.

Termination of Membership. Membership may be terminated:

  1. By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the club upon written notice to the Secretary; but no member may resign when in debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and they become incurred on the fist day of each fiscal year.
  2. By lapsing. A membership will be considered lapsed and automatically terminated if such member’s dues remain unpaid 60 days after the first of the year (Jan. 1). However, the Board may grant an additional 30 days of grace to such Delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
  3. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these constitution and by-laws.

Article II
Meetings

Section 1. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Club shall be held in conjunction with the Club’s Specialty show, in late September or early October, at a place, date and hour designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of the annual meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing.
Section 2. Special Club Meetings. Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present at a meeting of the Board or who vote by mail and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by 10% of the members of the Club who are in good standing. Such meeting shall be held at such a place, date and hour as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 14 days and not more than 30 days prior to the meeting. The notice of the meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other club business may be transacted. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 10% of the members in good standing.
Section 3. Board Meeting. The first meeting of the board in an election year shall be held prior to the annual meeting. Other meetings of the Board shall be held at such times and places as are designated by a majority vote of the entire Board. Written notice to such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Board at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for a Board Meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person or by mail.
Section 4. The Board of Directors may conduct its business by mail through the Secretary. Meetings are defined as gatherings where attendees See and/or hear each other. This includes meeting (in person) “physically” in the same room or conducting a meeting by video conference or teleconference.

Business (voting0 can be conducted at meetings or thru mail, fax or e-mail. In order for business to be conducted by e-mail, the following precautions must be in place:

  1. Every Board member must be provided with the mean to participate.
  2. A procedure must be in place to verify the identity of the individual participating to ensure that they are the eligible Board member.
  3. A mechanism must be in place to verify that eligible Board members are “listening.”
  4. All Board members must agree to participate in this manner.

The Club may send members notification of club meetings) also included would be dues notices, minutes and newsletters) and Board members’ notification of Board meetings via e-mail, provided that:

  • The member or Board member has signed an authorization agreeing to this method of communication. Such authorization, which is revocable, will also release the club of any liability should the notification be received late or not received by the member or Board member due to circumstances beyond the Club’s control.

Article III
Directors and Officers

Section 1. Board of Directors. The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and four other persons, all of who shall be members in good standing, who are residents of the United States. They shall be elected for a two year term and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.
Section 2.

Officers. The club’s officers, consisting of the President, Vice President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings. The immediate past president will serve on the Board of Directors for a period of two years with no vote.

  1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and shall have the duties and powers appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these constitution and by-laws.
  2. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of President in case of the President’s death, absence or incapacity.
  3. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all votes taken by mail, notify officers and Board of Directors of their election to office together with all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club; and shall maintain record books in which By-laws, special rules of Order, standing rules and minutes are entered with any Amendments to these documents, properly recorded and will have current record books on hand at every meeting.
  4. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, the mailing of reports and ballots to the general membership, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these By-laws or delegated by the Board of Directors. Such duties include, but are not limited to, submitting applications for specialty shows to the AKC in a timely manner. She/He shall also secure contracts for Sweepstakes and Regular Class Judges for our National Specialty Show.
  5. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the club. He/she shall deposit the same in a bank approved by the Board, in the name of the club. His/her books shall at all times be open to inspection of the Board and he/she shall report to them every meeting the condition of the club’s finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
Section 3. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring on the Board or among its officers during the year shall be filled for the unexpired term of office by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board, except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice-President and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice-President shall be filled by the Board.

Article IV
The Club Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections

Section 1. Club Year. The club’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the 31st day of December.

The Club’s official year shall begin May 1st and continue for a two year term. Each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election.

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 who are present at the meeting, except for the annual election of Officers, Delegate and Directors and amendments to the Constitution and By-laws and the standard for the breed 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 decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail.
Section 3.

Nominations and ballots. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated in accordance with these by-laws. A Nomination committee shall be chosen by the Board of Directors by November 1st. The committee shall consist of three members and two alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom shall 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.

  1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate from among the eligible members of the Club, one candidate for each office and for each other position on the board of Directors and a candidate for the Delegate to the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB and shall procure the acceptance of each nominee so chosen. The committee shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary by January 1st. The Secretary will present the proposed slate to the members by February 1st.
  2. Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and received at his/her regular address no later than March 1st, signed by two members and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his 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 herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee.
  3. If no valid additional nominations are received by the Secretary no later than March 1st, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be declared elected and no balloting will be required.
  4. If one or more valid additional nominations are received by March 1, the Secretary, or an independent professional firm designated by the Board, shall mail within 15 days, to each member in good standing, a ballot listing all of the nominees for each position in alphabetical order, together with a blank envelope and return envelope addressed to the Secretary marked “Ballot” and bearing the name of the member to whom it is sent. So that the ballots may remain secret, each vote, after marking his ballot, shall seal it in the blank envelope which shall then be placed in the second envelope addressed to the Secretary. The person receiving the largest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. If any nominee at the time of election in unable to serve for any reason, such nominee shall not be elected and the vacancy so created will be filled by the Board of directors in the manner provided by Article III, Section 3. Ballots must be returned to the Secretary before May 1st.
  5. Nominations cannot be made in any other manner than as provided above.

Article V
Committees

Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as dog shows, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject to final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.
Section 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose service has been terminated.

Article VI
Discipline

Section 1. AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB Suspension. Any member who is suspended from ALL privileges of the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this club for a like period.
Section 2. Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board or a Committee following a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting, and the Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of charges, it shall fix a date of hearing by the Board or a committee of not less than three (3) members of the Board, not less than three (3) weeks or more than six (6) weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his own defense and bring witnesses if he/she wishes.
Section 3. Board Hearing. The Board or Committee shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board or Committee, may by majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing. And if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant’s rights to appear before his fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the recommendation of the Board or Committee. Immediately after the Board or Committee has reached a decision, its finding shall be put in written form and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.
Section 4. Expulsion. Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at the annual meeting of the Club following a hearing and upon recommendation of the Board or Committee as provided in Section 3 of this Article. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings and the recommendations; and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If the expulsion is not so voted, the suspension shall stand.

Article VII
Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to the constitution and by-laws and to the Standard for the breed may be proposed by the Board or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty percent of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.
Section 2. The constitution and by-laws and the Standards for the breed may be amended at any time, provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the Secretary to each member accompanied by a ballot on which he may indicate his choice for or against the action to be taken. The notice shall specify a date not less than 30 days after the date of mailing by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be counted. The favorable vote of 2/3 of the members in good standing whose ballots are returned within the time limit shall be required to affect any such amendment.
Section 3. No amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws or to the Standard of the Breed that is adopted by the Club shall become effective until it has been approved by the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club.

Article VIII
Dissolution

Section 1. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club, other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds, thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club, but after payment of any debts of the Club its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.

Article IX
Order of Business

Section 1.

At meetings of the Club, the order of business so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

  • Roll call
  • Minutes of last meeting
  • Report of the President
  • Report of the Secretary
  • Report of the Treasurer
  • Report of committees
  • Election of new members
  • Unfinished business
  • New business
  • Adjournment
Section 2.

At meetings of the Board, the Order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

  • Report of the Secretary
  • Report of the Treasurer
  • Reports of committees
  • Unfinished business
  • Election of new members
  • New business
  • Adjournment

Amended June 2010 • Previous amendments: October 1970, January 1989

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