I. MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association shall be limited to six classifications, and they shall be as follows:
A. Individual Membership—An adult person who wishes to be an Affiliate [voting] Member in AHA through WAHA. Annual dues will be payable by the end of the expiration month as defined in the AHA Handbook One (1) vote per membership. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. Membership in AHA included. Membership in this category includes participation in all WAHA programs.
B. Family Membership—A family in which one adult member wishes to be an Affiliate [voting] Member in AHA through WAHA and in which other family members wish to be eligible to participate in all WAHA programs. One Adult vote per membership. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. Annual dues will be payable by the end of the expiration month as defined in the AHA Handbook One adult membership in AHA is included. No AHA youth membership is included. The adult who is to be submitted for AHA membership must be designated. Membership in this category includes participation in all WAHA programs for all family members. A “family” is a married couple or a single parent and the dependent children (under 18 as defined by USEF rules) of that legally married couple or single parent.
C. Parent/Child membership— Includes one adult Individual Membership and Youth memberships for that adult’s children at a reduced rate.
D. Married Couple Membership—A legally married couple, both of whom wish to be Affiliate [voting] Members in AHA through WAHA. Annual dues will be payable by the end of the expiration month as defined in the AHA Handbook Two votes per membership. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. Two memberships in AHA are included. Names of both spouses will be submitted for AHA membership. Membership in this category includes participation in all WAHA programs for both spouses.
E. Associate Membership—An adult person who wishes to be a WAHA member without being an Affiliate [voting] Member in AHA and who does not care to participate in the WAHA Futurity. Annual dues will be payable by the end of the expiration month as defined in the AHA Handbook Non-voting status. No AHA membership included. Membership in this category includes participation in all WAHA programs except the Futurity.**
F. Youth Membership—A youth member as defined by the Arabian Horse Association. Annual dues will be payable by the end of the expiration month as defined in the AHA Handbook One vote per membership in AHAYA. Membership in this category includes participation in all WAHA programs.
G. Membership Conditions—The method and conditions upon which members shall be accepted and discharged or expelled shall be as follows:
1. Application for membership is to be made in such form as may be designated by the Board of Directors. All membership applications, except renewal of current memberships, are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
2. Membership is not transferable and shall cease upon the death of the member.
3. The WAHA membership year follows the AHA membership year.
4. Termination of membership:
a. A member may be expelled by a vote of two-thirds of the quorum at a Board of Directors meeting provided s/he has two weeks notice and an opportunity to go before the Board and provided that two weeks written notice by Registered letter be furnished to the Board of Directors.
b. Anyone expelled under the above provision (F4a) may request reinstatement by appeal to the general membership and may be reinstated by a two-thirds vote of the quorum at a membership meeting provided that two weeks written notice be furnished the membership.
H. Non-Discrimination - Membership in this Association is open to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex, marital status, national origin, physical or mental impairment, medical condition, or economic circumstances.
II. MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
The Board of Directors shall establish the dates of the regular membership meetings and activities, and these dates shall be published in the newsletter. At general membership meetings, a quorum shall consist of the adult voting members present at that meeting.
An Annual Meeting of the membership shall be held in January of each year. The election of Officers, Directors, and Delegates shall be conducted at the Annual Meeting. Said elected Officers, Directors and Delegates shall assume office at that meeting. The Board of Directors shall review, correct, and approve the minutes of the Annual Meeting at its next regular meeting following the Annual Meeting.
An appropriate variety of meetings and other activities shall be held throughout the year, with locations, times, and dates to be published in the newsletter or in written notices mailed at least fourteen (14) days prior to the dates of said activities. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President, provided written notices stating the purpose, date, time, and location are mailed at least fourteen (14) days prior to the dates designated therein for said meetings.
III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
The regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at the discretion of the Board, but at least six meetings must be held annually. The location, time, and dates of the meetings are to be designated in written notices and sent to Board members at least fourteen (14) days prior to the dates designated therein for said meetings.
Special Board meetings may be called by the President or at the request of a majority of the Board of Directors, provided written notices stating the purpose, location, time and date are sent to Board members at least seven (7) days prior to the dates designated therein for said meetings.
If action is required by the Board of Directors that cannot be accomplished at a regular or special meeting, the President may poll individual Directors to conduct the necessary business. In extraordinary circumstances, the Executive Committee is authorized to act.
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Board of Directors.
IV. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
A. Qualifications, Term Length, Definitions
1. Officers, Directors, and Region 10 Delegates of the Association must have been adult voting members of Arabian Horse Association through membership in the Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association for at least one year prior to their nomination and maintain WAHA membership in good standing for the length of their term.
2. Officers of the corporation shall be elected for two-year terms at the Annual Meeting in odd numbered years. The Officers and Executive Committee shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President. The Board of Directors shall consist of the aforementioned Officers, and twelve additional members chosen from the general membership. The Directors shall serve in staggered three-year terms, with four to be elected at the Annual Meeting each year.
3. The President and Vice-President will be limited to two consecutive, two-year terms. Providing the office is held by another member for one term, either may run for the same office again.
4. As of the 1997 Annual Meeting, a thirteenth position was added to the Board of Directors for the lifetime of William Trapp. William Trapp was given lifetime voting status on the WAHA Board of Directors. This position does not count when calculating a quorum for WAHA Board meetings.
B. Absences, Removal, Reinstatement of Officers & Directors
1. Any WAHA Board member who misses half or more of the WAHA Board meetings, as specified in WAHA Bylaws (as defined in WAHA Bylaws Article III) rounded up, within a calendar year will be removed as a Board member, unless 2/3 of a quorum of the WAHA Board of Directors votes against removal. Directors who are going to be absent must notify the President in advance of the meeting.
2. The expulsion of Officers and/or Directors for specified reasons, other than absences referenced above, shall be by vote of two-thirds of the quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors. Officers and/or Directors expelled may request reinstatement by petitioning the general membership. If reinstatement is requested, the voting membership will be given two weeks written notice of a meeting at which the expulsion will be reviewed. The expelled officer/director may be reinstated upon two-thirds vote of the quorum at said meeting.
C. Vacancies in Officers’ or Directors’ Positions:
Should a vacancy be created in the Board of Directors by an election at the Annual Meeting, that vacancy shall be filled by an election at the Annual Meeting. If a vacancy occurs after the Annual Meeting but prior to the September Board meeting because of a resignation, death, etc., then that vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the quorum of the Board of Directors within two Board meetings after a vacancy occurs. If a vacancy occurs between September and the Annual meeting, the vacancy will be filled by election at the Annual Meeting.
D. Duties and Responsibilities
1. Officers and Directors: Members of the WAHA Board of Directors are expected to participate in WAHA membership activities and to provide leadership in implementing WAHA programs
2. Officers:
a. President: The principal duties of the President shall be to preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and general membership meetings, and to have general supervision of the affairs of the corporation.
b. Vice-President: The principal duties of the Vice-President shall be to discharge the duties of the President in the event of absence or inability, for any cause whatever, of the latter.
c. Secretary: The principal duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a record of the proceedings of the Board of Directors and general membership meetings.
d. Treasurer: The principal duties of the Treasurer shall be to countersign all deeds, leases, and conveyances executed by the corporation; to affix the seal of the corporation thereto, and to such other papers as shall be required or directed to be sealed; to safely and systematically keep all books, papers, records, and documents belonging to the corporation or in any way pertaining to the business thereof; to keep an account of money, credits, and property, of any and every nature, of the corporation which shall come to and into its hands; to keep an accurate account of all monies received and disbursed, and proper vouchers for money disbursed; and to render such accounts, statements, and inventories of monies received and disbursed, and of money and property on hand, and generally of all matters pertaining to this office, as shall be required by the Board of Directors.
e. Miscellaneous: Such Officers shall perform additional or different duties as shall from time to time be imposed or required by the President, the Board of Directors, or as may be prescribed from time to time by the Bylaws.
The President may provide for the appointment of such additional staff and committees as is determined in the best interests of the corporation.
V. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
A. Composition of the Committee: Each year a nominating committee shall be set up to consist of four members of the WAHA Board of Directors to be selected by the Board of Directors plus three non-Board members appointed by the President. The committee must have at least one member who is a current or previous regional delegate.
B. Eligibility for Nomination:
1. Eligibility for nomination for a WAHA Board seat or WAHA officer position: The nominating committee can not nominate any current officer or member of the WAHA Board who was removed as a Board member in accordance with Article IV.B.1 within the twelve (12) month period prior to October 1 of the year preceding the Annual Meeting at which the election will take place.
2. Eligibility for nomination for a Region 10 Delegate seat: The nominating committee can not nominate any current Region 10 Delegate who was removed as a Region 10 Delegate in accordance with Article IV.B.1 within the twelve (12) month period prior to October 1 of the year preceding the Annual Meeting at which the election will take place.
C. Presentation of the Slate; Running Elections:
The nominating committee shall present a slate of Officers, Directors, and Region 10 Delegates to the membership at the Annual Meeting. The committee shall present one name for each position to be filled except in the case of the Region 10 Delegates, in which case the committee shall present two more names than the number of Region 10 Delegate positions, and the remaining vote getters will serve as Alternates in the order of their number of votes. The chair of the nominating committee shall present the slate at the Annual Meeting, after which the nominating committee’s job is completed. The election shall be run by the president or another officer designated by the president. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the meeting.
In the event the Nominating Committee cannot find a suitable candidate to run for the position of President by the January Board meeting preceding the election, the Board will nominate a current Board of Director member, by a two-thirds vote. That person shall be placed on the ballot for the position of President.
D. Voting Procedure: Current members of WAHA (excluding associates, youth, and family members who are not Individual Affiliate members) may vote, and they must vote for as many candidates as there are openings. For example, if there are five openings for Regional Delegates, voters must vote for five candidates. Ballots which have votes for more or less than the number of openings for a given office will be invalid and will not be counted for that office.
VI. REGIONAL/AHA CONVENTION DELEGATES
Regional Delegates serve as delegates to the AHA Convention.
The President and/or the Vice President, must declare, at the time of his/her election as President or Vice-President, his/her intent to serve or not to serve as a Regional Delegate. If the President and/or the Vice President, at the time of his/her election, elects not to serve as a Regional Delegate, such decision must be presented in writing within fourteen (14) days of his/her election. Delegates will be elected as Regional/Convention Delegates for two-year terms at the Annual Meeting in odd numbered years.
If a vacancy occurs in the Regional/AHA Convention Delegates and no Alternates are available, that vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the quorum of the Board of Directors within two Board meetings after that vacancy occurs.
Any Regional Delegate who misses half or more of the Region 10 Board meetings within a calendar year will be removed as a delegate, and the first available Alternate will become a Regional Delegate, unless 2/3 of a quorum of the WAHA Board of Directors votes against removal.
VII. GENERAL PROVISIONS
All members of the Association who have access to organization accounts and monies shall be appropriately bonded. The President and Treasurer shall have authority to issue organization checks from the WAHA accounts. Any other check writing authority shall be on the vote of the Board of Directors. The extra monies not needed for immediate expenses shall be deposited in interest bearing accounts.
The fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31, commencing January 1, 1979, and an annual review of the organization's books shall be made by a committee of not less than two people, selected by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
Dues will be established by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership.
Each year the President shall appoint a Budget Committee consisting of three or more members of the Association of which a minimum of three are Board members. The proposed budget for the following year shall be presented at the Annual Meeting. The budget guidelines shall be adhered to by the Board of Directors and the general membership. However, funds may be transferred within the budget by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or a majority vote of the quorum at a general membership meeting. Under special circumstances, the Board of Directors may exceed the budget by a vote of 2/3 of the quorum present at a Board of Directors meeting.
The term "publish" as used in the WAHA Bylaws is defined as a minimum of an electronic notification to all adult voting members of WAHA who are on the electronic newsletter mailing list and a first class mailed notification to all adult voting members of WAHA who are on the hard copy newsletter mailing list. A first class mailing to all adult voting members may be used instead at the Board's discretion.
The current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of WAHA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
VIII. WAHA LOGO
The Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association Logo is the property of WAHA. No use of the Logo is permitted without prior consent in writing of the Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association Board of Directors.
IX. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS
Amendments to the Bylaws may be made at any general membership meeting by a 2/3 vote of the quorum providing that such amendments have been published thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
Proposals for changes to the Bylaws may originate from a majority vote of a WAHA general membership meeting, or a majority vote of a WAHA Board meeting, or the recommendations of a duly constituted WAHA Bylaws Committee.
All Bylaw changes proposed by the Bylaw Committee will be reviewed by the WAHA Board and be presented to the membership with the WAHA Board recommendations.
Bylaw changes take effect at the end of the meeting at which they are approved unless otherwise stipulated in the bylaw change proposal.