Constitution & Bylaws
Constitution & Bylaws
Below is the current Constitution, By-Laws and Show Rules for the Silver Marten Rabbit Club. If you have any questions or suggestions to improve the club, be sure to contact one of the officers or directors.
Constitution
Article II: Object
Article III: Membership
Article IV: Affiliated Organizations
Article V: Authority
Article VI: Meetings
Article VII: Officers
Article VIII:Elections
Article IX: Duties of Officers
Article X: Compensation
Article XI: Youth
Article XII: Interpretation - Discipline
Article XIII:Alterations & Amendments
By-Laws
Article I: Meetings
Article II: Membership
Article III: Departments and Committees
Article IV: Personality of the Year
Article V: Contests
Article VI: Altercations and Amendments
Show Rules
Article I: Sweepstakes Requirements
Article II: Sweepstakes Rules
Article III: Youth Sweepstakes Rules
Article IV: National Silver Marten Show Rules
Article V: Alterations - Amendments
SILVER MARTEN RABBIT CLUB
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CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the SILVER MARTEN RABBIT CLUB, Inc. (a
non-profit corporation). Hereafter may be noted as SMRC.
ARTICLE II
Object
Section 1. This Association’s objective shall be to maintain and improve the breeding of the various SILVER MARTEN rabbit varieties.
Section 2. To maintain a sweepstakes system for the promotion of exhibition of SILVER MARTEN rabbits.
Section 3. To develop and create greater interest in, and demand for, the meat and pelts of the SILVER MARTEN rabbit.
Section 4. To distribute general information to the public and rabbit breeders, regarding the SILVER MARTEN rabbits’ use by the commercial breeder, the fur fancier and the showman.
Section 5. To affiliate with other organizations for the advancement of rabbit breeding in general.
Section 6. To hold annual conventions for its members, and meetings of its members and Board of Directors.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. Any person may become a member of the SMRC by making application and upon the payment of dues as provided in the By-Laws, and by agreeing to comply with all rules, regulations and mandates of the Association.
Section 2. Any member who has been a SMRC member for at least fifteen (15) consecutive years at the time of his/her 65th birthday shall be granted upon application a Life Membership in the Silver Marten Rabbit Club.
Section 3. All adult members shall have the right to vote in person at the meetings of this Association.
Section 4. All adult members shall have the right to vote by mail for election of officers or upon any other matters submitted by the Board of Directors.
Section 5. Members may not vote by proxy.
Section 6. Affiliated organizations, which are members of this Association, shall have the right to vote at the meetings, as provided for in the Constitution Article IV.
Section 7. The Board of Directors may elect as a Honorary Member any person distinguished for his/her political, scientific, industrial or administrative capacity.
Section 8. Honorary Members shall be exempt from all dues, fees or subscriptions, but shall not have the right to vote at any meeting of the Association, or on any mail vote, unless also a regular paid member of the Association.
Section 9. Membership shall be acknowledged by a membership card, dating from the time of acknowledgment and terminating one (1) year or three(3) years from that date, as applicable, unless renewed.
ARTICLE IV
Affiliated Organizations
Section 1. Any local,state or district organization chartered by the ARBA may affiliate with this Association upon making application to the Secretary of this Association along with a copy of their Constitution, By-Laws and Show Rules and a list of Board of Directors and provided the Constitution, By-Laws, Rules, Regulations or Show Rules of such organization do not conflict with the Constitution, By-Laws or Show Rules of the Silver Marten Rabbit Club, Inc. and provided all officers of the applying organization are members of the ARBA and the SMRC.
Section 2. Each such organization becoming so affiliated shall pay an initial fee of twenty ($20.00) dollars and a renewal fee of fifteen ($15.00) dollars. Renewals are due on January 1st. If renewal is submitted after March 1st, the club must pay the initial fee of twenty ($20.00) dollars.
Section 3. Each such organization will receive one (1) open show sanction and one (1) youth show sanction per year for an All Marten show at no cost. If the organization wishes more than one (1) open and one (1) youth show they will pay the usual sanction fee. Each such organization will be listed in each issue of the Silver Marten News.
Section 4. Each such organization shall be allowed one delegate at any meeting of the Silver Marten Rabbit Club.
Section 5. Any delegate may cast the votes of the organization as authorized, in writing and signed by the President and Secretary, of the organization which he/she represents.
ARTICLE V
Authority
Section 1. This Association shall have the authority to make such laws, establish such rules and adopt such regulations as may be necessary for the government of its members.
Section 2. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be considered as the final authority for this Association on all questions not specifically covered by the Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI
Meetings
Section 1. Each annual meeting of this Association shall be held in conjunction with the annual ARBA Convention, such place to be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of time and place for holding such meeting shall be set forth in writing by the Association at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such meeting.
Section 2. The meeting held in conjunction with the ARBA Convention shall be considered the Annual Meeting.
Section 3. At any meeting of this Association ten (10) members of the Association in good standing and four (4) officers constitute a quorum. If no quorum shall be present, the presiding officer shall adjourn the meeting to a day and hour of his/her designation.
Section 4. If for any reason the club holds its annual convention other than in connection with the annual convention of the ARBA, the President shall give a report, or duly appoint an Officer or member to give a report to the Secretary of the ARBA at the ARBA Convention. Said report shall include the activities of the club, number of members, ones in good standing with the ARBA, along with a financial report. If the club holds its Annual Meeting with the ARBA, the Secretary shall see that the above report is made.
ARTICLE VII
Officers
Section 1. The Officers of this Association shall consist of an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7) other members not on the Executive Committee. All Officers, except the President, shall have full voting rights. The President shall vote only in the case of a tie vote. All Officers must be current members of the ARBA and SMRC.
Section 2. The term of office for the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, who shall constitute the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors shall be two (2) years.
Section 3. The President and four (4) Directors shall be elected on the even numbered years. The Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and three (3) Directors shall be elected on the odd numbered years.
Section 4. The term of all elected Officers shall commence during the annual meeting of the club at the ARBA National Convention. The chairman of the meeting, shall, as the first act of the New Business, introduce the newly elected President who will then assume office with the rest of the newly elected Officers.
Section 5. Officers will be automatically removed and replaced if they do not renew their SMRC membership within sixty (60) days of their renewal date. Officers must maintain good standings with both the ARBA and SMRC.
ARTICLE VIII
Elections
Section 1. Any adult member of this Association in good standing may be a candidate for the office of his/her choice.
Section 2. Candidates for any and all offices must be members of the SMRC and the ARBA.
Section 3. Member shall obtain nomination petition from the Secretary no later than June 1st.
Section 4. Member shall fill out nomination petition and said petition shall be returned to the Secretary on or before July 1st.
Section 5. Nomination petition shall be signed by five (5) adult members in good standing of the SMRC and in addition must bear candidate’s signature, the office he/she wishes to be a candidate for, and attest to the fact that said candidate is a bona-fide Silver Marten rabbit breeder.
Section 6. When nomination petition, properly prepared, is received by the Secretary, the member’s name shall be placed on the election ballot.
Section 7. The official election ballot shall be issued by the Secretary on, or before July 21st, and shall contain the names of those qualifying for the respective office for which they are nominated. All adult members in good standing will be allowed to vote and the polls will remain open until Aug. 25th.
Section 8. The Officers shall be elected by mail ballot, and shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed.
Section 9. In the case of an uncontested election, the Secretary shall cast a lone ballot and the election will be official.
Section 10. The ballots shall be opened and votes counted by the Election Committee who shall, after counting the ballots, certify the results to the President and Secretary.
Section 11. The highest number of votes received for any office shall constitute election to that office. In the event of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote.
Section 12. All candidates shall be notified by September 1st of the results and the newly elected Officers shall take office as provided for in Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution.
Section 13. The election results shall be published in the Sept/Oct issue of the “News”.
Section 14. Whenever a vacancy in office occurs, from any cause whatsoever, said vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the President, approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 15. No person may hold, or run for election of, more than one elected office at a time.
Section 16. Only two (2) officers shall be permitted to serve from any one state.
Section 17. Any candidate defeated for any office of this Association requesting a recount of ballots shall make application for such recount to the Secretary within thirty (30) days following the election as per Article XII, Sections 6 & 7 of the Constitution.
ARTICLE IX
Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall:
a. Preside at all meetings of this Association
b. Act as Chairman of the Board of Directors
c. Appoint all committees not otherwise provided for
d. Fill all vacancies
e. Perform such other duties as pertain to his/her office, or as directed by the Board
of Directors.
f. He/she is authorized to transact business by means of correspondence with members of
the Board of Directors when calling a meeting thereof is impractical.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall:
a. Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence or in the event of his/her inability to act
Section 3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
A. As Secretary:
a. Conduct all general correspondence of this Association
b. Keep on file all letters received, together with a copy of all letters sent out by
him/her
c. Send out all notices of meetings of this Association or Board of Directors
d. Act as Secretary of the Board of Directors
e. Keep a permanent printed copy on file of the minutes of all meetings,
signed by secretary. Such minutes shall also be printed in the next issue of
the Silver Marten “News”
f. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, he/she shall furnish to the Association
a bond in sufficient amount to cover all assets of the Association in his/her
possession or under his/her control. Said bond shall be approved by the President.
The cost of any such bond shall be paid by this Association.
g. Where no meetings are held, he/she shall lay facts before the Board of Directors by
letter together with his/her recommendations, if any, and receive instructions in a
like manner.
h. Keep on file a permanent printed record of all changes proposed to the Constitution
& By-Laws Committee, as well as a record of the results of the vote on each change.
i. The Secretary shall maintain an up-to-date membership list. The Secretary shall notify
all members sixty (60) days prior to membership expiration and if their renewal
is not received, shall also send another notification thirty days after the
expiration date.
B. As Treasurer:
a. Collect all Monies due the Association in US funds
b. Pay from the funds of the Association such claims as are properly authorized and
approved.
c. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, he/she shall furnish a bond in the same
manner as the Secretary
d. The Treasurer’s books shall be closed as of the end of the fiscal year. The fiscal
year shall be October 1st to September 30th. The previous year’s records shall be
audited no later than November 30.
e. Shall maintain an account with a current signature card showing Secretary/Treasurer,
President and a Director as signers on the account.
Section 4. The Board of Directors shall:
a. Carry out instructions of this Association and each director shall be responsible
for answering all correspondence addressed to him/her in a timely manner. Each officer
and director shall also regularly submit articles for the Silver Marten News.
b. Authorize expenditures, not exceeding the assets of the Association, through
the approval of an annual budget.
c. Devise ways and means to carry out the objectives of the Association.
d. Make decisions as may pertain to the office for the improvement of this Association.
e. All transactions by the Board of Directors must have a majority approval, except
where noted differently.
Section 5. The general supervision and conduct of the affairs of this Association shall be vested in the Officers and Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X
Compensation
Section 1. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be paid twenty-five percent (25%) of all income received for sanctions and memberships during the term for which he/she is elected, or until replaced. These funds are to be paid on a monthly basis.
Section 2. The Newsletter Editor or those responsible for other such time-consuming positions may be paid a fee as compensation for their work, performed in a timely manner, according to the By-Laws, which shall also set forth the amount of the fee. There will be no compensation for work which is not done in a timely manner, unless prior approval by Board of Directors has been obtained.
Section 3. Every member entrusted with accepting, or spending, funds belonging to the SMRC shall be responsible and accountable for such funds. An bi-monthly financial statement of such funds shall be required from each member entrusted.
ARTICLE XI
Youth
Section 1. Any youth through eighteen (18) years of age may become a member of the SMRC by making application and forwarding a minimum of one year’s membership to this Association’s Secretary as per Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution.
Section 2. Youth members shall abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the SMRC.
Section 3. Youth members shall have all the rights and privileges of an adult member, except the right to vote on Association affairs.
ARTICLE XII
Interpretation - Discipline
Section 1. The interpretation by the Board of Directors of this Association of the Constitution, By-Laws, Regulations, Notices, Resolutions, Properties, and of Association Documents and Orders shall be binding upon all members of this Association.
Section 2. All notices required to be sent to any member of this Association may be sent by regular mail or included in the Silver Marten News, prepaid to the member’s address as it appears on the books of the Association. Such mailing shall be presumptive evidence of the service thereof. Any change of address must be sent promptly to the Secretary of this Association.
Section 3. Charges of misconduct of a member, or Officer, shall be made in writing to the Secretary; they shall be considered with the defense of the offender by the Board of Directors and the said Board may on a majority vote suspend or expel the offender. This vote may be taken by mail if deemed advisable. The offender expelled or suspended may appeal to the Association membership at the next regular meeting.
Section 4. The Board of Directors may conduct routine or special business, hold hearings and on all matters regarding interpretation, reach decisions by mail vote.
Section 5. An appeal may be taken from any ruling of the Board of Directors to either the next annual meeting of the members of the Association.
Section 6. The Secretary shall require a deposit of sufficient funds to defray the cost of any recount or charges against any member or Officer. The amount of such deposit to be fixed and approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 7. Any recount shall be made by a committee of three (3): the contestor shall pick one (1) member, the Board of Directors shall pick (1) member, and a third member shall be chosen by these two members of this committee. All three members of the committee shall be members of this Association. The committee shall assemble and personally count all ballots cast for the office or question in dispute, and the report of the recount, certified to the Board of Directors shall be final. In the event that the contestor is declared right by the committee, his/her deposit of funds shall be returned and the expense shall be borne by the Club.
ARTICLE XIII
Alterations & Amendments
Section 1. Any alteration of, or amendment to the Constitution shall be made by a resolution, in writing, signed by five (5) or more members in good standing of this Association and delivered to the Secretary, who will then forward it to the Chairman of the Constitution & By-Laws Committee and the Board of Directors for review. The Chairman and the Board may make recommendations, but the resolutions will be accepted or rejected by the vote of the membership. The resolutions should be sent out with the ballots for the annual elections for officers.
Section 2. All resolutions are to be confined to one (1) subject.
Section 3. All resolutions shall be printed in the Silver Marten News at least one issue prior to being voted upon.
Section 4. Ballots will then be mailed, preferably in the next Silver Marten News, and the Constitution may be amended by an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) vote of all adult members casting ballots.
Section 5. Ballots will be returned to the Election Committee and handled in the manner set forth in Article III, Section 8 of the By-Laws.
Section 6. Any member in good standing of this Association requesting a recount of ballots, shall make application for such recount to the Secretary of this Association within forty-five (45) days following the close of balloting as per Article XII, Sections 6 & 7 of the Constitution.
Section 7. A resolution adopted shall take effect sixty (60) days after certification by the Election Committee unless otherwise specified in the resolution.
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BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I
Meetings
Section 1. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Parliamentary procedure of this Association, subject to any special rules that may be adopted.
Section 2. The order of business at meetings shall be:
a. Roll Call
b. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.
c. Report of the Board of Directors
d. Report of the Secretary/Treasurer
e. Report of Committees
f. Reading of Communications
g. Unfinished Business
h. New Business
i. Discussion
j. Adjournment
Section 3. All rules as per Articles III and VI of the Constitution.
ARTICLE II
Membership
Section 1. a. The first year membership fees and dues shall be:
Single Adult......1 year....$12.00 3 years......$21.00
Youth.............1 year....$ 9.00 3 years......$15.00
Husband & Wife....1 year....$16.00 3 years......$30.00
Husband & Wife w/ youth ..add $3.00/youth 3 years....add $ 6.00 per youth
Service charge Canadian/Foreign members...add $ 5.00/year
b. The renewal membership fees and dues shall be:
Single Adult......1 year...$ 7.00 3 years......$18.00
Youth.............1 year...$ 5.00 3 years......$12.00
Husband & Wife....1 year...$10.00 3 years......$25.00
Husband & Wife w/ youth ...add $2.00 per youth 3 years....add $ 5.00 per youth
Service charge Canadian/Foreign members...add $ 5.00/year
Section 2. The Secretary shall notify all members of arrearage of dues 60 days before expiration, and if necessary, again 30 days after expiration date and if such dues are not paid within sixty (60) days following expiration, the Secretary shall drop the name of such members from the files of the Association. If renewal is after sixty (60) days they are considered new members.
Section 3. The members’ expiration date shall be printed on the address label of the Silver Marten News and shall be considered proper notification.
Section 4. Fifty ($.50) cents of each adult membership and thirty ($.30) cents of each youth membership will be put into the show fund.
Section 5. A member may purchase life membership. Requirements are: Five (5) years continuous membership, thirty-five (35) years of age, payment of twenty (20) years of a single adult renewal fee per person.
ARTICLE III
Departments and Committees
Section 1. The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint the standing Department and Committee Chairman and committee members as authorized herein. The term of each committee and department shall be one (1) year, beginning January 1st. The President shall have authority to make such replacements as are considered to be in the best interest of the Association.
Section 2. Each department and committee shall be authorized to make such expenditures from Association funds for its operation as are authorized in its annual budget and as approved by the Board of Directors and subject to Article IX, Section 3 of the Constitution.
Section 3. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS. The following shall be, but not limited to, the general responsibilities of all persons appointed to serve on any committee of this Association.
a. Each person appointed shall be responsible for carrying out the activities as
specified within that committee description or he/she should request to be removed
from said committee.
b. Should a member fail to carry out the responsibilities as prescribed, he/she may be
removed by the President from said committee with the approval of the Board of Directors.
c. Each member of any committee shall be responsible for answering all correspondence
addressed to him/her in a timely manner.
d. Each Department and Committee Chairman shall submit data and information on his/her
group’s work at regular intervals, not less frequently than each annual meeting, to
the President, and shall report to the membership of the Association at each annual
meeting, unless otherwise provided.
e. Each member of any committee shall be responsible for making decisions which will
be in the best interest of the Silver Marten rabbit breed and the majority of the
Association members.
f. All decisions by a committee must have been approved by a majority of the entire
committee before being presented to the Board of Directors.
Section 4. CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE
a. A committee consisting of not less than three (3) persons shall be appointed by the
President for the purpose of reviewing, receiving and/or proposing changes,
amendments or resolutions to the Constitution, By-Laws and Show Rules.
b. The Chairman shall be responsible for preparing and submitting any proposed changes,
amendments or resolutions to the Board of Directors prior to publication for the
general membership’s consideration.
c. It shall further be the responsibility of the Chairman to assure publication of any
and all proposed Constitutional changes, amendments or resolutions for the
consideration of the general membership prior to voting as provided for in Article
XIII of the Constitution through the use of the Silver Marten News or a general
mailing to the full membership.
Section 5. STANDARDS COMMITTEE
a. A committee consisting of not less than five (5) persons shall be appointed for the
purpose of receiving, reviewing and developing any proposed changes to the Standards
of the Breed.
b. The committee shall be responsible for reviewing the validity and necessity of all
requested changes and for the submission of any and all valid proposed changes to the
Board of Directors prior to publication for consideration by the general membership.
c. It shall further be the responsibility of the Chairman to assure publication of all
accepted proposed changes for consideration of the general membership by ballot as
provided for in Article XIII, Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Constitution.
Section 6. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of soliciting Silver Marten rabbit fanciers to join SMRC and to promote the benefits of membership in the SMRC.
Section 7. FINANCE COMMITTEE
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of preparing an annual budget and of
soliciting and developing methods consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws to
increase the revenue of the Association. This committee shall also perform the yearly
audit of the club.
b. The committee shall consist of a Chairman and three (3) members, one of whom shall be the
Treasurer of this Association. Their duties shall consist of requesting and
receiving a proposed schedule of estimated expenditures from each officer, Department
and Committee Chairman, no later than July 31 for the ensuing fiscal year.
Based upon these estimates, records of past expenditures and the current assets of
the Association, they shall prepare a budget for the next calendar year, which shall
be submitted to the Board of Directors before the next annual meeting for its
consideration and action.
c. After adoption of the budget by the Board of Directors, no budget item may be exceeded by
more than $200 (two hundred dollars), unless approved by the President and Secretary.
The committee shall furnish such additional fiscal information and estimates as may
be requested by the President or the Board of Directors.
d. The committee shall conduct an audit of the SMRC records and books annually at the
close of each fiscal year, no later than November 30, and at the end of the
Secretary/Treasurer’s retiring term. The committee shall be responsible for
the provision of an audit report, which fairly represents the standing of the
Association to its Board of Directors and the general membership and will assure
that the audit report is published in the Silver Marten News at the conclusion of said audit.
e. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
Section 8. ELECTION COMMITTEE:
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of receiving, opening, and
tabulating the results of all elections or balloting of the membership.
b. The Chairman shall be responsible for maintaining on file all ballots for a
period of not less than one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of any
election or balloting.
c. It shall further be the responsibility of the Chairman to assure submission of
all election or balloting results to both the President and Secretary.
Section 9. GUIDE BOOK COMMITTEE:
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of updating and printing this
Association’s Guide Book.
b. The committee shall be responsible for content, artwork, layout and reprinting of the
Silver Marten Guide Book not less than every five (5) years or as directed by the
Board of Directors.
Section 10. YOUTH COMMITTEE:
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of promoting and developing youth
programs consistent with the rules of this Association. The committee shall be
responsible for reviewing and proposing any program, project or contest which
encourages the involvement of youth exhibitors.
b. It shall further be the responsibility of the Chairman to submit any proposed
program, project or contest to the Board for final approval.
Section 11. SWEEPSTAKES COMMITTEE (Pointskeeper):
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of maintaining a record of each
member’s point accumulation through the use of show reports from Open and Youth
SMRC sanctioned shows.
b. It shall be the responsibility of the committee to tabulate and maintain a record of
each member’s point accumulation and to submit a report bi-monthly to the Silver
Marten News editor of the members’ standings in such a timely manner that assures
inclusion in the regularly published newsletter.
Section 12. SILVER MARTEN NEWS EDITOR:
a. The newsletter editor shall be appointed for the purpose of publishing the
newsletter bi-monthly, (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec).
The newsletter is to be mailed between the 1st and 15th of the second month of
the issue, i.e. Feb 1st-15th for the Jan/Feb issue.
b. Assistant editors will be appointed at the discretion of the President for
the purpose of conducting research, gathering pertinent information,
submitting articles suitable for publication and to publish any issue which
the editor is not able to publish according to the dates in item a above.
c. The editor (or assistant editor) shall receive a payment of $50.00 for each edition
which is mailed in a timely manner. This amount may be changed for the following
fiscal year upon a vote at the annual meeting.
d. The editor is responsible for establishing time frames, editing and layout of
all material and articles to assure the timely publication of the newsletter.
The editor may request a decision by the President before publishing material
or articles viewed as controversial in nature.
e. The editor shall also be responsible for establishing a fee schedule for
advertising with approval of the Board.
f. The editor shall print the names, addresses and titles of each committee chairman
in every issue of the newsletter.The editor shall print a list of current members
once a year.
g. The editor shall print the expiration date of each member’s dues on their
address label every issue.
h. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, he/she shall furnish to the Association
a bond in sufficient amount to cover all assets of the Association in his/her
possession or under his/her control. Said bond shall be approved by the President.
The cost of any bond shall be paid by the SMRC.
i. The editor may be replaced if two consecutive issues are not published
according to the set time frame.
Section 13. AWARDS & SHOW FUND COMMITTEE
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of soliciting and accepting donations
of either material or funds, to provide for the establishment of awards for the
Association members at all ARBA National Conventions, as well as all the annual
sweepstakes awards listed in Article V of the By-Laws and in the Show Rules.
b. The committee is responsible and accountable for such material or funds, the
development of a specials list and the provision of trophies for said conventions.
c. The maximum amount to be spent for these awards and specials shall be the total
of the amount raised by this committee, and the amounts set aside from the membership
fees and sanction fees for the awards, plus the amount, if any, allocated in
the annual budget.
d. It shall further be the responsibility of the committee to submit said premium list
and funds collected to this Association’s Secretary, who will then submit the premium list
to the Convention’s sponsoring club, in ample time for inclusion in their show
catalog.
Section 14. BOOTH CHAIRMAN:
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of establishing a SMRC booth at all
ARBA National Conventions.
b. The committee shall be responsible for selecting a theme, providing for the
decoration within a fifty ($50.00) dollar budget, security and manning of the booth
during the Convention.
c. The committee shall also be responsible for dismantling the booth at the close
of the Convention, consistent with the rules established for that Convention site.
d. It shall further be the responsibility of the committee to assure collection of all
items and the provision of all activities in the booth during the Convention and
shall provide for the posting of all Association activities during the Convention.
e. The committee shall also be responsible, and accountable, for the funds received as
a result of Association activities in the booth, and shall provide a report of those
funds to the Secretary/Treasurer within ten (10) days of the close of the Convention.
Section 15. ARBA CONVENTION BREED CHAIRMAN:
a. A committee shall be appointed for the purpose of performing such activities
necessary to this position at all ARBA National Conventions. The responsibilities
shall be, but not limited to, the following:
b. Provision for suitable accommodations for the Association’s banquet and its members’
lodgings
c. Act as liaison with the sponsoring club regarding the cooping and grouping of the
Silver Marten entries
d. Provide for the checking in and out of all Silver Marten entries
e. Provide for the feeding and watering of all Silver Martens for the duration of the
Convention
f. Provide for the transporting of all Silver Martens to and from the judging table
g. Provide for the maintenance of the Silver Marten area, including sweeping, and any
clean-up required
h. May secure all assistance needed to perform above duties.
Section 16. HISTORIAN
a. The Historian shall be responsible for maintaining a
history of this
club. This shall be accomplished by maintaining a file of the minutes of the
meetings, copies of the newsletters and guidebooks, list of contest winners
for each year, yearly list of Directors & Officers and all
copies of
Constitution & By-Laws.
b. The Historian may keep anything that shows the history of this club.
Section 17. SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
a. At the discretion of the President, a specific purpose committee(s) may be appointed to carry out the objective of the committee. At the completion of that objective, the committee shall be discharged.
ARTICLE IV
Personality of the Year
Section 1. Requirements are:
a. Minimum of five (5) consecutive years’ membership
b. Supported SMRC and/or promoted Martens by:
1. Support of rabbit projects, shows, etc.
2. Promotion of Youth projects
3. Amount and quality of Martens raised
4. Being an officer for a number of terms
5. Any one and/or other consideration is eligible.
Section 2. Names for consideration are to be submitted along with letters of recommendation by the membership to the Secretary of the Silver Marten Club by July 1st.
Section 3. Candidates are to be voted on by the Officers and Directors by secret ballot.
Section 4. The Silver Marten Rabbit Club is not required to present this award each year.
Section 5. The “Personality” will receive: a. Plaque b. Life membership in the SMRC c. Suitable membership card.
ARTICLE V
Contests
Section 1. All contests shall run from July 1st of one year to June 30th of the following year.
Section 2. SWEEPSTAKES CONTEST:
The SMRC shall sponsor a sweepstakes contest for Open, Open Fur, Youth and Youth Fur. The rules for same are found in the “Show Rules” section. The awards for the above contest are as follows:
a. Open - Suitable trophy for the top ten (10) winners
b. Youth - Suitable trophy for the top ten (10) winners.
c. Open & Youth Fur - Suitable trophy for the top three (3) winners in each category.
Section 3. QUALITY POINTS CONTEST:
This is a contest for the Open Class and the Youth Class separate from the Sweepstakes contest. Points will be awarded as follows: These are awarded per show. Will be awarded as per show report returned by the Show secretary:
3 points for Best of Breed (BOB)
3 points for Best in Show (BIS)
2 points for Best Opposite of Breed (BOS)
2 points for Best Four (4) Class or Best Fancy
2 points for winning Best of Variety in all four (4) varieties
1 point for Best of Variety (BOV)
1 point for Best Fur
A certificate will be given for the top five (5) winners.
ARTICLE VI
Altercations and Amendments
Section 1. Any alteration to, or amendment of, these By-Laws shall be presented by the recommendation of the Board of Directors to the membership at the annual meeting or by mail.
Section 2. All approved alterations, or amendments, shall take effect sixty (60) days after approval unless otherwise noted in the recommendation.
Section 3. All alterations or amendments require approval by a majority of the votes cast.
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SHOW RULES
ARTICLE I
Sweepstakes Requirements
Section 1. Any club wishing to hold a Silver Marten Sanctioned Show must write to the Secretary of the Silver Marten Rabbit Club for permission to hold said show. Requests must be accompanied by eight ($8.00) dollars per Open Show and four ($4.00) dollars per Youth show.
Section 2. The Silver Marten Rabbit Club will retain two ($2.00) dollars from each sanction fee for the Awards Fund.
Section 3. No club can sponsor a Silver Marten Sweepstakes unless their show is sanctioned by the ARBA and the ARBA sanction number is sent to the SMRC Secretary along with their sweepstakes sanction fee.
Section 4. Announcement of Sweepstakes show must be placed on the page in the show catalog listing the Silver Marten specials.
Section 5. The SMRC offers an appropriate award for members winning BOB or BOSB at SMRC sanctioned shows at the end of the sweepstakes year, provided 15 animals are shown with 3 or more exhibitors.
Section 6. The sponsoring club shall offer and guarantee three ($3.00) dollars for BOB Silver Marten and two ($2.00) dollars for BOSB Silver Marten, all colors competing. One ($1.00) dollar for each BOV, providing ten (10) or more are competing in that variety.
Section 7. A local club is not obligated to pay the required sweepstakes specials unless there are ten (10) or more animals shown in that breed. SMRC prefers Section 6 be printed with the Silver Marten Specials.
Section 8. A set of rules and printed forms for listing the winners and exhibitors will be sent to the show secretary by the Secretary of SMRC, or an SMRC sanction # for those indicating use of computer generated forms; those same forms or computer generated facsimile to be filled out and returned to the Sweepstakes Chair of SMRC within thirty (30) days after close of the show.
Section 9. Show reports for sweepstakes series ending on June 30th and not received by August 31st will be declared void.
Section 10. Interpretation of the sweepstakes rules by the Secretary of the SMRC will be binding on all shows.
Section 11. Only varieties recognized by the Silver Marten Rabbit Club are eligible for sweepstakes points.
ARTICLE II
Sweepstakes Rules
Section 1. All exhibitors shall abide by the Show Rules of the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) with these Silver Marten Rabbit Club additional rules.
Section 2. To qualify for sweepstakes points, an exhibitor must be a member of the SMRC at the time of the show, or must join during the show BEFORE judging.
Section 3. All members must enter each show the same way they joined.
Section 4. Sweepstakes points will be figured according to ARBA rules plus a bonus of two (2) points multiplied by the number of Martens exhibited for BOB, one (1) point for BOS multiplied by the number of Martens exhibited, and one-half (1/2) point for the Best Of Variety (BOV) multiplied by the number of Martens exhibited in that variety.
Section 5. Fur class points will be figured according to ARBA rules. These points will not count in the regular class sweepstakes.
Section 6. Standings in all sweepstakes will be published in the Silver Marten News.
Section 7. Exhibitors showing in ARBA National Convention and/or the National Silver Marten Show shall receive 100 bonus points, plus have the points calculated on placings to 10th, with 1st receiving 12 points, 2nd receiving 10 points, 3rd - 8 points, down to 10th place receiving 1 point, with the points multiplied by the number in the respective class.
Section 8. Exhibitors must be a member of the SMRC BEFORE judging at the ARBA National Convention to be eligible to win those sweepstakes points or to receive prizes offered for the National Convention by SMRC.
Section 9. Only members in good standing will receive points towards any contest. However, if a person’s membership expires and he/she has already accumulated enough points while a member, he/she will still be given that award at the end of the sweepstakes series.
ARTICLE III
Youth Sweepstakes Rules
Section 1. The SMRC sponsors a Youth Sweepstakes series running concurrently with the Open sweepstakes. The Youth sweepstakes will be run under all rules and regulations of the Open Class with the following additions and/or exceptions.
Section 2. The sanction fee shall be four ($4.00) dollars.
Section 3. Youth will receive a special award as per Article I, Section 5 of the Show Rules.
Section 4. Youth showing in the Open Class will have those points counted in the Open Class not the Youth Class.
Section 5. Youth must follow rule in Article II, Section 3 of the Show Rules.
Section 6. Points for the Youth will be figured as Article II, Sections 4 and 7 of the Show Rules.
ARTICLE IV
National Silver Marten Show Rules
Section 1. All rules in Articles I, II and III of the SMRC Show Rules will be applicable with these additional rules of the SMRC.
Section 2. There will be only one National Silver Marten Show in any one year. This show should be held sometime between March 1st and June 30th.
Section 3. The Silver Marten Rabbit Club will grant a free sanction, Open and Youth, for the National Show.
Section 4. No Silver Marten Sanction will be issued to a club sponsoring a show held at a show place within a four hundred (400) mile radius of the National Silver Marten Show on that same weekend, except for shows held in conjunction with the National Show.
Section 5. Bids for the National Silver Marten Show must be sent to the Secretary of the SMRC by September 1st of the year that is approximately 18 months before the proposed National show.
Section 6. The National Silver Marten Show will be awarded by the Board of Directors of the Silver Marten Rabbit Club.
Section 7. The National Silver Marten Show will be given free publicity in the Silver Marten News. The SMRC will make every effort to have members exhibit at the National Silver Marten Show.
Section 8. The SMRC prefers a judge from its membership to judge the Silver Martens at the National Silver Marten Show. SMRC also would like the National Silver Marten Show judge not to judge Silver Martens at the ARBA Convention Show the same year.