A. to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Labrador Retrievers and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection; 

B. to urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by the American Kennel Club as the standard by which the Labrador Retriever shall be judged; 

C. to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows, obedience trials, and hunting tests as well as encouraging mutual support and good fellowship among members at all times; 

D. to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging members and breeders to practice humane treatment and to provide sanitary conditions for their dogs at all times; 

E. to conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows, obedience trials, and hunting tests under the rules of American Kennel Club. 

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 the constitution and bylaws as may be required to carry out these objectives. 
 
 

SECTION 1.  Eligibility.  There shall be two types of membership open to all persons eighteen years of age or older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this Club:
 Single: Enjoys all club privledges including the right to vote and hold office. 
 Family: Entitles two (2) members of the same household to all the privileges of club membership. 

While meetings are to be held within 100 miles of Sacramento, California, membership is to be unrestricted as to residence. 

SECTION 2.  Dues. During the month of November, the Membership Chairperson shall send to each member a statement of his or her dues for the ensuing year.  Annual membership dues are due and payable on or before January 1st and are to be sent to the Treasurer.  The Board of Directors shall establish membership dues no later than November 15th to the year prior in which the dues will be in effect.  No member may vote or compete for any Club special award whose dues are not paid for the current year. 

SECTION 3.  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 Bylaws of the Club and the rules of The American Kennel Club.  The application shall state the name and address of the applicant and shall carry the endorsement of two (2) members who are in good standing and shall be voted upon by secret ballot.  The prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year with his/her application.  This payment will be returned if the application is denied. 

All applications are to be submitted to the Membership Chairperson, and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the Club following its receipt.  Each applicant must attend one (1) Club function before his/her application can be voted upon.  At the first Club meeting, after the applicant has met the membership requirement, the application will be voted upon.  Affirmative votes of 20% of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant to membership.  No applicant may attend the Club meeting at which the application is voted upon by the members of the Club. 

Applicants who are not elected to membership may reapply after six months. 

SECTION 4.  Termination of Membership.  Memberships may be terminated: 

(a) 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 first day of January 1st each year. 

(b) by lapsing.  A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if a member's dues remain unpaid 45 days after the first day of September; however, the Board may grant an additional 45 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. 

(c) by expulsion.  A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these bylaws. 

SECTION 1.  Club Meetings. Regular meetings of the Club shall be held at least quarterly of each year of the Club members ("general meetings"), beginning in January, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors within the greater Sacramento area or within a radius of one hundred (100) miles thereof.  Written notice of the meeting shall be mailed to the membership at the direction of the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting or included in the Club newsletter mailed first class.  The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of those members in good standing who are in attendance. 

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 and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five (5) members of the Club who are in good standing.  Special meetings shall be held within the greater Sacramento area, at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call special meetings.  Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed at the direction of the Secretary not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other Club business may be transacted at that meeting.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of those members in good standing who are in attendance. 

SECTION 3.  Board Meetings.  Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held within the greater Sacramento area, at least every other month, at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the Board.  Notice of the meeting shall be given by the Secretary by first class mail, or by personal delivery, or included in the Club newsletter mailed first class, at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board. 

SECTION 4.  Special Board Meetings.  Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board.  Such special meetings shall be held within the greater Sacramento area, at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting.  Notice of the meeting shall be given by the Secretary as provided above under Section 3 at least five (5) days and not more than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting.  The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other business shall be transacted at that meeting.  A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board. 

SECTION 5.  Voting.  Each membership in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one (1) vote at any general meeting or special meeting of the Club at which the member is present.  A family membership (two members of the same household) will have one (1) vote each. There shall be no voting by proxies. 
 
 

SECTION 1.  Board of Directors. The members of the Board shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and five (5) other persons, all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for a one (1) year term at the Club’s annual meeting as provided in Article IV, and shall serve until their successors are elected.  General management of the Club’s affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.  No more than one (1)  family member may serve on the Board concurrently. 

SECTION 2.  Officers.  The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice?President, 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 officers shall be elected for a one (1) year term.  The President and Vice?President shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive years in that office. 

(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these bylaws. 

(b) The Vice?President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.

(c) The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of Club and of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club.  The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, of notifying members of meetings, of notifying new members of their election to membership, of notifying officers and directors of their election to office, of keeping a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and shall carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws. 

(d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club.  The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club.  The Treasurer's books shall at all times be open to inspection by the membership upon reasonable notice.  The Treasurer shall report the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported at every meeting of the Board, and at the annual meeting shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year.  The Treasurer may be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.  The past year's Treasurer must assist the current Treasurer in the preparation of tax returns for the current year. 

SECTION 3.  Vacancies.  Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of the vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose.  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. 

SECTION 4.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers:  The Club shall hold harmless and indemnify all directors and officers from any liability incurred or threatened against them while carrying out their duties and responsibilities on behalf of the Club. 
 
 

SECTION 1.  Club Year. The club's fiscal year shall begin on the first (1st) day of January and end on the thirty-first (31st) day of December 

The Club's calendar year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election of directors and officers at the annual meeting, and shall continue through the election at the next annual meeting. 

SECTION 2.  Annual Meeting.  There shall be an annual meeting of the members ("annual meeting") which shall be held in the month of December.  At this meeting officers and directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this Article.  The Officers and Directors shall take office January 1st, following the Annual Meeting.  Each retiring officer shall turn over to his/her successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election.  Immediately following the annual meeting of members there shall be an organizational meeting of the Board of Directors at which all new directors shall be installed. 

SECTION 3.  Elections.  The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. 

SECTION 4.  Nominations. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Secretary shall before October 1st notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated. 

During the month of August, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) members, not more than one (1) of whom may be a member of the Board.  The Secretary shall immediately notify the committee members of their selection.  The President shall name a Chairperson for the Nominating Committee, and it shall be his/her duty to call a committee meeting.  The Secretary shall also send written notice to all members advising them that nominations are open for officers and directors, and that any member in good standing may nominate a candidate or candidates as provided at Section 4(b) of this Article. 

(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one (1) candidate for each office and five (5) candidates for five other positions on the Board, and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall report their nominations to the Secretary in writing at the October Club meeting. 

(b) Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s report, the Secretary shall, before the second week of October, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.  Such notice may be set forth in the Club newsletter if the newsletter is mailed no later than the first week of September. 

(c) Additional nominations may be made by any member orally, or by written notice received by the Secretary on or before the date of the last meeting prior to the election by any member in attendance, provided that person so nominated does not decline when their name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying willingness to be a candidate.  No person may be a candidate for more than one (1) position, and the additional noiminations which are provided for herein may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nominatiion of the Nominating Committee. 

(d) Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this Section. 

SECTION 1.  The President may, each year, appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as matches, specialty shows, obedience trials, hunting retriever tests, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees.  Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects. 

SECTION 2.  Any appointed committee or committee member's services may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee.  The Board may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated. 
 
 

SECTION 1.  American Kennel Club Suspension.  Any member who is suspended from the privileges of The American Kennel Club shall automatically 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 interests 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 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 interests of the Club.  If the Board considers that the charges do not allege conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.  If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board not less than 3 weeks nor more than 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/her own defense and bring witnesses if he/she wishes.

SECTION 3.  Board Hearing.  The Board 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 may by a 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 right to appear before his/her fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation.  Immediately after the Board 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 Board's decision and penalty, if any. 

SECTION 4.  Expulsion.  Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of this Article.  Such proceeding may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board's recommendation of expulsion.  The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting.  The President shall read the charges and the Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/she wishes.  The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot on the proposed expulsion.  A 2/3 vote of those present and voting at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion.  If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand. 

SECTION 5.  Confidentiality.  All disciplinary proceedings of this Club shall be confidential, in that Club members with knowledge of such proceedings shall not discuss the proceedings or causes therefor with any person except to the extent discussion is required to conduct such proceedings. 

SECTION 1.  Amendments to the constitution and bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by any member in good standing.  Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be 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.  Proposed amendments of the constitution and bylaws may be enacted by the Board of Directors or by a majority of the voting members. 

SECTION 1.  Dissolution.  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 the 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. 
 
 

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 
Report of President 
Report of Secretary/Minutes of last meeting 
Report of Treasurer 
Report of Membership 
Reports of Committees 
Election of Officers and Board (at Annual meeting) 
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 President 
Report of Secretary/Minutes of last meeting 
Report of Treasurer Report of Membership 
Reports of Committees 
Unfinished Business 
New Business 
Adjournment