Constitution
I. Name
A. The name of the association shall be The United Orpington Club, here-after referred to as the UOC.
B. The address of the UOC shall be that of the current Secretary-Treasurer.
C. The UOC shall operate as a non-profit organization. The fiscal year running from January 1st to December 31st.
II. Purpose
The UOC is dedicated to continued advancement and improvement of the Orpington breed, through education, exhibition, and promotion, in both large fowl and bantam.
III. Members
Any person or group interested in the set goals of this organization who is willing to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the UOC may become a member of the Club upon payment of the required dues under one of the following classifications:
A. Individual: Any individual 18 years or older
B. Family: One household with no limit of children under the age of 18
C. Junior: Any individual under 18 years of age
IV. Benefits of Membership
A. Voting privileges are limited to one vote per Individual membership: two votes for Family membership for persons 18 years or older. Junior memberships have no vote.
B. All members receive a copy of the All-Orp (the quarterly newsletter).
C. All Members 18 years or older are listed in the Breeder’s Directory on the UOC website.
D. All Members are eligible to earn points towards the annual Exhibitor of the Year and Master Breeder program.
V. Officers
A. The Executive Board (EB) of the organization shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Immediate Past President. These five individuals are responsible for all budgeting matters.
B. The Board of Directors (BOD) shall consist of the Executive Board, the District Directors (maximum 12), and any State Representatives. These officers shall have full discretion and decision in all non-constitutional questions that may arise, except as limited in the Bylaws and the vote of the membership.
C. Each member of the BOD has one vote, regardless of how many BOD positions they hold. A quorum consists of a simple majority of positions currently held since not all directorships may be active.
D. At any Annual or special meeting, a 2/3rd vote of members present is required to pass any agenda item that seeks to amend the Constitution/By-Laws PROVIDED a 30-day written notice was given to all current club members. Standing Rules can be changed with a simple majority, no notice to full membership is required.
VI. Terms and Elections
A. All Board members, including District Directors and state representatives shall serve a two(2) year term.
• State and provincial representatives shall be appointed by the elected director of the respective district. Appointments are to be made by March 1 following the election and the Club Secretary is to be notified of the appointments.
B. Elections shall take place in odd numbered years.
C. Candidate’s names must be submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer prior to October 1st of the year of election.
D. All candidates must be members in good standing prior to election. They must remain in good standing throughout their two-year term.
E. Ballots will be mailed out with the listing of all submitted candidates for each office. Write-in votes are permitted provided the person’s consent was obtained prior to doing so.
F. Balloting will remain open November 1st to December 1st. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Dec 1 of the election year to be tabulated.
G. New Board members take office January 1. Results will be reported in the January All-Orp.
VII. National Meets
There will be two NATIONAL MEETS per year, one Eastern and one Western. Show regions will be separated primarily by the Missouri River. The dividing line being drawn with Ontario, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas to the east and Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to the west. An attempt will be made to place National Shows on a rotational basis by district.
A. Application bids for the UOC National Meet must be submitted in writing to the Secretary/Treasurer.
B. Bids from any club wanting to host a National Meet will be considered. Meet placement will be based on, but not limited to, Club members’ ability to attend, premiums offered, venue and facilities, location, date, and past show performance/attendance, among other things.
C. Bids must be submitted by July 31st for the following year.
D. The BOD will vote on submitted bids for final placement of National Meets.
E. No District may host the UOC National Meet in consecutive years.
VIII. District, State, & Special Meets
Any member wishing to have a show considered as a UOC sanctioned meet should contact their District Director. To be considered a sanctioned meet and thus eligible for points to be awarded the following criterion must be met.
A. Meet must be listed in the Host Club’s catalog, website, or social media postings prior to the date of the show.
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B. The show must be posted on the UOC website a minimum of 45 days PRIOR to the show date.
IX. Master Breeder and Exhibitor of the Year Programs
Members earn points based on the number of Orpingtons exhibited at shows that have a sanctioned UOC meet.
A. Exhibitor of the Year: All points earned annually are tabulated for that year’s Exhibitor of the Year Award. Exhibitor of the Year is to be presented at the National Meet the following year. Exhibitor of the Year is based on the TOTAL of all points earned in ALL varieties by one Member.
B. Master Breeder: Master Breeder points are an accumulative tabulation. They are calculated per Variety. Points are allowed for all recognized and Non-Standard varieties in Bantam and Large Fowl.
C. Master Breeder levels are as follows:
1. Gold – 1,000 points earned in ONE variety in no less than 5 years – Master Breeder status and a Plaque.
2. Silver – 500 points earned in ONE variety – Certificate of Achievement.
3. Bronze – 250 points earned in one variety – Certificate of Achievement.
D. Members must be in good standing to qualify for MB/EOY points. Points earned while membership is lapsed can be applied if all years of outstanding dues are paid in full.
E. Juniors can earn points towards Junior Exhibitor of the Year. Points earned by Juniors will be credited to Master Breeder status under the same terms as adult members. Juniors must remain in good standing to be eligible.
X. Amendments
Any member in good standing can request or propose an addition or amendment to the UOC By-laws or Constitution by submitting the proposal in writing to the BOD.
The Constitution and/or the By-Laws may be amended by the following procedures:
A. At any Club Meeting, by two-thirds (2/3) of the members present at the time votes are taken, provided that written notice of the proposed amendment(s) was sent to the entire membership at least 30 days in advance of the meeting. The entire membership shall then be notified within 30 days of ratification.
B. Via mail in ballot whereas the President, having formed a Constitutional Committee, and presented an amendment to the BOD for approval. The amendment then is sent to the general membership for vote by mail, paper or digital. Balloting shall remain open for a minimum of two weeks. Approval shall require 2/3rd vote of ballots returned.
C. Standing Rules can be changed by the BOD by a simple majority vote.
ByLaws
Article I. Duties of the President
The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the Club. The President is the general supervisor of the UOC. As such, the President shall preside over all meetings. The President shall be an unofficial member of all committees, acting in an advisory capacity. The President shall also serve as a tiebreaker in event of a voting deadlock. The President will appoint, with approval of the Board, vacancies on the Board and any national committees. The President will write a quarterly article for The All Orp. The President will keep the webmaster up to date with club happenings to be posted on website and social media sites.
Article II. Duties of the Vice President
The Vice President shall assist the President in promoting the club. The Vice President will write a quarterly article for The All Orp. The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the President’s inability to serve.
Article III. Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer
The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for:
1. Conducting the correspondence of the UOC and keeping account of the same.
2. Keeping an account of all expenses incurred.
3. Keeping minutes of all meetings. Including, but not limited to, recording motions and votes cast by the BOD and club members.
4. Having charge of the books and papers relating to the office.
5. Collecting all monies due the UOC and keeping a correct account of same. This includes maintaining online payment records through the website and other payment methods.
6. Issuing all notices of meetings.
7. Notifying those members who are in arrears with dues and removing their names from membership if unpaid three months after due date.
8. Keeping a correct list of names of members and their addresses for all club correspondence, newsletters, Annual Breeder’s Directory, and for District Directors to interact with their District members.
9. Preparing quarterly and End of Year financial reports and presenting the same to be published in the quarterly newsletter and presented at the Annual Meeting.
10. Collecting articles for, compiling, and editing of the quarterly newsletter, The All Orp. The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for writing an article for each quarter.
11. Overseeing the election process for Officers, Directors, and amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws in all major and special elections. Duties include, but are not limited to, collecting Candidate information, creating, organizing, and mailing ballots, receiving, and counting returned ballots, and notifying club members of the election results via The All Orp or other correspondence.
12. Assisting the Web Master with websites and social media content as well as processing UOC store orders.
Article IV. Duties of the Recording Secretary
Recording Secretary shall:
1. Assist the Secretary-Treasurer in publication of All-Orp. Including writing a quarterly article regarding the state of the EOY and MB programs.
2. Work with District Directors, State Representatives, and Show Secretaries to ensure all points earned at UOC sanction shows are reported accurately and in a timely manner.
3. Be responsible for gathering, recording, and reporting all points from UOC sanctioned shows.
4. Ensure appropriate awards are issued for EOY and MB participants.
5. Maintain the archives of the UOC.
Article V. District Directors
The UOC has 12 districts coinciding with the APA Districts. They are as follows:
District 1: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
District 2: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia
District 3: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana
District 4: Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina
District 5: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota
District 6: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado
District 7: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
District 8: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico
District 9: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii
District 10: Canada, all east of the west line of Ontario
District 11: Canada, all west of the west line of Ontario
District 12: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Puerto Rico, Bermuda
Article VI. Duties of District Directors
District Directors shall:
1. Place yearly District Meet, State Meets, and Special Meets. District Meets are to be rotated from state to state so that all states have equal opportunity to host a District meet. Likewise, state meets are to be rotated amongst the various shows within an individual state, when appropriate. District Directors are responsible for notifying the Web Master of meet placement so they can be accurately posted on the club’s website and social media.
2. Assign State representatives where possible to ensure each state’s members are equally represented.
3. Maintain open communication with State Representatives and members of their district. District Directors are the conduit between the general membership of their District and the BOD.
4. Ensure Show reports are accurately completed for all UOC sanctioned shows. And that show reports are submitted to the Recording Secretary in a timely manner.
5. Shall provide bids for National Meets to the BOD for consideration in their district.
6. Shall participate in BOD meetings.
7. Shall write a quarterly newsletter article for The All Orp.
Article VII. Duties of State Representatives
State Representatives shall place the yearly state meet. They shall maintain open lines of communication with the District Director and members of their states.
Article VIII. Duties of the Web Master
Web Master is an appointed position by the President with the approval of the BOD. The Web Master is responsible for maintaining the club’s website and social media platforms. The Web Master oversees updating, editing, and publishing information, articles, and other items of interest to the club’s electronic media platforms. The Web Master will help the Secretary/Treasurer in electronic publication of emails, memos, newsletters, etc.
Article IX. Dues
1. The cost of annual dues shall be set by the UOC BOD.
2. All fees will be reviewed and set by majority vote by the BOD on an as needed basis.
3. Payment of membership is due within 30 days of a member’s anniversary date to remain in good standing. Dues can be paid in advance.
4. Dues not paid within 30 days of anniversary date are considered delinquent. Renewal reminders will be mailed. After 90 days delinquency, a member will be removed from active membership and all benefits will be discontinued until dues are remitted.
ARTICLE X. CODE OF CONDUCT
The intention of this section is to establish clear and acceptable behavior expectations for UOC members in order to promote values such as integrity, service, and friendship while promoting the Orpington breed through education, breeding, and exhibition. Its purpose is to provide a democratic and orderly process to address activities that may have a negative impact to the integrity, operation, and/or long-term success of the UOC.
It is not intended to restrict the rights of anyone but rather to ensure that all members can expect to be treated with respect while participating in UOC sanctioned events or interacting on UOC social media platforms.
The Club deems that upon payment of membership, all members have given their consent to be bound by both the restrictions and penalties imposed by this code of conduct.
Code of Conduct
All members will:
• Conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all sanctioned UOC events and will not knowingly cheat, disrespect BOD Officers, Judges, fellow club members, or other exhibitors.
• Respect the rights of other club members (Ex: Will not verbally or physically threaten or slander others, either personally or through social media)
• Not engage in any form of sexual, racial, religious discrimination or harassment
• Not conduct themselves in any rude or vulgar manner, including the use of profane language, gestures, insults, or other such misbehavior. Remember, we have many Junior Members who participate at events and on social media.
• Be an ambassador for the UOC when out in the community, at shows or other UOC sanctioned events. We are all representatives of The UOC and our fellow Orpington breeders.
Grounds for Disciplinary Actions:
• Theft or any other actions that impact or compromise the financial integrity of the UOC.
• Organized or individual attempts to purposely slander or discredit the integrity of the UOC, its Officers, District Directors and/or the general membership.
• Misrepresentation of UOC credentials, logo, property, etc., for the purpose of personal gain.
• Discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other class.
• Violence or threats of violence.
• Any additional actions that result in significant negative impact to the UOC or its members.
Violation Hearings and Procedures:
• Should a violation or a report of a violation take place, the issue will be placed on the agenda for the next BOD meeting. If the matter is urgent, the President will call a Special Meeting to discuss the matter.
• An appropriate hearing will be held to discuss the complaint/violation.
• After discussion, the BOD shall offer the involved members an opportunity to state their case.
• The board will determine the extent of the penalty which could include temporary or complete loss of membership.
• Disciplinary actions must be passed by a majority vote of the BOD in attendance at the meeting.
• Possible disciplinary actions, including but not limited to the following in any order or combination:
1. Verbal warning issued by any member of the Executive Board.
2. Written warning issued by the UOC BOD.
3. Membership suspension for six months or greater.
4. Permanent membership suspension.
All final disciplinary actions and decisions are up to the complete discretion of the UOC Board of Directors.