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Mountain Canine Corps |
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MC2 |
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Search and Rescue Team |
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Bylaws (original 1986 and as amended July 2003 and May 2006)Article I - Membership Section 1 . Eligibility - The organization is open to all persons 18 years of age or older who subscribe to its purpose as stated in Article 3 of its Constitution. A Regular Membership will entitle one individual to full participation; a Family Membership will entitle two adults from a single household to full participation, including two votes at any meeting at which both are present, but only one copy of any literature put out by the Corporation. Section 2 . Admission - To be admitted to full membership, one must submit for Board approval an application form, which shall be signed by two full members (sponsors) in good standing. Upon Board approval by vote, selection and assignment of a mentor (who may or may not be a sponsor) by the Board, and payment of dues, the candidate becomes a provisional member. Provisional members are subject to the same restrictions as full members. Provisional members are entitled to the same privileges as full members with the exception of voting or holding office. When the Board feels there is sufficient information available (possibly in 4-6 months), the Board will meet with the sponsors and mentor to obtain their advice regarding the progress of the provisional member. A vote by the Board will advance the candidate to full membership. Section 3. Training Participation - Both members and invited non-members may take part in training sessions and field exercises. Section 4. Search Participation - To be called out for a search, a member must have
demonstrated (1) knowledge of the New Mexico SAR plan and fulfilled all
requirements of the State of New Mexico, including successful completion of
the PACE test or equivalent, (2) the ability to look out for him/herself (and
dog, if applicable) under conditions for the service s/he is to perform, and
(3) the skill to make a worthwhile contribution to a mission. To be called
out for a search, a dog / handler team must be mission ready in a specialty
applicable to the expected mission. Section 5. Rejected Applications - An individual whose application for membership receives an unfavorable vote shall no longer be entitled to participate in the organization's activities. Any dues money paid will be refunded. Section 6. Expulsion - A member whose actions are detrimental to the purpose stated in the Constitution may be called to a hearing upon petition signed by at least 5 members and delivered to the Secretary. At the next meeting of the membership, both sides shall be heard and the full members present shall vote for (1) exoneration or (2) disciplinary action, which shall be defined as suspension or permanent expulsion. If a majority vote to impose disciplinary action is passed, a second vote for expulsion will be held. A two-thirds vote or greater of full members present is required to expel a member. A term of suspension will be enacted if less than two-thirds of the votes cast are for expulsion. A term of suspension shall be agreed upon by the Board and made known to the team prior to the vote. A person expelled for cause is entitled to a pro-rated refund of their paid annual dues. Section 7. Termination - Members may leave the organization voluntarily and without prejudice by resignation, approval of a leave of absence, or non-payment of dues. Anyone still owing dues 90 days after January 1 must apply for readmission and be voted on again. Article II - Administration Section 1. Officers - The elected Officers of the Corporation shall be the President, Vice President, Training Director, Treasurer, and Secretary. The officers shall form the Board of Directors (Directors) of the Corporation. Mid-term Officer vacancies will be filled by vote of the Board. The duties of the Officers are as follows: President - to preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Board of Directors, to bring forth all ideas presented and assure a reasonable consideration of same, to be conversant with the Constitution and the rules of order, and to transact all corporate business as required. Vice President - to act in the President's stead if the President is absent or incapacitated. The Vice President will keep records of canine-handler mission readiness and serve as MRE administrator. Secretary - to take care of the organization's correspondence and keep copies of same, to take minutes at meetings and distribute the minutes to team membership, to maintain permanent records of the organization's proceedings, including a roll of all members, their addresses, and other information deemed necessary by the Board. The Secretary will be responsible for compiling a list of eligible voters prior to any election and will make that list available to the team prior to the vote. Treasurer - to receive monies due the organization and deposit them in an account established at a local bank, to pay all authorized expenditures, to keep proper accounts, and to prepare all required financial statements. Training Director - to organize and implement, with other members, an
effective training program. Section 2. 1. Board responsibilities. The Board is responsible for the administration of
MREs. The Board will determine whether a handler / dog team is ready to take
an MRE prior to administration of the MRE. Readiness to take an MRE is
established by examination of training records, observation of the handler /
dog team and input from the team's mentor. The handler / dog team shall be
well qualified prior to taking the MRE. Teams that are not considered well
qualified by the Board will not be offered an MRE, even if requested. The
Board is responsible for pass / fail decisions on MREs. A minimum of three
Board member votes is necessary to award a "pass". A passed MRE
establishes the mission readiness of a dog / handler team subject to the
limitations detailed in Article I, Section 4. When a conflict of interest
arises for a Board member, that Board member must abstain from voting and an
alternate member may be appointed by the Vice President to vote on the MRE.
If the Vice President has a conflict of interest, the Vice President must
relinquish the MRE administrator duty to another Board member. 2. MREs are valid for the following periods: Air scent - 2.5 years Tracking/Trailing
- 2.5 years Alternative
MREs for Re-certification - 2 years Cadaver
- 2 years Wilderness
Cadaver - 2 years A grace period of up to six months may be used to
extend the period that a dog / handler team is mission ready. The grace
period should only be used to accommodate unavoidable delays such as weather,
field conditions, scheduling problems or failed MREs. Section 3. Elections - At the last meeting of the calendar year nominations for new Officers will be voted upon. These nominations will be made prior to or at the beginning of the meeting by any full member. If anyone is nominated who is not present, the nominator must present a written statement of that person's willingness to serve. When the nominations for all offices are closed, a secret ballot shall be taken for any office having more than one nominee and the person receiving a majority of the votes will be elected. If there is only one nominee, that person may be elected by acclamation. The new officers will assume their duties on January 1 of the following calendar year. Section 4. Impeachment - An officer may be impeached or recalled by a majority of the members present and voting at any meeting, if notice has been given to the entire membership in writing at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which the articles of impeachment are to be presented. Section 5. Non-elective Offices - Several critical functions shall be performed by personnel designated by the Board. To assure continuity, these positions should be more or less permanently staffed and changes should be made only if the individual can no longer serve or unusual circumstances arise. These positions are: Callout Officers - act as points of contact for mission callouts; make real-time decisions on the basis of previous advice of the Board and specific mission needs. This position is typically rotated and not permanently staffed by one person. Callout Coordinator - responsible for scheduling callout officers. New Member Coordinator - acts as point of contact for people who are interested in practicing with or joining the team but are not members. Outreach Coordinator - serves as liaison between MC2 and groups requesting demonstrations. In this role, he or she will be responsible for scheduling events and arranging for MC2 members to attend. Equipment Officer - responsible for maintaining a record of team equipment, including a list of team members borrowing equipment, and the condition of the equipment. The Equipment Officer will also work on behalf of the team to contact companies that sell equipment to arrange for donations and discounts. Webmaster - maintains and updates the MC2 website. Archivist - maintains the organization's library and stock of training materials, reference matter, etc. Section 6. Committees - The President, with the Board's concurrence, may appoint committee chairmen to deal with special problems as they arise, and the appointed chairman shall choose his or her own committee. Actions taken by committee chairmen in dealing with those outside the organization must have the prior approval of the Board of Directors. Section 7. Adherence to Employer's Policy - Members are required to follow their employer's policies regarding emergency response activities. Section 8. Definition of a Quorum and Voting Mechanisms 1. Definition of a Quorum - Board and Team a) A quorum for the Board shall be
defined as greater than 50% of the elected officers. b) A quorum for the general membership
shall be defined as greater than 50% of the full members. c) A vote using electronic mail establishes a quorum - all full members are considered present. 2. Voting Mechanisms --
Official business may be conducted at scheduled meetings or via electronic
mail. The team membership shall be sent notification of a planned vote at a
meeting at least 10 calendar days prior to the meeting. In votes using
electronic mail, all voting members must be sent complete documentation
concerning the business at hand at least 10 calendar days prior to the
deadline set by the Secretary for voting. Electronic mail voting is allowed
for all votes other than votes involving expulsion / disciplinary action
(Article I, Section 6) or impeachment (Article II, Section 3). 3. A quorum is necessary for all votes
described in these bylaws. 4. With the exception of Article I,
Section 6, a majority of votes cast is necessary to pass any vote described
in these bylaws. A majority of votes is defined as greater than 50% of the
votes cast. 5. The results of electronic mail voting shall be tallied by the Secretary and at least one other member of the Board. Section 9. Parliamentary Authority In all situations not specifically covered in this Constitution and these Bylaws the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order will take precedence. Article III - Finances Section 1. Dues - Dues shall be $15.00 for a Regular Membership and $20.00 for a Family Membership, and shall cover the remainder of the year of joining. Section 2. Special Assessments - If circumstances require, the Board of Directors may make a special assessment for which all members will be responsible in the same manner as dues. Any assessment whose total amount exceeds $100 must be approved by a vote of the full members. Section 3. Indemnification - Mountain Canine Corps indemnifies the officers (directors) against expenses, costs, and attorneys' fees actually and reasonably incurred in their defense in any action, suit, or proceeding, civil or criminal, to which they are made parties by reason of being or having been officers (directors). If an officer (director) so indemnified shall be proved guilty of negligence or misconduct in performance of his/her duties, he/she must reimburse the Corporation for any sums paid on his/her behalf as a result of the indemnification. Section 4. Spending Authority -- The President and Treasurer are authorized to
make team purchases of less than $50.00 without Board approval. The
President and Treasurer are required to gain Board approval for purchases
greater than $50.00 and less than $200.00. A vote of the full members
is necessary to approve purchases of $200.00 or greater . Article IV - Amendments Section 1. Proposal - Any desired amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws must be made in writing to the Board of Directors, who must present it at the next regular meeting or using electronic mail. Section 2. Voting - Proposed amendments shall be voted on at the next meeting after their presentation to the Board or using electronic mail. The membership shall be notified in writing of the text of the amendment at least 10 days before the meeting. . |
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