National American Shorthair Club Constitution

Ratified January 1, 2005

ARTICLE I -NAME

This organization shall be known as the National American Shorthair Club.

ARTICLE II-AFFILIATION

This organization shall be affiliated with the Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc., hereafter referred to as CFA.

ARTICLE III-OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this Club shall be:

To promote and develop interest in and knowledge of the American Shorthair cat.
To hold and sponsor cat shows.
To encourage breeding the American Shorthair cat to the CFA standard.
To cultivate and encourage kinship and communication among the members of the club and American Shorthair breeders.
To promote and encourage a high standard of ethics in the breeding, care, sales, and exhibiting of American Shorthair cats.
To promote the welfare of all cats.

ARTICLE IV-MEMBERSHIP

Persons interested in the objectives of this organization shall be eligible for membership. Membership shall be of two(2) types. Regular Members shall be voting members and Associate Members shall be non-voting members of this organization.

Regular Membership shall be restricted to those persons eighteen years of age or older who own, exhibit and/ or breed American Shorthair cats registered with CFA.

Associate Membership shall be restricted to those persons who have an interest in the American Shorthair cat or those persons who do not meet the minimum age (18 yrs) requirement for Regular Membership.

ARTICLE V-OFFICERS

Officers shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The two latter offices may be combined at the discretion of the Members. The Officers and three elected Regular Members shall constitute the Board of Directors, of which the President shall be chairperson. All Board Members must be Regular Members and must also be CFA American Shorthair Breed Council Members. Four members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Board business.

ARTICLE VI-DUES

Regular, Associate, and additional same-household memberships are payable January 1 per annum.

ARTICLE VII-MEETINGS

The Club Annual meeting shall be held in June in conjunction with the CFA Annual meeting. The Club Annual meeting shall be a business meeting, which may be scheduled contiguously with other breed related meetings but may not be replaced by such other meetings. Additional meetings may be held as provided in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII-AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and/or the accompanying By-Laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those Regular Members voting by mail ballot so long as a minimum of 51% of the eligible membership votes on the question. The text of any proposed amendments shall be mailed with the ballot to each Regular Member at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the appointed closure date fixed by the Board of Directors.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I-MEETINGS

Section 1: Board meetings shall be held as needed. A meeting may be held by conference telephone or any other telecommunications equipment, so long as Board Members can participate at the same time. Board Members participating shall be deemed to be present in person at such meeting.

Section 2: Four members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Board business.

Section 3: Special meetings of the Board or Club may be called at any reasonable time by the President and shall be called at the written request to the President by three or more Regular Members and at least one Board Member. Notice of special meetings shall be given upon 4 days notice by first-class mail or 48 hours’ notice delivered personally or by telephone.

Section 4: One quarter of the current paid membership, to include three(3) Board Members, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Club business.

ARTICLE II-ELECTIONS

Section 1: The Officers and three other members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by mail ballot and shall serve for two years or until their successors shall have qualified.

Section 2: The bi-annual ballot for the election of Officers and other Board Members shall be held in January of the odd-numbered years, to be noticed to Members through the club newsletter.

Section 3: Nominees shall be Regular Members who have maintained Club and CFA American Shorthair Breed Council Membership for at least two years, except that nominees for President shall be Regular Members who have maintained Club and CFA American Shorthair Breed Council Membership for at least three years.-Declarations for office must be submitted to the Secretary by December 10^th of the even-numbered years.

Section 4: A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the unexpired term. 

Section 5: The Delegate to the CFA Annual Meeting shall be the President.

Section 6: The Delegate shall vote at the Annual as instructed by the Club. Voting instructions will be obtained as follows: The Regular Members shall vote by mail ballot for CIA Board officers and Directors. The Board shall vote by mail ballot on resolutions. The Club shall abstain on matters pertaining solely to individual Regions.

ARTICLE III- VOTING

Whenever a mail ballot is needed, ballots shall be returned to the Secretary in a specially marked envelope without exterior designation other than “National American Shorthair Club”. This envelope shall be placed in a second, larger envelope with the return address in the upper left-hand comer as required by Postal Regulations. The inner envelope containing the ballots will remain unopened in the possession of the Secretary until the appointed date for closure of the voting, at which time the ballots shall be opened and counted in the presence of at least one other club member and one non-club member.

ARTICLE IV-OFFICERS

The duties of Elected Officers shall be:

The President shall be the chief executive officer, shall preside at all meetings; and shall perform all duties consistent with the office. The President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees and shall appoint such special committees as shall be deemed necessary.

The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. The Vice President shall act as Program Chairperson for all Club functions.

The Secretary shall be the recording and corresponding officer, shall keep a record of all meetings; shall keep a roll of members with addresses; and shall maintain all club records.

The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies of the club; shall open and maintain a bank account in the name of the Club; shall keep book accounts of receipts and Expenditures; and shall publish a quarterly report in the Club’s newsletter and present an annual report at the Club’s Annual meeting.

ARTICLE V-DISCIPLINE

The National American Shorthair Club, being a member of CFA, expects each club member to comply with the provisions of the CFA Constitution and Show Rules. Accordingly, if any club member is suspended from access to CFA services by the CFA Executive Board and/or prohibited from exhibiting or participating in a CFA licensed Cat Show, (except as a spectator), the Club Board will suspend such club member from club membership for a period concurrent with the CFA suspension arid/or prohibition.

ARTICLE VI-AMENDMENTS These By-Laws may be amended as provided in the Constitution.

ARTICLE VII-NEWSLETTER

The newsletter of the National American Shorthair Club will be published quarterly. The Editor will be appointed by the President.

ARTICLE VIII-ANNUAL AWARDS

The NASC annual awards program will be held to coincide with CFA’s Annual. Winners of the “TOP TEN” will be honored (Championship, Premiership, and Kittens), as well as all cats achieving the status of DM. Eligibility will be determined by CFA’s point system and paid membership as of March 1.

Ratified January 1, 2005