GLFHA By-Laws

1. The name of the Club shall be “Great Lakes Friesian Horse Association,” hereafter referred to as the GLFHA.
2. Membership of the GLFHA is open to anyone with an interest in the Friesian horse and a member of good standing in the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA).

1. The GLFHA’s goal is to promote and to further the breeding of the purebred Friesian horse.
2. The GLFHA will accomplish this goal by recognizing all the rules, regulations, and statutes established by “Het Friesch Paarden Stamboek” (FPS), which is the Friesian horse stud book authority in the Netherlands.
3. Because of geographical and language difficulties, the FHANA will negotiate procedures with the FPS to provide members of FHANA with facilities to register purebred horses and have them judged in accordance with FPS standards.  The GLFHA will abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the FHANA.
4. The GLFHA will provide social activities to unite the Midwest’s Friesian horse owners and enthusiasts and will provide a contact for the national organization.

1. There shall be three categories of members, namely:

a) Associate Membership

b) Individual Membership

c) Family or Business Membership

a) Associate Membership: Any person who does not own a registered Friesian horse but loves the breed and wants to be involved in club activities.  An associate member is not entitled to vote in club proceedings nor is he/she eligible for election as an officer/board member.

b) Individual Membership:  Any owner of at least one registered Friesian horse and a member in good standing with FHANA.  An individual member is entitled to one vote in the club’s proceedings and is eligible for election as an officer and/or board member.

c) Family or Business Membership: Two or more members of a family or a legally recognized business entity that have at least one registered Friesian horse and are members in good standing with FHANA. A family is comprised of one or more adults and children under the age of 18. A family or business member is entitled to one vote in the club’s proceedings and one member of the group who is at least 18 years of age is eligible for election as an officer and/or board member.

2. Any member wishing to resign from the GLFHA shall give notice to that effect in writing to the Secretary.  The GLFHA will accept the resignation upon receipt of any outstanding fees and assessments.

3. Membership may be suspended or terminated at the request of the Board or by request and vote of the membership.

a) A member who violates any rule or regulation as specified in the By-laws of the GLFHA or for the time being in force in approved Rules and Regulations, or deals unfairly with the GLFHA or its members, or fails to fulfill obligations including payment of fees and or assessments, is liable to be suspended from all or any of the privileges of the GLFHA for such period or periods as the Board determines or be expelled by the Board. A member so charged must be given at least thirty (30) days notice of the meeting at which the Board will consider the suspension or expulsion.

b) Any five members in good standing and entitled to vote can request a motion at the next membership meeting to suspend or terminate a member who is considered guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of the GLFHA. A member so charged has the right to appear before the Board as well as the membership to make a proper defense.  On receipt of the request for such motion, the Secretary on behalf of the Board must notify the member so charged at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting of the Board and the membership meeting which will consider the suspension or termination.  At least one member making the charge must be present in-person to propose the motion at the said membership meeting.  If the member so charged is unable to be present at the membership meeting at which the motion for the suspension or termination is passed, the member has the right to appeal the decision at the next membership meeting.

4. Suspension or termination of membership, whether voluntary or involuntary, does not release a member from liability for any fees or assessments.

1. The GLFHA shall be governed by a Board consisting of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

2. The Board is responsible for managing the business of the GLFHA to achieve its goals by exercising all such powers of the GLFHA as outlined by these By-laws and for the time being in force in approved Rules and Regulations.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board shall exercise the following powers:

a) To maintain the Rules and Regulations which govern the routine affairs of the GLFHA. Additions or alterations will be proposed by the Board in accordance with Article VII.2.

b) To designate the bank of the GLFHA and to determine from time to time who shall have signing authority for transactions involving the bank account or account of the GLFHA.

c) To institute, conduct, defend, compound, or abandon any legal proceeding by or against the GLFHA or the Board or staff or otherwise concerning the affairs of the GLFHA and to compound and allow time for payment or settlement of any debts due and of any claims or demands by or against the GLFHA.

3. The duties of the Board shall be as follows:

a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of the President in addition to those particularly specified in these by-laws. The President shall with the approval of the Board of Directors appoint all regular and special committee chairmen.

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 and such other duties and powers as shall be designated by the Board. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice President shall succeed to the office of President until the next annual meeting.

c) The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Organization and the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Organization. The Secretary shall keep a roll of all the members with their contact information.  At the annual meeting, the Secretary shall report to the membership a summary of all activities of the Chapter and its Board of Directors during the previous year.  The Secretary will carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these by-laws.

d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Organization. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Organization.  The Organization’s books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board and the Treasurer shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the Organization’s finances.  The Treasurer shall keep a record of all receivables and payables and shall make payments of funds as directed by the Board.  The Treasurer shall maintain accurate records of all other transactions falling within their office, shall render a report at each regular meeting and a complete financial statement at the Annual Meeting each year.

e) The Board at large shall take a leadership role in maintaining the By-laws, the Rules and Regulations, the Regional boundaries, and other duties as determined from time to time by the President.

f) The Board may delegate any of the powers to committees consisting of members in good standing and eligible for election to the Board as they think fit.

4. The term of office of the Board shall be as follows:

a) President shall be elected to a 2-year term.

b) Vice President shall be elected to a 2-year term.

c) Secretary shall be elected to a 2-year term.

d) Treasurer shall be elected to a 2-year term.

f) President and Treasurer shall be elected on opposite years of the Vice President and Secretary.

g) Retiring Board members are eligible for re-election.

5. The election of the Board shall be conducted as follows:

a) Not less than 30 days prior to the day fixed by the Board for the General Meeting, the GLFHA shall mail or e-mail to each regular member a notice that the GLFHA will receive nominations for the Board, up to a date specified in such notice, but which will be no sooner than twenty days before the date set for the said General Meeting.

b) Any two members may nominate any other member for election as a Board member by a letter in writing addressed to the Secretary, provided that the member so nominated has endorsed his consent to such nomination upon such letter.

c) All such nominations must be received by the Secretary on or before the date specified for the receiving of nominations and any nomination received after such date shall be invalid.

d) After the date specified for receipt a ballot will be prepared containing names of those persons duly nominated, and voting will occur prior to the Annual General Meeting.

e) Members shall vote for the election of the Board by completing the ballot.

f) The President and Secretary shall appoint two members who are not members of the Board to act as scrutinizers.

g) The Secretary shall count all ballots duly received in the presence of the scrutinizers so appointed. The count can be prepared prior to the scheduled meeting.

h) Should a tie vote occur, the President or Secretary shall have a casting vote to determine who shall be elected and will so certify.

i) The results of the election shall be announced at the Annual General Meeting.

6. Members of the Board who fail to attend ½ of the consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory excuse to the other members of the Board shall be removed from office.

7. If any Board member is unable to complete his/her term on office or is removed from office, the Board may at their discretion appoint another member to temporarily fill the vacancy until an alternate is elected at the next General Meeting.

1. The Board shall cause true accounts to be kept of the sums of money received and expended by the GLFHA and the matters in respect of which such receipts and expenditures take place.  The books shall be kept by the Treasurer and shall always be open to the inspection of the Board.

2. At the General Meeting prior to the financial year-end, the members shall appoint an auditor to audit the accounts of the GLFHA.  Any such audit will be considered by the membership at the next general meeting.

3. The financial year of the GLFHA shall terminate on the 31^st day of November in each year or on such other date as the Board may from time to time determine by resolution.

1. Meetings of the membership shall be held in every calendar year at such time and place as the Board may appoint.

2. The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive and consider all old and new business, closing out the old year and starting new, the elect Board members and announce the results of the election and audit.

1. Any member in good standing and entitled to vote who has a new article to propose or a suggestion to alter an existing article in these By-laws must present it to the Board and membership at the next annual general meeting.  After discussion, the exact wording of the amendment to the article will be adopted on a majority vote of seventy-five percent of the votes cast by members in good standing and entitled to vote.

2. Any addition or alterations to the Rules and Regulations proposed by the Board or member in good standing and entitled to vote shall be discussed, amended as deemed necessary, and adopted on a majority vote or seventy-five percent of the votes cast by members in good standing and entitled to vote at the next annual general meeting.

1. The annual judging conducted by the FPS has as its primary purpose the evaluation and selection of Friesian breeding stock.  Certain categories of horses may be evaluated for premium awards and adult Friesians may be evaluated for promotion o the studbooks and to the registers of status/predicates.

2. Eligibility and evaluation will be in accordance with the Rules and Regulations set by FPS and FHANA.

3. Presentation of horses will be in accordance with the Rules and Regulations set by FPS and FHANA.

4. Fees for the Judging will be as follows:

a) Members of the GLFHA will need to be in good standing, with all dues paid in full.

b) Members of the GLFHA will be assessed a boarding fee determined by the facility used for the Judging.

c) Non-members will be required to pay a fee established by the Board prior to the judging to assist paying the GLFHA’s costs incurred in holding the judging.