North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, SouthEastern Michigan Chapter (SEMI NAVHDA)
Section 2, Purpose
The mission of the SEMI NAVHDA is to provide the leadership necessary and the opportunity for its members to train and test the versatile hunting dog.
To encourage and actively promote sportsmanlike conduct in the field, during chapter events and require observance of game laws and regulations.
Article 2 – Dues and Membership
Section 1, Dues
The board of directors will determine chapter dues and a ¾ majority vote of the Executive Council (EC) is required to change the amount of dues.
Membership dues are to be paid by March 1st of each year. Chapter dues are good for 1 year. Dues that are paid after August 1st are good for the following year.
Section 2, Membership
An active membership in NAVHDA International is a prerequisite for SEMI chapter membership.
Regular membership is for 1 individual
Spouses of active members and young people under the age of 18 and living in the same household of the regular member, are eligible to be included in a family membership and have all the benefits of membership except any person under the age of 18 will not have voting privileges.
Section 3. Disputes and Expulsion
Disputes – in the event of a dispute or grievance, which is of such serious nature to damage the chapter, the President may appoint a committee consisting of 3 members in good standing from the chapter membership. One member shall be from the Executive Council and shall serve as chairman. The purpose of the committee shall be to gather facts and mediate the dispute. If no settlement can be reached by efforts of the committee, they shall present the matter to the EC for final arbitration.
Expulsion – expulsion of a current chapter member for improper conduct, unsportsmanlike behavior or other reasons deemed harmful to the chapter or its property may be done after a hearing by the EC and ¾ majority votes by the EC to terminate membership. A member thus expelled may petition the EC for renewal of membership after a period of 1 year. The EC will vote on the petition at the next meeting, if membership is accepted by ¾ majority vote, there will be a mandatory 1-year probationary period. If any violations occur during the periods of expulsion or probation, membership may be cancelled indefinitely.
Article 3 – Executive Council (Officers and Directors)
Section 1, Officers and Directors
The EC shall consist of 4 elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) and 3 appointed directors (Director of Activities, Director of Promotions, Director of Testing)
All members of the EC must be members of SEMI and NAVHDA International.
All members of the EC will have voting privileges in all executive business conducted for SEMI NAVHDA. In the event that one person holds more than one position, that individual can only cast one vote for any issue. In case of a tie the EC can request that the past president cast the tie-breaking vote.
Terms of office are 2 years.
Directors will be appointed on the same schedule as the President.
There shall be no salary or remuneration for the services rendered, with the exception of board authorized expenses incurred through chapter business.
For the purpose of accepting motions or conducting chapter business, a minimum of 3 elected officers and 2 appointed directors must be present to make chapter motions. To expedite time and travel, chapter business may be conducted electronically at the discretion of the EC
No officer shall hold the same position for more than 2 consecutive terms unless a replacement is unavailable.
Article 4 – Duties of the EC Members
Section 1, President
The President is the chief officer of the chapter and EC. His duties include presiding over EC and general membership meetings.
The President with approval from the officers, shall appoint any person (in good standings with the current membership) to fill any vacancy occurring in the office during a term.
Section 2, Vice President
The Vice President shall assume the office of President in the event of a vacancy occurring therein and perform such other duties as determined by the EC.
Section 3, Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for all chapter correspondence, keeping records and conducting the business of the chapter in accordance with its by-laws.
Section 4, Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for and maintain all financial records of the chapter, maintain bank accounts, sign checks, receive and disburse monies as approved by the EC.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for current financial statements of the chapter finances.
Section 5, Director of Activities
The Director of Activities shall be responsible to promote and sign up volunteers for training events and to publish the established list of volunteers for the general membership either through electronic mail or submit information for posting on the SEMI NAVHDA web site.
The Director of Activities shall be responsible for recommending to the EC fund raising events for the chapter and helping to recruit members to oversee these events.
Section 6, Director of Promotions
The Director of Promotions shall be responsible for storing and keeping inventory of the SEMI NAVHDA gear (items for sale such as clothing and hats) and having those items available for sale at chapter tests and events.
The Director of Promotions will recommend to the EC when the purchase of more or additional items is advisable and place the orders with EC approval.
The Director of Promotions may also recommend ways to further promote and encourage membership to NAVHDA and the SEMI NAVHDA chapter.
Section 7, Director of Testing
The Director of Testing will coordinate all activities of chapter tests including submitting test reports prior to and following each tests.
Ensure all coordinator positions are filled prior to each chapter test.
Determine field logistics for each test.
Fill in where/when necessary to ensure a successful test.
The following positions fall under the supervision of the Director of Testing:
Test Secretary, duties include: receive entries, send confirmations, develop running orders, request test approval, prepare judges scorecards
Judges Coordinator, duties include: Contact/schedule judges (need EC approval if airfare is > $400), make hotel arrangements for judges, make plans for arrival and departure of judges
Hospitality Coordinator, duties include: arrange for lunches for each test date (limited to under $150 unless approved by EC), ensure availability of judges cooler on test days, make dinner arrangements for judges on arrival date and test dates, make arrangements for judges breakfasts
Coordinator of Birds, duties include, contact and contract birds for test dates, arrange for pick up of birds for the tests, responsible for care of birds during the test weekend, responsible for the birds to be at the grounds on test dates, arrange for the dispatch of the birds the day of the tests
Coordinator of Test Workers, duties include: solicit volunteers for all test days (i.e. bird planters, gunners, diversion gunner, duck thrower, etc), help place volunteers that show up on day of test that were not previously on volunteer list, keep list of workers for judges and SEMI NAVHDA
**Gunners must be on approved gunners list (list to be compiled by Coordinator of Test Workers based on safety and ability)**
Article 5 – EC and General Membership Meetings
Section 1, EC Meetings
The SouthEastern Michigan chapter will hold 2 mandatory EC meetings per calendar year. Other meetings may be called by the President or any 2 members of the EC.<
One EC meeting will be held in January to discuss the coming events for that year.
The second mandatory meeting will be held mid-year.
Section 2, General Membership Meetings
The SouthEastern Michigan chapter will hold 4 general membership meetings per calendar year.
Any member of the SEMI chapter is welcome to attend these meetings.
The general membership meetings may occur during scheduled training days if the membership has been made aware of the meeting prior to that day.
Article 6 – Elections of Officers and Appointment of Directors
Section 1, Election of Officers
Any SEMI NAVHDA member in good standing is eligible to fill an Officers/Directors position
Terms of office are 2 years.
Elections of officers will be held every year with President and Secretary being voted on during odd numbered years and the Vice President and Treasurer will be voted on during even numbered years.
Terms of office will begin January 1st and expire December 31st of the second year.
Nominations will be accepted in September and must be submitted to the Secretary; who will contact the nominees for their acceptance.
Ballots will be sent October 1st through the US mail or electronically at the discretion of the EC. Votes must be postmarked by October 31st to be counted.
Results will be published in November.
Only members in good standing and over the age of 18 are permitted to vote.
Section 2, Appointment of Directors
Upon commencement of his or her term, the President shall appoint (with approval of a vote by a majority of the Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) Director of Promotions, Director of Activities and Director of Testing.
Director’s term ends with the end of the term of the President.
Article 7 – Motions
Section 1, Motions
Any chapter member can make a motion at any time. Motions presented at any other time than a scheduled meeting must be submitted in writing to the Secretary.
All motions shall be reviewed and acted upon by the EC in a timely manner and announced at the next general membership meeting.
If the motion requires a vote by the general membership, the vote must be announced no less than 7 days prior to the vote.
Article 8 – General
Section 1, Delegate to the International Annual Meeting
When deemed advisable and feasible, the EC of the SEMI chapter will select a member of the chapter to attend the International Annual Meeting.
The SEMI chapter will donate an allowance to the chapter delegate attending the International Annual Meeting.
The allowance is not to exceed $500 for travel and lodging. Receipts up to that amount are required for any reimbursement.
The delegate will vote on motions at the International Annual Meeting on behalf of the SEMI chapter. The motions must first be voted on by the general members of SEMI and the delegate will cast the SEMI’s chapter vote in accordance to those results.
The delegate shall provide a summary of the events taken place at the annual meeting and present the summary to the chapter.
Section 2, By-laws
Any changes, deletions, additions or modifications to the chapter’s by-laws must be voted on by the general membership and pass by a 2/3 majority of the membership voting.
Proposed changes must be made available to all chapter members in writing at least 10 days prior to the vote.
Updated by-laws will be sent to the Central Office of NAVHDA.
Section 3, Conduct during Training Days
All dogs must be under control at all times until you are in your designated training field.
All dogs are to be leashed while in the parking lot.
Anyone entering the training fields must be wearing hunter orange.
Shooting live ammunition is not allowed near the parking lot.
Firearms must be unloaded with actions open until you have reached the field that you have signed up to use. Actions must be re-opened anytime you are outside that field including the return to the parking lot.
Only members of the SEMI chapter are allowed to shoot during training days
Only members of the SEMI chapter are allowed to order and/or pick up birds.
No vehicles in the field at any time other than on test days or due to an emergency.
Guest members are allowed to participate during 1 training day w/o membership but shooting is not permitted.
All guns may only be loaded at the designated training field and unloaded before leaving that field.
Section 4, Dissolution
In the event that it becomes necessary to dissolve the SEMI chapter, upon payment of any outstanding debts and obligations the remaining monies will be given to a non-profit conservation organization voted on by the general membership and passed by a majority of the membership voting.
Section 5, Financial Statement
A financial statement of the chapter shall be published annually by the Treasurer. Such financial statement shall be examined by at least two members of the EC other than the Treasurer before its publication.
Section 6, Nondiscrimination
The SEMI chapter of NAVHDA shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, religion or any legally proscribed classification, in its programs or activities.
Section 7, Indemnification of EC
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and Internal Revenue Service regulations from time to time in effect, the chapter shall indemnify any person who was or is a party to or is threatened to be made a part to a threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative and whether formal or informal, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the chapter, or is or was serving at the request of the chapter as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic chapter, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise whether for profit or not, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection of the action, suit or proceeding, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the chapter or its members, and with respect to criminal action or proceeding if the person had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
