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Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. By-Laws revised November 12, 2006 ARTICLE I: NAME This organization shall be known as Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. (OHC). ARTICLE II: PLACE OF BUSINESS The principal place of business shall be the State of Ohio; members may reside elsewhere. ARTICLE III: MISSION The Corporation is organized under the provisions of the Ohio Non-Profit Corporation Code for the following purposes: provide a vehicle for equine owners and supporters to share ideas and suggestions for horse-related issues, through education, state trail rides, and other social and service functions, provide resources to promote the building and maintenance of bridle trails throughout the state, provide financial resources and volunteer services to fellow organizations that support and protect equine-related activities, support state and national horse-related issues. ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP Membership is accomplished by making application, payment of dues to the membership committee or a state or county officer and acceptance by the applicant of the By-Laws and Standing Rules of OHC. All members of OHC are considered active members who have paid their dues prior to October 1 of that calendar year. New membership paid after October 1 is considered active with the new member receiving all benefits commencing on date of payment except for voting privileges. New members joining after October 1 will not have voting privileges until January 1 of the following year. Section 1. Single Membership Open to any person eighteen (18) years of age or older. Shall be entitled to one (1) vote and hold office. Section 2. Family Membership Open to any group of persons living together as a family, including all legal dependants, with at least one (1) person eighteen (18) years of age or older. Family members eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be entitled to one (1) vote [with a maximum of two (2) votes per family] and to hold office. Section 3. Senior Membership A Open to any person sixty-two (62) years of age or older. B Shall be entitled to one (1) vote and hold office. Section 4. Youth Membership A Open to any person under eighteen (18) years of age as of January 1. B Shall be sponsored by an adult member with written permission of parent or guardian. C Shall not be permitted to vote or hold office Section 5. Lifetime Membership A Open to any person who has rendered important service towards meeting the goals of OHC; has been a member in good standing for a minimum of five (5) years and has held a position at the state level (officer/committee chairperson or member) for at least two (2) years. B This membership may be awarded upon the recommendation of the Merit Awards Committee by the standard procedure for any merit award and approval of the Executive Council. C Shall be entitled to one (1) vote and hold office; dues shall not be required. Section 6. Member at Large A Open to any of the above memberships with all rights; there is no county affiliation. Section 7. Associate Membership Open to any group or individual desiring to support OHC. Shall be entitled to one (1) vote at the sponsoring county level , only.Shall not be entitled to hold any office.
Section 8. Multiple Membership Any member of the Ohio Horseman’s Council The member who joins a second, third, etc. chapter will only have to pay the individual county charges and assessments that are levied. The Multiple Chapter Member is entitled to only one (1) state vote from declared home chapter. Members who join multiple chapters are registered only in that chapter not on the state level. Only declared "Home" chapter is registered with the state. ARTICLE V: OFFICERS / EXECUTIVE CABINET / EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Section 1. Officers A The elected officers shall be a President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and five (5) Regional Representatives B These officers shall perform the duties prescribed in the By-Laws and Standing Rules and by the Parliamentary authority adopted by the OHC. C State officers shall be elected by the general membership at the November General Membership meeting. D Shall be a Single, Family, Senior or Lifetime member in good standing and must reside within the State of Ohio. E No member shall hold more than one (1) elected state OHC office concurrently. F The officers shall be elected to serve for two (2) years or until their successors are appointed or elected. G The term of office shall begin on January 1. H No member shall be eligible to serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. I In the event an officer cannot complete their term, the following procedures shall be enacted. If the President cannot complete their term, the Vice President shall step up to temporarily fill the vacancy of the President until the next General Membership meeting and an election can be held. If the Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer position(s) become vacant during the year, the President shall appoint on a temporary basis a stand-in until the next General Membership meeting and an election can be held. If an elected regional representative position becomes vacant, the chapter presidents in that region shall temporarily appoint by majority vote a stand-in until the next General Membership meeting and an election can be held. Section 2. Duties of Officers PRESIDENT A Preside at all meetings B Serve as official representative of the organization on state and national levels. C Report at each meeting and prepare an annual report D Sign documents on behalf of the organization E Make position appointments as specified in by-laws F Serve as ex officio member of Executive Cabinet, and Finance Committee G Shall direct the Secretary in the preparation of the agenda for meetings. Duties during Executive Council and General Membership Meetings A Call the meeting to order on time B Announce the business before the assembly in the order prescribed in the agenda C Determine the presence of a quorum. D Recognize members who are entitled to the floor E Process all motions. F Expedite business G Rule on any points of order (motions made by members when they feel that the rules are not being followed) H Conduct the meeting in a fair and equitable manner VICE PRESIDENT A Preside when the president is absent or must vacate the chair and fill a vacancy in the office of president B Be familiar with the president’s duties. C Serve as ex officio on all committees except the Nominating and Grievance committees.D Work with Regional Representatives on membership development RECORDING SECRETARY Before the meetings A Shall prepare and distribute an agenda at the direction of the President B Distribute meeting materials to the members before all meetings C Send out the call of the meeting (the official notice of a meeting given to all members of the organization) D Before the annual meeting, prepare an annual report. During the meetings A In the absence of the President and Vice President, the Secretary calls the meeting to order and immediately conducts the election for chairman pro tem (the temporary chairman). B Have access to the minutes book C Have access to all of the governing documents of the organization D Have a list of the current membership as well as the current committees. Maintain the official list of members and official attendance list and committee members. E Have ballots in case of a ballot vote F Keep notes of what occurred at the meeting G If any governing documents are amended at the meeting, the secretary shall put in written form the exact wording of the change.H Written wording with the changes shall be read out loud and copies distributed upon request before adding to the official documents. I Shall deliver records – minutes, files and documents to incoming Secretary within two weeks of new Secretary taking office TREASURER The treasurer receives all incoming money and disperses that money according to the instructions from the organization. A Assure funds are processed accurately and in a timely manner B Work with the Finance Committee to prepare the organization’s budget C Keep appropriate records for yearly audit and budgeting needs D Shall oversee professional preparation of the OHC tax forms for submission to the IRS E Pay all invoices and reimbursements as allowed for in approved budget Section 3. Executive Cabinet A The Executive Cabinet shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, three (3) members appointed by the President, and five (5) elected Regional Representatives B The Executive Cabinet shall act as advisors to the President in all matters pertaining to the OHC C The Executive Cabinet shall meet no less than two (2) times per year to discuss pertinent OHC business D The Executive Cabinet shall make all final decisions on Grievances brought before them by the Grievance Committee except for proposals for expulsion of a member or disbandment of a Chapter which shall go to the General Membership for vote Section 4. Regional Representatives A Regional Representatives are elected by chapters in their region, Representatives must reside in that region. B Elections are held in November during regular elections C Regional Representatives shall oversee daily issues pertaining to chapters in their region D Host a minimum of one (1) meeting per year with chapter county presidents E Member of Executive Cabinet F Does not vote in Executive Council Meetings for individual chapter G Attends Grievance Committee meetings when grievance is in their region. Section 5. Obligation A. All State elected officers, directors and County delegates are required to attend scheduled Executive Council and General Membership meetings and may be asked to resign their position if they are absent for two (2) out of three (3) or two (2) meetings in a row. The membership will vote on the removal B State elected officers shall conduct themselves as professionals at all meetings. C The By-Laws Committee Chairperson can remove elected officers from any meeting immediately when behavior indicates disregard for OHC By-Laws, Standing Rules, and Parliamentary procedures and is in the best interest of the majority. Section 6. Executive Council A The Executive Council shall consist of three (3) elected delegates from each county chapter and Executive Cabinet members
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS Section 1. Executive Council Meetings A The Executive Council shall meet at least two (2) times per year, in March and November. The time and place to be determined by the Executive Cabinet B May not be canceled but may be rescheduled between 45-60 days after the original scheduled date. NOTICE OF RESCHEDULED MEETING DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHALL BE GIVEN AS SOON AS IT IS EVIDENT THAT IT MUST BE RESCHEDULED. Section 2. General Membership Meetings The General membership shall meet in November. Notice of time, date, and place shall appear in an OHC publication at least one (1) month prior to such meetings. Time and place shall be determined by the Executive Cabinet. Section 3. Special Meetings A Special meetings may be requested by two or more members of the Executive Council B All requests shall go through the Executive Cabinet C The Executive Cabinet shall determine the time and place with a ten (10) day prior notice. Section 4. Quorum A General Membership Meeting: Shall consist of those members present and at least two (2) elected State Officers. B Executive Council Meeting: Shall consist of those delegates present and at least two elected State Officers. Section 5. Attendance A General Membership, Regional, and Special Meetings called by Executive Council shall be open to members and guests. B Executive Cabinet meetings are open to those on the Cabinet and invited guests. C Grievance and Nominating committee meetings are open to those on respective committees and others as deemed necessary by the Chairperson. D Committee meetings are open to committee members and invited guests only. ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS Section 1. Date of Elections A The election of all State Officers shall be held at the November General Membership meeting. B County chapter elections shall take place between October 1 and December 31 of that year. C Regional Representative elections shall be held in November the same time as other elections.
Section 2. State and Regional Nominations A Nominations shall be sent in writing to the Nominating Committee no later than September 1. B Nominations shall be published in an OHC publication at least ten (10) days prior to the November General Membership Meeting C Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the November General membership meeting D Regional elections shall be held at the county levels with each county chapter casting one vote. E County President or designated person from chapter cast one vote at annual November meeting. F Meetings to be held in each region. Section 3. County Chapter Nominations A The meeting time and place for County Chapter elections shall be published and mailed to all County Chapter members at least twenty (20) days prior to the election meeting. Section 4. Voting A. Only active members prior to October 1 may vote in the State and County election of officers.B A paper ballot shall be used in all State elections, which shall list each office to be elected. The ballot shall list the candidates nominated for those offices and there shall be one blank space for each office for any write-in candidates. C The election results for each office shall be read aloud to the assembly and the number of votes for each candidate shall be duly recorded. D Absentee ballots are invalid. ARTICLE VIII: FINANCES Section 1. Financial Objectives of Ohio Horseman’s Council A Operate on a balanced budget B Develop a general fund budget that adequately represents anticipated income and expenses each year. C Plan for financial stability of the organization Section 2. Finance Committee Makeup A The President will appoint the Chairman of this committee, selecting a person with financial experience and leadership skills. B The Treasurer shall be on this committee C Each regional representative shall designate a person with financial experience and background to represent that region and serve on the Finance Committee
Section 3. OHC Annual Budget A The Finance Committee shall develop an annual budget that meets the balanced budget requirement. B The Finance Committee will solicit written budget input from all officers and Committee Chairmen. C The budget will be presented to the Executive Cabinet for approval. The budget will then be presented to the general membership at the Annual Meeting in November. D The Finance Committee will propose changes to the dues structure based on the financial health of the organization. Proposal will be presented to the Executive Cabinet. E The Finance Committee will conduct an annual review of Treasurer’s account books and present review results to the Executive Cabinet. The review will be conducted no later than February 15th of each fiscal year. Section 4. Administrative Funds A Administrative funds will be composed of all revenue received from membership dues and special programs B The Finance Committee shall direct all financial accounts for OHC, including opening, closing, or transferring funds between accounts or Certificates of Deposits. ARTICLE IX: STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES Section 1. Standing Committees A Standing Committees are those committees which are directly concerned with the management and/or operation of OHC By-Laws Committee Newsletter Committee Field Trials Committee Nominating Committee Grievance Committee Public Relations/Special Events Committee Horse Show Committee Trail Committee Insurance Committee Working Trail Horse Committee Membership Committee Youth Program Committee Merit Awards Committee B Chairmen of the Standing Committees as listed in the Standing Rules shall be appointed by the President with the exception of the Grievance and Nominating Committee. C The OHC D The By-Laws chairperson shall be an ex officio member of the Grievance and Nominating Committees. Section 2. Grievance Committee The Grievance Committee shall consist of an appointed chairperson, the by- laws chairperson, and the Regional Representative where the complaint originates. If grievance originates from the State Level all five (5) Regional Representatives shall be part of the committee. A All disputes arising among active members must be submitted by registered mail to the Grievance Chairman. Oral disputes will not be considered. B The party or parties, against whom the dispute is brought, must have notice of the allegations against them. These will be forwarded by the Grievance Committee, by registered mail, within 10 days of the receipt of the dispute. C The Grievance Committee shall determine if the dispute merits recommendation to the Executive Cabinet. D If the dispute does not merit recommendation to the Executive Cabinet, the Chairman will send each interested party, by registered mail, an opinion letter with the Committee’s determination within ten (10) days of the decision. E If the dispute merits recommendation to the Executive Cabinet, the Chairman will notify each party interested in the dispute of the date and time of the hearing before the Executive Cabinet. This will be done by registered mail and within ten (10) days of the hearing. F The person bringing the dispute must be willing to attend the Executive Cabinet meeting in person. Non-attendance will cause the dispute to be moot. No further action will occur. G All decisions will be presented in writing to the State President no longer than ten (10) days after the Committee’s and/or the Executive Cabinet’s final determination 1. One appeal on any decision may be made to the Grievance Committee within sixty (60) days of such decision. Such an appeal shall be presented at the next Executive Cabinet meeting. After the one appeal, decisions are binding on the parties and shall be considered a final determination of the dispute H The committee shall address all grievances received by the Chairperson by registered mail within 30 days of receipt. I All complaints shall be addressed and determination made whether to take to the Executive Cabinet with 90 days of receipt by the Grievance Chairperson. J Executive cabinet shall make the final decisions on all grievances brought to them except for expulsion of a member or disbandment of a chapter which will go to the general membership. Section 3 Nominating Committee A Shall preside over the nomination and election of State Officers and uphold election rules. Section 4. Special Committees A Special committees may be appointed by the President. Section 5. Merit Award Committee A The committee shall consist of a Chairperson appointed by the President, Membe rship Chairperson, and others, as the Chairperson deems necessary.B All nominations for Merit Awards shall be sent to the Chairperson of this committee as instructed in announcements. ARTICLE X: ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE Section 1. Membership and Representation A The general membership shall be organized into local County Chapters which function independently, and at the same time collectively with OHC, who shall be the parent organization. All paper work generated by the state officers, state standing and special committee chair people, is the property of the Ohio Horseman’s Council, State of Ohio All paperwork generated by local county chapter officers and committee chair people is the property of the local county chapter. B Membership in OHC shall earn the member the privilege of participating in the local chapter of their choice, regardless of residence. Full dues must be paid to the designated Primary Chapter . Multiple chapter memberships may be maintained upon payment of the county portion of dues to each additional Chapter. Chapter voting and attendance rights will be granted to members designating such affiliations(s). Exception: see Member at Large Membership.C These local chapters shall be known as (Name of County) Chapter of the Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. These chapters shall keep minutes of all chapter’s general, committee and executive meetings. Said minutes shall be chapter property, by, when necessary, subject to review by State Officers or Grievance Committee. Meeting times and locations shall be published in a chapter newsletter, local publication or any State publication. D Only one (1) Chapter may exist at one time in any given Ohio county E Acceptance of a County Chapter shall be realized by their acceptance of the By-Laws and Standing Rules of OHC. F In order to promote the growth of new County Chapters, OHC shall reimburse new County Chapters an amount not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) for starting expenses. Expense vouchers must be submitted to the State Treasurer in the form of written receipts or invoices for consideration of reimbursement. These will be voted on at any State meeting (Executive Council) by the county delegates. G Each County Chapter shall elect three (3) delegates to represent their chapter on the Executive Council. The County President shall be one of these delegates to the Executive Council. Alternate delegates may be selected if attendance by the elected delegates is not possible. Delegates’ names and addresses shall be submitted in writing to the State Corresponding Secretary no later than the March Executive Council Meeting. H Monies earned by County Chapter activities shall be the sole property of the County Chapter earning such monies. Upon dissolution of any County Chapter, such funds shall become the property of OHC. I All members shall conduct themselves in a manner as to best represent the goals of OHC. Membership may be terminated at the State or Chapter level where the Officers and Members determine a member has caused, acted, or performed an act unbecoming or in contradiction to the purpose or goals of OHC. ARTICLE XI: DISCIPLINARY ACTION Section 1. State and County Meetings The State and each County Chapter has the right to control the membership while the meetings are in progress. A. It is the duty of the Presiding Officer to compel the assembly to observe order. B When members are disorderly, noisy, attack another member’s motives, speak to another member directly instead of through the Presiding Officer, or are otherwise disruptive to the assembly, the Presiding Officer or any member, by addressing the Presiding Officer, may demand the member to come to order. If the member continues to be disruptive, the Presiding Officer may ask the offending member to leave the meeting. C The offending member or any member may appeal the decision of the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer will then take an immediate vote of the assembly. A majority vote upholds the decision of the Presiding Officer. Section 2. General Conduct State OHC has the ultimate right to make and enforce its own rules and to require that all members refrain from conduct detrimental or contrary to OHC and its’ purposes. Disciplinary actions that OHC can impose on members are reprimands, suspensions, or expulsions. In the case of expulsion, the person may not attend any County or State meetings or functions. Disciplinary action that OHC can impose on a County Chapter is suspension or expulsion. No County Chapter on suspension shall have Executive Council voting privileges. Section 3. Individual Reprimands, Suspensions or Expulsions A These grievances shall be submitted by registered mail to the Grievance Committee following the procedures as outlined in Article IX, Section 2. B Reprimands and suspensions require a majority vote of the membership in attendance and voting. C Expulsion requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership in attendance and voting. Section 4. County Chapter Suspensions or Expulsions A These grievances shall be submitted by registered mail to the Grievance Committee following the procedures as outlined in Article IX, Section 2. B County Chapter suspension shall be decided by a majority vote of the State Officers. C Within one (1) year, recommendations for permanent action will be presented to the membership at a State General Membership Meeting. Any appeals must be made in writing to the State President thirty (30) days prior to this meeting. A member representing the County Chapter must also be present at this meeting. D Expulsion of any County Chapter requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership in attendance and voting. ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS Section 1. Proposed Amendments A Proposed amendments shall be referred to the By-Laws Committee, in writing, for review and recommendation. Section 2. Role of the Executive Council A The Executive Council shall have referred to it by the By-Laws Committee, all proposed amendments to the OHC By-Laws and shall submit its’ recommendations, based upon those of the By-Laws Committee, to the General Membership. Section 3. Distribution A Notice of the proposed changes shall be made to all members in a OHC publication at least two (2) weeks preceding a General Membership meeting for which time has been scheduled for the purpose of voting on the proposed amendments. Section 4. Approval for Adoption A Amendments shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the general membership voting at the General Membership meeting. ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The rules contained in the current edition of ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED, shall govern the OHC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Corporate Charter, By- Laws, any special rules of THESE BY-LAWS REVOKE ALL PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THE OHIO HORSEMAN’S COUNCIL BY-LAWS AND OTHER VERSIONS ARE NULL AND VOID
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