LAND OF LINCOLN
SATIN RABBIT BREEDER'S ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
REVISED - FEBRUARY 26, 2006

  • ARTICLE I - NAME
    • Section 1. This Association shall be known as the Land of Lincoln Satin Rabbit Breeders' Association.
    • Section 2. This Association shall be affiliated with the American Rabbit Breeders' Association, Inc. and the American Satin Rabbit Breeders' Association as a chartered Association.
  • ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
    • Section 1. To maintain and improve the breeding of the Satin and Mini Satin rabbit breeds.
    • Section 2. To promote the Satin and Mini Satin breeds.
    • Section 3. To distribute general information to the public and rabbit breeders, regarding the Satin and Mini Satin rabbits use by the commercial breeder, the fur fancier, and the showman.
    • Section 4. To affiliate with other organizations for the advancement of rabbit breeding in general.
    • Section 5. To promote the exhibition of the Satin and Mini Satin rabbit breeds.
  • ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
    • Section 1. The membership of this Association shall consist of all persons who are interested in the promotion of Satin and Mini Satin rabbits regardless of their residence.
    • Section 2. Any person may become a member of the Association upon the payment of dues as stated in the By-Laws.
    • Section 3. Agreement to comply with all rules and regulations of this Association is a condition for membership in the Association.
    • Section 4. The Executive Board reserves the right to accept or reject, for cause, any application for membership or renewal.
  • ARTICLE IV -AUTHORITY
    • Section 1. This Association shall have the authority to make such rules and adopt such regulations as may be necessary for the governance of its members.
    • Section 2. The interpretation of this Constitution and the By-Laws, as well as the rules of the Association, and other matters affecting this Association, is vested in the Executive Board.
    • Section 3. Roberts Rules of Order shall be considered as the final authority for this Association on all questions not specifically covered by the Constitution and By-Laws.
  • ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
    • Section 1. This Association shall meet a minimum of three times each year. Whenever possible, the meetings will be held in conjunction with popularly attended sanctioned rabbit shows.
    • Section 2. Meeting dates will be determined by the Executive Board.
  • ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS
    • Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and five elected directors.
    • Section 2. The Executive Board shall consist of the above four (4) officers plus five (5) elected directors.
    • Section 3. The members ofthe Executive Board will be elected for two year terms as follows:
      • (a) Even years - president, treasurer, two directors
      • (b) Odd years - vice-president, secretary, three directors
    • Section 4. The Executive Board will be nominated and elected by the membership at the Land of Lincoln Satin Rabbit Breeders Association Convention each year. In the event this show is not held the Executive Board will determine how the election will be conducted.
    • Section 5. All members of the Executive Board shall be members of the AR.B.A and the AS.R.B.A.
    • Section 6. Members of the Executive Board shall take office on January 1st following their election.
  • ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
    • Section 1. The president shall preside at all meetings and serve as chairman of the Executive Board. He shall appoint all committees, call special meetings, and perform other duties usually pertaining to this office. He shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees of the Association.
    • Section 2. The vice-president shall perform the same duties as the president in the absence of the president.
    • Section 3. The secretary shall keep minutes and records of the Association. The secretary shall receive all applications for membership and be responsible for publishing all communications of the Association. The secretary shall receive all bills of Association expenses and forward them to the treasurer for payment.
    • Section 4. The treasurer shall collect and disperse all Association funds and keep complete and accurate records of all financial transactions. The treasurer is further authorized to establish and maintain a bank account to conduct Association business. The status of finances shall be presented in writing at every meeting of the membership. The treasurer shall be authorized to draw monies for Association expenses.
    • Section 5. The Executive Board will consist of nine (9) members � four (4) officers and five (5) directors. Where pratical they should represent the various geographical parts of the Association. The Executive Board may act as a group for the Association in matters requiring immediate attention between the regularly scheduled meeting of the entire membership of the Association. The Executive Board shall conduct an annual audit of the Association�s financial transactions as of December 31st of each year.
  • ARTICLE VIII � SALARIES AND COMMISSIONS
    • Section 1. All expenses of the Association shall be paid from the income of the Association.
    • Section 2. In no case will expenses, salaries, commissions, and allowances be permitted any member without the approval of the Executive Board or membership as a whole.
  • ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
    • Section 1. This Constitution may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of the entire membership of the Association. Any proposed change can only be voted on afterall members have been notified of the proposal and given 30 days prior notice of the date and time of the meeting at which such proposal shall be voted an. Members may exercise the right to vote on amendments to the constitution by mail rather than be present.
BY -LAWS
  • ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP FEES
    • Section 1. Membership fees are determined by the following schedule:

      New Memberships      1 Year           after July 1             3 Years          Voting Privileges
    • Single Adult               $8.00                $4.00                  $15.00                    1
    • Husband/wife            $12.00               $6.00                  $20.00                    2 
    • Youth                        $3.00                 $1.50                  $6.00                   None 
    • Youth membership free with adult membership in family, but requires annual application to secretary.
    • Section 2. All memberships expire on December 31st in any given year.
    • Section 3. Any member in arrears at least three (3) calendar months shall have their name removed from the membership and lose all privileges of membership.
  • ARTICLE II - MEETINGS
    • Section 1. A quorum is defined as one-third (1/3) of the voting membership and must include a minimum of five (5) members of the Executive Board.
    • Section 2. No member may act as a proxy for another member.
  • ARTICLE III - SHOW RULES
    • Section 1. The Official Show Rules of the A.R.B.A. shall govern this Association.
    • Section 2. All prizes offered by this organization are guaranteed.
    • Section 3. This Association is not responsible for any prizes offered by individuals.
    • Section 4. Any member of this Association guilty of not paying prizes once offered shall be barred from offering prizes at future shows until approval is granted from the Executive Board.
  • ARTICLE IV - DISCIPLINE
    • Section 1. The interpretation of the Executive Board of all documents and order shall be binding upon all Association members.
    • Section 2. The Executive Board may suspend of expel any member for conduct which in the Executive Board�s judgment warrants such action. Temporary suspension or permanent expulsion of any member will be without refund of dues paid under Section 1 of Article 1 of these By-Laws.
    • Section 3. Any officer of this organization having a charge of misconduct in office preferred against him will be suspended pending a hearing by the Executive Board. If found guilty of the charge, his position will be declared vacant.
  • ARTICLE V � SWEEPSTAKES RULES
    • Section 1. The club will conduct both an open and youth competitive sweepstakes and publish the standings and results periodically in the club's newsletter. Both open and youth sweepstakes will be conducted for total points and also for each recognized variety and fur classification.
    • Section 2. The club will only sanction Illinois sanctioned shows. Sweepstakes points will be awarded at all Land of Lincoln sanctioned shows. If a youth sanction is not offered in conjunction with an open show, youth points may be earned by exhibiting at the respective open show. If a youth sanctioned show is held in conjunction with an open show, youth points will only be awarded for exhibiting in the youth show.
    • Section 3. To participate in the youth sweepstakes for a given year, the member must be under the age of l9 by January 1st of that sweepstakes year. If the youth's birthdate occurs on or before December 30, the youth must participate in the open class for the entire year. If the youth's birthday is on or before January 1, the youth may participate in the youth division for the entire sweepstakes year. Thus, for any given sweepstakes year, a member is either eligible for youth or open but may not participate in both sweepstakes.
    • Section 4. Sanction requests must be made 30 days prior to the show entry deadline and the Land of Lincoln sanction must be advertised in the show catalog.
    • Section 5. To qualify for sweepstakes points or awards, the exhibitor must be a member in good standing at the time of the show or join at the show.
    • Section 6. The sweepstakes year will run from July 1 of the year until June 30 of the following year. Awards will be presented at the Illinois State Convention. Awards will be given to the ten open members and five youth members with the most points overall, to the members with the most points in each variety, and to the members with the most points in white fur and colored fur. The amount of money available will determine the size of the awards.
    • Section 7. Points will be figured in the following manner: 6 points for first; 4 points for second; 3 points for third; 2 points for fourth; and 1 point for fifth. The points for placement are multiplied by the number of rabbits in each class. Two points for Best of Variety and one point for Best Opposite of Variety will be given with these points multiplied by the total number of rabbits shown in that variety and added to the class points for that variety. The total overall points will be computed by adding the variety point totals for an exhibitor. In addition, Best of Breed points (two times the number of Satins shown) and Best Opposite Sex (one times the total number of Satins shown) shall be added to the variety totals for overall points.
    • Section 8. An exhibitor has 30 days after a sweepstakes standings is published to make corrections or the total shown by the pointskeeper stands as correct.
    • Section 9. Anything involving the sweepstakes contest and sanctions that is not covered herein shall be handled at the Board of Director's discretion.
  • ARTICLE VI- AMENDMENTS
    • Section 1. Any amendment to these By-Laws offered at any meeting shall have a second reading at the next meeting before it can be adopted.
    • Section 2. Amendments adopted which specify no effective date shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
    • Section 3. Amendments to these By-Laws require passage by two-thirds, (2/3) of the voting members at the time of adoption.