1. To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Dalmatians and to do all possible to bring their natural qualities to perfection.
2. To urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by the American Kennel Club as the only standard for excellence by which Dalmatians shall be judged.
3. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by encouraging sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
4. To conduct sanctioned and licensed specialty shows and obedience trials under the rules of the American Kennel Club.
5. To advance the health and welfare of Dalmatians in the region through education, Dalmatian rescue, and any other appropriate means. 

Section 3. The Club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder of residue from dues or donations to the Club shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.
 
Section 4. The members of the Club shall adopt and may from time to time revise such by-laws as may be required to carry out these objectives. 

BY-LAWS

Article I. MEMBERSHIPS 
  
Section 1. ELIGIBILITY. There shall be two types of membership open to persons 18 years of age or older who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purposes of this club:

1. Individual - Enjoys all privileges of the club including voting and holding office.
2. Household - Open to two or more adults residing in one household providing all have applied and been approved for membership. In a household membership, each adult will enjoy all privileges of the club including voting and holding office. Junior membership shall be open to youngsters 10 through 17 years of age. Such members may not vote or hold office. They may automatically convert to regular membership upon reaching their 18th birthday. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the Club's primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders and exhibitors in its immediate area. Membership and services provided by the Club shall be available to all persons regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or sexual orientation and the Club shall not discriminate against anyone on these grounds.

Section 2. DUES. Membership dues shall be at a rate set by the Board in October of each year. The maximum dues shall be $50.00 annually for individual and $75.00 annually for family. Dues are payable on or before the first day of January each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of November the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year. 
  
Section 3. ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors, which form shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these constitution and by-laws and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The applicant shall state his/her name, address, phone number, and occupation on the application, and in addition, the applicant shall have two members in good standing sign the application as sponsors of the applicant. Prospective members must attend two Club meetings or functions prior to submitting their application to the Secretary for consideration by the Club for membership. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year. All applications filed with the Secretary shall be read by a sponsor at the first meeting following its receipt and voted upon by secret ballot at the next meeting. Applicants shall be informed of the meeting at which their application will be considered and shall attend such meeting 30 minutes after its scheduled commencement, allowing the membership time to discuss and vote on their application. Applications shall be voted upon and the affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting shall be required to accept the application. Acceptance or rejection of any application shall be based on the applicant's commitment to the objectives of the Club and shall in no way be related to the race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, or handicap of the applicant. The results of the vote shall immediately be sent by the Secretary to the applicant via the United States mail. Applicants for membership who fail to receive an affirmative vote of 3/4 of the members present shall be refunded the membership dues paid and may re-apply for membership six months after such vote is cast. 
  
Section 4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP. Membership may be terminated:

1. By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Secretary, but no member may resign when in debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and they become incurred on the first day of the fiscal year.
2. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such members dues remain unpaid 90 days after the first day of the fiscal year; however, the Board may grant an additional 90 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
3. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these by-laws. 
   

Article II. MEETINGS AND VOTING 
  
Section 1. CLUB MEETINGS. Meetings of the Club shall be held within the greater Denver area on the fourth Saturday of each month, at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be 20% of the members in good standing. 
  
Section 2. SPECIAL CLUB MEETINGS. Special Club meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority of members of the Board who are present at any regular or special meeting of the Board; and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Special meetings shall be held within the greater Denver area at such place, date~ and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting~ and no other Club business may be transacted thereat. The notice of the special club meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing. 
  
Section 3. BOARD MEETINGS. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held each month within the greater Denver area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days prior to the meeting. The quorum for such meetings shall be the majority of the Board. 
  
Section 4. SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such meetings shall be held within the Denver area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized herein to call such meeting. Written notice of such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat. A quorom for such meeting shall be a majority of the Board. 
  
Section 5. VOTING. Each member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote on all issues brought before them at each Club meeting, either by the Board or by individual members, and on any matter involving a Club expenditure in excess of fifty ($50.00). Proxy voting will be allowed as long as it is received in writing by the Secretary prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted on.

  
Article Ill. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS 

Section 1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The Board shall be comprised on the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing and all of whom shall be elected for one-year terms at the Club's annual meeting as provided in Article IV. Board members will be required to attend 50% of the meetings during their term. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a recommendation of dismissal from the Board. The Board shall have the authority to appoint executive committees to carry out specified activities for the Club. Executive committees shall be designated by a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. 

Section 2. OFFICERS. The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.

1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board, and shall have duties and powers normally appurtenant the office of President in addition to those particularly specified in these by-laws.
2. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.
3. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He/she shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out other such duties as prescribed in these by-laws. 
4. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Club. He/she shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the Board, in the name of the Club. His/her books shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Board and he/she shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting he/she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.
5. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person, in which case the Board shall be comprised of the officers and four other persons.

Section 3. VACANCIES. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the offices during the year shall be filled until the next annual meeting by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board at its first meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a Special Board Meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy on the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice-President and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice-President shall be filled by the Board.
 
 
Article IV. THE CLUB YEAR, ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTIONS 
 
Section 1. CLUB YEAR. The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end on the 31st day of December. The Club's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election at the annual meeting and shall continue through the election at the next annual meeting. 
  
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of December at which Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by secret, written ballot from amount those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of the Article. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election. 
  
Section 3. ELECTIONS. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The three nominated candidates for other positions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected. 
  
Section 4. NOMINATIONS. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated. During the month of September, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of who may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chair for the Committee and it shall be his/her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before the last Saturday in October to select a slate of Officers for the upcoming year. 

1. The Committee shall nominate at least one candidate for each office and at least three candidates for the three other positions on the Board, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing. 
2. Upon receipt of the nominating committee's report, the Secretary shall notify each member, in writing, of the nominating committee's slate, at least two weeks prior to the November meeting. 
3. Additional nominations may be made at the November meeting by any members in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his/her name is proposed, and providing further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present to the Secretary a. written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one position. 
4. Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any other manner than as provided in this section. 

  
Article V. COMMITTEES 

Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects. 

Section 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointees; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated. 

Article VI. DISCIPLINE 
  
Section 1. AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB SUSPENSION. Any member who is 
suspended from the privileges of the American Kennel Club, automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.
 
Section 2. CHARGES. A member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or of the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting, AND THE BOARD SHALL FIRST CONSIDER WHETHER THE ACTIONS ALLEGED IN THE CHARGES, IF PROVEN, MIGHT CONSTITUTE PREJUDICIAL TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CLUB. IF THE BOARD CONSIDERS THAT THE CHARGES DO NOT ALLEGE CONDUCT WHICH WOULD BE PREJUDICIAL TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CLUB, IT MAY REFUSE TO ENTERTAIN JURISDICTION. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges it shall fix a date of a hearing not less than 3 weeks and not more than 6 weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail together with a notice of hearing and an assurance that the defendant may personally appear in his own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes. 

Section 3. BOARD HEARING. The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should charges be sustained, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may by a majority vote of those present suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than 6 months from the date of the hearing. And, it it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before his/her fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting which considers the Board's recommendation. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board's decision and penalty, if any. 

Section 4. EXPULSION. Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of the Article. Such a proceeding may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board's recommendation of expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his/her own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in his/her own behalf if he/she wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret written ballot in the proposed expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the Board's suspension shall stand. 

Article VII. AMENDMENTS
   
Section 1. Amendments to the constitution and by-laws may be proposed by the 
Board of Directors or by a written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by twenty percent (20%) of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary. 
  
Section 2. The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the 
members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. 

Article VIII. DISSOLUTION 

Section 1. DISSOLUTION. The Club may be dissolved at arty time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of the law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any members of the Club, but after payment of the debts of the Club its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs selected by the Board of Directors.
  

Article IX. ORDER OF BUSINESS
   
Section 1. At the meetings of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

Roll Call 
Minutes of the last meeting
Report of the President 
Report of the Secretary 
Report of the Treasurer 
Report of Committees 
Election of Officers and Board (at annual meeting) 
Election of new members 
Unfinished business 
New business 
Adjournment

Section 2. At the meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Report of the minutes of the last meeting 
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Reports of Committees
Unfinished business
New business 
Adjournment 

Article X. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 
  
Section 1. The rules contained in the current edition of "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised" shall govern the Club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Club may adopt.