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Ride a Quarter Horse… Gentle, Versatile, Athletic! |
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Welcome to the Delaware Quarter Horse Association |
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By-Laws |
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ARTICLE I TITLE, OBJECTS, CORPORATE SEAL, MISSION STATEMENT Section 1. Title: This Association shall be known as The Delaware Quarter Horse Association, Inc. and shall at all times be operated as a non-profit association in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 2. Objects: The purpose of this Association shall be to promote in all ways the American Quarter Horse per rules and regulations set forth by the AQHA and by our own By-Laws or other as approved by the general membership. This shall also include the guidance of future membership through the DQHYA. Section 3. Corporate Seal: The seal of the Association shall be in the charge of the Treasurer. Section 4. Mission Statement: The purpose of this organization is: to promote the American Quarter Horse in all ways; to provide beneficial services for its members through the unity of our membership, which enhances American Quarter Horse ownership and participation through diversity of the American Quarter Horse; to improve and develop the capabilities of youth, both individually, and through group participation in all equine activities. |
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ARTICLE II MEMBERS Section 1. Any person, firm or corporation having a sincere interest in Quarter Horses and being of good moral character shall be eligible for membership upon presentation of a completed application to this Association. However, membership shall not be denied because of race, color or place of natural origin of the applicant. Section 2. Any person, firm or corporation having joined the Association shall become subject to the By-Laws and rules and regulations then in force or after adopted by the Association. Section 3. Any youth may join the Association by paying the annual dues. Initiation fee shall be waived for any youth that has been a continuous member of DQHYA. Youths may join at any age, but must do so by age 19. Section 4. All out of state members shall have full rights and privileges in the Association. Section 5. Corporations and ranches shall pay the same annual dues as individual members and shall designate one person as its representative to the Association. Any other persons affiliated with this same corporation or ranch must join the Association as an individual member. Section 6. Associate Members: An associate membership in the DQHA for Racing Members only shall be available for $15.00 per year. This would entitle the Association member to: a) Receive the DQHA Newsletter b) Attend the DQHA functions at the member prices c) Receive year-end awards in the Racing Division only. Section 7. Family Memberships: Family memberships are to include 1-2 adults and youth under 19 years of age as of January 1st. Once a youth turns 19, the following year, they are no longer eligible on the family membership. Family memberships receive only 2 votes at meetings. |
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ARTICLE III OFFICERS Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary and must be members of DQHA. Section 2. President: The President shall be the chief executive of the Association and shall preside at all general and Board of Directors meetings. The President shall see that the By-Laws, rules and regulations of the Association are enforced and perform all other duties as are usually attached to that office and shall countersign all money transactions with the Treasurer. Section 3. Vice President: In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall have the powers and shall perform the duties of the President. Section 4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive and be responsible for all monies, rights, and properties belonging to the Association, deposit all such funds within 30 days of receipt, in the name of the Wilmington Trust Company or any other bank designated by the Board of Directors, disburse funds under the direction of the Board of Directors, render an accounting at the general membership meetings of the Association; keep the corporation’s taxes and perform other such duties as the Board of Directors may prescribe. The Treasurer shall not disburse funds without receiving proper receipts, bills or estimates. The Treasurer shall not pay bills with cash. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting and depositing receipts from all DQHA functions. Corporate Franchise taxes must be paid by March of each year. If the bill is not received by March, it will be the duty of the Treasurer to contact the DE Division of Corporations Franchise Section to request said bill. Section 5. Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary shall keep a permanent record of the minutes of all meetings, attest all membership certificates, be responsible for all correspondence, and shall be responsible for the above for BOTH the general meetings and Board of Directors. Section 6. Corresponding Secretary: The Corresponding Secretary will be responsible for the editing and publishing of the association newsletter. Section 7. The Officers of the Association shall be elected at the November general meeting by the membership present and shall serve for one calendar year beginning at the end of the November general meeting and ending the following November meeting. The Officers elected will be installed at the end of the November general membership meeting they are elected. Section 8. The President and Vice President must be owners or exhibitors of Registered Quarter Horses at the time of installation. Section 9. Election of officers shall be by ballot and a majority of the ballots cast shall be necessary to elect. Section 10. All officers shall serve a one year term, when elected, with the exception of the Treasurer for whom the term of office shall be two year term. All officers may succeed themselves upon annual elections. |
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ARTICLE IV BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 1. Membership: The Board of Directors of this Association shall consist of the officers of the Association, five Directors and a Youth Advisor elected by the membership. The past presidents shall be regular voting members of the Board of Directors for three years following their term of office. A. Directors and/or family members must be owners or exhibitors of Registered Quarter Horses at the time of installation. Section 2. Directors: the membership shall elect one Director from each of the three counties of the State and must have two from the at large membership, one (1) from the State, and one (1) from out of state. Directors shall be elected for a term of three years on a rotating basis so that all Directors are not elected in the same year. If a board position is legitimately unfilled, it should be made open to whomever is interested. Section 3. Any member of the Board of Directors that, barring extenuating circumstances, is not in attendance at three consecutive Board meetings, shall be dropped from the Board of Directors, at the end of the third meeting missed, and shall be replaced as prescribed in Article IV, Section 4. They will be notified of this in writing after missing two meeting by Certified Mail. Section 4. Vacancies: In the event of vacancy should occur on the Board of Directors, the membership shall elect at the next general membership meeting a replacement. The membership shall be notified in writing prior to the meeting that such election shall occur. Section 5. Responsibilities: The business and property of the Association shall be managed and controlled by the Board of Directors. Minutes of the Directors meeting shall be presented in writing to each member of the Association. |
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ARTICLE V DUES Section 1. The annual dues for members of the Association shall be $25.00 per person, per year or $40.00 a family with two votes. Section 2. Farm membership will be the same as a family membership ($40.00). Anyone with a horse registered with AQHA under a farm name must join DQHA under the same farm name and designate one person who will control the vote under that farm name and be designated as Exhibitor. Farm membership must list all farm members on their membership application. Section 3. Dues for the year must be paid by the February General meeting for a continuing membership. Section 4. Membership dues for the current year must be paid in order for the member to be eligible to vote at any general meeting. Section 5. Special dues and assessments may be levied by a majority vote for the membership. |
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ARTICLE VI RESIGNATIONS Any member desiring to resign from the Association or any officer desiring to resign from their office shall submit his written resignation to the Recording Secretary. ARTICLE VII SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION FROM MEMBERSHIP The following acts shall in themselves be full and sufficient grounds for suspending or expelling any person, firm, or corporation from membership, when proof of the their commission shall have been established by evidence satisfactory to the Board of Directors of the Association. 1. To knowingly and willfully misrepresent in any essential detail an animal sold either at public or private sale or shown at any show. 2. To knowingly and willfully sell as a breeding animal, a non-breeding or barren animal. 3. To place a secret by-bid or fictitious bid upon any animal being sold at public sale under the management of this Association, or to secretly or otherwise connive with any person to have such a secret by-bid placed upon any such animal, provided that any seller may openly make on bid upon any animal he may be selling in any public sale under the management of the Association if he seems it necessary to do so in order to protect his best interest and to prevent the animal selling below its real worth by reason of a lack of competitive bidding. 4. To knowingly and willfully violate the rule and regulations of the Association. 5. This Association shall automatically expel any member expelled by the AQHA. 6. Any member may be reinstated with the approval of the Board of Directors. |
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ARTICLE VIII MEETINGS Section 1. There shall be at least four general membership meetings held within the calendar year, on the first Friday of the months of January, March, September and November. All members must be notified in writing of such meetings at least five days prior to their occurrence. Section 2. There shall be at least ten Board of Directors meetings held within a calendar year, on the second Monday of the month, and all Board members must be notified in writing of such meetings prior to their occurrence. Section 3. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time at the discretion of the President or of any four members of the Board. Section 4. No Directors meeting shall be constitutional unless all directors have been sent notice in writing in advance of the meeting. Section 5. At any meeting of the Board of Directors a majority thereof constitutes a quorum. Section 6. Any meeting, no matter when or where, if notified in writing to the membership, counts the same as regular general meetings and the attendance does count. This does not count Board of Directors meetings. ARTICLE IX ORDER OF BUSINESS Unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the members present, the order of business at the general membership meetings and all special meetings shall be as follows: 1. Call to order 2. Qualifying members present 3. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting 4. Financial report 5. Notices and Communications 6. Report of Committees 7. Reading of minutes of the preceding Board of Directors meeting (provided they have been previously presented to all members in writing 8. Unfinished business 9. New Business 10. Election of Directors and Officers (if any) ARTICLE X FISCAL YEAR The fiscal year of the Association shall end on the last day of December of each year. ARTICLE XI DELAWARE QUARTER HORSE YOUTH ASSOCIATION Section 1. The Delaware Quarter Horse Youth Association shall be a division of the Delaware Quarter Horse Association. However, membership in the DQHYA shall be separate from membership in the senior Association. Section 2. The Youth Advisor shall be elected by the membership of the DQHA and shall be a member of the DQHA. This is a Board of Directors position. ARTICLE XII AMENDMENT Section 1. The By-Laws, show and contest rules of the DQHA may be amended at the November general membership meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present provided all members have been notified in writing prior to the general meeting of the exact revision of the amendment that is to be adopted and provided a minimum of 15% of the membership is in attendance. Section 2. All show rules, including Amateur and Youth must be approved at the November general membership meeting of each year and may not be changed until the following October. Youths must be 16 years of age as of January 1st to vote for that year’s rule changes at the adult association’s meeting |
