Western States Police Canine Association
Rules and Bylaws
Article 1: Name and Address of the Association
Section A
The name of the association shall be the "Western States Police Canine Association, Inc.," a nonprofit professional association, hereinafter referred to as the "WSPCA" or the "Association."
Section B
The address of the Association will be that of the current Secretary
Article 2: Purpose
The purpose of the Western States Police Canine Association is to promote the proper use of quality law enforcement working dogs, to professionalize the law enforcement K-9 team; to support and organize law enforcement K-9 field trials; and to enhance, in all aspects, the use and deployment of law enforcement canines.
Article 3: Policy
Section A
The Association and all of its property is irrevocably dedicated to the furthering of the purpose of the Association. It shall remain a nonprofit organization and no part of its earnings shell inure to the benefit of any sole member. Any property that comes under the ownership or control of the Association is not to be used or operated by the Association, any member of the Association, or any other person so as to benefit any person or organization other then the Association through the distribution of profits, payments or excessive charges or compensations, or the advantageous pursuit of their business or professions; the pledge that upon the possible liquidation, dissolution or abandonment of such property it will not inure to the benefit of any private person except a fund, foundation or Association organized and operated for charitable purposes.
Section B
Nothing in these sections shall be deemed to prohibit the reimbursement of members of this Association, or other persons or organizations, of costs incurred in conducting Association business or providing services for the Association, providing that such expenditures are approved by the Board of Directors and/or the members of this Association.
Section C
Upon dissolution of this Association, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the Association, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation, or association which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes, and which has established its tax-exempt status under section 503 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section D
No part of this Association shall ever inure to, or for the benefit of, or be distributed to its members, except that the Association shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation for the services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the exempt purpose for which it was formed.
Section E
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an Association exempt from Federal income tax under section 503 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954.
Article 4: Elections and Duties of Officers of the Association
Section A President
(1) Elected for two years
(2) Third year as a non-voting advisory member of the Board of Directors
(3) Elected in even-numbered years
(4) The president shall be the exclusive officer of the Association and shall supervise the business affairs of the Association. It shall be the duty of the president to call and preside at all regular and special meetings. The president shall see that the By-laws and Rules and Regulations are respected and obeyed. The president shall cast the deciding vote in case of a tie. The president shall, from time to time as deem necessary, appoint all committees and may designate their chairperson. The president shall appoint pro-temporary officers in the event of absences. The president shall perform such other duties as are usual and incidental to the office of the president. The president is a member ex-officio of all committees.
Rules and Bylaws
Section B Vice President
(1) Elected for two years, from January 1 through December 31
(2) Elected in odd-numbered years
(3) The Vice President shall actively assist and support the President in the performance of all presidential duties, and shall be the President-pro-tempore in the absence of the President, during which time the Vice President shall assume all duties and responsibilities of that office. The Vice-President shall act as a liaison between the President and the chairpersons of committees. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President during elective term, the Vice-President shall succeed to that office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Section C Secretary
(1) Elected for two years, from January1 through December 31
(2) Elected in even-numbered years
(3) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to accurately record the proceedings at meetings, read the minutes of previous meetings and all communications. The Secretary shall call the roll of Officers and not absentees. The Secretary shall communicate and correspond with all persons and Associations both within and outside the Association relative to Executive level business.
Section D Treasurer
(1) Elected for two years, from January 1 through December 31
(2) Elected in odd-numbered years
(3) It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect all monies due this Association, giving receipt thereof. The Treasurer shall keep a suitable set of books of record of same. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies of this Association in a bank designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall render statements in detail at each meeting of the Association, showing receipts and disbursements in full to date, and the monies in the treasury. The Treasurer shall, as is necessary, draw all checks and other obligations. The account books, as well as all papers in the care custody and control of the Treasurer shall be open for inspection and examination by the Board of Directors.
Section E SGT. at Arms
(1) Elected for two years, from January 1 through December 31
(2) Elected in odd-numbered years
(3) The Sgt. At Arms shall ensure order at chapter meetings and serves as chairman of the rules committee. The Sgt. At Arms will understand the process for amending chapter Bylaws. The Sgt. A Arms shall have charge of the hall of his chapter and keep guard at the door. The Sgt. At Arms will also know the process and the procedural process of Robert’s rules of order. The Sgt. At Arms is also a voting member of the executive committee.
Section F Election of Officers - Term Limits
(1) Nominations for Board of Directors will be made during the WSPCA sponsored "year end trial" meeting.
(2) Ballots will be provided to all members in good standing following the close of nominations. In order to be eligible to vote, persons must have been a member in good standing of the Association for at least 60 days prior to the vote (see Article 4, Section E - Voting rights)
(3) Ballots by proxy will be accepted if such ballot bears the voting member's printed name and signature
(4) Election of officers will be held following the close of nominations and the distribution of ballots. The election may also be held electronically in order to allow all members to participate. Nominations can be made at the year end trial, and voting shall conclude within two weeks. Voting can also take place at the year end meeting. Nominees shall be present at the meeting, unless otherwise approved by the executive board.
(5) The winner will be that person receiving a majority of votes. In the case of a tie, there will be a re-vote between those persons who are tied. In the event the vote remains a ties, the out-going Board of Directors will conduct a special meeting and select a winner.
(6) Members of the Board of Directors may serve no more then two (2) consecutive terms in the same office
Rules and Bylaws
Article 5: Membership
Section A
There shall be three (3) categories of membership: LIFE MEMBER, REGULAR MEMBER, and ASSOCIATE MEMBER. All memberships are sole and exclusive property of the WSPCA and may be suspended and/or revoked "for cause" by the Board of Directors.
(1) LIFE MEMBERS are defined as any person who is entitled to lifetime rights and benefits as defined infra in these By-laws of this Association as long as they remain members in good standing. LIFE MEMBERS are determined by the Board of Directors, and fees for membership are waived.
(2) REGULAR MEMBERSHIP is open to full-time or retired Federal, State, County, Municipal or Military law enforcement personnel dedicated to the professionalization and advancement of the law enforcement working dog.
(3) ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS are open to those persons who support the goals and purpose of the Association, but do not meet the criteria as outlined in paragraph (2) above. A decision as to eligibility of ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP rests with the Board of Directors. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS have voting and office rights, but may not earn points toward any of the annual awards.
Section B
Every applicant for membership shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors. Members must pay the annual fee to retain membership in good standing.
(1) A twenty-five dollar ($25) initiation fee shall be charged to all first time members.
(2) Annual dues in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25) per member are due on the first day of January.
(3) Annual dues in the amount of fifteen dollars ($15) per Associate member are due on the first day of January.
Section C
Each member of the Association will be issued a WSPCA membership number. The number will be specific to each member and the member shall keep the assigned number until separation from the WSPCA.
Section D
Suspension / Termination of Membership in the Association
(1) Suspension or termination of membership can result from nonpayment of dues
(2) Suspension or termination of membership can result from any action deemed contrary to the best interests of the Association.
(A) Upon notification in writing of any of these circumstances by an Officer or a member in good standing, to the Executive Board of the WSPCA, the member shall be notified in writing of the circumstances charged. A suspension hearing will be initiated by the Executive Board and a two-thirds vote by the Board at a scheduled meeting shall caue a member to be revoked from the membership.
(3) Any membership terminated for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated with no loss of privileges provided said dues are paid in full within sixty days from the date they were due.
Section E Voting Rights
(1) Each member shall have one vote for each matter which is under consideration by the membership.
(2) In order to be eligible to vote, persons must have been a member in good standing of the Association for at least 60 days prior to the vote.
(3) Ballots by proxy will be accepted if such ballot bears the voting member's printed name and signature
Rules and Bylaws
Article 6 : Meetings
Section A
Regular membership meetings will be held from time to time in order to discuss Association business.
(1) Meetings will be announced at least one month prior to the meeting date. The time and location will be announced.
Section B
A meeting Agenda will be posted and followed for each meeting. The format of the agenda will be as follows:
(a) Roll Call
(b) Introduction of new members and distinguished guests
(c) Reading of minutes and correspondence
(d) Reports from officers and committees
(e) Unfinished business
(f) Elections - if applicable
(g) New Business
Section C
All order of business, not otherwise provided for in these By-laws, shall be governed by procedures set forth in Robert's Rules of Order.
Article 7: Agency Membership
Section A
Law Enforcement agencies or military units whose personnel are members of the Association shall be deemed to be Agency Members. This status does not require fees, and carries no other privilege other then outlined in this section.
Section B
Agency Membership is required for an agency wishing to host a WSPCA sanctioned trial and/or the year end Association Trial.
Article 8: The Sanctioning of Police Canine Field Trials
Section A
All sanctioned agencies shall abide by the "Trial Guidelines" which govern WSPCA field trials
Section B
A copy of the trial events and rules shall be provided to the Association for review
Section C
The agency will provide the WSPCA with a written copy of all results from the trial no later then one week after the end of the trial
Section D
Sanctioning status must be printed on the trial announcement and program.
Section E
All sanctioned agencies agree to abide by the protest procedure as set forth in Article 8, section L, if a formal protest is filed.
Section F
The protection phase of the trial should not be announced prior to the trial. Agencies may announce parameters to be expected in a protection phase, without announcing the specific phases. An agency wishing to announce the protection phase prior must obtain approval from the Board of Directors in advance of the trial flyer being sent out.
Section G Fees
1. A two dollar ($2) sanction fee per entry will be paid to the Association by the hosting agency.
A. A five ($5) dollar fee will be paid to the Association, by the hosting agency, for all non-members who participate in the trial. This five ($5) fee is in addition to the fee listed in section 1 above.
Section H Qualifications and Categories of Participants
1. "Open" (Competes against all Open and Novice categories, but not eligible for Overall Novice awards or any Class A awards)
a. Handler and dog must be a full-time law enforcement or military working dog team
b. Handler and dog must be assigned to a full time position with a law enforcement or military agency whose primary function is the prevention of crime and apprehension of violators of the law.
1. Section (b) includes members of the custodial branch of the law enforcement - ie: CYA, Prisons, etc, as long as handler and dog are assigned a full-time position
Rules and Bylaws
2. "Novice" (Competes against all Open and Novice categories, including overall Novice, Overall Open, and Top Team awards. Not eligible for Class A awards)
a. Handler and dog must be a full-time law enforcement working dog team
b. Handler and dog must be assigned to a full time position with a law enforcement agency whose primary function is the prevention of crime and apprehension of violators of the law.
1. Section (b) includes members of the custodial branch of the law enforcement - ie: CYA, Prisons, etc, as long as handler and dog are assigned a full-time position
c. The dog shall have competed in no more then two canine trials, nor have been certified for law enforcement duties for more then one year
3. Class "A" (Competes only against other class A teams. Not eligible for Open, Novice, or Top Team awards)
a. Retired Canines - Any dog that was a former street certified law enforcement canine
1. Handler can be active or retired, and need not presently be assigned to the K-9 unit of a department
b. Reserve Canines - Dog is trained to a level of a working law enforcement canine, but has not yet been assigned or deployed as a working dog in a full time capacity.
1. Handler must be either a regular or reserve law enforcement officer
2. A handler wishing to compete a Reserve dog must submit a letter from his/her department head stating that the handler and dog meet the criteria outlined in 3b and 3b1 above
c. On-Call Canines - A dog who is certified for use on the streets, but is not working in a full-time capacity, and is primarily used on an On-Call basis.
1. Handler must be either a regular or reserve law enforcement officer
2. A handler wishing to compete an On-Call dog must submit a letter from his/her department head stating that the handler and dog meet the criteria outlined in 3c and 3c1 above
3. Class “A” teams are eligible to compete in the Narcotics portion of trials. They are to notify the hosting agency at a minimum of three weeks prior to the trial to allow the hosting agency to arrange an award for competing. Awards will be given as an “Overall” winner for Class “A” teams.
4. Narcotics / Explosives Canine
A.. Handler and dog must be a law enforcement working dog team, deployed to detect drugs or explosives.
B. Handler and dog must be assigned to a full time position
Rules and Bylaws
Section I Teams
1. Teams will consist of two handlers from the same agency. If there are only two handlers from an agency entered in the trial, they are assumed to be competing as a team. If more then two handlers from the same agency are entered in the trial, the team must be designated prior to the start of the trial. Handlers from single dog agencies may team up with handlers from other single dog units, but must be designated prior to the start of the trial.
"Single dog agency" means an agency with only one police service canine position assigned to the unit. Agencies with more then one position assigned to the K-9 unit, even though the position may not currently be filled, are considered multiple dog agencies.
Section J Participation in Events
1. A canine entered in any phase of the trial must compete in all phases of the trial, unless there is a medical reason for not competing in a phase.
2. It will be the discretion of the Board of Directors, with input from the hosting agency, to allow/disallow a canine team to compete in a limited capacity.
3. Sections A & B above to not apply to narcotics portions of competitions.
Section K Awards - Hosting agency will minimally award the following awards:
Entries for Class “A” shall notify the hosting agency three weeks prior to the trial to allow time for the hosting agency to arrange awards.
1-5 Overall Open
1-3 Overall Novice (depending on # of novice entries)
1 Overall Class A (depending on # of entries)
1-5 Open Search
1-5 Open Obedience
1-5 Open Agility
1-5 Open Protection
Section L Protest Procedures
1. There shall be a fee of twenty-five ($25) charged to file a protest. The fee shall be refunded only in the event the ruling is in behalf of the protester.
2. The protest shall be filed in writing within 30 days of the trial and delivered to the secretary.
3. A Protest Committee will be appointed and shall consist of six (6) members, one of whom is the current Vice-President of the Association. The Vice-President shall serve as the chairman of the Protest Committee.
4. There shall be no more then one (1) representative from the same agency on the committee. No committee member shall be from the same agency as either the hosting agency, or the protester.
5. The committee shall hear arguments from each side. These may be either oral, or in writing, at the discretion of the committee.
6. Each committee shall have one vote. The Chairman will abstain from the vote. If, for some reason, there is a tie, the Chairman will cast the deciding vote.
Article 9: The Association Annual Trial
Section A
The Board of Directors will select a host agency prior to the start of the competition season.
Rules and Bylaws
Section B Host Agency Responsibilities
1. Trial site selection and reservation
2. Trial site equipment
3. Insurance - if required
4. Banquet facilities and food
5. Decoys
6. Printing and mailing of announcements and waivers
7. Entries and Entry Fees
8. Score Keeper and Statistics
Section C The Association Responsibilities
1. Judge selection
2. Banquet funding
a. Host agency will receive a banquet budget of $1,500.00 from Association
b. Overrun of provided budget is the responsibility of host agency
4. Score Keeper and Statistics
5. Year end trophies and appreciation plaques
Article 10 Annual Top Dog Awards
A. Top Ten - at the end of the competition season, the Association will announce its Top Ten dogs for the season. The top ten will be determined as the K-9 teams having the highest points from one half of the trial finishes in the WSPCA trial season (ie: if the season consists of 8 trials, the top 4 finishes will be counted toward the Annual Top Dog award. If the trial season consists of 10 trials, the top 5 finishes will be counted toward the annual top dog award).
1. If there is an odd number of trials in the competition season, the Association will round off to the lowest whole number in determining the number of finishes to be counted toward the Top Dog (ie: 9 trials in a season - ˝ would be 4.5, thus, 4 trial finishes would be counted. 7 trials in a season - ˝ would be 3.5, thus 3 trial finishes would be counted).
2. The handler must be a member in good standing at the time the points were earned, as well as at the time the award was given.
B. Top Competitor - The handler with the most accumulated points in sanctioned trials over the trial year (see Method of Determining Points below). There is no limit to the number of trials entered and this award is to provide recognition for a consistently good competitor.
C. Method for determining points
1. Points are awarded for placement in the top ten places in the overall category:
First Place Overall 10 points
Second Place Overall 09 points
Third Place Overall 08 points
Fourth Place Overall 07 points
Fifth Place Overall 06 points
Sixth Place Overall 05 points
Seventh Place Overall 04 points
Eighth Place Overall 03 points
Ninth Place Overall 02 points
Tenth Place Overall 01 point
Article 11: Checks and Notes
A. All checks and notes of the Association shall be signed by two of the following:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Sgt. At Arms.
B. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent of the Association to enter into any contract, or execute and deliver any instrument, in the name of, and on behalf of, the Association.
Rules and Bylaws
Article 12: Amendments
A. The By-Laws of the Association may be amended, repealed, or added to by an affirmative unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.
B. The By-laws of the Association maybe amended, repealed, or added to by an affirmative majority vote of the members of the Association, after the Executive Board or By-laws committee has approved the final changes.
THE FOREGOING BY-LAWS CONSISTING OF TEN (10) PAGES WERE DULY ADOPTED AS THE BY-LAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MEMBERS THEREOF ON MAY 5TH 1989, AND THE SAME DO NOW CONSTITUTE THE BY-LAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
BY-LAWS OF THE WESTERN STATES
POLICE CANINE ASSOCIATION , INC.
Revision of 2003
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