The name of the Club shall be "xxxxx", and in this Constitution will be referred to as "the Club".

ARTICLE II - Aims of the Club

1. To provide a medium for Samoyed owners and breeders to join together with equal representation regardless of location for the betterment of the Samoyed Breed in Canada.

2. To promote the breeding, owning and exhibiting of the Samoyed type most nearly conforming to the ideal Samoyed as described in the official Canadian Standard for the breed; and to urge the adoption of the ideal type upon breeders, judges and dog show committees as the only recognized and unvarying standard by which the Samoyed should be judged.

3. To improve the knowledge of the Samoyed through the collection and dissemination among membership of information and knowledge considered beneficial to the breed.

4. To eliminate Hip Dysplasia in the Samoyed by the X-ray of all breeding stock and by the use for breeding purposes of only those Samoyeds shown to be free from Hip dysplasia when X-rayed at the age of 18 months or older.

ARTICLE III - Membership

1. The Club shall be composed of an unlimited number of "Full" and "Associate" members.

2. To be eligible for "Full" membership an applicant must be a resident of Canada and must be the legal owner of at least one Samoyed registered with the C.K.C. or the dog so owned must be owned by a member of the immediate family of the applicant; and, such applicant must be in sympathy with the aims of the Club and loyal thereto.

3. Persons residing outside Canada who own a Samoyed registered with the official body of the resident country as the recognized by the C.K.C., or persons residing in Canada who are interested in the Samoyed, may apply for "Associate" membership with the Club. Such associate members may enjoy all the benefits of the Club but shall not be entitled to a vote.

4. Applications for membership must be submitted to the Secretary and must contain the following information: Name of Applicant, Home Address and Telephone Number and Name and Registration Number of Samoyed(s) owned. Applications must be signed by the applicant, accompanied by dues for one year and bear the name of at least one member of the Club as sponsor.

5. No application for membership shall be acted upon until the name of the applicant has been published to the membership through the normal medium of the Club Bulletin. At the expiration of a period of one month after publication of said Bulletin, the application shall be considered accepted unless the Secretary shall so inform the applicant. When an application has been objected to, the Secretary shall return the application together with the dues submitted. In either case the Secretary shall advise the Club President forwarding copies to any letters of objection received.

6. In the case of accepted applications, the Secretary shall so inform the applicant. When an application has been objected to, the Secretary shall return the application together with the dues submitted. In either case the Secretary shall advise the Club President forwarding copies of any letters of objection received.

7. Any member may be suspended from the Club by a three-fourth majority of the votes received. Prior to such a vote, however, notice is to be given in the Club Bulletin and the charges preferred forwarded by mail to the member prior to publication date of said Bulletin. Also prior to the vote, sufficient time must elapse, including the publication of at least one further issue of the Club Bulletin, to permit opportunity for reply to the preferred charges by the said member or by other Club members on his behalf. Such replies are to be published in the Club Bulletin or forwarded by mail to all members before the vote is called.

8. Any member may resign at any time. Resignations shall be published in the Bulletin. In case of resignation, no dues will be refunded.

ARTICLE IV - Dues

1. The dues shall be just that amount necessary for the proper operation of the Club and for the publishing of the Club Bulletin.

2. Dues are payable by February 1st of each year. Notice to this effect is to be included in the November Bulletin. If the dues of any member remain unpaid by February 1st of any year the membership of such member shall be suspended for the forthcoming election of officers. Members may be reinstated upon payment of dues by May 1st after which time membership shall cease.

3. A new member accepted after October 1st of any year shall be considered as a member for the remaining months of that year in which accepted and the ensuing year.

ARTICLE V - Officers and Term of Office

The Officers of the Club shall be:

President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Editor

The term of office shall be one year from May 1st.

The President may serve any number of terms to which elected but may not serve more than two terms consecutively. Other officers may serve any number of terms consecutively or otherwise, to which elected.

ARTICLE VI - Election of Officers

1. Election of officers for the forthcoming year shall be held annually during the month of April. Due to the large geographical area covered by the Club, elections shall be held by mail in the manner as laid down in the Club by-laws.

ARTICLE VII - Meetings

1. The Club Bulletin shall be the official organ of the Club and, therefore, Club meetings as such shall not be held.

2. The Club Bulletin shall be published at least four times annually - in February, May, August and November.

3. The Club Bulletin published in May and November respectively shall be considered as the annual and semi-annual meetings of the Club.

ARTICLE VIII - Voting

1. To maintain the Club concept of Canada-wide representation, all voting shall be done by mail.

2. Each full member shall have one vote. In the case of a husband and wife, a family "Full" membership is offered which will permit both husband and wife to have one vote each.

3. Before being placed before the membership for a vote, a motion must be published in the Club Bulletin and then sufficient time must elapse to permit individual comments from members regarding the motion to be published in a succeeding Bulletin.

4. The Club President shall initiate whatever action is necessary as a result of the vote, instruct the Editor to publish the voting result in the next Bulletin issue and retain the voting slips for a minimum period of ninety (90) days after these results are published.

5. A motion shall be deemed to be carried if the "yes" votes exceed the "no" votes.

ARTICLE IX - Amendments

1. Amendments to this Constitution shall be actioned in accordance with the instructions for voting with the following exceptions:

(a) amendments may only be made every three (3) years, such dates being incorporated in the Club By-laws.

(b) amendments must be both published in the Club Bulletin and forwarded by mail to each member, and

(c) a three-fourths majority of the Club membership is required to effect an amendment to this Constitution.

These By-Laws are intended to accompany and amplify the Articles of the Constitution of the Samoyed Association of Canada.

SECTION 2 - Membership (Amended May 1975)

1. No moneys of the Club shall be expended without a majority vote by the members except for such routine requirements as the Club Bulletin, stationery, printing of notices, etc.

2. A Bank Account shall be opened in the name of the Club and shall be maintained by the Treasurer. This account shall require the signatures of the Treasurer and President on all cheques except in the case where the cheque is made out to either the Treasurer or the President, and in that case the second signature should be that of the Vice-President. In no case should a member of the executive sign a cheque made payable to him/herself. The books of the Club shall be subject to an annual audit. (Amended February 1983)

3. In the event the Club ceases operation, Club assets will be divided between the Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. (Added August 1981)

SECTION 5 - Election of Officers

1. Nomination slips will be forwarded to all members with the November Bulletin.

2. Nominations shall be filed with the Secretary by February 1st and shall include the name of the nominator together with the assurance that the candidate is willing to serve in the office for which nominated.

3. The Secretary shall cause to be printed in the February Club Bulletin the names of all candidates with the office for which nominated together with the names of the proposer and seconder.

4. Voting for the election of officers shall be by secret ballot. A ballot and a ballot envelope shall be mailed to all members with the February Bulletin. Each member voting shall complete the ballot and seal it in the Ballot envelope. The ballot envelope shall then be closed in an outer envelope and forwarded to the Secretary by April 1st. This outer envelope only is to be marked with the sender's name. The Secretary shall check the sender's name against the membership list and forward the ballot envelopes unopened to the President who will appoint two scrutineers to open and tabulate the ballots. The result of the vote is to be in the President's hands by April 25th.

5. The President will then notify the newly elected Officers and forward the tabulated results to the Secretary for the Club records and for publication in the May Bulletin. The Secretary shall also advise the Canadian Kennel Club and "Dogs in Canada" of the names of the elected officers of the Club, and shall advise the Club's Official Radiologist at O.V.C. of the names and addresses of the President and the Secretary of our Club. (Amended May 1975)

6. The Secretary shall forward a list of Club members whose ballots were received for the election of officers to the President, Vice-President and Editor. The Editor shall publish this list in the Club Bulletin.

All ballots must be retained by the President for a period of not less than ninety (90) days after publication of the May Bulletin.

7. As required by the CKC for National Club Recognition Status the Samoyed Association of Canada must ensure that we have a Director appointed or elected for at least 3 out of 5 of the following regions: British Columbia, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic. Directors are to be nominated and elected by members within their own regions in conjunction with our annual Election of Officers. Duties of the Directors are to act as liaison between their regions and the National Club, to provide quarterly reports to the Club on activities and concerns within their region, and to present various issues received from Executive Communications to members within their regions and receive member input to be shared with the Executive, to help in the decision making process. (Added May 1992)

SECTION 6 - Voting on Motions

1. Members wishing to propose a motion shall obtain a seconder and forward said motion to the Secretary in sufficient time to:

(a) Permit publication of the motion in the issue of the Club Bulletin preceding the May or November issue,

or

(b) Permit the motion to be forwarded by mail to all members by the Secretary at least sixty (60) days prior to the publication of the May or November Bulletin.

2. Members wishing to comment on a motion shall forward said comments to the Secretary within thirty (30) days of the advice date of said motion.

3. At the expiration of thirty (30) days from the advice date of any motion, the Secretary shall forward to the Editor for publication in the May or November Bulletin the following:

(a) the motion together with the names of the proposer and seconder;

(b) any amendments thereto together with the name of proposer and seconder

and

(c) any comments received on the motion together with the name of the member(s) submitting same.

4. The Secretary shall advise the president and the Vice-President of all actions taken in accordance with the above.

5. Voting slips will be included with May or November Bulletins as applicable. Members shall mail their marked voting slips to the Secretary within 21 days of receipt. Senders names shall appear on the outside of the envelope containing the voting slip.

6. The Secretary shall check the voting slips received against the membership and tabulate the votes. The Secretary will then forward the results, together with the voting slips received to the Club President and advise the Vice-President of the results.

7. The Secretary shall forward a list of Club members from whom ballots were received for any vote on a motion, after the ballots have been tabulated, to the President, Vice-President and Editor. The Editor shall publish this list in the Club Bulletin. The list will not include information as to whether a member voted in favour or against a motion, only that their ballot was received and counted. (added May 1992)

SECTION 7 - Duties of Officers

1. Under the direction of the Club President, the Club Officers shall be responsible for the operation and management of the Club.

2. The Vice-President shall assist the Club President in the direction of the Club's management and operation.

3. The Secretary of the Club shall have charge of all correspondence addressed to the Club, keep copies of all letters sent by him and file such as he may receive. He shall correspond on all matters pertaining to the Club as directed. He shall maintain a permanent record of the activities of the Club, together with a complete roster of the Club members and applicants. The Secretary shall maintain a permanent record of all motions received together with any amendments, comments or actions pertaining thereto.

4. The Treasurer shall collect all dues of members of the Club. He shall receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club for any purpose and shall pay the bills of the Club from Club funds. He shall make a financial report to the Club President and Vice-President annually or at any other time when so requested. He shall cause to be published in the February Bulletin a complete annual financial report. He shall also ensure that all Books are available to an annual audit.

5. The Editor shall be responsible for the editing, printing and publishing of the Club Bulletin. In this respect he may request the assistance of any Club member(s). The Editor shall ensure that the dates of publication and contents of the Club Bulletin conform to the Constitution and By-laws of the Club.

6. All officers shall keep records up to date and shall turn them over to the newly installed officers as soon as possible after the election along with a complete list of duties performed.

7. Should an elected officer of the Club be unable to carry out the duties of office for which elected, the Club President may appoint a successor. Such appointment is to be published in the Club Bulletin.

SECTION 8 - Club Bulletin

1. When so desired by a member, the Club Bulletin shall publish any article or opinion expressed by that member together with that member's name, provided that the intent of such article or opinion falls within the aims of the Club.

2. The Club Bulletin may carry whatever advertising that is deemed suitable by the Editor. Advertising rates shall be set by the Editor but shall be such that rates for Club members are less than for non-members.

SECTION 9 - Get-Togethers

Local get-togethers are encouraged but are not to be considered as meetings. Any motion put forward at these get-togethers must be forwarded in accordance with Section 6 of these By-laws. It is most desirable however, that a brief report on such get-togethers be forwarded to the Editor for inclusion in the Bulletin.

SECTION 10 - Publicity

1. With the exception of those situations covered by paragraph 2 and 3 below, articles in the name of the Club are not to be forwarded to any outside agency for publication without the sanction of the majority of the Club members.

2. The Secretary, with the prior approval of the President, may write periodic articles for "Dogs in Canada" to provide publicity for the Samoyed Association of Canada.

3. The Editor, with the approval of the President, may offer articles published in the Club Bulletin (with prior approval of the Author) for publication in other Breed Club Bulletins for the purposes of providing exchange copy.

SECTION 11 - Amendments to the Constitution

1. Proposed amendments to the Articles of the Constitution, submitted in accordance with Article IX, will be published in the May Bulletin of 1969 and every three years thereafter. Voting on such amendments will take place in November of the same year.

2. Where practical, proposed amendments will also be published when received to permit ample time for discussion by members through the medium of the Club Bulletin.

SECTION 12 - Hip Dysplasia Certificates

1. In order to standardize the interpretation of radiographs taken for the purpose of showing that a Samoyed is radiographically free from Hip Dysplasia, Dr. P. Pennock, DVM, Associate Professor of Radiology, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, has been appointed as the Radiologist for the Club. When the need arises his immediate successor will be automatically deemed to have been appointed. (Amended November 1975)

2. A Hip Dysplasia certificate will only be issued for a Samoyed that is at least eighteen (18) months old at the time of the X-ray and which shows no radiographic evidence of Hip Dysplasia. A duplicate of this certificate will be kept by the Ontario Veterinary College and also by the Club. (Amended February 1978)

3. In order to obtain this certificate, and application form shall be requested from the Secretary and be completed in full by the registered owner of the Samoyed and the veterinarian or technician taking the radiographs. These application forms shall be available only to members of the Club.

4. To offset any expense incurred in the reading and filing of these radiographs and to assist in the financing of research in the bone diseases of dogs, the sum of $10.00 will be charged for each set of radiographs read by the Club Radiologist (payable to the SAC when applying for Hip application form). (Amended May 1992)

5. Members are to enclose a cheque or money order payable to the Club with their request for an application form. The Secretary shall signify receipt of payment on the application form and mail the form to the members. The money is to be forwarded to the Treasurer for deposit in the Club account. Half yearly the Treasurer shall calculate the amount received for applications for Hip Dysplasia Certificates and forward this amount (less Club expenses incurred) to the Ontario Veterinary College as a donation for use in canine research.

6. When advised that a Samoyed has been issued with a Hip Dysplasia Certificate, the Secretary shall cause the name of the Samoyed and its registered owner to be published in the Club bulletin.

SECTION 13 - Register of Merit Canada (Added May 1992)

1. Sires of 10 or more Canadian Champions, either Conformation or Obedience Trial Champions*, and Dams of 5 or more Canadian Champions, either Conformation or Obedience Trial Champions* shall be eligible to receive the Register of Merit Canada (R.O.M.C.)

* An offspring can be counted as a Champion only once, even if he/she holds dual Championships.

2. The ROMC System shall apply to all past, present and future Samoyeds who meet the requirements laid out herein.

3. While all fanciers shall be entitled to use the ROMC signifier at the end of the name of any Samoyed to meet the regular requirements of the System, only SAC members may apply for an ROMC Certificate from the Club.

4. Application for ROMC Certificates shall be on a form approved by the club, and shall provide space for the following information: full registered name and CKC number of the dog; 3-generation pedigree; name of breeder; date of birth of dog; and date of death if applicable; sex; name, address and phone number of owner; full registered name and CKC number of each Champion offspring produced, along with the date finished.

5. There shall be no charge to members for an ROMC certificate, except that a photograph of the dog must be included with the application; this photograph shall be the property of the Club, and will not be returned.

6. The Club shall maintain a list of all ROMC Sires and Dams, and this list shall be updated on a regular basis. From time to time, this list shall be printed in the Club's bulletin. Fanciers are encouraged to provide an updated list of Champion offspring on a yearly basis, to ensure that our records are complete and accurate.

7. Replacement certificates may be issued for a fee of $10.00 upon application of the owner for a replacement certificate; such application must include an explanation of the disposition of the original certificate.

8. ROMC certificates shall contain the following information: Official SAC Logo; Registered Name of ROMC Sire or DAM; Date of Birth of dog; signature of SAC President; date of issue of Certificate.

SECTION 14 - Club Historian (Added May 1992)

1. The Club Historian position shall be appointed by the Executive from a list of names of volunteers for the position.

2. A second copy of important documents will be held by the Secretary or another appointed member to safeguard against loss of historical information of the Club in case of fire or other disaster.

SECTION 15 - Code of Ethics (Added November 1993)

The Code of Ethics is adopted as a guideline for SAC members and included with our membership application form with an agreement to abide by our COE.

SECTION 16 - Conduct

1. Charges may be laid against a member for actions, or deeds, either written or physical, which are prejudicial and/or damaging to the breed or to the aims and principles of the Club.

2. Any member of the Samoyed Association of Canada, who sells, or provides for sale, either directly or indirectly any Samoyed to persons or companies whose prime purpose is to ultimately sell such Samoyed to the general public through pet shops, advertised sale in mail order company catalogues, etc., is acting in a manner prejudicial and damaging to the breed and to the aims and principles of the Club.

3. Any member of the Samoyed Association of Canada who uses, or permits the use of any Samoyed owned, co-owned or leased by him, for breeding purposes when any or all of the puppies resulting from that breeding are to be sold, directly or indirectly, to the general public through pet shops, advertised sale through mail order company catalogues, etc., shall be acting in a manner injurious to the breed and prejudicial to the aims and principles of the Club.

4. Any member of the Samoyed Association of Canada, who raffles, provides for raffle, or makes available as a prize for a raffle, draw or any other contest, any Samoyed owned, leased, co-owned by him, either directly or indirectly to any organization, club, shop or store is acting in a manner injurious to the breed and prejudicial to the aims and principles of the Club. (Added may 1975)

5. Any member of the Samoyed Association of Canada who knowingly engages in any of these similar activities will be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

6. In recognition of the fact that the Executive of the Club may not initiate suspension proceedings in the absence of a showing of "knowledge" or circumstances in which knowledge would be attributable to the average person, it is incumbent on all members to demonstrate good faith in their actions and conduct. Consequently, it is the expressed feeling and belief that repeated incidents of activity under paragraph two through four of this By-law shall constitute lack of good faith.

7. This By-law is in no way a limitation on the kinds of activities which may constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the breed and to the aims and principles of the Club.