THE COLORADO WEST HUNTER/JUMPER ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

Adopted April 16,2007

Amended November 19, 2007 click here to view amendment :AMENDMENT_OF_BYLAWS1

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization is the Colorado West Hunter/Jumper Association (CWHJA).

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purposes of CWHJA are:

To promote the sport of horsemanship through sanctioning and sponsoring hunter and jumper competitions
To promote rider safety, proper caring for animals and good sportsmanship
To support the rules of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)
To maintain proper records relating to CWHJA-sanctioned horse shows
To approve and/or assign CWHJA-sanctioned show dates
To publish information pertinent to rules, specifications, show conduct and general interest
To adjudicate questions of violations of the rules and specifications of CWHJA and, when necessary, impose penalties in accordance with those rules and specifications

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership, Fees and Votes:

Individual — $25.00 per year (Junior or Adult)
Family — $35.00 per year (Family means parents and their children under 18 years of age)
Lifetime memberships — $200.00 individual $300.00 family
Individual members have one vote; Family memberships have 2 votes.
Horse Recording — $10.00 per year, $25.00 lifetime

*Price increase was voted on and passed by CWHJA membership January, 2015.

Section 2. Membership Qualifications: A member in good standing (member) shall be identified as:

A person who is not indebted to CWHJA
A person who is not in violation of CWHJA rules and specifications
A person who is not under suspension of USEF (the Board of Directors may waive this provision upon agreement of a majority of the Board Members)
A person who has not perpetrated a fraud in the name of CWHJA or against CWHJA.

Individuals not in good standing may not participate as exhibitors, owners or trainers at any CWHJA-sanctioned event. They may not vote at the annual meeting. Points will not be accumulated by a member or a member’s horse while the member is not in good standing.

Section 3. Annual Dues
Dues for each type of membership are determined by the CWHJA Board of Directors. Information regarding current dues is available on the Membership Application or from any member of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meeting

There shall be an annual meeting of CWHJA each year. The Board of Directors will set the date, time and place, and notification of such shall be sent to the general membership no later than four weeks prior to the meeting. The annual meeting may be held in conjunction with the annual year-end awards banquet.

Section 2. Special General Membership Meetings

Special meetings may be called by the president or, if requested by ten percent (10%) of the general membership, by written request to the secretary. Ten days’ written notice must be given to the general membership by the secretary prior to any such meeting. Ten percent of the general membership must be present at the meeting to constitute a quorum.

Section 3. Voting on Issues

Voting shall be by ballot at the annual meeting or at the year-end banquet. Proxy voting is not allowed.

Section 4. Order of Business for Annual Meeting

Call to Order
Reading and approval of minutes of previous annual meeting
Reading of Association financial statement by the treasurer
New business

ARTICLE V. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. Nominations

Nominations for available seats on the Board of Directors will be taken from the general membership. The election committee shall notify the general membership in writing when it is seeking nominations. Such notification must be received by the general membership at least four (4) weeks prior to the annual year-end banquet. Nominations received shall be reviewed by the board and following the board’s approval, shall be placed on a ballot. Voting will take place at the annual year-end banquet, where the board shall have a designated voting booth, supervised by a board member. Any member not attending the banquet will be mailed a ballot following the banquet.

Ties shall be decided by lot.

ARTICLE VI. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. General

The business of CWHJA shall be managed by a Board of Directors (Board) which shall exercise all of the power of the Association, except as otherwise provided by statute or the Articles of Incorporation.

Section 2. Election and Term

The Board of Directors shall consist of nine persons elected to that post by the general membership. Each board member must be a CWHJA member in good standing for the length of his or her term. The term
of each member shall be two years. In order to provide for a carryover of experienced board members, five members shall be elected in even numbered years, four in odd-numbered years (or a sufficient number to fill vacancies).

Section 3. Code of Ethics

CWHJA board members are expected and required:

To maintain high moral and ethical standards of performance and behavior and to serve as an example to the general membership and especially the junior members
To support, enforce and strengthen the CWHJA by-laws and rules and specifications
To support all board resolutions and decisions that have been passed by at least a majority vote
To represent the needs and interests of the members in a fair and impartial manner
To contribute and participate frankly and sincerely at the designated board meetings

Section 4. Powers and Duties

In addition to the functions and duties customarily performed by a corporate board of directors and other duties as these by-laws may prescribe, the following specific functions are delegated to the board:

Establishment and dissolution of committees as necessary
Promulgation and enforcement of CWHJA rules and specifications
Removal from office of any board member who, in the opinion of a majority of the board, has failed to discharge his or her duties in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the Association.

Section 5. Meetings and Conduct of Business

Board meetings may be called by the President, who shall instruct the Secretary to forward notice of such meetings, along with minutes of the last meeting, to each board member two weeks in advance of the date set. The President may call a special or emergency board meeting at any time upon notice to each board member. Any three board members may request that a meeting be called by the President, who shall call the meeting as quickly as possible.

A majority of the board members must be present at any meeting to constitute a quorum. A majority vote of the directors present at a meeting in which a quorum exists shall be deemed sufficient to sanction
the legitimate business and affairs of the Association, with the exception of changes, additions or deletions of rules, specifications, or by-laws, which must receive a two-thirds vote of the entire board.

ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS

Section 1. General

The Board of Directors is made up of four officers–President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer–and five advisory members. Officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors each year at the first regular
meeting after the adjournment of the annual meeting. Voting shall be by secret ballot.

Section 2. President

The president shall:

Be chief executive of the association
Preside at all board of director and general membership meetings
Appoint special committee chairpersons
Review from time to time, with the treasurer, the association’s bank account and financial statements; have signing authority on said account
Serve as an ex-officio member of special committees
Call any special meeting of the general membership or regular or emergency meetings of the Board of Directors
Create and distribute an agenda for each meeting
Vote only to break a tie
Answer all correspondence from members, or delegate an appropriate person to answer said correspondence on behalf of the board.
Send current sanction packet to horse show management
Be responsible for a quarterly-published newsletter mailed to all current members
Notify Board Members when and where the next meeting will be held

Section 3. Vice-President

The vice-president shall:

In the absence of the president, exercise all duties of the president
Be the parliamentarian
Serve as the official point keeper for the association’s horse shows or serve as chairperson of a points-keeping committee
Act as Membership Director, maintaining current membership and horse registration rosters and mailing lists
Send current membership list to show managers upon request

Section 4. Secretary

The secretary shall:

Keep minutes of all meetings
Keep copies of newsletters
Receive copies of all show results and maintain them for archival purposes
Be the keeper of all official Association records, including, but not limited to: Corporate records, minutes, correspondence, year-end results, etc.
Maintain an inventory of horse show related items belonging to the Association and keep track of where such items are located. These items will include: PA system, jump numbers, breakaway jump cups,
office supply, etc.

Section 5. Treasurer

The treasurer shall:

Collect all monies due the association
Have care and custody of and responsibility for the funds of the Association
Keep proper records of the Association’s bank accounts
Submit a report of the general fund at each meeting
Deposit all checks and pay all bills within 30 days of receipt
Keep the books ready for review
Purchase and ensure that the Association is covered by appropriate insurance

Section 6. Vacancies

Any position on the board that becomes vacant shall be filled by appointment at the next board meeting. The appointee shall serve until
the next general election at which the seat is up for election.

Section 7. Transfer of Duties

All outgoing board members shall insure the orderly transfer of their duties, responsibilities, records and documents to their successors.

ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION

CWHJA shall indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, any person who is or was a director, officer, agent, fiduciary or employee of CWHJA against any claim, liability, or expense arising against or incurred
by such person as a result of actions reasonably taken at the direction of CWHJA. CWHJA shall further have the authority to the fullest extent permitted by law to indemnify its directors, officers, agents, fiduciaries and employees against any claim, liability of expense arising against or incurred by them in all other circumstances and to maintain insurance providing such indemnification.

No director, officer, agent, fiduciary, or employee of CWHJA shall have any personal liability for monetary damages to CWHJA except that this provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of said director,
officer, agent, fiduciary or employee to CWHJA for monetary damages resulting from (1) any breach of their duty or loyalty to CWHJA, (2) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, or (3) any transaction from which said person derives an improper personal benefit.

Any repeal or modification of the above provisions shall not adversely affect any right or protection stated in such provisions with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal
or modification.

ARTICLE IX. NEWSLETTER

The Association shall publish a newsletter at least quarterly, which shall be distributed to the entire membership by mail.

The President shall be or appoint the newsletter editor.
The editor may be a board member or a general member. The editor shall:

Notify the general membership of the deadline for including their news, advertising and/or other materials in the upcoming newsletter. Such notification may be via email, mailing or inclusion in
a previous newsletter
Print show results and upcoming schedule
Accept and print advertisements
Accept and print barn news and other articles submitted by the membership
Summarize board meeting minutes
Keep copies of all newsletter on file

ARTICLE X. COMMITTEES

Committees may be created by the board to serve any purpose. Committee members and chairman may be board members or non-board members but must be members of CWHJA in good standing. Committee chairmen must provide a report of the committee’s activities at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE XI. YEAR-END HORSE SHOW

The board of directors shall conduct a year-end horse show representing the finals in each division for the current show year. Committees or individuals shall be appointed by the president to handle all functions necessary to ensure successful production of this event. Proceeds from the show shall be deposited directly into the association’s bank account to be used for expenses generated by the show and other association needs as necessary.

ARTICLE XII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current Robert’s rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of CWHJA meetings in all cases to which it is applicable.

ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

Section 1. By the Board

These by-laws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the board of directors by a two-thirds vote of the entire board.

Section 2. Right of Petition by a Member

Any member wishing to propose an amendment to the by-laws must present a petition for same to the board. The petition must contain the signatures of at least ten (10%) per cent of the general membership. The board will vote on said change. A simple majority vote will be the deciding factor.

ARTICLE XIV. RULES CHANGES

Section 1. General

CWHJA rules may be amended as follows:

A written proposal for rule changes may be submitted by any CWHJA member in good standing. This proposal must be accompanied by the signatures of ten additional members in good standing. The proposal may be withdrawn at any time.
All proposals will be considered by the board. The president may appoint two board members to research the proposal and report to the board prior to consideration by the full board.
The board may accept the proposal by a two- thirds vote of the entire board.
Rule changes will take effect April 1 of the following year.

Section 2. Extraordinary Rule Changes

The Board of Directors may entertain extraordinary rule change
proposals at any time, provided:

The proposal was submitted in writing by a board member or by written proposal signed by fifteen (15) CWHJA members in good standing
There is an immediate need to act on the proposal; i.e., for safety reasons, health reasons, or other compelling circumstances
The proposal is endorsed by at least two directors prior to the meeting at which the proposal is considered
Following completion of the above process, the board may accept or the proposal by two-thirds vote of the entire board. The general membership must be notified of the extraordinary rule change immediately following acceptance of the change.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16st day of April, 2007

Bridget Strang, President 2007

Cindy Kelly Gooding, Vice-President