SOUTH
CAROLINA POLICE k-9 ASSOCIATION
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South Carolina Police K-9 Association Bylaws
AS ADOPTED FEBRUARY 07, 2006, REVISED AUGUST 21, 2007
South Carolina Police K-9 Association bylaws
ARTICLE ONE
This association shall be known as the South Carolina Police K-9 Association (SCPK9A) (Name adopted January 31, 2006)
Article Two
Mission:
1) To unite and assist all Law Enforcement agencies within the State of South Carolina, in training and continue improvements of canines.
2) To establish a working standard for all Law Enforcement canines, handlers, and trainers within the State of South Carolina.
3) To provide educational material through publications, visual aids, and training seminars. 4) To improve the Law Enforcement canine image in the State of South Carolina. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Article Three Membership: Active Members:
Membership to this association shall be opened to any active or retired law enforcement officer or reserve, either federal, state, county, or municipal, with the same goals and objectives as this association, and any correction officer, firefighter canine handler, rescue squad K-9 handlers. Any department that pays for membership of a K-9 handler(s) may have membership revoked and change Handler(s) or remove handler(s) for any reasons. Departments may elect to pay for a specific number of members and supplement at any time. All persons applying for active membership will submit an application to the Secretary with a copy of their agency identification card attached. Active members have full rights to hold board position and vote. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Associate Members:
Associate members shall include any person who trains and or handles K-9s for an established agency or non-profit organization as approved by the executive board and any person sponsored by an active member. Any one submitting an application for associate membership will be subject to a full back ground investigation. An associate member shall enjoy all privileges except that he/she shall not have voting privilege in the election of directors nor shall serve on the Executive Committee Board. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Advisor
Advisor membership shall include a person who has a professional relationship with Law Enforcement K-9's (Attorney, Veterinarian, Police Canine Vendors and Trainers, etc.). Advisor holds a non voting position of the Executive Committee. He/she advises the Executive Board on canine training methods, certification standards, legal matters, medical information, and any other matter that would be in the best interest of the association. Advisors shall represent the association as an expert witness as the need arises. Advisors are appointed by Executive Committee and reappointed yearly. Advisors may hold the position of certifying official. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE FOUR
Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Regional Coordinators. This committee shall recommend such rules, regulations, amendment, or deletions as may be deemed necessary for the government of The Association. Vacancies which occur in any of the Association's offices, through resignation, death, impeachment, or other reasons, with the exception of the President shall be filled by appointment made by the Executive Committee and shall expire at the next elective term. No officer, director, or member serving on committee as such shall receive any salary or compensation for services rendered to the Association, but officers, directors or members may be reimbursed for their out of pocket expenses incurred reasonably and necessarily in conducting the affairs of the Association. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
President
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the South Carolina Police K-9 Association. He / she shall have general and active management of the business of the association, and shall see that the bylaws and all rules and regulations are respected and obeyed. He/she shall cast the deciding vote in case of a tie. He/she shall have the power to appoint committees and may designate their chairperson. He/she shall appoint the following committees: Grievance, Election, Newsletter and any ad hoc committees necessary to conduct the affairs of the Association. He/she shall appoint protempore officers in the event of absences. He/she shall perform such other duties as are usual and incidental to the office of President. He /she is a member ex-officio of all committees except the Election Committee. The President is voted into office every three (3) years by the general membership. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Vice President
The Vice President shall actively assist and support the President in his/her duties and shall be the President protempore in the absence of the President, during which time the Vice-President shall assume all the duties and responsibilities of that office. He/she shall be required to attend, with the President, conferences, etc., to which the President is required or expected to attend, in our interest of and /or on behalf of the membership of this Association in order that he/she may be as informed of all matters concerning the Association. He/she shall act as liaison between the President and the chair. No officer, director, or member serving on committee as such shall receive any salary or compensation for services rendered to the Association, but officers, directors or members may be reimbursed for their out of pocket expenses incurred reasonably and necessarily in conducting the affairs of the Association. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President during the elective term, he/she shall succeed to that office for the remainder of the unexpired term. The Vice President is voted into office every two (2) years by the general membership. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Secretary
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to accurately record the proceedings at all meetings. Read the minutes of previous meetings and all communications. He /she shall note all members in attendees of regular meetings. He/she shall communicate and correspond with all persons and organizations both within and outside the Association relative to Executive Committee Business. He/she shall receive all monies in the absence of the Treasurer. The Secretary is voted into office every Three (3) years by the general membership. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Treasurer
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect all monies. All expenditures that exceed one hundred dollars must be pre-approved by the executive committee with a majority vote. The account books as well as all papers in his/her custody shall be open for inspection and examination by the Executive Committee. He/she shall not lend or invest any of the funds except when duly authorized be the Executive Committee. It will be the responsibility of the Treasurer to have an annual audit of the Association's books. The Treasurer is voted into office every Two (2) years by the general membership. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Regional Coordinator
The Regional Coordinator conducts membership drives for his areas and coordinators multi-department training and meetings within their region. The Regional Coordinator is a spokesperson and represents their region to the Executive Board. Regional Coordinator will represent the organization to any law enforcement agency is his region.
The Regional Coordinator is voted into office every two years by the general membership of the region. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE FIVE
Elections
All candidates for office shall submit their application for office to the Secretary by October 15th. of the election year. The Secretary will then place the candidate’s names on the ballot for election. The ballots will be mailed to all active members no later than November 5th. All active members will have until December 5th to vote and returned the ballot in the self address envelope mailed with the ballot. This envelope will be number for record keeping matters only. No ballot will be counted that is not mailed in the provided ballot envelope. The secretary will receive the returned envelope and note the number on the master mail-out list. The secretary will not open any ballot envelope. The election committee will then meet sometime after December 8th to count the votes. The Secretary will attend the meeting to turn the ballot envelopes over to the chairperson. The chairperson will sign the master mail-out lists as receiving all returned ballots envelopes. The election committee will then open each envelope and remove the ballot. No ballot will be opened and counted until all ballots have been removed from the envelopes. The envelopes will then be destroyed. The ballots will then be counted. Once the votes have been counted the chairperson will document the results on the election report form and all members of the election committee will sign certifying the results. All candidates will then be notified by January 1st of the results and then the results will be made public. The elected candidate will take office the January 15th. (Adopted February 7, 2006) ARTICLE SIX
Meetings
A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Executive Committee present.
The President shall call at least four general memberships meeting during the calendar year. The President shall set dates for such meeting with the approval of majority of the Executive Committee.
Meetings shall be conducted according to Parliamentary Procedures, Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and shall be the guide for conducting all meetings.
Special meetings may be called and conducted by use of conference calls, or internet in a designated chat room. A quorum shall consist of the majority of Executive Committee, participating and signed on.
All meetings shall be schedule in advance so that adequate notification can be made to the general membership. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE SEVEN
Rules of Order
Any member desiring the privilege of the floor shall rise and address the chair.
No member shall be allowed to speak until properly moved and recorded and declared upon for discussion by the chair.
Any member may call for a vote on any question, which each member present shall be required to answer to his name on the roll unless excused by the chair.
A motion to reconsider must come from a member who voted with the majority when the original motion was consider and voted on.
No member shall leave the room during a meeting, unless the chair gives permission.
When any member raises a point of order a person having the floor shall take his/her seat until the chair decides the point, if proper, he/she may resume his/her remarks.
No subject laid on the table shall be taken up again during the same meeting unless it was so understood when disposed of.
Any member may appeal to the Association from the decision of the chair. The question shall be stated: "Shall the decision of the chair be sustained"?
It shall be decided by a majority vote of the votes cast. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE EIGHT
Rules and Regulations
Rules and Regulations shall be established by a quorum as the need arises. (Adopted February 7, 2006) ARTICLE NINE
Bylaws
Amendments, additions, or deletions shall be the duty of the Bylaws committee, which shall consist of at least three (3) members of the Executive Board and Two (2) members of the general membership to codify all proposed changes, additions, or deletions to the Bylaws. All proposed changes must be submitted in writing to the Bylaws Committee. The committee shall present the final form to the Executive Committee with recommendations. The General Membership shall vote on any Bylaw and certification rule changes at a General Membership meeting. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE TEN
Code of Ethics
1) By making application for membership it shall be understood that the applicant agrees to abide by these bylaws and all rules adopted by the Executive Committee. He/she further agrees to abide by the Code of Ethics.
2) No member will act in a manner prejudicial to the Association or to the best interests of the Association.
3) No member will knowingly falsify any record or document in connection with the certification or sale of a canine.
4) In any exhibition or seminar, no member will conduct him/herself otherwise that in accordance with the highest traditions and standards of fair play and good sportsmanship.
5) Any member in good standing may prefer charges against any other member for alleged conduct in violation of the above code of ethics. Such charges must be in writing signed be the complainant, setting forth the facts upon which the charges are based in a concise and summary manner and shall be filed with the Grievance Committee Chairperson. The complainant must agree to appear and furnish full evidence in support of the charges if requested to do so. The Grievance Committee will then proceeded as in Article Eleven.
6) Disciplinary action may include the temporary suspension of privileges, censure, expulsion or any other appropriate action.
7) If the Executive Committee finds that a member in preferring charges against another member did so for spurious reasons, out of improper motives and if the charges are wholly false and without proper foundation, then the Executive Committee may, if it desires, take appropriate disciplinary action against the complainant.
8) No disciplinary action shall be taken against a member, complainant or accused unless the member shall have been afforded the opportunity of a hearing before the Grievance Committee, with the right of appeal to the Executive Committee.
9) Every member shall be presumed innocent of misconduct, and disciplinary action shall be taken against a member only if he/she is found guilty of misconduct by evidence that is clear, precise and indubitable.
10) No member may use his or her status with SCPK9A or the SCPK9A name, to endorse any product or commercial enterprise without approval form the Executive Committee. (Adopted February 7, 2006) ARTICLE ELEVEN
Impeachment
Any officer or member may be removed for any violation of the provisions of the Bylaws, or any personal conduct that may bring discredit upon the Association.
Charges for the impeachment of any officer or member may be initiated by any member in good standing or Grievance Committee and shall be presented in writing to the Grievance Committee Chairperson. The accused officer or member will be given a copy of the charges against him/her. If the Grievance Committee ascertains that there is enough evidence to warrant a hearing, the accused member will be notified of the meeting at which the hearing will be held, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the hearing date. The accused shall be given the right to present evidence in his/her behalf at the hearing. Any member filing a complaint will be assessed a $10.00 fee, returnable upon a true finding.
The Grievance Committee will then decide if the accused is innocent or guilty of the charges and present a recommendation to the Executive Committee. If the accused is in fact found guilty, the Executive Committee will decide his/her penalty. If it decides the charges warrant impeachment, with a majority vote of the Executive Committee present, the accused member shall be removed from office and the accused member shall never hold an office in the Association. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
ARTICLE TWELVE
Dues
The yearly dues of the Association will be $50.00 for Active membership. Associate membership yearly dues are $25.00 yearly. After recording the date received and the amount, the Secretary will forward all monies to the Treasurer. Any accreditation held by any member will be invalid if dues are unpaid. There will be a $30.00 NSF fee on any check returned. Executive Committee, Regional Coordinators, and Certifying Official dues are waived while holding office. The yearly dues include all certifications and one retest for that year. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
CERTIFICATION
The following test rules have been adopted by the South Carolina Police K-9 Association (SCPK9A). Each of the following tests is designed to determine the proficiency of the working dog team in each phase of police work for K-9's. All police service dogs deployed in South Carolina should be tested and certified. The successful passing and certification in each area of test is acceptable testimony in a court of law. Each test is based on a pass/fail basis. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Certifying Official
Certifying Official will designate the area, phase, and manner of each phase to be tested. The Certifying Official should make every effort not to interfere with or distract the working team. The Certifying Official will observe the working canine during each test for willingness, enjoyment, interest, and accuracy. Handlers will be observed for ability and overall control of his/her canine. Upon successful completion of each test the Certifying Official will issue the team a review report with pass/fail status. A certification will be issued by the South Carolina Police K-9 Association Headquarters and will be valid for one (1) years from the date of issue.
Standards for Certifying Official
To be eligible to be a Certifying Official, one must be a member or advisor in good standing of the SCPK9A.
Applicant will request a certifying official packet from the Secretary of the SCPK9A.
Applicant will complete the packet and return it to the Secretary of the SCPK9A. The packet will include a personal resume', and copies of certifications.
All information submitted will be validated by SCPK9A Executive Committee.
Applicants must be fair and honest to all participants and fluent in the Standards of Certifications.
Applicants must uphold the Standards and be available to testify to his/her personal observances of individual Police K-9 Certifications.
Applicants may be subject to an interview by the Executive Committee.
A Certifying Official may not certify a canine he/she is a member with the same agency the canine team is certifying or the vendor of the certifying team.
A Certifying Official may be removed from certifying official status be a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
If a Certifying Official is inactive from certifying canine teams for a period of one (1) year, then the Executive Committee may terminate their Certifying Official credentials. A certifying official must certify or participate in a minimum of ten (10) canine team certifications a year. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Pass/Fail System
All tests are scored on a pass/fail basis. No scores will be used or recorded by SCPK9A. Any canine team that fails a test and feels they have been judged wrongly will have thirty (30) minutes to notify the Certifying event coordinator. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Appeal
A canine team that fails any of the following tests may reapply for testing at a later time in the day or the next and most convenient time and date.
All of the following tests are on a pass/fail basis. No scores will be used or recorded by South Carolina Police K-9 Association. Any canine team that fails a test and feels that they have been judged unfairly will at the time of the test, notify the Certifying Official. The canine team will then have thirty (30) minutes to notify the Event Appeal coordinator of the appeal. The canine team will then fill a complete report of their observations and reasons they feel they were judged unfairly. The Certifying Official having been notified of the appeal will file a report of his/her observations, all testing sheets and his basis for failing the team.
All reports will be filed within ten (10) days of the test to the President of the SCPK9A. The President will then appoint an executive committee and one other certifying official to review the appeal with him /her. Reports or copies thereof will be forwarded to the President. The committee will then have thirty (30) days to review the appeal and submit a reply. The decision will be final. (Adopted February 7, 2006) Retest Fees
Each team will have one free retest for any phase failed. There will be a fee of $10.00 imposed for each phase, which is failed and retested after the first retest. (Adopted February 7, 2006)
Abuse of a K-9
During any SCPK9A function, any Certifying Official who observes what they believe to be cruel, abusive or inappropriate treatment of a canine will have the right to terminate the existing exercises. The team will not be allowed to participate in the remainder of the function. Until the following is done, as soon as possible thereafter, the Certifying Official/Member will file a written report to the President of this incident. After a vote of the board, either the matter will be handled by the grievance procedure or the team will be reinstated to complete whatever part of the function remains, if any. (Adopted February 7, 2006) |
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