The Constitution and Rules of the Mother Lode Racing Pigeon Club

THE CLUB SHALL ABIDE BY ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE AU., CSRPO and WITH AMENDMENTS AS STATED BY THE MOTHER LODE RACING PIGEON CLUB.

1. The name of the club shall be the Mother Lode  Racing Pigeon Club, with the following primary objectives:

a. The protection and improvement of the homing racing pigeon.

b. The promotion of fun, fellowship, and sportsmanship.

c. The protection and advancement of the interests of its members on all matters connected with the sport of racing pigeons.

d. The promotion of adequate and sanitary housing of birds.

e. The Mother Lode Racing Pigeon Club and it's members will continue to remain members of the AU and CSRPO.

2. Admission of members.

a.All future members shall be required to agree to the constitution and rules of the club by signing this document before being nominated for membership

b. All future members shall be nominated and seconded by members at a general meeting and a secret ballot shall be taken.

c. Club may elect committee to deal with and approve of applications for membership before ballot is held. Should this committee decide against the applicant he/she will not proceed to ballot during the ensuing year but may be nominated again in succeeding years.

d. Membership shall require 2/3 of ALL existing members

e. Any ballot for the election of a member shall be secret and if rejected the reasons for rejection by either the committee or meeting will be disclosed privately.

3. Voting

a.  All club members have the right to vote with the exception of the race schedule.  Only flying members have the right to vote on the race schedule, and they must have participated in 50% of the preceding OB and YB races.

4. Officers:

a. The officers of the club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Race Secretary, and Webmaster

5. All officers to be nominated and elected at the Annual General Meeting each year.

6. Meetings shall be held the first Tuesday of each month with the exception of no meeting during the flying season.

7. A person may be elected to hold a position as soon as he/she is accepted as a member of the club.

8. No member of the club may be deprived of their privileges in that club by alteration of boundaries or any other decision of the meeting unless the member concerned has been found guilty of fraudulent practices.

9. No members are allowed to fly "Multiple Lots".

a. A multiple lofts is defined as flying more than the maximum COMBINE shipping limit from a single "postal" address.

b. Multiple flyers from one "postal " property is allowed if, and only if, the maximum COMBINE shipping limit is not exceeded (ie:multiple flyers must split the maximum Combine shipping limit).

8. Duties of Officers.

a. President-he/she shall preside at all general and committee meetings, shall preserve and maintain order, and shall have "tie breaking" voting power in the cases of tied votes.

b. President is responsible for communicating, to all members, all relevant activities affecting the club.

c.Vice-President-shall assume the responsibility of President if that officer be absent from a meeting. He shall have the same rights and privileges as those enjoyed by the President whilst occupying his position.

d.Secretary-shall convene all meetings, keep an accurate account of all business conducted, receive all correspondence and present same to the meeting, receive all monies paid and issue receipts for same. He shall pay all monies received to the Treasurer.  The secretary will also serve as chair for the AU Loft Registration Program.

e.Race Secretary-shall have custody and control of all pigeon race data, and inspection of pigeons for competition.  He(she) has the right of refusal of entry.

f.Treasurer-shall receive all monies from the Secretary and pay all monies received to the credit of the club with the Clubs Bank. Keep a record for audit when required and present a financial statement to the Annual General meeting.

g.Webmaster - shall keep the club website current .

h. Members- shall help with ALL club duties as required in order to create an environment of teamwork and cooperation and good fellowship.

9.A committee shall be appointed consisting of not less that three members and shall decide all matters referred to them, shall interpret the rules and impose such penalties as they deem fit.

10. Finance.

The club shall arrange necessary banking facilities with a nominated bank for its funds. All accounts are to be paid by check and to be signed by the treasurer.

The sum of $50.00 may be kept in petty cash. All other monies received shall be banked and the bank accounts be subject to examination once per month.

11. Misconduct.

Any member who in the opinion of the executive committee is guilty of misconduct shall be liable to suspension or termination. Suspension shall mean a forfeiture of all claims against the club and its assets. Members withdrawing from the club shall forfeit all claims to the property of the club.

11. Disputes.

a. All disputes shall be decided by the Executive Committee of the club whose decision shall be final unless an appeal is lodged with the Union within seven days. Should a member lodge an appeal with the Union the Club through its Executive Committee shall defend its action with the Union and agrees to abide by the decision as given by the Council of the Union.

b. Any member who causes dissension among club members at club functions or who makes slanderous comments about other members may be referred to "committee" for possible actions including suspension and/or termination from the club.

12. Arrears.

Any member in arrears of any fines or dues to the club shall be informed by the Secretary and shall not participate in any of the privileges of the club until such arrears are paid.

13. Clearances to Fly with another Club

Applications for clearances must be made at a General Meeting and approved by that meeting. No official of the club may grant a clearance without the approval of a General Meeting.

14. Location.

The club will conduct its meetings and arrange its basketing center at a location determined at prior club meeting.

15.Dissolution.

The club shall not be dissolved or its name changed except by resolution passed by a majority of not less than 3/4 of its members at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose and confirmed by a similar majority at a subsequent meeting. In the event of the club being dissolved the clubs property shall be sold and the profits divided equally between members.

16. Special Meetings.

A special general meeting may be called at any time by the Secretary in the request of three members stating the object of this meeting. The matter to be discussed shall be only in that stated on the requisition.

17. General Meetings.

General Meetings shall consist of three members to form a quorum. At any meeting the President shall take the chair at the appointed starting time if there be a quorum present. Should a quorum not be present fifteens minutes from the appointed starting time the meeting shall lapse.

18. Subscription.

The annual subscription as agreed upon at a General Meeting shall be paid prior to the start date of the old bird racing season.

19. Club income.

The income and property of the club shall be applied solely towards the objectives of the club.

2. Resolutions:

All resolutions passed at a general meeting are binding on all members whether they be present at such a meeting or not.

20.  Officers of a member organization or individual member accused of violating AU Rules of Conduct will be notified to appear before the officers who will investigate the allegations.  Such notification to appear shall be in writing at least seven days before the date of the hearing and shall specify the allegations.  As a result of the investigation, the officers hall present their findings to the organization at a regular or special meeting.  A secret written ballot will be taken, and three quarters majority vote of all active member is required to suspend or expel a member.  The hearing must follow procedures outlined in the AU Constitution an By-Laws (section 15 Disciplinary Rules), and must assure the charged individual is afforded due process.  An expelled or suspended member shall forfeit all privileges and claims against the organization.

RACING RULES.

1. The loft of all competitors shall be surveyed and measured by an approved surveyor for all race points.

2. All races shall be flown velocity system. The bird flying the highest velocity shall be declared the winner.

3.  All club members are to have "Tipes" electronic timers.

 a. In the event of only one bird being left that is eligible for a race, for it to claim a prize it must fly the race and be timed in race   time.

4. Should any competitor be credited by the Race Secretary with flying a velocity that the committee considers impossible on the day, then the committee shall have absolute power to disqualify the bird in the said race although there may be no evidence to suggest fraudulent practice of the competitor or any other person responsible for marking or dispatching of the birds to the said race point.

. Protests as to the published result of any race must be lodged within seven days.

6. Boundaries.

The boundaries of the Mother Lode Racing Pigeon Club shall be within a 60 mile radius of Plymouth, Amador County, CA.

7. Ownership.

All birds entered in a race must be the bona-fide property of the person whose name they are entered and must be run with a perfect and intact Pigeon club or Federation ring by which the bird will be identified for that particular contest.

8. Race Sheets.

a. The race secretary will be responsible for supplying all race sheets to flying members and the combine race secretary.

b. Each competitor in any race conducted by the club will, prior to the acceptance of his/her birds supply to the Race Secretary a race sheet containing their particulars.

c. Race sheets maybe in duplicate, one copy to be retained by the member.

d. All Race Sheets to be written in ink and in numerical order.

e. All members to supply a list to the Race Secretary of all birds they wish to compete prior to the first race.

f. At least three members, excluding the competitor, must be present before any birds are accepted for competition.

9. All birds must be basketed at a center approved by a General Meeting. The commencing time and closing time of basketing shall be fixed at a general meeting and no entries shall be accepted prior to or later than the stipulated time unless approved by the committee.

10. All flying charges must be paid no later than the night preceding the scheduled start of the race.

11. All birds to be basketed in the order of arrival.

12. Permissible Flying Time:

a.The club will follow all applicable AU and COMBINE race flying time rules

13. Refusal of Entries.

The race secretary of the club may refuse the entry of any bird which in their opinion is suffering from a contagious disease or which they believe should not be sent as applied to the physical condition of the pigeon.

14. All birds excepted by the club are entirely at the owners own risk once they leave the owners hands.

15. Should a Tipes ring number does not correspond with the number on the race sheet by the club for that entrant, the pigeon credited with that number shall be disqualified from that particular race.

CLOCK RULES.

1.The club will follow all AU and COMBINE clock rules