1. General Provisions:
i. The name of this Society shall be the "Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders" and may hereafter be referred to as "ORCB".
ii. This Constitution and Bylaws may be changed by the will of the majority present at any Annual General Meeting (AGM).

2. The purpose of the Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders is:
i. To encourage the responsible breeding and keeping of rabbits and cavies among adults and youth.
ii. To encourage improvements in rabbits and cavies through selective breeding and good maintenance.
iii. To encourage competitive rabbit and cavy shows in the Okanagan region.
iv. To promote the rabbit and cavy and all of their uses to the public.
v. To provide educational services and resources to novice rabbit and cavy breeders and the public at large.
vi. To encourage good fellowship and sportsmanlike conduct among its members.
vii. To represent the rabbit and cavy industry in a professional manner at all times.

3. As an American Rabbit Breeders Association Chartered Club, the Okanagan Rabbit and Cavy Breeders and its members shall operate under the jurisdiction of the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
i. The American Rabbit Breeders Association may be hereafter referred to as "ARBA".
ii. All members and Officers of ORCB shall be subject to ARBA's Constitution, Bylaws and Rules.
iii. The ORCB must pay the ARBA Charter renewal fee before February 28th of each year, or said charter shall be declared null and void by ARBA, under the terms of its Constitution. Said fees to be made payable in U.S. funds, and equal to the amount prescribed in the ARBA handbook from year to year, and shall include the fee assessed for all non-ARBA members within ORCB.
iv. Upon payment of the Charter renewal fee, the ORCB shall also enclose a current copy of its Constitution and Bylaws, with any changes from the previous year's filing clearly marked for reference and a current Membership list complete with ARBA numbers.

4. Membership fees, payable annually, and reviewed by the Board of Directors at each Annual General Meeting in June:
i. Individual/Family memberships, carrying one vote. (Runs from May 1st of current year until April 30 following year).
a. $15.00 individual/family membership provided applicants are members in good standing with ARBA. (Proof of membership is required, i.e. current ARBA membership card presented upon application.)
b. $16.00 for an individual/family membership, when applicants are not members of ARBA.
ii. Half-year individual/Family membership, (runs from Nov. 1 current year until April 30th following year) carries one vote.
a. $7.50 provided applicants are members in good standing of ARBA (proof of membership is required, i.e. Current ARBA membership card presented upon application).
b. $8.50 for applicants who are not members of ARBA.
iii. No suspended ARBA members may be allowed to join the ORCB.

NOTE: All full year and half year memberships end April 30th of the following year in which they are taken out from.

5. Board of Directors and Officers of the Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders:
i. All members wishing to serve as Officers (exceptions: Newsletter Editor & Fundraising Co-ordinator) must be members of ARBA in good standing. Also, all officers must be members of ORCB before taking office. Any Officers who subsequently lose the status of being an ARBA member in good standing must be replaced, by appointment of the Board or general election, within 60 days of notice of non-member status. If said Officer regains the status of being an ARBA member within the 60-day limit, he/she shall retain the office for the normal length of the term.
ii. Officers of the Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders shall be as follows:
a. President (elected)-who shall chair all meetings and govern the Board. The President shall hold a vote on all matters, and shall cast a second ballot, in the case of a tie vote on any matter. The President shall normally represent the ORCB on official matters. The President shall appoint all committees, and shall be a member of every committee.
b. Vice President (elected)-who shall chair all meetings in the President's absence and hold similar powers in the matter of voting while acting as Chairperson.
c. Secretary/Treasurer (elected)-who shall keep detailed minutes of all meetings and shall maintain records of all meetings for perpetuity. The Secretary/Treasurer shall provide the membership with at least two weeks (14 days) notice of all regular meetings and a month (30 days) notice of the Annual General Meeting. In addition he/she shall be responsible to the Board and membership for the day to day financial activities of the ORCB, and shall provide a Financial Report along with bank statements to each meeting. The books are to be maintained in such a manner as to allow free access to all members upon request, provided sufficient notice is given. The Secretary/Treasurer shall submit all required forms, fees and reports to ARBA on a timely basis.
d. Three Directors (elected)-they shall assist in decision-making at the Board level and provide input on Planning, process, etc. in conjunction with the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.
e. Editor of the Newsletter (appointed)-who should compile information and articles for the club's newsletter for the benefit of all the club's members. A second member will be appointed to proofread and amend the newsletter for spelling, grammar and content before the final draft is sent for publication. The publication will be BI-monthly (every two months) following the most recent meeting of the ORCB. It will contain a synopsis of the minutes for all the members who could not attend the meeting. An officer of the club can make changes (additions/deletions) to the Newsletter before printing if said changes are in the best interest of other club members.
f. Fundraising Co-ordinator (appointed)-who shall be responsible for forming committees whose responsibility is to accumulate funds for the running of the club and putting on sanctioned rabbit and cavy shows in the Okanagan.

Note: Cheque Signing Authority-for ORCB's bank account shall normally have three signatures, any combination of the following- the President, and/or Secretary/Treasurer and/or Vice president and/or Director 1 or Director 2 or Director 3.
Any two of the three signatures are needed to sign each cheque or authorize any other financial or other transaction.

iii. Election of Officers:
a. Each Officer shall be elected by private ballot, at the Annual General Meeting of the Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders and shall hold office for a term of one year, or until the subsequent Annual General Meeting of the ORCB, should it fall first.
b. If an Officer becomes unable to discharge his/her duty due to illness, loss of ARBA membership status, by suspension or by resignation, the board of Directors shall appoint a member to stand as an Officer for the duration of the term.

6. Meetings and Voting Procedures:
i. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in June or whenever convenient after the conclusion of the spring show. It must be scheduled and concluded before December 31st of the current year to allow for timely filing of changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, and election of the Officers before it is presented to ARBA for Charter requirements for the upcoming year.
ii. Regular Meetings of the ORCB may be called, upon a minimum of two weeks (14 days) notice to deal with normal business. Normally a meeting every two months is considered ideal. For example: JUNE, AUGUST, OCTOBER, DECEMBER, FEBRUARY, and APRIL. It shall fall on the second Sunday of the month unless otherwise scheduled.
iii. Each meeting shall include the following as matters of course, and may be added to prior to or at the start of each meeting, at the pleasure of those present:

a. Call to order
b. Record members present
c. Review and approval of previous minutes
d. Approval of agenda and additions thereto
e. Financial Report
f. Committee Reports
g. Correspondence
h. Old Business
i. New Business
j. Adjournment

iv. Quorum shall be based on the number of members present, provided that more than one attends.
v. Voting procedures for general meetings require the member(s) to be present:
a. Each individual or family membership in good standing may cast one ballot on every issue presented.
b. Normal voting (except in elections) shall be by a show of hands, unless a motion is passed for the issue at hand to be dealt with by private ballot. Ballot counters, if required shall be approved by a subsequent vote.
c. Mailed-in and/or e- mailed in proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws will be voted on provided they are received by the Secretary/Treasurer before the beginning of the Annual General Meeting.

7 Disciplinary Provisions:
i. Complaints against any member of the ORCB shall be accepted by the Board if submitted in writing, and accompanied by a $25.00 fee. If the board upholds the complaint, the $25.00 fee will be returned to the member. If not upheld, the $25.00 fee will be retained by the ORCB. The decision of the OR&CB Board will be final.
ii. The ORCB board may only rule on complaints within their jurisdiction, and with penalties not exceeding that jurisdiction. Penalties may include withdrawal of showing privileges at one or more shows sponsored by the ORCB or suspension of membership within ORCB for a specified period of time. Violations may include violation of any ARBA rules, or demonstration of behavior counter to the purposes Okanagan Rabbit & Cavy Breeders.
iii. In matters of violations of ARBA rules or provisions, the ORCB Board shall also forward all pertinent details to the ARBA office for possible further action.

8 Dissolution clause:

If the club membership is such that all the officers' positions cannot be filled and the ARBA charter cannot be maintained, then all the funds of the club shall remain intact in the bank for a period of a year from dissolution. After said time if the club has not reformed, then the funds will be removed in their entirety by the Sec/Treas. and kept in trust until the remaining members of the club decide where they will go. After discussion and voting procedures with the remaining club officers the remaining funds will be presented to another non-profit animal (preferably ARBA Chartered rabbit and or cavy club) association rather than go back to the members so that it may help another animal group get started.