Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation
Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation
Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation
Constitution & Bylaws
Developed July 1989, Revised September 1991, March 2001, June 2001 and February 2006, Revised June 2012, Revised June 2013, Revised June 2015, Revised February 2016, Revised September 1,2016, Revised June 2, 2017, Revised September 1, 2017, Revised August 24,2020
Article1: This Federation shall be known as the Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation, herein after referred to as the Federation. The principle office of the Federation shall be at the home address of the current Federation President.
Article 2: It is the goal of this Federation to promote and sustain the beagle as a hound that conforms with the American Kennel Club, “capable of serving as a field trial hound, a gun dog, or a member of a pack while pursuing either rabbit or hare”.
Article 3: It is the purpose of this Federation to:
Promote the sport of Beagling, including hunting, competition, and breeding of beagles.
Promote and maintain through comment and action the sport of Beagling in legislation, and the rule and procedures of the American Kennel Club; and to provide competent representation to the AKC Beagle Advisory Committee.
Represent the Federation’s members and clubs to the AKC SPO National Committee.
Support our individual members, member clubs, Associations through enhanced competition, communication, and coordination at a regional level.
Article 4: Membership
The Federation is primarily comprised of Associations: The Iroquois Beagle Gundog Association and The New England Hunting Beagle Association, As well as Independent clubs.
Each member Association is accorded one representative on the Federation’s Board of Directors and a Director will be Elected to represent the Independent clubs.
Each member club is accorded one vote on any ballot issue and one representative to any Federation meeting, except as noted in Article 6, Section H.
New Associations may petition the Federation for membership at the Annual Meeting. Acceptance of New associations shall require a majority of the member clubs eligible vote.
Individual clubs may join the Federation under the following conditions:
1. Deleted 12/31/2015
Such club membership is approved by a majority of eligible voting member clubs at an annual meeting.
Individual club membership is accorded one representative and one vote at any Federation meeting or ballot issue.
Individual club membership requires $40.00 annual dues payable to the Federation. Modified 6/2015)
Individuals belonging to any member club are considered individual members of the Federation.
Individual must be in good standing with the American Kennel Club to participate in Federation events or business.
Individuals must be in good standing with their respective regional Association to participate in Federation events or business.
Article 5: The fiscal year for the Federation shall run concurrent with the calendar year, from January 1 through December 31.
Article 6: Meetings
The Federation shall meet annually for the transaction of business. This meeting shall be held at a location within the Federation (regionally New England, New York, or Pennsylvania). The annual meeting will generally coincide with the Federation’s Annual Championship Trial.
The order of business for the annual meeting shall be as follow:
Call to Order and Roll Call
Reading of the Minutes of the previous meeting
Officers’ Reports
Committee Reports
Old Business
New Business
Nominations for Beagle Advisory Committee
Motions for Beagle Advisory Committee
Delegation and Judges for AKC SPO National Championship
Nomination of Judges and Host Clubs
Election of Officers
For the good of the Federation
Adjournment
Quorum: A quorum for the annual meeting shall consist of three officers of the Federation and no less than 30% of eligible clubs (Modified 6/2015)
The Board of Directors may conduct Federation business throughout the year. The Board of Directors will consist of all Federation Officers and Directors
The Federation president may call for a special meeting of the Board of Directors or the general membership at any time. Such meeting must be announced to the member clubs or Board members at least 30 days in advance of the meeting date either through correspondence or in at least two monthly periodicals recognized to publish beagle information.
Any three members of the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the general membership or the Board of Directors at any provided notification and an agenda are provided to all officers and the general membership, either through correspondence or publication in a least two monthly periodicals recognized to publish beagle information.
Ballot voting on Federation business may occur outside of scheduled meetings. Member clubs may cast votes on published ballots provided by the Board of Directors. Such ballot issues shall be forwarded by mail or electronic mail or to each member club, allowing at least 30 days for a response from each club. Ballots shall be mailed to the club representative registered by the respective Associations on their mailing lists. All ballot results shall be certified by the Federation President and the Federation Secretary.
Voting Privileges: Only clubs that have paid the annual dues may send one delegate to represent them at the annual meeting.
Such person shall be a member in good standing of said club to vote on Federation business. The Federation Vice President shall certify the eligibility of all voting members prior to the annual meeting. Each Federation Officer and member of the Board of Directors is accorded a vote on ballot issues, except the Federation President who shall only cast a vote in case of a tie.
Except as specifically stated in this section, all meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedures.
Article 7: Officers:
General: The Federation officers shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communication Director, and Field Trial Secretary. Elections for each office shall be held at the annual meeting. Each office is limited to a one-year term, but officers are eligible for re-election. Any persons attending the annual meeting, in good standing with their member club and association, and in good standing with the American Kennel Club, may be nominated to hold an office. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the eligible member clubs attending the annual meeting. Revised (6/2/2017)
Vacancies: Whenever an officer becomes vacant by death, resignation, or dereliction of duty, the Board of Directors shall appoint an eligible person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. If an office remains vacant due to lack of nominations, the Board of Directors may appoint an eligible person to fill the vacancy.
Replacement of Officers: The Board of Directors may at any time, and by a 2/3 majority vote, remove any officer determined to have become ineligible to hold office for such reasons as dereliction of duty, suspension or expulsion from The AKC, a member Association or club, or for any other reason that may cause harm to the office or the Federation. In such case the Board of Directors may appoint a replacement as eligible person to fill the vacancy for the period of the unexpired term.
Term of Office: For all officers the term of office begins at midnight on the date of the last day of the Championship Trial, and ends at midnight on the date of the last day of the following Championship Trial.
Duties of Officers:
President: The president shall preside over all Federation meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors. He shall be an ex-officious member of all committees with full voting privileges: except at regular meetings the President shall only cast a vote in the event of a tie. The President shall oversee and guide the business of the Federation and represent the Federation as appropriate in correspondence or attendance. Any contracts or agreements binding upon the Federation require the signature of the President. The President shall have the responsibility to see that all minutes from Meetings, General membership and Board of Directors, will be distributed to member clubs within 30 days after the meeting. (Modified 6/2015)
Vice President: The vice president shall perform the duties of the president upon the absence or inability of the president. The vice president shall serve as Field Trial Chair for all Federation trials. As Field Trial Chair, the vice president shall oversee the operation of Federation trials, coordinate with host clubs, acquire nominated judges, and publish appropriate advertising of Federation trials. The vice president shall maintain a log of all hounds qualified to compete at the Annual Championship Trial to be published at least 30 days prior to the Annual Championship Trial, and receive and calculate the results of Consistency Awards.
General Secretary: The general secretary shall keep accurate records of all Federation and Board of Director’s meetings, generate minutes in a timely manner and present to the president for approval, so they may distribute to the membership 30 days after a meeting. The general secretary shall have charge over all Federation correspondence as directed by the president and shall maintain records of such correspondence including newsletters, e-mails, etc. The General Secretary shall certify all voting and ballots, including mailed ballots along with the Federation president. The general secretary shall perform an annual audit of the Treasurer’s records at the conclusion of the annual championship trial. ( Modified 6/2015)
Treasurer: It shall be the duty of the treasurer to collect and receive all monies due the Federation and to keep accurate records of the same. The treasurer shall receive annual dues. At each annual meeting the treasurer will provide an accounting of all revenues and fees collected, all expenses, and any monies due and distribute such accounting to the member clubs present. (Modified 6/2013)
Vice President of Communications and Marketing: The Vice President of Communications and Marketing shall assist the vice president in maintaining a list of all member clubs and all members clubs eligible to vote, including each club’s designated representative, his address and phone number. The Vice President of Communications and Marketing shall assist the president in publishing and distributing correspondence and shall oversee establishment, maintenance, and updating the Federation web-site. Vice President of Communications and shall be responsible for any publication of information, results, or advertising in approved periodicals. (Modified 9/17)
Field Trial Secretary: The Federation field trial secretary shall oversee the operation of each Federation trial including acquisition of AKC sanction, advertising, sponsorship, acquisition of trophies, prizes and awards. The field trial secretary shall receive entries and entry fees on the day of Federation events, and assure compliance with AKC Rules and Procedures. The field trial secretary shall maintain accurate records of each event including the list of winning and placing hounds from each event.
The Board of Directors: Shall consist of the Federation officers listed above and the president of each member Association. The Board of Directors shall also include the chair of any standing committee. Each Association is responsible for their Director in terms of participation and attendance. Association presidents serving on the Board of Directors serve at the pleasure of their respective association.
Vice President of Government Relations: Coordinates efforts of member clubs with the AKC Government Relations Department. Serves as a regional resource for monitoring Federal and state legislation affecting sporting dogs and hunting, fosters partnerships with other dog-related groups, and communicates news on impending legislation to the membership. Represents the Federation on legislative matters. Coaches the Associations and Members on dealing with legal issues. (Added 9/17)
Article 8: Committees may be formed by membership, the Board of Directors, or the President to carry out Federation business. The Federation president has discretion to select Committee chairs and member with approval from the Board of Directors. For conducting business, a majority of the committee members will constitute a quorum.
Article 9: Beagle Advisory Committee (BAC) is sponsored by the American Kennel Club to advise the voting delegates of AKC on matters pertaining to Beagling. The Federation is accorded a seat on the BAC and AKC selects one of those three persons. The BAC nominees shall be selected each year at the annual meeting by the Federation delegates and those names forwarded to the Performance Events Division of AKC by the Federation President. The selected BAC delegate shall represent the Federation’s position on relevant issues and follow the direction of the Federation in casting votes or proposing rule changes.
Article 10: AKC SPO National Championship accords the Federation one or two judging positions each year depending on the rotation of judging allotments among participating Federations and Associations. Judges to represent the Federation will be selected by ballot by the delegates at the annual meeting. In case of refusal or failure to attend, the Federation president shall coordinate replacement (s) with the Board of Directors. The AKC National Championship Committee oversees the event and accords the Federation three (3) delegates. The Federation president, with approval from the Board of Directors, is responsible to select the three delegates to the AKC SPO National Championship Trial Committee.
Article 11: Qualifying Trials
Qualifying trials are events held in conjunction with sanctioned and or licensed trials, where winning and placing hounds earn qualification to participate in the Federation Championship Trial. Only All-age and Derby sanctioned trials earn points towards the respective Federation Consistency Awards. (Modified 6/2013)
Qualifying trials must be held under AKC Rules and Procedures and may be run in gun dog brace, SPO, Small Pack, or Large Pack format.
A club may hold up to three all-age Federation qualifying trials in a calendar year, including up to two sanctioned trials and one licensed trial. A club may also hold one derby qualifying trial in a calendar year. (Modified 6/2013)
A qualifying trial must be advertised as such in at least one monthly beagle periodical or posted on N.E.B.G.F website yearly calendar of events.
Qualifying trials may run in four sized and sexed classes or two combined sex classes.
For all age trials, results must be received by the Federation 30 days after the end of the trial to qualify hounds for the subsequent Championship Trial. Derby results and per capita must be received before the start of derby championship trial.
All-Age hounds placing 1st thru NBQ at an NEBGF All-age qualifying trial, Licensed or sanctioned, in the 12-month period preceding the Championship trial, are eligible to compete at the Federation Championship Trial. (Modified 6/2013)
All hounds placing first through NBQ at a qualifying all-age or derby trial are qualified to compete at the Federation Championship the following May or June.
Derby hounds that qualify during a calendar year are eligible to compete in the Federation Derby Championship that same calendar year. Results for derby qualifying trials must be received by the Federation Treasurer at least 24 hour prior to the start of the Championship Trial.
Article 12: Championship Trials
The Federation will Sponsor Championship Trials in the following formats; All-age SPO, Field Champion Only, Derby SPO and Two-Couple Format. (Modified 6/2015)
No Federation member club shall hold any type of trial event on the corresponding dates of a Championship Trial, unless both parties agree. ( Modified 9/17)
Championship Trials will be run in four (4) classes. Two-couple Pack trial will be run as one class. (Modified 6/2015)
Each Member club will submit a list of 5 judges they would like to see represent their region as a judge at a Championship trial. These judges must have judged 10 SPO Licensed trials to be eligible to judge a Championship trial. Clubs may submit names of judges that do not meet this requirement, but will only be used if the list of eligible judges has been exhausted. Clubs should have confirmation the nominee is able to attend a Championship event. From this list, the Vice President will tally the names and create a list by most nominated to least by region. Each region will be awarded a set number of judges based on the number of clubs in that region. ex. A 4 class event that esquires 8 judges would have 3 judges from the Pennsylvania region, 3 judges from the New York Region and 2 from the New England region. We will attempt to rotate which region judges what classes in consecutive years. If the list from a region is exhausted and the positions are not filled, the Board will fill the positions with qualified candidates that are not on the list, with preference shown to judges from the selected region. (Modified 9/2016)
The expense of hiring judges shall be the responsibility of the Federation.
Entries: Any all-age hound pacing first through NBQ at a Federation Qualifying trial (sanctioned or licensed) for which the annual dues and the results have been received by the Federation, in the previous calendar year or a hound that placed in the preceding years derby championship trial, may compete in the Championship Trial by completing an entry form and paying the entry fee. All AKC Field Champions are eligible to compete in the Championship Trial by completing an entry form and payment of the regular entry fee. Derby hounds are qualified by placing first through NBQ during the same calendar year as the Championship Trial, except that unqualified derbies may be entered by paying twice the announced entry fee.
The Federation shall abide by the AKC definition of a derby:
All unqualified derbies must be per-measured
Measurement at Championships; Procedure 3 Measuring, of the AKC’s “Beagle Field Trials Rules’ will be followed. (Modified 6/2015)
Host Club: The host club for the Championship Trial shall be selected from self-nominated clubs at the annual meeting by majority vote. If no club self-nominates, the Board of Directors shall coordinate the Championship Trial location. The host club shall furnish marshals for each class, all materials needed to run the trial, and appropriate meals. The host club will be paid a $2.00 per capita on each hound run at the trial, or $200.00 whichever is greater. The host club is also entitled to all monies collected in the kitchen or from club-sponsored raffles.
Article 13: Field Champion Only Trial
The Federation shall hold a Field Trial annually for Field Champion Beagle and entitle it “The Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation National Field Champion Trial”
The purpose of the Field Champion Trial shall be to showcase the best beagles in public competition for the advancement of the breed. This event should be viewed as a most prestigious competition of hunting beagles.
Any beagle that has been awarded the title of Field Champion by the American Kennel Club is eligible for entry.
Judges shall be selected from the list submitted by each association, (article 12, Section D)
The host club shall be selected as described in Article 12, Section G
The Field Champion Trial may be held on a date suitable to the Board of Directors, and may be held in conjunction with other club, Association, or Federation events.
Article 14: Consistency Awards
The Federation shall recognize those all-age and derby hounds which compile the most points in Derby qualifying sanctioned trials hosted by NEBGF member clubs and NEBGF qualifying sanctioned trials in a calendar year, for each size and sex class. Scoring shall be based on results submitted to the Federation Vice President. No results may be accepted for a calendar year after February 1 of the following calendar year. (Modified 09/2016)
Scoring shall follow this schedule: Hounds placing first shall receive 5 points; hounds placing 2nd shall receive 4 points; hounds placing 3rd shall receive 3 points; hounds placing 4th shall receive 2 points; hounds placing NBQ shall receive 1 point. (08/2020)
For all-age hounds and derby’s placing in the Federation Championship trial, points will be awarded toward the consistency for that year.
Article 15: Judges Seminars. Occasionally clubs express a desire to hold an AKC Judges Seminar. AKC has determined that clubs must acquire permission from the Federation prior to scheduling a seminar. The Federation shall inquire of the membership which clubs intend to hold a Judges Seminar in the proceeding calendar year, then coordinate a schedule and issue a letter of permission. The Federation may limit the number and location of judge’s seminars, but shall in all instances promote the availability and frequency of such certification to the greatest practicable extent.
Article 16: Discipline
Persons under suspension or barred from American Kennel Club privileges are not eligible to participate in Federation events.
Any association or member club may submit an individual's name to be barred from participating in Federation events. This submission must include the individual's name and the reason they wish to have them barred as well as any and all documentation supporting this action. The Board of Directors of the Federation, by a ¾ vote will determine if the individual will be suspended. Suspensions may be appealed to the voting delegates of the federation at the next annual meeting. Appellants must notify the President of their intent to appeal no less than 10 days prior to the annual meeting. In the event that the delegates reverse the Board’s decision, the reversal shall become effective immediately. Any notice of suspension must be sent certified mail. This does not include AKC Licensed events, as the Federation has no authority over AKC Licensed events. (Modified 12/31/2015)
The Board of Directors may suspend an Association, club, or person from participation in Federation events or proceedings based on dereliction of duty, failure to follow the Federation’s Constitution and By-Laws, unsportsmanlike conduct, abuse or mistreatment of animals, or actions that are detrimental to the sport of Beagling. Such suspension must be upheld by a ¾ vote of the Board of Directors. Suspensions may be appealed to the voting delegates of the Federation at the next annual meeting, but shall be in effect from the date of Board notification through the date of the next annual meeting. Appellants must notify the President of their intent to appeal no less than 10 days prior to the annual meeting. In the event that the delegates reverse the Board’s decision, the reversal shall become effective immediately. Any notice of suspension must be sent certified mail.
Clubs or Associations that do not forward results, or fail to forward results in a timely manner may be prohibited from holding any NEBGF qualifying trials the reminder of the calendar year and the following calendar year. Clubs or Associations that advertise a trial as a Federation qualifying trial must submit the trial results to the Federation Vice President within 30 days of the date of the trial. The Vice President may assess a late fee of $25.00 for any results received more than 30 days following the last day of the trial. In no instance will results from one calendar year be accepted after February 1 of the following calendar year, except for Derby Qualifying Trial results. For Derby results, no results will be accepted after the Championship Trial has started.
Article 17: Dissolution
The Federation may be dissolved by a ¾ majority vote of the eligible voting member clubs, or a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.
Upon dissolution, all remaining assets of the Federation shall be evenly divided among the member Associations.
Privileges of the Federation with the American Kennel Club, such as nominating BAC delegation and judges and representation to the AKC SPO National shall not revert to one Association without prejudice, but shall be awarded by the American Kennel Club or the AKC SPO National Committee as appropriate.
Article 18: Effective Dates
The Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation was officially formed on November 14th, 1992. The first officers of the Federation were President, Don Rankins; Vice-President, Rob Lincoln; Secretary, Ed Hart; Treasurer, Bob Lincoln; Board of Directors, Gary Keller, Gary Sampson, and Dave Rexford.
This revision of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Northeast Beagle Gundog Federation have been duly reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors and the membership, and are certified effective on this date: 2/1/2016