This page sets out how the Canadian Coton de Tulear Club is governed. It covers the constitution, the by-laws and the addendum on membership. The text below is the current version, as of 2026.
Constitution
Name and objectives
Section 1. The name of the Club shall be the Canadian Coton de Tulear Club.
Section 2. The objects of the Club shall be:
- to promote and protect the health, temperament and well-being of the Coton de Tulear;
- to promote ethical breeding standards, with particular commitment to guarding against the propagation of heritable genetic diseases;
- to promote breed education and responsible pet ownership;
- to urge members and breeders to accept the standard of the breed as approved by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) as the only standard of excellence by which the Coton de Tulear shall be judged;
- to do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage sportsmanlike competition at dog shows and obedience trials;
- to operate on a not-for-profit basis;
- to use the quarterly newsletter, The Coton Malgache, to inform the membership of Club activities and any items of particular interest to the breed;
- the area of operation shall be the country of Canada;
- to keep accurate records of breeding, registration papers, microchip implant numbers or tattoos, sales of puppies and pedigrees of dogs;
- to encourage the maintenance of a clean and orderly kennel, and to hold the well-being of the breed above financial gain.
Article I: Membership
Section 1. Eligibility. Membership is open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who subscribe to the purposes of the Club.
Section 2. Dues. Membership dues shall not exceed $35.00 per year for an individual membership, payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. In December, the Secretary shall send each member a statement of dues for the coming year. Fees not paid by the 31st of January shall render the membership cancelled. Fees paid after the end of October shall be deemed for the following year.
Section 3. Election to membership. Each applicant shall apply on a form approved by the Board of Directors, which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these constitution and by-laws. The application shall state the name, address and occupation of the applicant, and shall be accompanied by dues payment for the current year.
Applicants may be elected by secret ballot at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or by secret vote of the Directors by mail. Affirmative votes of 75 percent of the Directors present at a meeting, or of 75 percent of the entire Board voting by mail, shall be required to elect an applicant.
An application that has received a negative vote by the Board may be presented by one of the applicant's endorsers at the next annual meeting of the Club, and the members may elect the applicant by secret ballot and a favourable vote of 75 percent of the members present.
Section 4. Termination of membership. Membership may be terminated:
- by resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Secretary, but no member may resign when in debt to the Club. Dues obligations are considered a debt to the Club and become incurred on the first day of each fiscal year.
- by lapsing. A membership will be considered lapsed and automatically terminated if the member's dues remain unpaid after the 31st of January. The Board may grant an additional 90 days of grace in meritorious cases. In no case may a person vote at any Club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.
- by expulsion. Membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these by-laws.
Article II: Meetings
Section 1. Annual meeting. The annual meeting of the Club shall be held at a place, date and hour designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least 30 days before the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be 10 percent of the members in good standing.
Section 2. Special club meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority vote of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by 25 percent of the members in good standing. The meeting shall be held at a place, date and hour designated by the Board. Written notice shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 14 days and not more than 30 days before the meeting. The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other business may be transacted. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20 percent of the members in good standing.
Section 3. Board meetings. The first meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the election. Other Board meetings shall be held at times and places designated by the President or by a majority vote of the Board. Written notice shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 14 days before the meeting. The quorum for a Board meeting shall be a majority of the Board voting in person, by mail, email, fax or telephone conference call.
Section 4. The Board may conduct business by mail, email, fax or telephone conference call through the Secretary. Items voted on by telephone conference call must be confirmed in writing within 7 days.
Article III: Directors and officers
Section 1. Board of Directors. The Board shall be made up of the officers and four other persons, all of whom shall be CKC members in good standing who are residents of Canada. They shall be elected for two-year terms as provided in Article IV, and shall serve until their successors are elected. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board.
Section 2. Officers. The officers of the Club are the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. They shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings, and the Board and its meetings.
- The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and shall have the duties and powers normally attached to the office of President, in addition to those specified in these by-laws.
- The Vice-President shall perform the duties of an executive officer in the management of the Club's affairs under the direction of the President, and such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.
- The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board, and of all votes taken by mail, and of all matters for which a record is ordered by the Club; have charge of the correspondence; notify members of meetings; notify new members of their election to membership; notify officers and Directors of their election to office; keep a roll of the members with their addresses; and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these by-laws.
- The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due or belonging to the Club. Moneys shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Board, in the name of the Club. All bills paid for the CCTC will be by cheque drawn on the club account. They must be signed by two officers, preferably the President and the Treasurer, so no petty cash fund will be used. The books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board, and a report shall be given at every meeting of the condition of the Club's finances and of every item of receipt or payment not before reported. At the annual meeting, an accounting shall be rendered of all moneys received and spent during the previous fiscal year. If needed, the roles of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.
Section 3. Vacancies. Any vacancy on the Board or among the officers during the year shall be filled, until the next bi-annual election, by a majority vote of the then members of the Board, except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice-President. An office shall automatically become vacant if the officer or director is absent for more than two meetings in a year, unless excused by the President.
Article IV: The club year, voting, nominations, elections
Section 1. Club year. The fiscal year of the Club shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the last day of December. The official year shall also begin on the 1st of January and end on the last day of December. Elected officers and directors shall take office on the first day of the month following the bi-annual election, and each retiring officer shall turn over to their successor all properties and records relating to that office within 30 days after the election.
Section 2. Voting. At the annual meeting or at a special meeting, voting shall be limited to members in good standing who are present, except for the bi-annual election of officers and directors, and amendments to the constitution, by-laws and breed standard, which shall be decided by written ballot cast by mail. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted. The Board may decide to submit other specific questions for decision of the members by written ballot cast by mail.
Section 3. Bi-annual election. The election of officers and directors shall be conducted by secret ballot. Ballots must be received by the Secretary to be valid. Ballots shall be counted by two inspectors of the election who are members in good standing and who are neither on the current Board nor candidates on the ballot. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. If a nominee is unable to serve, the vacancy shall be filled by the new Board in the manner provided in Article III, Section 3.
The first election was held in 1999, with 1996 through 1998 designated as the Club's charter years, with no elections required and vacancies or additions to the Board filled as provided in Article III, Section 3.
Section 4. Nominations and ballots. No person may be a candidate in a Club election who has not been nominated in accordance with these by-laws. A Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the Board before October 15. The Committee shall consist of three members from different areas of Canada, and two alternates, all members in good standing, no more than one of whom may be a member of the current Board. The Board shall name a chairman. The Committee may conduct its business by mail.
- The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and for each position on the Board, and shall obtain the acceptance of each nominee. The Committee should consider geographical representation of the membership on the Board where practicable. The Committee shall then submit its slate of candidates to the Secretary, who shall mail the list, including the full name of each candidate and the province in which they live, to each member on or before November 15, so that additional nominations may be made if members wish.
- Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and postmarked on or before December 15, signed by five members and accompanied by the written acceptance of each additional nominee.
- If no valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before December 15, the Nominating Committee's slate shall be declared elected and no balloting will be required.
- If one or more valid additional nominations are postmarked on or before December 15, the Secretary shall, on or before January 15, mail to each member in good standing a ballot listing all nominees for each position in alphabetical order, with the provinces in which they live, together with a blank envelope and a return envelope addressed to the Secretary marked "Ballot" and bearing the name of the member to whom it was sent. To keep the ballot secret, each voter shall seal the marked ballot in the blank envelope and place that inside the second envelope addressed to the Secretary. The ballot shall specify a date not less than 30 days after the postmark by which the ballots must be returned. The inspectors of election shall check the returns against the list of members whose dues are paid for the current year, and shall certify the eligibility of the voters and the results of the voting, which shall be announced at the annual meeting.
- Nominations cannot be made at the annual meeting or in any other manner than as provided above.
Article V: Committees
Section 1. The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.
Section 2. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee, and the Board may appoint successors to those whose service has been terminated.
Article VI: Discipline
Section 1. Suspension. Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the Canadian Kennel Club, the American Rare Breed Association, the Canadian Rare Breed Association or the Federation Cynologique Internationale shall automatically be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.
Section 2. Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary, together with a deposit of $200.00, which shall be forfeited if the charges are not sustained by the Board or a Committee following a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board, or present them at a Board meeting. The Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club or the breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege such conduct, it may refuse to take jurisdiction. If the Board takes jurisdiction, it shall fix a date for a hearing by the Board or a Committee of not less than three members of the Board, not less than three weeks and not more than six weeks later. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by certified mail, together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant may appear in their own defence and bring witnesses if they wish.
Section 3. Board hearing. The Board or Committee shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. If the charges are sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony, the Board or Committee may, by a majority vote of those present, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing, or until the next annual meeting if that occurs later. If it considers that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In that case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before fellow members at the Club meeting that considers the recommendation. Immediately after the Board or Committee has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in writing and filed with the Secretary, who shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.
Section 4. Expulsion. Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at the annual meeting of the Club, following a hearing and upon the recommendation of the Board or Committee as provided in Section 3. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing on their own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak on their own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A two-thirds vote of those present and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the suspension shall stand.
Article VII: Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the constitution, by-laws and breed standard may be proposed by the Board of Directors, or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 30 percent of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by petition shall be promptly considered by the Board and must be submitted to the members, with the Board's recommendations, by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date the petition was received.
Section 2. The constitution, by-laws and breed standard may be amended at any time, provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the Secretary to each member in good standing, accompanied by a ballot on which a choice for or against the action shall be indicated. The dual-envelope procedure described in Article IV, Section 4(d) shall be followed, to ensure secrecy of the vote. The ballot shall specify a date not less than 30 days after the postmark by which the ballots must be returned. A favourable vote of two-thirds of the members in good standing who return valid ballots within the time limit shall be required to effect any such amendment.
Article VIII: Dissolution
Section 1. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 75 percent of the members. In the event of dissolution, other than for the purpose of reorganisation, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club, nor any proceeds, nor any assets shall be distributed to any members. After payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organisation for the benefit of dogs, chosen by the Board of Directors.
By-law addendum: club membership
Club membership
New applicants for membership must complete a Membership Application. No membership will be considered where there is no sponsor. All new memberships will be provisional for one year from the date of acceptance into the Club. Provisional members are not included in the Breeders' Directory, cannot post litter announcements, and do not have voting privileges.
Processing procedure
When a new application is received, the membership secretary will confirm receipt to the applicant. The membership will receive an email advising them of the new applicant, and comments are welcome. Any concerns about a new applicant must be received within 30 days.
If no concerns are raised within 30 days, the Board shall, as soon as possible afterwards, vote on acceptance. Acceptance depends on a majority vote of 75 percent of the Board.
If any member gives reason for concern, one or more members of the Board will investigate further. After the investigation, the Board shall vote. If the Board votes against granting membership, the applicant will receive a letter advising them of the decision.
Moving to full status
If no complaints or concerns are lodged against a provisional member, their membership will automatically become full status on the anniversary of their acceptance into the Club.
This constitution, by-laws and addendum are current as of 2026. If you have questions about any part of them, or you are thinking of joining the Club, please write to us, call us, or come and visit us at a club event.
