Rat Fanciers of Ohio

Ohio Rat Fanciers Association
Bylaws and Constitution

Mission Statment:
The Ohio Rat fanciers Association is a club dedicated to; promoting the proper care and ownership of the domesticate fancy rat, educating the public about our "best kept secret", and encouraging the ethical breeding of domesticated rats within the fancy.

Article One: The Club
Section One: Name
The name of this organization shall be The Ohio Rat Fanciers Association, also known as Ohio Rat Fanciers, and/or ORFA.

Section Two: Objectives
The objectives of ORFA will be:

1)   Promoting the ethical (as outlined in the breeding code of Ethics of ORFA) breeding of fancy rats in Ohio and surrounding areas.

2) Educating the general public about our best kept secret, the domesticated "fancy" rat, as being superb companion animals.

3) Encouraging responsible care and ownership of the domestic rat.

4) Improving the overal fancy of Ohio and the surrounding areas by stressing the importance of poper quarantine.

Article Two: Membership
Membership is open to all people who believe in the objectives of ORFA, and are in good standing in the rat community. If it is brought to ORFA's attention that somebody may not be "in good standing" the matter will be brought to the attention of all board members, and the board will determine (be majority vote) whether or not this person is "in good standing".
Membership is available in three forms: Individual, Family, and Junior.

Section One:
1) Individual membership is available to any and all person who believe in the objectives as listed above, and are in good standing in the rat community.   All persons 18 years or older will recieve a 1 year (365 day) membership and will have voting rights for that membership year. The 365 days start on the day the application is recieved by The ORFA,

2) Family membership is available to a maximum of TWO adults, and any and all children living in the same houself (same address) that are between the ages of 5-17.   The adults will recieve voting rights for 365 days, starting on the day the membership form was recieved.

3) Junior Membership is available to those persons 5-17 years of age. Junior members cannot vote or hold office. They will upgrade to Individual members, and recieve voting rights, upon their 18th birthday.

Section Two:
Membership shall be attained by filling out the membership application as instructed and mailing or emailing its contents to one of the addresses listed. By signing this form the applicant agrees to abide by all Code of Ethics and Bylaws of The ORFA.

Section Three: Membership is for One year (365 days) from the day the membership form is recieved by The ORFA.

Section Four: Dues
Membership Dues will be collected based on when the person becomes a member. Dues will be collected to join, and then each year to continue to become a member, dues will need to be submitted by the 1st day of the month that you joined. Example: If you joined on April 23, 2006 your next dues will be due on April 1, 2007.

Section Five: Membership Termination
a) Be Resignation: Any member in good standing may resign from ORFA upon written notice to the Board of Directors. No member may resign while in debt to ORFA.

b) By Expulsion: A Membership may be terminted by Expulsion as provided by Section

Article Three: Meetings
Section One: Club Meetings
Club meetings are held Monthly. The Board is responsible for calling club and board meetings. The Secretary Shall email written notice at least 12 days pior to the date the meeting will be held. All members who are in good standing who are present at the meeting shall attain voting privledges. At least 2/3 of the board should be present at each meeting.

Section Two: Board meetings
Board Meetings shall be held AT LEAST monthly.   The president shall be present at all board meetings. Written Notice shall be emailed by the Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date the meeting will be held.

Meeting shall be held online by Yahoo Messenger Conferences, or by board members at prospective locations.

Article Four: ORFA Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections
Section One: The positions of Officers and Directors shall be Approved by the President. Positions may be applied for, and voted on by the current Board of Directors and Member. The president shall make any final decisions.

Article Five: Commitee's and Representatives

Section one: Commitee's
The Board may each year appoint standing commitees to, subject to their final authorization to advance the work of the ORFA in such matters as Expo's, Informational Seminars, and other such matters which may be well served by commitees.

Section two: Reprsentatives
Representatives shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Board. Each Represative shall stand as a director for their Region, taking charge of such matters as: Finging suitable locations for events, and Reprenting the members of that area.

Article Six: Discipline

Section One: Charges
Any member may cite charges against another member for allegded misconduct prejudical to the best interests of the ORFA and/or the Species in general. Written charges with specificatin must be filed with the Secretary, who will then send a copy to each Board member to later review at a Board Meeting. The board shall then first consider whether the actions presented in the charges, if proven, may constitute conduct detrimental to the best interest of ORFA or the species in general.

If the board decides that the charges to do alledge conduct which would be prejudicial to the best interest of ORFA or rats, they may choose to not entertain jurisdiction.

If the Board enterains jurisdiction, it shall first attempt to resolve the grievance prior to a formal hearing. If this fails with in 14 days the board shall fix a date of hearing by the Board, not less than three weeks or more than six weeks after.
The secretary shall promptly send notice to the accused member of the charges by certified mail, return reciept, along with a notice of the hearing and assurance that they may personally appear in his/her defense and bring witnesses if he/she wishes.

Section Two: Board Hearing
Should the charges be sustained after hearing all evidence presented by the complaintant and defendent, the board may decide by a majority vote of those present, to suspend the defendent from all privledges of ORFA for no more than 6 months from the date of th hearing.
If the board feels this is not s sufficient punishment they shall reccomend to the membership that the punish be to terminate the defendents membership.   Immediately after the Board has made a decision is shall be filed with the Secrety. The president shall then notify each of the parties of the decision and why, along with the penalty (if any.)

Section Three: Expulsion (termination of membership)
Expulsion of a member shall only be accomplished at an official board meeting with all officers present and upon reccomendation as presented in Section Three of this Article. The defendent shall have the priveledge of appearing on his/her own behalf, but may not present evidence at this meeting. The president shall read the charges and reccomendations for the penalty, and them the defendant may be invited to speak on her/her own behalf. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot (written) on the proposed expulsion. If expulsion is not voted, teh suspension shall stand as the penalty. The president cannot be expelled from the club.

Article Seven: Club Activities and Events
Section One: Pictures
Pictures will be taken at most/all club activies or events. If you do not wish to have your picture posted on the ORFA website, please contact the President of ORFA. If you do not contact the President with in 15 days that the pictures were taken, they will be considered propery of ORFA and will be posted on the website at the descretion of the webmaster. These pictures will strictly be used to promote the club.

ORFA reserves the right to create written recaps of events to be posted on the ORFA website for the benefit of all members who were not present. Only first names will used for identification, for Privacy purposes.

Section Two: Bringing Rats to Events
In Most Cases, Rats will not be permitted at events due to Quarantine issues. In the case of educating the puplic, the Regional Representative from where the event will take place, shall contact the President to discuss the precense of rats at the event. Said rats must be Quarantined for Three Weeks prior to the event, and Three Weeks after the event as outlined in ORFA's Proper Quarantine Procedure.

Article Eight: Ammendments
Section One: Ammendments to the Bylaws and Constitution may be changed at anytime by the president. The update must be posted on the ORFA website no more than 10 days after the updates take place, for all members to view.

Article Nine: Dissolution
Section One:
ORFA may be resolved at anytime by the President. After all debts are pair, no monies property of ORFA should be presented to any members. The remaining treasury shall be placed with a rescue or organization to benefit rat fancy. This organization shall be chosen by a majority Vote of the Board and Members of ORFA.