THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL CANINE
HANDLERS
BYLAWS
(updated 01/01/2025)
ARTICLE 1: NAME
Henceforth this Association shall be known as
National Association of Professional Canine Handlers (DBA: NAPCH) a non-profit
corporation.
ARTICLE 2: OBJECTIVES
The purpose of NAPCH shall be to educate, train,
support, and improve the abilities and image of all professional working dogs
and handlers.
A: To create and maintain a set of performance
standards that are legally, tactically, and physically accepted nationwide for
both handler and dog. These standards shall be detailed in NAPCH standard
operating procedures (SOP) manual.
B: The NAPCH Executive Committee shall set
certification requirements as listed in the standard operating procedure
manual
ARTICLE 3: Location
NAPCH shall maintain a principal office with a mailing address,
to be determined by the sitting president.
ARTICLE 4: Membership.
A: Initial Members
The initial membership of the Association shall consist of those
persons who signed the articles of incorporation as
incorporators.
B: Regular Members
Any individual who is a full time paid canine handler, including but not limited to Law Enforcement, corrections, military, security, executive protection, fire service, or canine administrator may be approved as a member. NAPCH Members, Trainers, and Master Trainers who retire in good standing may maintain membership. Only regular members shall be entitled to vote, certify and to hold office.
Approval of application, is
proof members agree to abide by these by laws, standard operating procedures,
and all rules adopted by the executive committee. Application process shall be created and detailed in NAPCH standard
operating procedures Manual.
C: Associate Members
Individuals who do not meet the requirements for regular
membership. Individuals who have demonstrated at least 3 years of continuous
service devoted to the Associations objectives (Article 2) may be considered
for Associate member status. An applicant for associate membership must be
sponsored by a regular member in good standing. Application process shall be
created and detailed in NAPCH standard operating procedures. The application shall be evaluated and decided
upon by the Executive committee, whose decision to approve or reject the
applicant shall be final. An associate member shall not be entitled to vote or
to hold office. Associate members may attend and participate in Association
workshops upon approval by the President of the Association. Associate members
may certify in non-aggressive areas such as, non-aggressive find area search,
tracking, obedience, and article search upon approval by the President.
D: Membership Status
Changes
Members whose workplace changes adversely affect their Regular
Membership status will be given one year to meet membership requirements.
Within which time it will be the members responsibility to provide evidence of
compliance with Article 4(B). A Failure to do so within the 12 months
shall result in the cancellation of Regular Membership.
E: Termination of
Membership Status
Members may lose membership status for conduct unbecoming a
member, (see Article 12-Grievance Procedure), violation of these bylaws,
violation of SOPs, or the nonpayment of dues.
ARTICLE 5: EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
It is
the duty of the NAPCH executive committee to, at all times, represent and
promote the organization and its members in a positive manor. The NAPCH
executive committee shall perform all duties of a governing committee including,
but not limited to, set training and certification standards, maintain records
of finance, membership, meetings, events, organize events, and grow the NAPCH
organization.
The Executive Committee of
NAPCH shall consist of the following positions, each of which shall be
elected by the regular membership for a term of four (4) years:
A. President. The
President shall be the chief executive officer of NAPCH. The President shall
preside at all Executive Committee meetings. The president shall set a minimum
of two regular executive committee meetings per-calendar year. The President
shall see all orders and resolutions of the Executive Committee are carried
into effect. The President shall have the general powers of supervision and
management usually vested in the chief executive officer of an association,
including but not limited to the appointment of formation of committees.
B. Vice President –
United States. The Vice President – United States, shall be
responsible for the coordination of all matters affecting those members who
reside within the United States and shall, in the absence or disability of the
President, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President, equally
with any other Vice President, and shall perform any other duties that the
Executive Committee or the President may from time to time prescribe.
C. Vice President –
Canada. The Vice President – Canada, shall be responsible for the
coordination of all matters affecting those members who reside within Canada
and shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties
and exercise the powers of the President equally with any other Vice President,
and shall perform any other duties that the Executive Committee or the
President may from time to time prescribe.
D. Secretary. The
Secretary shall (1) attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and record
all votes and minutes of all proceedings in written and audio format of his/her
choosing, and make available these minutes upon request by any NAPCH member, to
be kept for that purpose; (2) give or cause to be given notice of all meetings
of the general membership and the Executive Committee; and (3) perform the
other duties usually performed by the secretary of an association. Record and
maintain a standard operating procedure manual (SOP) in a written format of
his/her choosing.
E. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall (1) have the custody of the NAPCH funds and
securities; (2) keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements
in books of NAPCH; and (3) deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the
name and to the credit of NAPCH in such depositories designated by the
Executive Committee. The treasurer shall render to the president and directors,
whenever they may require it, an account of his or her transactions as
treasurer and of the financial condition of NAPCH finances. The treasurer shall
present a printed report of all deposits and expenditures for review by the
executive committee at each regular committee meeting. The Treasurer shall make
available all financial records at any time upon request of any executive
committee member.
F. Membership
Chairperson. The Membership Chairperson
shall head the Membership Committee, and shall be responsible for keeping
records of membership applications, membership application approvals or
rejections, dues payments and late fees, changes in membership status, and
other membership records and shall report to the Executive Committee at every
regular Executive Committee meeting.
G. Accreditation Chairperson. The Accreditation Chairperson shall head the Accreditation
Committee, and shall be responsible for keeping records regarding all matters
of accreditation of members, and shall report to the Executive Committee at
every Executive Committee.
H. Trustees There shall be four Trustees. Trustees shall be elected and shall interface between the
Association and various third parties. Trustees shall devote their time to (1)
learning of ways to improve the image of the Association within the canine
handler community generally, (2) promoting the work of the Association to the
general public, (3) encouraging the support of other organizations and
institutions both public and private for the efforts of the Association, (4)
promoting cooperation between the Association and other organizations with
similar goals, and (5) making recommendations to the Executive Committee, based
upon their experiences with those outside of the Association.
ARTICLE 5: ELECTIONS
A. All candidates for office shall be nominated at the General
Membership meeting at the National Training Workshop in the year of the
elections. During the general membership meeting anyone nominated for an
elected office, who accepts that nomination, may immediately stand up and
address the general membership, telling them why he/she wants to be elected,
what his/her qualifications for that office are and what he/she proposes to
accomplish if elected to that office. The general membership may ask questions
of the nominee at that time. Nominees may submit a single page summary of their
qualifications, their reason for seeking office and their proposed agenda if
elected. Mail in nominations will be accepted as long as the nomination is
accompanied by (1) written consent of the nominee, and (2) the signature of the
regular member making the nomination.
B. Elections
will be conducted electronically by a company not owned / operated by a NAPCH member.
Members shall receive their ballots via the Email they provide to NAPCH.
Results of an election shall be reported via email to all executive committee
members.
C. Newly elected officers shall take office at the next
regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting, commonly referred to as the
spring meeting.
D. The election of officers shall take place Every two years
E. No member who is elected to serve as an Executive Committee
member of NAPCH shall hold any other elected office within any other national
or international canine association.
ARTICLE 6: OATH OF OFFICE
Officers will take office by taking the following
oath: “I (insert first and last name) do hereby promise to fulfill my term as
(insert office title) in a manner which is in keeping with the goals and bylaws
of this Association, and to remain honest in the execution of my duties.”
The President shall swear in each new officer(s)
will follow with: “I do hereby declare (insert first and last name) to be the
duly elected (insert office title) of the National Association of
Professional Canine Handlers for the year ending December 31, 20**, or until
he/she is removed, resigns, or is otherwise replaced.
ARTICLE 7: MEETINGS
A quorum, 2/3rds (8 members), shall be required to
conduct a meeting of the Executive Committee. The President shall call at least
two regular meetings of the Executive Committee during the calendar year. Date,
time and location for the meetings shall be upon by a majority of the Executive
Committee.
There shall be at least one annual meeting of the
general membership and at least one annual Association training workshop.
Dates, times, and locations for these meetings shall be established by a
majority of the Executive Committee, and members shall be given at least 30
days advance notice of such meetings. Notice of general membership meeting
shall be given by email to all regular members. The annual Membership meeting
and annual training workshop may be canceled with a 2/3 Majority vote of the
Executive Committee due to unforeseen circumstances, I.e. Covid19 pandemic. The
reason for the cancellation shall be disseminated by the Executive Committee
within 30 days of the scheduled meeting/workshop.
Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s
Rules of Order.
ARTICLE 8: BYLAWS
The President may appoint a By Laws Committee,
composed of not less than two regular members to study and make recommendations
on amendments to the By Laws. If recommendations for amendments are made, the
Executive Committee shall consider those recommendations and notify the regular
members of any amendments under consideration, no less than 30 days prior to
the annual meeting of the general membership. At the general membership
meeting, a voice vote will be taken among the regular members, to approve or
reject any proposed amendment.
ARTICLE 9: DUES
All members will be required to pay annual dues of
$25.00 ($35.00 starting 01/01/2024) which starts on the Membership date. The
Membership Chairperson shall e-mail dues notices to all members six months
after expiration. If the Membership Chairman does not receive a response from
the overdue Member in 60 days a final written notice will be sent to the
Members listed residence. If there is no response from the Member 30 days
after the written mailing the Membership Chairman will list the Member as
terminated. Members shall mail their dues payment, or use the website's
Pay-Pal feature, directly to the Membership Chairperson. After recording the
amount received, and date received, the Membership Chairperson shall forward
all monies received to the Treasurer. The Membership Chairperson will issue a
membership card to each new member whose dues are paid.
A $10.00 late fee will be assessed to any member
whose dues are received after 90 days of expiration. A $50.00 service charge
will be assessed for any check which is dishonored. The certifications and
membership status of any member will be suspended until the dishonored payment
has been replaced.
The Membership Chairperson may provide other
members, or Committees with a current membership, mailing list upon the
approval of the President.
ARTICLE 10: SERGEANT AT ARMS
The President may, at his discretion, appoint a
member to serve as a Sergeant at Arms during any meeting of the Association.
The Sergeant at arms will maintain order according to Robert’s rules.
ARTICLE 11: CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
A. The President, or his designee, shall serve as Chair of
the meeting. Any member desiring to be heard shall rise and address the
Chair. No member shall speak until properly recognized by the Chair. No
resolutions can come before the meeting unless properly moved, recorded, and
declared upon for discussion by the Chair.
B. Any regular member shall be entitled to call for a vote on
a motion duly made and seconded. Members voting on the motion shall identify
themselves by name at the time of their vote to assist in the recording of the
votes. Members may abstain from voting.
C. A member may move to have an approved motion reconsidered.
Such a motion must be made immediately after the motion is approved. A motion
to reconsider will only carry if approved by a majority of the members present.
D. When a point of order is raised by any member, a person
having the floor shall take his/her seat until the point of order is decided by
the Chair, after which the speaker may resume his/her remarks if proper in
light of the ruling by the Chair.
E. No subject which is tabled shall be brought up again at
the meeting unless it was so understood when tabled. A member may challenge the
ruling of the Chair by raising the question “Shall the decision of the Chair be
sustained?” A voice vote of the members shall decide the issue.
ARTICLE 12: GRIEVANCES
Any Regular Member, in good standing, may file a
grievance against any other Member or Officer of NAPCH. Any member accused
through a grievance shall be presumed innocent.
The grievance must be filed with the President on
the NAPCH Grievance Form and must be accompanied by a $25.00 grievance fee.
The President MAY appoint a Grievance Committee to
hear the grievance. A copy of the grievance with the name of the grievant
redacted shall be furnished to the Member who is the subject of the Grievance
by the President or approved Grievance Chair.
An Executive Committee member who is the subject of
a grievance must abstain from participating in the determination of that
grievance.
The Member who is the subject of the grievance may
submit to the President, or Grievance Chair, a written response within seven
(7) days of receiving the grievance. The written response may request to appear
before the President, Executive Board, or Grievance Committee, to respond to
questions.
Neither the grievance nor written response may be
distributed to the other Association Members or third parties (subject to
disciplinary action for doing so).
The President, Executive Board, or Grievance
Committee may interview witnesses and consider other evidence as part of the
investigation.
Within thirty days of receiving the grievance, the
Executive Committee shall render a final decision finding the Grievance
“established” or “not established”.
A copy of the final determination shall be promptly
furnished to the Member filing the Grievance and the Member who is the subject
of the Grievance.
The ruling of the Executive Committee shall be final
and there shall be no appeal of the finding or of the disciplinary action
assigned.
In the event a grievance is “established”, the
processing fee will be refunded to the member filing the grievance. If the
grievance is “not established” the fee will be retained.
Disciplinary action may include the temporary
suspension of privileges, censure, expulsion or any other appropriate action
deemed by the Executive Committee.
If the Executive Committee
finds that a member, in preferring charges against another member, did so for
spurious reasons out of improper motives and if the charges are wholly false,
and without proper foundation, then the Executive Committee may, if it desires,
take appropriate disciplinary action against the complainant.
No disciplinary action shall be taken against a
member, be he/she the complainant or accused, unless the member shall have been
afforded the opportunity of a hearing before the Grievance Committee with the
right of appeal to the Executive Committee.
Every member shall be presumed innocent of
misconduct and disciplinary action shall be taken against a member only if
he/she is found guilty of misconduct by evidence that is clear, precise and
indubitable.
Article 13: CODE OF ETHICS
Section A: The application for membership shall provide that the applicant,
if approved, agrees to abide by these By Laws and All rules adopted by the
Executive Committee. He/she agrees to abide by the Code of Ethics.
Section B: No member will act in a manner prejudicial to NAPCH or to the
best interests of NAPCH. All NAPCH members will conduct themselves with
integrity, Honesty, and respect. No member will knowingly falsify any record or
document in connection with the certification of a dog. In any exhibition
or workshop no member will conduct himself/herself otherwise then in accordance
with the highest traditions and standards of fair play and good sportsmanship.
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Taylor, MI 48180
United States
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