2026 Constitution
1. Name
The name of the club shall be Canadian Shih Tzu Club hereinafter referred to as ”the club” or CSTC. The CSTC emblem or name in any form may be used by the club and its members solely for the purpose of promoting the club and advancing the interests of the breed.
2. Area of Operation
The club shall serve the area comprised of all of Canada
3. Objectives
a. Encourage and promote the shih tzu breed.
b. Require that the CSTC emblem or name in any form may be used by the club and its members solely for the purpose of promoting the club and advancing the interests of the breed.
c. Exhibit and encourage respect and ethical sportsmanship to others at all events held under the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Rules and Regulations and any other sponsored activity or function of the club.
d. Hold CKC approved events including but not limited to Boosters, Specialty shows, and Trials.
e. Require club members to accept the Breed Standards, as approved by CKC as the only standard of excellence by which purebred dogs shall be judged in Canada.
f. Encourage respect and ethical treatment of dogs in general
g. Promote and support responsible dog ownership.
h. Encourage and educate judges or prospective judges
i. Mentor new members in the various roles within the club to encourage club growth and foster a sense of community within the club
j. Make available to all members a newsletter at whatever frequency as determined by the Board.
4. Principles
a. The club shall be a specialty breed club.
b. The club shall maintain CKC recognition by adhering to the Policy set out by CKC and acknowledge that any changes in such Policy from time to time will supersede contravention within this Constitution and By-Laws.
c. The club shall take all necessary steps to investigate and comply with Federal and Provincial Guidelines with respect to clubs and corporations.
d. The club employs the use of electronic signatures, electronic mail, online bank transfers and virtual meetings as required and any reference to finance, correspondence or meetings in this Constitution and By-Laws shall be deemed to include these methods unless otherwise specified.
5. Membership
5.1 The membership year shall be January 1 to December 31.
5.2 Eligibility for Membership
a. All members of CSTC must be in good standing with the CKC.
b. No person who has been expelled by the CKC or convicted of cruelty to animals shall be eligible for membership.
c. Application for membership in the club shall be open to individuals living in any location in Canada.
d. Each applicant for membership must agree to abide by the club’s constitution, By-Laws, and Code of Ethics.
e. Application for membership in the club shall be received from individuals who currently own, previously have owned Shih Tzu, or are enthusiasts of the breed.
f. Applicants for membership will be considered from residents of countries other than Canada at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
5.3 Types of Membership
a. Associate Membership: New members are automatically designated as “Associate” members for one year; at the end of which time their membership automatically changes to Regular. Associate members pay dues but are not entitled to vote or hold office.
b. Regular (individual) Membership: Individuals over 18 years of age enjoy all club privileges including the right to vote and hold office
c. Household (Family) Membership: Persons who are 18 years and older residing in the same household.
d. Non-Resident Membership: Individuals who are not Canadian residents shall be entitled to all club privileges with the exception of voting and holding office.
e. Junior Membership: Open to people under the age of 18 years. This member will automatically convert to a Regular member at the age of 18 years. Junior members do not pay dues but are entitled to all club privileges except voting and holding office.
f. Lifetime Membership: May be granted to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the club and shih tzu breed over a long period of time and who have been continuous members of the CSTC for at least 25 years. Proposed names will be nominated by the Board of Directors and must be voted on by the general membership (members eligible to vote) and passed by a majority vote. Lifetime members do not pay dues but are eligible to vote and hold office.
g. Honorary Membership may be granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to the club and/or the Shih Tzu breed over a long period of time. The proposed name will be nominated by the Board of Directors and must be voted on by the general membership (members eligible to vote) and passed by a majority vote. Honorary members do not pay dues or hold office.
5.4 Application for and Approval of Membership
a. Membership application is to be made to the membership chair.
b. Membership is available to any individual associated with the breed, unless the individual has been found guilty in a court of law of offences related to actions in direct contravention of the Policy, Mission Statement, and Code of Ethics of the CKC and/or the club. Membership will be denied to those who have had CKC membership privileges suspended or terminated or have been found guilty in a court of law on any charge relating to the cruelty of animals.
c. Membership application form is accessible to prospective members by way of the CSTC website. All applications must provide all the information required on the application form with the support and recommendation of one current CSTC member in good standing. In lieu of such support and recommendations, applicants may provide a comprehensive resume of themselves and their involvement with the shih tzu breed past and present.
d. Membership applicants may contact the membership chair for information on the application process.
e. Applicant names will be circulated to the membership for comment. Any valid objections from current club members must be sent via email to the membership chair within 14 days.
f. Following the aforementioned 14 days, Any applicant that does not meet all requirements of club membership or if valid objections have been raised that result in the applicant not meeting the requirements of eligibility for membership a written explanation will be provided to the rejected applicant
g. When an applicant is accepted as a new member, that applicant is required to submit the annual fee via etransfer to the treasurer’s CSTC email account.
h. An applicant whose membership application has been rejected/denied will be provided with a reason for such rejection/denial, in writing, within thirty (30) days of the decision.
5.5 Membership Fees
a. Annual membership fee will be established by the Board.
b. Membership fees are due by January 1 of each year. The club year is Jan 1 to Dec 31 each year. Any member who has not paid their fees for 60 days past the due date (Jan 1) will have their membership deemed lapsed. Any member who has not paid their fees on time will be prohibited from voting until the fees are paid.
c. Membership fees are not prorated. If an individual becomes a member in a month other than the beginning of the club year the annual fee still applies.
d. The treasurer will collect and record the fees submitted. Fees are to be paid by etransfer to the treasurer’s CSTC email account which shall then be deposited by the treasurer into the CSTC bank account.
e. At the beginning of December, the Treasurer and/or the Membership chair will send a message to all members to remind them that the annual club fee for the upcoming year is due on the first day of January.
f. If there is any change in the club fees all members will be notified by no later than one month before the next year’s fees are due.
5.6 Termination or Suspension of Membership
Any member of the CSTC who is suspended, debarred, expelled or deprived of the privileges of the CKC shall, without notice, be suspended from the privileges of the CSTC for a like period.
5.6.1 Termination of membership may occur as a result of:
a. Resignation: Any member in good standing may resign from the club upon written notice and payment of any financial indebtedness to the club.
b. Lapsing: A member will be considered lapsed if that member’s dues remain unpaid 60 days after the first day of each fiscal year. In no case may a member be entitled to vote on any issue until such time as their dues are paid. Lapsed members will be automatically terminated if their dues are not paid within 180 days of the first day of each fiscal year. A member whose membership has lapsed may reapply to rejoin the club through the process outlined in Article 5.4 (Application for and Approval of Membership)
c. Expulsion: Refer to Article 11.
d. Upon termination or suspension of membership, all records, property and related paraphernalia of the club shall be returned to a current club officer immediately.
6. Organization
6.1 Executive Officers and Directors
a. The Board of Directors of the club shall be members in good standing of the club, all of whom shall be regular members in good standing with the CKC and shall be residents of Canada.
b. Board of Directors shall be comprised of the President, Past-President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, and a minimum of four Regional representatives (directors). There must be one Regional representative (director) in each of the three Regions outlined in CKC Club Policy (Ontario, East of Ontario, and West of Ontario including Yukon, NWT and Nunavut). The fourth and any other additional Regional directors (representatives) can be located anywhere in Canada. All Regional representatives (directors) must be residents of Canada and reside in the region they represent.
c. The role of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined into one role. The newsletter editor and webmaster may hold other board positions
d. The property and business of the club shall be managed by the Board without limitation.
e. The Board shall assume office on January 1 and hold office for three years.
f. Any vacancy occurring on the Executive during the term of the office shall be filled through election by a majority vote of the Board, except that of a vacancy of the President, which is automatically filled by the Vice-President.
6.2 Duties and Responsibilities of Executive Officers
6.2.1 The President shall:
a. be the chief executive officer.
b. automatically be a member of all committees
c. preside at all club meetings and call special meetings of the Board
d. shall ensure the club’s Constitution and By-laws are current and adhered to by all members of the club.
e. may delegate duties to the Vice-president and /or other members of the Board as required.
f. manage all external correspondence with the assistance of the Secretary.
g. cosign with the Secretary or Treasurer all club cheques as necessary.
6.2.2 Past-President shall:
act as an advisor to the President.
6.2.3 The Vice-President shall:
a. attend all club/Board meetings.
b. assume the duties of the President and exercise the powers of the President in case of absence, resignation, vacancy, or incapacity.
6.2.4 The Secretary shall:
a. attend all club/Board meetings
b. be responsible for all the club’s correspondence as directed by the President and/or the Board of Directors.
c. notify the Board members of meetings called by the President
d. set up an online meeting for all Board meetings
e. keep records of all activities, decisions, and voting of the club/Board
f. produce regular reports of Boards decisions, activities, and results of all motions.
g. have charge of internal correspondence and have charge of external correspondence as directed by the Board through the President
h. notify officers and directors of their election to the office.
i. co-sign with the President or Treasurer all club cheques.
j. record results of surveys/votes of the membership taken electronically
k. issue notices regarding conflict resolution proceedings
6.2.5 The Treasurer shall:
a. attend all club/Board meetings.
b. assure that the club’s bank account is set up so that two signatures are required on each club cheque (signing authorities will be President, Secretary, and Treasurer).
c. collect all monies paid to the club and be responsible for deposits to the designated club bank account in the name of the club.
d. ensure that the CSTC bank account is always open for inspection by the Board.
e. provide the club’s bank balance at every Board meeting and report on receipts and expenditures that have not been previously reported.
f. provide an annual detailed financial report to all members. This should be done at the end of the fiscal year.
g. co-sign with the President or Secretary all club cheques.
h. be bondable and have the financial records audited annually if requested by a Board member who does not have signing authority.
6.2.6 The Membership Chair shall
a. attend all club/Board meetings
b. provide information regarding the requirements for membership to any new potential applicants.
c. receive all applications for membership to the club.
d. circulate to the membership a request for comments regarding potential new members.
e. notify new members of their membership status.
f. provide a constitution, by-laws, and code of ethics to all accepted new members.
g. keep a roll of the members of the club who are in good standing with their contact information and CKC membership numbers where applicable.
h. maintain a record of voting members vs non-voting members.
6.2.7 The Regional Directors shall:
a. attend all club/Board meetings
b. make recommendations to the Board as directed by the members in their region.
6.2.8 The Newsletter Editor shall:
create a newsletter (Oriental Express) at least twice a year if possible.
6.2.9 The Webmaster shall:
be responsible for maintaining the official CSTC website and make timely changes as required
6.3 Delegation of Tasks by Board Members
Each officer may delegate tasks that are part of their duties to another officer but the responsibility for their effective completion cannot be transferred or delegated.
6.4 Finances
a. The financial year of the club shall be Jan 1 to December 31.
b. Financial signing authorities for the club account shall be the President, Secretary and Treasurer. Two signatures are required for all club bank account cheques.
c. No Officer, Director or member of the club shall receive remuneration for service.
6.5 Execution of Documents
The President or Vice-president together with the Secretary shall sign contracts, documents, or instruments in writing requiring the signature of the club. All contracts, documents, or instruments in writing so signed shall be binding upon the club without any further authorization or formality. Electronic signatures by the same combination of authorized signing authorities herein will be considered the same as if written signatures were provided in person.
6.6 Vacancies
a. The office of a member of the Board shall automatically be vacated if:
i) an Officer or Director sends a written resignation to the Secretary
ii) a resolution is passed by a majority vote of voting members that he/she may be removed from office.
iii) they are found by a court of law to be of unsound mind, or they pass away.
b. The Vice-President shall automatically become the Acting President should the position of President become vacant during the year.
c. Any Board vacancy, other than that of the President, occurring during the year shall be filled for the remainder of the position’s term by a majority vote of the Board
d. Each retiring Board member shall turn over all properties and records relating to that office to their successor within 30 days after the election or on the date designated by the current Board.
7. Term of Office and Elections
a. All Board members (President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, Directors, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster) shall have a term of office of three years.
b. The Secretary shall provide a nomination ballot to all members in good standing (members eligible to vote) in the month of June of an election year. All nominations for office must be residents of Canada and the nominations must be received by the Secretary by email (or in writing) prior to the deadline established by the Board. The Secretary will notify all persons nominated and determine their willingness to stand.
c. The Secretary will send to all members (eligible to vote) a ballot listing all positions and candidates for each position.
d. Voting shall be conducted by a secure secret electronic ballot (or paper ballot if requested by any member) prior to October 15.
e. Regional Director positions will be voted on only by members residing in that Region.
f. The ballots will be recorded by an election officer appointed by the Board. The election officer must not be a member of the club. A majority vote by voting members shall prevail.
g. In the event of a tie, a revote shall be held until a winner is declared. Such a revote must be held in the same manner as the original process.
h. All election related material including correspondence, nominations, ballots, etc., must be retained for a period of two years.
8. Meetings
All meetings of the club, and or its governing bodies, and all other matters of practice and procedure not otherwise herein specified shall be governed by Common Law Procedure of Canada, Robert’s Rules of Order (current edition).
8.1 Board Meetings
The CSTC day-to-day business is conducted by resolution and /or motions of the elected Board of Directors. The Board does not convene in person, due to the vast geographic area of Canada, but conducts business through motions and discussions held electronically. Items that require a polling of the entire membership, such as election of officers, constitutional amendments, National Specialty location and judges are voted on by all voting members with a secure electronic ballot. The ballots will be recorded by an election officer appointed by the Board. The election officer must not be a member of the club.
8.2 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
This meeting should be held “virtually” in conjunction with the Annual or Regional Specialty show. Its purpose will be to give reports of the Treasurer, all committees and the Board of Directors, and to encourage dialogue amongst all members of the club. No motions affecting club policy will be entertained at the AGM
8.3 Regional Meetings
These meetings will be held electronically as necessary to promote the interests of regional members in areas such as fund raising, holding boosters, and specialties or other issues of concern to the regional members.
8.4 Special General Meeting
A special general meeting may be called when requested by a Board Member or member of the club in good standing to attend to matters of an urgent nature.
8.5 Quorum
a. The quorum for the AGM shall be a minimum of 10 of the members in good standing.
b. The quorum for special meetings shall be a minimum of 10 of the members in good standing.
c. The quorum for regional meetings will be minimum of 3 of the members in good standing residing in that region.
d. The quorum at Board Meetings shall be a minimum of 5 Board members
8.6 Voting at meetings
A member may give his/her proxy vote on motions to a member of the Board if he/she is unable to attend a meeting.
The process for this: the club member must send an email at least two days before the meeting date to the CSTC secretary indicating that his/her proxy vote has been given to a Board member. The name of the Board member who has accepted the responsibility of the proxy must be included in the correspondence.
The member submitting the proxy vote may instruct the Board member, in writing by post or electronic means, to vote in a particular way or use their discretion on how to vote.
Proxies come in three voting formats.
A general proxy gives the proxy holder the leverage to vote their own conscience.
A specific proxy must vote the wishes of the proxy.
The third or hybrid format is a general proxy, but it allows the proxy to give special directions to the proxy holder.
8.7. Voting -National Issues
a. The Board will make motions from time to time and circulate them to the members for voting by secure electronic ballot. Matters to all members should be democratically voted on by all voting members. They may include such issues as location and names of judges for National Specialties and Standing Resolutions. Any member may petition the Board to entertain a motion, but the Board will reserve the right to circulate such motions.
b. The Board will also form committees from time to time if required to discuss and formulate positions concerning any topic or any needed changes to the Constitution and By-Laws. These committees will be comprised of members from all regions and will have any proposals made available in a rough draft for comments by individual members. Brief written comments will be made available, and matters will be thoroughly discussed before any final drafts are sent to the membership for voting as per Article 10 (Amendments).
9. Committees
a. At its discretion, the Board of Directors may appoint Ad Hoc Committees by a majority vote to further the interests of the club in the areas of, but not limited to, elections, events, discipline, membership, procurement and any other project that may require the resources of a committee.
b. At its discretion, the Board of Directors may terminate any Ad Hoc Committee by a majority vote when it is deemed that the Ad Hoc Committee has fulfilled its original purpose.
10. Amendments to Constitution and By-Laws
a. The club shall have the power to add, modify and/or rescind items in the Constitution and By-Laws according to the process outlined below
i) All proposals will be emailed to each member a minimum of 30 days in advance of a vote on the proposed constitution changes.
ii) The Secretary will email a secure electronic ballot to all voting members specifying each proposed change with the return date required.
iii) Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws require a majority vote of all ballots returned.
iv) Amendments shall be forwarded to the CKC Shows and Trials Division within 30 days of the amendments being passed.
11. Conflict Resolution
a. Any member may file a complaint against other members of the club for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the club, or the Shih Tzu breed, or in contravention of this Constitution and By-Laws, or a violation of the club’s Code of Ethics.
b. Details of the complaint must be filed (by mail or electronically) with the Secretary. The Secretary shall send the complaint promptly to the Board of Directors. Upon receipt of an official complaint the Board shall appoint a conflict resolution committee, consisting of two members of the Board plus one other member in good standing who has been a member of the CSTC for a minimum of 12 months. Within 30 days, the committee will notify the members involved in the complaint and set a date for a hearing. The committee will then hear the complaint. All members involved in the complaint have the right to present their respective information regarding the complaint. If the complaint is substantiated, a report and recommendation will be sent to the Board for final action. Possible actions may be a letter of reprimand, request for a written apology, suspension, or expulsion from the club.
c. Any action taken will require a majority vote by the Board.
d. All members involved in the complaint will be notified about the Board’s decision regarding any action to be taken.
e. This process should preferably take no longer than 90 days from the date the complaint was received by the Board.
11.1 Expulsion
Expulsion or Permanent expulsion of a member requires a special general meeting of the membership where a motion to this effect will be provided to the voting membership as the agenda item for the meeting and a majority vote at the meeting is required. The meeting would not proceed without a quorum of ten members in good standing with the club, and a majority of those in attendance representing the quorum would determine the resolution.
11.2 Appeal Process
a. Any person subject to any decision arising out of a complaint filed through the club’s internal disciplinary process may file an appeal.
b. Appeals must be filed in writing (or email) and forwarded to the club’s Secretary.
c. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the appeal to each Board Member
d. An appeal hearing shall be scheduled within 30 days of receipt of the appeal. The Complainant and Defendant have the right to attend the appeal hearing which may be conducted in person, by teleconference, or videoconference.
e. The appeal shall not be a retrial, but rather a hearing to determine whether there is just cause to overturn the decision. After the testimony presented by the complainant and defendant, the Board by a majority vote of those present, decide to sustain or overturn the Board’s decision regarding the complaint. The Secretary shall inform the complainant and defendant of any decision in writing within 30 days of the hearing.
12. Complaints -Executive
a. Where the complaint involves misconduct, misrepresentation or any breach of this Constitution and/or By-Laws by one or more members of the Board of Directors, written notice of the offence together with supporting evidence must be forwarded to the club Secretary by email or registered letter. The club Secretary must immediately provide copies of the complaint to the Board of Directors.
b. If the complaint is in whole or in part against the Secretary, then the complaint should be sent to the President of the club.
c. The Board of Directors shall respond to the complainant with resolution within thirty (30) days of receipt of the complaint.
d. If the complainant remains unsatisfied and communicates dissatisfaction in writing to the club Secretary, a Special General Meeting where a confidential vote by the members in good standing shall be scheduled by the club Secretary and by a majority vote of those members, the complaint will be deemed justified or disregarded.
e. If the complaint is deemed justified, a resolution will be presented in the form of a motion, and the majority vote of the voting membership shall rule.
13. Official Publication
a. The newsletter (Oriental Express) will be the CSTC official publication.
b. Deadlines and advertising rates for all editions will be made available to all members.
c. The following statement is to be included in each edition of the newsletter:
“The Oriental Express is the official publication of the Canadian Shih Tzu Club (CSTC). The opinions expressed herein are those of the respective authors and not necessarily those of the editor(s) or the Board of the CSTC. The editor(s) reserve the right to reasonably edit all material submitted for publication. Permission to reprint is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author, the CSTC and the newsletter”.
d. The Board’s reports and motions shall be published in an administrative section of the newsletter (including the author’s names)
e. The editor shall forward copies of controversial letters/articles submitted for publication to the President, who will be allowed to respond in the same issue if he/she deems necessary to do so.
14. Breed Standard
a. Proposals for amendments to the Breed Standard by the club must meet CKC Procedure RG002-Proposed Changes to the Breed Standard.
b. Only members in good standing of both the club and of CKC are eligible to vote on any proposed changes to the Breed Standard.
15. Dissolution
a. The club may be dissolved at any time if (2/3) of the members of the club in good standing are in favour of this decision. A vote by electronic mail will provide the Board of the CSTC with validation that dissolution has been verified.
b. In the event of the dissolution of the club, other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the club, nor any proceeds thereof, nor any assets of the club shall be distributed to any members of the club. After payment of the debts of the club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs as selected by the Board of Directors of the CSTC.
c. The Secretary will notify the CKC in writing immediately of the decision to dissolve and include a copy of the minutes from the meeting when the dissolution was confirmed.
