ARTICLE I Name: This society shall be an association of persons and organizations of the United States and Canada interested in standard bred domestic poultry, waterfowl, turkeys and guineas and shall shall serve the public interest without profit and shall be known as ‘The Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities’. Herein referred to as “the Society”. ARTICLE II Objectives & Purpose: The Society’s objectives shall be to protect and serve, for historical, educational and recreational purposes and in the public interest, standard bred, domestic poultry, waterfowl, turkeys and guineas (hereinafter called ‘Domestic Fowl”), with particular emphasis on the less common, the unusual, the rare and endangered species by the following means; 1) by encouraging the establishment of new flocks of all standard breeds of large and bantam Domesticated Fowl by... • increasing the number of persons, including young people, who are breeding such fowl... • assisting breeders of Domesticated Fowl with technical and medical information... • encouraging and promoting the exhibition of Domesticated Fowl... • promoting high standards of health care for Domesticated Fowl... • supporting and/or sponsoring state, provincial, national and special meets which shall be open to the public... • providing awards for excellence in breeding and exhibiting Domesticated Fowl... • providing a ready means of exchange of information among breeders, exhibitors and admirers of Domestic Fowl... • cooperating with other organizations and publications dedicated to high standards and the preservation of Domesticated Fowl and... • enlightening the general public as to the rich historical heritage involving Domesticated Fowl. The Society’s means and resources shall be used to accomplish these objectives. ARTICLE III Membership: Any person or organization in agreement with the purpose and objectives of this Society may become a member of the Society upon applying to the Secretary-Treasurer and paying dues to the end of the year in which membership begins. Only Adult members (i.e., individual members eighteen years or older and organization members) may vote on Society matters. ARTICLE IV Operating Means: Material means for operating the Society shall be derived primarily from donations of money, awards, supplies, and services and secondarily, by annual dues. The Society shall not be committed to any expense or expenditure for which it does not have funds available, approved and designated for such purpose. The membership dues year shall be from January 1 to December 31 of each year. Dues payable must be received by April 1 of each membership year for a member to remain in good standing. ARTICLE V Officers: The Society shall have the following officers; • President • First Vice President • Second Vice President • Secretary-Treasurer • Election Commissioner These five officers shall be elected by the membership and shall constitute an Executive Committee. The Society shall also have... • Editor • Historian • Director of Publicity • State Representatives who shall be appointed by the President. The first slate of President , Vice Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, Election Commissioner, Bulletin Editor, Directory Editor, Historian, Director of Publicity and State Representatives shall serve until March 31, 1976, and shall be elected and/or appointed at the first Annual Meeting following the ratification of this Constitution. Starting April 1, 1976, the term for each office shall be two years and thereafter shall commence April 1 of even numbered years. After the first annual meeting, election of the President , Vice Presidents, and Secretary-Treasurer shall be by Mail Ballot (see Article XII of the Bylaws). The Election Commissioner shall be elected at each Annual Meeting and shall have a term of office extending to the next Annual Meeting. Each officer shall continue to serve after the end of his normal term until his replacement takes office. Only members of the Society eighteen years or older and in good standing shall hold elective or appointed offices. Any officer may succeed himself or herself in office. No person may hold more than one elective office at a time. ARTICLE VI Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall perform acts specified for it in the Constitution and Bylaws and may act for the Society membership in the absence of an Annual Meeting or in the absence of a quorum at an Annual Meeting. The President shall be chairman of the Executive Committee. Three members shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee although in any action, all members must be contacted if reasonably possible. Acts and decisions of the Executive Committee shall be considered official if made at meetings, by mailings or upon written confirmation from the members of the Executive Committee following telephone contact. ARTICLE VII Annual & Special Meetings: An annual Meeting, preferably in conjunction with a recognized general poultry show, shall be held each year at a location decided upon by Mail Ballot from two candidate locations nominated by the Executive Committee. Annual Meeting locations may also be decided upon by Special Mail Ballot (see ARTICLE XII of Bylaws). Special Meetings may be called by the President upon the approval of the Executive Committee. No business except that stated in the notice may be transacted at a Special Meeting. The membership shall receive at least sixty days written notice for the Annual Meeting and thirty days for a Special Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall make the arrangements and issue the written notices. Consideration by the Executive Committee shall be given to (a) suggestions for locations made by the members, (b) rotating the Annual Meeting locations through areas where significant numbers of members reside, and (c) propositions submitted by the group sponsoring the general poultry show. Ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum at a Society meeting. Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’ Rules of Order. *(see ARTICLE XVII of the Bylaws) ARTICLE VIII National Meet: It shall be the goal of the Society to sponsor, from time to time as finances and resources permit, a National Meet for Domesticated Fowl, open to all participants from the United States and Canada and not held in conjunction with another poultry show. Donations from individuals, businesses and other groups shall be sought to help defray expenses. ARTICLE IX Annual Society Meet: In lieu of a National Meet sponsored by the Society, the Society shall, in conjunction with it’s Annual Meeting and the accompanying general poultry show, offer prizes, trophies and other means of recognition for winners among Domesticated Fowl entries, with particular emphasis being given to rear, less common, and/or endangered breeds and varieties of large and bantam Domestic Fowl. This show shall be called the society’s Annual Meet. The list of entries and results shall be recorded in the Society’s files, announced in the Society’s Bulletin and submitted to the Poultry Press. Recognition shall take such a form as the Executive Committee shall decide upon and announcement in the Bulletin prior to the Annual Meet. Individuals, businesses and other groups shall be encouraged to donate suitable awards to help with this recognition. ARTICLE X Ratification: This Constitution and Bylaws shall apply to all assets, liabilities, membership and all other matters pertaining to the present Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities (herein called the Present Organization), and shall go into effect on or after November 30, 1974, after being sent in draft form to members of the Present Organization, being brought before an Annual and/or Special Meeting of the Present Organization, receiving an affirmative vote of three-quarters of the adult members present and voting at said meeting, and upon receiving the signature of at least fifteen (15) people who are members of the Present Organization or applicants for membership in the Society, including any two of the elected officers of the Present Organization. ARTICLE XI Amendments: This Constitution may be amended upon a proposed amendment being submitted in writing to the President, being presented at an Annual Meeting, receiving an affirmative vote of three quarters of the Adult Members in good standing at that meeting and then receiving an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Adult Members in good standing voting in the next Mail Ballot. Amendments to the Bylaws may be made in a similar manner except that it shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Adult Members in good standing at the meeting and two-thirds of the Adult Members in good standing voting in the Mail Ballot. ARTICLE XII Dissolution: Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Dr. Charles RH Everett, Interim Secretary-Treasurer
Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities
122 Magnolia Lane, Lugoff, SC 29078
crheverett@bellsouth.net