WBA Constitution & Bylaws

(Updated February 2024)

Article 1 – Name and Statement for Existence

Section 1:  The name of this club shall be Wyandotte Breeders of America (WBA).

Section 2:  The place of business shall be the post office address of the Secretary.

Section 3: The club’s objective is to promote and preserve the Wyandotte, in bantam and large fowl, as described by the American Poultry Association (APA) Standard of Perfection and the American Bantam Association (ABA) Standard of Perfection. The WBA will serve to bring together fanciers of the Wyandotte, fostering a collaborative community for the improvement of all varieties of bantams and large fowl, both those currently recognized and those, in the future, which aim for acceptance into the APA/ ABA. 

Article 2 – Membership/Dues

Section 1:  All worthy persons of honorable character interested in our breed, our organization, and our ideals are eligible for membership in our club.

Section 2A: Membership applications will be submitted to the Treasurer with the annual fee paid in U.S. currency.

Membership fees will be as noted:

  1. Junior Membership, under 16 years old, $5.00
  2. Individual Membership, $20.00  
  3. LIFE Membership, $300.00.  

Section 2B:  Junior Membership, for youth under 16 years of age, shall have all rights of membership except holding an executive office.  

Section 3:  Membership shall date from January 1st to December 31st.   Members in good standing are entitled to all rights and privileges to any awards offered at any function or show approved by the proper authority of the Wyandotte Breeders of America, WBA.

Section 4: LIFE membership may be awarded by the club to individuals who are recognized with Lifetime Achievement awards.  

Article 3 – Officers / Districts / Committees

Section 1: 

The WBA Club management structure shall be as follows:

An Executive Board shall consist of:

  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Recording Secretary
  4. Corresponding Secretary
  5. Treasurer

The above individuals shall make up the Executive Board with each officer having one vote.  If a member holds more than one position on the Executive Board, that person has only one vote. 

And a General Board of:

1. Ten (10) District Directors, (one from each of the ten districts). 

2. Past President

If a member holds more than one position on the General Board, that person has only one vote. 

Section 2:  The division of districts, each one represented by one District Director, (DD), elected by the membership of that district, is:

                                 DISTRICT 1:  ME, NH, NY, NJ, VT, CT, RI, DE, & MA 

                                 DISTRICT 2:  OH, PA, VA, MD, & WV

                                 DISTRICT 3:  KY, IN, IL, WI, MI

                                 DISTRICT 4:  KS, CO, NM, TX, LA, AR, & OK

                                 DISTRICT 5:  FL, GA, SC, NC, TN, AL, & MS

                                 DISTRICT 6:  MN, IA, MO, NE, SD, & ND

                                 DISTRICT 7:  MT, ID, WA, OR, WY, AK

                                 DISTRICT 8: CA, AZ, NV, & UT

                                 DISTRICT 9: CANADA, East from ONTARIO

                                 DISTRICT 10: CANADA, MANITOBA West 

Section 3:

1.  Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of one   executive board member and two general members. 

a.  Purpose of the committee: to recruit well-qualified candidates to fill board positions

b.  Responsibilities of the nominations committee: 1. To communicate to potential candidates the responsibilities of the position to which they are nominated 2. To bring to the board the slate of nominees 

2.  Standing Committees: The President may appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. The Board may also appoint special committees to aid it on projects. Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the Executive Board upon written notice to the appointee, and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated. 

Other proposed Committees are below: (Others can be added as needed):

a. Breed Variety Committee – to help bring together individuals working on projects either for the acceptance of new varieties or for the improvement of existing varieties 

b. Mentorship Committee – two components: 1. support of Juniors 2. assistance for adults that are new to the breed

c. Social Media Committee – i.e. management of the Facebook pages

d. Outreach Committee – WBA Club Table at National and/or District meets, new member recruitment

e. Webpage Committee – creation and maintenance of Club webpage

f. Fundraising Committee

g. Newsletter Committee – 2 newsletters a year – spring and fall.

Article 4 – Election of Officers 

Section 1:  Eligibility for being a candidate for the office of President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer shall be given to all members who have held an active WBA membership for two or more years.  Candidates need to be willing to participate in online meetings and should have experience as a Wyandotte Exhibitor.  Executive Board Officers are expected to attend all regular or special Officers’ Meetings. Any member of the Executive Board who cannot attend an Executive Board meeting shall notify the Corresponding Secretary that they will be absent. In the event any member of the Executive Board fails to attend meetings consistently, without excuse, they may be subject to removal from office. Junior members are not eligible for Executive Board positions.  The Corresponding Secretary shall announce to the membership seeking candidates for office by November 1st of each election year with a deadline of December 31st for submission.  The name and the office sought for each candidate will be submitted to the membership for voting.  District Directors applicants must reside in the district for which they are nominated. Each club member, including Junior Members, will vote for President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and the District Director from their area.  

Section 2:  Terms of office will be for two years and will begin on April 1st.

Section 3: If there is only one candidate for an office, that individual shall automatically be elected.

Section 4:  All election information shall be presented to the membership by the Corresponding Secretary.  Ballots containing names of the candidates of the contested offices shall be presented to all members in good standing on the first day of March of the even year.  All votes shall be submitted no later than March 15th.

Section 5:  Upon receiving and counting the votes, the Recording Secretary shall, within ten days, notify each successful candidate of his/her election to office.   

Section 6: If there is a tie vote for any office the applicants for that position will be notified within 10 days. Should all but one applicant decide to forfeit their nomination the remaining applicant will be notified of their instatement in the position. Should multiple applicants remain, a re-vote will be conducted only for the tied position. This will be immediately submitted to the membership. Votes must be returned within 15 days. The successful nominee will be notified within 10 days of the re-vote of his/ her election to office. 

Section 7:  In extenuating circumstances, as designated by the Executive Board, elections may be postponed. In the case of a postponed election, a similar timeline for nominations, submissions, voting, and notification of the elected individuals will be maintained.  

 Section 8: The election results shall be published in the spring newsletter.

Article 5— Operation of the Club:                                                                                    

Section 1:  The management of the WBA shall be vested in the Executive Board composed of elected individuals as delineated previously.  The Executive Board shall by majority vote (of those voting) to:

A)   Approve all appointments made by the President.

B)   Rule on all questions about the interpretation of this Constitution and Bylaws as deemed necessary.     

C) Amend or alter this Constitution and Bylaws as deemed necessary;

D) Establish standards and qualifications for meets;

E) Review club financial report at the end of the year;

F) Rule on all matters not covered by this Constitution and Bylaws;

G)  All communication of proposed items or questions to be considered by the Executive Board shall be handled via email by the Corresponding Secretary.  The Executive Board must submit their votes to the Corresponding Secretary within fifteen (15) days.  All votes received will be tabulated and results will be returned to the Executive Board by the Secretary immediately.   All approved actions of the Executive Board shall become the official standard of operation of the WBA.  Members will be notified in the next WBA Newsletter of all rulings/changes by the Executive Board.

H). All Executive Board members are required to attend at least 75% of the meetings, if they fail to complete these responsibilities a replacement may be appointed. 

Section 2:  The President shall be the chief executive officer of the WBA and s/he:  

A) Shall be his/her duty to encourage all elected or appointed officers to perform their responsibilities as outlined in this Constitution and Bylaws;

B) Shall make all appointments for any vacated elective office;

C) Shall appoint committee members and chairpersons for any purpose deemed necessary;                              

D)  The President shall preside at all WBA meetings or designate a representative should they be unable to attend. The President is responsible for attending at least 75% of the time in person or on Zoom.  

E)  Will submit, in a timely manner, an article to the Newsletter Committee for publishing in the bi-annual WBA Newsletter (Spring and Fall)

F) Will as needed be in communication with all the Executive Board Members to advise on current WBA matters.                  

Section 3: The Vice-President will assume all duties of the President in his/her absence and:                            

A) Will assist the President upon his request; 

B) Will submit, promptly, an article to the Newsletter Committee for publishing in the bi-annual WBA Newsletter (Spring and Fall).     

C) Yearly distribution of Certificates of Merit, or other means of recognition, to the top points earner of each variety. This is also to be published in the Spring newsletter.  

Section 4: The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct all necessary correspondence of the WBA and:                                          

A) Shall communicate on behalf of the WBA any official activities to the members and the Executive Board;

B) Notify members of dues expiration;

C)  Coordinate with the Treasurer on maintaining a list of members in good standing (current on dues) and submit this list to the Recording Secretary in a timely fashion;

D) Collaborate with the Newsletter Committee in the creation and distribution of the bi-annual newsletters;

E) Contact all new members within 20 days of membership and provide a copy of the WBA breeder directory.                                                                                                     

Section 5: The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining club records and:

A) Keep records of all official activities;   

B) Is present at all WBA meetings to record minutes and maintain a copy of the minutes. If not able to attend in person s/he must designate a representative to record minutes. The representative must immediately submit the minutes to the Recording Secretary.

C)  Shall continuously update the WBA Breeder’s Directory as new members join or as members fail to renew their dues. This should contain relevant information such as names, state of residence, phone numbers, email addresses, varieties of Wyandottes raised, etc.. Members may opt NOT to have all, or part of their information shared; it is the member’s responsibility to communicate this exclusion to the Recording Secretary.

D) Maintain a list of members in good standing

E) Tabulate WBA points and submit a list of winners to the Corresponding Secretary for the bi-annual newsletter; 

 Section 6: The Treasurer shall conduct all financial activities of the WBA and:

A) Shall be responsible for preparing and keeping all financial records;

B)  Collect and bank all receipts such as dues, donations, etc.

C)  Pay the expenses of the WBA;

D) Present at each Executive Board meeting a report of the Club financials. If the Treasurer cannot attend an Executive Board meeting, they will submit the report to the President in advance of the meeting. 

E) Prepare a yearly financial statement for publication in the WBA Newsletter;

F)  Submit biannually for publication in the WBA Newsletter the totals of receipts, disbursements, and cash balance.

G) Only Executive Board and General Board members may make purchases for the WBA. All proposed purchases shall be submitted to the Executive Board for approval before being undertaken. Reimbursement for purchases requires documentation of the expenditure (receipt) to be submitted to the Treasurer. Upon submission, the Treasurer must reimburse the purchaser within one month. 

Section 7:  The District Director represents the WBA within his/her district and: 

A)  Shall be actively involved with WBA activities within his/her district;

B)  Will select a site for the District Meet and notify the WBA Secretary from six (6) to twelve (12) months in advance of the show;

C)   Promote, encourage, and work to advance the goals of the WBA through friendly communication within his/her district;           

D)   Will be responsible for communicating show schedules to the WBA Corresponding Secretary for publication in the WBA Newsletter;

E)  Shall be responsible for sending blank WBA show reports to the show secretary of all shows with meets in their district;

F) Will be responsible for obtaining completed WBA show reports from the show secretary of all shows with meets in their district with a copy of the exhibitor list;

G) Shall submit all completed show reports for all shows with meets in their district to the Recording Secretary within a reasonable time frame of a meet being completed;

H)   Will Submit, in a timely manner, an article to the Newsletter Committee for publishing in the bi-annual WBA Newsletter (Spring and Fall). 

I)  If the District Director fails to complete these responsibilities during the first year a replacement director may be appointed. 

Section 8:  The Constitution and Bylaws can only be amended or altered by a majority vote of the Executive Board.   

The Executive Board recognizes the full membership has the right and privilege to participate in the orderly operation of the club.  Should an individual member or group of members desire to recommend changes in the Constitution and Bylaws or other club practices or policies, these changes must be submitted in writing to the Corresponding Secretary.  Upon receipt of this request by the Corresponding Secretary, they shall present same to the Executive Board for their approval or rejection.  Any judgments made by the Executive Board will be published in the next edition of the newsletter.  The Executive Board welcomes your comments, suggested changes, and /or ideas to further accomplish the goals and objectives for which the club was organized.

Article 6 — WBA Meets   —   Rules Governing National, District, State, & Special Meets

Section 1:  National Meets  

A)  There can be two National Meets each year. If two meets are held, the Eastern National consists of Districts 1,2, 3, 5, and 9; and the Western National, Districts 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 and the location shall be selected by majority vote of the Executive Board. 

B)  National meets should be placed where the meet will be most beneficial to the membership and in the best interest of the WBA.

C)  The National meets should be rotated from district to district, as far as possible.

D)  Selection of site(s) for the National Meet(s) should be made at least a year before the date of the meet(s). 

E) Bids for National Meet(s) are to be sought from host clubs in the districts involved and sent to the WBA corresponding secretary a year before the date of the meet(s).  

F)  The host show (Club), providing a bid should have hosted a successful District meet to be eligible to host a National meet.

G)  The WBA Corresponding Secretary shall inform the Executive Board of the bids and coordinate the Executive Board vote for the location of the National meet(s).

H)  The Executive Board, by majority vote, will determine the date and site for the National Meet(s), in addition to awards offered by the WBA with the cooperation of the WBA Corresponding Secretary.

I)  It shall be the responsibility of the host District Director to solicit and assign all awards donated by the WBA at the National Meet(s). Should the District Director not be able to attend they must designate a representative to take over this duty at the National Meet(s).

Section 2:  District Meets 

A)  There shall be one (1) District Meet per year, per district, and shall be placed by the District Director, where it is most beneficial to the most members and in the best interest of the WBA.

B)  The District Director will notify the WBA Corresponding Secretary of the date, site, name of the host club, and the name and address of the host club’s official to whom the meet information is to be forwarded.

C)  In addition to sending WBA District Meet Announcement and Show Report forms to the host show secretary, the district director may solicit and assign any special awards donated.

D)  District Directors should familiarize themselves with the shows within his/her district and rotate from state to state within the district if possible.

Section 3:  State Meets  

A)  There can be one (1) State Meet per year, per state.  If held, said meet shall be placed by the District Director where the State Meet will be most beneficial to the most members and in the best interest of the WBA.

B)  The District Director will notify the WBA secretary of the date, site, name of the host club, and the name and address of the host club’s official to whom the meet information is to be forwarded.

C)  In addition to sending WBA State Meet Announcement and Show Report forms to the host show secretary, the district director may solicit and assign any special awards donated. 

D)  District Directors should familiarize themselves with the shows within his/her district and rotate the State Meets whenever possible within the different states.

Section 4:  Special Meets  

A)  There shall be no limit as to the number of Special Meets per year and shall be placed by the District Director; Meets may be requested by a WBA member or host show.

B)  The District Director will notify the WBA secretary of the date, site, name of the host club, and the name and address of the host club’s official to whom the meet information is to be forwarded.

C)  In addition to sending WBA Special Meet Announcement and Show Report forms to the host show secretary, the District Director may solicit and assign any special awards donated.  

Section 5:   Master Exhibitor and Master Breeder Program

When a member accumulates 500 points, they become a WBA Master Exhibitor. If 300 points are accumulated in the same variety, they become a WBA Master Breeder.  All wins must be spread over a minimum of 5 years. Competition is limited to members of the club. All points must be accrued through ABA and/or APA or Canadian Provincial sanctioned shows.  Dues must be maintained (other than a 30-day grace period) or the points are forfeited. 

WBA Master Exhibitor – 500 Points

WBA Master Breeder –    300 Points in one variety of one breed

Points are earned according to the following:

WBA NATIONAL, DISTRICT AND STATE MEETS
Best of Breed (BB) —–20 Points
Reserve of Breed (RB) —10 Points
Best AOV – 5 Points (National & District Meets Only)

In addition to the above point schedule, one point is earned for every five Wyandottes exhibited for Best and Reserve of Recognized Varieties.  (i.e. 15 birds equal 3 points) There must be 5 birds per variety to earn points.

E)   CASH AWARD FOR ALL OTHER VARIETIES, AOV

In the attempt to promote less-shown varieties, the WBA will award a $10.00 CASH award for the BEST All Other Variety, at National and District Meets.  Eligibility for this Cash Award is open to ALL varieties except Black, White in bantams, and White and Silver Laced in Large Fowl.

FURTHER COMMENTS 

A)  The Executive Board has, by unanimous vote, agreed the only requirement for winning at any club meet is that the exhibitor be a paid member of the WBA before judging.

B)    The Executive Committee has agreed that no limit be required as the number of exhibitors or number of entries in a class be required to win an award.  (Some comments have been received from time to time regarding awards without competition.  It is the feeling of the WBA that some reward is due an exhibitor for breeding or purchasing stock, raising offspring, and going to the expense of exhibiting birds.)

C)  Boosting the numbers and varieties of Wyandottes exhibited will help to improve the quality and numbers shown and will help to increase the popularity of our breed.   The goal of the WBA is “Promoting the Breeding and Exhibition of Wyandottes” through friendly fellowship helping those new to the breed.

APPENDIX A

This revised Constitution & Bylaws is the sole document that will be used in governing the Wyandotte Breeders of America, WBA, and its members. It became effective with the majority vote of the Executive Board on February 18, 2024.