[Approved: December 18, 2022]

Article I: Name

  1. This Association shall be known as the Southern Alberta Rabbit Breeders Association, and may be referred to as S.A.R.B.A. or SARBA.

Article II: Affiliation

  1. This Association shall be affiliated with the American Rabbit Breeders Association Inc, known as A.R.B.A.

Article III: Membership

  1. Any person, having at heart the interest and promotion of the domestic rabbit, may become a member of this Association upon presentation of a membership application together with full payment of membership dues for at least one year to the Secretary, or Secretary/Treasurer.
  2. The annual membership dues shall be determined and voted upon by the Executive Committee. Memberships consist of an Adult membership, a Family membership, (one or two adults residing at the same address and any number of dependant children; proof of residency may be required) and a Youth membership. Youth membership will include those members who have not yet reached their nineteenth birthday at the time of registration. All dues must accompany a membership application and a membership is not considered valid until all dues are paid in full.
  3. Membership will include access to a member only website with a directory of all memberships to facilitate connections with other members.
  4. Responsibilities of all members of S.A.R.B.A. include adhering to these bylaws and voting at meetings. Members are responsible for maintaining up to date contact information and maintaining payment of their respective membership fees.
  5. Any member who does not remain compliant with said responsibilities may have their membership revoked and will then no longer be entitled to the S.A.R.B.A. membership Privileges or Powers in the Association upon discretion of the Board. Privileges and Powers include having the right to attend meetings, shows, and other events, access to the Association’s information and communications, the ability to vote in any meetings of the Association, and to be nominated for executive positions.
  6. Any member formally charged with animal abuse, neglect, and/or cruelty, shall be suspended until a court ruling. If convicted of said charges, membership will be revoked, and individuals will be suspended from reapplying as per the minimum court ordered length of suspensions per involvement in animal groups or owning animals.
  7. If any member is in arrears with fees or assessments in any way (not including membership fees), and they are left unpaid or overdue for a period of thirty days, they will automatically be suspended and no longer entitled to membership Privileges and Powers in the Association until fees are paid in full without interest.
  8. Term of membership to be one year commencing January 1st and expiring December 31st each year. Membership fees will be decided at the Annual General Meeting.
  9. Any member may voluntarily withdraw their membership from this association by submitting a letter or email to the Secretary indicating their intention and the date it is effective. A former member has no rights or privileges effective the day following the date of withdrawal or the day following the date the withdrawal application is accepted.
  10. All individual members shall have the right to vote in person or by proxy, at annual and general meetings of the Association. Two votes shall be allowed for each Family Membership.
  11. The Executive Committee reserves the right to accept or reject, for just cause, any application for membership or renewal.
  12. Failure to renew a membership within sixty days following expiration (Dec 31) shall result in automatic termination of such membership. Renewals made within sixty days of expiration shall be dated back to the original expiration date.

Article IV: Meetings

  1. Meetings of this Association should be held every other month but must be held at minimum of once per quarter. The Executive Committee may call emergency meetings as required. Members will be notified of the date, time, and location of meetings a minimum of one week for regular meetings and 48 hours for emergency meetings.
  2. The order of business at a regular meting shall be the following:
    1. reading of the minutes,
    2. report of the President,
    3. report of the Secretary/Treasurer or Secretary and Treasurer,
    4. committee reports,
    5. correspondence,
    6. old business,
    7. new business,
    8. and adjournment.
  3. This Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting on or before December 15th of each year. Notice of this meeting will be delivered by email and on Social Media no less than seven days prior to the meeting. All members have the right to vote as decided in the meeting announcement whether by secret ballot, written proxy, show of hands, or other appropriate procedure accepted by the Association as valid.
  4. The order of business at the AGM shall be that same as for a regular meeting, but will include elections and voting as new business.
  5. Special Meetings may be called by the executive board as needed. Special Meetings may be called to deal with any single issue that requires ratification by member vote. Notice of a Special Meeting must be sent by email or on Social Media to all members in good standing at least two (2) weeks before the meeting, outlining the issue to be voted upon. All members have the right to vote on the issue presented whether by secret ballot, written proxy, show of hands, or other appropriate procedure accepted by the Association as valid.
  6. Voting at Association meetings will be by show of hands; proxy voting will be allowed.
  7. Five members shall constitute a quorum at ANY meeting, at least three of those five must be an Executive member.
  8. Any member in good standing willing to become a candidate for any elected office can be nominated and elected at the Annual General Meeting.

Article V: Officers

  1. The elected officers of this Association shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer or Secretary and Treasurer, and three to five Directors. This group will be known as the Executive Committee.
  2. The officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. Any member who has not withdrawn from membership, nor has been suspended or expelled, shall have the right to vote. Such votes must be made by email or in person and elections shall include pre-nominations.
  3. All officers’ terms shall commence January 1st of the following year.
  4. Any member wishing to hold office must already be or agree to become a member in good standing of the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
  5. Any member of the Association and A.R.B.A. in good standing may be eligible to hold office in this Association.
  6. Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled at the next meeting, provided it is so stated in the notice of such a meeting. Any rightful member in good standing, being a member of A.R.B.A, may be elected to the vacant position.
  7. If any member of the Executive Committee is unable to attend a meeting, they must inform the President.

Article VI: Duties of Officers

  1. The President shall preside at all meetings of this Association, and act as Chairman of the Board of Directors, appoint all committees, call special meetings of the Association, or of the Board of Directors, and perform other duties as are usual to that office.
  2. The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence or disability. In the event of the President’s resignation, or otherwise vacated, the Vice-President shall automatically succeed them in office.
  3. In the event of a Secretary and a Treasurer being elected, the Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the Association, receive applications for membership and correspondence, and keep and maintain such in a safe and secure manner.
  4. The Treasurer shall collect all monies due the Association, deposit such monies regularly, and pay all bills, submit a financial statement at each regular meeting and Annual General Meeting, and keep all records in a safe and secure manner. The Treasurer is responsible for all official filings, including, but not limited to: the provincial Annual Return and the ARBA Charter. The Treasurer is also responsible for managing the Association’s assets.
  5. The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer will be the combined duties of both the Secretary and the Treasurer.
  6. The Board of Directors shall carry out the decisions of this Association and transact all necessary business for the welfare of this Association.
  7. A person elected as Director becomes a Director if they were present at the Annual General Meeting when being elected and did not refuse the appointment. They may also become the Director if they were not present at the Annual General Meeting but consent in writing to act as Director within seven days of the Election, or if they acted as a Director pursuant to the Election. Directors must be members in good standing of the Association and be members of A.R.B.A. before their terms begin.

Article VII: Removal of Officers

  1. Any member of the Executive Committee who is absent for three consecutive meetings without just cause, shall be dropped from the office, and the vacancy filled by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.
  2. Any member of the Executive Committee who shows lack of interest in their official duties or who fails to answer correspondence on club matters, shall be asked by the President and/or the Board of Directors to resign. The vacancy will be filled by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.
  3. Any vacancy, other than referred to in the preceding sections, shall be filled at the next meeting by election of a member in good standing of the Association.

Article VII: Committees

  1. The board shall approve all Committee Chairs. Each Committee Chairman will appoint any committee members, with the approval of the board. The term of each Committee Chairman and the committee members shall be as long as required, up to one year; the Board shall have the authority to make such replacements as are considered to be in the best interest of the Association.
  2. Each Committee Chairman shall submit information on their committee’s work at each meeting, where applicable.
  3. Any committee deemed advisable by the Board and/or the membership shall be appointed and given specific instructions.

Article IX: Show Rules

  1. The American Rabbit Breeders Association Show Rules shall govern this Association.

Article X: Auditing

  1. The Association bank account shall be conveniently located to the Treasurer.
  2. The books, accounts, and records of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be audited at least once a year by a duly qualified accountant or by two members of the Association elected for that purpose at the Annual General Meeting. A complete and proper statement of the Standing of the Books for the previous year shall be submitted by such auditor to the Treasurer to present at the First General Meeting of the Association each year. The end of the financial year of the Association shall be September 30.
  3. The Books and Records for the Association may be inspected by any member of the Association at the Annual General Meeting or at any time upon giving thirty days notice to the officer having charge of the same. Each Member of the Executive Committee shall at all times have access to such Books and Records.

Article XI: Remuneration

  1. No officer or member of this Association shall receive any remuneration for their services. Expenses approved at a general meeting incurred by a member on behalf of the Association may be reimbursed.

Article XII: Borrowing

  1. This Association does not have the ability to borrow money.

Article XIII: Seal

  1. This Association does not have an official Seal.

Article XIV: Alterations/Amendments

  1. Any alteration of, or amendment to, the Bylaws may be presented for consideration by any member in good standing of this Association at any meeting of the Association.
  2. A summary of proposed amendments will be distributed to members, including the date and time of the vote on the proposed amendments.
  3. From Section 15 of the Societies Act:

(1) The bylaws of a society shall not be rescinded, altered or added to except by special resolution of the society.

(2) Society bylaw amendments do not take effect until they have been registered by the Registrar of Corporations. 


Definition of a Special Resolution as per Section 1(d) states:

(i) a resolution passed

  1. at a general meeting of which not less than 21 days’ notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution has been duly given, and
  2. by the vote of not less than 75% of those members who, if entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy.

(ii) a resolution proposed and passed as a special resolution at a general meeting of which less than 21 days’ notice has been given, if all the members entitled to attend and vote at the general meeting so agree, or

(iii) a resolution consented to in writing by all the members who would have been entitled at a general meeting to vote on the resolution in person or, where proxies are permitted, by proxy.