Bylaws

Grand National By-Laws

ARTICLE I

The name of this Organization, incorporated under the Act of General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania entitled “Nonprofit Corporation Law,” shall be GRAND NATIONAL GROUSE CHAMPIONSHIP, INC.

For purposes of convenience this Organization will hereafter in these By-Laws be referred to as the “Club.”

The purpose of the Club shall be –

Section 1. To restore and perpetuate wild Upland Game Birds and particularly Ruffed Grouse in North America; to promote, carry on, conduct and foster research, education, training and publication in the ornithological sciences; to establish, promote, assist and contribute to, or otherwise encourage, the study of conservation, restoration and management of Upland Game Birds and their habitats; to promote, encourage, acquire or maintain refuges for Upland Game Birds and to foster and increase interest in and knowledge of Upland Game Birds and their conservation and restoration by promoting, regulating, controlling, advising and conducting field trials on Upland Game Birds.

To stimulate the breeding and raising of pointing dogs and advocate their registration in appropriate Stud Books and thereby securing and preserving a proper record of performance.

To acquire property, real and personal, by deed, gift, lease or otherwise, for the use and enjoyment of the members of the Club and for the carrying out of the corporate purposes.

Section 2. To hold each year a Championship Stake on Grouse for registered dogs of all pointing breeds that are qualified under Running Rules as established by the Board of Directors. The annual Championship Stake shall be known as The Grand National Grouse Championship.

Section 3. (a) The Championship event shall be held in the three (3) geographical areas named and defined in Article IV, in rotation namely: The Central Atlantic Area the first year, The Great Lakes Area the second year and The Northeastern Area the third year, and subsequent years in the same order except as otherwise provided in this section.

(b) Each year prior to April 20th the Secretary shall communicate with the Vice President representing the area whose turn it is to hold the Championship Stake, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the Directors representing that area wish to claim the event for that year. If such Vice President is not available, the Secretary shall communicate with one of the other Directors representing that area.

(c) If for any reason, such as a shortage of birds, or lack of suitable grounds, the Directors representing that area should decide that a creditable event could not be put on in that section that year, the Board of Directors will then decide which of the other two areas should have the privilege of running that year’s event. Under such circumstances, however, the area which relinquishes its turn in running the event in any one year shall have first call to stage the event the following year.

Section 4. To hold each year a Futurity Stake to be known as The Grouse Futurity. To be run at the same location as the Championship and shall begin at the discretion of the Board Of Directors.

Section 5. To hold each year a Puppy Stake to be known as The Grouse Puppy Classic to be run at such time and place and under such conditions as the Board of Directors from time to time may determine. All dogs eligible to run in the next following Futurity are eligible to run in the Puppy Classic.

Section 6. The Board of Directors each year shall announce the place for the Championship Stake four months in advance of the running and shall announce the place for the running of The Grouse Futurity and The Puppy Classic at least three months in advance.

As soon as such designations have been made the same shall be publicized in the columns of The American Field and elsewhere as the President may determine.

Section 7. It is the policy of the Club to rotate the Championship, Futurity and The Puppy Classic among the three areas.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERS

Section 1. Members shall be elected by the Board of Directors, who shall prescribe a form of membership application. All applications for membership must be signed by the applicant and proposed or endorsed by a member of the Club before being submitted by the Secretary to the Board of Directors for action. The Board of Directors in its discretion may reject the membership application of any individual.

Section 2. Any member may be dropped from the membership rolls by the Board of Directors at any time if the Board in its discretion decides that the dropping of such member from the rolls would be for the best interests of the Club.

ARTICLE III

MEMBER’S MEETINGS

Section 1. The annual meeting of the members of the Club shall be held in the fall at its headquarters during the running of the Championship Stake or during the running of The Grouse Futurity at a day, hour and place to be fixed by the Secretary with the approval of the President.

Section 2. At each annual meeting Directors shall be elected to succeed Directors whose terms expire, and such other business shall be transacted as may properly be brought before the meeting. The term of office of Directors elected at annual meetings shall continue until the election and qualification of their respective successors. Notice of the time and place of holding annual meetings must be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least fifteen (15) days before such meeting. This requirement shall be considered complied with if the day, hour and place of such annual meeting is printed on the entry blank for the Championship Stake or The Grouse Futurity and a copy of such entry blank is mailed by the Secretary to each member of the Club at least fifteen (15) days before the date set for the meeting.

Section 3. Special meetings of the Club may be held at any time upon a call from the President, or upon the written request of a majority of the Board of Directors. Such a call shall be in writing and shall state the time, place and purpose of the special meeting, and shall be filed with the Secretary at least eighteen (18) days prior to such meeting, and at least (10) days prior to such a meeting; such notice to specify the time, place and purpose of the meeting.

Section 4. The Directors from each of the three (3) areas whose terms do not expire shall constitute a nominating committee for the area and each year before September 1st it shall be the duty of the Vice President from each area to request such nominating committee to designate nominees to fill the vacancies on the board which will occur at the time of the annual meeting

It shall be the further duty of the Vice President from each area to mail the names of such nominees to the Secretary of the Club at least thirty (30) days before the annual meeting. The names of such nominees shall be presented to the annual meeting by the Secretary or his representative. This, however, shall not preclude the making of other nominations from the floor.

Section 5. The order of business at annual members’ meetings of the Club shall be as follows:
1. Reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting and the minutes of all special meetings held subsequently.
2. Report of the President.
3. Report of the Secretary-Treasurer.
4. Report of the Futurity Secretary-Treasurer.
5. Reports of the Invitational Secretary
6. Report of the Standing Committee.
7. Reports of Special Committees.
8. By-Laws and Running Rules proposals.
9. Unfinished business.
10. New business.
11. Election of Directors and a Chairman.
12. Adjournment.

Section 6. At all regular or special meetings of members, questions other than By-Laws or Running Rules issues shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present in person or by a properly executed proxy. A properly executed proxy shall contain the signature of the member in good standing who is assigning his voting power to another member in good standing. The assignee shall be designated on the proxy. The proxy shall define the specific issue to which the proxy is being issued.

Section 7. The election of Directors shall be by ballot.

Section 8. Members whose dues have not been paid are ineligible to vote at any members’ meeting.

Section 9.
The general membership can bring about desired changes in the conduct and direction of the Grand National, both by deciding the composition of the Board Of Directors and by initiating and voting on certain changes directly. While changes in by-laws or running rules are effected by the Board Of Directors, there are many other items associated with running of The Club, and the four GNC stakes, in which the general membership can enact changes. At the General Membership Meeting therefore, new Business and other formal proposals shall fall into one of three categories,

1) A General Proposal
2) By-Laws and Running Rules Proposal,
3) Recommendation Proposal.

A General Proposal is an item that the membership can, according to the by-laws bring up, discuss, formulate into a motion, second the motion and vote upon the proposal. Upon membership approval, such items are passed and The Club obliged to abide by the requirements contained in the General Proposal. Generally, these are items of business and conduct which are not related to by-laws or running rules. If a by-laws or running rules change is desired, the responsibility for such changes falls to the Board Of Directors. Therefore, a by-laws or running rules related motion, approved by the membership, is called a 2) By-Laws and Running Rules Proposal. Such a motion, approved by the membership, CANNOT become by-law or running rule, but rather is submitted to the By-Laws And Running Rules Committee, and is placed by the Secretary on the Agenda for the Board Of Directors meeting for the following year. For items in which the Board Of Directors, per the by-laws, are charged solely with deciding upon, the general membership may wish to have their opinion heard by the Board Of Directors. In such cases, a Recommendation Proposal may be formulated and voted upon. A Recommendation Proposal is attached to the pertinent item on the Board of Directors Agenda, and shall be read as part of the discussion for the desired agenda item. A Recommendation Proposal is non-binding, and each director is free to consider it or not at their own choosing.

ARTICLE IV

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. There shall be a Board of Directors, sixteen (16) in number, made up of a Director-At-Large who shall be Chairman of the Board, and fifteen (15) other members, selected as provided in Section 2 of this Article. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Club, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity, and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Grouse and Woodcock Championship Invitational, shall be members of the Board of Directors ex officio with full voting powers, provided either or both are not elected members of the Board.

Section 2. Directors shall hold office for a period of three (3) years, and each of the following geographical areas shall be represented on the Board by five (5) members, viz.-

The Northeastern Area, comprising the New England States, New York, and New Brunswick.

The Central Atlantic Area, consisting of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Great Lakes Area, consisting of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario.

Section 3. The Chairman of the Board shall be elected each year at the annual meeting of the Club and may reside in any one of the three (3) areas.

Section 4. The expiration of the terms of office of the Directors shall be so arranged that at least one (1) and no more than two (2) from each geographical area shall terminate each year.

Section 5. In case of a vacancy on the Board of Directors through death, resignation or inability to act, a successor shall be elected by the Board of Directors to serve until the next annual members’ meeting, at which time a successor shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term of such Director.

Section 6. Seven Directors, including ex officio Directors, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, with the proviso that no more than four Directors residing in any one of the three areas shall be included for the purpose of establishing such quorum. Directors may not be represented by proxy.

Section 7. The management of the Club between meetings of the Board shall be entrusted to an Executive Committee (see Article VI), and except where the Executive Committee has been charged with specific duties or its powers specifically limited, the terms “Executive Committee” and “Board of Directors” as used in these By-Laws are interchangeable.

Section 8. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held each year in the fall during the running of the annual Championship Stake or The Grouse Futurity, following the annual members’ meeting. At each annual meeting the Board of Directors shall elect from their number a President, who may be from any of the three (3) geographical areas; three (3) Vice Presidents, one from each geographical area; a Secretary-Treasurer, a Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity, and a Secretary Treasurer of The Grouse and Woodcock Invitational. The three (3) Secretaries may reside anywhere and it is not required that either be a member of the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall not be elected by the Directors but this office shall automatically attach to the Director-At-Large as provided in Sections 1 and 3 of this Article. In case of the death or resignation of the Chairman of the Board, the Board of Directors may elect a successor to fill the unexpired term. All officers shall hold office for the term of one (1) year and until their respective successors shall be duly elected and qualified.

Section 9. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the President, or upon the written request of five (5) members of the Board, no more than three (3) of whom shall be from any one area; such a call to be in writing, filed with the Secretary, and shall state the time, place and purpose of the meeting. The Secretary shall give the members of the Board at least ten (10) days’ notice by mail or wire of such meeting, and the substance of the call.

Section 10. Special meetings of the Board may be held by mail or fax. Any question, motion or resolution upon which the President or Secretary may desire the decision of the Board may be submitted to each member of the Board by the Secretary by mail or fax, and each member shall within the ten (10) days thereafter file his decision or vote with the Secretary, and a majority vote of the Board shall determine all matters and questions so submitted. Members whose replies are not received within ten (10) days shall be considered as not voting. The Secretary shall record in the Minute Book all questions so submitted by mail or fax, and the vote of the members thereon.

Section 11. The order of business at the annual meeting of Directors shall be as follows:
1.   Reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting and of all special meetings held subsequently.
2.   Report of the President.
3.   Report of the Secretary-Treasurer.
4.   Report of The Futurity Secretary- Treasurer.
5.   Report of the Invitational Secretary.
6.   Reports of standing committees and special committees.
7.   Setting the dates and venue of GNC events.
8.   Amendments to By-Laws and Running Rules.
9.   Unfinished business.
10. New business.
11. Election of officers.
12. Adjournment.

Section 12. In addition to its general powers, the Board Of Directors shall be charged with the following specific duties; viz., to select the place for the Championship Stake, The Grouse Futurity and The Puppy Classic, and to designate a Stake Manager for each stake who shall assume complete responsibility for putting on the stake, including not only supervision of the actual running but also responsibility for all collateral matters such as local publicity, entertainment, the securing of accommodations for visitors and dogs, arranging for horses, etc. Stake Managers shall have the authority to appoint such assistants and local committees as they may consider necessary.

Section 13. It shall also be the duty of the Board Of Directors to cooperate with the several clubs running grouse trials with a possible view to reducing conflicting dates to a minimum and so far as possible to synchronize the dates of the clubs so as to best accommodate handlers and owners from the several areas.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Section 1. The Chairman of the Board shall have no regular duties except that he shall, if present at members’ or Board meetings, preside in the absence of the President. He shall have such special powers and duties as may be conferred on him from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. The President, as chief executive officer, shall preside at all annual and special meetings of the members, and at all annual and special meetings of the Board of Directors. He shall have such other and further duties as may be conferred on him from time to time by the Board or provided in the By-Laws and Running Rules of the Club.

Section 3. In the absence or the disability of the President, the Vice President who has served the longest consecutive term as a Director of the Club shall have all of the powers and duties of the President so long as such absence or disability of the President continues. In the absence or disability of both the President and such Vice President, the Vice President with the second longest record of continuous service as a Director shall have all the powers and duties of the President so long as such absence or disability continues. The Vice Presidents shall severally have such other duties and powers as may be conferred upon them by the Board of Directors or these By-Laws.

Section 4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall as Secretary keep the minutes of all annual and special meetings of the members, and of all annual and special meetings of the Board and of the Emergency Committee. He shall receive and transmit to the Board of Directors for their action all applications for membership; shall maintain a record of all members together with their post office addresses; and shall attend to the printing of membership applications, membership cards, entry blanks, letter and billheads, and all other printing incidental to the conduct of the Club. He shall also place all general advertising and publicity. He shall be responsible for advertising the Championship Stake in the columns of The American Field at least three (3) weeks prior to the running. He shall carry on the general correspondence of the Club and shall send copies of the By-Laws to all newly elected members and to each newly elected member of the Board of Directors. He shall notify all officers and directors of their election, and shall mail a copy of the minutes to every member of the Board. He shall mail notices of all meetings. He shall have general charge of the records and books of the Club, and upon the election of his successor he shall deliver these to his successor. All of the books and records of the Secretary shall at all reasonable times be open for the inspection and examination of any officer or member of the Board.

(b) As Treasurer he shall have the custody of all funds and property of the Club except those pertaining strictly to The Grouse Futurity, The Puppy Classic, and the Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship, and shall have power to endorse on behalf of the Club checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money; and shall also have power, with the consent of the President, to open a bank account in the name of the Club, which bank must be a member of the Federal Reserve and of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor of that Corporation. The Treasurer may, with the consent of the majority of the Board of Directors, borrow money on behalf of the Club. He shall sign receipts and vouchers on behalf of the Club, and he shall also sign checks and drafts for the payment of bills or expenses of the Club, and for the disbursements of its funds. He shall in January of each year bill all members for dues. He shall keep a full and accurate account of all monies received or paid out by him on behalf of the Club. Such records shall be open at any time during reasonable hours for the inspection of the President or any member of the Board of Directors. He shall also perform such other duties incident to the position of Secretary-Treasurer as may be from time to time delegated to him by the Board of Directors. Within thirty (30) days following the election of a successor he shall deliver to such successor all records, books, accounts, securities, funds and other property of the Club.

Section 5. The fiscal year of the Club shall each year end on June 30th. Within seventy-five (75) days after the end of each fiscal year the Secretary-Treasurer of the Club shall prepare and mail each member a financial statement showing the assets and liabilities of the Club at the end of the fiscal year, together with a statement of income and expense for the year. He shall attach to his report a copy of the financial report of the Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity, which shall include the financial condition of the Futurities and The Puppy Classic as of the end of the fiscal year, and a copy of the financial report of the Grouse & Woodcock Invitational.

Section 6. (a) The Secretary-Treasurer of the Grouse Futurity shall have full charge, subject only to the Board of Directors, of the development and promotion of The Grouse Futurity and The Puppy Classic. It shall be his duty to advertise the opening and closing dates of each in The American Field; to provide such other publicity as the Board may deem advisable; to mail out blanks for the nomination of dams and entry of puppies in form approved by the Board of Directors; to advertise in The American Field at the proper time the dates for interim forfeit payments and entries; to advertise the running of each event at least three weeks in advance; to receive and maintain in a bank account all nomination and entry fees; to maintain proper records of all nominations of dams and entries of puppies; to carry on all correspondence relating to The Grouse Futurities and The Puppy Classic; and to prepare and mail entry blanks each year well in advance of the running to all owners of dogs eligible to The Puppy Classic and The Futurity, to all members of the Club, and to such others as may request blanks.

(b) He shall each year submit to the annual members’ meeting a report on the financial status of each Futurity that is then open, showing income, expenses to date, number of bitches nominated, number of dogs entered and paid up, and amount of cash on hand. He shall also within sixty (60) days after the running of each Futurity and Puppy Classic submit to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Club a financial report covering the event. All funds remaining after payment of all bills pertaining to the running of any Futurity and Puppy Classic shall be transferred to the general funds of the Club.

(c) The Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity shall have custody of all funds of the Futurities and The Puppy Classic and shall have power to endorse on behalf of the Club all checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money; and shall also have power, with the consent of the President, to open a bank account in the name of the Club, which bank must be a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor thereof.

(d) His records shall be open at any time during reasonable hours to inspection by the President or any member of the Board of Directors. Within thirty (30) days following the election of a successor he shall deliver to such successor all records, books, accounts and funds together with a final accounting.

Section 7. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Club and the Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity shall give bonds for the faithful discharge of their duties in such amounts as the Board of Directors may require.

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

Section 1. Emergency Committee:

There shall be an Emergency Committee of seven members consisting of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Club, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Futurity, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Invitational, and the three Regional Vice Presidents. The committee shall be convened by the president or at the request of two or more of the committee members. The three overriding criteria for enacting the committee are to deal with situations that

1) Cannot wait until the Annual Meeting.
2) Require immediate action and where contacting and polling the entire Board thus becomes impractical. And
3) Deal with an issue or a situation that is critical to the health of the club, or is essential to the running of a quality Championship.

Copies of the minutes of all Emergency Committee meetings shall be furnished members of the Board or read at the next succeeding Board meeting and shall be recorded in the Minute Book. Actions of the Executive Committee shall be subject to review by the Board of Directors except to the extent that any change would effect commitments already incurred, or affect the management and/or the running of stakes, public announcement of which had been made.

The Emergency Committee shall fix its own rules of procedure and shall meet on call of the President or as provided by the rules of the Committee.

An affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the Emergency Committee shall be necessary for the adoption of any resolution but a vote in writing by mail or a vote by wire by a member unable to attend a meeting shall be valid either for or against any resolution.

Section 2. Committee on By-Laws and Running Rules:

Changes to By-Laws or Running Rules can be proposed by members, the Board of Directors, or can emerge from The By-Laws and Running Rules Committee. When changes are proposed at either the Members Meeting or the Board Meeting, the Secretary of The Club shall place the proposed changes on the Agenda for the Director’s Meeting of the following year.

The By-Laws Committee shall then formulate exact language for the proposed change or addition, and also shall identify where the change would be placed in the by-laws book (Section, Article and number, etc.) and shall also identify any other language in the book that may be contradictory or confusing given the introduction of new language. In anticipation of the potential change this wording shall either be rewritten or merely identified for the purpose of complete removal, if the change were to be accepted. The exact written alterations shall be identified in detail for presentation to the directors at the next meeting.

Where the specific by-laws or running rules changes are initiated by the rules committee, the members of this committee will come to a unanimous agreement on the specific language, additions and deletions. Such a proposal will therefore bear the signatures of all committee members at the time when the proposal is presented to the Board of Directors.

Where specific proposals were not formulated by the by-laws and running rules committee, there should be two committee votes. The first vote is whether the changes as formulated are accurate and in keeping with intent as originally proposed by the members or the Board of Directors. This vote need only be a majority vote among the Rules committee members. Yet the Rules committee may also, based upon their examination, decide that a proposal as drafted is inadequate, contrary to the purpose of the club, impractical, or undesirable for any number of reasons. In this case, the committee may “Recommend to Reject” the proposed change. A Recommendation to Reject shall only result from a unanimous vote of the rules committee members and shall count as one vote “NAY” at the Board of Directors meeting where the proposed change is being considered, with the committee members each still having full votes as Directors. Likewise, by unanimous vote of the By-laws and Running Rules Committee, a Recommendation to Accept may be adopted which shall carry one vote “YEA” on the proposal at the directors meeting with all committee members still having their full voting privileges as directors. A less than unanimous vote in the rules committee on whether to “recommend” or “reject” shall bring neither an extra “Yea nor Nay” vote to the Director’s meeting. Similarly, no proposal that is instigated by the Rules Committee shall carry an extra vote to recommend. All Rules Committee votes shall be recorded by the Rules Committee Chairman and are subject to the scrutiny of the president..

Upon passage of a proposal by the Board of Directors by a simple majority, all changes to the printed booklet (new wording, added wording, removed passages, re-written passages, etc.), including the exact part of the booklet where each change will occur, shall be turned over the Club Secretary.

Section 3. Audit Committee:

This Committee shall consist of a Chairman and two (2) associate members, one (1) from each area, and shall be appointed by the President at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual members’ meeting.

It shall be the duty of this Committee to examine the annual reports and the books and accounts of the Secretary-Treasurer of the Club and of the Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity when these reports are available at the end of the fiscal year. It shall report its findings to the Club at the annual meeting.

In the event of the death or resignation of either the Secretary-Treasurer of the Club or the Secretary-Treasurer of The Grouse Futurity it shall be the duty of the Audit Committee to audit their accounts and report its findings to the President.

Section 4. Nominating Committee:

This Committee shall consist of a Chairman and two (2) associate members, one (1) from each area, all of whom must be Directors and shall have been appointed by the President at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual members’ meeting.

It shall be the duty of this Committee to present to the Board of Directors at its annual meeting a state of candidates for the various offices names in the By-Laws. Nominations submitted to this Committee shall not, however, preclude a Director from making other nominations at the annual Directors’ meeting.

Section 5. Standing Investment Committee:

A Standing investment Committee consisting of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Invitational Secretary-Treasurer and two directors appointed by the president shall serve as the Standing Investment Committee and will have the authority to invest excess funds in any of following investments … U.S. Government and Agency Obligations, Money Market Funds, paper and notes of investment grade, investment grade preferred stocks or mutual funds to be made up of stocks and bonds of investment grade corporations.

Section 6. The President may from time to time at his discretion appoint such other committees as he may consider necessary.

ARTICLE VII

DUES

Section 1. The membership dues shall be Ten Dollars ($10.00) per year. If a member shall not have paid his dues for any calendar year prior to December 31st of that year, he shall be dropped from the membership rolls, but may be reinstated at any time within six (6) months thereafter by paying his back dues and his dues for the current year. After the expiration of such six (6) months’ period he may be reinstated only by applying for membership as a new member.

ARTICLE VIII

PURSE AND TROPHIES

Section 1. A cash purse, the amount to be determined each year by the Board of Directors, shall be awarded to the owner of the dog winning the Grand National Grouse Championship event. In the event that a Runner-Up is declared, the purse shall be divided 70% to the Winner and 30% to the Runner-Up.

Section 2. A Championship trophy, to be known as The Grouse Bowl, to be won three times by the same owner but not necessarily with the same dog, shall be presented to the owner of the Champion and winning the Grand National Grouse Championship event. In the event that a Runner-Up is declared, the purse shall be divided 70% to the Winner and 30% to the Runner-Up.

Section 2. A Championship Trophy, to be known as The Grouse Bowl, to be won three times by the same owner but not necessarily with the same dog, shall be presented to the owner of the Champion and shall remain in his possession for one year. The name of the dog, the name of the owner, and the year of the win shall be engraved on The Grouse Bowl each year. Any owner winning The Grouse Bowl three times becomes its permanent owner, and shall furnish the Grand National Grouse Championship, Inc. with a replacement trophy of equal value, craftsmanship, and overall appeal.

Section 3. In addition to the purse and a leg on The Grouse Bowl, an outright award of a Tiffany designed pin in gold, to be known as The Championship Pin, shall be awarded to the owner of the Champion each year. The words “Grouse Champion” shall be inscribed on the pin. The owner of the Champion shall have the option of selecting a pin or a portrait of equal value.

Section 4. Certificate of Win, in form adopted by the Board of Directors and signed by the President and Secretary-Treasurer, shall be awarded each year to the owner of the winner of the Championship.

Section 5. (a) The purse in The Grouse Futurity shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Club. The amount of the purse shall be divided two-thirds to the owners of the winners and one-third to the breeders of the winners; both the owners’ and breeders’ divisions of the purse to be divided 40-25-20-15% if there are four (4) monies paid; and 45-30-25% if there are three (3) monies. If there are sixteen (16) or more starters, four (4) monies will be paid, and if less than sixteen (16), three (3) monies.

(b) In addition to the cash purse, a certificate approved by the Board, and appropriately framed, shall be awarded annually to the owner of each dog that is placed, and a certificate, suitably framed, shall be awarded to the breeder of each dog that is placed.

(c) There shall be a perpetual trophy for competition in The Grouse Futurity. Any such trophy must be won three times by the same owner to become his property. Each year the name of the dog winning first place in The Futurity, together with the name of his owner shall be inscribed on the trophy and the owner may retain possession of it for one year.

Section 6. A trophy shall be offered for competition in The Grouse Puppy Classic. The conditions with respect to the annual and permanent award of this trophy shall be the same as those attached to the Futurity Trophy.

The trophy offered for competition in the inaugural running of The Puppy Classic was donated by the Grouse Clubs of Michigan and is known as the
John M. Hadaway Trophy.

Section 7. The owner of the winner, so choosing, may engrave the name of his dog on the trophy. To insure uniformity in type and arrangements, it is suggested that the owner either take the entire trophy to the engraver, or remove a previous plate so that the engraver can accurately duplicate the lettering size and type.

Section 8. The purse in The Puppy Classic shall be determined by the Board of Directors. The amount of the purse so designated shall be divided two-thirds to the owners of the four (4) winning dogs and one-third to the breeders of the winners; both divisions of the purse to be split 45-30-25%.

Section 9. As the trophy is an item of some value, the winners shall make provisions to list the trophy with some appropriate insurance policy for protection against fire, damage or theft. If the winner for some reason is not willing or able to insure the trophy, the trophy shall be returned to the secretary who will make provisions for the trophy’s storage and insurance for the year.

Section 10. If after the awards are made in any stake run by the Club it is discovered that any winning dog was ineligible to compete, the win shall be cancelled of record and the return of purse money, certificate of win and trophy shall be required.

ARTICLE IX

INCOME AND PROPERTY

Section 1. All property, real and personal, which the Club shall hold, shall be used exclusively for the purposes set forth in these By-Laws, and no part of their income or the property of this Club shall inure to the benefit of any member provided, however, that reasonable compensation may be paid to an officer, member or employee for services rendered.

Section 2. In the event of the dissolution and liquidation of the Club, none of its property or funds shall inure to the benefit of any member but shall be transferred and paid over to some nationally recognized conservation or charitable organization to be designated by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X

RUNNING RULES

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall adopt Running Rules for the conduct of the annual Championship Stake and for the conduct of The Grouse Futurity, and The Grouse Puppy Classic, and the Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship. Such Running Rules shall be printed and, together with a copy of the By-Laws, distributed to all members.

1. ANNUAL STAKE:

The Grand National Grouse Championship shall be run annually in grouse cover starting the first Tuesday in November. The place to be selected by the Board of Directors (see Article VI of the By-Laws). The winner of the Annual Stake shall be declared The Grand National Grouse Champion of America for that year.
2. DESERVING WINNER:

The declaration of a champion shall be discretionary with the judges. However, it shall be the policy of this Club that each Championship event be run through to a logical conclusion, and the judges shall be instructed by the Stake Manager in advance of the running that unless an unreasonable succession of bad weather or lack of birds makes the continuance of the Stake impractical, the dogs shall be run in repeated series if necessary until a deserving winner is apparent.
3. RUNNER-UP:

A Runner-Up may be declared in the discretion of the judges if there is, in their opinion, another dog in the Stake close up behind the winner, and outstanding in comparison with the other contestants.
4. ELIGIBLE DOGS:

Dogs of pointing breeds that are registered in the Field Dog Stud Book or in a registry recognized by the F.D.S.B., are eligible to compete in the Championship Stake provided that they have won a first, second, or third place in any American Field recognized open All-Age event whether such event is advertised as an All-Age, Gun or Shooting Dog Stake. Qualifying stakes shall not include All-Age events as described above where the standards of the stake do not reflect a desire for placements to be “Steady to Wing and Shot.”.
5. JUDGES:

The Board of Directors shall select the judges and decide upon their number. The number of judges shall be decided at the annual meeting. The selection of judges shall follow the following process:

The Secretary shall then take the ranked candidate lists from the directors and assemble a single list with highest collective ranked (lowest number) candidate at the top and the lowest ranked (highest number) candidate at the bottom. The Secretary shall then contact potential judges, and reporters, according to the order of this list.
At the earliest convenience, the Grand National Secretary shall solicit names of three possible judging candidates and one reporter candidate, from each director. This may be done by mail. The Secretary shall then assemble the resulting list of all potential candidates, and mail it to all directors. The directors shall consider the candidates and rank them in order of preference, and return the list promptly to the secretary. This ranking process shall be as follows “1” being the highest rank, “2” being the second highest, and so on through the entire list.

If the physical aspects of the grounds make it practical, the judges and the official reporter may be mounted (see Rule 12 – Gallery).
6. ENTRY FEES:

Nominating and/or starting fees shall be fixed by the Board of Directors and must be paid before the closing date. Post entries may be made at any time prior to the draw upon an additional payment, the amount of which shall be fixed by the Board.
7. WEATHER CONDITIONS:

No dog shall be run under weather conditions that make high-class work on grouse improbable, even though the pursuance of this policy shall result in one or more interruptions in the running.
8. ENTRY BLANKS:

The Secretary shall mail entry blanks thirty (30) days in advance of the running to all Club members and to all secretaries of grouse trial clubs known to him. The owner shall be responsible for filling in the blanks accurately. To be accepted, each blank must describe the dog by name, breed, color, markings, sex and Stud Book number. It shall also contain the name and complete address of the owner, the name of the person who is to handle the dog, and the name of the club, place and year of the win on which the owner relies to make his dog eligible.
9. STAKE MANAGER:

The Stake Manager shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall have complete charge of the Stake, including not only the actual running but also all arrangements for local publicity, entertainment, accommodations for visitors and dogs, hiring of horses, etc. The Stake Manager may appoint such assistants and/or local committees as he may consider necessary.
10. GROUNDS AND COURSES:

When the grounds and courses have been selected for the running of the Championship event; it shall be the duty of the Stake Manager to request the local authorities controlling the use of the grounds to close the grounds and courses, so far as it may be legally possible to do so, to the training of dogs, and to hunting, for several weeks prior to the running of the Stake. Courses to be utilized must be announced at the time of the drawing. Once the running has commenced and the pattern of courses is established nothing should change that pattern unless weather conditions prevent the normal pattern from being run in the said prescribed manner as dictated by the first day’s running.
11. FIELD MARSHALS:

At least two field marshals or guides shall be appointed by the Stake Manager. One marshal shall act as guide for the field trail party. A second marshal shall immediately follow the judges and it shall be his duty to accompany any judge who has occasion to
leave the field trial party to follow a dog. If two judges have occasion to leave the field trial party at the sane time to follow handlers, a marshal or adequate guide designated by the marshal must accompany each judge.

It shall be the duty of the marshals to so regulate and control the gallery that the work of the judges, handlers and dogs will not be interfered with. It shall be their duty to enforce any regulations laid down by the Stake Manager for the control or size of the gallery.

12. GALLERY:

If practicable, the handler, judges and the official reporter may be mounted. Marshals must walk. All others, constituting the gallery, shall walk in single file except that if any member of the gallery wishes to provide a horse at his own expense he may ride at the extreme rear of the walking gallery; the number of horses thus permitted at the rear of the gallery to be wholly within the discretion of the Stake Manager and such horses shall at all times be under his control and that of the marshal.
13. COURSES AND MAPS:

It shall be the duty of the Stake Manager to have a map of all courses available at the drawing, and, if possible, copies shall be made available for distribution to the owners and handlers. Courses for the first series shall be mapped and numbered and unless later changed by the Stake Manager due to the development of unforeseen conditions will be used in the order indicated, with respect to dogs running in the second or subsequent series, the courses on which they would like to see each dog or brace perform.
14. DRAWING AND RUNNING:

The order of running shall be determined by the drawing of well-shuffled folded slips from a hat, bowl or other receptacle.

While in the ordinary course of events dogs will be run on consecutive courses as indicated by the Stake Manager at the time of the draw, there shall be no drawing for courses as such. The management reserves the right to start or resume running on any course if conditions in its opinion justify a change.

If two dogs handled by the same handler should be drawn in the same brace the second dog so drawn shall become the first dog in the next brace, etc.

No dog shall be required to run twice in the same day without the consent of his handler.

No handler shall without his consent be obliged to handle dogs for more than two consecutive hours entries permitting.

If a dog is not present at the place at which he is to start when called to run he shall be disqualified after the expiration of a brief courtesy period to be determined by the judges. The duty of having a dog at the place and time he is to start shall rest solely on his handler.
15. LENGTH OF HEATS:

There shall be a first series heat of one hour in length. Further running shall be at the discretion of the judges.

No dog shall be named Grand National Grouse Champion or Runner-Up that has not had work on grouse acceptable to the judges.

If the performance of a dog in any series is such as to interfere with the work of the brace mate or is otherwise unsatisfactory to the judges, he may be ordered up. If both dogs of any brace perform in such a manner that in the opinion of the judges would eliminate them as contenders, the brace may be ordered up and the next brace called.
16. HANDLERS:

All handlers must conform to instructions of the judges unless such instructions conflict with the By-Laws and Running Rules. Should any instructions be disregarded, the judges shall have the authority to disqualify such handler and/or his dog, or they may refer the matter to the Stake Manager for action.

A handler may work his dog by any means he thinks proper, provided his methods do not, in the opinion of the judges, interfere with the competing dog. The use of bells is permitted. Electronic devices are not permitted..

A handler may ride under special circumstances or physical impairment with prior permission of the Board of Directors, provided the horse be kept on the course and a marshal placed between the foot handler and the mounted one. The pace shall be kept at an ordinary shooting gait. The judges if mounted shall keep their horses at a slow walk and must not crowd the marshals or the handlers. If, through no fault of their own, the handlers become separated, it shall be the duty of the marshals to bring them back together at the earliest possible moment.
17. SHOOTING:

No dog shall be named Champion or Runner-Up unless shot over when birds are flushed to his point. The shot must be fired by the handler of the pointing dog only, unless in his absence some other person is designated by a judge. Blank ammunition may be fired from a pistol or shotgun, but nothing smaller than a .32 caliber shall be used.
18. BACKING:

A dog may be declared Champion that has had no opportunity to back, but no dog that has clearly failed to honor a bracemate’s point shall be declared Champion.

19. BYE-DOGS:

Should there be a bye dog in the Stake the judges may in their discretion order him run with a bracemate of their selection. If, however, a dog from any brace should fail to start, the judges may move the bye dog up to run in the vacancy thus created. In the event that there are two or more dogs that fail to start in different braces their bracemate may be rebraced at the election of the judges.

No second series dog may be run until all dogs have run their first series heat.
20. BITCHES IN SEASON:

If the fact that a bitch is in season is announced before the draw, her slip when reached should be held out and paired with the next bitch to be drawn. If the bitch comes in season after the drawing and is braced with a male she is automatically prohibited from running. If her condition has distracted bracemate before it is discovered, he should be ordered up by the judges and run at the end of the stake as a bye dog.
21. OBJECTIONABLE ENTRIES:

Dogs afflicted with any disease, which the Stake Manager may regard as contagious, will not be permitted to start, or to be kenneled, handled or exercised on the grounds.

22. BEHAVIOR:

Any person who, to the satisfaction of the Stake Manager or any officer of the Club, who is present, shall have impugned the action of a judge, or who shall have otherwise annoyed a judge because of his official connection with the trial, may be barred from further participation in or attendance at the trial by the Stake Manager, and disbarment from future trials may be made permanent by later action of the Board of Directors. The Stake Manager shall have the authority to order any person in attendance from the field trial grounds, and to prevent his return during the continuance of the Stake, if in his judgment the person has been guilty of conduct unbecoming to a gentleman, and any such person may be permanently disbarred from attending future trials of this Club by subsequent action by the Board of Directors.

23. FAILURE TO DECLARE A CHAMPION:

If no champion is declared the stake shall revert to an All-Age with the purse divided 50-30-20% to the first, second and third placed dogs.
24. SCOUTING:

The judges may, on their own initiative or in their discretion, at the request of a handler permit a single scout to assist the handler in locating a dog. No more than one scout per handler shall be out at any one time and no scout shall leave the field trial party unless permission of a judge is first obtained, and such scout must report to a judge promptly on his return. A scout’s duties shall be limited to the location of a dog. Under no circumstances shall a scout attempt to handle a dog except at the request of a judge.
25. OUT OF JUDGMENT:

A dog that shall be out of judgment during any series for a continuous period of over twenty (20) minutes shall be disqualified, unless found on point witnessed by a judge. The foregoing disqualification may be lifted by the judges if it can be shown to their satisfaction that the absence of the dog for more than the time limit was due to outside factors which physically prevented him from rejoining his handler. The question as to whether a dog should be disqualified for being out of judgment for a shorter period, or a series of periods during the running, shall be within the discretion of the judges.

If a dog shall be out of judgment, his bracemate shall under no circumstances be held but shall proceed on the course.
26. REJECTION OF ENTRIES:

The Club reserves to itself the right to reject any entry. The exercise of this right shall be vested in the Board of Directors, except that with respect to late or post entries it shall be vested in the Stake Manager.

27. RETRIEVAL COLLARS

The locating receiver is to be used only when the dog is determined to be out of judgment.

No modifications are to be made to the collar other than a name tag may be added. The collar, one inch in width or less, must have a flat surface against a dog’s neck (no protrusions).

The collar’s transmitter, battery and antenna placed on the dog shall weigh no more than nine (9) ounces.

If a handler elects to use a transmitter on his or her dog, that collar shall remain on the dog during the entire heat. If the handler elects to remove the collar, the dog shall be considered out of judgment. In such case, only one other identification collar is permitted on the dog. i.e. Bell collar.

The hand-held locating receiver shall be turned off, and kept in the possession of the judges and/or their designee while the dog is in judgment.

If at any time during the series (brace) a handler asks to, or actually turns on any telemetric receiving device (Tracker, GPS, Cell Phone, Smart Watch, etc.) that dog shall be deemed out of judgment.

The Handler, Scout etc. of a lost dog may not proceed in front of his or her brace mate while the series is still under judgment without a judge’s approval. (See running rule #25 OUT OF JUDGMENT).

The running of the stake shall not be held up due to lack of available equipment.

Any person using a receiver to locate a dog currently in judgment prior to official authorization of its use by one of the judges shall disqualify that dog in the stake and the offenders shall be disqualified from field trials.

The Grand National Grouse Championship Inc. is not responsible for the loss, damage, or replacement of any retrieval collar, or receiver, or providing these items during their events.

28. GENERAL CONDITIONS:

With respect to matters not specifically covered by the By-Laws and Running Rules of the Club the rules of The Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America, Inc. shall govern.

It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Club to supply the judges with copies of all of the foregoing rules and regulations well in advance of the date of the trial.