NDDA Bi Laws

MEETING OF MEMBERS

ANNUAL MEETING

An annual meeting of the members shall be held during each conference in the year and month held in the town or city being hosted, for the purpose of transaction of such business as may come before the meeting such as, but not limited to, reviewing of the past annual minutes, treasurer’s report, voting on any changes to the bi-laws that the Board has proposed, and the election of officers. The board shall designate the date, hour, and place of the meeting.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

A notice stating the place day and hour of the annual meeting shall be posted on the NNDDA Website which is available to each member entitled to vote at such meeting, not less than thirty (30) days before the date of such meeting. Written notice will be provided upon request of a member to the NNDDA National Secretary.

VOTING

Voting shall be in person only. Absentee voting by proxy shall not be allowed. Voting shall be by show of hands or by written secret ballot. Voting will consist of all Members who are registered and in good standing (membership dues paid up at the time of the vote). Any new member of Private Security must be an active member and certified a K-9 with this association for five (5) years and then the private security member will have full voting powers.

QUORUM

A quorum shall consist of 25% of the active membership present in person at the Annual Business Meeting. No business may be validly transacted unless a quorum is present.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NUMBER AND TENURE

The number of Directors shall be three (3). The original director which would be Director one (1) would step up to Vice President. Director two (2) would succeed Director one (1) and Director three (3) would succeed Director two (2) and would keep stepping up through the years until reaching the top position of the Board which would be President.

BOARD MEETINGS

A regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held without other notice before the annual meeting of the members. This meeting will be conducted at the same location and prior to the annual meeting. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or any two (2) Board of Directors. Due to the cost and board availability the Board may elect to resolve issues that arise by communicating by phone or e-mail. Any action which may be taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken by the Board and filed with the minutes of the Board.

VACANCY

Any vacancy occurring in the Board shall be filled by the Board until the next regular or yearly meeting being that of the conference. A special election may be held to fill the vacant position at the beginning of the conference of that election year.

REMOVAL

Any officer may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of those voting at an annual membership meeting or special meeting of the members of the Board of Directors. A sitting board member absent for two consecutive scheduled board meetings shall be removed from office.

OFFICERS

The officers of the NNDDA shall be a President, Vice-President, Director One, Director Two, Director Three, National Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-At-Arms. Only active members of the corporation may be officers with the following requirements:

Be in law enforcement 3 years or a member of the NNDDA for three years prior to retiring from law enforcement.

Be in the NNDDA for 3 years.

Must be an active member in good standing.

ELECTION AND TERM OF OFFICE

The only office which will be open for election shall be the office of Sergeant-at-Arms. The office of National Secretary shall be an appointed position by the board and with that position shall have a vote on the Board. The office of Treasurer shall be an appointed position by the board and with that position shall have a vote on the Board. Both positions shall be approved each year by the board. The office of Business Secretary shall be an appointed position by the board and shall not have a vote on the Board. Vacancies in the elected offices shall be filled by the board until the next regular election of officers at the next annual meeting of the members.

DUTIES

THE BOARD

The board will be responsible for making decisions on issues that arise during the year that may affect NNDDA’s mission, certifications, or membership. The Board may make temporary changes to the bi laws until the annual meeting where it will be voted on by the membership. The Board will interview members who have applied for certifying official positions. Review packets of cities interested in hosting the Nationals. Review complainants and issues that arise within the NNDDA. Review legal or technical updates in the canine field that could affect the NNDDA. The Board will review records kept by the Treasure to ensure accountability and transparence.

PRESIDENT

The president will be the chief executive officer of the NNDDA. The President shall have general and active management of the business of the NNDDA. The President shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board are carried into effect. The president will chair and direct the board meetings. The president will be the tie breaker on a tied vote of the board. The president will be notified of issues that arise during the year and may handle issues during the year that does not affect NNDDA’s mission, certifications, or membership. The president will sign letters of insurance, revocation of membership, and termination of certifying officials. The president will chair and direct the annual meeting and the events at the Nationals.

VICE PRESIDENT

If the President is not present or absent from the meeting, the Vice President shall have the powers to perform the duties of President with the approval of the Board.

NATIONAL SECRETARY

The National Secretary will maintain the website, the computers, and the database. The National Secretary is responsible for updating the standards, bi-laws, and forms used by the NNDDA, with the Board’s approval. The National Secretary will monitor the NNDDA e-mail and return correspondence on general questions about the NNDDA. The National Secretary will keep the President and the Board, apprised on any issues or complaints that are e-mailed to the National Secretary. The National Secretary will order all materials, forms and supplies necessary to maintain the operational level of the NNDDA. The National Secretary will send out HOST packets to requesting cities. The National Secretary will send notices to members as requested by the Board. The National Secretary will send certifying supplies to certifying officials upon request. The National Secretary will be responsible for receiving applications from member officers who are interested in becoming certifying officials, completing a background checks on the applicants, and reporting the finding to the board for consideration. The National Secretary will maintain a permanent file of all business conducted by the Board. The National Secretary will maintain a permanent audio file of all Board Meetings. In the absence of the National Secretary the Business Secretary will assume these responsibilities.

BUSINESS SECRETARY

The Business Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, and the minutes of all meetings of the membership. These minutes will be provided to all Board Members and a permanent copy kept in the file. The Business Secretary will do the data entry for all NNDDA Members. The Business Secretary will monitor the NNDDA 1-800 phone and return phone requests on general questions about the NNDDA and look up certifications. The Business Secretary will keep the President and the Board, apprised on any issues or complaints that are phoned in. The Business Secretary will send certifying forms and supplies to the officials upon request. The Business Secretary will maintain all membership applications and certifications for at least five years. The Business Secretary will provide all certification information requested by subpoena. The Business Secretary will be paid by the NNDDA.

TREASURER

The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds of the NNDDA and its disbursement under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will maintain the security of the all account numbers belonging to the NNDDA. All checks, drafts, and notes of this association shall be signed by the Treasurer who will receive and pay all bills generated by the NNDDA. The Treasurer will secure credit cards in the NNDDA’s name in order to accomplish that task. All statements for the credit cards will be sent to and paid by the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep a record of all monies received and paid out for five years, making a report of same to the Board of Directors at all Director’s Meeting. The Treasurer shall endorse on behalf of the NNDDA for collection, checks, notes, and other obligation and shall deposit the same to the credit of the NNDDA in such bank or banks of depositary, as the Board of Directors may designate. The Treasurer shall perform all acts incident to the position of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer, with Board’s approval, shall select a Certified Public Accountant and shall direct said CPA to audit the books of the NNDDA. The audit report shall be transmitted from the Treasurer to the Board of Directors annually and prior to the annual meeting. The Treasurer’s report will be announced at the annual meeting. In the absence of the Treasurer the President will assume these responsibilities.

NNDDA FOUNDING FATHERS

The founding fathers is defined as any of the twelve original members from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi who help originate this organization known as the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. The founding fathers are exempt from membership dues, or any other fees pertaining to the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. The NNDDA will be responsible for the per diem, room, and mileage expenses for any founding father who attends a national conference.

NATIONAL JUDGES

The founding fathers of the NNDDA originally chose the National Judges. The Head National Judge is a permanent position. All other judges are appointed for a five-year term. The judges are independent of The Board, and have the sole responsibility of organizing, managing, and judging the National Competitions. The National Judges that are in place will choose replacement of a National Judge. All National Judges are barred from competing in the National Competition. There will be a total of twelve National Judges and two Alternate National Judges. The NNDDA will be responsible for the per diem, room, and mileage expenses for a maximum of twelve National Judges attending the National Conference in which he/she will be judging the National Competition. No member will hold dual positions of Judge and Board Member.

APPLYING FOR A NATIONAL JUDGE POSITION

In order to apply for a National Judge’s position, the applicant must have served on the Board of Directors and/or been a certifying official for ten years. Applicants must provide a written request to the National Judges within 90 days of a vacancy being posted. The National Judges will pick a permanent replacement from the established list.

TRAINING DIRECTOR

The Training Director is the past President of The Board of Director of the preceding year. The Training Director will coordinate with the host agency to ensure that adequate training sites have been secured for the Nationals. The Training Director will develop the training environments; enlist trainers from the certifying official list that will work the training sites. The Training Director will coordinate with the host agency to ensure that sites are properly equipped and that training aids are available for each site. The Training Director will present the training plan to The Board of Directors at the first meeting of the year for their review. The Training Director will present any revision to The Board of Directors at the Annual Director’s Meeting. The Training Director will review the training plan at the Certifying Official’s Meeting and assist the trainers in site preparation prior to the start of training. The Training Director will be on the training site to resolve issues and assist the trainers to ensure that each canine team receives training to NNDDA Standards.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

TIME, PLACE, AND DETAILS OF ELECTION

The positions which will require an election to fill are:

Sergeant-At-Arms

Any Board of Director’s position which became vacant during the year before the annual meeting.

It shall be the duties of the directors in any election to provide the facilities for voting and to supervise the conduct of the election and the counting of the votes.

Voting in all election for offices shall be by written ballot.

NOMINATIONS AND MANNER OF ELECTION

The manner of nomination shall be as follows:

All law enforcement officers who are members of the NNDDA shall be eligible to vote and nominate a person for office. Any non-law enforcement member must be a member of NNDDA for five (5) years to be eligible to vote and nominate a person for office.

A previous board member can re-run for the Board after being off the board for two years.

Nominations for any office shall be made orally at the annual meeting by eligible members.

If no candidates received most of the votes on the first ballot shall be a run-off between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

In case of the election in which there are several positions to be filled, each voter shall be entitled to cast as many votes as there are positions to be filled. If the full number to be elected are not elected by majority vote on the first ballot, there shall be a run-off for the remaining positions in which the number of candidates shall be equal to twice the number of positions remaining to be filled. Such run-off candidates shall be those not already elected, receiving the highest number of votes in the first ballot.

ADMISSION FEE AND DUES

MEMBERS

The membership categories shall be as follows:

1) Full time law enforcement or corrections, active military, DOJ, HLS officers with duties as a canine handler.
2) Commissioned part time or reserve officers with duties as a canine handler. These officers shall upon request for membership provide a written letter of endorsement, on department letterhead, signed by the department head. This letter will outline the canine duties and responsibilities of the officer. The letter must be submitted each year to the official when the handler certifies. The membership is not valid unless the letter is current and on file with the NNDDA.
3) Non law enforcement person/s employed by a private security company or a school police department. The company must have appropriate state, DEA, ATF licenses as applicable. Private security personnel must provide the required documentation/background checks to the certifying official at each certification. Background checks must come from their state police agency.
4) The NNDDA reserves the right to refuse membership to anyone.

DUES

As of 01/01/2020 all members of the NNDDA shall pay annual dues in the amount of fifty-five ($55.00) dollars. This will include all certification fees for member’s canine(s). Example: for $55.00 a member may certify one canine in PSD, narcotics, and another canine in cadaver. An additional $25.00 would be charged for failing a certification or loss of book. Retired member could maintain membership without a dog for $30.00. Past Presidents and Founding Fathers are excluded.

No person shall open an account with any financial institution in the name of the NNDDA without the approval of the Board of Directors. The approval shall be in writing from the NNDDA Board of Directors.

RESIGNATION

NOTICE OF RESIGNATION

Any member intending to resign from this association must give written notice of his intention to resign to the Secretary or Treasurer of the association. Any vacancy occurring in the Board shall be filled by the Board until the next regular or yearly meeting, being that of the conference. A special election may be held to fill the vacant position of the conference of that election year. Any such action by the Board of Directors is subject to change by members.

CHECKS

All checks, drafts, and notes of this association shall be signed by such officer of offices or such other person or persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

AMENDMENT

These by-laws may be amended or repealed, and new by-laws may be made, by the members or the Board of Directors by majority vote at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Any such action by the Board of Directors is subject to change by the members.

REGIONS

REGIONAL CHAPTERS

The National Narcotic Detector Dog Association shall provide for a state that has a minimum of ten (10) members who certify a canine with the National Association to establish a Regional NNDDA chapter. The members of a regional chapter shall submit qualification to the Board of Directors of the NNDDA for persons to fill positions of officials within said regional organization. Two (2) positions have been created for initial regional organizations: (1) Regional Director, and (2) Regional Certifying Official. In order for a person to be eligible for either of these positions and shall appoint at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the NNDDA. In case that a region does not have any NNDDA members with the three (3) year membership, the Board may waive the requirement for a three (3) year certified membership only during the first year of organization of the regional chapter. A current NNDDA certifying official shall monitor any certification attempts until the Board of Directors agrees that the appointment is justified.

Where there are not ten (10) members to form a regional chapter, a person who wishes to certify a canine with the NNDDA shall associate himself with a regional chapter adjacent to his state or one of his choosing.

All regional officials shall attend a training session with the current NNDDA certifying official prior to certifying any canine in the regional chapter. During this training session, the regional official will be trained on the standards of the NNDDA and shall establish certification programs and tests within the context of the NNDDA standards.

SUSPENSION/TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

The Board of Directors is authorized to suspend or terminate any member of the NNDDA for:

Representing themselves as an official of the NNDDA, in any capacity, without the prior approval of the Board of Directors.

Conduct them in a manner that damages the reputation of the NNDDA.

A suspended member may appeal their status to the Board of Directors for review. This appeal must be made in writing and received by the Board within 30 days from the suspension/termination notification date. After Board review the suspended member may be reinstated or the Board may present it to the general membership at the annual conference for a vote for permanent termination.

REVISED AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. APPROVED BY VOTE, DURNING THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN FT WORTH, TEXAS AND EFFECTIVE THE SIXTH DAY OF MAY 2019.