Titles, Objectives

Section 1. Title: This association shall be known as the Missouri Junior Boer Goat Association, and shall be at all times operated and conducted as an organization in accordance with the laws of the state of Missouri, providing for such organizations and by which it shall acquire such rights as granted to associations of this kind.

Section 2. Objectives: The purpose of this association is both educational and charitable including the improvement and development of the capabilities of youths, both individually and through group participation in the breeding, showing and raising of goats and the developing and improving of scholarship, leadership and community interest and participation of youths interested in the breeding and raising of goats. Some of the activities of this association shall be to sponsor and sanction market wether shows in which junior members shall compete, collect, record and preserve the records of show goat competition from one year to the next, to publish summary of the results in the MJBGA news letter and on the MJBGA web site, to stimulate competition among MJBGA members, and to award the top individual exhibitors of show goat contests throughout the course of one fiscal year, based on the total number of points accumulated in given MJBGA weight and showmanship division.

1. Members of the Association shall be admitted, retained and expelled in accordance with such rules and regulations as the board of directors may, from time to time, adopt. As a condition of membership, each member shall agree to conform to and abide by the by-laws, rules and regulations of the Association, and amendments or modifications of such. Wherever in the by-laws the term "member" or "members" shall be used, unless otherwise specified, it shall mean a member or members of the Missouri Junior Meat Goat Association.

2. Special meetings of the members may be held at such time and place as may be designated in the notice, whenever called in writing by direction of the executive director.

3. Membership shall be of three categories: Active Memberships–– Peewee, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior division, Associate Memberships and Corporate Memberships. Memberships shall be limited to natural persons, but may include corporations, firms, institutions of learning, executors, administrations and trustees.

4. The applicant for membership should indicate clearly the name in which the membership is to be recorded, and type of membership desired.

5. An annual fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) shall be paid for each active membership with the exception of Pee Wee memberships. Pee Wee memberships shall be an annual fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00). Fees for active memberships shall be due and payable on February 1 of each year and shall not be considered delinquent if not paid before said date. A notice to the members of fees payable shall be sent to members at their last known email or physical address not less than thirty (30) days prior to the end of the MJBGA year.

6. Active memberships may no longer be purchased after November 1, for the current membership year, although Associate or Corporate memberships may be purchased at any time.

7. When an active membership becomes delinquent, the membership can be reinstated by simply paying the current year’s dues. There is no penalty for reinstatement.

8. An active membership is considered to fall within the Pee Wee, Junior, Intermediate & Senior Division of the MJBGA.

9. To be eligible for points to be applied to the yearly standings in either Peewee, Junior, Intermediate & Senior Division competition, an exhibitor must be an active member of the MJBGA prior to the show from which he or she receives points.

10. Points are awarded only after receiving membership dues to the MJBGA. Members will not accumulate prior points at the shows during the MJBGA year when they were not active members.

11. Any member of the Association may be suspended and denied privileges of the Association and any non-member may be denied privileges of the Association for the failure to pay when due, any obligation owing the Association, or any sanctioned or sponsored MJBGA show, or for giving a worthless check for fees or charges connected with the MJBGA and its sanctioned or sponsored shows. All worthless checks returned to the MJBGA or to one of its sanctioned or sponsored shows must be made good within fifteen (15) days of the date that said member is notified, or the member forfeits all previously gained points. If the member or non-member has an obligation owing the Association, one of its sanctioned or sponsored shows, he or she may be denied privileges of the Association fifteen (15) days after the secretary of the Association shall notify said person in writing. When any person continues to remain suspended under this rule for ninety (90) days, shows will be furnished a list of these individuals. A $20.00 fee will be charged on all returned checks. Any suspension and denial of privileges under this section shall terminate upon full payment of the obligation due the Association.

12. A member or non-member shall not conspire with another person or persons to intentionally violate the rules of the Association. Violation of this rule shall subject such member or non-member to disciplinary action, whether or not such member or non-member has actually signed reports filed with the Association, asserted to be true and correct.

Associate Memberships

13. A fee of thirty  ($30) dollars is required for associate memberships. This fee is required on an annual basis. It is ideal for those members wishing to receive all MJBGA publications and benefits, but not planning on actively exhibiting livestock during the current year.

Corporate Memberships

14. This type of membership is ideal for the breed associations, firms, institutions of learning, and/or any business or association that wishes to be a part of the Missouri Junior Meat Goat Association and is entitled to its rights and privileges. A fee of one hundred ($100.00) dollars is required. In addition, Corporate members will receive business card size, advertising in the MJBGA Newsletter and web site.

MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

1. Meetings of this Association shall be held bi-monthly in odd numbered months, with the January meeting convening for the purpose of instating newly elected senior officers and senior board members, and the September meeting convening for the purpose of instating newly elected junior officers and junior board members. 2. The Board of Directors may designate any place within the state of Missouri, as the place of meeting.

3. Except as expressly delegated to the Board, all rights of membership as to voting for the election of officers, disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of this Association, or dissolution are vested in the voting members. 4. Proxies may not be carried to cast votes for absent members.

Senior Directors

1. The MJBGA shall be managed by adult members of the Missouri Meat Goat Producers Association, consisting of President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, three (3) Board of Directors and a Show Secretary. To encourage Leadership skills in our youth, holders of each position shall mentor the junior member of the corresponding position, allowing the junior officer to handle as much business as the Senior Officer deems them capable of. Adult Members shall be elected to these positions during the January Meeting. Persons holding these positions must be members of good standing in the Missouri Meat Goat Producers Association and may not hold concurrent positions in both the parent and child organizations. 2. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at the Board’’s discretion. Place and time will be announced by the MJBGA President. 3. The Board of Directors of this Association shall consist of the elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and Show Secretary,) and three Directors: one serving a two- year term, and one serving a three-year term. The officers of the Association shall be elected annually by the voting membership at the annual January meeting of the Association. Officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms. Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the term. No more than one member of the same immediate family shall be allowed to serve on the Board of Directors

4. Any officer elected by the membership or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed by the Board whenever in its judgment the best interests of the Association would be served thereby. 

Senior Positions

To encourage Leadership skills in our youth, holders of each position shall mentor the junior member of the corresponding position, allowing the junior officer to handle as much business as the Senior Officer deems them capable of. Adult Members shall be elected to these positions during the January Meeting. Persons holding these positions must be members of good standing in the Missouri Meat Goat Producers Association and may not hold concurrent positions in both the parent and child organizations. .

1. President - The President shall preside at all meetings of this Association and at regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors; shall recommend appointments and committee chairpersons and members, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, and shall generally manage the day-to-day business of this Association. The President serves as an ex-officio member of all committees, except for nominations, and is a signer on all bank accounts

2. Vice President - In the absence of the President or in the event of his/her inability or refusal to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President; and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all of the restrictions upon the President. Vice President shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the President or by the Board of Directors. 3. Secretary/Treasurer - The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the members and the Board of Directors in books provided for that purpose; see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws or as required by law;, in general, perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary. The Secretary/Treasurer shall also have charge and custody of, and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Association and be eligible to be bonded for the amount of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000.00). Said bond is to be in place within sixty days of assuming officer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall receive and give receipts for moneys due and payable to the Association from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such monies in the name of the Association in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected by the Board of Directors; in general perform all the duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board of Directors.

4. Show Secretary -The show secretary shall keep a register of the addresses of each member which shall be furnished to the Secretary by each member; be responsible for providing all forms, in response for requests to sanction shows, reviewing such requests to determine if sanctioning may be granted, providing all forms, information packets, and ribbons to sanctioned shows, keep record of points earned by members, and reporting any incident that occurs at any show to the other board members.

Junior Directors 1. Purpose - To promote leadership skills in the junior members of the MJBGA, the Junior Officers/Directors of the Missouri Junior Meat Goat Association shall serve as an advisory group to the management of the MJBGA. They shall serve as an open channel of communication between and among show managers, the management of the MJBGA and members, to foster mutual understanding and optimum working conditions between these groups. They will promote the MJBGA at all times. Junior Officers/Directors will help with the Annual Banquet and with awards fund-raisers and attend meetings as directed.

2. Elected Officers - The elected Officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and four Directors from the general membership of the MJBGA.. Members of the Association eligible for the election to the Junior Board must have reached the age of 12 by September 15^th of the current year. These members shall be elected through a general vote of the junior membership. Members must submit their name to the MJBGA secretary by July 10, of the current year to have their name on the ballot

3. Term -The Officers are to be elected no later than September 15 of the current MJBGA year and shall serve under the mentorship of the current Junior and Senior Officers. Newly elected Officers shall take official office at the yearly awards banquet. Officers will serve until the following yearly banquet.

4. Origination of Proposals - The Junior Officers may receive suggestions or requests for the development of new policies, revision of existing policies, or elimination of any. The Junior Officers may themselves originate proposals. Proposals may be originated from the Membership of the MJBGA

1. Amendments

The by-laws of the Association may from time to time be altered or amended in any respect or repealed in whole or in part, by voting members of the board which power may be exercised by a vote of two-thirds of the board members present at any regular or special meeting at which a quorum is present. The amendments will become effective immediately. All by-laws, amendments or changes must be presented in written form one meeting prior to voting.

2. Code of Ethics

Exhibitors are prohibited from showing unethically fitted livestock or livestock of an ineligible age for exhibition. Unethical fitting is deemed to mean any physical or physiological attempt to alter the natural conformation, musculature or weight of an animal. There will be no use of injections or ingested material not conductive to the continued health of the animal or marketability of its carcass. Animals showing signs of, in the opinion of the judge or show management, having been unethically fitted will be disqualified. Any inhumane or other inappropriate action to animals by the exhibitor will be cause for disqualification, forfeiture of awards and MJBGA points, and removal of the exhibitor and exhibit from the show grounds.

In addition, MJBGA members are expected to be honest in their ownership of animals as well as in entries of those animals at MJBGA sanctioned or sponsored shows. MJBGA members are the elite of the show ring and the junior livestock industry, and are therefore expected and encouraged to uphold those high standards as an example to others.