Mission and By-laws

By-Laws
of
United States Driving for the Disabled, Inc.
Amended and restated January, 2012

Article I: Mission and Purpose

United States Driving for Disabled, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization, seeks toimprove the lives of physically challenged individuals by providing the experience ofdriving horses in a safe and challenging environment throughout the United States and Canada.

USDFD provides technical and financial support to persons with disabilities through an evaluation center with access to specialized equipment and trainers experienced in making adaptations necessary to aid and educate drivers with disabilities.

USDFD supports members who are competing with the USEF Para-equestrian driving team by donating funds and assisting with fund raising.

Section 1: General Powers
The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees. In addition to the powers expressly conferred upon them by these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may exercise all the powers of the Corporation. The Trustees shall be members of the Corporation.

Section 2. Tenure and Number
The Board of Trustees shall be elected by those Trustees presently serving. Each officer of the corporation shall hold office for a term of two years and may succeed him or herself in office for one additional term. The Board may consist of not less than seven members and not more than twenty-one members.

Section 3. Regular Meetings
A regular annual meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held at the end of the fiscal year at which meeting the Board will elect officers, be presented with the annual budget and financial statement, and notify members of events. There will be a minimum of four meetings a year. All meetings will be governed by Roberts Rules of Order.

Section 4. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by the President or by any two Trustees.

Section 5. Notice
Notice of the place, day, and hour of every regular and special meeting shall be given to each Trustee by postal mail or electronic mail no later than seven days before the meeting.

Section 6. Quorum
A majority of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum. If less than a quorum is present, the meeting may be adjourned for a period of up to thirty days.

Section 7. Vacancies
Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Trustees or created by an increase in the number of Trustees may be filled by an affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees. A Trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall serve the unexpired term of the predecessor in office or until the next annual meeting.

Section 8. Removal
Any Trustee may be removed from office, for cause, at any regular or special meeting. Trustees may vote by postal mail, electronic mail, telephone or in person to remove a Trustee and to elect a person to serve for the remainder of the term.

Section 9. Compensation
Trustees shall receive no compensation for their services but may, by resolution of the Board of Trustees, be allowed reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Corporation.

Section 10. Telephone Conference
Members of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or such committee by means of a conference telephone or similar communication equipment by which all persons participating can hear each other. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 11. Attendance
Any Board member who misses three (3) consecutive meetings shall be excused from serving upon the Board unless said absences are excused by the President.

Article II: Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Elections
The Board of Trustees shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and shall assume office following elections.

Section 2. Nominations
The President or his/her designee shall appoint a nominating committee no later than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting. The nomination committee shall consist of one Trustee and two members to be chosen from the members in good standing. Any member wishing to become a candidate should make it known to either the nominating committee or a Board member prior to the preparation of the ballot.

Section 3. Slate of Officers and Trustees
The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot to be sent to the Board of Trustees no fewer than fourteen (14) days prior to the Annual Meeting by mail or email and returned to the committee by the start of the meeting. There are no proxy votes. Write-ins are accepted with approval from the person nominated.

Article III. Officers, Roles and Responsibilities

Section 1. Officers
The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Standing Committee Chairs. The President of the Board may appoint Ad Hoc committee chairs with such powers and duties as deemed proper.

Section 2. President
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the Board. The President shall have general management and direction of the activities of the Corporation and all powers ordinarily exercised by the president of a corporation. The President shall prepare the meeting agenda, appoint committees, and fulfill such other responsibilities as are implied by the office.

Section 3. Vice-President
The Vice-President shall perform such duties as may be delegated by the President and/or the Board of Trustees and shall perform the duties of the president in his/her absence.

Section 4. Secretary
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all regular and special meetings of the Board of Trustees, see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these By-laws or as required by law, be custodian of the corporate records and of the Seal of the Corporation. The Secretary shall present to the Board of Directors the meeting minutes within seven days of the meeting. The Secretary may also perform other duties as assigned.

Section 5. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall act as custodian of the funds and securities of the Corporation, maintaining a clear and accurate record of the transactions and financial condition of the Corporation. The Treasurer shall present an annual budget at the Annual Meeting and present a financial report at each regular or special meeting. The Treasurer shall perform all the duties incident to the office of treasurer and such duties as may be assigned by the President and by the Board and shall approve any charter documents required to be filed with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Taxation Department of Kentucky.

Article IV. Committees

Section 1. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary and shall have and exercise the authority of the Board of Trustees in the management of the corporation except that such committee shall have no authority to amend, alter, or repeal the By-laws or elect, appoint, or remove any Trustee or officer of the corporation or to approve any charter document required to be filed with the commonwealth of Kentucky and Taxation Department of Kentucky or any similar authority in any State. All actions of the Executive Committee must be approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 2. Standing Committees
The Board will appoint a Chairperson for each of the following committees: Membership: The Committee will keep an accurate and current membership list, will print and mail membership cards and advise the treasurer of members whose dues are no longer current.

Education: The Committee will establish procedures for applying to the Sybil Dukehart Fund, make recommendations to the Board for awarding scholarships, and monitor expenditures of the fund. The Committee will offer support to new and developing drivers by arranging clinics and training opportunities and facilitating mentoring relationships between experienced drivers and disabled drivers.

Team Support: The Committee will support drivers applying to USEF Team USA with training and logistical support, provide financial information to the Board as to funds required, donated, and grants applied for. The Board will establish the percentage of USDFD treasury that will be used to support team applicants in any given year. An individual will be appointed to act as liaison between USEF and team candidates and communicate that information to the Committee.

Publicity: The Committee will write or solicit articles for publication in equine publications, communicate with driving clubs across the continent and with ADS regional directors to educate people of the services available to persons with disabilities through USDFD.

Section 3. Other Committees
The Board of Trustees may, by resolution, constitute and appoint such other committees to perform such other duties and functions as the Board of Trustees may deem appropriate

Section 4. Term of Office
Each member of every committee shall continue in office at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees.

Section 5. Chairman
One member of each committee shall be appointed chairman, either directly by the Board of Trustees or in such manner as the Board of Trustees may prescribe.

Section 6. Quorum
A majority of the whole committee shall constitute a quorum and the act of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the committee.

Section 7. Rules
Each committee may adopt rules for its own governance not inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation, with these Bylaws, with rules adopted by the Board of Trustees, or with any applicable law of the State of Kentucky.

Article V. Contracts, Checks, Deposits and Gifts

Section 1. Contracts
The Board of Trustees may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation, in addition to the officers so authorized by the Bylaws to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

Section 2. Checks, Drafts, Etc.
All checks, drafts, or orders for the payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation and in such manners as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees. Checks in an amount exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Section 3. Deposits
All funds of the Corporation shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks or other depositories as the Board of Trustees may select.

Section 4. Gifts
The Board of Trustees may accept on behalf of the Corporation any contribution, gift, bequest, or devise for the general purposes or for any special purpose of the Corporation. All gifts will be acknowledged in writing.

Article VI. Sundry Provisions

Section 1. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the calendar year.

Section 2. Seal
The seal of the Corporation shall be circular in form with the name of the Corporation inscribed around the outer edge and in the center shall be inscribed the word “Kentucky” and the year of incorporation. In lieu of affixing the corporate seal to any document it shall be sufficient to affix the word “SEAL” adjacent to the signature of the authorized officer of the Corporation.

Section 3. Indemnification
The Corporation shall indemnify its currently acting and its former trustees, officers, and agents when they are acting on behalf of the Corporation.

Section 4. Amendments to the Bylaws.
These Bylaws may be altered; amended, or repealed and new Bylaws may be adopted by a majority of the entire Board of Trustees at any regular or at any special meeting called for that purpose.