Crazy 4 Canines 4-H Club Bylaws
Definition of an Active Member:
Definition of a Probationary Member:
Any club member that does not turn in a completed Dog project by the established deadline will be a probationary member. Probationary members must show their up-to-date log sheets, demonstrating their compliance with the requirements of an active member, to the adult in charge in order to participate in club activities.
Club Officers:
Club officers must be returning 4-H members. Officers are expected to be in attendance at meetings and to make arrangements for their responsibilities to be covered if they are absent. If the officer is unable to attend 4 consecutive meetings or is absent 50% or more of the time, a replacement will be elected or appointed.
Dress Code:
Proper dress is required at all 4-H club activities. The only shoes permitted are closed toed, lace up rubber soled shoes/boots like sneakers or work boots. Absolutely no one wearing flip flops, high heels, sandals, or hard soled shoes such as cowboy boots. Any one wearing slip-on shoes of any kind will not be allowed to handle a dog. Dog training is a physical activity. Please make sure that you can bend, stretch, and otherwise be physically active without exposing cleavage in the front or back. All under garments should be covered. Spaghetti strap tops, short shorts or short skirts, or tops that show the stomach are never appropriate.
Adult Supervision:
Due to the liability insurance of DTCSP all children under the age of 17 must have direct adult supervision when in the building. This includes 4-H members and siblings during 4-H classes, 4-H meetings, and at any other DTCSP classes the youth may participate in. Club leaders do NOT count as direct adult supervision during hands on dog activities as they are involved in guiding the group activity. Club meetings and activities involving dogs, unless directly specified, are never situations where a child can be dropped off/picked up by the parent. Please make sure that the leader knows what adult is responsible for your child if you are not on the premises.
Meeting Room Behavior:
Club members and parents are expected to help set up and clean up the meeting room. This includes returning tables & chairs to their regular position, putting away our dry erase board and emptying all garbage cans. Respect the adult or club member speaking by not chatting during the meeting. Parents must check email and the club website regularly to help their child stay up to date on events and project requirements. Parents are invited to sit in on meetings on a space available basis and are asked to please also respect the no talking rule. All dogs in the meeting room must be in a crate. As the crating area is very limited, dogs that are too large to be crated under their owners seat should expect to be crated outside of the room.
Dog Behavior:
Only a 4-H member’s project dog(s) are allowed to participate in club training time and in classes purchased using the 4-H discount. A project dog is owned by the immediate family of the 4-H member OR leased using the appropriate 4-H paperwork. All financial, medical, and training records for the dog also need to be recorded on a monthly basis by the 4-H member in the Dog Record Book.
If you feel that your dog may be unable to compete or train at any time during the year due to foreseeable circumstances, including but not limited to, females in season or being pregnant, it is the 4-H members responsibility to secure a lease agreement and submit it by the County deadline each 4-H year. Lease agreements will require the 4-H member to train with the dog at least one hour a week outside of the 4-H training time. This does not have to be a formal class and will be scheduled at a time convenient to the dogs owner. 4-H members will be responsible for all other reasonable stipulations by the owner in the lease agreement. If the lease dog has earned qualifying scores in the area in which the 4-H member is showing they must enter in classes that are of the same training level. For example, if the dog has earned qualifying scores in Novice, the handler must enter the dog in Novice, even if they would normally show in Basic.
Scholarship Eligibility
Club level scholarships for camp activities may be available. To request a scholarship from Crazy 4 Canines funds a member must submit a Clover Award application to the club leader. Clover Award paperwork is available to download on our club web site. Areas of participation that will be taken into consideration include participation in Florida State Fair Champion Youth, fundraising, volunteer and leadership activities as well as attendance at general meetings and general 4-H activities.
Competing in 4-H Dog Shows
While exhibiting your dog is an important part of the 4-H Dog program, we strongly encourage club members to enter shows only when both the dog and handler are ready. At shows, club members will crate together and work together as a group to support each other. Crazy 4 Canines members are expected to avoid gossiping about judges or fellow competitors. Good sportsmanship is required at all times. Members should compete in all categories that their dogs are adequately trained for.
Competing at the Florida State Fair
Club members must enter at least 1 show or attend a 4H Dog Project workshop prior to the Florida State Fair. Club members are strongly encouraged to participate in the Champion Youth Program.
Electronics
Electronic Devices such as cell phones, Tablets, IPods, IPads, Laptops, and any electronic games are not permitted during meeting and training time. As members members arrive or at the end of the meeting they will be given a chance to add new dates to their electronic calendars if they wish to do so. Members should not use electronic devices to take notes, If one does not have paper or writing utensils they will be provided. The secretary is the only member allowed to use a laptop to take notes and attendance at each meeting.
- An active member must attend at least 50% of regular Tuesday night meetings. The requirement for clover award application is 67% for meetings held during the regular school year.
- An active member must turn in a completed Dog Project no later than the date specified by the club leader.
- An active club member is expected to compete at County Events. Members who qualify to compete at the District and/or State level are expected to do so. Participation in these events will be used to determine the distribution of any club level camp scholarships that may be available.
- An active member must also meet the requirements set forth by the Dog Training Club of St. Petersburg (DTCSP) in order to receive discounted training rates.
- An active member must volunteer at least 6 hours every 6 months at DTCSP.
Definition of a Probationary Member:
Any club member that does not turn in a completed Dog project by the established deadline will be a probationary member. Probationary members must show their up-to-date log sheets, demonstrating their compliance with the requirements of an active member, to the adult in charge in order to participate in club activities.
Club Officers:
Club officers must be returning 4-H members. Officers are expected to be in attendance at meetings and to make arrangements for their responsibilities to be covered if they are absent. If the officer is unable to attend 4 consecutive meetings or is absent 50% or more of the time, a replacement will be elected or appointed.
Dress Code:
Proper dress is required at all 4-H club activities. The only shoes permitted are closed toed, lace up rubber soled shoes/boots like sneakers or work boots. Absolutely no one wearing flip flops, high heels, sandals, or hard soled shoes such as cowboy boots. Any one wearing slip-on shoes of any kind will not be allowed to handle a dog. Dog training is a physical activity. Please make sure that you can bend, stretch, and otherwise be physically active without exposing cleavage in the front or back. All under garments should be covered. Spaghetti strap tops, short shorts or short skirts, or tops that show the stomach are never appropriate.
Adult Supervision:
Due to the liability insurance of DTCSP all children under the age of 17 must have direct adult supervision when in the building. This includes 4-H members and siblings during 4-H classes, 4-H meetings, and at any other DTCSP classes the youth may participate in. Club leaders do NOT count as direct adult supervision during hands on dog activities as they are involved in guiding the group activity. Club meetings and activities involving dogs, unless directly specified, are never situations where a child can be dropped off/picked up by the parent. Please make sure that the leader knows what adult is responsible for your child if you are not on the premises.
Meeting Room Behavior:
Club members and parents are expected to help set up and clean up the meeting room. This includes returning tables & chairs to their regular position, putting away our dry erase board and emptying all garbage cans. Respect the adult or club member speaking by not chatting during the meeting. Parents must check email and the club website regularly to help their child stay up to date on events and project requirements. Parents are invited to sit in on meetings on a space available basis and are asked to please also respect the no talking rule. All dogs in the meeting room must be in a crate. As the crating area is very limited, dogs that are too large to be crated under their owners seat should expect to be crated outside of the room.
Dog Behavior:
- Dogs are expected to comply with all behavior rules of DTCSP. Any acts of dog aggression at any 4-H or DTCSP activity will be handled according to the rules of the authority in charge of the event or location. If this aggressive behavior results in injury to a person or another dog, the dog and handler will be required to receive additional training from a professional dog trainer before being scheduled for an evaluation by the training director of DTCSP. The dog may return to activities when they have successfully passed this evaluation. In the interim period the youth handler is expected to participate in club activities without their dog.
- Dogs must be kept on a short leash at all times. This includes, but is not limited to: walking in the parking lot, at all times in class, and when walking the dog to and from the potty area.
- You are responsible for cleaning up after your dog. Dogs that consistently urinate or defecate in inappropriate areas may be excused from training activities.
- Dogs must have a current shot record on file with DTCSP.
- Dogs must be quiet when crated.
Only a 4-H member’s project dog(s) are allowed to participate in club training time and in classes purchased using the 4-H discount. A project dog is owned by the immediate family of the 4-H member OR leased using the appropriate 4-H paperwork. All financial, medical, and training records for the dog also need to be recorded on a monthly basis by the 4-H member in the Dog Record Book.
If you feel that your dog may be unable to compete or train at any time during the year due to foreseeable circumstances, including but not limited to, females in season or being pregnant, it is the 4-H members responsibility to secure a lease agreement and submit it by the County deadline each 4-H year. Lease agreements will require the 4-H member to train with the dog at least one hour a week outside of the 4-H training time. This does not have to be a formal class and will be scheduled at a time convenient to the dogs owner. 4-H members will be responsible for all other reasonable stipulations by the owner in the lease agreement. If the lease dog has earned qualifying scores in the area in which the 4-H member is showing they must enter in classes that are of the same training level. For example, if the dog has earned qualifying scores in Novice, the handler must enter the dog in Novice, even if they would normally show in Basic.
Scholarship Eligibility
Club level scholarships for camp activities may be available. To request a scholarship from Crazy 4 Canines funds a member must submit a Clover Award application to the club leader. Clover Award paperwork is available to download on our club web site. Areas of participation that will be taken into consideration include participation in Florida State Fair Champion Youth, fundraising, volunteer and leadership activities as well as attendance at general meetings and general 4-H activities.
Competing in 4-H Dog Shows
While exhibiting your dog is an important part of the 4-H Dog program, we strongly encourage club members to enter shows only when both the dog and handler are ready. At shows, club members will crate together and work together as a group to support each other. Crazy 4 Canines members are expected to avoid gossiping about judges or fellow competitors. Good sportsmanship is required at all times. Members should compete in all categories that their dogs are adequately trained for.
Competing at the Florida State Fair
Club members must enter at least 1 show or attend a 4H Dog Project workshop prior to the Florida State Fair. Club members are strongly encouraged to participate in the Champion Youth Program.
Electronics
Electronic Devices such as cell phones, Tablets, IPods, IPads, Laptops, and any electronic games are not permitted during meeting and training time. As members members arrive or at the end of the meeting they will be given a chance to add new dates to their electronic calendars if they wish to do so. Members should not use electronic devices to take notes, If one does not have paper or writing utensils they will be provided. The secretary is the only member allowed to use a laptop to take notes and attendance at each meeting.
