01/19/2020
ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION
HUNTERS OF OKLAHOMA UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
There is hereby established in the State of Oklahoma the Oklahoma Hunters United for Democracy Political Action Committee to be known as “HOUND PAC.”
ARTICLE I
ORGANIZATION
Section 1.0: Name: The committee shall be known as “Hunters of Oklahoma United for Democracy Political Action Committee” and may be also designated as “HOUND PAC.”
Section 1.1: Purposes: HOUND PAC is formed for the following purposes:
Section 1.1.1: To provide a medium for cooperation of hunters and other persons who seek to financially assist such candidates for political or public office who support the advancement of the sport of hunting racc**ns, wolves, coyotes, fox, rabbit, quail, hogs, pheasant and other game; managing and improving the stock of these wild animals in the State of Oklahoma; improving the quality and training of hunting dogs in the State of Oklahoma; and as a means to improve recreational opportunities with the State of Oklahoma.
Section 1.1.2: To solicit, receive, hold, administer, and disburse political contributions, to be used for contributions to candidates for state or local political or public office or for similar purposes.
Section 1.1.3: To provide financial support for candidates for political or public office who express support for the purposes of which this PAC was created or to reimburse such candidates for expenses previously incurred in connection with a political campaign or other political issue.
Section 1.1.4: Provided, that HOUND PAC shall never actively engage in any business activity except as may be necessary, in the Directors’ sole discretion, and excepting possible reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses for any person lobbying on behalf of HOUND PAC to conserve or invest HOUND PAC assets for the purposes hereof and as hereinafter provided,.
Section 1.2: Offices: The office of HOUND PAC shall be at 900 NE 63rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73105. All financial books and other financial and HOUND PAC records shall be centralized at the aforementioned office.
Section 1.3: No Members: HOUND PAC shall be a voluntary, non-partisan, non-profit, unincorporated political association composed of its Directors. HOUND PAC shall be independent of any political party, candidate or organization and shall not have members of any kind or class. No person making a contribution to HOUND PAC shall have any authority to designate the recipient of any contribution then or thereafter made by HOUND PAC, nor shall such person have any rights of any kind in HOUND PAC, its management, assets or income. No person making a political gift or contribution shall be entitled to an accounting from the Original Directors or their successors, and it shall be wholly and exclusively within the discretion of the Directors whether any information concerning HOUND PAC’s receipts or disbursements shall be made available to any contributor or the public, except as required by law. All voting rights, privileges and authority shall be, and are hereby, vested solely and exclusively in the Directors and their duly elected successors.
ARTICLE II
DIRECTORS
Section 2.0: Term: Each of the Directors shall hold his/her position as Director as long as he/she fills the OKLAHOMA FEDERATION OF C**N HUNTERS (OFHC) or the OKLAHOMA STATE FOX AND WOLF HUNTERS ASSOCIATION (OSFWHA) elected, named or staff position referred to in Section 2.4 infra or as long as he/she holds the position of HOUND PAC Fund Development Chairman (F.D.C.). One Director may be designated as the President of the Directors and perform such functions as may be assigned to him/her by the Directors. All past Directors of HOUND PAC shall serve as ex-officio (not-voting) members of HOUND PAC and will be encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions with the current Directors.
Section 2.1: Meetings: An annual meeting of the Directors shall be held each and every year. Date, time and place of such annual meetings shall be set as the President of the Directors shall determine. Written notice thereof shall be delivered to all Directors not less than twenty (20) days prior to the date of such meeting. At each annual meeting the Directors shall:
Section 2.1.1: Elect the Fund Development Chairman.
Section 2.1.2: Establish programs and policies for the solicitation and disbursement of contributions of HOUND PAC.
Section 2.2: Special Meetings: Special meetings of the Directors may be held upon such call and pursuant to such procedures as the Directors may establish.
Section 2.3: Quorum: A majority of the Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Directors for the transaction of all matters related to the management and operation of HOUND PAC. The vote of a majority of the Directors present at such meeting shall be the act of HOUND PAC. Directors present at a duly organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Directors so as to leave less than a quorum present.
Section 2.4: Number: The Directors shall consist of seven (7) persons, said seven (7) Directors consisting of: the current President of the OKLAHOMA FEDERATION OF C**N HUNTERS; the current Vice President of the OKLAHOMA FEDERATION OF C**N HUNTERS; the current Legislative Lobbyist for the OKLAHOMA FEDERATION OF C**N HUNTERS; the current President of the OKLAHOMA STATE FOX AND WOLF HUNTERS ASSOCIATION; the current Vice President of the OKLAHOMA STATE FOX AND WOLF HUNTERS ASSOCIATION; the current Legislative Lobbyist for the OKLAHOMA STATE FOX AND WOLF HUNTERS ASSOCIATION; and the HOUND PAC FUND DEVELOPMENT CHAIR (F.D.C.). If one person shall fill two positions simultaneously that would entitle such a person to serve as two Directors simultaneously, then and in that event, an additional Director shall be elected by a majority vote of the Directors. Said additional Director(s) shall hold office for a period of one (1) year or until his/her successor shall be elected and take office. At all times, each person serving as a Director shall only have one vote regardless of the various positions such person may hold. The number of Directors currently serving may be increased or decreased at any time by a majority vote of the Directors then electing and serving, as follows:
Section 2.4.1: Increase: Any Directorship to be filled by reason of an increase in the number of Directors serving shall be filled by election of any annual meeting or a special meeting of the Directors called for that purpose as herein provided.
Section 2.4.2: Decrease: No decrease in the number of Directors serving shall have the effect of shortening the term of any incumbent Director. Any such decrease shall take effect at the next annual meeting of the Directors unless such decrease in number is voted at an annual meeting, in which event such decrease shall taken effect at such meeting.
Section 2.5: Vacancy: Any vacancy in the number of Directors currently serving, for whatever cause, may be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining Directors, although less than a quorum.
Section 2.6: President: At the annual meeting of the Directors, they, by majority vote, shall select one (1) of their number to act as President. The President shall call and preside at all meetings of the Directors.
Section 2.7: Secretary and Treasurer: At the annual meeting of the Directors, they, by majority vote, shall select one (1) of their number to act as Secretary and Treasurer of HOUND PAC. The Secretary and Treasurer shall keep the minutes of each Director meeting in one or more books provided for that purpose. In the event that the Secretary and Treasurer is absent from any Director meeting at which a quorum is present, the Directors present shall select a temporary Secretary and Treasurer to take the minutes of such meeting. In addition, the Secretary and Treasurer shall keep a detailed account of all political gifts or contributions received by HOUND PAC and an accurate record of all disbursements made by HOUND PAC; provided, however, that this Section shall in no way be interpreted to entitle a contributor or any other person to have an accounting, or otherwise secure access to the records of HOUND PAC. All contributions and other income of HOUND PAC shall be maintained by HOUND PAC as a separate segregated fund, and all expenditures made by HOUND PAC in support of any candidate or candidate committee, shall be made from such fund and from no other source. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be responsible for filing any reports or other documents required by law.
Section 2.8: Action Without Meeting: Any action required to be or which may be taken at a meeting of the Directors may be taken without a meeting if consent by telephone is granted and then followed in writing at the earliest time, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by a majority of the then qualified Directors with respect to the subject thereof and such consent shall have the same force and effect of an affirmative vote of the Directors taken at a formal meeting held upon due call and notice. Such consent shall be filed in the appropriate records of HOUND PAC.
Section 2.9: Powers: The Directors, in addition to all rights, privileges and authorities expressly conferred upon them hereunder, shall have all the authority, rights, privileges and powers with respect to HOUND PAC.
Section 2.10: Consultation and Expenses: The Directors may, from time to time, consult with counsel, accountants and other experts and the opinion of such counsel, accountants or experts with respect to legal, accounting or other matters, respectfully, shall be full and complete authorization and protection of the Directors in respect to any action taken or suffered by them in accordance with such opinion. The Directors may pay such counsel, accountants, actuaries, secretaries and others employed by them such compensation and expenses as reasonable and proper as expenses of administration of HOUND PAC.
Section 2.11: Taxes: The Directors shall pay out of HOUND PAC assets all Federal, State and local income, real and personal property taxes, if any, and all other taxes of any and all kinds levied or assessed under valid existing or future laws against HOUND PAC, HOUND PAC funds, or any Director by reason of his office. In the event the Directors at any time in good faith believe that HOUND PAC or any of them as Directors may be liable for Federal or State taxes which are, or may be, assessed with respect to HOUND PAC, HOUND PAC funds or payments made by HOUND PAC, the Directors may, but shall not be required to, take such steps and withhold from payments out of HOUND PAC fund such amounts as shall be deemed necessary to protect HOUND PAC, HOUND PAC fund, or the Directors, from such tax controversy. The balance of the amount, if any, so reserved shall be restored for use according to the terms of HOUND PAC.
Section 2.12: Fiscal Year: HOUND PAC shall operate on a fiscal year basis to be determined by the Original Directors at their first annual meeting.
ARTICLE III
FUND DEVELOPMENT CHAIRMAN
Section 3.0: Elected: At each annual meeting of the Directors, the Directors shall, by majority vote, elect a Fund Development Chairman who shall serve HOUND PAC as a solicitor of funds and as a voting Director. The Fund Development Chairman (F.D.C.) shall be responsible for the solicitation of political gifts and contributions to HOUND PAC. The Fund Development Chairman shall operate in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the voting Directors.
Section 3.1: Term: The Fund Development Chairman shall hold office for a period of one (1) year or until his/her successor shall be appointed and take office. A Fund Development Chairman can be re-elected for consecutive terms in office.
Section 3.2: Procedure: The Fund Development Chairman shall have such offices, hold such meetings and maintain such records as may be required by such rules and regulations as the Directors may determine.
ARTICLE IV
CONTRIBUTIONS AND DISBURSEMENTS
Section 4.0: Contributions: The Directors and Fund Development Chairman are authorized to accept contributions from any eligible individual.
Section 4.1: Administered: Any Director or Fund Development Chairman receiving political gifts or contributions on behalf of HOUND PAC shall immediately remit such funds to the Secretary and Treasurer who shall place all funds so received in an account in the name of HOUND PAC in a state or national banking or other financial institution. All funds so received and the income therefrom, if any, after payment of expenses of HOUND PAC shall be distributed or expended only as provided in this Article IV.
Section 4.2: Disbursements: HOUND PAC is created to contribute to campaign funds of candidates for political or public offices who favor the advancement of promoting and encouraging the continued enjoyment of fox, racc**n, wolf, coyote, rabbit, quail, hogs, pheasant and other game hunting within the State of Oklahoma, and to defray expenses of public relations with and education of such candidates and/or elected officials. The Directors, in their sole discretion, shall select and distribute all or any part, of the income and/or corpus of HOUND PAC to, or for the benefit of, candidates meeting such standards. The Directors may contribute sums from HOUND PAC to such candidates. The Directors may also disburse HOUND PAC funds for public relations and education of public officials regarding issues related to the advancement of the purpose of HOUND PAC.
Section 4.3: Use of Funds: It is understood that the Directors shall make contributions only to be used by a candidate for political or public office for campaign or other lawful purposes or to be used by a state or local political party, committee or association for campaign expenditures, and none of such funds shall be used by any candidate for his unrestricted personal use. Although the duration of HOUND PAC is to be perpetual, HOUND PAC may be dissolved at any time by action of the Directors. In the event of such dissolution, all surplus funds of HOUND PAC shall be promptly distributed to candidates or committees in a manner consistent with these Articles and for the purposes set forth herein.
Section 4.4: Discharge by Receipt: No person contributing to HOUND PAC shall have the right to see to the application of any money or other thing of value contributed from HOUND PAC to any candidate or committee.
Section 4.5: Good Faith Presumed: No one shall ever inquire into or in any manner be responsible for the application or disposition of any money paid or property assigned, conveyed or delivered to a Director, but, on the contrary, everyone shall always be entitled to rely entirely upon the power, authority and good faith of each Director, all of which shall be conclusively presumed in such Director’s favor.
Section 4.6. All contributions to HOUND PAC shall be voluntary, and no contributions will be accepted from corporations.
Section 4.7. No contributions shall be accepted and no expenditures shall be made, by or on behalf of HOUND PAC, at a time when there is a vacancy in the office of Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 4.8. No director of or contributor to HOUND PAC shall have a right to share personally in the funds or assets of HOUND PAC upon its dissolution or at any other time.
Section 4.9. No contributions to HOUND PAC shall be knowingly solicited from persons not eligible to contribute or secured by physical force, job discrimination, financial reprisals or threat of the same.
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 5.0: Amendment: These Articles and by-laws or policies prescribed by the Directors as authorized herein may be amended at any time, or from time to time, by the majority action of the then acting Directors and the provisions of any such amendment shall be applicable to HOUND PAC as constituted at the time of the amendment as well as to any PAC funds subsequently acquired. Any such amendment shall be in writing duly executed by each of the then Directors and placed in the appropriate records of HOUND PAC.
Section 5.1: Acceptance: Each Original Director, by fixing his signature hereto, accepts HOUND PAC created by these Articles upon the terms and conditions hereof to all of which the parties hereto agree.
