By Laws

WESTERN NEBRASKA CUTTERS, INC.

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS

Revised 4.2024

ARTICLE 1.   NAME

This organization shall be known as Western Nebraska Cutters, Inc.  The organization will herein be referred to as the Association.

ARTICLE 2.   STATUS

         The Association is a non-profit organization that qualifies as an exempt organization under

Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law).

         This organization is a mutual benefit corporation.

         This organization is not a private foundation and never intends to be.

         The existence of this Association shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE 3.   INITIAL REGISTERED OFFICE

         Tana Miller, Secretary                   

         46916 775th Rd

Hazard, NE 68844                 

ARTICLE 4.   INCORPORATOR

Tana Miller, Secretary                   

         46916 775th Rd

Hazard, NE 68844                   

ARTICLE 5.   OBJECTIVES

         The objectives of the Association shall be:

1.                  To promote the production, training, and showing of cutting horses.

2.                  To plan and conduct educational programs for their members and all other legal powers permitted general not for profit organizations.

3.                  Clinics and presentations may be sponsored by the Association.

ARTICLE 6.   BYLAWS

WESTERN NEBRASKA CUTTERS, INC. BYLAWS

ARTICLE 1.   FISCAL YEAR

         The fiscal year of the Association shall be January 1 through December 31 of each year.

ARTICLE 2.   MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

(A)             Membership will be open to any individual as well as families regardless of whether he, she or they own a cutting horse or horses.  Anyone interested in cutting horses may hold active membership in the Association.

(B)              Members must conduct themselves in an orderly manner as befits a true horseman and must abide by the rules properly adopted by this Association at any sponsored event.

(C)              Members will not discipline their horse in a manner not generally accepted as a humane method of correction of such horse.  A horse needing severe corrective action is probably not trained well enough to be used in training sessions or other events sponsored by the Association.

(D)             Dues will be for the calendar year, January 1 through December 31 of each year.   The amount for the dues will be set by the directors.  Dues will be due and payable on or before January 1 of each year.

(E)              Each individually paid member, age 13 and over will be entitled to one vote in all business brought before the general membership. 

(F)              Both Owners & Riders having interest in joining the Association will be allowed one show as a guest of the Association without paying membership dues, but must pay the required entry, cattle, and office charges.  They must pay their membership dues before showing in the second show and receiving points for the year end awards.

(G)             Youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

ARTICLE  3.  MEETINGS

(A)             In the event situations occur that would require membership action prior to the next regular meeting, the President may call a special meeting of such purposes.

(B)              An annual meeting of the membership shall be held during the Annual Awards banquet.  This meeting may be held at the final cutting.

ARTICLE 4.   BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS

(A)             There shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and a Board of Directors comprised of  Six (6) members .

(B)              Nominations and election of officers and directors shall be held during the annual meeting of each year.  The elected officers and directors shall take office effective immediately.

(C)              Each officer shall be elected by the membership for a term of one year by a majority of votes.  Officers may succeed themselves in office if re-elected.

(D)             Directors shall be elected to the following terms:

6 - Two Year-term Directors

(E)              In the event any office or directorship becomes vacant for any reason whatsoever, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the President with the consent of the Directors.

(F)              A quorum at the general membership meeting shall consist of no less than twenty-five percent (25%) of members.

(G)             All Directors must attend 50% of the Director meetings.  If a Director cannot attend, they must call in advance for an excused absence.

(H)             The Board of Directors have the option to remove any Director who has not participated in 50% of the Director Meetings unless otherwise excused.

ARTICLE 5.   DUTIES OF OFFICERS

(A)             Presidential Duties

(1)               Chair all membership meetings.

(2)               Appoint committee members as needed, subject to membership approval.

(3)               Serve as ex-officio member of all committees.

(4)               Authorized to sign checks as needed when the Secretary-Treasurer is unavailable.

(5)               A no-voting member of the Board of Directors unless to break a tie vote.

(B)              Vice President

(1)               Assist the President as needed.

(2)               Carry out the duties of the President upon the President’s absence.

(C)              Secretary-Treasurer Duties

(1)               Keep membership roster up-to-date.

(2)               Record minutes of meetings and financial reports.

(3)               Send out newsletters.

(4)               Collect dues and deposit all such monies in the bank.

(5)               Issue checks as necessary.  Whenever possible all bills shall be paid by check.

(6)               Keep point system for the year end awards.

(7)               The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

(8)               The Secretary-Treasurer shall be paid $4.50 for each entry.

(9)               Substitute Secretary shall be paid $3.00 for each entry

ARTICLE 6.   STANDING COMMITTEES

(A)             The President will be available for assistance on all committees.

(B)              Show and Scheduling Committee

(1)               This committee will consist of the Board of Directors with the Vice President as chairman.

(2)               Guidelines for this committee:

(a)               It will be the responsibility of this committee to arrange for the use of indoor barn or arena and cattle to be used at the regular training sessions and all special events sponsored by the Association.

(b)               The committee shall seek to negotiate the best possible rate for cattle to be used at all events.

(c)               The committee shall be responsible for setting up pens for all events.

(d)               The committee shall arrange for judges.

(C)   Sponsor Committee

(1)               Year End Awards.

(2)               Special show awards.

(3)               An award to a member that has shown extra effort in supporting the WNC, to be chosen by the Directors.  This award does not need to be given every year.

(D)   Youth Scholarship Committee

(1)               The Scholarship Committee shall consist of:

1 – Office    1 – Director             2 – General Members

All of which will be appointed by the President.

(2)    There will be a mandatory $1.00 charge for each entry, except the Youth Class, that will go directly to the Youth Scholarship Fund.

(E)   Training and Assistance Committee

(1)               The President will seek to have persons who have experience in training horses to assist less experienced members in the training of their horses, and in teaching techniques to improve each member’s skill in working with a cutting horse.

(F)   Grievance Committee

(1)               The Board of Directors will handle all complaints or disputes that may arise.  In the event that they fail to agree on how the complaint or dispute should be settled, the President shall make the decisions, subject to appeal at the next regular meeting.

ARTICLES 7. RULES AND DRESS CODE

(A)             The Association shall abide by the rules of the National Cutting Horse Association rules with any exception being set forth in the Western Nebraska Cutting Association By-Laws:

(1)               Training devices may be used on the turn back and herd holding horses only.  Only NCHA approved equipment will be used on the cutting horses.

(2)               The dress code may be waived by the Board of Directors as deemed necessary.

(B)              Insufficient fund checks:  First offense shall carry a $15.00 fine; second offense shall carry a $25.00 fine.  The individual will then be put on a cash only basis.

(C)              No harassment of judges will be tolerated.  Directors shall be responsible for dealing with the individual guilty of harassment of judges.  A Director will be appointed as a monitor at each cutting and any individual found guilty of harassment shall be suspended from competing at the next two shows.

ARTICLE 8.   SHOWING

(A)             The point year for cuttings shall run for a calendar year January-December 31

(B)              The date the membership is paid determines when points begin to count.  No points can be counted retroactive to joining the Association.

(C)              Both rider and owner of the horse must be members of the Association to compete at the second show and have points count for yearend awards.

(D)             To qualify for a year end award, a rider/horse must show in the same class at 30% of all shows.

(E)              A point system is used to determine the year end awards.  One point will be awarded for each horse beaten, plus one point for entry.  In the case of ties, the points from the tied placing, will be added together, and then divided equally between the riders tied.  Example:  Two entries received a score of 75 and tied to win the class with 10 entries, 10 points and 9 points are added together and then divided by 2, so each entry will receive 9.5 points.

(F)              Points will be kept by the secretary and published in the Association newsletter.

(G)             Year end awards will be given in all classes,

(H)             Ties for yearend awards will be broken as follows:

(1)               The person showing at the most shows will be the winner.

(2)               If there is still a tie, then the individual scores from all approved shows for that class will be totaled and the person or horse with the highest point total will receive the award.  Example:  In a tie for second place award, the highest total would receive the 2nd place award and the lowest would receive the 3rd place award.

(I)                If a rider/owner/horse does not qualify for a year end award for whatever reason, all others who are eligible shall move up accordingly in the standings.

(J)                In all classes, points will only be awarded on the basis of the actual number of horses/riders showing, not on the number of paid entries.

(K)             Late entries in any class shall ride last.

(L)              No class if one (1) or less has entered.

(M)            Class order shall be drawn for at each cutting and posted on the WNC website by Midnight the Wednesday before the cutting.

(N)             Judging at cuttings will be done by the members of the Association.  However, the individual putting on the cutting has the option to hire a judge at their own expense.

(O)             When multiple horses are ridden in a rider class at the same show, the rider will designate the entry they want to count for yearend awards prior to competing in that class.  If the designation is not made, the secretary has the right to draw for the entry the points will go to and the other will receive zero points.

ARTICLE 9.   CLASSES

(A)             Enter as many horses as you like.

(B)              One or less in a class, no contest.

(C)              The classes listed below must be offered at each Association approved show:

1.     Open                                   7.     $500 Novice Rider

2.     Non Pro                               8.     $150 Novice Horse

3.     Youth                                  9.     Beginners

4.     $4000 Novice Horse           10.   All Age Futurity

5.     $2000 Novice Rider            11.   $5000 Non Pro

6.     $1000 Novice Horse           12.   Amateur Ranch  Horse

                                                         13.   $10,000 Novice Horse

(D)             The beginner class shall be for beginner riders who may ride any horse.  When a rider has accumulated 20 points from all classes entered, they will then be ineligible for the Beginners Class the following year.  Any rider having earned money in a cutting are ineligible for the Beginners class.

(E)              The All Age Futurity class shall be for any horse who has not won more than $500.00 in money or points in a cutting contest.  Any horses that have shown in any NCHA Futurity at any time, are not eligible to show in the All Age Futurity Class.

(1)               This class will be judged on run content.

(2)               A horse that is ridden with light contact will receive more credit than one that is held onto with tight contact.

(3)               A horse must show cow sense by watching the cow and having a good expression.

(4)               A rider may use two hands or one hand and may change between the two with no reining point assessed.

(F)              No money won in the All Age Futurity Class shall count towards eligibility for any other class.

(G)             The Amateur Ranch Horse class is for any rider/horse that has not won any NCHA money in Cutting Lifetime Earnings.  The horse must be owned by the rider or the ranch/feedlot the rider is employed.  This class will be judged as is the All Age Futurity.

         (H)    (1) The Youth Class will be the third class at each cutting.

ARTICLE 10.         PAYOUT SCHEDULE FOR ALL CLASSES

         (A)   # Entries                              Monies Paid                        Percent

                     2  - 3                                        1                                  100%

                     4 – 6                                        2                                  60%

                                                                                                                     40%

                     7 – 9                                        3                                  50%

                                                                                                                     30%

                                                                                                                     20%

                     10 – 12                                    4                                  40%

                                                                                                                     30%

                                                                                                                     20%

                                                                                                                     10%

                     13 – 16                                  5                                   30%

                                                                                                                     25%

                                                                                                                     20%

                                                                                                                     15%

                                                                                                                     10%

                     17 – 21                                  6                                   30%

                                                                                                                     24%

                                                                                                                     18%

                                                                                                                     12%

                                                                                                                       9%

                                                                                                                       7%

(B)   The entry fee for the Youth Class shall be $14.00, consisting of $10 jackpot and $4 office charge.  The payout schedule shall be the same as in the other classes.

(D)             There will be an office charge of $7.00 for each entry.

(E)              There will be a cattle charge of $20.00 for each entry, except the Youth Class.

(F)              There will be an Entry Fee charge of $23.00 for each entry, except the Youth Class.

(G) There will be a $1.00 Youth Scholarship Fee charge for each entry, except the Youth Class. 

(H)             There will be a cattle charge fee for each Practice of $20.00.

ARTICLE 12.         RESERVES

         A reserve of $2,000.00 of the previous years’ expense shall be held in reserve in a savings account.

ARTICLE 13.         DISSOLUTION

In the event this Association becomes defunct, the current assets shall be disbursed as directed by a majority vote of the membership.