NYTHA SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING TO AMEND BYLAWS SET FOR JAN. 23

A Special Meeting of the Membership of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association will be held Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, starting at 11 a.m. in the Film Theater at Aqueduct Racetrack, 11000 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park, NY 11420. The purpose of the meeting is to take a vote to adopt the amended bylaws of the Association.

The NYTHA bylaws were last revised in 1990. In order to maintain compliance with New York’s not-for-profit law, the Association has worked diligently over the last year to craft new bylaws that will bring the organization into compliance with the Non-Profit Revitalization Act, signed into law in December of 2013.

Click here for the Non-Profit Revitalization Act

NYTHA has taken the opportunity not only to comply with changes in the 2013 Non-Profit Revitalization Act, but also to give the bylaws a much-needed update. The current NYTHA Bylaws and the proposed amended NYTHA Bylaws can be accessed by clicking the appropriate links; there is also an Executive Summary below.

Click here for current NYTHA Bylaws.

Click here for proposed amended NYTHA Bylaws.

Click here for the redlined NYTHA Bylaws.

The amended bylaws were approved by a vote of the NYTHA Board in March. NYTHA circulated a petition to our membership to determine if there was support for amending the bylaws, and received the necessary signatures to move forward. As required and with the consent of the Attorney General, NYTHA then petitioned the Supreme Court of New York for an Order authorizing the organization to proceed with a vote of the membership, which was issued on October 15, 2019.

The final step is to have a vote of the NYTHA membership on the new bylaws. If you are a licensed and active Thoroughbred owner or trainer participating at the NYRA tracks, please click here to review the formal notice of the General Membership Meeting.

All eligible NYTHA members who wish to vote must be in attendance at the meeting, or appoint a proxy to cast a ballot for them. Votes will not be accepted by any other means.

If you will not be able to attend the meeting in person, please click on the link below to download the NYTHA Special Meeting of the Membership Proxy. You can designate NYTHA Board member Pat Kelly or NYTHA Board member Aron Yagoda as your proxy, or you can write in the name of the proxy you would like to appoint. You can then email the proxy to NYTHA Membership Services Coordinator Kathy Locke at klocke@nytha.com, or fax it to (718) 848-9269, or mail it to NYTHA, P.O. Box 170070, Jamaica, NY 11417, or drop it at the NYTHA Office at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Click here for the NYTHA Special Meeting of the Membership Proxy

You will receive confirmation once your proxy has been received. If you do not receive confirmation, or if you have any questions, please contact NYTHA Membership Services Coordinator Kathy Locke at klocke@nytha.com, or (718) 848-5045.

THE PROXY FOR NYTHA SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE NYTHA OFFICE AT AQUEDUCT RACETRACK. THE NYTHA OFFICE IS OPEN TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, 9:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS OF
NEW YORK THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (“NYTHA”) overwhelmingly approved Amended and Restated Bylaws of NYTHA (the “Amended Bylaws”) in March, 2019.  The Amended Bylaws bring NYTHA into compliance with the New York Not For Profit Corporation Law (“NPCL”), as amended by the New York Non-Profit Revitalization Act of 2013, and implement updates to enable efficient management and administration of NYTHA so that NYTHA can continue to successfully serve its members and the horse racing community.

Key Features of the Amended Bylaws are summarized below:

• Purposes: A more detailed list of the purposes of NYTHA is set forth, including:  to promote understanding and collaboration among horseman, race track operators, industry regulators and racing fans; to publicize, promote and assist in the safe retirement and retraining for second careers of thoroughbreds; and, to promote equine welfare and research.
• Amendments: A more streamlined procedure for amending Bylaws is provided.  Bylaws can be amended upon petition signed by at least 75 voting members, followed by a majority vote of voting Members present at a meeting of Members in person or by proxy.
• Membership and Voter Eligibility: Membership is available to any individual owner, individual partner in an entity ownership group, or individual trainer who is currently licensed as such by the New York State Gaming Commission and starts a thoroughbred racehorse in a qualifying race within the jurisdiction of NYTHA.  Voter eligibility is available for members who are listed as a thoroughbred racehorse owner or trainer in the Equibase records and in an official track program, or who own a minimum of 5% of a thoroughbred racehorse that starts in a qualifying race within the jurisdiction of NYTHA and who complete a Membership self-affirmation form.
• Membership Meeting Quorum Requirement: In compliance with the NPCL, a quorum of Members is defined as one tenth of the membership eligible to vote, or 100 members (whichever is less).
• Required Annual Meetings: In compliance with the NPCL, annual meetings of the Members are required.
• Director Term Limit: A director may not serve for more than four consecutive three year terms.
• Voting By Proxy: Members are permitted to vote by proxy.
• Board Meetings: The Board shall hold at least 4 Board meetings each year.