Club Rules

 

1.  NAME AND OBJECTS
The club shall be called the Eastern Counties Shetland Sheepdog Club and its objects shall be to unite breed enthusiasts in East Anglia and neighbouring counties, to encourage the responsible ownership and breeding to the Kennel Club Standard of Shetland sheepdogs and to advance the interests of the breed in shows and at other appropriate activities.

 

2.  OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
The Club shall consist of Patron, President, Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon Treasurer, a committee of 12 and an unlimited number of members.

 

3.  COMMITTEE
(a) The management of the club shall be in the hands of the Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, and a committee of 12 members.  Any 6 to form a quorum of which 2 must be Officers of the Club.  In the event of a committee member retiring for any reason, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt a replacement for the period to the next Annual General Meeting.

(b) The Officers and Committee shall retire in rotation but shall be eligible for re-election for a three-year period.  If a retiring officer is not re-elected , he or she can, if desired, be automatically nominated for election as a committee member.  If any member of the committee fails to attend three meetings in succession without prior notice to the Secretary, he or she shall cease forthwith to be a member of the Committee.

(c) i  No person, whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society. No individual is eligible for election to the committee who has been a member of the Club for less than 1 year.
     ii  No member of the Club shall be eligible for election as an officer or Committee member who is an official of another club devoted to the same breed. Any individual wishing to stand as an Officer of the Club must be a serving Committee member and have served at least one year as a Committee member save in exceptional circumstances

(d) The Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter not dealt with in the Rules.

(e) Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary but not less than three times a year.  Not less than 14 days notice shall be given of any meeting to be held.

(f) All members shall be asked to put forward any names they may wish to suggest and these, together with the names of the retiring Officers and Committee, shall be voted for by ballot, only paid up adult Members of the Club of the previous year up to 31st December being eligible to vote.  Permission of the nominee to be obtained before submitting.  All nominations to be received by the Secretary by 25th February.

(g) Ballot:  Ballot papers shall be numbered seriatim, show the address of the President, and be posted to all members (except overseas members) not less than 3 clear weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.  In the event that there be fewer valid nominations than there are vacancies, or if there is only one valid nomination for a position, then such candidate(s) if duly qualified shall be declared elected unopposed.  The Secretary shall record the number of ballot papers issued.  Members shall record their vote by marking “X” against the name(s) of the candidates they wish to support and shall not vote for more candidates than there are vacancies.  The allot papers shall be forwarded to the President at the address shown on the ballot paper in a sealed envelope provided endorsed ‘Ballot PaperÂ’ to arrive not less than 3 clear days prior to the Annual General Meeting.  The President shall retain the envelopes unopened and deliver them to the Annual General Meeting.  These votes to be opened and counted by two Scrutineers, elected for that purpose by the AGM.

 

4.  PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS
The President to be elected by all members at the Annual General Meeting for a three year term of office and be eligible for re-election.  The power to extend an invitation for a Vice President to be vested in the Committee.

 

5.  ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Candidates for membership shall be proposed by one fully paid up member and seconded by another, all of whom will sign the proposal form.  Acceptance will be by vote of the Committee (three negatives shall exclude for which no reason need be given) and on payment of subscription.

 

6.  VOTING RIGHTS
Each Member shall be entitled to one vote after six calendar months membership.  Method of voting shall be by secret ballot at the AGM (see Rule 3g).  Voting by proxy shall not be permitted at any meeting.  Where Joint Memberships are accepted, each partner shall have one vote.  Junior Members (up to 18 years) are not entitled to a vote.

 

7.  CLUB PROPERTY
The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee.  In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, the Committee shall dispose of all monies, trophies and other assets in a manner to benefit the breed.

 

8.  CLUB ACCOUNTS
A banking Account shall be held in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signatures of two of the following:  Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer.  The ClubÂ’s Annual Statement of Accounts shall be certified by a qualified Accountant or two unqualified individuals with accounting experience.

No expense shall be incurred by the ClubÂ’s officials or committee beyond the ClubÂ’s funds.  If any cheque fails to be honoured by the bank, the person issuing it shall also become liable for any bank charges incurred.

 

9.  SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Annual Subscription shall be such amount as recommended by the Committee and agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club.

Subscriptions are due on 1 January each year.  Members joining after 30 September shall not be liable to pay their next subscription until 1 January fifteen months later.

No member shoes subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of Membership and if the Member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions within 3 calendar months of their due date, his/her name shall automatically be erased from the Register.  Acceptance back on the Register will be dependant upon a new application and payment of arrears

 

10. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Any member who shall be suspended under kennel Club Rule A42(4) and/or any member whose dog/s is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j(8) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.  If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Society be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character of interests of the Club, the Club may, at a meeting, the notice convening which includes as an object the consideration of the conduct of the Member, determine that a Special General Meeting of the Club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him/her.  Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member, giving particulars of the complaint and advising the place, date and hour of the Meeting that he/she may attend and offer an explanation.

If at the Meeting a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting, his/her name shall forthwith be erased from the list of Members and he/she shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a Member of the Society except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such Meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as the Kennel Club may impose.

 

11. FINANCIAL YEAR/ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Financial Year of the Club to run from 1 January to the end of the following December.  The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the end of March each year.  Notification of the place, date and time of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members either individually, or by a notice in Dog World and Our Dogs at least 28 days previously.

 

12. GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting shall receive reports from the officers, including Annual Accounts, receive result of ballot for Officers and Committee and discuss any resolutions which have been placed on the Agenda and of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary and seconded in writing at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.  No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those which in the opinion of the Chairman of the Meeting are urgent.  The Agenda to be available at the Meeting.

 

13. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Hon. Secretary if 20 members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so.  The signed requisition must be lodged with the Hon. Secretary in time to allow members to be given 14 days notice of the Meeting in writing or by a notice in Our Dogs and Dog World.  No business other than that detailed on the Agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting has been called. The Committee of the Society is empowered to call a Special General Meeting at its discretion.

 

14. AMENDMENT TO RULES
The Rules of the Club shall not be altered except at a General Meeting, the Agenda for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules.  Any alteration to the Rules shall not be brought into effect until the kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration.  A two thirds majority of the members present and voting shall be necessary to pass any amendment.  If passed, further amendment of the same rule cannot be proposed until the AGM after next.

 

15. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of the Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for the continuance of Registration and that by 31 July each year, other returns, as stipulated in the Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities be forwarded to the Kennel Club.  The officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

 

16. KENNEL CLUB FINAL COURT OF APPEAL
The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.

 

17. The Club shall not join an Federation of Societies or Clubs.

 

18. The Club will make a list of Members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.

 

19. JUDGES
The Secretary shall keep a list of judges willing to officiate at shows (hereinafter called “the List”).  The committee shall be empowered to remove any names from the list if, in their opinion, it is no longer desirable that the name shall be included.

Any member of the Club may at any time nominate a person for inclusion in the list.  The nomination shall be made by letter to the Secretary, supported by the consent in writing of the nominee.  The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable, lay the nomination before the Committee and the Committee having considered the experience and capability of the nominee, shall either reject the nomination or approve it and direct that the name of the nominee be added to the list.  The Secretary shall comply with any such direction forthwith.  A new list will be produced and presented at each AGM and will be available on request.

 

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