Constitution & Rules
TITLE
The name of the club shall be CALEDONIAN RETRIEVER CLUB
OBJECTS
a) To promote and encourage the welfare and interests of pure and sound retrievers of all varieties conforming to their respective Kennel Club approved Breed Standard.
b) To conserve the best type of dual purpose retriever and ensure they are fit for life and fit for purpose as Kennel Club guidelines.c) To encourage and promote Field Trials, test and shows according to Kennel Club rules.d) To further the knowledge of and educate members in the care, training and handling of retrievers.e) To encourage junior members.f) To hold training and ring-craft classes and judge’s seminars as Kennel Club guidelines.
MEMBERSHIP
The club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses will be kept by the Membership Secretary and which will be open to inspection by the Kennel Club and the club member’s at all reasonable times. In accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998), members are advised that their membership details may be kept on a computer database. However, members may request that their details are not stored in this manner.
A lapsed member may be reinstated at any time by the General Committee on furnishing what they consider to be a satisfactory explanation and paying all arrears of subscription. It shall be in order for any member to withdraw from the club by giving written notice to the secretary before 31st December of any year. However, such a member will be liable for the subscription for the current year in which the notice is given and have no further claim on any of the club’s property or funds
MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB
The affairs of the club shall be conducted by not more than 17 members who will form the General Committee. The General Committee will, from their number, elect a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Field Trial Secretary. Should it become necessary to make any of these appointments from outside the Committee, voting rights will not be included. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members of the Committee should a vacancy occur between Annual General Meetings. The Committee shall have the power to appoint Sub-Committees of not more than 6 members, one of whom must be the chairman. Any Committee member absent from 3 consecutive meetings without adequate reason shall automatically be removed from the Committee.
The Committee shall have the power, at any time, to call a General Meeting of the Club to arbitrate on any matters, to elect members as aforesaid, to appoint sub-committees, to invite and appoint a Patron, to deal with all financial matters and carry on the day to day business of the club. Should any motion under discussion receive an equal number of votes for and against, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.
The Officers shall retire annually but be eligible for re-election. General Committee members shall be appointed for 3 years, one third of whom shall retire each year but be eligible for re-election. For election or re-election to Office or General Committee, candidates will require nomination in writing signed by the proposer, seconder and nominee be in the hands of the Secretary 21 days prior to the Annual general Meeting.
Candidates and their proposer and seconder must have been fully paid-up members of the club for 3 years. Husband and wife or bona fide partners who take advantage of the joint membership cannot propose and second another candidate. 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.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
The annual subscription (up to the age of 16 years) shall be free but junior members will have no voting rights. The annual subscription shall be set or revised by the General Committee at the Annual General Meeting. The membership year will commence on 1 January and end 31 December. No-one is deemed to be a member of the club or entitled to any privilege of membership until the annual subscription is paid. Any member failing to pay the subscription before the 1 April in any year shall cease to be a club member and a new application must be applied for. Any member joining after the 30 June in any given year will not be given the offer of nomination in that year’s Field Trials until every other member applying with a qualified dog has had the offer of a run.
MEETINGS
Annual General Meeting: The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 30 June. The notice convening the meeting showing date, time and place shall be sent to each member of the club by either post or email. Notification may also be placed in the canine press, i.e. Dog World or Our Dog. Notification must be given to each member not less than 21 days prior to the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to read and adopt the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting, to receive the Committee’s report on the year’s activities, approve and adopt the club’s annual accounts and balance sheet and to elect Officers and General Committee in accordance with the club’s rules. Any other item proposed for inclusion in the agenda by a fully paid-up member of the club must be forwarded to the Secretary in writing no later than 14 days prior to the meeting. No business will be transacted at the meeting unless notice thereof appears in the agenda. The only exception to this is routine matters of those which, in the opinion of the Chairman, are urgent.
The rules of the club will not be altered except at a General Meeting, the agenda of which will contain specific proposals to amend the rules. Any such alteration will not be effected until the Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration. Any new rule introduced specifically to conform to Kennel Club requirements will be adopted immediately and added to the club’s existing constitution with effect from the date of the Annual General Meeting. Only fully paid-up members of the club shall participate in any business conducted at the Annual General Meeting. The quorum at the Annual General Meeting shall be 15 members.
Special/Extra General Meeting: On receipt by the Secretary of a written request from 20 fully paid-up members stating the business to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting, the Secretary shall convene a meeting. This meeting to be convened within 14 days and held within 28 days and not less than 14 days from the date of the requisition. The object of the meeting to be notified to every member by the methods previously detailed. The decision of the Special General Meeting shall be binding in every way. No business other than that specified in the agenda may be discussed at a Special General Meeting. The General Committee is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting.
ACCOUNTS
A banking account shall be opened in the name of the club into which all revenue of the club must be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signatures of two out of three Officers, namely Treasurer, Secretary and Chairman/Vice Chairman. The club’s accounts must be certified annually and presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting. Certification of the accounts must be carried out by either a qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience. The financial year of the club will run from 1 January to 31 December.
TROPHIES
Any trophies, monies or other items donated to the club shall be deemed to be property of the club and it is under these conditions that they are accepted. Should the club cease to exist under Kennel Club regulations, the Officers and Committee will be held responsible for the disposal of the club’s assets in a manner decided at a Special General Meeting. A final statement of audited accounts and a record of the dispersal of the club’s assets shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within 6 months of the winding-up of the club.
No trophies, subscriptions or guarantees shall be granted to any show or field trial not held under the rules of the Kennel Club or the International Gundog League. Only fully paid-up members may claim a trophy.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Any member who is suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j(5) and/or whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j(9) shall ipso facto to be a member of the club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification. If the conduct of the member shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the club, the Committee 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 as a member. Notices of both meetings shall be sent to the accused member advising him/her of the place, date and time that he/she may attend and offer an explanation. If at the Special General Meeting a resolution to expel is passed by two thirds majority of the members present and voting, his/her name shall be forthwith erased from the list of members except that he/she may, within 2 calendar months from the date of such a meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose. The club will report the expulsion of any member in writing to the Kennel Club within 7 days and supply any particulars required.
GENERAL
The officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year a Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31 July other returns as stipulated by Kennel Club regulations will be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the KENNEL Club of any change of Secretary which may occur during the year. The club shall not join any federation of societies or clubs.
In all matters of dispute the Kennel Club shall be recognised as the final court of appeal.