SOUTH EASTERN WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL CLUB
RULES AND
REGULATIONS
NOV 99 (Amended January 2019)
1.
The name of the Club shall be the South Eastern Welsh
Springer Spaniel Club, its objects being
(a)
to encourage the breeding and type of the Welsh
Springer Spaniel as laid down in the Breed Standard
(b)
to encourage the training and working of the breed
(c)
to run Shows and Field Trials and Working Tests
(d)
to be for the benefit of its members and not to be
classed as a trading business so that all profits from whatever source,
function and/or activity of the Club shall be maintained for the benefit of and
for the further education of its members in the training, management, breeding
and every aspect pertaining to Welsh Springer Spaniels
(e)
the
Club shall actively encourage and foster amicable liaison with all other Welsh
Springer Spaniel Clubs.
The Kennel Club shall
be the final authority for interpreting the Rules of the Club and in all cases
relating to Canine or Club matters.
2.
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of
members. Applications for membership shall be made on
membership forms
(obtainable from the Secretary) duly proposed and seconded by two fully paid up
members of the Club, which shall be submitted by the Secretary to the Executive
Committee at any of its meetings and no applicant will be deemed to be a member
until approved by them.
Honorary Life
Membership: Any person to be considered for this position to be nominated
by the Executive Committee. To be awarded to long standing members who have
given loyal and outstanding service to the Club. This award shall be made only following
the majority of members present at the Annual General Meeting voting in favour,
and shall give the right to attend all meetings of the Club.
The Club must 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.
Any member may withdraw
from the Club at any time on giving notice to the Secretary, provided that such
member shall be liable for his/her subscription for the current year in which
notice is given and he/she shall have no further claim upon any property or
funds belonging to the Club.
3.
The annual subscription for each UK member shall be
laid down annually at the Annual General Meeting by
the
majority of members present voting in favour. Persons from overseas wishing to join
the South Eastern Welsh Springer Spaniel Club shall become Associate Members at
a reduced annual subscription also to be laid down at the Annual General
Meeting, with no voting powers, but receiving relevant literature. All new members will be required to pay
a joining fee of £1.00.
A member who is 6
months in arrears shall, “ipso facto”, cease to be a member of the
Club, but may be reinstated at any time by the Executive Committee on
furnishing what they may consider a satisfactory explanation and pay all
arrears of subscription. Any new or
renewed membership which commences after 1st July shall have no
voting rights at the Annual General Meeting of that year.
4. The
affairs of the Club, shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of
not more than 12
Members, not including the Patron, President,
Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer (the last two of which can be
held by one person), and the Assistant Secretary. The above named Offices shall be “ex
officio” members of all committees and will retire annually, but shall be
eligible for re-election at the AGM.
Six members of the Executive Committee who have served longest, shall
retire each year, but be eligible for re-election at the AGM.
Any member of the Club
may propose any member as a candidate for the Office of President, or of
Chairman, or of Secretary, or of Treasurer, or of Assistant Secretary, or for
the Executive Committee, provided that the name of the candidate together with
the name of the proposer and seconder be notified in writing to reach the
Secretary twenty eight days before the AGM.
In the event of a
vacancy on the Executive Committee occurring between elections the vacancy
shall be filled by a co-opted member selected by the Executive Committee for the
remainder of that year.
Any Executive Committee
Member who is absent for two consecutive meetings without satisfactory
explanation may be asked to resign and his/her place filled as set out
above. No officer or committee
member of another Welsh Springer Spaniel Club in Great Britain is eligible to
serve as an Officer of this Club.
Vice-President :
Any person to be considered for this position to be nominated by the Executive
Committee. To be offered to
subscribing members of the Club, following a majority vote in favour by members
at the Annual General Meeting, to those, who have given loyal and outstanding
service to the Club, and who wish to retain an active interest, without holding
a formal appointment. They may
attend and speak at Executive Meetings, but shall have no voting rights. The position of Vice-President shall
last as long as subscriptions are paid or the recipient wishes to stand down.
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.
5.
A Bank Account shall be held in the name of the Club,
“The South Eastern Welsh Springer Spaniel Club”,
into
which all revenue of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall be
made on the signature of two or more Officers of the Club, one of which should
be the Treasurer. The financial
year of the Club shall run from 1st January each year to 31st
December.
These accounts will be
certified annually, and presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
NOTE: Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant
or two individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must
be independent from those who prepared the accounts. On request a certified copy can be made
available to a member 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
6. Meetings
of The South Eastern Welsh Springer Spaniel Club Executive Committee shall be
held at least four
times
a year, one of which such meetings shall be on the day of the AGM and previous
to it, and the quorum for such meetings to be five. The Secretary in conjunction with the
Chairman, shall have power to summon an Executive Committee meeting or
sub-committee meeting.
At every meeting
whether general or otherwise, the minutes of the previous meeting shall be read
and confirmed. At least 14 days
notice of every meeting shall be given by the Secretary, together with an
agenda of business to be discussed.
The Chairman shall preside
at every possible meeting. In the
absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, the members shall elect a Chairman
to preside.
The Chairman shall have
a casting vote in the event of a tie taking place and his/her ruling on any
point shall be binding on every meeting.
The Annual General
Meeting shall be held on the fourth Sunday in March or a date to be fixed by
the Executive Committee as close as possible to the date; preliminary notice of
which shall be sent out by the Secretary at least seven weeks beforehand, and
any matter for the agenda must be sent to the Secretary by four weeks
beforehand, so that agendas can be sent to all members prior to the AGM. The Officers also acknowledge their duty
to inform the Kennel Club of the month in which the Society’s AGM is held
and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date. An Annual Report shall be drawn up by
the Chairman, in collaboration with the Secretary, and presented to the AGM.
No resolution, other
than the adoption of the Report and the Accounts, shall be moved at the AGM
unless a notice signed by the members who propose to move it, stating its
terms, has been delivered or posted to the Secretary at least twenty-eight days
beforehand. This notice shall also
apply to any proposition to be moved at an Executive Committee Meeting. The Secretary shall be bound to call an
Extraordinary General Meeting at any time should he/she be required to do so in
writing by not less than 25 members.
Any resolution passed
at either an AGM or at an EGM can only be altered or rescinded at a subsequent
General Meeting. The quorum for
these General Meetings shall be twenty-five members. The Rules of the Club may not be altered
except at such a General Meeting and such alterations shall not be brought into
force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval to the
alterations.
7. The
entire property of the Club shall be vested in the Executive Committee jointly
and in the event of the Club
being
wound up shall, after all the Club’s liabilities have been dealt with, be
disposed of as they shall think fit.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to call a General Meeting
of the Club at any time on not less than 14 days notice in writing by the
Secretary to every Member of the Club;
to arbitrate on any matters of dispute; to elect members as aforesaid; to vote prizes or subscriptions to any
Show or Field Trial; to appoint
sub-committees and where they consider it necessary, secretaries to such
sub-committees; to compile Club
Lists of Judges who it considers competent to officiate at Championship and
Open Shows; to propose
recommendation to the AGM and to carry on the general business of the Club.
The Executive Committee
shall also have the power to deal with all expenses incurred on behalf of the
Club and to deal with any questions which may arise and are not provided for in
the Rules.
The Club is empowered
to provide financial and other assistance in the short term to Club Members who
find themselves through accident or illness unable to provide for their Welsh
Springer Spaniel(s). The assistance
is to be entirely for the benefit of the animal; such disbursements to be at
the discretion of the Executive Officers of the Club.
The Secretary shall
call an Extraordinary Committee Meeting any time if required to do so by
separate written notice from not less than five of its Members.
Every Member of the
Executive Committee shall receive not less than 14 days notice in writing of
such a meeting.
8. Any
member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and/or Kennel
Club Rule A11.j.(9)
shall “ipso facto” cease to be a member of the
Club.
If the conduct of any
Members shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Club, be injurious or
likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee
of 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 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 him/her of the place, date and hour of the
Meeting that he may attend and offer an explanation. If at that meeting a resolution to expel
is passed by a two thirds majority of the members present and voting, his/her
name shall be forthwith erased from the List of Members, and he shall thereupon
cease for all purposes to be a Member of the Club, 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 conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.
PRIZES, CUPS, ETC.
9. No
prizes, cups etc., shall be granted to any Show or Field Trial which is not
held under rules, or licence, of
the
Kennel Club or the International Gundog League.
All challenge or other
cups and trophies are the property of the Club and are to be covered by
insurance. In the event of the Club
being wound up they shall be dealt with as the conditions of any gift may
provide or as set out in Rule 6.
Any winner of a Club
Trophy shall, before taking delivery of the same, sign a receipt card provided
by the Cup Steward or Field Trial Secretary. These officials, ten days before the
event at which the trophy is next offered send a reminder to the holder, asking
that the trophy shall be returned by the date specified.
10.
The Officers acknowledge that during the month of
January each year, Maintenance of Title fee will be
forwarded
to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for continuance of Registration and that by
31st July each year other returns, as stipulated in 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 Club which may occur during the course of the year.
11. The
Club’s choice of representative to the Kennel Club Liaison Council of
Breed Representatives (one for
each breed only) and the Club’s representative
to the Kennel Club Field Trial Council (to which every Club affiliated to the
International Gundog League may send a representative) shall be nominated by
the Executive Committee, at the proper time before each three year period of
these Councils.
12. The Club will not join any Federation of
Societies or Clubs.