Rules & Constitution

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1 NAME & OBJECTIVES
The Club shall be called “NORTH DERBYSHIRE DOG AGILITY CLUB” and its objectives shall be:-
1. To provide competition agility training for all grades and heights.
2. To educate members & encourage responsible dog ownership.
3. For North Derbyshire Dog Agility Club Members to hold Kennel Club Licensed Agility Tests.
2. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE
1. The Club shall consist of Chairperson; Hon. Secretary & Hon. Treasurer and a committee with a minimum of five or maximum of eight, and an unlimited number of members.
2. The management of the club shall be in the hands of the officers of the club who will retire at alternative AGMs and a committee with a minimum of five or a maximum of eight members who shall retire at the AGM.
3. There must be a committee member / officer represented from each height category (Small, Medium & Large).
4. Each committee member needs to be actively involved in the weekly running of the club.
5. All the officers & committee members shall have full voting rights.
3. COMMITTEE
1. Meetings of the committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary but at least every three months.
2. A quorum for committee meetings shall be six.
3. The committee shall have the power to co-opt members on to the committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between Annual General Meetings.
4. Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the club at which an election of officers & committee takes place.
5. A Show committee will be appointed each year who will aid the officers & club committee in the planning & running of the KC show.
6. Only one Associate member may be on the committee.
7. Election of Officers and Committee
8. The Officers, (Chairperson; Secretary; Treasurer) are required to have been members of the club for a duration of 18 months.
9. The five / eight Committee members are required to have been members at the club for duration of six months.
10. All the officers & committee must agree to aid the successful running of the club and undertake an assigned duty.
11. Members who constitute the above must complete an application slip to apply for any of the above positions.
12. The application slip must state their length of membership at the club; the position they are applying for & the reason why they are applying for the post.
13. If more applications are received than posts, a secret ballot will be put to all club members.
4 NEW MEMBERS
1. Candidates for membership shall be made via an application form & accepted by payment of annual subscription and joining fee.
2 Dogs will not be accepted for agility training until they are one year old. Puppies from 8 months may start training in the Puppy Foundation Courses.
5 CURRENT MEMBERSHIP
1. An up to date list of Members and their addresses and those of branch Members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, made available for inspection by the Kennel Club and Members of the Club. A declaration of the number of Members of the Club must be made with the Annual Returns.
2. All Members are expected to help with the running of the KC show.
6 VOTING RIGHTS
1. Each Single, OAP, Junior & Associate Member shall be entitled to one vote immediately upon acceptance of membership.
2. Family memberships may have a maximum of 2 votes.
3. Postal votes/proxy votes are not allowed.
4. Voting shall be either by secret ballot or show of hands, as decided at the meeting.
7 CLUB PROPERTY
1. The property of the club shall be vested in the committee. In the event of the club ceasing to exist, a final general meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the clubs assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
2. The Club property will be offered for sale to the club members. The club funds will be donated to a Canine charity chosen by the committee at that time.
3. A financial statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers & committee of the club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club, will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.
8 CLUB ACCOUNTS
1. A banking account shall be opened in the name of the club at the H.S.B.C into which all revenue of the Society shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signatures of the Hon. Chairperson / Hon. Treasurer.
2. The accounts will be certified annually by one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience.
9 SUBSCRIPTIONS
1. The annual subscription shall be:-
a. Single £18.00
b. Family £25.00
c. OAP £ 10.00
d. Junior £ 10.00 (Maximum age 17yrs)
e. Associate (Single) £20.00
f. Associate (family) £30.00
3. First time members & ex members wishing to rejoin the club after a break in their membership will be charged a £5 joining fee.
4. Any changes to the above tariff shall be agreed by members in an Annual General Meeting.
5. No member whose Annual Membership Subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership. He/she will be allowed to train at the club as a guest for a maximum of 3 occasions at the guest price.
6. If the Annual Membership Subscription is unpaid by 30th April
7. Acceptance back on the register will be dependent upon full payment of the Annual Membership Subscription and subject to a place being
available.
8. The Associate Membership is aimed at anyone who does not run a dog at the club, but wishes to be involved in the club.
9. They will have full voting rights and may be voted onto the committee.
10. An Associate Member may occasionally run a members dog at the club. The Associate Member must pay the full weekly subscription of £6.00
11. Guests are allowed to train at the club up to 3 times per year or if attending prepaid classes as stated in 4.2 the attendee need not be a member after 3 visits but after the first block of training they must join as a member to continue training at the club .
12. Once members have been accepted for membership, providing they continue to pay their membership subscriptions at the correct time they cannot be refused renewal of membership.
13. With the exception of default on subscriptions, the only way to remove a member from the clubs register is by following the procedure defined in ‘Expulsion of Members’ any member who helps for 2 days at the Annual Show will be awarded discounted session subscriptions.
14. Any Member who helps for two full days at the Annual Show will be awarded discounted Session Subscriptions.
The Session Subscriptions are :
Members who have not helped at the club show for 2 full days
a. First Dog / day £6.00
b. 2nd/3rd /4th day dog all at £1 each
c. Second day training is half price.
d. A non-member may only attend 3 times and pay £8 per dog , unless attending the Guest trainer session where it has been opened up to non-members at a price of 10 per dog/day)
e. Associate Members £6.00 & 2nd/3rd /4th hour dog all at £1
f. Juniors will pay a flat rate of £3.00 for a day & 2nd/3rd /4th day dog all at £1 if they train with a family member
g. Guest trainer session £8 first dog/hr… £4 2nd etc dog /hr
Members who have helped at the club show for 2 full days…paying discounted subscriptions shall pay
a. First Dog / day £4.50
b. 2nd/3rd /4th day dog all free
c. Associate Members £6.00
e. Juniors will pay a flat rate of £2.50 for a day & 2nd/3rd /4th hour dog all free & if they train with a family member.
f. Guest Trainer session £6 first dog/hr… £3 2nd etc dog /hr
Proposed that Nightly Subs and annual Membership Fee to be taken out of Constitution and put in separate document so that it does not have to be submitted to KC when subs are changed. Subs and fees still to be set at the AGM. All agreed just waiting for Kennel Club to grant this proposal!
10 VOUCHERS
1. Members who give their time to the club maybe recompensed through vouchers, money or free training decided on a case by case decision as approved by the committee.
11 EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
1. If the conduct of any member 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 of the club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him/her.
2. Notice of the special general meeting shall be sent to the accused member, giving particulars of the complaint and advising the place, date & hour of the meeting that he/she may attend and offer an explanation. If at the meeting, a resolution to expel is passed by 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 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 condition as the kennel club may impose.
3. If the club expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows or competitions the club must report the matter in writing to the kennel club within seven days and supply and particulars required.
4. Any member who shall be suspended under the Kennel Club Rule A42.J.(5) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42.J(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the club for the duration of the suspension & or disqualification.
5. If the conduct of any member 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 of the club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him/her.
6. Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member, giving particulars of the complaint & advising the place, date & hour of the meeting that
he/she may attend & offer an explanation. If at the meeting a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present & 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 club, except that he/she may within two calendar months from the date of meeting appeal to the Kennel Club upon & subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.
7. If the club expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the club must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days & supply particulars required.
12 FINANCIAL YEAR / ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The financial year of the club shall be from 1st April to 31st March.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held in April
13 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
At this meeting the following business will be conducted: -
1. To receive a report from the officers & committee of the club.
2. To receive the balance sheet.
3. To elect officers (bi-annually) & the committee (annually)
4. To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda. No other business may be discussed at the meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those, which in the opinion of the chairperson of the meeting are urgent.
5. One months notice shall be given in writing to the members of the meeting.
6. All items for inclusion of the agenda must be received by the Hon. Secretary 2 weeks before the meeting.
7. The agenda will be circulated at the meeting.
14 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING (SGM)
1. The Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Hon. Secretary if 15 members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a special general meeting to do so. The committee of the club is also empowered to call a special general meeting.
2. No business other than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at the SGM
3. A notice will be displayed at the club, members will be asked to sign to state that they are aware of the meeting. Others will be contacted by phone.
4. An SGM can be called as and when deemed necessary except during the month of October.
15
AMENDMENTS TO RULES
1. The rules of the club may not be altered except at an AGM, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules.
2. Any proposed alteration to the rules may not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet kennel club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included into the Club’s Constitution with effect from the AGM.
16 ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
1. 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 31th July each year, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club regulations for registration and maintenance of title of societies be forwarded to the Kennel Club.
2. 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.
3. The club must send to the Kennel Club with their Annual Returns:- numbers appropriate accordance with the rules of the Club and approved at the last AGM of the Club. coming year and a list of tests held during the previous year. by the members of the club or by the Kennel Club.
17 Minute Book
All registered societies must undertake to keep a minute book which must contain a full record of all business transacted at General Meetings and Committee Meetings, including a record of all guarantees offered by the club; and to maintain a system of accounts showing a complete record of Income and Expenditure of the club and a Balance Sheet.
18 KENNEL CLUB FINAL AUTHORITY
The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the club in all cases relative to the canine or club matters.
19 OTHER FEDERATIONS
The Club may not join any Federation of societies or clubs.
20 BANKRUPTCY
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.