I DORSET COUNTY CANINE SOCIETY

RULES, REGULATIONS, NAME AND OBJECTS

1 THE TITLE shall be THE DORSET COUNTY CANINE SOCIETY.

2 OBJECT The object of the Society shall be to encourage interests at all levels in the Joy, Ownership and Showing of dogs. Further the object of the Society is for the benefit of its members and will not be classed as a trading business, so that all profits from any source, function and/or activity of the Society shall be maintained for the benefit of its members in the management, training, showing, breeding and every aspect pertaining to canines.

3 OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE The society shall consist of a President, Vice Presidents,
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, a Committee of twelve and an unlimited number of members.

4 ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION The management of the Society shall be in the hands of an Executive Committee of twelve members, four shall retire annually but be eligible for re-election. The President shall be appointed by the Committee to serve in an honorary capacity with no voting rights at any meeting over which he/she may preside and remain in office at his/her pleasure. The (Chairman & Hon Secretary), (Vice Chairman & Hon. Treasurer) shall hold office for a period of three years and be eligible for re-election on alternative years and they shall be ex-officio members of the committee. No individual who has been a member of the society for less than twelve months may be elected to the committee. No individual shall be proposed to fill the position of an officer of the society who has not served for a minimum period of twelve months as a committee member. Meetings of the committee shall be held monthly or as often as the Committee shall deem necessary to transact Society business. Seven members shall form a Quorum and should include either the Chairman or Vice Chairman. The Chairman or in his/her absence the Vice Chairman shall have the casting vote. 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 and the co-opted member shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting and have no voting rights.

5 SUBSCRIPTION The Annual Subscription shall be a sum as approved by the members at the Annual General Meeting payable to the Hon. Treasurer on 01st January each year. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any privileges of Membership and if any member shall fail to pay the annual subscription by 01st March the Committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the list of members. If the Committee shall subsequently receive satisfactory explanation the member may, at the discretion of the Committee and a payment of arrears, be re-admitted to Membership.

6 MANAGEMENT The management and the property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee and in the event of the Society being wound up any assets shall after all the Society’s liabilities have been deducted be allocated to some animal charity. Cups and trophies, some of which may have been donated subject to conditions laid down by their owners shall where possible be returned to them otherwise a Special General Meeting shall be convened to decide their disposal and must notify The Kennel Club in accordance with Regulation C3a (10).
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7 GENERAL BUSINESS The Annual General Meeting shall be held on or before the 31st March at such time and place as the Committee shall appoint to receive the report of the Committee from the Chairman, Hon. Secretary and the Balance Sheet (Hon. Treasurer). To elect officers and committee vide Rule 4 and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda of which fourteen days notice has been given in writing to the Hon. Secretary and any other business which has been placed on the Agenda.

8 ELECTIONS The election of Officers and Committee at the Annual General Meeting shall be either by hand vote or ballot (with appointed tellers) of those present at the meeting. Only those paid up members shall be eligible to cast a vote or to have their names on the nomination list, the latter must be on the nomination list not less than fourteen days before the meeting to be considered eligible for election. (Nominees must have agreed to stand for election and be properly proposed and seconded). Not less than twenty one days notice shall be given of the Annual General Meeting or fourteen in the case of a Special General Meeting – the notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be published in the Canine Press i.e. DOG WORLD and OUR DOGS indicating that items for the agenda must be forwarded to the Ho. Secretary in writing not less than fourteen days before the meeting. The agenda will be available at the meeting or on application to the Hon. Secretary not less than seven days before the meeting takes place. The Rules of the Society shall not be altered except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting and such alterations shall not come into force until approval to such alterations has been given by The Kennel Club. A Special General Meeting may be summoned by the Hon. Secretary if a requisition signed by seven members is received stating the business to be discussed and no other business shall be discussed at that meeting.

9 EXPULSION OF MEMBERS Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42J (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 Society 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 or interests of the Society 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 Society 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/she 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/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.

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10 FINANCE

Financial Year The financial year shall end on 31st December.

Banking Account A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Society into which all monies shall be paid. Withdrawals shall only be made with the signatures of two of the Officers. The two signatories shall not be husband and wife, holders of the same Affix/Kennel Name or residing in the same household.

Accounts The accounts of the Society shall be certified annually in accordance with The Kennel Club requirements and presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting where they will be approved for submission to The Kennel Club with the Annual Returns by 31st July each year.

11 A true record of the business of all Committee meetings shall be kept in a Minute Book and a précis of the minutes shall be included with the Agenda and sent to all committee members seven days before the date of the next meeting.

12 The Society shall not join any federation of societies or clubs.

13 Each member of the Society shall have one vote and in the case of joint membership each member of the joint membership shall be entitled to one vote. Voting rights are mandatory on the member/members giving twelve months continuous membership of the Society in the year preceding the Annual General Meeting.

14 The Kennel Club shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute.

15 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 the continuance of Registration and that by the 31st July each year other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies, Breed Councils and the affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities (C3, 43/4) 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.

The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of the month in which the Society’s Annual Meeting is held and to notify The Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date.

16 The Society will make a list of members and their addresses which will be available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Society or by The Kennel Club.

17 No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment with a Kennel Club registered society.