The Northern Cavalier KingCharles Spaniel Society
The Northern Cavalier KingCONSTITUTION AND RULES
1. Name - The Society shall be called the Northern Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Society.
2. Objectives - The objects of the Society shall be to promote the general interests of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
(a) by encouraging owners and breeders to maintain a high standard and act in a responsible manner with due regard to the welfare of the dogs under their control, and to abide by the Society'’s Guidelines for members.
(b) by liaison and co-operation with other Societies formed for a like purpose.
(c) to encourage Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners to meet in mutual sharing of interests.
3. Management -
(a) Officers - Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary.
The Officers to remain in office for 5 years. No two officers to retire in the same year. Any retiring officer may stand for re-election.
(b) Committee - The Committee shall consist of 15 members of whom three shall be the Officers and one shall be the Vice-Chairman.
i. The management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee who shall be responsible for the arranging of breed shows, social functions and all matters relating to the Society.
ii. Two members of the same family or of a partnership shall be able to serve simultaneously on the Committee.
iii. The Committee’s year of office shall commence immediately after the Annual General Meeting.
iv. The Committee shall meet not less than four times a year.
v. The quorum shall be 7.
vi. Fourteen clear days notice of every committee meeting, together with the Agenda for the said Meeting, shall be given.
vii. The Chair at all meetings shall be taken by the Chairman or Vice- Chairman. If they are not available, a person nominated by the committee can chair the meeting.
viii. The Committee shall have the power to appoint a Cup Secretary and other officials as they deem necessary and to fix the duties and remuneration (if any).
ix. Every officer and members of the Committee and every official appointed by the Committee shall be indemnified by the Society against all costs and expenses which such persons may incur by reason of act or thing done or omitted by him authorised by the Society/and or in discharge of his duties.
x. In the event of a casual vacancy occurring on the Committee, the Committee will have the power to co-opt such person or persons as shall have received the highest number of votes after those elected to the Committee. In the event of no further candidates, the committee can co-opt a person(s) from the fully paid-up members list. Any person so appointed to the Committee shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting whereupon they shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election.
xi. No person whilst an undisclosed bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold another office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
4. Election -
(a) Members
i. New applicants for membership can be self nominating and will become Associate Members for a period of two years after which time they must be proposed and seconded by fully paid up Full Members of a minimum of two years standing who are personally known to them and elected (if necessary by a ballot of 2/3 majority) at a committee meeting. Associate members will not have voting rights and will not have the right to use the puppy register to sell puppies. Associated membership will be £2.00 greater than Full Membership (or as may be agreed at an AGM)
ii. A person up to their sixteenth birthday may be elected a Junior Member. They shall have neither voting rights or use of the puppy register to sell puppies. On reaching their 16th birthday, if they have been a Junior Member for 2 years, thye may apply to be a Member.
iii. The Committee shall have the right to nominate for Honorary Life Membership any person who has rendered outstanding service to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. The election to this distinction will take place at an Annual General Meeting.
(b) Officers -
President - A President shall hold office for 5 years and can be re-elected for a further term. The President will be chosen by the Committee.
(c) Committee - The names of those nominated with the names of the proposer and seconder who must be fully paid up members, and the names of the retiring members of the Committee who are willing to stand for re- election shall be published together with a record of attendances at the Committee Meetings during the previous year.
ii. The Committee to serve for 5 years, three members to retire annually in rotation.
iii. The Committee members and Officers retiring may stand for re-election.
iv. Postal Ballot papers shall be provided for all fully paid up members, which should be returned to the auditors for counting. The result of the ballot will be announced at the Annual General Meeting.
5. Membership List -
The Society must maintain an up to date list of members and their addresses and make the list of names available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Society or by the Kennel Club.
6. Expulsion of Members -
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 Society for the duration of the 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, the Committee 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 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 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.
7. Finance -
(a) Subscriptions
i. The Annual Subscription shall be: Full Membership: Single – seven pounds. Joint – nine pounds or such other sum as the members at the Annual General Meeting shall, from time to time decide, and shall be payable on the 1st January each year.
Associate Membership: Single – nine pounds. Joint – eleven pounds or such other sum as the members at the Annual General Meeting shall, from time to time decide, and shall be payable on the 1st January each year.ii. Life Membership shall be available at a fee of: Single - fifty pounds; Joint - seventy pounds. Life Membership can only be applied for by a member.
iii. Subscriptions shall be payable within one month of the election.
iv. Overseas Members shall be at the members rate and Junior Members shall pay their subscriptions at half the current rate.
v. No member joining the Society after 1st October in any year shall be required to pay a further subscription for the following year.
vi. Members/Associate members whose subscriptions are unpaid shall not be entitled to the privileges of their membership or to vote at any meeting.
vii. If any Members/Associate members subscription is twelve months in arrears the Committee may erase his/her name from the list of members. A rejoining fee will be charged.
(b) Accounts -
i. The Society’s financial year shall be from the 1st January until the 31st December.
ii. The Secretary shall provide the Treasurer with all items of expenditure.
iii. The accounts will be certified annually and presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting. 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.
iv. The accounts shall be kept at a Bank into which the Revenue of the Society must be paid and out of which cheques may be drawn.
v. A specimen signature of the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer will be required to be placed at the Bank, the signature of any two of them shall be sufficient for a cheques to be drawn against the Society’s account.
8. Meetings
(a) Annual General Meeting - The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 30th June each year.
i. To elect the Committee.
ii. To nominate the Auditor(s) and fix remuneration.
iii To receive the Chairman’s Report of the Society activities and Committee business.
iv. To receive and if agreed pass the Accounts as presented by the Treasurer. The certified accounts will be made available on request to members fourteen days prior to the AGM.
v. To fix the remuneration of the Officers.
vi. To transact any other business of which not less than fourteen days notice has been given in writing to the Secretary or which the Chairman may at his/her discretion allow.
vii The chair shall be taken by the Chairman or in his absence the Vice- Chairman.
viii. Notices convening the Meeting, together with an Agenda, shall be sent to all paid up members not less than fourteen days prior to the date of the Meeting.
ix. A quorum shall be twenty adult members.
(b) Special or Extra-ordinary Meeting -
i. A Special or Extra-ordinary Meeting shall be called on the request of the Committee or on the request of six members who must state their reasons for requiring such a meeting.
ii. The notice convening such a meeting shall specify the nature of the business to be transacted (and no other business than that named in the notice shall be brought before the meeting) and shall be circulated to all members at least 21 days before the date of the meeting.
iii. A quorum shall be twenty adult members.
9. Club Property -
The property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee and if the Society shall be wound up or shall merge with any other Society or shall fail to hold a show for a period of twelve months, all cups and trophies shall if possible, be returned to their donors or representatives and a General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any other assets.
10. Kennel Club -
The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the Society and in all cases relative to Canine and Society matters.
11. Annual Returns to the Kennel Club -
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 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 Club which may occur during the course of the year.
12. Federations -
The Society shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs.
13. Alterations of Rules.
The Rules of the Society shall only be altered at an Annual General Meeting notice of which includes the proposal to alter the Rules. Such alterations shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alterations.