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Constitution

LOCHABER & DISTRICT CANINE SOCIETY
RULES & CONSTITUTION

  1. NAME & OBJECTS
    The Society shall be called Lochaber & District Canine Society and its objects shall be to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage training for and participation in all aspects of canine activities.
  2. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE
    The Society shall consist of Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and a committee of a minimum of 5 and maximum of 12 members, one of whom may be elected as Vice-Chairman by the committee to act in the absence of the Chairman, and an unlimited number of Members.
  3. COMMITTEE
    The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Society and a committee of a minimum of 5 and up to 12 members.
    Members of the Committee shall be eligible for election or re-election every year.
    All Officers & Committee shall have full voting rights at committee and general meetings.
    Meetings of the committee shall be as often as deemed necessary but at least every 3 months.
    The Quorum for committee meetings shall be 6.
    The Committee shall have the powers to co-opt members onto the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings.
    Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the Society at which an election of Officers & Committee takes place.
    Co-opted committee members shall have voting rights at committee meetings.
    No individual who has been a member for less than 6 months may be elected onto the committee.
    No Member whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
  4. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
    Candidates for membership shall be accepted on payment of subscription.
  5. LIST OF MEMBERS
    An up to date list of members names and their addresses, and those of branch members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, the list of names made available for inspection by the Kennel Club and Members of the Society. A declaration of the number of members of the society must be made with Annual Returns.
  6. VOTING RIGHTS
    Each member shall be entitled to one vote on attaining three months’ membership. Postal votes/proxy votes are not allowed.
    Voting shall be by show of hands.
    Each member over 16 years of age in a joint membership or a family membership is entitled to a vote.
    Honorary memberships are at the discretion of the committee and have full voting rights.
  7. CLUB PROPERTY
    The property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Society ceasing to exist, or ceasing to be a Registered Society under these regulations, a General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Society’s assets, and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
    If a registered society is wound up or ceases to be a registered society under these regulations, a final statement of accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers & Committee of the Society will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.
  8. CLUB ACCOUNTS
    A Banking Account shall be held in the name of the Society at the Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Fort William, into which all revenues of the Society shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signature or authorisation of any two of Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer.
    The officers/committee may operate online banking systems provided they are compliant with KC Regulations.
    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 unqualified individuals with accountancy experience.  Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts.
    A copy of the annual statement of accounts for the last financial year will be made available on request to members 14 days prior to the AGM.  The annual statement of accounts will be available for inspection by members at the AGM.
  9. SUBSCRIPTIONS
    The annual subscriptions shall be such amount as agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. Annual membership runs from 1st November to 31st December of the following year.
    No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay any outstanding subscription by 1st March his/her name shall be automatically erased from the Register. Acceptance back on the Register to be dependent on a new application and payment of current subscription.
  10. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
    Any member who shall be disqualified under the Kennel Club Rule AA11.j(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule11.j(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Society.
    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 be called for the purpose of passing a resolution expelling him/her.
    Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused member, giving particulars of the complaint and advising the date, place 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 forthwith be erased from the list of members, and he/she 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.
    If the Society expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the Society must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars required.
  11. FINANCIAL YEAR/ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
    The financial year of the Society shall be from 1st November to 31st October.
    The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 1st of March.
  12. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
    The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive the report of the Committee and Balance Sheet, to elect Officers and committee, and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting are urgent.
    Fourteen clear days notice shall be given in writing to members of an Annual General Meeting, by notice in the canine press – “Our Dogs”
    Items for the Agenda are required by the Secretary in writing seven days before the meeting.
    The agenda will be circulated at the start of the meeting and by request to the secretary.
    The quorum for an AGM is 8.
    A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
    A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary if twenty members send in a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Committee of the Society is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting.
    No business other than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.
    A Special General Meeting will be notified in writing (by email or post) and given at least fourteen days notice.
    The quorum for a special general meeting shall be 8.
  13. AMENDMENT TO RULES
    The Rules of the Society may not be altered except at a General Meeting the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules.
    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.
  14. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
    The Officials 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 by 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 Society which may occur during the course of the year.
  15. NON-AFFILIATION
    The Society shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
  16. THE KENNEL CLUB FINAL COURT OF APPEAL
    The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Society in all cases relative to Canine or Society matters.
    The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.
    AGREED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF 8th February 2022
    APPROVED BY THE KENNEL CLUB ON 10th March 2022

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