Constitution & Rules
1. NAME AND OBJECTS:
The name of the Society shall be “THE BELFAST DOG SHOW SOCIETY”
The objects of the Society are:
i. To promote the responsible breeding of sound, typical, healthy dogs of good temperament of every description
ii. To hold shows, including the Annual Belfast Championship Show under Kennel Club Regulations
iii. To organise such other canine events as may be decided from time to time
iv. The fostering of goodwill in all canine affairs.
2. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE:
a) The Society shall have the following officers namely Patron, President, Vice President, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Hon Assistant Secretary, Hon Assistant Treasurer.
b) There shall be up to 21 members of the Management Committee, including the Office Bearers
c) All Officers and Management Committee members shall retain their office for a period of 3 years.
3. MEMBERS:
There shall be an unlimited number of Members and Life Members (hereinafter in the rules referred to as Members)
a) Election of Members: Candidates for membership of the Society shall apply for and must complete an application form stating the names of his/her proposer and seconder, who must be fully paid-up members of the Society. Voting shall take place by paper ballot at a Management Committee meeting and decided by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Approval must be made in writing by the Society to the applicant and acceptance to the register will be on receipt of payment of subscription(s).
b) Life Members: Members who have completed 5 consecutive years (60 months) as a fully paid-up members of the Society may apply for consideration for Life Membership. Acceptance shall be subject to the voting procedures stated in Rule 3(a) for Members and upon payment of the appropriate fee.
4. ELECTION OF MEMBERS:
a) The Officers and members of the Management Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. At the first meeting the Management Committee shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the ensuing year from the duly elected members of the Management Committee.
b) No member shall be entitled to be nominated as a candidate for election to the Management Committee or to nominate a Candidate for election to the Management Committee if and while he/she is not a fully paid-up member for the previous year, or is due to the Society any subscription, or other debt which has remained due for a period of more than two months after the same became due or payable.
c) No members shall be nominated in their absence.
d) On completion of their 3 years, up to seven members of the Management Committee longest in office shall retire at each Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election. Members of the Committee shall be elected for three years.
e) Any member of the Management Committee who is absent from four meetings of the Committee during the year, with the exception of work or illness, Annual General Meeting to Annual General Meeting shall cease to be a member of the Management Committee. Any member of the Management Committee who does not fulfil their term in office shall not be eligible for re-election within a period of not less than 12 months
f) The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt a qualified member to fill (ad interim) a vacancy. The person so appointed shall hold office for the remaining term created by the vacancy.
g) Any member who has not been in continuous membership for 36 months shall not be eligible for election as an Officer or member of the Management Committee.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS:
a) Subscriptions are to be determined and shall be such an amount as agreed by the Members at an Annual General Meeting called for that purpose, the outcome to be notified to the Kennel Club. Any member whose subscription is unpaid by the date of the Annual General Meeting shall cease to entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by the 31st March, his/her name shall automatically be erased from the register as a member. Acceptance back on the register will be dependent upon a new application for membership. Subscriptions must be receipted by the Hon. Treasurer.
b) 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 with the exception of default on subscription.
c) The only way to remove a Member from the Society’s register is by procedures as defined in Rule 11.
6. VOTING:
a) Each member shall be entitled to one vote immediately upon acceptance of membership except junior members under the age of sixteen who shall not have a vote.
b) Proxy or postal votes are not allowed
c) Presiding Chairman at all meetings shall have the casting vote in addition to his/her individual vote.
d) Voting shall be by secret ballot unless decided otherwise by the majority of members present.
e) Voting at all meetings will be subject to a two-thirds majority decision of votes cast with the exception of the election of Officers and Committee at the Annual General Meeting.
f) Abstentions will count neither as a “for” or “against” vote.
7. MANAGEMENT:
a) The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a management Committee which shall consist of up to twenty one elected members including the office bearers designated in Rule 2 (who shall be ex officio members), all having full voting rights.
b) Meetings of the Management Committee shall normally be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month with the exception of the months of July and December.
c) A quorum for a Management Committee Meeting shall be 8.
d) The Management Committee shall have the power of recommending alterations to the rules and deciding on all matters not provided for by these rules.
e) The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year Maintenance of Title Fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club whether by the Secretary or by Direct Debit, 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, will be forwarded to The Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of any change of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.
f) The Society must send a list of members and their addresses, and those of branch members where appropriate, to The Kennel Club and, if so requested, make an up-to-date list of members available for inspection by The Kennel Club and members of the Society.
g) Neither the Officers or Committee members of Belfast Dog Show Society, nor their spouses or partners, shall enter or handle dogs at Belfast Dog Show Society Championship or Open Show and this is clearly printed on the show schedules.
h) The financial year of the Society shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
i) A Banking Account or Accounts to be held in a Financial Institution and shall be held in the name of BELFAST DOG SHOW SOCIETY, into which all revenue of the Society shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made by cheque signed by any two of the following: Chairman of Management Committee, Hon Treasurer or Hon Secretary.
j) Accounts shall be certified annually by a Chartered Accountant or Chartered Accountants elected at the Annual General Meeting, but any casual vacancy in the Office of Auditor shall be filled by the Management Committee appointing another Auditor who shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of March at a venue on a date and time determined by the Management Committee.
b) Items for inclusion on the agenda for the Annual General Meeting must be forwarded to the Hon Secretary, in writing, by recorded deliver, not later than one month prior to the Annual General Meeting.
c) The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting must be read and confirmed before any other business is entered into. A duly audited Statement of the Society’s financial position shall be furnished to every member prior to the Annual General Meeting.
d) The nature of business to be conducted at the Annual General Meeting is to receive the report of the Management Committee and presentation of the balance sheet with the Treasurer’s Report; to discuss any resolutions duly placed on the agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Hon Secretary; to elect Officers, also Members to the Management Committee. No business may 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.
e) All fully paid-up members will be given fourteen days notice, by first-class post or email, of the Annual General Meeting; the said notice will set out the agenda for the meeting.
f) Twenty members shall form a quorum at an Annual General Meeting.
g) A decision made at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting cannot be rescinded for twelve months.
9. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:
a) A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Hon. Secretary if thirty members send a valid, signed requisition stating the subject/s to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so, or by the Management Committee as deemed necessary. The Special General Meeting must be held within sixty days of receipt of the signed requisition by the Hon Secretary. No other business may be introduced for discussion at such a meeting.
b) All fully paid-up members shall be given fourteen days notice by first class post or email of a Special General Meeting.
c) Thirty members shall form a quorum at a Special General Meeting.
10. AMENDMENT TO RULES:
a) Should a member wish to propose an addition or amendment to the rules, notice of such alteration or amendment must be sent, in writing, to the Hon Secretary one month prior to the Annual General Meeting/Special General meeting, for inclusion on the agenda. Notice of the proposed addition or amendment to be given in the circular calling the meeting. No Rules can be altered, amended or Rescinded except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting convened for that purpose. Such alteration shall not be brought into force until The Kennel Club have been advised and has given its approval of the alterations.
b) New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet The Kennel Club’s requirement shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Society’s Constitution with effect from the Society’s Annual General Meeting.
11. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS:
a) Any member who shall be disqualified under the Kennel Club Rule A.11j.(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A.11.j.(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Society.
b) If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the committee of the Society be injurious to the character and 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 forthwith be erased from the list of members, and he/she shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Society, except that he/she may, within two calendar months from such a meeting, appeal to the kennel club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.
c) 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.
d) Any member of the society who uses social media (facebook etc.,) to bring the society/ officers/ committee and other members into bad light will be liable to suspension from the society’s membership the suspension will come into immediate effect after the next committee meeting held and the member(s) informed of the decision (the concerned parties will be asked to attend the meeting), the committee decision will be final in all matters.
The Kennel Club will be informed as in Rule 11. (c)
12. DISPOSAL OF ASSETS:
a) The property of the Society shall be vested in the Management Committee. In the event of the Society ceasing to exist a Special 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. Written acknowledgement shall be received from donors of cups and trophies, stating that they are given as outright gifts to the Society.
b) If the Society is wound up or ceases to be a Registered Society under these regulations a final statement of audited accounts, with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society, shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months of the Society ceasing to function and all persons named as Officers and Management Committee members of the Society on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club, will be held responsible by The Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.
13. FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES OR CLUB:
a) The Society shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
14.
No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
15.
The Society acknowledges that the Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.
