Newbury & District Dog Training Society
Established 1962
Rules
TITLE:
1. The Society shall be called “THE NEWBURY AND DISTRICT DOG TRAINING SOCIETY” (NDDTS)
OBJECTS:
2. To promote and encourage the training of any dog having been assessed by NDDTS to be suitable to support Obedience based training and encourage Obedience Competition.
CONSTITUTION:
3. The Society shall consist of members of Adult, Junior (under 17) or Honorary or Co-Opted status. This membership shall include Officers of the Society and a Committee responsible for managing the affairs of the society.
REGISTRATION:
4. The Society shall be registered with the Kennel Club of Great Britain, shall comply with Kennel Club Regulations and shall not join any Federation of Canine Societies or Clubs.
ADMISSION
5. The admission of Adult and Junior members shall be upon payment of the relevant fees. The Committee reserve the right to refuse membership. The names and addresses of members shall be entered by the Secretary in a Register which shall be open to inspection by members upon application to the Secretary.
HONORARY MEMBERS
6. The Society may elect Honorary members at a General Meeting, upon the recommendation of the Committee. This honour will be accorded only to persons who in the opinion of the Committee have given outstanding service to the Society.
CO-OPTED MEMBERS
7. The Societies elected Committee may invite a person who in the Committees opinion has special canine abilities or knowledge which they are willing to use to the advantage and furtherance of the Society (free gratis). This invitation is of short term duration and maybe terminated by the Committee at any time. The Kennel Club Regulations and codes of good practice are to be maintained at all times by the invited person. In the event if the person wishing to become a normal member of the Society normal conditions (Rule 5) will apply.
COMPLIANCE:
8. Membership of the Society implies compliance with its rules.
RESPONSIBLIITIES:
9. Members are individually responsible for their own compliance with Laws and By-Laws concerning dogs.
INSURANCE:
10. Members are individually responsible for making their own arrangements for insurance in respect of their liabilities regarding their dogs, whether on or off any premises in use by the Society.
OFFICERS:
11. The officers of the Society shall be a President, nominated by a member and elected by the members at a General Meeting, a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer, nominated by a Committee Member and elected by the Committee and any other Officers which the Committee considers advisable to elect. The Officers of the Society shall be ex-officio members of the Committee.
COMMITTEE:
12. The Committee shall consist of a President who shall remain at pleasure; and not more than nine members (including the Chairman and Vice Chairman) who shall retire annually and be eligible for re-election. The Committee may delegate its authority to Sub-Committees consisting of The Secretary and one or more members of the Committee and may co-opt any members required to make up the Committee or any Sub-Committee. No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
ELECTION OF COMMITTEE:
13. The election of the Committee shall be by the following method:-
Nominations shall be made in writing to the Secretary not later than 21 days prior to the Annual General Meeting and these shall be included in the Agenda. Should no nominations be received, the same Committee shall remain in office for another year. The election shall be by written ballot. One ballot paper shall be issued by the Secretary to each member, who shall record a vote for not more than nine of the members listed and return the Paper to the Secretary in a sealed envelope marked “Ballot Paper Only”. The Secretary shall collect the unopened envelopes at the Annual General Meeting, where two scrutineers appointed at the Meeting shall open the envelopes count the votes and announce the result.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
14. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than November 30th in each year, to receive the report of the Committee and the audited summary of accounts, to conduct elections and to discuss any resolution, prior notice of which has been given to the Secretary and has been included in the Agenda. Thirty-five days previous notice of the Meeting shall be given to all members by the Secretary in writing, inviting items for the Agenda and nominations for the Committee to be returned to the Secretary no later than 21 days prior to the AGM.
The Agenda will then be issued to Members of the Society fourteen days prior to the AGM. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters of those which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting are urgent.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:
15. A Special General Meeting of the Members shall be called on requisition in writing to the Secretary of any twelve Members or at the request of the Committee, whereupon fourteen days’ notice shall be given.
VOTING:
16. Only Adult members of the Society have the right to vote at General Meetings.
CASTING VOTE:
17. At all meetings of the Society the Chairman shall have the casting vote.
FINANCIAL YEAR:
18. The financial year of the Society shall be from the 1st January to the 31st December inclusive.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
19. Members shall subscribe to the funds of the Society in accordance with the Schedule of Subscriptions and Rates approved by the majority of Members voting at a General Meeting and published by the Committee. The annual membership subscription falls due on the 1st January each year and shall be paid no later than 31st January, failing which the Committee shall be authorised to suspend membership, but may lift the suspension on receipt of a satisfactory explanation by the Member and payment of arrears.
FINANCIAL SECURITY:
20. The assets and financial security of the Society shall be vested in the Committee.
ACCOUNTS:
21. Accounts of the Society’s financial affairs shall be maintained by the Treasurer. A bank account shall be opened in the name of the Society into which all revenues shall be paid. The signatories for withdrawals shall be the Chairman of the Committee, the Secretary and the Treasurer. Withdrawals shall be made only against the signatures of any two of the signatories.
Expenses:
22. All expenses for or on behalf of the Society which are properly incurred with the consent of the Committee, shall be paid from the funds of the Society.
AUDIT:
23. At each year end the Treasurer shall submit the accounts of the Society to either a qualified or two unqualified auditors appointed by the members at the General Meeting and the audited summary of the accounts shall be presented for discussion at the Annual General Meeting.
Property:
24. The property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee. Cups and Trophies donated to the Society are accepted on the understanding that these become the property of the Society. Insurance against loss of cups and trophies shall be arranged by the Secretary.
Vaccination:
25. Members shall ensure that all dogs which they bring to any assembly of the Society have completed a full course of vaccination or blood tests in accordance with current veterinary practice. If dogs are not vaccinated they attend at their own risk.
ILLNESS:
26. Members shall not bring to any assembly of the Society any dog suffering infectious disease, sickness and diarrhoea or other illness.
MINIMUM AGE:
27. Only puppies that have completed their vaccination course may be admitted to the puppy training course (vaccination certificate is required).
SEASON:
28. Bitches in season are not to be brought to any assembly of the society.
HANDLING:
29. No punitive correction or harsh handling of dogs shall be practised at any assembly of the Society.
TROPHIES:
30. All trophies shall be returned by the holders on lapse of membership of the Society or on liquidation of the Society. Trophies are held for a 1 yr term and should then be returned to the Society for re-awarding at the appropriate time. Therefore trophies awarded at Haydock Day to be returned on 1 October and trophies awarded at AGM to be returned by 1 November.
VISITORS:
31. At the discretion of the Committee, visitors may be allowed at assemblies of the Society and may participate in training classes on payment of the appropriate subscription stated in the Schedule of Subscriptions and Rates.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS:
32. Any member who shall be suspended under KC 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. The Committee of the Society, may, at a meeting 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 for 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.
NOTIFICATION OF EXPULSIONS:
33. If the Society expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows or working trials, the Secretary shall report the matter to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply particulars required.
LIQUIDATION:
34. In the event of the Society being dissolved for any reason or otherwise ceasing to exist as a Registered Society, all cups and trophies where possible shall be returned to their Donors. Other property and assets shall be dealt with entirely at the discretion of the Committee. Within six months of ceasing to exist, a final statement of accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club and the persons names as the Committee on the last return to the Kennel Club shall be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.
AMENDMENTS:
35. The Rules of the Society may not be amended except by a favourable vote of a majority of the members present and voting at a General Meeting, notice of which includes details of the proposal to amend the Rules. Such amendment shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval to the amendments.
ARBITRATION:
36. In any case not covered by these rules the decision of the Committee shall prevail. In the event of further dispute members shall accept the Kennel Club as the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the Society and for ruling in all cases relevant to Canine or Society matters.
MAINTENANCE OF TITLE FEE:
37. 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 the end of the month next following that in which the Annual General Meeting is held 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 the month in which the Society’s Annual General Meeting is held and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date.
PRIVILEGES
38. Admission to the Society affords the privileges of membership, examples of which are to:-
Attend training classes
Attend meetings of the Society
Enter Society competitions
Join in Society functions
Be eligible for Society trophies
Stand as nominees for the Committee
Be kept informed by the Committee on Society activities