Club Constitution

KC ID: 120

CONSTITUTION & RULES 

  1. Name & Objectives

    The Society shall be called the FORTH & CLYDE WORKING GUNDOG ASSOCIATION (“FCWGA”) and its objective shall be to promote the training of gundogs and to hold Working Tests and Field Trials

  2. Officers & Committee
  1. The Management Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Association, those being:
    • Chairman
    • Vice Chairman
    • General Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Field Trial Secretary (Spaniels)
    • Field Trial Secretary (Retrievers)

    and a Committee of 12 members (maximum); the Society will have an unlimited number of members.

  2. Members wishing to be considered for election, as Officers or Committee members, must inform the General Secretary at least 14 days prior to the AGM taking place.

    The General Secretary must, at the time of notification of the AGM, provide club members with a list of names of all individuals who wish to be considered for election.  No Committee members shall be considered for election unless prior notice has been given to the club members.   The number of Committee members elected during the AGM must not be exceeded once the meeting has been concluded (even if capacity remains).

  1. Management
  1. The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Management Committee.
  2. One third of the Committee shall retire annually in rotation. Officers shall retire on a three year rotation.    Retiring Officers and Committee members may seek re-election.
  3. The Chairman and Vice Chairman shall have no voting rights at General Meetings.
  4. The Management Committee shall meet as required, or on at least two occasions per year.
  5. Six members of the Management Committee shall form a quorum.
  6. The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt members onto the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings.
  7. Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the Society at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place. Co-opted Committee members shall have full voting rights.
  8. No individual who has been a member for less than 12 months may be elected on to the Management Committee.
  1. Election of Members

Candidates for membership should apply to the General Secretary on the appropriate form. Candidates should be proposed by one fully paid up member, seconded by another and will be elected following approval by the Management Committee and payment of subscription.

Honorary Members: the Management Committee shall have the power to elect persons they feel are qualified for the distinction.  

Temporary Members:  any person who is appointed by the Management Committee to assist in the running of any event held by the Society under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations shall become a temporary member of the Society for the duration of the event.  This rule is to include Guns and Gamekeepers at Field Trials.

  1. List of Members

An up to date list of members and their addresses, and those of branch members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, 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 the Annual Returns.

  1. Voting Rights

Each member shall be entitled to one vote immediately upon acceptance of membership. 

Joint membership shall be afforded one vote per partnership.

Junior members shall have no voting rights. 

Honorary members shall have full voting rights.

Postal/proxy votes are not allowed, and voting shall be by show of hands. 

  1. Society Property

Any property shall be vested in the Management Committee and in the event of the Society ceasing to exist, a final General Meeting shall be called to decide on 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 Management Committee of the Society will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.

  1. Accounts
  1. A Banking Account shall be held in the name of the Society at Royal Bank of Scotland Plc into which all revenue of the Society shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signature of the Chairman or Vice Chairman and Treasurer.
  2. Accounts will be prepared by the Treasurer and certified by one qualified accountant, or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification will be independent from the Treasurer.     Certified accounts will be presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
  3. A copy of the annual statement of accounts will be made available to members, on request, 14 days prior to the AGM.
  1. Subscriptions & Entry Fees

The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by Members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club.

No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 3 calendar months of the due date their name shall be automatically erased from the register.      Acceptance back on the register will be dependant on a new application and payment of arrears.

The Committee shall have authority to alter Joining, Working Test and Field Trial entry fees without recourse to members.

  1. 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.

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 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 the subject to such condition as the Kennel club may impose. 

If the Society expels any Member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, trials or competitions, the Society must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particular required.

  1. Financial Year/Annual General Meeting

The financial year of the Society shall be from 1st January to 31st December. 

The Annual General Meeting shall be held on such date as to be notified by Management Committee, between 1st February and 30th April.

  1. Annual General Meeting
  1. Nature of business to be conducted:
  • Receive the report of the Management Committee and Balance Sheet
  • To elect Officers and Committee members
  • To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda of which prior notice having been given to the General Secretary
  • No business shall be conducted at the AGM 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
  1. The election of the Officers and Committee Members shall be by vote of those present at the meeting in accordance with Constitution Rule 2 and by ballot (show of hands) if requested or found necessary
  1. Members will be notified of the AGM via email or hard copy post, depending on members details held on the register; if an email address is held on the register that will take precedence and no hard copy will be issued
  1. Members will be given 21 days notice of the AGM
  1. Members are to notify the General Secretary of any items for inclusion on the agenda14 days in advance of the AGM
  1. The agenda for the meeting will be circulated to those present at the meeting
  1. AGM quorum shall constitute a minimum of 8 members 
  1. Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the General Secretary on receiving a signed requisition from not less than twenty members stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so.     The Management Committee of the Society is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting.

Members will be given 14 days notice of a Special General Meeting.

  1. Amendments to Rules

The rules of the Society may not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, notice of which includes details of the proposal to alter the rules. 

Such alterations shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has been given its approval of the alterations. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately.  

  1. Annual Returns

The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the General Secretary for the 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.

  1. Kennel Club Final Authority

The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the Society and in all cases relative to the society or canine matters. 

  1. The Association shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
  1. No persons whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of, or hold any other office or appointment with a Kennel Club Registered Society.