The name of the Society shall be the WILTSHIRE WORKING GUNDOG SOCIETY

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1. OBJECTS

The objects of the Society being:

1.1 To promote and encourage the training of gundogs for work in the field by holding gundog training classes and seminars

1.2 To organise Field Trials and Working Tests

1.3 To encourage high standards in breeding sound, pure bred gundogs, free from hereditary faults

 

2. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

2.1 The Society shall consist of a Patron, President, Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, up to twenty Committee Members and an unlimited number of Members.

2.2 The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Officers and a Committee consisting of up to twenty members. All Officers (other than the Patron and President) to retire annually. No member may serve on the Committee for more than three years without standing for re-election.

2.3 All retiring Officers and Committee Members may offer themselves for re-election and do not require nomination.

2.4 The Patron and President will be ex-officio members of the Committee, but shall not have voting rights

2.5 The Officers and the Committee shall have full voting rights and in the event of a split decision, the Chairman shall have the casting vote

2.6 Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as is deemed necessary, but at least three times a year

2.7 A quorum of Committee Members shall be five members, including any one of the following: the Chairman, the Hon. Secretary or the Hon. Treasurer

2.8 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members onto the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings, but 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 members will need to be nominated as rule 3.4.

2.9 Any fully paid-up member, who has been a member of the Society for twelve months, is eligible for election to the Committee or to serve as an Officer of that Committee

2.10 Any Committee member who fails to attend three Committee meetings, including the Annual General Meeting, on separate dates in any one year will be asked to resign unless his/her reason for such non-attendance is agreed by majority vote in the Committee as unavoidable.

 

3. ELECTION OF MEMBERS

3.1 Candidates for membership of the Society shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members of the Society. The applications will be presented to a subsequent Committee Meeting for approval. The vote to accept or reject the application shall be as decided by the majority of the Committee

3.2 Members shall be accepted on payment of a Joining Fee and a Subscription following approval by the Committee

3.3 An up-to-date list of members’ names and their addresses 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.

3.4 The election of the Officers and members of the committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations for office in any capacity must be made in writing to the Hon Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting giving the name of the nominee together with the signature of the proposer and seconder and consent of the nominee to act if elected.

The nominee, proposer and seconder must be fully paid-up members of the society. Existing Officers and Committee members are able to seek re-election and do not require nomination. In the event of more than one nomination being received for a position, then the election shall be by a secret ballot of the members present at the meeting.

 

4. VOTING RIGHTS

4.1 Each member (including those with Joint Memberships) shall be entitled to one vote three months after acceptance of membership. Postal/proxy votes are not allowed. Voting shall be as decided by the majority of the Meeting

4.2 Junior Memberships shall be accepted within the age limits of six and eighteen years. There will be no voting rights for Junior Members

 

5. SOCIETY PROPERTY

5.1 The property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Society ceasing to exist, 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. Cups and trophies which are given as outright gifts to the Society will become the property of the Society

5.2 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 and Committee 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

 

6. ACCOUNTS

6.1 Accounts shall be held in the name of the Society into which all revenue of the Society shall be paid, and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signatures of two of the following: Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Membership Secretary and Field Trial Secretaries. Such accounts may be registered for electronic banking with all withdrawals to be authorised by any two of the aforementioned.

6.2 A qualified Accountant or two lay-people with accounting experience, will be appointed to certify the accounts annually at the AGM.  Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts

6.3 A copy of the annual statement of accounts for the last financial year which must be certified in accordance with the rules of the Society and will be made available on request and receipt of SAE to members 14 days prior to the AGM. Additionally, the annual statement of accounts will be made available for inspection by members at the Annual General Meeting.

 

7. SUBSCRIPTIONS

7.1 The annual subscription shall be £10.00 for Adults, £2.50 for Juniors and £12.00 for Joint Adult Memberships, together with a Joining/Re-joining Fee as appropriate of £5.00.

7.2 These figures may necessarily be subject to review following agreement by Members at a General Meeting, the outcome of which shall be notified to the Kennel Club

7.3 No Member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the Member shall fail to pay his/her/their outstanding subscription by 1st March, then his/her/their name shall be automatically erased from the register. Acceptance back onto the register will be dependent upon a new application and re-joining fee.

 

8.HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP

8.1 These will be awarded at the discretion of the Committee

 

9. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

9.1 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.

9.2 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 interest 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

9.3 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 for all purposes to be a Member of the Society except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such a Meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose

9.4 No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of the Society or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society

9.5 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

 

10. FINANCIAL YEAR

10.1 The financial year of the Society shall be from the 1st January until the 31st March.

 

11. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

11.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon after the end of the financial year as possible and before the end of April, for the following purposes: to receive the reports of the Committee and Annual Statement of Accounts; to elect the Officers and Committee members and discuss any resolutions duly placed on the Agenda.

11.2 Officers and Committee Members will be elected as decided by the majority of the Meeting

11.3 Resolutions will be discussed which are on the Agenda and which prior notice in writing, of at least 14 days, will have been given to the Honorary Secretary

11.4 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

11.5 Notice of the Annual General Meeting must be circulated to the membership by the website, email, postal mail or social media at least 28 days in advance of the meeting if new committee members are required or items are to be added on the agenda by members.

11.6 The final Agenda will be circulated at the Meeting

11.7 The quorum for an AGM will be 10 members

 

12. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

12.1 A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary if twenty-five fully paid-up Members send 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

12.2 Members will be notified in writing of a Special General Meeting fourteen days prior to the Meeting. The Meeting will be convened within twenty-eight days and held within forty-two days from the receipt of the request for such a Meeting.

 

13. AMENDMENTS OF THE RULES

13.1 The Rules of the Society may not be altered by that Society except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting notice of which includes details of the proposals to amend the Rules

13.2 Any proposed alteration to the Rules may not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration

13.3 New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Society’s constitution with effect from the Society’s Annual Meeting.

 

14. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB

14.1 The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title Fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer 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

14.2 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.KENNEL CLUB – FINAL COURT OF APPEAL

15.1 The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the club in all cases relative to canine or society matters.

 

16. FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES OR CLUBS

16.1The Society shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

 

17. BANKRUPTCIES

17.1 No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club registered society.

 

18. GDPR

18.1 Personal data will be retained in accordance with statutory requirements, Kennel Club requirements and recommendations of the society retention policy which is available on request.