Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Scotland
Constitution
1. Name & Object
The Club shall be called "Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Scotland" and its objects shall be to further the interests of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed, to run dog shows and to promote seminars and social activities of an educational nature.
2. Members
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members. The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.
Membership is open to individuals or to husband and wife or bona fide partners. Each member of a joint husband and wife or a bona fide partner membership shall be entitled to individual voting rights. Minimum age for full membership is 17 years. Junior membership with no voting rights is open up to the age of 17 years.
Candidates for members of the Club shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another and elected by or balloted for by the Committee at one of the meetings. Two negatives to exclude.
Guidelines to owning and breeding Rhodesian Ridgebacks shall be drawn up by the Committee and other relevant personnel, and issued to all members. These guidelines shall be reviewed, if necessary, every 5 years.
3. Officers
All officers shall be permanently resident in Scotland. The Officers shall consist of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon Secretary and Treasurer. 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 31st of 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 Club which may occur during the course of the year.
4. Committee
The Management of the Club shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of the Officers and 8 other members who shall be elected to serve for two years and will retire in the following order in consecutive years: Chairman, Treasurer and four members – Vice Chairman, Secretary and four members.
Retiring officers and members will be eligible for re-election if available. All Committee members must be permanently resident in Scotland. Nominations for officers and committee members duly proposed and seconded shall be in the hands of the Secretary one calendar month prior to the Annual General Meeting. Nominations must have the signed written assent of the nominee and election shall be by ballot which will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting.
Only fully paid up members are entitled to be nominated for office or to make such nominations or to take part in the election. Meetings of the Committee of which not less than 14 days notice shall be given, shall be held as often as deemed necessary and six shall form a quorum for the transaction of business which shall be recorded in a Minute Book and kept by the Secretary. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt and fill any vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall have the power to recommend the appointment of Patrons, Honorary Presidents, Honorary Vice-Presidents and Honorary Members for ratification at the Annual General Meeting. Should a Committee Member have been absent from three consecutive Committee meetings without submitting a satisfactory explanation, they shall have been deemed to have resigned from the Committee. Should it not be convenient to call a meeting, the Committee can be consulted by telephone or post. The Committee is authorised to co-opt additional persons to assist in the running of shows and other functions when required. The Committee shall have the power to make such bylaws and regulations not inconsistent with the terms of the Constitution and Rules as it may from time to time deem necessary, and they alone shall have the power to decide on any matters in dispute not provided for in the Rules. The Chairman, in the event of equality of votes, shall have a casting vote.
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.
5. Subscriptions
The Annual Subscription shall be determined by the members attending the Annual General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. This shall be paid to the Treasurer on 1st January each year. Those joining on or after the 1st October shall remain in membership to 31st December the following year. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership, and if any member fails to pay the annual subscription by the 1st of April, the Committee shall have the power to erase that member’s name from the list of members. However, if the Committee shall subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation, the member may, at the discretion of the Committee, be re-admitted to membership on payment of outstanding dues.
6. Club Accounts
A Banking Account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenues of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall be made on the signature of two Officers – Treasurer and Secretary or Chairman. It shall be at the sole discretion of the Committee to invest any surplus income or funds of the Club or disburse same in whatever manner it decides. The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December. The Accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer and an Auditor, who must be a qualified accountant, will be appointed at each Annual General Meeting to audit the Club Accounts before the ensuing Annual General Meeting.
7. General Meetings
The Annual General Meeting, of which not less than 6 weeks notice in writing shall be given, shall be held during the first quarter of the year for the following purposes:-
a) To receive the report of the Committee and balance sheet
b) To elect officers and Committee members
c) To discuss any resolutions or other item duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice of one calendar month has been given in writing to the Hon Secretary.
No business shall be transacted at any Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda except routine matters or those which in the opinion of the Chairman are urgent. The Agenda shall be dispatched to members not less than 14 days prior to the Meeting.
An audited statement of accounts shall be forwarded on request by a member otherwise it will be available for inspection by the Members at the Annual General Meeting.
A Special General Meeting shall be called within 28 days on the request, in writing, of not less than 20% of the paid up members at that date, and may be called at any time by the Committee.
No business other than that named in the notice shall be brought before a Special General Meeting.
Resolutions ratified in General Meeting cannot be altered within a period of three calendar months.
8. Club Property
The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. Trophies donated to the Club will be deemed to be the sole property of the Club and shall not be accepted under any other conditions.
In the event of the dissolution of the Club, a General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any assets other than trophies, the donor of which will be consulted whenever possible, and such trophies disposed of in accordance with their wishes.
If the Club is wound up or ceases to be a Registered Society under Kennel Club Regulations, a final statement of audited accounts together with a record of the disposal of the property of the Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within 6 months and the persons named as Officers of the Committee of the Club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club to the proper winding up of the Club.
9. Breed Judging List
The Committee shall maintain a Breed Judging List prepared annually by secret ballot of the Committee. Nominations for inclusion in the ballot may be made by members and shall be submitted, in writing, to the Hon Secretary by 1st September in each year. The list shall expire on the 31st December of the following year.
10. Constitution and Rules
The Constitution and Rules shall form the basis of membership and may not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, notice of which includes details of the approval to alter rules. Any alteration to the Constitution passed at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval of the alteration.
11. Expulsion of Members
Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42.j.(4) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42.j.(8) shall ipso factor cease to be a Member of the Club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.
If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Club, by injurious or likely to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee 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 Club shall be called for the purpose of the passing a resolution to expel is passed by a two thirds majority of 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 Club, except that he/shall may within 2 calendar months from the date of such Meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.
The Club expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, Dog Shows or Trials, the association will report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within 7 days and supply particulars if required.
12. Federation
The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
13. Final Court of Appeal
The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Club in all cases relative to Canine or Club matters.