The Komondor Club of Great Britain

The Komondor Club of Great Britain

Rules of Membership

1. Name & Objectives

The Club shall be called ‘The Komondor Club of Great Britain’, and its objectives shall be the protection and furtherance of the interest of the Komondor in Great Britain. All members shall abide by the Clubs ‘Code of Ethics’ as appended to these rules.

2. Officers & Committee

The Club shall consist of a Patron, President, Vice-President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, a Committee of eight (8), a Public Relations Officer, an unspecified number of Honorary Life Members and an unlimited number of members, all of whom, except the Chairman, have voting rights. If required the Chairman shall exercise a casting vote. The Office of President shall be subject to election every three (3) years. The Offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.

3. Committee

The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Club and a Committee consisting of eight (8) members, four (4) to retire annually in rotation, but being eligible may offer themselves for re-election. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-Officio members of the Committee. Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as may be deemed necessary, and four shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. Committee members who fail to attend three (3) consecutive meetings shall be required to withdraw from the Committee unless a valid reason can be given. In the event of the resignation or decease of a Committee member, the Committee has the power to co-opt a member in his/her place with full voting rights. This would be the candidate obtaining the next highest number of votes at the preceding election. In the absence of any defeated candidate/s, or if that candidate is unwilling to serve, then the power of co-option is vested in the Committee.

4. Election of Members

All prospective candidates for membership should be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members, and at the following Committee Meeting, if elected by a simple majority, become members. Only members who have paid their subscription prior to the A.G.M. shall be entitled to attend the A.G.M. Any candidate for election, either as an Officer or for a place on the Committee shall have been a member of the Club for the preceding twelve (12) months prior to the A.G.M. Honorary Life Members will receive the same entitlements and privileges as fully paid up members.

5. Subscriptions

The annual subscription is eight pounds (£8.00) per person or ten pounds (£10.00) for two persons living in the same household, payable to the Honourable Treasurer on the 1st January each year. Non voting Junior Membership (under 18 years) shall be one pound and fifty pence (£1.50). The rate of annual subscription is decided by the members at the Annual General Meeting. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any privileges of membership, and if any member shall fail to pay the annual subscription by the 1st March, the Committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the list of membership, but if the Committee shall subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation, the member may, at the discretion of the Committee, and on payment of the arrears, be readmitted to membership.

6. Club Property

The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee and in the event of the Club ceasing to exist; a Special General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any assets. The Kennel Club to be notified of all actions taken.

7. Expulsion of Members

Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j (4) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j (8) shall, ipso factor, 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 Club be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee of the Club 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 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 him/her of 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 Club, except that he/she may, within two (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.

8. General Meetings

The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January until 31st December. The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the first three (3) months of the year, taking place before 25th March, for the following purpose: - To receive the report of the Committee and Balance Sheet; to elect Officers and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda, of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary. Twenty eight (28) days notice will be given of an Annual or General Meeting. The Committee shall have the discretion to give notice of the Annual or General Meeting by advertisement in ‘Our Dogs ‘ and ‘Dog World’, such notice to be published at least fourteen (14) clear days before the date of the Meeting and to include the Agenda of the Meeting. Agenda items should be forwarded up to twenty (20) days before the date of the Annual or General Meeting. Items for the Agenda shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting unless notice appears thereof on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters, or those in the opinion of the Chairman of the Meeting are urgent. The Agenda for such meetings will be circulated to members fourteen (14) days before the date of the Meeting. The audited Statement of Accounts will be available for inspection at the A.G.M. but members may apply for a copy to be sent to them. A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary if ten (10) fully paid up members who must attend the meeting, send a signed requisition, stating the subject to be discussed. No other business other than that which is on the Agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting. Members shall be given written notice at least twenty (28) days before the date of any such meeting, stating the matter to be discussed. The Rules of the Club shall not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, notice of which includes details of the proposal to alter the Rules. Any alteration of the Rules shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has given its approval of the alteration/s.

9. Election of Committee Members

(a) The election of Officers and Committee shall be conducted by paper ballot of those present and entitled to vote at the A.G.M. The votes shall be counted in the presence of the members and the results declared by the Chairman at the A.G.M. At least forty two (42) days prior to the A.G.M. the Honorary Secretary shall send a request to all members to submit nominations for candidates to the Committee for the ensuing year. Any member can be nominated by another member, subject to the consent of the nominee. Those nominations must be in the hands of the Honorary Scrutineer at least twenty eight (28) days before the date of the meeting, together with the names of those retiring Committee Members who are willing to stand for re-election. The period of twenty eight (28) daysis to exclude the date of receipt of the nominations, and the date of the A.G.M. Nominations and notification of willingness to stand for re-election are to be sealed in an envelope clearly marked ‘Nominations’ and are to contain no other matter.

Envelopes containing nominations are to be opened by the Honorary Scrutineer. A signed certified list of nominees received must be sent by the Honorary Scrutineer to the Chairman and a copy of the signed certified list and nomination papers to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty one (21) days prior to the A.G.M. If the number of nominees together with those members of the retiring Committee and Officers who are willing to stand again shall exceed eight (8) in number a list recording the names of nominees, and in case of members of the previous Committee, the number of times they have attended meetings shall be forwarded to all members at least fourteen (14) days before the A.G.M. Officers of the Club shall be elected by a single vote of all members. A nomination for election as an Officer shall constitute an automatic nomination for the Committee. Each member may record an alternative vote for any candidate for election to the Committee, for whom he/she has voted who is up for election to Office. The eight (8) candidates (i.e. for Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary and four (4) Committee places) obtaining the largest number of votes shall be declared by the Chairman to be the Committee of Members and Officers for the ensuing year. In the event of an even number of votes being recorded for any two or more candidates, a final decision between these candidates shall be made by a vote of the members at the A.G.M. The members of the Committee and the Officers will hold Office from the conclusion of the A.G.M. at which they are elected, until the conclusion of the A.G.M. following. Only those members whose current subscriptions are paid may stand for election or nominate others, or vote.

(b) In all matters of decision, the Chairman shall have the casting vote only.

(c ) Each retiring Officer or Committee Member shall be deemed to have been nominated for re-election, provided he/she has informed the Secretary of their willingness to stand and unless he/she has been absent from three (3) consecutive committee meetings of which he/she has received notice, preceding the date set for the receipt of nominations.

10. Club Accounts

A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid, and for which witness shall be made on the signatures of two (2) unrelated officers, one of whom must be the Honorary Treasurer. The accounts shall be kept by the Honorary Treasurer and one (1) Auditor if a qualified accountant or two (2) Auditors shall be appointed at each A.G.M. who shall audit the Club Accounts for the existing year.

11. 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 Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by the 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 Principal Authorities, will be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers 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.

12. Final Court of Appeal

The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute. The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

13. Bankrupts

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.

14. Club Meetings

Discussions at any of the meetings are to be treated as private and confidential by members and are not to be discussed with non-members.

15. Membership List

The Club shall maintain a list of members and their addresses, compiled by the Secretary and make them available for inspection if so requested by a member of the Club or the Kennel Club.