THE LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB
RULES and REGULATIONS
The name of the Club shall be 'The Labrador Retriever Club'; its objects being:
(a) to encourage the breeding of pure, sound Labradors;
(b) to protect the type of Labrador that has proved itself so eminently suitable for work;
(c) to encourage Field Trials and Shows and ensure qualified judges at both.
2. Establishment and Constitution.
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members, whose names and addresses shall be kept by the Membership Secretary in a book which shall be available for inspection if so requested by Members of the Club at reasonable times or by the Kennel Club. The Club undertakes to send a list of Members and their addresses to the Kennel Club with the Annual Returns. Each candidate for admission must be proposed by one Member and seconded by another (not husband and wife or partners) both of whom must be fully paid up. The election of Members is vested solely in the General Committee and shall be by ballot, six Members to form a quorum. At least twelve months continuous membership is required for entry to Field Trials, Year Book review pages and Puppy Sales lists.
The Annual subscription for the following year to be recommended by the Committee to the Annual General meeting and be payable on election and thereafter on the 2nd January each year. The subscription of anyone joining after 1st October and not wishing to participate in any Club activities or receive the Year Book for the current year, shall be valid for the following year. No-one shall be deemed a Member of the Club or entitled to the privileges of membership until the annual subscription is paid. A lapsed Member, may be reinstated at any time by the General Committee on furnishing what they consider to be a satisfactory explanation and paying all arrears of subscriptions. It shall be in order for any Member to withdraw from the Club by giving notice to the Hon. Secretary in writing before 31st December of any year, provided always that such Member shall be liable for his or her subscription for the current year in which he or she gives notice and for any monies due to the Club. Joint subscriptions shall be available for husband and wife or joint partnership in dogs. In Field Trials, only one nomination in any trial shall be granted to a joint subscription.
The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by 15 elected Members who will form the General Committee. The General Committee will, from their number, annually elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman. The appointments of Secretary, Treasurer, Field Trial Secretary, Show Secretary, Membership Secretary and Year Book Editor shall be made and should any of these appointments be made from outside the Committee of 15, voting rights shall not be included. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Field Trial Secretary, Show Secretary, Membership Secretary and Year Book Editor shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. The General Committee shall meet as and when necessary; the quorum shall be six. The Hon. Secretary in conjunction with the Chairman or Vice Chairman shall have the power to summon a Committee Meeting by giving a minimum of seven days notice. 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. Powers of the General Committee.
The property and management of the Club shall be vested in the General Committee jointly, who shall have power at any time to call a General Meeting of the Club, to arbitrate in disputed matters, to elect Members as aforesaid, to appoint sub-committees and to carry out the day to day business of the Club. The General Committee shall have the power to deal with any question which may arise and for which provision is not made in the Rules and to fill any vacancy occurring in their number between Annual General Meetings, those co-opted shall only hold office until the next Annual General meeting. The General Committee shall have the power to invite a Patron, President, Vice President or Hon. Life Members at their discretion.
6. Method of Conducting Business.
At every meeting of the General Committee, minutes of the previous meeting shall be read and confirmed. At least seven days notice shall be sent of every meeting together with an Agenda of business to be transacted. The chairman, if present shall preside at every meeting. In his absence, the Vice Chairman, shall take his place and in the absence of both, the members present shall elect a Chairman, who shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie and whose ruling on any point shall be binding on the meeting.
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 facto 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 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 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 Club, 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 conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.
If the Club expels any Member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, shows, trials or competitions, the Club must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars required.
The Annual General meeting of the Club shall be held early in the year, at a date to be fixed by the General Committee. Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be forwarded to every Member not less than twenty-one days before that date of the Meeting. At this Meeting the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting shall be read and confirmed.
One third of the General Committee, longest in office, shall retire, but shall be eligible for re-election. Any vacancy which occurs must be held over until the members have been made aware. Candidates for the General Committee must be proposed and seconded by two Members and all must have their subscriptions up to date. The name of each candidate, duly proposed and seconded, must reach the Hon. Secretary before 1st February of the year of the Annual General Meeting and be circulated on the Agenda before the Annual General Meeting.
Any proposition, duly proposed and seconded by paid up Members, for inclusion on the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting, subject to the approval of the Chairman, must reach the Hon. Secretary before 1st February of the year of the Annual General Meeting.
The Hon. Secretary shall be bound to call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time, should he/she be required to do so in writing, by no less than six Members and the General Committee shall have power to call an Extraordinary Meeting whenever they think it is desirable, giving fourteen days notice. Any resolution passed, either at an Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary Meeting can only be altered or rescinded at a subsequent Annual General Meeting due notice having been given to the Members. The quorum for each of the last named meetings shall be twenty-one. No business other than that contained in the Agenda shall be discussed at any Annual General Meeting, with the exception of routine.
The Rules of the Club 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 given its approval of the alterations. New Rules and amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Club's constitution with effect from the Club's Annual General Meeting.
9. Annual Report and Accounts.
An Annual Report shall be drawn up and presented by the Chairman at the Annual General Meeting. A qualified Auditor shall be appointed by the General Committee to audit the Accounts, which shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting.
10. Finances.
The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December of each calendar year. The General Committee shall have power to deal with any expenses incurred on behalf of the Club. A Banking Account shall be opened in the name of the Club, into which all revenue shall be paid and from which withdrawals will only be made on the signature of two or more officers, as nominated by the General Committee.
11. Kennel Club Fees and Returns.
The officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year~ maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Hon. Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year other ret1.1rnS, as stipulated in 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 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.
The Club shall participate in the production of the Show Judges lists drawn up annually by the Labrador Breed Council.
In the event of the cessation of the Club, the assets shall be liquidated and disposed of, as far as possible, at the discretion of the General Committee. A final statement' of Audited Accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Club on the last Return furnished to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.
The Club shall not join any Federation of Clubs or Societies. The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.
(Revised 2001 to accommodate the appointment of a Membership Secretary)