Club Constitution
1. Name
The Club shall be called the "Dove Valley Working Gundog Club".
(hereinafter referred to as The Club).
2. Objects
The reasons for the existence of the Club are:-
a. To promote and encourage the well being and interests of the various Gundog breeds.
b. To encourage the training and working of the various Gundog breeds and to encourage the holding of Working Tests and Field Trials, and to do all such things as may be deemed necessary to improve the standard of such events.
c. To promote education, discussion, study and research conducive to the objects expressed.
3. Membership
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be kept on a register to be retained by the Secretary. The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by a member of the Club or by the Kennel Club. Junior membership without voting rights will be available free of charge up to seventeen years of age. Candidates for membership shall forward their application form to the Membership Secretary for consideration at the next Committee meeting. Any person who ceases to be a member of the Club shall forfeit any right and claim upon the Club and it's property and funds, nor shall that person be entitled to have any or all of their annual subscription refunded to them.
4. Expulsion of Members
Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club rule A42j(4) and/or 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 condition as the Kennel Club may impose.
5. Officers and Committee
The Committee of the Club shall consist of Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Chairman and a Committee of ten. The Officers and Committee may elect, without notice to members, a President, Vice President and Patron.
The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers and Committee. All Officers and members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election every year, and all, except Chairman, shall have full voting rights. Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary. A quorum for Committee meetings shall be two Officers and three Members.
The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members onto the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings. Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the Club at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place. No individual who has been a Member of the Club for less than three months may be elected onto the Committee.
6. Voting Rights
Each Member shall be entitled to one vote upon acceptance of membership. Postal and Proxy votes will not be allowed. Voting shall be as decided by majority at meeting.
7. Club Property
The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. Trophies donated to the Club shall be deemed to be the sole property of the Club and shall not be accepted under any other condition. In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, a final General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Club's assets and the outcome of the Meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
8. 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 only be made with the signatures of two Officials.
Officers authorised to sign are Treasurer, Chairman, Membership Secretary and General Secretary.
9. Auditor(s)
Certified accounts shall be available to Members at AGM. Certification of accounts shall be carried out by one qualified accountant or two individuals with accountancy experience.
10. Subscriptions
The Annual Subscription shall be such amount as agreed by Members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club.
(currently £10.00 single - £15.00 joint. There is a joining fee of £5.00.
Click on "Membership" on Home Page for application form)
Subscriptions shall fall due on 1st February Annually. Any Member whose subscription is unpaid shall not be entitled to the privileges of Membership and if the Member fails to pay any outstanding subscriptions after one month has elapsed since the payment became due, that Members name shall be removed from the register.
11. Financial Year
The Financial year of the Club shall be from February 1st to January 31st.
12. General Meetings
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held following the end of the financial year.
The purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be:-
a. to receive the minutes of the previous AGM.
b. To receive the report of the Committee.
c. To receive the accounts and balance sheet and the Auditor(s) report thereon.
d. To elect/re-elect Officers and Committee.
e. To consider any motions of which prior notice has been given and which appear on the agenda.
f. To discuss any other items of general business.
(Please note).
A Member shall give the Secretary at least 24 hours notice of any matter to be raised under Any Other Competent Business.
At least one months notice will be given to Members of AGM either by post or electronic mail.
Members wishing to place items on the agenda should send by post such items to the Secretary as soon as possible, but in any event, not less than 14 (fourteen) days prior to the date of the meeting.
No business shall be conducted at AGM unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those, which, in the opinion of the Chairman are urgent.
13. Special General Meetings
A Special General Meeting may be called by the Secretary when at least 10 (TEN) Members send a signed requisition to the Secretary stating the business to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so.
The Committee of the Club is also empowered to call an SGM.
No business other than that detailed on the agenda is to be discussed at a Special General Meeting.
Notification of a Special General Meeting shall be by post or electronic mail.
14. Annual Returns to the Kennel Club
The Officers of the Club 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 July 31st each year, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club regulations for registered societies, will be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers of the Club also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any change of Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.
15. Constitution and Rules
The Constitution and Rules of the Club, which shall form the basis of Membership of the Club, may not be altered or amended except at a General Meeting, the agenda for which contains specific proposals to alter or amend the rules.
Any such alterations or amendments shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given approval thereto.