Sheffield German Shepherd Dog Society

Constitution

1 NAME AND OBJECTIVES- The society shall be called the Sheffield German Shepherd Dog Society and its objects shall be to encourage and improve the breed in general by holding shows and training classes in ring craft and obedience etc. to the betterment of the breed.

2 OFFICERS AND MEMBERS -The Society shall consist of:
a. Patron - the club may have a patron.
b. President - who shall be elected by members at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and who shall remain in office during pleasure.
c. Vice Presidents - who shall be elected by members at an AGM and who shall remain in office during pleasure.
All of the above on acceptance of office will automatically become Honorary Life Members of the club.
Also a maximum of 12 (twelve) committee members to include a Chairman, a Treasurer, a Secretary and an unlimited number of Members all of whom shall reside in Great Britain.

3.THE COMMITTEE -The management of the society shall be in the hands of the Committee, of whom three (3) shall retire annually, but
shall be eligible for re-selection. The President shall be an ex-officio member of the committee.
Members at the AGM shall elect a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer from amongst its numbers.
Meetings of the committee shall be held as often as may be necessary and 50% of the Committee, a minimum of 4, will be deemed necessary
to form a quorum for the transaction of business. The committee shall have the power to co-opt members in order to attain a full committee.

a Any person co-opted onto the committee by the committee members shall retire and be eligible for re-selection by members at the first AGM following their co-option.
b That any member co-opted onto the committee or voted onto the committee must have been a member of the society for a minimum of six months and if any member of the committee fails to attend three consecutive committee meetings without acceptable reason they shall be asked to resign

4 MEMBERSHIP -Candidates for membership of the Society shall apply onthe appropriate form and be voted upon by the committee at its next meeting. A majority for or against a candidate shall be decisive. In the case of joint membership, two (2) of the same household or partnership, they shall be entitled to one vote per member upon acceptance to the society.
Members of Sheffield GSD committee (i.e. serving officers and committee) the membership shall be nil. All other members excepting life members to pay an annual fee of £-------
“Members of Sheffield GSD Society cannot vote on any motion at an AGM or SGM unless they have been a fully paid up member for twelve calendar months”

5 ALL REGISTERED SOCIETIES –The society must maintain an up to date list of members and their addresses and if so requested make the list available for inspection by the Kennel Club and members of the society. A declaration of the numbers of members of the society must be made with the annual  returns.

6 VOTING The voting at any meeting shall be by show of hands or paper ballot by full members only who are present and eligible to vote. No proxy or postal voting shall be accepted. The Chairman shall have the casting vote.

7 SOCIETY PROPERTY The property of the Society shall be vested in the committee. In the event of the Society ceasing to exist, a Final General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Society's assets and the outcome of the meeting, including a final statement of audited accounts and records showing disposal of property, shall be notified to the K.C. within 6 months.

8 SOCIETY ACCOUNTS A banking account 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 officers of the Society selected from amongst the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary. The Treasurer shall maintain the accounts of the ensuing year.
The accounts and balance sheet must be certified annually and presented to the members at the AGM. Certification of the accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience.

9 SUBSCRIPTIONS The annual subscription shall be payable to the treasurer between the 15th January and the 28th day before the date of the AGM Any member wishing to propose or second a nomination or notion or attend the AGM must have renewed his/her subscription as above. Candidates for membership accepted by the committee after the 15th November may be deemed to have paid their subscriptions for the following year. Joint membership shall be limited to two members of the same household orpartnership. A training fee per session shall be payable.
No member whose subscriptions is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if any member fails to pay the annual
subscription by the 28th day before the AGM the committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the list of members but if the committee shall receive satisfactory explanation subsequently the member may at the discretion of the committee be re-admitted to membership.
The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the K.C.

10 EXPULSION OF MEMBERS Any member who shall be suspended under K.C. rule A42j (4) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are
disqualified under K.C. Rule A42j (8) shall ipso facto 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 Society be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests 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 (SGM) of the Society shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him/her.
Notice of the SGM 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 meeting, appeal to the K.C. upon and subject to such condition as the K.C. may impose. 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 provide any particulars required.
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

11 FINANCIAL YEAR The financial year of the Society shall be from the 1st January to the end of December. The AGM shall be held in April.

12 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM shall be held in April each year for the following purpose:

A To receive the report of the Chairman and balance sheet, to elect a Patron, President, Vice Presidents when required, and committee members. To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda of which fourteen (14) days prior notice in writing with the names of the proposer and seconder have been given to the Secretary

B Notice for AGM to be posted on our website 32 days prior to AGM date and all members will recieve a printed copy. Proposals to be with secratery 7 day before AGM

C The election of the President, Vice Presidents and committee at the AGM shall be either by vote or ballot by a majority of those present and voting at the AGM. Any person nominated for the committee must be present at the AGM or he/she forfeits the right to stand for election.

D A SGM shall be summoned by the Secretary if two-thirds of the members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a SGM to do so. No other business other than the matter on the agenda can be discussed at the SGM.
Members will be given 21 days prior written notice. The rules of the Society shall not be altered except at an AGM or SGM.
Any alterations to rules passed at such meeting shall not be brought into force until the KC has been advised and given its approval to the alterations.
Members shall be informed of the date that any alterations are to be brought into effect having been approved by the KC. All members shall receive an amended copy of the constitution when any alterations to the rules are approved by the KC.

13 ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB the officers of the Society acknowledge that during the month of January each year,
Maintenance of the Title Fee shall be forwarded to the KC for continuance of registration and that annual returns shall be submitted to the KC as stipulated.
By the 31st July each year, other returns as stipulated in KC 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 KC. The officers also acknowledge their duty toinform the KC of any change of secretary of the Society, which may Occur during the course of the year.'

14 HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Patron, President, Vice Presidents, or Any person who has been a member of the society for a minimum of  20 years and has paid his/her subscriptions continuously, may be proposed as an honorary life member. Notice to elect an Honorary Life Member must appear on the agenda for the AGM. Honorary Life Members shall have all the rights of ordinary members but shall not be liable to pay subscriptions.

15. SERVING OFFICERS OF THE COMMITTEE cannot show or handle their own dogs at Sheffield GSD Society Shows. Serving officers of the committee cannot show or handle for other people at Sheffield GSD Society Shows. Members of the committee may enter their dogs and compete at Sheffield GSD Society shows.

16 THE SOCIETY shall not become a member nor become registered with any canine federations that has not been approved and registered with the KC subsequent to 15/11/50.

17 MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY and officials of the Society shall be indemnified by the Society against all legal claims made against them in connection with any oral or written statement made by them in good faith in the course of or in the furtherance of their duties and responsibility.

18 The KC shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute.

19 BREEDSOCIETY’S JUDGES LIST
Registered Breed Societies and Breed Councils must produce a list of Judges each year, which must be submitted to the K.C. as part of the
Society's Annual Returns. The purpose of Breed Society Judges Lists is to indicate to interested parties those persons a Breed Society would support at differing levels of judging. Membership of the Society must not be a prerequisite for inclusion in the lists. Judges lists should be divided into three parts namely A1, A2 and B and must indicate the date on which the list will expire. On expiry a new list must be completed.

A1 List - must indicate persons whom the Society would support and who have previously been approved by the K.C. to award challenge
Certificates in the breed. (It should be noted that this list does not apply to breed societies where the breed does not currently have
Challenge Certificates).

A2 List - must indicate all persons the Society would support to award Challenge Certificates, but who as yet, have not been approved by
the K.C.

B List - must indicate any persons the Society would support to judge the breed without Challenge Certificate