THE NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
1. NAME AND OBJECTS
1.1 The Club shall be called the Norwegian Elkhound Club of Great Britain, and its objects shall be to do everything possible to protect and advance interest in the breed at home and abroad.
1.2 The origins of the Club, founded in 1973, shall be commemorated by a statement in the "Journal" saying "incorporating the British Elkhound Society, founded in 1923, and the Elkhound Club, founded in 1936."
2. MEMBERSHIP
2.1 The Club shall consist of a President, any number of Life Vice-Presidents, a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Trophy Steward, and a Committee of 10 members from an unlimited number of Members.
2.2 A maximum of 5 Patrons may be appointed as and when such an honour is considered to be deserved by a Member of the Club. Nominations being put to a General Meeting to be voted on by secret ballot.
3. COMMITTEE
3.1 The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the elected officers of the club and a committee of 10 elected members. In rotation, in 2004, three committee members will retire; 2005 - three committee members will retire and in 2006 four committee members will. The annual rotation will then continue, from 2007 onwards, in a 3,3,4 sequence. All Committee members retiring shall be eligible for re-election.
3.2 The President, Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, and Hon. Trophy Steward shall be elected for two year terms, and will then be eligible for re-election. The President, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Trophy Steward shall retire together. The Chairman and Hon. Treasurer shall retire the following year.
3.3 UNDISCHARGED BANKRUPTS. No person, whilst an undischarged bankrupt, may serve on the Committee or hold any other Office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
3.4 If any Committee member, other than the President, fails to attend three consecutive meetings without giving an acceptable reason, he or she may be deemed to have resigned.
3.5 Subject to a minimum of three meetings in any year, meetings of the Committee shall be held when necessary. Seven persons shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, one of whom shall be the President, Chairman, Hon. Secretary or Hon. Treasurer.
3.6 The Chairman, at any meeting, shall only have a casting vote in the event of equality in a divided vote.
3.7 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt to fill vacancies arising during the year, but persons so co-opted must stand for election at the next Annual General Meeting, and if elected will then serve for the remainder of the term of the person they replace.
3.8 The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees to deal with specific matters, and shall at its discretion authorise co-option to such sub-committees.
3.9 The Committee shall be responsible for nominations to the Norwegian Elkhound Breed Council for inclusion in the Breed Judges List, and for reviewing that list annually.
4. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
4.1 Membership of the Club will be dependant upon acceptance of and compliance with the Constitution and Rules and the Code of Ethics.
4.2 Candidates for membership of the Club shall be proposed by one Member and seconded by another, and elected by the committee at one of their meetings by simple majority of those present.
4.3 Life Vice-Presidencies or Honorary Life Vice-Presidencies may be granted by a General Meeting to Members who have furthered the interests of the Club and who wish to retain full membership. They are entitled to attend Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity.
4.4 Honorary Life Membership may be granted by a General Meeting to persons who have furthered the interests of the Club. Honorary Life Membership to all members attaining the age of 75 years may be granted on application providing that they have maintained Membership of the Club for a period of at least 25 years. Honorary Members shall be exempt from paying subscriptions and will continue to receive all Club Publications and be entitled to a vote in all Club business.
4.5 Two adult Members of the same address may be admitted as Joint Members. Such pairings shall have two votes, but only one copy of Club publications. Before a jointly owned dog can qualify for Club awards both owners must be either Members or Joint Members.
4.6 Junior Membership is available to those under 18 years of age at a reduced subscription, without voting rights, but will receive a copy of Club publications.
4.7 A list of current Club members, together with their addresses, will be available for inspection by Members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.
4.8 The NECGB will maintain a Planned Puppy List; only those who have been a continual member of the NECGB for the previous 2 years are eligible for inclusion on this list.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS
5.1 The annual subscription shall be as determined by the Members attending the Annual General Meeting, payable to the Hon. Treasurer on January 1st each year. If any Member shall fail to pay the annual subscription by February 1st the Committee shall have the power to erase his or her name from the List of Members, but if the Committee shall subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation the Member may, at the discretion of the Committee, and on payment of arrears, be re-admitted to membership. No Member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership after February 1st.
6. CLUB PROPERTY
6.1 The property of the Club shall be vested in the committee. Trophies will be accepted from donors only on the understanding that the gift is made outright to the Club. Cups and trophies shall be confined to Members only.
6.2 If the Club is wound up or ceases to be a registered society under Kennel Club Regulations, 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.
7. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
7.1 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.
7.2 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.
7.3 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 Society 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.
8. FINANCIAL YEAR
8.1 The Financial Year of the Club shall be from January 1st to December 31st.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
9.1 Twenty Members eligible to vote shall form a quorum at any General Meeting.
9.2 The Hon. Secretary shall despatch a notice to all Members at least two calendar months before the Annual General Meeting, and at least twenty-eight days before any other General Meeting.
9.3 The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than April 30th each year.
9.4 Nominations for the Officers and Committee, and items for the agenda from paid up Members or Honorary Members must reach the Hon. Secretary (by recorded or signed delivery) at least one calendar month before the Annual General Meeting, or by the date set by the Committee in the Notice of the Annual General Meeting.
9.5 The election of the Officers and the Committee shall be by postal ballot supervised by the Kennel Club if the nominations exceed the number of vacancies.
9.6 A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Hon. Secretary within two calendar months if twelve members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed. No business other than the matters on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.
9.7 Members of the Club may, by application to the Secretary, have access to a summary of Committee decisions but not the detailed minutes which remain confidential to the Committee.
10. ALTERATION TO RULES
10.1 The Rules of the Club shall not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. The notice of the meeting shall include details of the proposal to alter the Rules. Any alteration to the Rules shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club have been advised and have approved the alteration.
11. CLUB ACCOUNTS
11.1 A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signature of two or more Officers.
11.2 A deposit account or accounts may be maintained in Banks or Building Societies as from time to time determined by Committee.
11.3 The Accounts shall be kept by the Hon. Treasurer, and Auditors shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting who shall audit the Club's Accounts for the ensuing year before the Annual General Meeting.
12. RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
12.1 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 31st July each year, other returns, 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 also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any change of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.
12.2 The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of the month in which the Society's Annual General Meeting is held and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date.
13. KENNEL CLUB THE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL
13.1 The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.
14. EMBARGO ON FEDERATION
14.1 The Club shall not join any federation of societies or clubs.