CURLY COATED RETRIEVER ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITAIN RULES AND REGULATIONS 

 

These rules and regulations were written in keeping with RKC guide RS08. What must be kept in mind when reading it is that currently the CCRAofGB is not registered nor affiliated with the RKC, we therefore cannot follow some of the rules/edicts mentioned. We are however working towards affiliation and therefore we have written the rules as a projection of our rules and regulations once affiliation has been achieved.

1. NAME AND OBJECTIVES 

 

The Society shall be called the ‘Curly Coated Retriever Association of Great Britain’ and its objectives shall be to provide an inclusive and supportive environment to assist all owners in the care, promotion and preservation of the Curly Coated Retriever and to provide education and information on all aspects of the health and welfare of this vulnerable native breed.

2. SOCIETY OFFICERS, COMMITTEE and MEMBERS 

The Society shall be managed by a committee which consists of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer plus a committee of not more than fourteen members inclusive of the societies officers and will have an unlimited number of Members.

3. COMMITTEE

The Committee will be made up of up to fourteen members who have a rotating four-year tenure which will conclude on the 31st March of the fourth year, regardless of the month when the tenure was commenced. The timing of the tenure will be monitored and a reminder of the completion of tenure will be announced by the Honorary Secretary at the committee meeting held in February every year. Members who wish to join the Committee should complete an application form with an appropriate proposer and seconder, it should be forwarded to the secretary by the end of 31st January. At the end of the tenure if no applications have been received and the current Committee Member/Officer wishes to remain on the Committee the tenure can be renewed for a further four years. Committee members wanting to remain on the committee need not reapply nor require nomination but they must inform the Honorary Secretary that they are intending to seek re-election by the 31st January. If there are more intentions to seek re-election and applications than there are vacancies there will be a ballot vote which will be posted to the membership. Completed voting papers will be collated and counted by the Honorary Secretary and Society Chair and the results will be announced to the members by letter.

If an Officer or Committee Member retires or resigns for any reason throughout the year, his/her position shall be filled by co-opting, up to the maximum number of Committee Members who shall serve until the following Annual General Meeting, when any person subsequently elected to fill a position shall only be elected for the remainder of the original Member’s term before having to seek re-election.

A quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be six, one of whom must be an Officer. The Committee has the ability to co-opt members onto the committee as vacancies allowin order to benefit the society. Co-opted members will only hold a position until the following year (31st March) if applications are received from other members for that place and voting takes place. No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Royal Kennel Club Registered Society.

If a Committee Member misses two consecutive Committee meetings without valid reason and/or prior and appropriate explanation, they shall, at the discretion of the Committee, cease to be a Member of the Committee.

4. ELECTION OF MEMBERSHIP

Applications for membership of the Society shall be considered by the Committee who reserve the right to refuse any application.

 

Full membership is open to anyone over the age of 16 years, in the form of a Single or Joint/Family Membership (the latter being per couple or family at the same address plus under 16-year-olds) at the stated subscription rates.

Membership subscriptions shall become due on the 1st January each year, but any new Member who joins after 1st October shall not be liable to pay a renewal subscription until the start of the following financial year.

Addendum for the CCRAofGB

A current Member may be elected to be an Honorary Life Member of the Society based on a majority vote of Members. This honour may be bestowed on anyone the Elector and Members feel has supported the Breed or the Association over many years. Any Member may nominate a person for Honorary Life Membership but the Committee will have the final say as to whether the nominated person is put forward. Nominations for an Honorary Life Member should be sent in the first instance to the Honorary Secretary. An Honorary Life Member will not be required to pay a membership fee but will be eligible to vote at the AGM and entitled to Members’ rates at Curly Coated Retriever Association of Great Britain events.

5. MEMBERS LISTS*

An up-to-date list of members and their addresses, and those of branch members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, the list of names made available for inspection by the Royal Kennel Club and members of the society. A declaration of the number of members of the society must be made with annual returns.

Addendum for the CCRAofGB

In order to ensure this information is available we ask all existing members to inform the Society of any change of address and contact details asap or at least when renewing their annual subscription in.The society is permitted to maintain contact details of its members in accordance with Royal Kennel Club requirements. If so requested, the list of names will be made available for inspection by the Royal Kennel Club.

6. VOTING RIGHTS

On payment of the annual subscription each Member will be entitled to one vote after one year’s membership. Voting shall be in person, or by postal vote.

A standalone Junior (under 16-year-olds) Membership is available but will hold no voting rights.

 

7. CLUB 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 notified to the Royal Kennel Club. A final statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society shall be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club within six months. The persons named as Officers and Committee of the Society on the last return furnished to the Royal Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Royal Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.

Any donations of cups or trophies are accepted by the Society on the understanding that they are given as outright gifts to the Society.

8. CLUB ACCOUNTS

A bank account shall be held in the name of the society at Bank of Scotland into which all revenueof the society shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made with full consent of the committee.

The society accounts will be overviewed by the Honorary Treasurer and will be certified annually and presented to the members at the AGM. The certified accounts must be available to members 14 days prior to the AGM.

Certification of the accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience, who are independent of the committee.

9.SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by members in the general meeting and notified to the Royal Kennel Club. Subscription rates for the following year shall be decided at the Committee Meeting in November.

No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 31^st January shall be automatically cease to be a Member and will have to re-apply. In this case voting rights etc. will be returned once subscription has been paid.

Note: Once members have been accepted for membership, and providing they continue to pay their membership by the deadline, they cannot be refused renewal of membership. With the exception of default on subscriptions, the only way to remove a member from the societies register is by following the procedure defined in paragraph 10.

10. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS*

N.B PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE CONSTITUTION OF A REGISTERED SOCIETY

Any member who shall be disqualified under the Kennel Club Rule A11J.(5) and/or Royal Kennel Club Rule A11.J.(9) shall ipso facto also cease to be a Member of the Society.

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. A Committee meeting may be convened to discuss the consideration of the conduct of the Member, the purpose of which would be to determine that a Special General Meeting of the Society should 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 so 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 Royal Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as the Royal Kennel Club 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 Royal Kennel Club within seven days of the event and supply any particulars required.

11.FINANCIAL YEAR/ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

The financial year of the Society shall be from 1st January to 31st December. 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 majority decision of the committee.

The accounts will be presented to Members at the Annual General Meeting after certification by a qualified accountant (or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience), independent of the committee.

12.ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS (AGM)

The AGM shall be held each year to receive the Annual Report and the Balance Sheet, to elect the Officers and Committee and to discuss any matters which appear on the agenda. No business shall be conducted at the AGM unless notice of it appears on the agenda, except routine matters, or those which in the opinion of the Chairman are urgent.

The timings of the AGM are as follow and notification of the meeting will be sent to members via their stated preference for communication (i.e., email or post).

1. Twenty-eight (28) days’ notice shall be given to members of the date and place of the AGM.
2. Items for inclusion on the agenda should be received by the Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days beforethe date of the AGM, duly proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members
3. The Agenda and Balance Sheet will be available at the AGM and will also be distributed to Members fourteen days before by email or post (if requested).
4. Postal votes should be received by the Secretary at least seven (7) days before the date of the AGM.
5. A quorum for a General Meeting shall be six, one of whom shall be an Officer. The Rules of the Society shall not be altered except at an AGM or a Special General Meeting (SGM), notice of which includes details of the proposal to alter the Rules. Any alterations to the Rules shall not be brought into force until the Royal Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alterations. New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Royal Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Society’s Constitution with effect from the AGM.

 

 

12a SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING (SGM)

 

A Special General Meeting (SGM) shall be summoned by the Secretary if twenty Members send a signed requisition to do so, stating the subject to be discussed.

 

The Committee of the Society is also empowered to call an SGM.

 

A quorum for a SGM in this instance would the number of members whorequested the SGM i.e.,twenty and also include at least the following members of the committee – the Chair, Vice-Chair and Honorary Secretary and Honorary Trearurer.

 

Notice stating the date, time, venue and proposed business must be received by Members not less than fourteen days prior to the date ofthe Meeting.

 

No other business than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.

 

Minutes of a General Meeting (AGM and/or SGM) should be written up by the Honorary Secretary or another committee member ensuring that the salient points, the list of the year’s committee members & officers and number of attendees are recorded. The minutes will remain unapproved until the following AGM, when they will be presented as a record of the previous meeting and a request made to the membership for them to be approved.

 

13. AMENDMENTS TO RULES

 

Once ratified by RKC after affiliation the rules of the society may not be altered except at a General Meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules. Any proposed alteration to the rules may not be brought into effect until the RKC has been advised and approved the alteration. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet the RKC requirements shall be adopted immediately.

14. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE ROYAL KENNEL CLUB * 

The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title Fee will be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club by the Secretary for continuance of Registration, and that by July 31st each year, other returns, as stipulated in Royal Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities shall be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club.

 

The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Royal Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.

 

15.ROYAL KENNEL CLUB FINAL AUTHORITY

 

The Code of Ethics of the Royal Kennel Club are incorporated in the Society’s Rules.

The Royal Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Society in all cases relative to Canine or Society matters.

 

 

16. FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES

 

The Society will not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

 

17. EXCLUSION OF BANKRUPT PERSON *

 

No person who is an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a RKC registered society.

18. JUDGINGLISTS 

Following the advent of the Judges Education Programme(JEP) and the availability of the names of appropriately qualified judges provided on the Find a Judge page provided by the RKC, it is expected that Show Societies will access this information on the RKC website. However, in order to be helpfulto Show Secretaries an up-to-date list of Judges shall be available on the Associations website. Open and Championship Show secretaries may then make use of the namesin accordance with the current requirements and regulations of the Royal Kennel Club.

Membership of the Society shall not be a prerequisite for inclusion on these lists.

The lists shall be divided into three parts, namely Level 4, Level 3, Level 2 and Level 1

The website list will be updated monthly.