The Afghan Hound Club of Scotland
Constitution 2005
1. This club shall be called “THE AFGHAN HOUND CLUB OF SCOTLAND”
2. Its object is to promote the breeding, rearing, showing and general well –being according to the Standard of Afghan Hounds by making the qualities of the breed better known in Scotland; to encourage the showing of Afghans by procuring classes for them at leading Dog Shows throughout Scotland; and to help the beginner in every possible way.
3. The Club shall consist of an unlimited amount of members and patrons whose names and addresses shall be kept in a book by the Honorary Secretary, which book shall be opened for inspection if so requested by the Members of the Society or by the Kennel Club at any time.
No one shall be deemed a member of the Club or be entitled to the privileges of membership or be entitled to compete for any special prizes until his/her subscription has been paid.
4. The subscription for Junior (16 years) and Senior Members shall be such as determined by the Annual General Meeting from time to time and payable to the Honorary Secretary on the 1st January in each year. Junior Members have no voting rights. Application for membership must be passed by a simple majority of Committee, and such application, renewal of membership and subscription payment must be in the hands of the Secretary not less than 7 (seven) days prior to the stipulated date of that year’s AGM. The committee shall have the power to erase the name from the List of Members any Member whose subscription for that year which has not been paid in accordance with the terms of this clause.
Any members wishing to terminate his/her membership must advise the Secretary in writing before the final date of payment, such notice of termination shall be minuted by the Secretary. If such notification has been minuted the Member may apply to rejoin at a later date without payment of arrears of Membership and be re-admitted if approved by a simple majority of Committee. Members who have not notified the Secretary may apply to the Committee to be re-admitted to membership if they can submit a satisfactory explanation and on payment of arrears of Membership, and at the discretion of the Committee, they may be re-admitted.
5. The AGM shall be held on or before 24th March each year except in the most extenuating circumstances.
6. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a President, (who shall be Chairman and have a casting vote only). Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, and a Committee of ten (10). The total number of the Committee including the Officers, who are ex-officio Members of the Committee, shall be fourteen (14). In the event of a Member of the Committee being unable to attend three (3) Committee meetings in succession his/her expulsion from the Committee will be considered automatic unless a satisfactory explanation of the circumstances be submitted and accepted by a simple majority of Committee at the next convening. The Club can be empowered if an elected Committee Member resigns; the Committee has the right to co-opt a new Member to the Committee. In an emergency the President should make an attempt to contact by telephone, Committee Members to hold a meeting with a Quorum. Quorum being five (5).
7. The Officers, President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio Members of the Committee, and the election of each officer shall be for a period of three (3) years but each officer shall be eligible for re-election on completion of his/her term of office. In the event of an office-bearer resigning before his/her term of office is complete, he/she will be eligible to complete his/her original term of office if re-elected. The other Members of Committee shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. All Officers and Committee must be permanently resident in Scotland.
8. 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.
9. The Club Property. The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee and in the event of the Club ceasing to exist, a General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the assets. All gifts of Challenge Cups must be made outright to the Club.
10. 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 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 of the Society 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 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.
11. The Committee shall have the power to deal with any question relating to the management of the Club not provided for by the rules, and also shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy occurring in its Members, but the election must receive the approval of the General Meeting next ensuing.
12. As it is scarcely possible for the Committee to meet at all times of the year, it shall be competent for the Honorary Secretary to transact (on their behalf) all such Business as might be done at a meeting of the Committee by letter or telephone. The Minutes of such business shall be recorded in writing the usual way.
13. There shall be a meeting of the Committee as often as by them may be deemed necessary, but there shall be a General Meeting of the Club Members at least once every year.
14. Fourteen (14) days notice (in writing or by circular) shall be given or sent by post by the Honorary Secretary to all members of the Club, together with full Agenda and Abstract of Accounts, previous of a General Meeting, and whenever possible seven (7) days notice in writing or by telephone to Members of Committee previous to a Committee Meeting.
15. At all Meetings, the Minutes of the previous Meeting shall be read at the commencement and, if approved, shall be confirmed. Five (5) shall form a quorum for a Committee Meeting and twenty (20) for a General Meeting.
16. All Officers of the Club shall be honorary and no Member shall be allowed to make the Club a means of private speculation or trade, or derive a money profit through it.
17. All new Rules or alterations or existing Rules shall be made at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, such new Rules or alterations of existing Rules shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alterations. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those, which in the opinion of the Chairman of the Meeting are urgent.
A requisition may be made for a Special General Meeting by five (5) Members of the Committee or ten (10) Members, such requisition to be in writing to the Secretary stating the motion for which the meeting is to be called. This motion shall form the sole business of the meeting, and no amendments will be permitted. The Special General Meeting will be called within two (2) calendar months of the receipt of the requisition.
18. The Annual Abstract of Accounts (duly audited by Auditors appointed by the Club from time to time) shall be opened to the inspection for all Members of the Club at any time.
19. Indemnifying Clause. The Members of the Management Committee and of any Sub-Committee thereof, the Officers of the Club and the Auditors shall be indemnified out of the funds of the Club against all loss, costs and charges which they may respectively incur or be put to on account of any contract, deed, act, omission, matter of thing done, entered into, executed or permitted by them respectively on behalf of the Club, and each of them shall be chargeable only for such money as he/she may actually receive, and they shall not be answerable for the acts, receipts, neglects, or defaults only. Neither their nor their successors, executors or administrators shall be liable for any loss or expense resulting to the Club through insufficiencies or deficiency of title to any property acquired for or on behalf of the Club or for the insufficiency or deficiency of any obligation or security in or upon which any of the funds of the Club shall be invested or for any loss or Damage arising from the bankruptcy, insolvency or wrongful act of any person with whom any monies, securities or effects shall be deposited, or for any Loss, Damage or misfortune whatsoever which shall happen in the execution of the duties of his/her office or in relation thereto unless the same shall happen through his/her fraud, wilful neglect, default, breach of duty or breach of trust.
20. The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary/
Treasurer for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registrations 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.
21. The Financial Year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December of the same year.
22. All Sub-Committees shall come up for consideration and possible election at each A.G.M.
23. Breed Council. Representatives to be elected at the A.G.M. to serve for two (2) years and retiring on alternative years.
24. Twenty-eight (28) days notice must be given for items to be raised in the agenda for the A.G.M. All letters and correspondence to be read out at the A.G.M. must be with the Secretary seven (7) days prior to the meeting, preferably by registered or recorded post.
25. The Committee is empowered to nominate six (6) judges for each sex (where applicable) for the Championship Show held by the Club and to nominate four (4) judges for the Open Show. These nominations will be put before the AGM as a written ballot vote to be undertaken at the AGM to determine future judges. The ballot vote to be counted by three (3) scrutineers, to be appointed at the AGM and the result announced at the AGM.
26. 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.
27. The Kennel Club shall be the Final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.
