Club Rules

Rules of the West Mercia Beagle Club

1. NAMES & OBJECTIVES The Club shall be called the West Mercia Beagle Club and its objectives shall be to further the breed both in competition and in the field subject to facilities being available.

2. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE The Club shall consist of a Patron, President, Vice Presidents, Chairman, Hon Secretary, and Asst: Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Hon Working Secretary, and Hon Cup Secretary. A Committee of twelve and an unlimited number of members. Officers and Committee any member may be nominated to be a Committee member of the West Mercia Beagle Club.

3. COMMITTEE The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Club and Committee consisting of 12 members who shall retire annually. The Officers and members of the Committee shall all have voting rights. Committee meeting shall be held as often as deemed necessary. A quorum for Committee meetings shall be five. The Committee shall have power to co-opt members on to 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. The Officers and Committee shall have the power to elect Life Members to the Club at the discretion of the standing Officers and Committee. No persons whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.

4. ELECTION OF MEMBERS Candidates for membership shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another and elected or balloted for by the Committee at one of their meetings.

5. MEMBERSHIP LIST The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by members of the Club or by the Kennel Club. March 2023

6. VOTING RIGHTS Each member shall be entitled to one vote immediately on acceptance of membership. Voting shall be by a show of hands/as decided by the majority at the meeting. Each member of the Club shall have one vote. Be they single, joint or family members unless they are under the age of 16 years.

7. 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 Club's assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.

8. CLUB ACCOUNTS A banking Account shall be held in the name of the West Mercia Beagle Club at Barclays Bank, into which all revenue of the Club be paid. Withdrawals from the account shall only be made on any two of the following signatures. Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer certified annually before presentation to the members at the Annual General Meeting. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts.

9. SUBSCRIPTIONS The annual subscription shall be £5.00 for single membership, £6.00 for joint membership, £7.00 for family membership and £1.00 for junior member. (Under 18 years of age).

10. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS Any member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11j (5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11j (9) shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Club. 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 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 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 March 2023 of the Club except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such a meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.

11. FINANCIAL YEAR The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

12. GENERAL MEETINGS The annual General Meeting shall be held before 31st May for the following purpose: a) To receive the Committee report of the actives of the West Mercia Beagle Club for the previous year. b) To receive and approve the Accounts and Balance sheet for the previous year. The certified accounts will be made available on request to members fourteen days prior to the AGM. c) To discuss any Motions duly placed on the agenda of which due notice has been given to the Hon Secretary. d) To elect Officers, Executive Officers, Committee and Auditors. Members shall be given at least 28 days notice of the Annual General Meeting either by post or in the dog press - Our Dogs. Nominations for Officers and Committee, and items for the agenda must be in the hands of the Hon Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting. Nominations in writing should be Proposed and Seconded by fully paid upmembers of the Club. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice the of appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those which, in the opinion of the Chairman are urgent. The election of Executive Officers and Committee at the Annual General Meeting shall be by ballot of those present at the meeting.

12A. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Hon Secretary if twelve members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Committee of the Club is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting. March 2023 No business other than the matter on the agenda may be discussed at a Special General Meeting. Members will receive fourteen days notice of such a meeting.

13. AMENDMENT TO THE RULES The rules of the West Mercia Beagle Club shall not be altered expect at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules. Any alterations to the rules shall not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval to the alterations. Following the Kennel Club’s acceptance of the proposed rules, copies must be sent to all fully paid up members at the earliest convenient moment. (i.e. with the next circulation of schedules).

14. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB The Officers acknowledge that 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 the 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 Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of changes of Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.

15. CHOOSING OF JUDGES FOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND OPEN SHOWS Members of the Committee to put forward names to be considered to be nominated to judge at West Mercia Beagle Club Shows. On the first round of voting Committee members may have a free vote and vote as many times as they wish. Nominees must get half the number of votes of Committee members sitting at the meeting to go forward to the second round where Committee members may only vote for one nominee. Nominee getting most votes will be approached to judge the show in question. If unable to accept the appointment then it will be offered to the nominee getting second highest vote. If second nominee cannot accept the appointment, the matter must go back to the Committee. March 2023

16. KENNEL CLUB FINAL COURT APPEAL The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the society in all cases relative to canine or society matters.

17. THE CLUB Shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs.