Club Constitution

Rule 1. Name and Objectives of the Club

  1. The name of the Club shall be “Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of South Wales”. Its objectives shall be the promotion of the best quality and breeding for the exhibition and working of Welsh Springer Spaniels according to the breed standard as defined, published and approved by the Kennel Club, and to further the interests and progress of the breed In the Principality of Wales.

Rule 2. Officers and Committee

  1. The Club shall consist of Patron, President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, twelve Committee Members together with an unlimited number of ordinary members and Junior members, whose names and addresses shall be entered in a register and kept by the Secretary, not for general circulation without permission.
  2. Junior membership applies only to persons who have not attained the age of eighteen years.
  3. Junior members may attend General meetings but shall not be entitled to vote.

Rule 3. Management

  1. The Patron will be appointed annually. The President will be appointed for a three year term.
  2. The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Executive and Committee as outlined below:
  3.  The Committee shall consist of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who will form an Executive, each of whom shall retire on rotation over a three year period, and twelve annually appointed Committee Members.
  4. A Vice-Chairman, Assistant Secretary and Working Secretary may be appointed from, and by, members of the Committee on an annual basis.
  5. All Officers of the Club and Committee shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination.
  6. The Committee shall hold such meetings as may be deemed necessary. Seven day’s notice thereof must be given by the Secretary.
  7. One third of elected members, to include one Executive member, shall be necessary to form a quorum for the transaction of business.
  8. In the absence of the Chairman for any meeting, the Vice-Chairman will take the Chair for that meeting.
  9. In the event of the vacancy of any Officer and/or Committee, the Committee shall have the power to elect any member to fill such vacancy until the following Annual General Meeting. Such ‘co-opted members’ shall receive full voting rights.
  10. In the equality of votes the Chairman shall have the casting vote but he/she will not cast an initial vote.
  11. No individual who has been a member of the Club for less than one year may be elected onto the Committee.
  12. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as deemed necessary and may co-opt from among the fully paid up members of the Club.
  13. These sub-committees must report their proceedings to the Committee and must conduct their business according to the direction of the Committee.

Rule 4. Honorary Life Membership

  1. The Annual General Meeting may elect any person or persons to be Honorary Life Members of the Club who, in the opinion of the meeting, are considered worthy of the distinction by virtue of their support, devotion and value to the breed.

Rule 5. Election of Officers

  1. The election of Officers shall take place annually at the Annual General Meeting. Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination.
  2. Nominees, who must be fully paid up members, must be proposed and seconded and must consent to their nomination.
  3. The nominations must be with the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
  4. No Officer of the Club may be elected without having served a minimum of two years on the Committee.
  5. Vice-Presidents are not ex-officio members of the General Committee. They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. They shall retire annually and shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination.
  6. No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.

Rule 6. Election of Members

  1. Candidates for membership of the Club shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another and elected by or balloted for, by the Committee at one of their meetings. In the case of joint members, both will have full voting rights, upon acceptance of membership and upon payment of subscription.
  2. Voting shall be by secret ballot or by show of hands as decided by majority at the meeting. Postal/proxy votes are not allowed. Voting rights of Junior members are as stated in Rule 2.
  3. The Club must send a list of members and their addresses to the Kennel Club with the annual returns and, if so requested, make an up to date list of members available for inspection, if so requested, by the members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.

Rule 7. Subscriptions

  1. The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by members in general meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. The subscription is payable to the Honorary Treasurer on 1st. January each year. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 1st. March, the Committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the register but if the Committee shall subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation the member may, at the discretion of the Committee, and upon payment of arrears, be re-admitted to the register.

Rule 8. Club Property

  1. The property of the Club, Including all cups and trophies, shall be vested in the Committee. Intending donors of challenge cups and trophies shall be requested to acknowledge that a gift is made outright to the Club.
  2. 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.

Rule 9. Expulsion of Members

  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.
  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. 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.
  3. 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 Club. 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.

Rule 10. General Business and Meetings

  1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held after January 31st, but before March 31st, for the following purpose” to receive the report of the Committee and balance sheet, to elect Officers and Committee.

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