1. Name and Objects
The Society shall be called The North of England Weimaraner Society and its objects shall:
(a) Promote, foster and protect the interest of the Weimaraner and the Society in every possible way.
(b) Accept, subject to review, the Standard of the breed and urge the adoption of such type by Judges, Breeders and exhibitors as the Standard of excellence by which the breed should be judged.
(c) Appoint a panel of breed Judges, to be selected by the Committee and submitted to the Kennel Club.
(d) Support Field Trials and adopt any other means as may be deemed advisable for the improvement and encouragement of the breed.
(e) To help and encourage people new to the breed.
2. Officers and Committee
The Society shall consist of Patron, President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, a Committee, Life Members and an unlimited number of members.
3. Committee
The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Society and a Committee consisting of maximum 12 members of whom one third shall retire on a three year rotation.
Members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election every three years.
All Officers and Committee shall have full voting rights.
Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary but at least every six months.
A quorum for Committee meetings shall be four, as long as one is an Officer of the committee.
The Committee shall have the 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 Society at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place.
No individual who has been a member for less than six months may be elected on to the Committee.
4. Election of Members
Candidates for membership shall be proposed by one existing fully paid up member.
The Society must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Society or by the Kennel Club.
5. Voting Rights
Each member shall be entitled to one vote after three months membership. Voting shall be as decided by majority at a meeting. No Junior Members (i.e. under 18 years of age) may stand for office bearer or committee or be entitled to full voting rights. In the event of a tie on any vote the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
Postal votes are allowed on items relating to the election of Officers and Committee only. Postal votes should be forwarded and scrutinised by an independent member of the Society appointed by the Committee but who is not a Committee member.
6. 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 Club's assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
If the Society is wound up or ceases to be a Registered Society under these regulations, a final statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society shall be forwarded to the Kennel club within six months, and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Society on the last return furnished by the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.
7. Club Accounts
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 signatures of the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary and the Chairman of the Society.
The Honorary Treasurer shall keep full and proper accounts and shall prepare annually a statement of accounts which shall be audited by an approved Auditor, unconnected to the committee, appointed annually by the Committee for this purpose, a copy of which will be distributed at the Annual General Meeting and copies available to all members who are unable to attend the Annual General Meeting. The certified accounts will be made available on request to members fourteen days prior to the AGM.
The Financial Year of the Society shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
8. Subscriptions
(a) The Annual Subscription shall be such an amount as agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. There will be annual subscription rates for Single Membership, Joint Membership (consisting of 2) and Junior Membership (up to 18 years).
(b) 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 two months after the due date his/her name shall be automatically erased from the register. Acceptance back on the register will be dependent upon a new application and payment of back arrears.
(c) A member may resign on giving notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary, and any member whose resignation has been accepted or whose membership has lapsed and who wishes again to become a member, must be proposed in the ordinary way, as if he or she had never been a member. A member leaving the Society shall not be entitled to receive back any money which may have been paid to the Society or on account of the Society, during his or her membership, or have any claim against the Society.
9. Expulsion of Members
Any member who shall be disqualified by the Kennel club under Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(9) 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 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.
10. Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting shall be held before 30th June each year.
11. General Meetings
The nature of business is to receive the report of the Committee and Balance Sheet, to elect Officers and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Honorary Secretary. No business shall be transacted at an Annual 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. Notice of such Meetings will be given to members by notice on the Society website, newsletter and social media.
At least 28 days notice will be given of meetings. In addition an electronic mail or written notice of the AGM should be
sent to all Members of the Society at least 28 days prior to the meeting date.
Items are required by the Honorary Secretary for inclusion on the Agenda 21 days prior to the Meeting. The Agenda will be circulated 7 days before the Meeting.
12. Special General Meetings
A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary if 30 members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Committee of the Society is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting. No business other than that detailed on the Agenda will be discussed at a Special General Meeting. Members shall receive 14 days electronic mail or written notice of a Special General Meeting.
13. Amendment to Rules
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 Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration.
14. Annual Returns to the Kennel Club
The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Honorary Secretary for the 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 the Society be forwarded to the Kennel Club.
The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Honorary Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.
15. Kennel Club Final Court of Appeal
The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulation of the Society in all cases relative to Canine or Society matters.
16. The Society shall not join any Federation or Societies or Clubs.
17. No person, whilst an undischarged bankrupt, may serve on the Committee or hold any office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
Updated June 2021
