Rules and Regulations

Approved by members present at AGM held on 12th May 2013

Approved by the Kennel Club - 6th August 2013 

1. Name: The Club shall be called "The Labrador Club Of Scotland" (herein referred to as the Club).

2. Objects: The objects for which the Club are established are:
(a) to promote and encourage the well-being and interests of the Labrador Retriever and the breeding, improvement, and type of the Labrador Retriever as laid down by The Kennel Club Breed Standards;
(b) to encourage the showing, training and working of the Labrador Retriever; to encourage the holding of Shows, Field Trials and Working Tests for the Labrador Retriever under the Rules and Regulations of The Kennel Club and to do all such things as may be deemed necessary or desirable to improve the standard of such shows, trials and tests;
(c) to promote education, discussion, study and research conducive to the objectives expressed, or any of them, and;
(d) to do all such things as are or seem to the Club to be in any way incidental or conducive to any of the objectives heretofore named.

3.Interpretation: For simplicity, the masculine pronoun is used throughout this Constitution and Rules but the provisions apply equally to males and females.

4. Membership: The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be entered in a Register to be kept by an appointee of the Executive Committee or the Honorary Secretary. The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Club or by The Kennel Club.

Application For Membership
Application for membership to the Club shall be proposed by one fully paid-up member and seconded by another (not husband and wife or bona fide partners) and shall be elected or balloted for by the Executive Committee at its first meeting following receipt of the application, a majority vote deciding.

Joint Membership
Joint membership is available for husband and wife, two members of the same family, or two bona fide partners. In the case of a husband and wife, two members of the same family, or two bona fide partners who are joint members, each shall be entitled to vote independently of each other.

Junior Membership
Junior membership, without voting rights, will be available up to sixteen years.

Restriction Of Membership
No members shall be entitled to be present or take part in any proceedings or vote at any General Meeting, whether on a show of hands or ballot, or to nominate or be nominated as a candidate for election to the Executive Committee, if and while he:
(a) is due to the Club any subscriptions or,
(b) is due to the Club any other debt which has remained due for a period of more than three months after the same became due and payable.

Declaration Of Interest
No member shall vote with regard to any matter in which he has a financial interest and shall be under obligation to declare any such interest he may have.

Honorary Membership
The Executive Committee shall have the power to recommend to the General Meeting the election of Honorary Life Members. Notice of such a proposal must appear on the Agenda of a General Meeting and to be passed must obtain a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes of the members present and entitled to vote. This may be a person who has rendered, or in the opinion of the meeting able to render, significant assistance or experience in promoting the objectives of the club. Honorary Life Members shall have all rights and privileges of membership but shall not be liable for paying any further membership subscriptions.

Resignation Of Membership
Any member who wishes to resign must give notice of his intention to the Honorary Secretary on or before 31 December, otherwise he shall be liable for his subscription the following year. Any person upon ceasing to be a member of the Club shall forfeit the right and claim upon the Club and its property and funds, nor shall he be entitled to have any part of his Annual Subscription for the current year refunded.

5. Annual Subscriptions: The Annual Subscriptions shall be payable on 1st January in each year, or in the case of new members immediately following their election.

The rates of Annual Subscription to be paid by members shall be determined and fixed by members at a General Meeting.

If the annual subscription for renewal of membership is not paid by 31st March in each year, this membership shall be void.

As payment of the subscriptions, in accordance with the Constitution and Rules shall entitle a member to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the Club, such a payment shall be his distinct acknowledgement of, and acquiescence in, the Club's Constitution and Rules.

Existing Life Members of the Club shall continue to receive all rights of such membership notwithstanding that the facility for Life Membership ceased on 31st December, 1998 as agreed by members at the 1998 Annual General Meeting.

6. Expulsion/Suspension Of Members: Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club A42.j.(5) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42.j.(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.

If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Executive Committee of the Club, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Executive 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.

Notice of 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 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 name shall be forthwith erased from the list of members and he shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club except that he may, within two calendar months of the date of such meeting appeal to The Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as The Kennel Club may impose.

If the Club expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the Club must report the matter in writing to The Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars required.

7. Patron: The Club may have a Patron who shall be appointed at an Annual General Meeting and thereafter shall remain during the members pleasure.

8. Officers: The Officers of the Club, resident in Scotland, shall consist of President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary/Treasurer (the last two of which may be conjoined) and Honorary Field Trial Secretary. The Club may also have an Honorary President and such number of Honorary Vice-Presidents as the members from time to time determine. All the Officers shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting and they shall retire annually but shall be eligible for immediate re-election.

9. Duties Of Officers: (a) President and Vice President: The President, or in his absence, the Vice-President shall, if willing to act as Chairman and if present within thirty minutes of the appointed time for holding the meeting, take the chair at all General Meetings of the Executive Committee, otherwise the members present shall elect a chairman to preside at that meeting only. If unable to attend any meeting the President and Vice President shall give at least twenty four hours notice to the Honorary Secretary unless there shall be reasonable grounds for not doing so. It is the duty of a Chairman to sign the minutes as soon as their accuracy has been verified.

(b) Honorary Secretary and Honorary Field Trial Secretary: The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Field Trial Secretary, in their respective functions, shall make all arrangements in relation to the calling of formal meetings including circulation of papers, taking minutes and the dissemination of such directives as may be instructed.

The Honorary Secretary shall be in charge of the Register of Members, and the minute book (s) and shall be responsible for ensuring that the proceedings of all meetings of the Club, the Executive Committee and Sub-Committee(s) are duly recorded.

The Honorary Field Trial Secretary shall organise draws for Field Trial events to be in a mutual location agreed with the members of the Executive Committee, and be in a public place allowing any member of the Club the opportunity to attend.

c) Honorary Treasurer: The Honorary treasurer shall receive all monies payable to the Club and shall make all payments. He shall attend all meetings and give information as to the finances of the Club. He shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to (i) all sums of money received and expended by the Club and the manner in which receipt or expenditure takes place; (ii) all sales and purchases by the Club; and (iii) the assets and liabilities of the Club.

10. Executive Committee: No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.

The business and affairs of the Club shall be managed by an Executive Committee which may regulate the conduct of its business in such a manner as it thinks fit. The Executive Committee may appoint Co-ordinators and/or Sub Committees, consisting of such persons as it thinks fit (who need not be members of the Executive Committee), to deal with such matters as it may delegate to them.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to make such Bye Laws and Regulations not inconsistent with the terms of the Constitution and Rules, as it may from time to time deem necessary.

The Executive Committee shall have the sole discretion to invest any surplus income or funds of the Club or disburse this in whatever manner it decides.

Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held as deemed necessary. The President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Field Trial Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee (and also all Sub Committees) and in addition to those there shall be not more than fifteen elected members, eleven members present (including the officers) shall form a quorum of the Executive Committee and the Chairman shall in the event of an equality of votes, have a casting vote. Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting and they shall retire annually but be eligible for immediate re-election.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill up any casual vacancies in its number, but the new member(s) co-opted under these Rules shall only hold office until the following Annual General Meeting when he shall retire, but be eligible for re-election.

If any member of the Executive Committee is absent from two consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee without having submitted a satisfactory explanation, his name shall be removed from membership of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall, if so desired, fill up the vacancy ad interim.

11. Financial Year: The financial year of the Club shall be 1st January to 31st December.

12. Club Accounts: A banking account(s) shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenues of the Club shall be paid and from which all withdrawals shall on be made on the signatures of two or more officer(s), one of whom must be the Honorary Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall determine the remaining officer(s) authorised to sign.

13. Auditor(s): An Auditor or Auditor(s), being members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, shall be appointed each Annual General Meeting but any casual vacancy in the office of Auditor shall be filled by the Executive Committee appointing another Auditor who, however, shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting. No member of the Executive Committee shall be eligible to act as Auditor of the Club.

14. General Meetings: The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held on a date fixed by the General Committee no later than 30th June in each year, and shall be called after the audited accounts are available. The purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be to:

(a) to receive the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting;

(b) to receive the report of the Executive Committee;

(c) to receive and adopt the previous year's Accounts and Balance Sheet and the Auditors report thereon;

(d) to elect a President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Field Trial Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and Members of the Executive Committee;

(e) as may be appropriate to consider the appointment of a Patron and the election of the Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President(s);

(f) appointment of an Auditor or Auditor(s) for the forthcoming year;

(g) to consider any motions on the agenda of which prior notice has been given. For any motions to be competent a notice of motion must be provided in writing and must be in the possession of the Honorary Secretary no later than the 31st March;

(h) to discuss any other items of general business. (NOTE: a member shall give the Honorary Secretary at least twenty four hours clear notice of any matter to be raise under Any Other Competent Business).

Without prejudice to the forgoing, no business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notification thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine business matters or those which, in the opinion of the Chairman, are urgent.

Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called at any time by the Executive Committee and shall be called on the requisition in writing of not less than twenty members, addressed to the Honorary Secretary and stating the business to be discussed. Notice of such a meeting shall state the business to be transacted and no business other than that specifically stated in the notice shall be discussed at such meetings.

If within 28 days of the receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition as above provided, the Executive Committee fail to convene a Special General Meeting, the requsitionists may call such a Special General Meeting to be held not later than 56 days after the deposit of the requisition with the Honorary Secretary.

At least 14 clear days notice shall be given of any General Meeting (whether Annual or Special) of the Club. Notice shall be given in writing. In the case of an Annual General Meeting notification shall be deemed to include a copy of the Audited Accounts.

Quorum Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting

The quorum for all General Meetings shall be twenty members present within 30 minutes after the time fixed for the meeting. If within thirty minutes a quorum shall not be present, the meeting shall stand dissolved - this applies to both an Annual General Meeting and a Special General Meeting.

Casting Vote

The Chairman shall in the event of equality of votes have a casting vote.

Amendment to a Motion

Any amendment to a motion on the Agenda of an Annual General Meeting or Special Meeting may be moved verbally at the meeting at which the motion is considered without prior notice thereof being given and shall be deemed carried and incorporated in the substantive motion is passed by a simple majority of those present and voting. Oral amendments may not introduce matters beyond the scope of the motion to be amended and must be restricted to the improvement of the language used, at the most, the removal of ambiguity.

15. Annual Returns: 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 continuance of Registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in the Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the 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 any change of Secretary of the Club which may occur during the course of the year.

16. Constitution and Rules: The Constitution and Rules of the Club, which shall form the basis of the membership of the Club, may not be altered except by a resolution passed by a majority two-thirds of the votes of the members present and entitled at an Annual General Meeting, but no alteration shall be made unless full particulars thereof have been circulated in writing with the notice convening the meeting. No alteration to the Constitution and Rules shall be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval thereto formally in writing.

17. Club Property: The property of the Club shall be vested in the Executive Committee. Trophies awarded to the Club shall be deemed to be the sole property of the Club and shall not be accepted on any other condition.

18. Winding up or dissolution of the Club: The Club may be dissolved and wound up provided that a resolution to that effect has been passed by a majority of three-fourths of members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution has been duly given. If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any assets other than the trophies awarded to the Club, a General Meeting shall be called to dispose of such assets.

Disposal of Assets
In the event of the cessation of the Club, the assets shall be liquidated and disposed of, as far as possible, at the discretion of the Executive Committee. A final statement of Audited Accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.

19. Indemnity: The members of the Executive Council and of any Sub Committee(s) thereof, the Officers of the Club and the Auditor(s) shall be indemnified by the Club against any legal claims made against them in connection with the proper discharge of their duties.

20. Notices: A notice may be given by the Club to any member (i) by intimation in the dog press (i.e. OUR DOGS and DOG WORLD )or (ii) personally or (iii) by sending it by post to him at his registered address or (iv) if he has no registered address within the United Kingdom, to the address if any within the United Kingdom supplied by him to the Club.

Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice will be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying, and posting it to have been affected at the expiration of seventy-two hours after it was posted.

21. Kennel Club The Final Court Of Appeal: The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in interpreting the Constitution and Rules of the Club, in all matters of dispute and in all cases relative to canine or Club matters.

22. Federation:The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.