SCOTTISH UTILITY BREEDS CLUB
1. NAME: The Club shall be called ‘Scottish Utility Breeds Club’ (hereinafter referred to as “the Club”).
2. OBJECTS: The Club area of operation shall be in Scotland and its objects will be to: -
(a) Promote the interests of the breeds within the Utility Group particularly by co-operating with the Kennel Club and recognized specialist clubs within the Group.
(b) specifically, to encourage and support those breeds not represented by a specialist club in Scotland.
(c) hold shows and other events in Scotland for the breeds in the Utility Group.
3. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE: The Club shall consist of a President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who shall be ex-officio members of the Management Committee, and an unlimited number of members.
The club may also appoint an Honorary Patron, Honorary Presidents and Honorary Vice Presidents on receipt of a proposal from the Management Committee or a Club member and following a two thirds majority vote of members at an Annual General Meeting.
All the officers except for the Patron Hon. Presidents and Vice-Presidents shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.
The office of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer may be conjoined.
4. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the officers and a committee of not less than ten and not more than fourteen members. Members of the Management Committee must be resident in Scotland.
Members of the committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies occurring between Annual General Meetings by
co-option, but any co-opted member shall only hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when he/she shall retire but be eligible for re-election. If any member of the Management Committee is absent from three consecutive meetings without having submitted apologies their name shall be removed from the list of members of the Management Committee.
A member may only serve on the Management Committee if he/she has been a fully paid-up member of the Club for a minimum period of one year. Officers of the Club must have served on the committee for 2 years.
Meetings of the Management Committee shall be held as deemed necessary. A quorum for a committee meeting shall be 5 office bearers and or committee members.
The management committee shall have the power to co-opt at any time a member or members to the committee
if required to do so in the interest of The Club. Such a person may or may not have been a member for a full year as normally required.
The member or members so co-opted must stand at the next AGM.
5. MEMBERSHIP: Applicants for membership of the Club shall be accepted on payment of a subscription following receipt of application. Junior membership will be open to persons aged up to 16 years and joint membership shall be available to married couples or bona-fide partners.
6. VOTING RIGHTS: The Honorary Patron, Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Club shall have no voting rights except at the Annual General Meeting. All other officers and committee members shall have full voting rights. The Chairman or in his absence the Vice-Chairman, shall have a casting vote only at a committee meeting.
Each member shall be entitled to one vote after 12 months membership of the Club. Postal votes or votes by proxy are not permitted. Voting at General Meetings shall be by secret ballot, or a show of hands as decided by the majority of those present (A two – thirds majority of members present, and voting is required at an Annual General Meeting)
7. CLUB PROPERTY: The property of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee. In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, a final General Meeting shall be called to decide on the disposal of the Club’s assets and the outcome of the meeting shall be notified to the Kennel Club.
8. CLUB ACCOUNTS: A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenues of the Club shall be paid Three Officers will be signatories and withdrawal shall be made on the signatures of two out of three office bearers. The accounts shall be certified annually and presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting. Certification shall be by one qualified accountant or two unqualified persons with accountancy experience, independent of the committee.
The certified accounts must be made available to members fourteen days prior to the AGM.
9. SUBSCRIPTION: The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by members at the Annual General Meeting.
It shall be payable immediately following the end of the financial year. In the case of new members, the annual subscription shall be payable on acceptance of application for membership.
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 the 30th of April, his/her name shall be erased from the list of members. Acceptance back on to the list will be dependent upon a new application and payment of back arrears.
10. FINANCIAL YEAR: The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January, until 31st December. The Annual General meeting shall be held no later than 31st March.
11. AUDITORS: The auditor/s shall be elected at the Annual general Meeting. No member of the Management Committee shall
act as an auditor for the club.
12. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS; Any Member who shall disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11 J (5) and or A11.j.(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 consideration of the conduct of the Member, determine that a 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 so 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 Club except that he/she within two calendar months from the date of such a Meeting, may appeal to the Kennel Club.
13. GENERAL MEETING: The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than 31st March, at least 28 days clear notice shall be given of an Annual General Meeting and the purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
(a) to approve the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
(b) to receive the report of the Management Committee and the certified balance sheet of the Club.
(c) to elect a President, Vice-President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, members of Management Committee and Auditor.
(d) To discuss any resolutions or other items placed on the agenda of which prior notice had been given. Such resolutions or other items, which must be in writing, shall be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary not later than 14 days from notification of the Annual General Meeting.
No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda.
Any item of an extremely urgent nature must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary in writing before the meeting commences and at the discretion of the Chairman.
A quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be 20 persons.
14. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:
A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called at any time by the Management Committee or may be called on the requisition in writing of not less than twenty members of the Club addressed to the Honorary Secretary and stating the business to be discussed. The notice of such meetings shall state the business to be transacted and be given not less than fourteen clear days before the date of the meeting. The Management Committee of the Club may also call a Special General Meeting if it considers it necessary. The notice of a Special General Meeting shall state the business to be transacted and shall be dispatched by the Honorary Secretary not later than 14 clear days before the date of the meeting.
No business other than that specifically stated in the notice shall be considered at such a meeting. The quorum at all General or Special Meetings shall be twenty. A two thirds majority of members present, and voting required at a Special Meeting. The Chairman shall in the event of an equality of votes have a casting vote.
15. AMENDMENTS TO RULES: The Constitution of the Club shall form the basis of membership and may not be altered except at an Annual or Special General Meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules.
Such alterations shall not be brought into force until The Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval to alterations.
16. 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 Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns as stipulated by The Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title (Societies and Breed Authorities) will be forwarded to The Kennel Club and to include the Constitution.
The Club must state the number of members to The Kennel Club with their Annual Returns and maintain an up-to-date list of members names and addresses. and, if so requested, make the list of names available for inspection by The Kennel Club and members of the Club.”
The officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the year.
17. KENNEL CLUB THE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL “The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the club in all cases relative to canine or Society Matters
18. FEDERATION: The Club shall not join any federation or societies or clubs.
19. No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club registered society.
Amended at the AGM by the members on the 27th of February 2022
Submitted to the Kennel Club for approval 2nd March 2022
Approved by the Kennel Club November 2022.