NORTHERN GOLDEN RETRIEVER ASSOCIATION.
That the Association shall be called the Northern Golden Retriever Association and its objects shall be to encourage the breeding of Golden Retrievers of a dual-purpose type, i.e. suitable for work and of a type conforming as nearly as possible to the standard already laid down, to encourage and organise Field Trials, to secure the services of competent judges of the breed and to encourage social intercourse between Golden Retriever owners and breeders.
The Association shall consist of a President, several Honourable Life Members, a Chairperson, General Secretary, Honourable Treasurer and an Executive Committee of not more than 20, and an unlimited number of members. The Executive Committee shall have power to deal with any questions not expressly provided for in the rules, and shall have power to appoint and co-opt to Sub-Committees as necessary for the general business of the Association. To arbitrate on any matter in dispute, to elect members as provided in rule 5, to vote prizes or subscriptions to any show or field trial at the request of the respective committees
The management of the Association shall be in the hands of the following Officers,
The Chairperson, General Secretary, Treasurer, Show Secretary and Field Trial Secretary and of the Executive Committee.
From the former shall be drawn a Show Committee of up to 10 persons and a Field Trial Committee of up to 10. Approximately a third from each discipline shall retire annually.
The President of the Association shall be elected by the membership and shall be a lifetime appointment.
The Chairperson shall be elected annually by the membership, by secret ballot if contested, and shall be eligible for re-election.
Show and Field Trial Committee members may attend each other’s meetings as a non-voting member and shall have indicated in the ballot their main interest relating to the Association’s activities.
The Vice Chairperson, General Secretary, Treasurer, Show Secretary, Field Trial Secretary, Yearbook Editor and Webmaster shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee at a meeting after the close of the A.G.M.
Each of the above shall continue to have a vote in their own right at all Executive Committee meetings.
All committees have the power to co-opt competent members for varying amounts of time to assist with specific tasks.
The Chairperson shall have an additional vote in the event of a tie taking place, and his/her ruling on any point shall be binding on the meeting. The Officers of the Association shall also have the power to act on any matter of urgent business which cannot be held over prior to being brought to the Executive Committee.
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary by the Association’s General Secretary and the Chairperson, with a minimum of 3 meetings per year, one of such meetings to be held on the day of the A.G.M. and prior to it. The quorum for an Executive meeting shall be five.
The General Secretary, in consultation with the Chairperson, shall have power to summon an Executive Committee meeting at any time.
Those co-opted shall hold office in an acting capacity until the next A.G.M. and shall not have voting rights at Executive Committee meetings.
Any member of the Executive Committee missing two consecutive meetings without reasonable excuse in writing shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Executive Committee. No person, whilst serving as an Executive Committee member, shall be allowed to serve on any other Golden Retriever breed club committee.
The Judges Committee shall be formed from the Show Committee, but may include other suitably qualified members at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
The minutes of every meeting shall be recorded either manually or electronically and archived into safe permanent storage, and the minutes of the last preceding meeting shall be circulated prior to the subsequent meeting and be approved and confirmed by vote.
The Pennine Training Area is a recognised sub section of the Association with responsibility for Working Tests and Gundog Training and abiding by all rules and regulation of the Association, electing its own committee and officers and having the power to charge an additional membership fee for Association members wishing to join the sub section.
The Association shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be kept in a register provided for that purpose.
Membership shall be open to all those interested in the objects of the Association. Application for membership shall be made to the General Secretary and accompanied by the annual subscriptions for the current year.
Membership will not become effective until approved by the Executive Committee. Membership applications will be discussed at the next meeting after the receipt of the application.
Prospective members will be eligible to participate in the Association’s events as a member but voting rights will be conferred only on membership acceptance of which the prospective member will be informed.
The right to refuse any application for membership after submission to the Committee is reserved. (No other form of payment shall entitle membership).
Where a membership changes from single to joint, the second applicant must apply to the committee for approval of membership through the General Secretary who will provide the appropriate form.
The Committee is empowered to admit as junior members persons under the age of 16 years at a reduced membership fee, but they shall not be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association nor shall they be eligible to hold office or serve on any Committee of the Association
An up to date list of Members and their addresses, must be maintained and, if so requested, made available for inspection by the Kennel Club and Members of the Association.
A declaration of the number of Members of the Association must be made with Annual Returns.
The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by Members at the Annual General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club and is payable on or before 1st January in any one year.
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 1st March each year, the Member’s name shall be erased from the register.
To rejoin after that date a new application to join the Association will have to be made on the appropriate form.
Members elected after October shall be deemed to have paid the membership fee for the ensuing year provided that they do not enter an Association show or field trial or any other event as a member during that period.
Patrons shall participate in any benefits arising from membership of the Association.
Any member may withdraw from the Association on giving notice to the General Secretary. Such member retiring shall have no claim on the Association, provided always that such member shall be liable for his or her subscriptions for the year in which notice is given.
VOTING RIGHTS
Each Member upon acceptance to membership shall be entitled to one vote at Special and Annual General Meetings. Joint Members shall have one vote each but only one year book between them.
Election of the Chairperson and Committee Members and any other matter specified by the Chairperson may be conducted by secret ballot.
All other agenda items requiring a vote shall be restricted to Members attending the Meeting, and shall be conducted by either a show of hands or secret ballot as requested by the majority at the Meeting. Junior Members (under 16) shall not have a vote.
The property of the Association shall be vested in the Executive Committee. In the event of the Association ceasing to exist, a final General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Association’s assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club. A final statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Association shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months of the final Meeting, and the persons named as Officers and Executive Committee of the Association will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Association.
The financial year of the Association shall be from the 1st January to the 31st December.
A bank account shall be held in the name of “Northern Golden Retriever Association”, into which all revenues of the Association shall be paid. This may be supported by additional accounts at the discretion of the executive committee. All cheques, withdrawals and inter-account transfers will require the signature of any two from three designated officers as agreed by the Executive Committee.
The accounts presented to the AGM shall be certified annually by either one qualified accountant or two individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts.
a) An annual report shall be drawn up by the General Secretary in collaboration with the Chairperson of the Executive Committee and presented at the A.G.M. This, together with the names of the Chairperson, members of the Executive Committee and Officers shall be published in the yearbook supplied to Members.
b) The certified accounts of the Association shall be presented at the A.G.M. Any resolution duly placed on the agenda for the A.G.M. shall be discussed and voted upon where appropriate. Only business which appears on the agenda shall be transacted at the A.G.M., with the exception of routine matters or those which in the opinion of the Chairperson of the meeting are urgent.
c) Notice of the date of the A.G.M. shall be given to all Members at least 6 weeks beforehand in writing. Any resolution for the agenda shall be signed by the proposer and seconder and must be sent to the General Secretary and be received at least 28 days beforehand.
The agenda for the A.G.M. will be circulated at least 14 days beforehand by the General Secretary together with a draft copy of the certified accounts forwarded by the members’ chosen way of communication with the Association.
The election of the Chairperson and Executive Committee shall be by secret postal ballot where appropriate and voting papers shall be forwarded to Members at least 14 days before the date of the A.G.M. Any member may nominate any other member to the Executive Committee, providing that the nomination, together with the names of proposer and seconder, shall be received by the General Secretary at least 28 days before the A.G.M. and shall be accompanied by the written agreement of the nominee to serve on the said Executive Committee and that the nominee has been a member of the Association for at least one year.
If in the event of a ballot the voting papers shall be either numbered, franked or printed on non-reproducible paper. The ballot papers shall be returned to an independent body or a person appointed by the Executive Committee for the purpose of arranging a count.
At the discretion of the Executive Committee this may be done at the AGM by the appointment of tellers.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 31st March in each year, at a date to be fixed by the Executive Committee.
No resolution other than the adoption of the report shall be moved at the A.G.M. unless a notice signed by the proposer, stating its terms has been received by the Secretary at least 28 days before the meeting. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be eight.
No person, whilst serving as an Executive Committee member shall be allowed to serve on any other Golden Retriever breed club committee.
Any resolution in the form of a proposition passed at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting cannot be altered except at a subsequent General Meeting.
The rules of the Association also, may not be altered except at such a General Meeting with members being given 5 weeks prior notice. The Notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules.
Such alteration shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval to the alteration.
New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately. (N.B. Propositions and resolutions carry the same meaning)
A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the General Secretary if ⅕th of Membership send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Executive Committee of the Association is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting. No business other than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a S.G.M. Notice of a S.G.M. will be given to Members in writing at least 5 weeks beforehand.
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 this Association for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.
If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Association be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Association, the Committee of the Association 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 Association 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 Association 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.
If the Association expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, working tests or trials, the Association must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply particulars required.
The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Association and in all cases relative to Canine and Club matters.
No Prize, cups or contributions shall be granted to any show or field trial, which is not held under either rules or licence of the Kennel Club or International Gundog League.
A Show Trophy Steward responsible for trophies offered at shows shall be appointed by the Show Committee annually.
All challenge and other cups are the property of the Association and in the event of the Association being wound up shall be disposed of as the Executive Committee may direct. Any member winning an Association trophy shall be responsible for its return at least 14 days before the date of the next show or field trial at which it is offered for competition and in as good condition as when received.
The Association shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs. (As per Kennel Club Regulation).
The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for continuance of registration and that by the 31st of July each year, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.
Registered Breed Societies must produce a list of show judges each year, which must be submitted to the Kennel Club as part of the Association’s Annual Returns. The purpose of Breed Society Judges Lists is to indicate to interested parties those persons a Breed Society would support at differing levels of judging. Membership of the Society must not be a prerequisite for inclusion in the lists. Judges Lists should be divided into five parts – A1, A2, A3, B and C – and must indicate the date on which the list will expire.
On expiry a new list must be completed.
The Association’s lists are prepared by a Judges Sub-Committee which is appointed by the Executive Committee of the Association. Judges for the Association’s shows are invited by the Judges Sub-Committee.