SCOTTISH POMERANIAN CLUB
CONSTITUTION and RULES

1. NAME:
Club shall be called the “SCOTTISH POMERANIAN CLUB”, hereinafter referred to as “The Club”.

2. OBJECTS:
The objects for which the Club is established are:-
(a) To promote the breeding and exhibition of pedigree Pomeranians
(b) To urge the adoption of the Kennel Club Standard of the Breed by Breeders, Judges, and dog show promoters as the recognised standard by which Pomeranians are to be judged.
(c) By giving prizes, supporting shows, or by any other means in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed.

3. INTERPRETATION:
For simplicity the masculine pronoun is used throughout this constitution and Rules by the provision to males and females.

4. MEMBERS:
(a) The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be entered in a Register to be kept by the Secretary. The Society will make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Society or the Kennel Club. An up-to-date list of members will be forwarded to the Kennel Club with the Annual Returns.
(b) Junior membership, without voting rights, shall be available up to 16 years of age.
(c) Any person favourable to the objects of the Club shall be eligible for admission as a member, and that each candidate shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members, final ratification to be made by the Committee. The Committee is not required to give reasons for any refusal of membership.
(d) No member shall be entitled to be present at or take part in the proceedings or vote at any general meeting, whether on a show of hands or by ballot, or to nominate or be nominated as a candidate for election to the Club Committee, or if he be nominated to be elected, or if elected to take office as a member of the Club Committee if and while he is
(i) due the Club any subscription or
(ii) due the Club any other debt which has remained due for a period of three months after the same became due and payable.
(e) 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 which he may have.
(f) A member whose annual subscription has not been received by the Club by the date of the May Show of the current year shall cease to be a member of the Club. Any member whose name has been erased from the list of members because of failure to pay the yearly subscription may re-apply in the normal manner.

5. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS:
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 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 Club, be injurious to 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. Notice of the Special General Meeting of the Club shall be sent to the accused member giving particulars of the complaint and advising the place, the date, and the hour of the meeting that he may attend and offer an explanation. If at the Meeting a resolution is passed by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, his name shall be erased from the list of members, and he shall cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club except that he may within two calendar months from the date of such a meeting appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions 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 will report the matter to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars requested.

6. PATRONS, HONORARY PRESIDENT AND HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS:
The Club may have a Patron or Patrons, an Honorary President and such number of Honorary Vice-Presidents as the members shall from time to time decide, all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and thereafter shall remain in office during pleasure.

7. OFFICERS:
The Officers of the Club shall be resident in Scotland and shall consist of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who shall be voting members of the Committee. The Offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be conjoined.

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

9. DUTIES OF OFFICERS:
(a) Chairman: the Chairman, or in his absence the Vice-Chairman, shall take the Chair at all meetings. If neither is present within fifteen minutes of the scheduled start, the meeting should elect a chairman for that meeting only.
(b) Secretary: The Secretary shall summon all meetings and take minutes of the proceedings. He shall be in charge of the Minute Book(s) and the Register of Members. In the absence of the Secretary a Committee member shall be appointed to take minutes.
(c) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all monies payable to the Club and make all payments, and give information as to the finances of the Club. He shall cause proper books of accounts to be kept with respect to (1) all monies received and expended by the Club and the manner in which receipt and expenditure takes place; (2) all sales and purchases by the Club and (3) the assets and liabilities of the Club.
(d) ANNUAL RETURNS: The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for continuance of Registration and that by the 31st 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 be forwarded to the Kennel Club.
(e) The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary to the Club which may occur during the course of the year

10. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE:
The Management of the Club shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of the Officers and not less than eight nor more than twelve members of Committee who shall be elected to serve for two years and will retire in the following order in consecutive years:-
i) The Chairman, the Treasurer, and half the Committee members
ii) The Vice-chairman, the Secretary and the second half of the Committee members.
Retiring members will be eligible for re-election. Election will be by postal ballot in accordance with procedure laid down in Rule 16.
a) The business and affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Management Committee which may regulate the conduct of its business in such manner as it thinks fit. They shall have power to arrange and support shows, to nominate judges, to grant special prizes, and to make conditions and bye-laws as they may think fit, but always in accordance with the objects of the Club.
b) Meetings of the Management Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary. Seven days clear notice of any meeting shall be given.
c) The Management Committee shall have powers to fill any casual vacancy in its numbers, including officers, but those co-opted shall only hold office until the following Annual General Meeting when they shall be eligible for re-election or ratification, whatever their position.
d) In the event of any member being absent without apology from three consecutive meetings of the Management Committee, it shall strike his name off the list of the Management Committee, and shall fill the vacancy.
e) Only members resident in Scotland and who have held membership for a period of not less than one full calendar year immediately prior to the appointment shall be eligible for election to the Management Committee.
f) Five members present and voting shall constitute a quorum and the Chairman shall, in the event of an equality of votes, have an additional casting vote.

11. SUBSCRIPTIONS:
The Annual Subscription shall be payable on 1st January each year of such a sum as members shall decide from time to time by a resolution at the Annual General Meeting. Junior members shall enjoy all the rights of membership except the power to vote. Subscriptions shall be payable on application for membership and no-one will be deemed a member or entitled to the privilege of membership till their subscription has been paid.

12. FINANCIAL YEAR:
The Financial Year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

13. ACCOUNTS:
A banking account 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 only be made on the signatures of two officers, one of which must be the Treasurer.

14. AUDITORS:
Either one qualified or two unqualified auditors shall be elected by the members of the Annual General Meeting. None of the auditors shall be officers or members of the Management Committee. Any casual vacancy in the office of auditor shall be filled by the Management Committee appointing another auditor who shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting, when he shall retire but be eligible for re-election.

15. HONORARIA:
The Secretary and the Treasurer shall both be entitled to re-imbursement of all expenses incurred on behalf of the Club and in addition an honorarium may be voted by the members at the Annual General Meeting

16. GENERAL MEETING:
The Annual general meeting shall be by the 30th June each year at such a place as the Management Committee shall deem most convenient. Nine weeks notice shall be given of the date and venue. The notice shall state that all nominations for Officers and Committee members and any resolutions for inclusion on the Agenda shall be in the hands of the Club Secretary not less than 28 days prior to the A.G.M. Voting papers, items of agenda and audited accounts to be sent out to all members at least fourteen days prior to the A.G.M. A member is a person whose subscription is paid 28 days before the A.G.M. All voting procedure to be passed by the Management Committee and listed on all ballot papers. Completed voting papers shall be returned to the receiving officer, appointed by the Management Committee, seven days prior to the A.G.M. These ballot papers to be held by the receiving officer for a period of twenty-eight days then destroyed.
The business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting shall be:
a) To receive the minutes of the previous General Meeting
b) To receive the reports of the Club Committee
c) To receive and approve the accounts
d) To elect a Patron, Honorary President, Honorary Vice-Presidents and Auditors as shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting
e) To announce the results of the ballot for Officers and Committee Members
f) To fix the rate of annual subscription
g) To discuss any resolutions or other items placed on the Agenda and of which previous notice has been given in the approved manner
h) To fix and approve the Honoraria to the Secretary and Treasurer.

No business shall be transacted at the 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, are urgent.
A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called at any time by the Club Committee and shall be called on the requisition in writing of not less than fifteen members of the Club addressed to the Secretary. Notice of such a meeting shall state the business to be transacted and shall be given not less than fourteen clear days before the date of the meeting. No business other than that stated on the Agenda shall be considered.
The quorum at all General Meetings shall be ten members and the Chairman shall, in the event of an equality of votes, have an additional casting vote.
No person who is absent without apology from a General Meeting shall be considered for election as an Officer or Member of the Club Committee.

17. CONSTITUTION and RULES:
The Constitution and Rules of the Club shall form the basis of membership and may not be altered except at a General Meeting. Such alterations may not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has approved them.

18. CLUB PROPERTY:
The property of the Club shall be vested in the Club Committee. Trophies awarded to the Club shall be deemed to be the sole property of the Club and shall not be accepted under any other condition.

19. WINDING UP or DISSOLUTION:
The Club may be dissolved or wound up provided that a resolution to that effect has been passed by a majority of three fourths of the members present and voting at a General Meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution has been duly given.
If upon winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any assets, a General Meeting shall be called to dispose of such assets.
If the Club is wound up or ceases to be a registered Club under Kennel Club Regulations, final audited accounts with a record of the disposal of property of the Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months, and the persons named as Officers and Club Committee on the last return sent to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.

20. INDEMNITY:
The members of the Club Committee and of any sub-Committee thereof, the Officers of the Club and Auditors shall be indemnified against all loss, cost and charges which they may respectively incur or be put to on account of any contract, deed, act, matter or thing done on behalf of the Club, and each of them will be chargeable only for so much money as he may actually receive, and they shall not be answerable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults only. Neither shall they or their heirs, executors or administrators be liable for any loss or expense happening to the Club through the insufficiency or deficiency of title to any property acquired for and on behalf of the Club or for the insufficiency or deficiency of any obligation or security in or upon which any of the funds of the Club shall be invested or for any loss or damage arising from the bankruptcy, insolvency or wrongful act of any person with whom monies, securities or effects shall be deposited or for any loss, damage or misfortune whatsoever which all happen in the execution of the duties of his office or in relation thereto unless the same shall happen through his own fraud, wilful neglect, default, breach of duty or breach of trust.

21. NOTICES:
A notice may be given by the Club to any member (a) by intimation in the Dog Press (i.e. Dog World, Our Dogs) or (b) personally or (c) by sending it by post to him at his registered address within the United Kingdom or (d) 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 shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and posting it and to have been effected at the expiration of 72 hours after it was posted

22. The Scottish Pomeranian Club shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs

23. The Kennel Club is the final authority in interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Club and in all cases relative to Canine or Club affairs.

2015