Midland Gundog Society

MIDLAND GUNDOG SOCIETY
Founded 1962. Affiliated to The Kennel Club
President: The Rt Hon The Earl of Aylesford

RULES OF THE SOCIETY

1. TITLE
The Society shall be called the MIDLAND GUNDOG SOCIETY.

 

2. OBJECTS
To promote and encourage the training of gundogs of all breeds for work in
the field. To organise Tests and Field Trials.

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3. SUBSCRIPTIONS
A. Single Membership £10 per annum. Joint Membership £12 per annum.
Joining fee £5. Junior membership (under 16s) is free. Overseas members who receive correspondence by email £10. Overseas postal membership: £19. All subscriptions to become due on January 1st. Any member joining after October 1st shall continue membership until the following December 31st, i.e. 15 months.
B. New applicants and lapsed members who re-apply to join the Society may pay their annual subscription either by cheque or by BACS account no 04407490,
sort code 53-61-31.
C. Those members whose subscriptions have not been paid by March 31st will cease to be members. 
D. In view of increasing costs, reminders will no longer be sent out to those members whose subscriptions have not been paid by March 31st, the names of such members will be automatically dropped from the mailing list.
E. Joint membership shall not entitle individual members of a pair to two separate nominations in Field Trials. If one member later withdraws his/her dog after receiving a nomination, he/she must not substitute a dog belonging to the other joint member.

4. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Candidates desiring membership of the Society shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another for election either by the Committee at their next meeting or by consultation between the Chairman and the Secretary.
 

5. OFFICERS AND MEMBERS
A. The Society shall consist of: President(s), Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Field Trial Secretary, Honorary Working Test Secretary, Honorary Membership Secretary and a Committee of twelve with the option of co-opting three additional members, five to form a quorum.
B. Officers and Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting; they will all retire annually. Current Officers and Committee must signify to the Secretary that they are willing to stand for re-election (if this is the case) but will require no further sponsorship. In the event of overnomination for these Offices a ballot will be held at the Annual General Meeting.
C. The Secretary, Treasurer, Field Trial and Working Test Secretaries to be awarded annually an honorarium, at the discretion of the Committee.
D. The General Committee shall have the power to appoint such subcommittees
as they deem necessary. The Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all subcommittees. Each sub-committee must report to the General Committee. The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Committee.
E. From time to time the committee may consider nominations for the award of Honorary Life Membership. This will entitle recipients to free membership with all the benefits of full membership for their lifetime or until they no longer wish to remain member. The nominations of candidates for this award will be presented at the AGM and confirmed by a vote (simple majority) of those present.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as possible after the end
of the financial year for the following purposes:
A. To receive the Committee’s Reports and Accounts. To elect Officers and
Members of the Committee. To discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda, which must be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than 14 days prior to the meeting. No other business may be discussed.
B. Notice convening the Annual General Meeting must be forwarded to every member not less than 21 days prior to the date of the meeting. The results of any votes shall be described adjectivally.

7. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
Special General Meetings may be convened at any time for any specific purpose at the request of five Committee Members or ten other members, by handing to the Honorary Secretary a written requisition duly signed; such meetings to be convened within 14 days of and held within 21 days from the date of requisition. The objects of the meeting to be notified to every member and the decisions of such a meeting shall be binding in every respect as if moved at an Annual General Meeting. No other business shall be discussed.

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8. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
A. 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.
B. 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 conditions as the Kennel Club may impose. Any expulsion must be reported in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days.

9. DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY
The Society cannot be dissolved unless by consent of not less than threequarters
of the members. Any funds or assets shall, after all outstanding liabilities have been discharged, by equally divided between the members whose subscriptions are fully paid at the time of such dissolution. All cups and trophies shall be returned to the donors or their successors, or failing this, be dealt with at the discretion of the Committee. A final statement of accounts, with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society must be sent to the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.

10. CLUB ACCOUNTS
A. A banking account to be held in the name of the Midland Gundog Society. All withdrawals to be made on cheques bearing two signatures, one being the Treasurer’s and the other the Chairman’s or Secretary’s.
B. A qualified accountant or two lay-people with accounting experience, will be appointed to verify the accounts annually.

11. TRAINING ACTIVITIES
A. No live shot shall be used
B. A trainer in charge of a class shall have the authority to order any person whose presence is prejudicial to the conduct of the class leave the ground. Likewise, he may order the removal of any dog and the matter must be brought to the notice of the Committee.
C. No bitch in season shall be presented at a Field Trial, Working Test or any training class.
D. No dog suffering from any infection will be permitted on the ground.
E. Trainers may claim reasonable expenses, to be approved by the Secretary and Treasurer.
F. Classes and/or Courses will be held during the season. A fee will be determined by the Committee.
G. All handlers attending training must be fully paid up members.

12. WORKING TEST
A. Normally held on Sundays, but some of the Society’s summer functions may take place on Saturdays.
B. In the draw for Open Working Tests, preference will be given to dogs which are not eligible to run in Novice Working Tests, entry forms to have a space for “Highest Working Test or Field Trial Award”.
C. Members to forfeit their entry fees if they withdraw from Working Tests less than three days before the event, unless they have a satisfactory excuse, such as bitches in season.

13. FIELD TRIALS
A. To help cover the cost of Field Trials all members applying for a nomination should be charged a non-returnable fee to be decided by the Committee.
B. Because of the heavy expenses incurred when members withdraw from trials at the last moment, the entry fee, payable at the time of acceptance of a nomination, shall be forfeited by members who later withdraw, except under extenuating circumstances, these to be determined at the discretion of the Field Trial Secretary and his/her sub-committee.
C. In the draw for All-Aged Field Trials preference will be given to dogs which are not eligible to run in Novice or Non-Winner Stakes. Entry forms to have a space for “Highest Field Trial Award”.
D. If a members subscription is in arrears when entries close, they will not receive preference in the Draw. (please check you are paying the correct amount: see 3. Subscriptions)
E. Any member who, having obtained a nomination in this Society’s Stake, 
subsequently accepts a nomination in a trial run by another Society or Club on the same day, or any member who having had his/her name placed on the Reserve List for this Society’s Stake, also takes up a nomination in another Society’s Stake and fails to inform the Hon. Field Trial Secretary of the Midland Gundog Society immediately, may be barred from running in this Society’s field trials for the following two years.

14. KENNEL CLUB
A. Alteration to the Rules: None of the foregoing shall be altered or new rule
adopted except at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General
Meeting and with the approval of the Kennel Club.
B. 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 Secretary for the continuance of Registration and that
by July 31st 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 will be forwarded to the Kennel 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 course of the year.
C. The Society will make a list of members and their addresses available for
inspection if so requested by members of the Society and send a copy of
the list to the Kennel Club with the Annual Returns.

15. POWER OF THE COMMITTEE
A. The Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter not provided
for in these rules.
B. In case of any dispute the Kennel Club shall be the final authority.

16. SOCIETY
The Society shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs.

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