Club Rules

Lhasa Apso Club Rules

1.  NAME AND OBJECTS OF THE CLUB:  The Club shall be known as the Lhasa Apso Club and its objectives and aims shall be:

a. to uphold the recognised standard of the breed as laid down by The Kennel Club;
b. to promote the breeding and exhibiting of the Lhasa Apso in accordance with the standard;
c. to encourage the general welfare of the breed; and
d. to encourage novices and newcomers to the breed.

2.  OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE:  The Club shall consist of a President, not more than six Vice-Presidents, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer (which two offices may be combined). A Committee of twelve and an unlimited number of members.  The President or Vice-Presidents may not serve on the Committee whilst holding office.  No Committee Member may serve any other Lhasa Apso Club.

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.

3.  COMMITTEE:  The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers of the Club, plus a Committee consisting of twelve members who shall serve for a period of three years and then be eligible for re-election.

The President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Committee.

The President and Vice-Presidents shall not be eligible to vote in Committee except that the President, if in the Chair, shall have a casting vote.

Meetings of the Committee shall be held at least four times each year and five voting members shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. The Committee shall have power to elect members onto the Committee in the event of casual vacancies arising between meetings. Those elected shall hold office until the next General Meeting of the Club at which election of Officers and Committee takes place. No individual who has been a member for less than a year may be elected onto the Committee. Any member of the Committee failing to attend two consecutive meetings without a valid reason shall be deemed to have resigned and shall forfeit the right of re-election for three years. Any member of the Committee failing to attend 50% of the year’s committee meetings without valid reason shall be deemed to have resigned and shall forfeit the right of re-election for three years. Club Shows shall be deemed to be a meeting for the purpose of this rule.

All nominations for Officers and Committee must be proposed and seconded by two fully paid up members.

4.  ELECTION OF MEMBERS:  Presidents of the Lhasa Apso Club shall automatically be elected Honorary Life Members of the Club.

Application for membership must be made on the appropriate form and the applicant must be proposed and seconded by two members of the Club who must be of different families/partnerships. Membership shall not commence until a candidate had been elected by the Committee and has paid the subscription. Members under the age of sixteen years shall be deemed to be junior members.

The Committee shall not give any explanation of any refusal to accept any proposal of membership. Any person elected as a member of the Club and taking up their membership shall be deemed to have read the Rules of the Club and be prepared to abide by them and those of the Code of Ethics.

5.  VOTING RIGHTS:  Each member shall be entitled to one vote and a partnership shall be entitled to one vote for each partner. Junior members, i.e. those under the age of sixteen years, shall have no voting power.

6.  SUBSCRIPTIONS:  The annual subscription shall be determined by the members at the AGM for the following year. It shall be payable to the Treasurer on January 1st each year. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership. If the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by March 1st his/her name shall be deleted from the membership list. Acceptance back onto the list will be at the discretion of the Committee and payment of one year’s arrears together with the current year.

7.  CLUB PROPERTY:  The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, a General Meeting shall be called to decide disposal of the Club’s assets. All cups and trophies donated to the Club shall be accepted on the understanding that they are donated outright to the Club.

8.  EXPULSION OF MEMBERS:  Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42J(4) and/or whose dogs are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A24J(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 or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee may at a meeting, the convening of which includes as an object the consideration of the conduct of the member, determine that a Special General Meeting 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 him/her of the place, date and hour of the meeting that he/she may attend and offer an explanation. If at that 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 to be a member of the Club, except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such meeting, appeal to The Kennel Club, subject to such conditions as The Kennel Club may impose.

9.  THE FINANCIAL YEAR:  The financial year of the Club shall be from January 1st to December 31st.

10.  GENERAL MEETINGS:  The Annual General Meeting, notice of which may be given to members by a notice printed in “Our Dogs” and “Dog World” 42 days before such meeting, shall be held between February 1st and March 31st for the following purposes:

a. To receive the report of the Committee and audited accounts which shall have been circulated to members with the agenda at the meeting
b. To announce the result of the election for Committee.
c. To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda.

All nominations and items to be placed on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting must reach the Honorary Secretary 28 clear days before the date of the meeting.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 of the meeting, are urgent.

In the event of it being impossible to hold the General Meeting as above provided, the existing officers and committee shall remain in office until the meeting takes place.

11.  ELECTION OF OFFICERS:  The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected for life. The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected by postal ballot, prior to the Annual General Meeting, for two years on an alternate year basis.

12.  ELECTION OF COMMITTEE:  Election of the Committee shall take place annually by postal ballot of all members, excluding junior members. A record of the number of voting papers sent out and returned must be kept. All voting papers to be counted prior to the Annual General Meeting by an independent scrutineer appointed by the Committee.

The Committee shall appoint a Chairman and Vice-Chairman from its members at the first Committee Meeting held after the Annual General Meeting and they shall hold those positions for a maximum of three years (or less if they choose not to seek re-election onto the Committee in the intervening period), when they may offer themselves for re-election by the Committee.

13.  COMMITTEE MEETINGS:  Committee members shall receive 14 clear days notice of Committee Meetings. A rough statement of accounts is to be made and the Bank Pass Book/Statement to be available for scrutiny.

14.  SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS:  A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary within 28 days of receipt of a requisition signed by no fewer that 12 members stating the matter to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. No other business other than the matters on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.

The Committee of the Club is empowered to call a Special General Meeting at its discretion. 28 clear days notice of such Meeting shall be printed in “Our Dogs” and “Dog World”.

15.  ANNUAL REPORT:  An Annual Report shall be sent to each member containing the Chairman’s Report, a list of the names and addresses of the members for the current year, together with the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any further information that the Honorary Secretary considers to be of interest to members.

16.  CLUB ACCOUNTS:  A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the separately distinctive signatures of the following – Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

The Honorary Treasurer shall maintain the Club accounts and they shall be audited annually by properly qualified auditors elected at the Annual General Meeting. The audited accounts must be signed by the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Honorary Treasurer.

17.  TROPHIES:  The Lhasa Apso Club trophies can only be won and held by fully paid up members.

18.  JUDGES:  The Committee shall select by secret ballot, annual judging lists in compliance with Kennel Club Regulations. The “A” list, containing names and addresses, shall be forwarded to all Championship Show Secretaries annually.

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

20.  AMENDMENTS TO RULES:  The Rules of the Club may not be altered except at a General Meeting, the agenda for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules. Any alteration to the Rules passed at a General Meeting shall not be brought into effect until The Kennel Club has been advised and given approval to the alteration.

21.  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 in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Municipal Authorities, will be forwarded to The Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of any change of Secretary which may occur during the year.

22.  LISTS OF MEMBERS AND THEIR ADDRESSES:  The Lhasa Apso Club will 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.

23.  The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Club and in all cases relating to canine or Club matters