Name - The Society shall be called the "Thames Dog Training Club".

Objects - To encourage the training of any dog, which may be deemed suitable by the Committee, and to support Obedience, Working Trials, Agility Tests and Flyball.

Membership - The club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be entered into a book kept for the purpose by the Secretary; this shall be available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Society or by The Kennel Club on application to the Secretary. A list of members and their addresses shall be sent to The Kennel Club with the Annual Returns.

Admission - The election of members shall be vested in the Committee.

           SuSubscriptions – The annual subscriptions shall be determined for each year by members at a General Meeting and shall be payable on 1st March immediately following. Members who have not paid their subscription beyond this date will forfeit all benefits of membership until such subscription is paid. If a member’s subscription is still unpaid after 31^st March may incur a surcharge. There may be a supplement for members involved in more than one discipline. There are seven types of membership:-

Honorary membership, which should be free. Honorary membership is for life membership of the club and has one voting right at a General Meeting and one copy of each Newsletter.

Individual membership at one rate per annum. Individual membership gives one voting right at a General Meeting, membership of the Club and one copy of each Newsletter.

Joint membership at an increased rate per annum. Joint membership is for any two members living at the same address and gives each named member one voting right at a General Meeting, membership of the Club and one copy of each Newsletter.

Family membership at a further rate per annum. Family membership is for families living at the same address and gives one voting right to each named member of the family at a General Meeting (except for Junior family members), membership of the Club and one copy of each Newsletter.

Junior membership at another rate per annum. Junior membership is for members less than 18 years old on 1st March each year. Junior members do not have any voting rights at a General Meeting but will receive one copy of each Newsletter.

Associate membership is at yet another rate per annum. Associate members will not have any voting rights at a General Meeting and will not be entitled to attend training sessions with any dog. Each Associate member will receive one copy of each Newsletter and not represent the Club in any discipline competitively.

Joint Associate membership is at yet a further rate per annum. Joint Associate named members will not have any voting rights at a General Meeting and will not be entitled to attend training sessions with any dog but will receive one copy of each Newsletter and not represent the Club in any discipline competitively.

Officers - The Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and any other officers deemed advisable by the Committee to appoint, who shall retire annually and be eligible for re-election. All Officers of the Club to have full voting rights on the Committee.

Committee - The Committee shall consist of not more than ten members, who shall retire annually and be eligible for re-election. A quorum of the Committee shall be six Officers/Committee members. The Committee shall have the power to delegate their authority to sub-committees consisting of the Secretary and one or more members of the Committee. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member(s) deemed necessary who shall stand until the next AGM. Any member co-opted onto the Committee shall have full voting rights. Meetings of the Committee will be held as often as deemed necessary but at least every four months.

No member should be eligible to stand for election for Committee or Officer until they have been a member of Thames Dog Training Club for a period of twelve consecutive months unless there are insufficient members willing to stand.

Annual General Meeting - The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than February 28th each year when the Officers and Committee shall be elected and the balance sheet of the previous financial year, duly audited, shall be presented. The Honorary Secretary shall give members not less than 30 days notice of the AGM in writing. A copy of the Agenda will be displayed at all training sessions at least 14 days before the AGM.

Nominations of Officers and Committee shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary not less than 21 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

Any member desiring to move any business at an AGM shall give notice in writing to the Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting.

A quorum of the AGM shall be ten or 10% of the membership whichever is the least.

Only members present at the AGM can vote on agenda items.

No business shall be transacted at an AGM unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those that in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting are urgent.

The Rules of the Society may not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, notice of which includes details of the proposal to alter rules. Such alteration shall not be brought into force until The Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval of the alterations.

Special General Meeting - A Special General Meeting of the members shall be called by the Committee or on requisition in writing to the Secretary of any ten members; whereupon 14 days notice in writing shall be given by the Secretary to all members of the Club, specifying the object of the Meeting to which alone discussion shall be confined.

Property - The property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Society being dissolved for any reason, or otherwise ceasing to exist as a registered Society, all cups and trophies, where possible, shall be returned to their donors. Other property and assets shall be dealt with entirely at the discretion of the Committee. A final statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Society shall be forwarded to The Kennel Club within six months and the Officers and Committee of the Society named on the last return furnished to The Kennel Club, will be held responsible by The Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Society.

Banking - All monies of the Society shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Committee, and cheques shall have two signatories from Treasurer, Secretary and Chairman.

Finance - The financial year of the Society shall be from 1st January to the 31st December each year. At each AGM the Treasurer shall present the audited balance sheet, which will be audited by either one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accounts experience. All expenses properly incurred by Officers or Committee members with the consent of the Committee, for or on behalf of the Club, shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Club alone, and no individual shall be deemed to incur responsibility of same.

Expulsion of Members - Any member who shall be suspended under The 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 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 if 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 purpose 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.

If the Society expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows or working trials, the Club must report the matter in writing to The Kennel Club within seven days and supply particulars required.

Minimum Age of Dogs - The minimum age of dogs shall be four calendar months for Obedience classes and twelve calendar months for Agility classes. At the Committee's discretion, dogs under these ages may be allowed to partake in any training classes.

The Society shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to The Kennel Club whether by the Secretary or by Direct Debit, for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in The 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 change of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

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

Any member electing to train their dog in a discipline at Thames Dog Training Club may not make that dog available for representative selection in that discipline for another Club without notifying the Committee of Thames Dog Training Club.

In any case not covered by these Rules, the decision of the Committee shall be final.

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Revised February 2010