THE GREYHOUND CLUB CONSTITUTION

THE GREYHOUND CLUB RULES 2024

1. NAME AND OBJECTIVES

The club shall be called ‘The Greyhound Club’ and its objectives shall be:

a) To promote the breeding and exhibiting of greyhounds of the true type, as described in the Breed Standard issued by the Kennel Club.
b) To hold shows for the purpose of exhibiting greyhounds and, at the discretion of the Committee, to guarantee breed classes at shows held under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations.
c) To hold breed seminars for the education of judges, breeders, exhibitors, owners and others showing an interest in the breed.
d) To further the interests and standards of the breed in the United Kingdom.
e) To promote the interests of responsible dog breeding and ownership.

2. CONSTITUTION

The Club shall consist of a President, up to three Vice Presidents, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Committee of eight and an unlimited number of members. 

3. ELECTION OF MEMBERS

Candidates for membership of the club shall be proposed in writing by one member and seconded by another.  A candidate will not become a member of the club until his/her membership is approved by a majority at a Committee Meeting and his/her subscription has been paid. An up to date list of Members’ names and their addresses, and those of branch Members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, the list of names made available for inspection by The Kennel Club and Members of the Society/ Club.
A declaration of the number of Members of the Club shall be made with the Annual Returns to the Kennel Club.  All members must agree to abide by the Club Rules and Code of Ethics.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription shall be determined by Members at a General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club.  Annual subscriptions are due for payment on1st January.  

No-one shall be deemed to be a Member, or entitled to the privileges of membership, until his/her subscription is paid, except in the case of Honorary Life Members, who shall be entitled to all the privileges of membership without the payment of subscription.  Members who pay subscriptions after 1 January but by 31 January will be considered to be Members from the date on which their subscriptions are received by the club.

In the event of members failing to pay the annual subscription on or before 31 January, it shall be necessary for the Committee to approve that membership as in Rule 3 above.

Members wishing to resign from the club must do so in writing to the Secretary.

5. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

Any Member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j. (5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Greyhound Club 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 of the Club may convene a Special General Meeting, the notice of which gives an object that includes the consideration of the conduct of the Member, determining that a Special General Meeting of the Greyhound Club 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 time, 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 be erased from the list of Members.  He/she shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a Member of the Greyhound Club, except 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/Club expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the Society/Club must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars required.

6. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The management of the Club shall be in the hands of a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer (the “Officers” of the Club), the Chairman shall stand for election every year and the Secretary and Treasurer shall be selected for a two year term, and a Committee consisting of eight Members, each of whom shall be elected for a two year term. 

The President and Vice Presidents, who shall be elected by the Committee, shall be ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Committee.

7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The Chairman, one Officer and four Committee Members shall retire at the Annual General Meeting, but all shall be eligible for re-election.

Candidates for election to the Committee or any other Office must have been fully paid up members of the club for at least two consecutive years prior to the closing date for the nomination of candidates.

No member shall be eligible to stand as a candidate for, or to hold, more than one office at the same time.  Serving Officers and Committee Members who intend to stand for a different Office, must first advise in writing to the Secretary their intention to resign from their existing position.

The election of Officers and Committee at The Annual General Meeting shall be by postal ballot, voting slips having been submitted to an independent third party nominated by the Committee prior to the Annual General Meeting. In the event of a tie a show of hands will resolve the tie vote.

No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other Office or appointment.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members onto the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings.  Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the club at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place.

8. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Where the use of the word “Committee” occurs in the Rules, it should be read to include Officers.

The Committee in its conduct of affairs of the Club shall have full power to deal with all matters not provided for in the Rules of the Club.

9.   MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

Six Committee Members with voting rights shall form a Quorum at a Committee Meeting.

The Committee shall meet as often as is deemed necessary. 

Three consecutive absences from duly convened Committee Meetings shall be deemed a resignation of Officer, or Committee Membership, except for extreme circumstances.

10.   ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting will normally be held by the end March but in any case by the end of June.
1. Proposal/Seconded from The Officers and Committee of The Greyhound Club.
For inclusion in rule number 10 Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in person or via online platform for the following purposes:

a) To receive from the Committee its Annual Reports, Balance Sheets and Statement of Accounts, duly audited.
b) To elect the Officers and Committee in accordance with Rules 6 & 7.
c) To elect an Auditor.
d) To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary.

No business shall be transacted at an 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 General Meeting are urgent.

Notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all members at least seven weeks before the proposed date of the meeting.  Copies of the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting shall be sent with the Notice.

Members eligible to receive Reports and Balance Sheets shall be fully paid up Members for the year of that Balance Sheet, along with newly elected and fully paid up Members.

Matters for inclusion in the agenda and nominations for Officers and Committee Members (including proposer’s and seconder’s signatures and Nominee’s written permission) must be received by the Secretary by the date advised in the Notice of the AGM.  This date will be at least twenty-eight days before the Annual General Meeting.
The Secretary shall distribute the Agenda, a list of nominations and copies of Balance Sheets and Statements of Accounts to all members at least twenty-one days before the Annual General Meeting.  Elections will be conducted in accordance with Rules 6 & 7.

The Minutes of the proceedings of all Meetings shall be kept and the Minutes of the preceding Meeting shall be read at the commencement of the next or subsequent Meeting and be approved and confirmed by vote. 

No new Rule or alteration to existing Rule or reversal of any former act done or decision made shall come into force unless fourteen days’ notice has been given to all Members of the proposition to be considered and without sanction of a majority of at least two-thirds of the Members present voting.  Any alteration of the Rules shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alteration.  Rules may not be altered except at General Meetings, the agenda for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules 15 members present shall constitute a quorum.

11.   SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee and only then by a majority of Committee Members, including Officers, or by written requisition signed by fifteen duly paid up members of the Club, and presented to the Secretary.

The Secretary shall distribute the Agenda to all members at least fourteen days before the Special general Meeting.

No business other than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.

Any decision shall be on a two-thirds majority of Members present and entitled to vote. 25 members present shall constitute a quorum.

12.   VOTING RIGHTS

Each Member shall be entitled to one vote immediately upon acceptance of membership.

Joint Members will be allowed and voting rights apply for each Member of the partnership.

Junior Membership up to 18 years has no voting rights.

Voting shall be by show of hands as decided by a majority at the Meeting, except in the instances of the election of Officers and Committee, which will be by postal ballot, as outlined in Rules 6 & 7. 

Postal or Proxy voting other than as described above is not permitted.

13.   PROPERTY OF THE CLUB

All revenue of the Club shall be lodged in bank accounts approved by the Committee and shall be in the name of “The Greyhound Club”.

The Committee must pass all accounts.  Any two authorised signatories, normally the Treasurer, the Chairman and the Secretary, must sign all cheques.

All cups and other items relating to the Club Shows shall be vested in the Committee, who shall be Trustees thereof, as will any other miscellaneous items of property.

In the event of the winding up of the Club, its property will be disposed of by the Trustees appointed at a Special General Meeting for such a purpose.

Trophies shall, where possible, be returned to the donors.

14.   BANKING AND AUDITING

The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer and an independent Auditor shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting, who shall audit the Club’s accounts for the past year before the Annual General Meeting.

15.   FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year of The Greyhound Club shall be from 1 January to 31 December each year.

16.   COMMUNICATIONS

All communications to the Club will be addressed to the Secretary at all times and matters requiring the attention of the Committee will be presented at the next Committee Meeting.

17.   DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB

The Club shall not be dissolved except by majority vote in favour by two-thirds of the Members present and entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

18.   AMENDMENTS TO RULES

The Rules of the Greyhound Club may not be altered except at a General meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules.

Any proposed alterations to the Rules may not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration, which will be sent to the Kennel Club within one month from the date of the General meeting.

New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately.

19.   ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB

The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title Fee will be paid by Direct Debit to the Kennel Club by the Treasurer for continuance of Registration and that by 31 July each year, other Returns, as stipulated by 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 Greyhound Club which may occur during the course of the year.

20.   KENNEL CLUB FINAL AUTHORITY

The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules of the Greyhound Club in all cases relative to canine or society matters.

21.   NON-FEDERATION

The Greyhound Club will not join any federation or Societies of Clubs.
No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.        22.   JUDGES’ LISTS

The Greyhound Club will produce a list of Judges each year, which shall be submitted to the Kennel Club as part of the Annual Returns.  The purpose of the Judges’ Lists is to indicate to interested parties those persons the Greyhound Club would support at different levels of judging.

Membership of the Club is not a prerequisite for inclusion on the lists.

The Club’s Judges’ Lists will be divided in six parts, namely Roll of Honour, A1, A2, A3, B and C, breed Specialist and Non Breed Specialist, and the list will run from 1st January to 31 December each year.  On expiry a new list will be compiled.

Roll of Honour – Awarded by the Greyhound Club to senior members who no longer wish to, or who are no longer able to judge.

A1 List – Judges who have previously been approved to award CCs in the breed and in the opinion of The Greyhound Club Committee, have satisfactorily carried out the judging appointment

A2 List – Judges who fulfil all the requirements for the A3 List and who have been assessed in accordance with the Kennel Club requirements and accepted by the Kennel Club for inclusion on an A2 List.

A3 List – Judges who meet all the Greyhound Club’s laid down criteria to award CCs, but who have not been assessed or approved by the Kennel Club for the A2 List.

B List – Judges who meet the Greyhound Club’s laid down criteria to judge the breed without Challenge Certificates

C List – Aspiring judges who have shown an interest in the breed, but who do not yet meet the criteria of The Greyhound Club to be included in the B List.

In order to be included in the Club’s Judges’ Lists, persons nominated must meet the written Judging Criteria laid down by the Committee.  Judges names may be removed from the Lists at the sole discretion of the Committee.