Rules & Code of Ethics

Rules

 1. The name of the Club shall be the Southern Miniature Bull Terrier Club.

2. OBJECTS – The object of the Club shall be to promote the welfare breeding and exhibition of the

Miniature Bull Terriers and to encourage owners, breeders and judges to adhere to the standard of the

breed as set out by the Kennel Club. It shall also endeavor to encourage responsible ownership and

friendly relationships and co-operation between other clubs.

3. The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

4. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE – The Club shall consist of a President, a Committee of up to 12

which shall include the Chairman, the Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer and an unlimited number of

members.

5. COMMITTEE – a) The President shall serve for a period of three years only. The nomination shall

be the prerogative of the Committee and approved by a majority at the AGM.

b) The Chairman, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer shall serve for a term of three years and be

eligible for re-election.

c) Elected members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election every four years. Two members

shall retire annually by rotation. d) Members of the Committee shall have full voting rights

e) Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary, but at least once each

quarter.

f) A quorum for Committee meetings shall be three, including two officers. g) The Committee shall

have the power to co-opt members in the event of positions becoming vacant. Any co-opted member

must stand for election at the next AGM. h) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt to the

Committee any person for a specific reason, but that person must then retire when the reason for his/her

co-option ends. i) No individual who has been a member of the Club for less than two years may be

elected to the Committee. j) No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee

of, or hold any other office or appointment, within a Kennel Club Registered Society.

6. ELECTION OF MEMBERS – Candidates for membership shall be proposed by one existing fully

paid up member of two years’ standing. Final acceptance is vested in the Committee. One negative

vote in Committee shall exclude.

7. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS – There shall be a tier of membership – ie Associate Membership, for

those under the age of 18 years of age, who will pay a proportion of the membership fee and who will

not be eligible to vote on any occasion.

8. MEMBERSHIP LIST – The Club will maintain a list of members and their addresses and make it

available for inspection , if so requested, by the members of the Club, or by the Kennel Club.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – VOTING RIGHTS – Each member shall be entitled to one

vote immediately upon acceptance of membership. Election to the Committee shall be by ballot at the

AGM. Voting at the AGM shall be by secret ballot or a show of hands as determined by the Chairman

of the meeting. Joint members are entitled to one vote each.

10. SHOW MANAGER – Election of a Show Manager shall be decided at the AGM by the members

present and the Show Manager shall retire at the AGM annually.

11 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 the disposal of the assets and the

result of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club. All Club property must be insured against theft, fire,

damage and loss. If a registered Club is wound up or ceases to be a registered society under Kennel

Club regulations, a final statement of the accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the

Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and

Committee of the Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the

Club.

12. CLUB ACCOUNTS – A banking/building society account will be held in the name of the Club

and operated by any two of the three Officers of the Club. All revenues of the club shall be paid into

this/these account/s and shall be administered by the Hon Treasurer. A suitably qualified auditor must

be appointed at each AGM to audit the accounts for the year to present at the AGM. At the AGM all

financial records should be available to inspection by the members of the Club, providing they give the

Hon Treasurer fourteen days notice.

13. SUBSCRIPTION – The annual subscription shall be that agreed by members of the Club at a

General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. This shall be payable on 1st January each year. Any

member not paying by 1st March shall forfeit membership.

14. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS – Any member who is suspended by the Kennel Club shall ipso

facto cease to be a member of the club. If, in the opinion of the Committee of the club, the conduct of

any member shall be injurious or likely to be injurious to the interests of the club, or should be in

breach of the club’s code of conduct, the Committee may convene a meeting which includes on the

Agenda the consideration of the conduct of the member and at that meeting determine that a Special

General Meeting should be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him or her. Notice of

the Special General Meeting must be sent to the accused member, giving particulars of the complaint

and advising the date, place and hour of the meeting in order that the member may attend and give an

explanation of his/her conduct. If the resolution to expel is passed by a two thirds majority of those

present and voting, the name of the member shall be erased from the list of member and he/she shall

cease to be a member of the club. The expelled member shall have the right, within two calendar

months of the meeting, top appeal to the Kennel Club for re-instatement of the membership and may be

so, subject to any conditions the Kennel Club may impose.

15. FINANCIAL YEAR AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – The financial year shall be from

1st January to 31st December. The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 1st May each

year at a time and place arranged by the Committee.

1. The purpose of the AGM shall be to present the report of the Committee and the duly audited

balance sheet, and to elect officers and committee to vacancies arising and to conduct all other business

included in the Agenda. No business shall be transacted at the AGM unless notice thereof appears on

the Agenda. 2. Notice of the AGM shall be circulated to all members in writing at least 6 weeks prior

to the date of the AGM. 3. Items for inclusion on the Agenda must be received by the Hon Secretary

28 days prior to the meeting. 4. The agenda will be circulated to all members fourteen days prior to

the meeting. 5. A quorum shall be five members, including two Officers of the Club.

16. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING – A special general meeting shall be summoned by the Hon

Secretary if twenty of the paid up members send in a signed request stating the subject to be discussed.

The Committee of the Club is empowered to call a Special General Meeting. No other than that

detailed on the Agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting. The Hon Secretary shall call a

Special General Meeting no later than 30 days from the receipt of the request and shall give paid up

members a minimum of fourteen days notice of the meeting. A quorum shall be five, including two

Officers of the Club.

17. RULES OF THE CLUB – The rules of the Club may not be altered except at a General Meeting,

the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules. Any proposed alteration to the

rules may not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised of and approved the

alteration.

18. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB – The officers will ensure that during the month

of January each year, the Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Hon

Secretary for continued registration of the Club. Also that, by 31st July each year, other returns as

stipulated in Kennel Club rules, will be forwarded to the Kennel Club.

19. KENNEL CLUB FINAL COURT OF APPEAL – The Kennel Club shall be the final court of

appeal in all matters of dispute.

20. JUDGES LIST – The club must produce a list of judges each year, in accordance with Kennel

Club regulations, as part of the Club’s annual returns. The list must be updated annually and indicate

that each list will expire on 31st July each year. The list will be prepared by the Committee.

21. DECLARATION OF HONOUR AND CODE OF CONDUCT. Members of the Southern

Miniature Bull Terrier Club are required to DNA test their breeding stock for primary lens luxation and

abide by the Club’s Code of Ethics. All members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner

befitting a member of the Southern Miniature Bull Terrier Club. This includes at any general meeting,

committee meeting, event, show, website or forum. Aggressive or abusive behaviour will not be

tolerated and the membership in question will be reviewed by the committee under terms of Rule 13.

22. STANDING ORDERS – 1. The Chairman has, in the event of equal voting, a casting vote.

2. Counter-motions, or amendments should, if possible, be made in writing and handed to the Chairman

and must be proposed and seconded before discussion. 3. A counter-motion or amendments must be

discussed and voted on before taking a vote upon the original motion. 4. The mover of a motion,

counter-motion or amendment may speak twice; first when proposing his resolution and secondly as

the last speaker on the subject. Other members may speak once only on each resolution. 5. Speeches to

be limited to 5 minutes duration, except by special permission of the Chair and except official

statements submitting the action of the Executive for approval. 6. All speeches must be addressed to

the Chair. 7. An amendment may consist of (a) omission of words (b) addition of words ( c) omission

and addition of words (d) insertion of words (e) a proposal to defer consideration. 8. Any other

alteration of the original motion becomes a counter-motion. 9. A resolution cannot be rescinded at the

same meeting at which it is adopted. 10. The Chairman may divide a motion into parts and take a vote

upon either part. 11. Discussion upon the Minutes of a previous meeting must be confined to

questions of fact ie. whether certain statements or motions were actually made or carried etc. If it is

desired to re-open a discussion, this must be done as a new motion.

Ethics

All members of The Southern Miniature Bull Terrier Club undertake to abide by it’s general Code of Ethics.

 

Club members;

1. Will properly house, feed, water and exercise all dogs under their care and arrange for appropriate

veterinary attention if and when required.

2. Will agree without reservation that any veterinary surgeon performing an operation on any of their

dogs which alters the natural conformation of the animal or who carries out a caesarean section on a

bitch may report such operation to the Kennel Club

3. Will agree that no healthy puppy will be culled. Puppies which may not conform the Breed

Standard should be placed in suitable homes.

4. Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act.

5. Will not create demand for, nor supply puppies that have been docked illegally.

6. Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog or to the

breed.

7. Will now allow any of their dogs to roam at large or to cause a nuisance to neighbours of those

carrying out official duties.

8. Will ensure that their dogs wear properly tagged collars and will be kept leashed under effective

control when away from home.

9. Will clean up after their dogs in public places of anywhere their dogs are being exhibited.

10. Will only sell dogs where there is a reasonably expectation of a happy and healthy life and will

help with the re-homing of a dog if the initial circumstances change

11. Will supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance concerning responsible

ownership when placing dogs in a new home.

12. Will ensure that all relevant Kennel Club documents are provided to the new owner when selling

or transferring a dog, and will agree, in writing, to forward an relevant documents at the earliest

opportunity, if not immediately available.

13. Will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers or to countries where there

are no animal welfare laws comparable to those in the UK, or directly or indirectly allow dogs to be

given as a prize or donation in a competition of any kind. Will not sell by sale or auction Kennel Club

registration certificates as stand alone items (not accompanying a dog).

14. Will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise dogs nor

mislead any person regarding the health or quality of the dog.

15. Members will, when breeding dogs, adopt as a minimum standard the principles, requirements and

recommendations as embodied in the Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder Scheme. It is strongly

recommended that members who breed should apply to joint the Scheme. * ratified at AGM 31.3.12 *

16. Will agree that a bitch has no more than 3 litters in her lifetime and is bred from no earlier than 18

months of age. * ratified at AGM 31.3.12*

Breach of these provisions may result in the expulsion from club membership, and/or disciplinary

action by the Kennel Club and/or reporting to the relevant authorities for legal action , as appropriate.