The Society shall be called the SOUTH EASTERN COUNTY TOY DOG SOCIETY and its object shall be to foster interest in all the breeds of dogs classified as Toy Dogs by the Royal Kennel Club, to encourage the breeding of such dogs according to the Standards laid down by that body and to provide the means of organising and running Shows with all things incidental thereto.
The Society shall consist of Patron, President, Vice Presidents, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, a Committee of members and an unlimited number of members. An up to date list of Members and their addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses must be maintained and, if so requested, made available for inspection by the Royal Kennel Club and Members of the Society. A declaration of the number of Members of the Society must be made with Annual Returns. No person suspended by the Royal Kennel Club or against whom a ban by a Court of Law from owning a dog is in existence may become a member.
The management of the Society shall be in the hands of the following officers of the Society: the President, Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and a Committee of indeterminate size; the intention being that as far as is possible the Officers and Committee together shall provide one representative of each Toy Dog Breed (five of whom shall form a quorum for all purposes) who shall assume full responsibility in all matters concerning the Society and shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting from the membership. Officers shall be elected for a period of three years after which they shall be eligible for re- election. At the discretion of the Committee the offices of Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer may be held by one person. No current officer (Hon. Secretary, Hon, Treasurer, Chairman) should also hold the position of Patron, President or Vice President. The Committee shall have the power to Co-opt members on the committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings. The President, Chairman, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasure shall be ex-officio members of the Committee. In the absence of both the President, Chairman and Vice Chairman at any meeting of the Society or the Committee, the chair shall be taken by a Committee member elected by a show of hands. The Chairman of any meeting shall have a casting additional vote in the event of an equality of votes. The Committee may appoint a Sub-Committee for any special purpose and may delegate to it such of its powers as the Committee thinks fit.
No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee or any Sub-Committee or hold any office or appointment within a Royal Kennel Club Registered Society.
The annual or Life subscription shall be such an amount and agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Royal Kennel Club and shall be payable upon application for membership and annually thereafter on 1st January. Upon payment of the first subscription a person shall be deemed to have been elected a member of the Society. No other form of payment shall entitle any person to membership. No member whose subscription is unpaid after the Society’s first show in each calendar year shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership. The Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any member whose subscription remains unpaid after the Society’s first show in any year and to restore such membership should a satisfactory explanation be subsequently furnished by the person concerned.
A Banking Account shall be opened in the name of the Society into which all revenue of the Society shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall be made only against two signatures. The Chairman, the Hon. Secretary and the Hon. Treasurer shall be empowered to sign the Society’s cheques. An Independent Examiner or Examiners shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting. It shall be open to the Society not to employ a professional auditor in which case the examination shall be carried out by two specially appointed members who are not Officers or members of the Committee. The examined accounts shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting and after discussion shall, if passed, be final and conclusive and not open to any subsequent objection or requisition whatsoever.
The Financial Year of the Society shall be from 01 January to 31 December.
The assets and property of the Society shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Society deciding to terminate its existence, any funds shall be handed unconditionally to a body or organisation having as its object the wellbeing of dogs and dog breeding such as the Animal Health Trust, and any assets such as cups and trophies shall be handed back to the donors or their accredited representatives. If it is not possible to trace or communicate with the donors the cups and trophies shall be handed to a canine society the objects of which are similar to those laid down in Rule 1. The receiving body shall be required to undertake to offer such cups and trophies for competition upon the existing conditions and to return any or all of them in the event of a subsequent substantiated claim against the Society.
(a) The Hon. Secretary shall convene all meetings, keep minutes of all business transacted, received all monies due and presented and pay them over to the Hon. Treasurer and shall have custody of all the properties belonging to the Society. The Hon. Treasurer shall receive all monies, make all payments authorised by the Committee and shall render all accounts to, and give such information relative thereto as may be required by, the Independent Examiner or Examiners.
(b) The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club by the Hon. Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in Royal Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities shall be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club.
The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Royal Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.
The Society shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs
The Annual General Meeting shall be held before 31 July in order for the Annual Returns to be forwarded to the Royal Kennel Club in order for the following purposes:
To receive the report of Officers and Committee. To receive audited Accounts in compliance with Rule 5. To elect Officers and Committee members in compliance with Rule 3.
To discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda of which not less than five days prior notice in writing shall have been given by any member to the Hon. Secretary. To consider, and if approved, sanction any duly made alteration in Rules
Any other business provided that in the opinion of the Chairman for the Meeting it is either of a routine or of any urgent nature.
Nominations for Officers and Committee shall be taken at the Meeting and election shall be by vote or ballot of those present, each member being entitled to one vote. The Society may, at the Annual General Meeting, elect Vice Presidents and Honorary Members. They may be elected for life of for such period as the meeting may determine. Vice Presidents shall be entitled to all privileges of full membership with the exception of the right to vote
The Committee or the Hon. Secretary with or without prior reference to a Committee Meeting shall be empowered to call a Special General Meeting at any time. Such Meeting shall also be called within twenty-eight days of the presentation of the requisition, signed by not less than ten members, stating the subjects to be discussed. Seven members at any Special General Meeting shall form a quorum. The notice calling a Special General Meeting shall state the business for which it has been called and no business other than the matter on the agenda shall be discussed.
Not less than 28 days before any General Meeting a notice giving its date, time and place shall be placed on the Society’s Web Page and/or emailed or written to members.
The rules of the Society may not be altered except at a General Meeting , the notice of which contains specific proposals to amend the rules.
Any proposed alteration to the rules may not be brought into effect until the Royal Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Royal Kennel Club requirement shall be adopted immediately.
Any Member who shall be disqualified under Royal Kennel Club Rule A11.j(9) and/or Royal Kennel Club Rule A11.j(9) 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 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 him/her 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 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 Royal Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as the Royal Kennel Club may impose.
If the Society expels any Member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trial or competitions, The Society must report the matter in writing to the Royal Kennel Club within seven days and supply any particulars required.
The Committee shall have the power to settle all disputes or differences which may arise as to the interpretation of these Rules or otherwise, subject in all cases to Rule 15.
The Royal Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules of the Society in all cases relative to canine or society matters.
Every member shall be supplied with a copy of these rules and shall be deemed to be bound thereby.
The foregoing Rules of the South Eastern Counties Toy Dog Society, having received the written assent of the Kennel Club, were unanimously confirmed at the Society’s Annual General Meeting in March 1965 and became operative forthwith.
Amended by direction of the Kennel Club at the Annual General Meeting, June 1991, June 1993, 1998 and 2010. Amended according to the Royal Kennel Club form RS08, 2024