YSSC CLUB RULES

Title and Aims

  • The Club shall be called the YORKSHIRE SHETLAND SHEEPDOG CLUB (Y.S.S.C.) and its objects shall be to encourage and promote interest amongst Exhibitors, Breeders and Owners of Shetland Sheepdogs, supporting shows and doing all in its power to protect and advance the interest of the Breed according to the Standard approved by the Kennel Club.
    • The Club shall not join any federation of Club’s or Societies without Kennel Club approval

Management

  • The Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who, together with a Committee of up to twelve members, shall conduct the affairs of the Club. Any five to form a Quorum, of which two must be officers of the Club. All Officers and Committee shall have full voting rights. The Club shall not join any federation of Club’s or Societies without Kennel Club approval 
    • The Officers shall retire in rotation, but shall be eligible for re-election. If a retiring Officer is not re-elected, if desired, he/she can be automatically nominated for election as a Committee member.
    • The Committee shall be elected to serve for three years on a rotation basis, four Committee members to retire yearly. (i.e. Four members to be elected annually).
    • No member of the Club shall be eligible for election as an Officer or a Committee member who is an Officer or Committee member of another Club or Society devoted to the same breed.
    • No individual is eligible for election to the Committee who has been a member of the Club for less than the previous three consecutive years. Any individual wishing to stand as an Officer of the Club, must be a serving Committee member, and have served at least one three year term, save in exceptional circumstances.
    • All members shall be asked to put forward any names they may wish to nominate and these, together with the names of retiring Officers and Committee, shall be voted for by postal ballot of the members. Only paid up adult members of the Club are eligible to vote. New members are NOT eligible to vote for the first three months of their membership. All nominations to be signed by their proposer, seconder and nominee.
    • In the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to those positions. Those co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the Club at which election of Officers and Committee takes place.
    • The names of members who have given meritorious service to the Club may be put forward on the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting for election as Honorary Life Vice Presidents or Honorary Life Members. All Nominees to be proposed and seconded by adult members of the Club. Honorary Life Vice Presidents and Honorary Life Members to have full rights of membership and voting but not to pay subscriptions.
    • The Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter not dealt with in the Rules.
    • 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.
    • The Club may have a Patron.

Membership

  • The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members. Membership will be: as an individual (Single), as a partnership of two (Joint) as a person over 60 years (Senior Single) as a partnership of two where one partner is over 60 years (Senior Joint) as an individual under 18 year (Junior).
    • Each member shall be entitled to one vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting. Each new member shall be entitled to one vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting three months after payment of subscription.
    • Junior members shall not have the power to vote on Club matters. In the case of Adult Joint Membership both members shall have the right to vote.
    • No person shall be allowed to take part in any official meetings of the Club, or compete for the Club specials until his/her subscription or any sum he/she may owe the Club has been paid.
    • New members to be proposed and seconded by existing members with five years continuous membership of the Y.S.S.C. and must be approved by the Officers and Committee.
    • The Club will make a list of members and their addresses which will be available for inspection if so requested by members of the Y.S.S.C. or by the Kennel Club.

Subscriptions

  • The annual subscription shall be such an amount as agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club.
    • Members joining after 30th September in any year shall not be liable for their next subscriptions until January 1st fifteen months later. No other form of payment shall entitle membership of the Club.
    • No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership, and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 30th June his/her name shall be erased automatically from the register. Acceptance back on the register within a period of two years will be dependent upon payment of arrears.

Suspension

  • 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 A42.j (8) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Y.S.S.C. for the duration of the suspension and or disqualification.
    • If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Y.S.S.C. be injurious, or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Y.S.S.C., the Committee of the Y.S.S.C. 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 Y.S.S.C. 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 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 Y.S.S.C. except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such a meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.

Finance

  • An account shall be opened with the YORKSHIRE BANK PLC in the name of THE YORKSHIRE SHETLAND SHEEPDOG CLUB and all Club money lodged to that account. All payments made by cheque and signed by two of the appointed Officers. An investment account shall be opened with a Building Society or Post Office and money transferred as and when directed by the Committee.
    • No expense shall be incurred by the Officers or Committee beyond the funds of the Club.
    • The financial year shall end on December 31st and the accounts shall be certified and a copy of the Balance Sheet sent to all members.

General Meetings

  • The Annual General Meeting shall take place in the first four months of the year. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears in the Agenda, except at the discretion of the Chairman.
    • All members shall receive notice of, together with a request for items for inclusion on the Agenda and proposal forms for Officers and Committee at least 60 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Items for inclusion on the Agenda and completed nomination forms should be in the hands of the Secretary 45 days prior to the Meeting, so that all members can receive the Agenda and Balance Sheet at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting. In a case of emergency the notice of the Meeting will be given in the Dog Press.
    • A Special General Meeting can be called at any time by the Secretary of the Club or on the written request of ten members of the Club. All members shall receive at least 14 days notice and agenda by post previous to a Special General Meeting. No business other than that named in the Agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting. The Committee of the Club is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting.
    • The Rules of the Club shall not be altered except at a General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. Any alteration of Rules passed at such meetings shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given approval of the alteration.
    • 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 Club’s assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.

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 continuance of Registration and that by July 31st each year, other returns, as stipulated in 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 Club which may occur during the course of the year.

Sections of the Club

  • The Club can form Sections in areas where there is a strong following of Club members, but these cannot be formed without permission of the Officers and Committee of the Y.S.S.C.
    • Sections to have a Chairman and a Secretary and/or Treasurer, one of whom must be a member of the Y.S.S.C. Committee, and a Section Committee of at least six must be appointed to deal with matters appertaining to the Section.
    • The Section’s Annual General Meeting must be held within one month after the Y.S.S.C.’s Annual General Meeting. The Section’s Annual Accounts must be produced at the Section’s A.G.M.
    • Section Committee Meeting minutes must be copied and sent to the Y.S.S.C. Secretary within 21 days if possible for approval of the minutes.

Judging Lists

  • The Secretary shall keep a list of judges willing to officiate at shows. These lists shall be prepared by the Judges Sub- Committee on the basis of the YSSC Judges List Selection Criteria.
    • No support will be offered at any show unless the Judge appointed is on the Club’s official B or C Lists.
    • The new list shall operate from January 1st each year.

Appeals

  • The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.