THE ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL CLUB
Rules and Conditions governing Membership

1. THE NAME AND OBJECTS OF THE CLUB

1.1. The name of the Club shall be called the “English Springer Spaniel Club,” its strategic objective is to raise the relevance of the Club in the eyes of all English Springer Spaniel Owners, so as to better able  to protect and promote in every way the breeding, general improvement, health and well-being of the English Springer Spaniel’.

This objective is to be achieved by:

• Accepting the KC Breed Standard for the English Springer Spaniel as the sole standard;
• Promoting the Kennel Club Breed Standard for the English Springer Spaniel as the only recognised and unvarying standard by which they must be judged at Shows;
• Awarding prizes of merit to English Springer Spaniels and supporting Shows and Field Trials;
• Recognising the importance of English Springer Spaniel health and welfare and promoting their breeding in accordance with Ethical Guidelines;
• Encouraging the development of all those concerned with the English Springer Spaniel through education and training;
• Popularising English Springer Spaniel events, focusing on the retention of existing customers and the attracting of new; and
• Taking any other steps, approved by the Committee of the Club, and in accordance with Kennel Club Rules and Regulations, to do all in its power to protect and advance the interest in this variety of Sporting Spaniel.

MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB – OFFICERS & COMMITTEE

2.1. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by the Officers and Committee in accordance with the Rules of the Club. The Committee shall consist of twelve Members (with a maximum of eighteen – the actual number required for the following year to be decided upon by the Committee dependant on forthcoming Club business) and the Officers of President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Field Trial Secretary.

2.2. Subject to Rules, the Officers shall hold office from the date of an Annual General Meeting until the date of the following Annual General Meeting, and shall be eligible for re-election. Committee Members are appointed for a term of two years and approximately fifty percent of the Committee Members shall retire annually in rotation but shall be eligible for re-election.

2.3. There is also provision for the appointment of Vice-Chairman, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Field Trial Secretary, if the Officials and Committee of the English Springer Spaniel Club deem those positions to be necessary. When appointed, these positions are deemed to be Officers of the Club and they shall hold office from the date of an Annual General Meeting until the date of the following Annual General Meeting, and shall be eligible for re-election if appropriate.

2.4. All appointed Officers (which Includes the President) and Committee Members should have full voting rights at Committee Meetings and General Meetings.

2.5. No individual who has been a member of the English Springer Spaniel Club for less than 1 year may be elected as an Officer or Committee Member.

2.6. No Officer of this Club can serve as an Officer of any other English Springer Spaniel Club or Society.

2.7. 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.

2.8. Any Officer or Committee Member of the English Springer Spaniel Club can exhibit at any of the Club’s Shows, provided that they do not receive or process entry forms for English Springer Spaniel Club Shows. If an English Springer Spaniel Club Officer or Committee Member does receive or process entry forms for the Club’s Shows then they are prohibited from exhibiting/handling dog(s) at those Shows. This includes dogs that they own in joint partnership with any other person.

3. POWERS OF THE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

3.1. The property and management of the Club shall be vested in the Officers and Committee jointly, who shall have power at any time to call a Meeting of the Club, to arbitrate in disputed matters, to elect Members, to vote prizes or subscription to any Show or Field Trial Meeting, to appoint Sub-Committees and to carry on the general business of the Club.

3.2. The Officers and Committee shall have the power to deal with any question which may arise and is not provided for by the Rules, and to fill any vacancies occurring in their number between General Meetings, or arising under Rule 6.8. Those persons co-opted shall only hold office until the next General Meeting of the Club, at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place. Any person co-opted shall have voting rights at Committee Meetings.

3.3. The Committee shall have the power to deal with all expenses incurred on behalf of the Club.

4.  COMMITTEE MEETINGS

4.1. At all Committee Meetings, the Chairman of the Club shall officiate, in their absence the President shall officiate, and in their absence the Vice-Chairman if elected shall officiate. In the absence of all appropriate persons, the Committee Members present shall elect one of their numbers present to act as Chairman. At all Meetings, the person acting as Chairman shall have a casting vote and their ruling shall be binding.

4.2. Meetings of the Committee shall be held not less than once a year. The quorum for a Meeting of the Committee shall be five.

4.3. At least seven days’ notice shall be sent of every Committee Meeting, together with an Agenda of business to be transacted, unless in case of emergency at a Field Trial Meeting.

4.4. The accidental omission to give notice to any Members of any Meeting of the Club, or of the Committee, and the non-receipt by any Member of any such notice shall not affect the validity of the proceedings of such Meeting.

4.5. The Secretary in conjunction with the Chairman shall have the power to summon a Sub-Committee Meeting by the giving of seven days’ notice.

4.6. Any Officer or Committee Member failing to attend at least three of any organised events and/or meetings in the course of the year, and failing to tender apologies for absence, shall be deemed to have ceased to be a member of the Committee.

4.7. At the commencement of every Committee Meeting, the Minutes of the preceding similar Meeting shall be approved, and confirmed.

4.8. Voting at Committee Meetings shall be by secret ballot or by a show of hands, as decided by the majority at each Committee Meeting.

4.9. No prizes, Cups, or Subscriptions shall be granted to any Show or Field Trial, which is not held under the Rules of the Kennel Club.

5.  ELECTION OF MEMBERS

5.1. The Club shall have an unlimited number of Members and there will be no restriction on their place of residency.

5.2. Each candidate for admission as a Member must be proposed by one Member and seconded by another. The election of Members shall be vested solely in the Committee and shall be by secret ballot at the committee meeting, five Members to form a quorum, and two objections to exclude.

5.3. In between Committee Meetings, the election of new Members may also be by postal ballot, each Member of the Committee being given the names of the new Member, their proposer and seconder, and if no objection is made to the Secretary within seven days of this notification the Member shall be deemed to be elected, confirmation of which shall be brought forward at the next Committee Meeting.

5.4. An up to date list of Members and their addresses must be maintained and, if so requested, made available for inspection by the Kennel Club and Members of the Club. A declaration of the number of Members of the Club must be made with the Annual Returns.

5.5. Member’s names and addresses are held on computer and the information is used to compile the statistics that are sent as a statutory annual requirement to the Kennel Club. The information is also used by the Club to send Members information about the ESSC. The information stored is not used in any other way.

5.6. Honorary Life Members of the Club may be elected by the General Meeting at its discretion, in recognition of services to the Club in particular or the Breed in general.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS / VOTING RIGHTS

6.1. The annual subscription for Members shall be due on 1^stJanuary each year. Any Member failing to pay his subscription each year shall, ipso facto, cease to be a Member of the Club, but may be reinstalled by the Committee on furnishing what they consider to be a satisfactory explanation, and paying arrears of subscription due.

6.2. The annual subscription rate shall be such amount as agreed by Members in General Meeting notified to the Kennel Club.

6.3. No Member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to vote at any meeting or win any trophy offered by the Club. As the payment of subscription will entitle a Member to enjoy every benefit the Club can impart, so is his acquiescence in the rules furnished to them hereby distinctly implied.

6.4. A joint Membership shall be available to any partnership. A partnership being limited to two persons. Members of such partnerships to have the privileges of individual Members.

6.5. Members are entitled to vote immediately upon acceptance of Membership.

6.6. Membership fees must be paid at least one month in advance of the Annual General Meeting or any Special General Meetings in order to allow a Member to have voting rights.

6.7. Any Member renewing their Membership, or joining the Club, after 31^stJuly each year will, ipso facto, still be a Member of the Club, but will not be recorded on the Kennel Club’s records for that year, but when the Kennel Club list is revised the following year.

6.8. Once Members have been accepted for Membership, and providing they continue to pay their Membership subscriptions at the correct time, they cannot be refused renewal of Membership. With the exception of default on subscriptions, the only way to remove a Member from the Club’s register is by following the procedure defined in paragraph 7 re Expulsion of Members.

6.9. Any Member may withdraw from the Club at any time on giving notice to the Secretary, provided always that such Member shall be liable for his Subscription for the current year in which he gives notice and shall have no further claim, upon resignation taking place, on any of the property or funds belonging to the Club.

7. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

7.1. Any Member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j (5) and/or any Member whose dog (s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j (9) shall, ipso facto, cease to be a Member of the Club.

7.2. 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, 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 Club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel them.

7.3. 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 they 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, their name shall forthwith be erased from the List of Members, and they shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a Member of the Club, except that they may, within two calendar months from the date of such Meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as the Kennel Club may impose.

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

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

8.1. The Annual General Meeting is held to receive the report of the Committee and Balance Sheet, to elect Officers and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Honorary 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 Meeting are urgent.

8.2. The Annual General Meeting shall be held early in each year on a date to be fixed by the Committee and a notice of the Meeting shall be sent to each Member at least six weeks prior to the date of the Meeting.

8.3. A Notice of the Annual General Meeting will be published in the Dog Press at least 6 weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

8.4. The Secretary must receive all nominations for Officers and Committee, and any other items for the Agenda, at least 21 days before the Annual General Meeting.

8.5. The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting will be circulated at the Annual General Meeting

8.6. The names of all candidates for nomination shall be submitted to ballot amongst the Members attending the Annual General Meeting.

8.7. Any ballots that take place at the Annual General Meeting shall be conducted on paper and the Chairman at the Meeting shall appoint scrutineers.

8.8. Postal Votes/Proxy Votes are not allowed.

8.9. No resolution passed at an Annual General Meeting shall be altered or rescinded at subsequent General Meetings unless due notice has been given to Members and the subsequent Meeting is attended by twenty-five Members.

8.10. At an Annual General Meeting the President or, in their absence, the Chairman shall act as Chairman of the meeting.

8.11. The Chairman shall present an Annual Report to the Annual General Meeting.

9. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

9.1. The Officers and Committee shall have the power to call a Special General Meeting whenever they deem it to be appropriate.

9.2. A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary if the ESSC President sends a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so.

9.3. A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary if not less than ten percent of the ESSC Members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so.

9.4. Notice of a Special General Meeting shall be posted to Members at least fourteen days prior to the date of the Meeting.

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

9.6. Any ballots that take place at a Special General Meeting shall be conducted on paper and the Chairman at the Meeting shall appoint scrutineers.

9.7. Postal Votes/Proxy Votes are not allowed.

9.8. At a Special General Meeting the President or, in their absence, the Chairman shall act as Chairman of the Meeting.

10. CLUB ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL YEAR

10.1. The financial year of the Club shall run from 1^stJanuary to 31^stDecember each year.

10.2. The Club shall have its own Bank Account in the name of The English Springer Spaniel Club.

10.3. The Club may have a Deposit or any other suitable Savings Account only in the name of The English Springer Spaniel Club.

10.4. All revenues of the Club shall be paid into the Club Bank Account.

10.5. Withdrawal from the Club Bank Account shall only be made on the signature of any two of four named serving Officers of the Club. For this purpose, named serving officers shall always include the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

10.6. Only one member of a family or partnership may be a signatory to the Club Accounts at any one time.

10.7. The Club shall not be used to provide direct monetary aid or loans to individuals or others in financial difficulties.

10.8. Financial Statements shall be prepared annually by the Treasurer to comprise an Income and Expenditure Account and a Balance Sheet together with any other supporting statements, which disclose the financial affairs of the Club.

10.9. The Financial Statements shall be certified by a person(s) independent of the Club of suitable qualification who shall Report on the Financial Statements in accordance with current Accounting Practice. (Note: Certification of Accounts to be carried by one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience)

10.10. The certified Financial Statements shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting by the Treasurer, or in his absence, the Chairman.

10.11. Copies of the Financial Statements shall be available at the Annual General Meeting, or by specific request to the Treasurer

11. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB

11.1. The Officers of the Club acknowledge that during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for the continuance of Registration and that by the 31^stJuly 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 shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club.

11.2. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

12. DISSOLUTION

12.1. In the event of the Club being wound up a final Statement of Accounts shall be rendered to the Kennel Club, and any assets distributed as the Committee may decide. All Challenge Cups shall be returned to the Donor or awarded to the Competitor who has won them the most times.

12.2. If the Club is wound up or ceases to be a registered Club under Kennel Club Regulations, a Final Statement of Certified 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 of the Club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club, shall be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.

13. AMENDMENT TO CLUB RULES

13.1. The Rules of the Club may not be altered except at a General Meeting, the notice of which contains specific proposals to amend the rules.

13.2. Any proposed alteration to the rules may not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration.

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

14. KENNEL CLUB FINAL AUTHORITY

14.1. The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules of the Society in all cases relevant to canine or Club matters.

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

15. BREED CLUB JUDGES LISTS

15.1. The Kennel Club advises that Registered Breed Clubs/Societies must produce a list of Judges each year, which must be submitted to the Kennel Club as part of the Breed Club’s Annual Returns. The purpose of the List of Breed Club Judges is to indicate to interested parties those persons a Breed Club would support at differing levels of judging.

15.2. Membership of the Club must not be a prerequisite for inclusion in the lists.

15.3. Judges Lists should be divided into four parts namely, A1, A2, A3 & B and must indicate the date on which the list will expire. On expiry a new list must be completed.

• A1 List – Judges who have previously been approved to award CCs in the Breed and have carried out the appointment. 
• A2 List – Judges who, if invited to judge by a Club/Society, would in principle be approved by the Kennel Club to award CCs in the Breed for that occasion. 
• A3 List – Judges who are recommended by the Club as being suitable to award CCs in the Breed, but not yet approved by The Kennel Club for inclusion on an A2 list.
• B List – Judges who have been approved by the Breed Club to judge at Shows without CCs or at Open Shows 
• The Kennel Club advises that such Lists should be prepared by a Judges Sub Committee, consisting of at least 75% CC Judges for the Breed, appointed by the Committee of the Club. Judges Sub Committee members need not be Members of the Club’s Committee. Lists Compiled are not subject to ratification by the Committee or Membership of the Club.

15.4. The Kennel Club recommends that such lists be prepared by secret ballot of the Club’s Judges Sub Committee, and Clubs must clearly indicate to Members the method by which persons may be nominated for inclusion in the ballot and indicate the judging experience necessary for inclusion of a person’s name in the list. With this in mind, the ESSC has a Judging List ‘Policy & Procedure’ in place and a clearly defined list of criteria that has to be met for inclusion on each of the lists.

March 2006