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If you require a printer-friendly version of the
constitution and rules, they are available as a Microsoft Word© document by clicking here.
The Oriental
Shaded, Smoke & Tabby Society
Constitution & Rules
1.
NAME
The organisation shall be called "The Oriental
Shaded, Smoke, & Tabby Society", hereinafter referred to as 'the
Society'.
2. OBJECTS
The objects of the Society
shall be:
| a. |
To promote interest in all Shaded, Smoke,
& Tabby varieties of Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair cats. |
| b. |
To be 'UK based' to allow all members the
opportunity to participate. |
| c. |
To provide and disseminate information on
the breeding of Shaded, Smoke & Tabby varieties and the requirements of the
Breed Standard. |
| d. |
To promote the improvement of the colour,
pattern and type in the Shaded, Smoke & Tabby varieties. |
| e. |
To provide guidance for all people who
share an interest in the varieties. |
| f. |
To encourage and promote the exhibition and
competition of Shaded, Smoke & Tabby varieties. |
| g. |
To promote the breeding of healthy kittens
which conform to the Breed Standard. |
| h. |
To encourage the protection and welfare of
all domestic cats. |
3. MEMBERSHIP
| a. |
The Society shall consist of an unlimited
number of Ordinary Members and Honorary Members. Honorary Members and members
under the age of 16 years shall have no voting rights. |
| b. |
There will be three categories of ordinary
membership:
| i. |
Single Membership |
| ii. |
Joint membership, which shall be
available to joint prefix holders, two people resident at one address and two
people jointly owning Orientals. |
| iii. |
Concessionary membership, which shall
be available to persons under the age of 16, over the age of 65 and GCCF Judges
on the Oriental Longhair and Oriental Shorthair Judging Lists. |
|
| c. |
Honorary members shall be persons who, in
the opinion of the Committee, may be or have been of service to the Society,
and non-UK residents (e-mail only). Honorary and Overseas Members shall have no
vote. |
| d. |
Application for Membership shall be on the
Society's application form countersigned either by a member of the Society or
by the applicants vet, and shall be submitted to the Honorary Secretary with
the appropriate fee. |
| e. |
First time applicants must be approved by
the Committee who may withhold approval at their discretion. The Committee need
not give reasons for refusal of Membership. |
| f. |
Membership will be granted subject to the
application receiving the support of at least two-thirds of those present and
voting at the first committee meeting following receipt of membership
application. |
| g. |
Members are required to have knowledge of,
and abide by, the Constitution and Rules of the Society. |
| h. |
Members are required to comply with the
Constitution and Rules of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. |
| i. |
Notification of meetings, agendas and other
documentation will be distributed by e-mail or post if so requested. |
| j. |
If, in the opinion of the Committee, the
conduct of any Member has been prejudicial to the welfare, breeding or
exhibiting of cats, or to the interests of the Society, the Committee may,
after giving that Member an opportunity of being heard, expel the Member from
the Society. |
| k. |
Anyone convicted in the courts of cruelty
to any animal shall automatically be expelled. |
| l. |
Any Member suspended under Article 12 of
the Constitution of the GCCF shall be expelled. |
| m. |
Notice of any Committee Meeting when the
question of expulsion is to be discussed must be given to the Member concerned,
and the Member, if he or she so desires, may attend to state his or her case.
Not less than twenty-one days notice of such a Meeting must be given. Any
Member expelled shall have the right to appeal to the Annual or an
Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society and to attend to state his or her
case, and if the appeal is supported by a simple majority of those present and
voting, he or she shall be re-instated. |
| n. |
Any Member suspended under Article 12 of
the Constitution of the GCCF and wishing to rejoin after expiration of the
suspension must apply for re-election to the Society. |
4. SUBSCRIPTIONS
| a. |
The subscription rate shall be determined
annually by the Committee and be ratified by the members at the Annual General
Meeting. |
| b. |
Payment is due on joining the Society. |
| c. |
Annual subscriptions shall be due and
payable on the 1st January each year. |
| d. |
The Society's financial year is from 1st
January to 31st December. Members joining in the last quarter of the year will
be offered membership up to 31st December of the following year. |
| e. |
No Member shall be entitled to vote at any
Meeting or to enjoy any privilege of Membership whilst his or her subscription
remains unpaid. |
5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
| a. |
The affairs of the Society shall be managed
by a Committee consisting of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary,
Honorary Treasurer and five other elected Members. |
| b. |
Deleted 9th March
2008 |
| c. |
Members elected to the Committee will serve
for three years before retiring from the Committee. All retiring Committee
Members shall be eligible for re-election. One-third of the Committee including
Officers shall retire each year. |
| d. |
Nominations for Committee shall be invited
from the Members who have paid their subscription for the current year. All
nominations, except in the case of existing Committee Members who are agreeable
to stand for re-election, shall be in writing and must be signed by the nominee
and a proposer, both of whom must be fully paid-up Members of the Society. All
nominations must reach the Honorary Secretary four weeks prior to the Annual
General Meeting. The Committee will be elected by paper ballot at the AGM.
|
| e. |
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary
Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected by the Committee Members,
from amongst their number at a Meeting held immediatly after the Annual General
Meeting. Candidates for these offices shall be proposed and seconded by the
Committee Members and elected by a paper ballot. |
| f. |
An honorary President and up to three
honorary Vice-Presidents shall be nominated by the Committee and ratified as
necessary at the Annual General Meeting. Such elections are for life. |
| g. |
If any Officer or Committee Member is
absent from three consecutive committee meetings without acceptable apology, he
or she shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee. This may be waived
in extenuating circumstances |
| h. |
The Committee may co-opt any Member onto
the Committee, with full voting rights, to fill a vacancy for the unexpired
term of the original Member. Co-options onto the Committee with voting rights
must be ratified at the next AGM. |
| i. |
The Committee may also co-opt additional
Members in an advisory capacity should the need arise, such Members will have
no voting rights. |
| j. |
The Committee may appoint any sub-Committee
to carry out any specific functions of the Society and persons serving on such
sub-Committees need not be Members of the Committee or the Society. |
| k. |
The Committee is empowered to deal with any
matters not specifically provided for in this Constitution, and shall have the
power to make such byelaws as are not inconsistent with these rules to cover
any matter arising in the management of the Society. |
6. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
| a. |
The Officers shall act generally under the
authority of the Committee |
| b. |
The Committee shall administer the policies
and business affairs of the Society and shall organise and authorise the
collection and payment of all monies. |
| c. |
Committee Members may be appointed to carry
out specific roles as may be required from time to time. |
| |
7. CHAIRMAN
The Chairman
shall:
| a |
Take the chair at every Meeting of the
Society at which he or she is present and ensure that the Meetings are
conducted in an orderly manner in accordance with the rules of the
Society. |
| b |
Preserve an impartial and fair attitude in
all matters of debate, put all motions to the vote and declare the results
which shall constitute the official result of such voting. |
| c |
Request the withdrawal of any person who is
in his/her opinion guilty of grossly improper behaviour, providing that he/she
issues to such a person a prior warning. |
| d |
At all Meetings the Chairman of the Meeting
shall have a vote. Where there is no majority the status quo will prevail;
where there is no position to be maintained the Chairman of the meeting will
have a casting vote where required. |
8. HONORARY SECRETARY
The Honorary
Secretary shall:
| a. |
Manage the day to day business of the
Society. |
| b. |
Conduct correspondence on behalf of the
Society. |
| c. |
In consultation with the Chairman call
meetings and notify all members by e-mail or post of meetings and events. |
| d. |
Keep minutes of all meetings. |
| e. |
Maintain a register of Members. |
| f |
Inform new Members of their acceptance to
the Membership and supply them with a copy of the Constitution. |
| g. |
Arrange show support. |
| h. |
The Honorary Secretary shall have a vote on
all matters. |
9. HONORARY TREASURER
The Honorary
Treasurer shall:
| a. |
Hold all monies received on behalf of the
Society in accounts opened on the authorisation of the Committee. |
| b. |
Manage the Society's funds held in a bank
or building society, as decided by the Committee. |
| c. |
All cheques must be signed by any two of
the Honorary Treasurer, Chairman and Honorary Secretary. |
| d. |
Defray on behalf of the Society all
expenses authorised by the Committee. |
| e. |
Provide to the Committee at each meeting a
detailed account of all income and expenditure. |
| f. |
Provide annually at the Annual General
Meeting a statement of income and expenditure and a balance sheet covering the
Society's financial year to December 31st, such statements to have been
examined by an independent person, and to make a copy available to all fully
paid-up Members. |
| g. |
Send a reminder to Members whose
subscriptions are outstanding. |
| h. |
The Honorary Treasurer shall have a vote on
all matters. |
10. MEETINGS
| a. |
Resolutions shall be passed by a simple
majority either by show of hands or by a paper ballot, as directed by the
Chairman unless specified in the rules. |
| b. |
Minutes of General Meetings and Committee
Meetings shall be recorded by the Honorary Secretary, or a person appointed to
that task, and shall be approved at subsequent Meetings and signed by the
Chairman. |
| c. |
In the absence of the Chairman or
Vice-Chairman of the Society, a Chairman of the Meeting shall be elected from
the Committee members present. |
11. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
| a. |
A General Meeting of the Society, to be
called the Annual General Meeting, shall be held not later than the last day of
May in each year. |
| b. |
Members will be notified by e-mail or post
at least six weeks prior to the AGM of the date of the meeting. |
| c. |
Agenda items must reach the Honorary
Secretary four weeks prior to the date of the AGM. |
| d. |
The Agenda for the Meeting, together with
the minutes of the previous AGM and a financial statement shall be sent to all
paid-up members either by e-mail or post not later than 14 days before the date
of the AGM. |
| e. |
The time and the place of every Annual
General Meeting shall be fixed by the Committee and specified in the notice
convening it. |
| f. |
A quorum at an Annual General Meeting shall
consist of ten members and must include at least one Officer of the
Society. |
| g. |
Matters relating to the Constitution must
be clearly stated on the AGM agenda sent to all Members, and for approval must
be supported by at least two-thirds of those present and voting. |
| h. |
An independent person, who shall not be an
Officer or a Committee Member of the Society, shall be appointed by the
Membership at the Annual General Meeting to examine the accounts for the
Society. |
12. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
| a. |
The Committee may summon an Extraordinary
General Meeting at any time should it consider that such a meeting is
necessary. |
| b. |
An Extraordinary General Meeting must be
held within two months of the receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a
requisition signed by not less than seven fully paid up Members. The request
must specify exactly the business for which such a Meeting is required. At a
Meeting summoned under this clause, no business other than the business on the
Agenda shall be transacted. The majority of voting members present at an
Extraordinary General Meeting shall decide who bears the cost of the meeting.
|
| c. |
Members will be notified by e-mail or post
at least six weeks prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting of the date of
the meeting. |
| d. |
The Agenda for the Meeting, together with
the minutes of the previous AGM and a financial statement shall be sent to all
paid-up members either by e-mail or post not later than 14 days before the date
of the Extraordinary General Meeting. |
| e. |
A quorum at an Extraordinary General
Meeting shall consist of ten members. |
13. COMMITTEE MEETINGS
| a. |
a) Committee Meetings shall be held as
required at dates and times to be decided by the Committee. Where possible
fourteen days notice of meetings shall be given. |
| b. |
Deleted 15 March
2009 |
| c. |
A quorum at any Committee Meeting shall
consist of five Committee Members at least one of whom must be an Officer of
the Society. |
| d. |
Committee Meetings may commence without a
quorum provided that decisions taken are subsequently confirmed by a quorate
Committee, or by a majority vote in a postal or e-mail ballot. |
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14. AFFILIATION TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE CAT
FANCY
Affiliation will be applied for when all the
requirements laid down by the GCCF can be satisfied, until such time the
Society will actively work towards affiliation.
| a. |
The Society shall seek affiliation to the
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and shall abide by all the rules of
affiliation and representation set down by the Council and as amended from time
to time in a constitutional manner. |
| b. |
Once affiliated to the GCCF the Society
shall be represented by a Delegate/s, or the nominated substitute Delegate, who
shall be elected by Members at the Annual General Meeting and shall serve for
one year (June to May commencing with the GCCF Electoral Meeting) and shall be
eligible for re-election. |
| c. |
All ordinary Members shall be eligible to
stand for election as Delegates and Substitute Delegates. |
| d. |
A Delegate, if not already a Committee
Member, shall be invited to attend Committee Meetings, but shall not have the
right to vote. |
| e. |
In the event of a vacancy for a Delegate
occurring between Annual General Meetings the Committee may appoint a Delegate
to serve until the following Annual General Meeting. |
| f. |
The GCCF shall have disciplinary powers,
according to its Constitution, over the Society and the Members thereof. |
15. TROPHIES
| a. |
The Society may have Annual Points Trophies
relating to GCCF shows. |
| b. |
Trophies will be accepted from donors as
and when they are offered, on the basis that ownership of the trophy passes to
the Society with immediate effect, and any trophy may be re-assigned if the
Committee decides it is appropriate. |
16. AMENDMENT OF RULES
| a. |
No new rule shall be made, nor shall any
rule be amended or rescinded unless notice of the proposed change has been
given on the Agenda of tan Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General
Meeting. |
| b. |
Any change to the rules must be supported
by at least two-thirds of those present and voting to be carried. |
17. AMALGAMATION OR WINDING-UP
| a. |
A motion for the winding-up of the Society
or for amalgamation with another club, association or society must be included
on the Agenda of a General Meeting. |
| b. |
At this General Meeting, but at no other
meeting, members shall be allowed to vote by proxy. Proxy forms will be
obtainable from the Honorary Secretary. |
| c. |
The motion to wind-up or amalgamate with
another club must be supported by at least two-thirds of those voting. |
| d. |
In the event that the Society is
amalgamated with another club, association or society all assets, funds and
trophies will transfer with the Society. |
| e. |
In the event that the Society is dissolved,
all trophies will be returned to donors wherever possible, and those not so
returned will be donated to other clubs at the discretion of the Committee. Any
remaining assets, including monies, shall be donated to a dedicated fund for
domestic cat welfare as agreed by this General Meeting and approved by at least
two-thirds of those present and voting. |
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Adopted March 16th 2003
Amended March 28th 2004
Amended March
20th 2005
Amended March 5th 2006
Amended June 25th 2006
Amended March
9th 2008
Amended March 15th 2009
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