(1) NAME
The council shall be called:-
“THE GREAT DANE BREED COUNCIL” (“The Breed Council”)
(2) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Membership of the Breed Council shall be open to all UK Kennel Club (“The Kennel Club”) registered Great Dane Clubs (together the Member Breed Clubs”).
The Breed Council shall make recommendations to The Kennel Club regarding applications to register new Great Dane Breed Societies.
The Breed Council is to be the consultative and information centre of excellence for the breed.
The Breed Council shall not have executive powers.
The Breed Council may not make changes/alterations to a Great Dane Breed Clubs Rules/Constitution.
The Breed Council shall not request/recommend to The Kennel Club, changes to the Great Dane Breed Standard without agreement of 75% of the Member Breed Clubs.
The Breed Council shall not be eligible to hold any Kennel Club licensed event.
The Breed Council shall not be able to join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
The Breed Council shall consider any matter referred to it by The Kennel Club.
The Breed Council shall maintain a Hereditary Register in conjunction with the breed’s Health Co-ordinator.
The Health Co-ordinator shall be responsible for raising the awareness of health and Welfare matters affecting Great Danes.
(3) OFFICERS
The Officers shall comprise: – Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who, upon election, shall serve for a 3-year period.
All Officers of the Breed Council shall be Honorary and shall be Members of a Member Breed Club. The Treasurer and Vice Chairman should preferably be serving Officers or Committee Members of a Member Club.
No two or more Officers shall be current serving Officers or Committee Members of the same Member Breed Club
The Officers shall retire on a rotational basis i.e. one Officer retires each year with the exception of the Vice Chairman and Secretary who shall retire in the same year.
All Officers shall be eligible for re-election.
Officers of the Breed Council shall be entitled to claim expenses properly incurred in carrying out their particular management functions including, but not limited to postage, printing, telephone calls, provided that suitable invoices/receipts are supplied. These expenses shall be defrayed from the Breed Council funds and no individual shall be deemed to incur responsibility in respect of same.
(4) ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Each participating Breed Club may nominate one candidate for each Office whose eligibility shall accord with Section 3 – Officers.
Nominations must be received by the Secretary in accordance with the timescales as laid down for items to be included on a Breed Council Meeting Agenda, together with written notice from the candidate accepting such nomination.
Only the names of those persons nominated (and eligible for nomination) shall be included in the Breed Council Meeting Agenda.
The Officers shall be elected, by those Member Breed Clubs represented, at a Breed Council Meeting immediately prior to the Breed Council Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”). In the event that there is more than one candidate nominated for office, a ballot shall be held at that Meeting. Each Member Breed Club, represented at that Meeting may cast one vote in the ballot for each Office. The candidate achieving a simple majority shall be duly elected to the Office for which he or she was nominated.
In the event that an Officer should resign or vacate the Office during his or her period of Office, an election to fill this vacancy shall take place at the first Breed Council Meeting following that resignation. The newly-elected Officer shall serve for the remainder of the outgoing Officer’s term of office.
(5) COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of two delegates from each of the Member Breed Clubs (“the Delegates) who should, for the sake of continuity, be the same two Delegates from each Member Breed Club with the option to change as the need arises.. Only two Delegates per Member Breed Club shall attend the Breed Council Meetings, one of whom maybe an Officer of the Breed Council. They must attend having their Club’s full authority to vote on the Clubs behalf on all matters arising from the Agenda.
No Delegate shall be allowed to make the Council a means of private speculation or trade or directly derive a monetary gain.
Both the elected Health Co-ordinator and KCLC Representative shall be invited to attend every meeting of the Breed Council in order to provide a report to the Breed Council but shall have no voting rights.
(6) HEALTH CO-ORDINATOR
The Health Co-ordinator shall be the single point of contact for The Kennel Club and Member Breed Clubs in respect of Great Dane breed health issues and represent The Breed Council in respect of the same. The election of the Health Co-ordinator shall be in accordance with Section 4 – Officers, of this Constitution and shall serve a 3-year period when they will be eligible for re-election.
(7) KCLC REPRESENTATIVE
The Member Clubs shall nominate a candidate in accordance with Section 4 – Officers of this Constitution, to represent the Breed Clubs on the Kennel Club Liaison Council. The KCLC Representative shall be appointed/elected, and his or her term of office determined, in accordance with The Kennel Club Rules and Regulations as may be amended from time to time.
The KCLC Representative shall be invited to every Meeting of The Breed Council to provide a report on those matters that are within their terms of reference as specified by The Kennel Club. The KCLC Representative may make recommendations to the Breed Council arising out of those terms of reference.
(8) SUB – COMMITTEES
The Committee may appoint sub-committees for specific purposes, the terms of reference for which shall be determined by the Committee. A sub-committee shall consist of no fewer than 3 persons.. A sub-committee shall appoint a chairman from its own number by a simple majority vote. The Chairman of a sub-committee shall be responsible and accountable to the Breed Council for the conduct of the sub-committee and shall report its findings/recommendations to the Breed Council in accordance with its terms of reference. No two or more members of a sub-committee shall be current serving officers or committee members of the same Member Breed Club.
(9) VOTING
The Member Breed Clubs are entitled to one vote on any issue to be voted upon by the Committee.
The Chairman shall not attend the Meeting in the capacity of Delegate,
With the exception of the Vice Chairman (unless chairing the meeting) the remaining Officers shall not attend the meeting as a Delegate.
The Chairman shall not have a casting vote on any issue to be voted upon by the Committee. If any motion voted upon by the Committee fails to achieve a simple majority the motion fails and cannot be carried (save for motions which seek to amend the Great Dane Breed Standard which require the agreement of 75% of the Member Breed Clubs).
(10) MEETINGS
There shall be a minimum of two Breed Council Meetings per calendar year with additional meetings held as deemed necessary.
The meetings to be generally held in the Spring and Autumn.
5 (five) Delegates, each being from a different Participating Breed Club, shall form a quorum for a meeting.
Written notification of meetings shall be sent to the Secretaries of the Member Breed Clubs by The Breed Council Secretary 90 days in advance of the proposed date.
The Agenda is to be formulated by the inputs from the Member Breed Clubs and relevant Kennel Club information. The Breed Council Secretary is to be furnished
with the Items for the Agenda, by the Member Breed Clubs no later than 60 days prior to the Meeting.
Items for inclusion are to be accompanied by the rationale for inclusion.
The Agenda, confirmation of the date, time and venue, is to be sent to the Member Breed Club Secretaries no later than 30 days prior to the Meeting. The Member Breed Club Secretaries shall be responsible for distributing the details of Meetings, and any supplementary materials pertaining to the Agenda, received from the Breed Council to their respective Delegates.
Minutes of the Meetings shall be distributed by the Breed Council Secretary to the member Breed Club Secretaries no later than 30 days following the Meeting.
(11) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (”AGM”) shall be held before the last day of June each year and may be attended by the Delegates and fully paid up members of the Member Breed Clubs.
Notice of the AGM shall be posted in the Canine Press (Dog World and Our Dogs) and on The Breed Council’s website, advising that fully paid up members of the Member Breed Clubs may attend.
The AGM shall receive a report of the Committee and the Balance Sheet and discuss any item duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice of 60 days has been given by the Secretary. The Agenda shall be sent to the Secretaries of the Member Breed Clubs no later than 30 days prior to the AGM.
To announce the Officers elected from the nominations received in accordance with this Constitution.
Non Delegate attendees shall not have voting rights.
No business shall be transacted at the AGM unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, except for routine matters or those that in the opinion of the Chairman are urgent.
(12) SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting of The Breed Council shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a requisition in writing signed on behalf of no fewer than 5 (five) Member Breed Clubs whereupon 30 days notice, in writing, shall be sent by the Secretary to the Secretaries of all Member Breed Clubs, specifying the object(s) of the meeting, to which discussion shall be confined.
(13) REPORTS ON MEETINGS
No Delegate shall take it upon themselves to publish, or cause to be published or communicate in any way, either in part or in whole, an account of the proceedings of any Meeting of The Breed Council, save where Delegates are providing reports to their respective Member Breed Clubs. Any report to the press shall only be made by the Chairman, Secretary or Health Co-ordinator following authorisation of the Committee.
(14) ACCOUNTS AND FINANCE
Any monies raised by The Breed Council shall be placed in a major bank/building society account. Withdrawals from the account up to £200 without referring to the Council must contain the signatures of two of the Officers of The Breed Council, one of whom shall be the Treasurer.
The signatories must not be related or reside at the same address.
The Member Breed Clubs shall each pay an annual subscription to the Breed Council, which shall be collected by the Treasurer (the “Annual Subscription”). The Annual Subscription shall become payable on 1st January each year.
The level of the Annual Subscription shall be recommended by the Treasurer and must be agreed by a 75% majority of the Member Breed Clubs at Meeting of the Breed Council.
The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
The Accounts are to be certified annually by a qualified Accountant.
(15) ANNUAL RETURNS
The Officers acknowledge that by the 31st July each year, returns, as stipulated by The Kennel Club Rules and Regulations, shall be forwarded to The Kennel Club and shall include a copy of The Breed Council’s Constitution (incorporating all proposed amendments); the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Officers; a copy of the statement of the Annual Accounts and a copy of the Judges List.
The Officers acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of any change of Secretary which may occur during the course of the year.
(16) AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
The Breed Council Constitution may not be altered except at an AGM, notice of which must include the details of the proposal to alter the Constitution. Any proposed alteration must be brought to the notice of The Committee within the timescales laid down for the submission of items for Meeting Agendas, agreed by the Committee, presented to the AGM. Amendments to the Constitution shall be approved at the AGM by simple majority and then subject to approval by The Kennel Club.
(17) FINAL COURT OF APPEAL
The Council recognises that The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Constitution of The Breed Council in all cases relating to canine or Breed Council matters.
(18) DISPOSAL OF ASSETS
In the event of The Breed Council ceasing to exist, a Final Statement of the Audited Accounts, with a record of the disposal of Assets shall be forwarded to The Kennel Club within 6-calendar months of such disposal.
The named Officers of The Breed Council forwarded to The Kennel Club shall be responsible to The Kennel Club for the proper winding up of The Breed Council.
The assets shall be divided equally between the Member Breed Clubs.
(16) JUDGES LIST
The formulation of a unified judges list subject to annual review by the Breed Council in accordance with the Kennel Club Rules and Regulations and Code of Best Practice. The Breed Council Judges List shall be circulated to all Member Breed Club Secretaries.
A1 LIST
A2 LIST
A3 LIST (Breed Specialist)
B LIST
C LIST
And notes as per KC Rules
April 2014