Club Rules

 

Name and Objectives
The name of the club shall be the West Lancs French Bulldog Club (hereinafter referred to as the WLFBC) and its objectives shall be;

1. Conducting The Affairs

The Affairs of the WLFBC will be conducted for the benefit of its members and will not be classed as a trading business. Any surplus funds that have been generated from the various activities will be maintained for the further promotion of the objects of the WLFBC.

2. Officers and Members

The officers and members of the WLFBC may consist of:

The Patron and President shall be ex officio members of the committee, but shall not have voting rights. The officers of the WLFBC being the chairman, secretary and treasurer, shall be ex officio members of the committee, but shall have voting rights and in addition the chairman may exercise a casting vote. None of the above mentioned officers may be held by a person under the age of 18 years.

3. Terms of Office

The chairman, secretary and treasurer shall hold office for a term of three years after this term they shall be eligible to stand for re-election. They shall retire in the above named rotation, commencing with the chairman in 2016. The committee shall be elected for the term of two years and shall be eligible for re-election. Half shall retire annually and commencing in 2017, those with surnames when listed alphabetically fall on odd numbers will serve for a term of two years and those, which fall on even numbers, will serve for a term of one year in this first instance. The committee will propose a Patron and President and if these are endorsed by simple majority at the General Meeting then they will be invited to accept the posts until the next Annual General Meeting. The holders of the above positions will be entitled to Honorary Membership of the WLFBC during their tenure of office. The chairman, secretary and treasurer shall hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected. Except in an emergency, no person may hold simultaneously more than one named position in the WLFBC.

The agenda for General meetings will be available at the meetings, those members who require copies prior to the meeting must contact the secretary, at General Meetings joint membership is restricted to a maximum of two votes. Overseas members, junior members and no person under the age of eighteen years will be entitled to vote at General Meetings.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 30th of April at a venue and time decided by the committee. At least 42 clear days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all current members by e-mail, direct mailing, or Facebook page. The Annual General Meeting shall be held to receive the reports of the officers and the certified statement of accounts for the last financial year, to appoint one qualified accountant or two individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts. to certify the accounts, to receive the result of the ballot for committee members and officers from the appointed scrutinisers and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda, of which at least fourteen days prior notice in writing has been given to the secretary. No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those that in the opinion of the chairman of the meeting are urgent. At Annual General Meetings only those eligible members who are present will be entitled to vote.

The officers and committee for the current year shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, all nominees must be paid up members of the WLFBC and shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members of the WLFBC, and shall be made in writing, together with the nominee’s signature of consent, and received by the secretary no later than 28 clear days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. If the number of nominees exceeds the number of vacancies the secretary shall send out numbered voting papers at least 18 days prior to the meeting. These voting papers must be returned, in the envelope provided, to the scrutinizers postmarked at least ten days prior to the meeting. The scrutinisers shall submit the result of the ballot in a sealed envelope to be opened by the chairman of the Annual General Meeting in the presence of the members. Those names obtaining the highest number of votes will be elected to fill the vacancies for the ensuing terms of office and in the event of a tie, a ballot of fully paid up eligible members at the meeting will decide. In all other instances the voting at meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless otherwise agreed. The scrutinisers shall keep the ballot papers in a sealed envelope for a minimum of one calendar year. The chairman shall have a casting vote. The chairman’s ruling on any matter shall be binding. No member of the WLFBC committee may take office on the committee of any other French Bulldog Club, society or association etc without the consent of the WLFBC committee. No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the committee or hold any office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
Should any position fall vacant during a term of office, the committee may, by co-opting a member if necessary, fill the vacancy according to the above criteria, and the person shall complete the remaining term of office.

A special general meeting shall be called by the secretary if directed to do so by the committee, or on having received a written request which has been signed by twenty fully paid up members, excluding junior and overseas members, who have been members of the WLFBC for at least the proceeding twelve calendar months. No less than forty two days’ notice will be given to members by e-mail, Facebook or direct mailing to all fully paid up members. No business other than that matter on the agenda may be discussed at a special general meeting. Twenty members shall form a quorum at special general meetings, one of whom must be an officer, except when the committee has called such meetings when a number of members required to form a quorum will be eight.

The rules of the club shall only be altered at Annual or Special General Meetings, the notices of which must include detail of all proposed changes. Any alterations to the rules shall not be brought into force until they have been submitted to and approved by the Kennel Club.
New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet the Kennel Club’s requirements shall be adopted immediately and such changes will be included in the new WLFBC rules which will be put to members for ratification at the next Annual General Meeting.

The officers 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 continuance of registration and by the 31st of July each year, other returns, as stipulated in the Kennel Club Regulations for the registration and maintenance of title of societies and breed councils an d affiliation of agricultural societies and municipal authorities be forwarded to the Kennel Club together with a list of names and addresses of members.
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.

The secretary shall call a meeting of the committee as often as is deemed necessary but at least every four months. 4 will be a quorum at committee meetings, one of whom must be an officer, all must have voting rights. At the first meeting following each annual general meeting, the committee will chose a vice-chairman from within its ranks to preside over committee meetings in the absence of the elected chairman, and in such capacity, that person will assume the voting rights of the elected chairman. With the approval of the committee the secretary shall be permitted to appoint from the committee an assistant secretary. Any member of the committee who is absent from two meetings (AGM to AGM) shall have his/her attention drawn to the fact and unless a valid reason is forthcoming then the said member’s seat may be declared vacant.

Judges Lists, prepared in accordance with current Kennel Club practice, shall be included in the Club’s Annual Returns to the Kennel Club. The Club reserves unto itself the right to produce a list of judges.

Membership shall be divided into 4 categories; single, joint, honorary and Family, single members are entitled to vote at general meetings. Joint members, who shall have the full privileges of membership, are a family living in the same household, or two persons who exhibit in partnership. Family members and partnerships are entitled to up to two votes. Junior membership shall cease on the 31st of December following the members 18th birthday. Junior members shall not be entitled to vote. Annual subscriptions shall be such sums as the committee shall determine from time to time and approved at an annual general meeting.
The committee shall have the power to grant Honorary Membership for life or a shorter period as it may decide, and during this time such persons shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of fully paid up members. It is a condition of all types of membership that members must agree to their names and addresses being stored on computer for club mailing purposes, as member’s lists in WLFBC publications and also forwarded to the Kennel Club as and when required.
No Member whose subscription is not fully paid up shall be entitled to any privileges of membership. If the annual subscription for the renewal of membership is not fully paid prior to the date of the annual general meeting and / or special meeting the committee shall have the power to erase the name(s) from the list of members. However if all of the arrears are subsequently paid the committee shall have the power to restore the name to the membership list.

Candidates for membership of the WLFBC shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members and will be considered at Committee meetings. Two or more negative votes will exclude.

Any member who shall be Disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and 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 WLFBC be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the WLFBC, the committee of the WLFBC 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 WLFBC shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution n to expel him / her. Notice of the special general meeting shall be sent to the accused member, giving the particulars of the complaint and advising the date, time and venue 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 WLFBC except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such a condition as the Kennel Club may impose. Should any member be expelled for discreditable conduct in connection to dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions then the matter will be reported to the Kennel Club in writing within seven days.

The financial year of the WLFBC shall be from the 1st of January to 31st of December. There shall be banking accounts in the name of the WLFBC into which all revenue shall be paid, and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signature of two of the three officers, one of whom shall be the treasurer. Any form of electronic banking that permits transfer of WLFBC funds to any accounts not in the name of the WLFBC shall require the written authority of the signatories as specified above.
The treasurer shall keep the accounts and supply certified accounts for the financial year prior to the annual general meeting. The resulting balance sheet will be presented to the members at the annual general meeting but may be available to members prior to the meeting upon request. All material and documents concerned with any financial aspect of the WLFBC will be retained for a further minimum period of five calendar years after that financial year to which they relate and may only be disposed of with the specific permission of the committee.

The management of the WLFBC shall be vested in the officers and committee, which shall have the power to make bylaws and decide matters not provided for by the rules. However the Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the rules of the WLFBC and for all cases relating to canine or club matters.

All cups, trophies and awards that have been donated to the WLFBC shall be deemed to     be the sole property of the WLFBC, and it is only under the condition that they are accepted.   The officers and committee shall make every effort to ensure that the wishes of the donors will be respected.

The property of the WLFBC shall be vested in the officers and committee and in the event of the WLFBC ceasing to exist; a special general meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any assets. A final statement of certified accounts with a record of disposal of the property of the WLFBC must be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months, and the persons named as officers and committee of the WLFBC on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the WLFBC.

The WLFBC shall not join any federation of societies or clubs without the specific consent of the Kennel Club.
February 2016

Code of Conduct

Code of Ethics
All members of the West Lancs French Bulldog Club undertake to abide by its general Code of Ethics. Members will, when breeding dogs, adopt as a minimum standard the principles, requirements and recommendations as embodied in the Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder Scheme. It is strongly recommended that members who breed should apply to join the scheme.

Members:

• Will properly house, feed, water and exercise all dogs under their care and arrange appropriate veterinary attention if and when required.
• Will agree without reservation that any veterinary surgeon, who performs an operation on any of their dogs which alters the natural conformation of the animal, or who carries out a caesarean section of a bitch, may report such operations to the Kennel Club.
• Will agree that no healthy puppy will be culled. Puppies which may not conform to the breed standard should be placed in suitable homes.
• Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act* (see details below)
• Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog or to the breed.
• Will not allow any of their dogs to roam at large or to cause nuisance to neighbours or those carrying out official duties.
• Will ensure that their dogs wear properly tagged collars and will be kept on a leash or under effective control when away from home.
• Will clean up after their dogs in public areas or anywhere their dogs are being exhibited.
• Will only see dogs where there is reasonable expectations of a happy and healthy life and will help with the rehoming of a dog if the initial circumstances change.
• Will supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance concerning responsible ownership when placing dogs in a new home.
• Will ensure that all relevant Kennel Club documents are provided to the new owner when selling or transferring a dog, and will agree, in writing, to forward any relevant documents at the earliest opportunity, if not immediately available.
• Will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers or directly or indirectly allow dogs to be given as a prize or donation in a competition of any kind. Will not sell by sale or auction Kennel Club registration certificates as stand-alone items (not accompanying a dog)
• Will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise dogs or mislead any person regarding the health or quality of a dog.

Breach of these provisions may result in expulsion from membership, and / or disciplinary action by the Kennel Club and / or reporting to the relevant authorities for legal action as appropriate.

Breeding Charter

The primary aim of breeding a litter will be to produce French Bulldogs which are structurally and temperamentally sound and conform to the breed standard.

• When planning a litter or the use of a stud dog, breeders must ensure that all breeding stock is Kennel Club registered and preferably permanently identifiable by DNA profile, microchip, or tattoo.
• Breeders, to ensure there is always a reasonable expectation of placing puppies in suitable homes, should adopt a planned breeding programme.
• Breeders should ensure that they have facilities and knowledge to ensure the well-being of a bitch and puppies.
• A bitch cannot be mated under 16 months of age.
• A bitch cannot whelp after her eighth birthday (except when approval of the Kennel Club has been given)
• A bitch cannot whelp more than twice in a 12 month period.
• A bitch cannot whelp more than 4 litters
• Stud dog owners should give help and advice to novice breeders.
• Stud dog owners must refuse the use of their dog if there is any doubt as to the intentions of the breeder.
• Stud dog owners must refuse the use of their dog on bitches that are of an un recognised colour, i.e. blue, chocolate, merle, sable and any combination of these colours.

It will be as much the stud dog owner’s responsibility, as that of the brood bitch owner, to ensure that these guidelines are observed and adhered to.

• Ensure that Prospective owners are informed of the special characteristics and requirements of the breed and provide an effective advisory service to new owners. (i.e. information booklets)
• Actively assist with the rehoming of a French Bulldog, if the initial circumstances change or are found to be unsuitable.
• No puppy shall be placed in a new home until physically and mentally ready and not under the age of eight weeks.
• Where necessary it will be inoculated
• Special care must be taken when exporting French Bulldogs Facilities are often available to check prospective owners and guidance should be sought in any cases of doubt.

There guidelines create a common basis for all, and ensure that puppies are guaranteed a fair start with the expectation of a long, healthy and happy life. Used with discretion they can be the means whereby the committee may be empowered to ask a member to answer a complaint against him / her and in extreme cases, in conjunction with Rule 15 expel a member from the WLFBC.

*The Animal Welfare Act makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met. It says that an animal’s welfare needs include;

• A suitable environment (how it is housed)
• A suitable diet (what it eats and drinks)
• The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns;
• Any need it has to be housed with, apart from, other animals and protect
• Protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease.