CLUB RULES

The Black and White Cat Club Rules

 

These are the amended Club Rules which were ratified at the AGM held on the 8 February 2004.

1. The Club shall be called The Black and White Cat Club. Membership is open to all. The Club shall promote the breeding and exhibition of Black or White Persian and Black or White British Shorthair cats.

2. The Club shall assist its members when possible and shall promote the interest and care of all cats. It shall support other shows as well as its own and offer Cups and Trophies for competition during the year. The Club shall also assist its members by attending the relevant Self BAC and representatives will be elected from members of the Club at the AGM.

3. The Club shall consist of the following:

a. A President who shall be elected annually at the AGM.
b. Two Vice Presidents who shall be elected annually at the AGM.
c. Honorary Members.
d. Ordinary Members.
e. Life Members.

Application for life or ordinary membership shall be made in writing, with a proposer and seconder, who must both be Club members. They may be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the Committee. Honorary membership may be granted only at an Annual General Meeting of the Club and every honorary member shall be entitled to the same privileges as paying members, except for the right to vote.

4. Any member may withdraw from the Club on giving notice in writing to the Secretary of the Club. Such retiring members will have no claim whatever against the Club and to be liable for their subscription for the current year in which such notice is given.

5. The annual subscription shall be payable on election and on the 1st January each year. An entry fee is payable on admission to the club with the first annual subscription. Life membership may be granted at any time at the discretion of the Committee.

The rate of subscription for annual membership, life membership and the entry fee shall be decided at each Annual General Meeting for the following year. A member failing to pay the subscription by the 1st May shall be considered a lapsed member and on re-joining must pay the current joining fee.

6. Any member violating the Rules of the Club shall be liable to be expelled by the Committee and any member who shall be proved, to the satisfaction of the Committee, to have brought themselves into misconduct in connection with cats or cat shows, shall be expelled and the Club's support shall be withheld from any show where an expelled member is employed in any official capacity. Any member, including honorary and life members, suspended under Article 12 of the GCCF Constitution and wishing to rejoin after expiration of the suspension, must apply for re-election to the Committee. Members expelled by the club have a right to appeal to the membership.

7. The Club shall be managed by a Committee, which shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Cup and Show Support Secretary and seven members of the Club. The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Cup and Show Support Secretary shall be ex officio members of the Committee. In the event of the votes of the Committee being equally divided, the Chairperson shall have the casting or additional vote.

The Chairperson shall be elected by the Committee for a period of three years. The Vice Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Cup and Show Support Secretary shall be elected annually by the Committee at the Committee Meeting prior to the AGM. The remaining members of the Committee shall be elected for a period of three years.

Nominations for the Committee must be made by fully paid up members only, and sent to the Secretary who must receive such nominations in writing not less than 28 days prior to the date of the AGM.

These Committee members will be elected by the Club members at the AGM. The nomination must bear the signature of both the proposer and seconder and also the written consent of the nominee. All must be Club members.

All Officers of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. If any member of the Committee fails to attend two consecutive committee meetings, the Committee may, at its discretion and having given consideration to any special circumstances, deem the member to have resigned from the Committee. In this case, the Secretary shall inform the member in writing and he or she shall cease to be a member of the Committee unless re-elected thereto.

8. Should a vacancy occur at any time among the Committee, or among the other Officers of the Club, the Committee may fill such a vacancy from among the members of the Club, such election to be submitted to the next General Meeting for confirmation. In addition, the Committee may co-opt members it deems as necessary. Such members are unable to vote until ratified at the AGM. The Delegates and Substitute Delegate to GCCF who must be members of the Committee, shall be elected annually at the AGM.

9. Subject to these Rules, the Committee may make such regulations as they see fit, for the Conduct of the Club, or in relation to the objects and purposes of the Club, and shall have power to deal with any questions not provided for by the Rules. The Club cannot be responsible for any loss or injury to its members or exhibitors at any of its functions.

10. A General Meeting of the Club shall be held at least once a year, at such a time and place as the Committee shall decide. Six members of the Club shall be a quorum with at least three Officers attending such a meeting. fourteen days notice of every General Meeting shall be given to every member of the Club.

11. The Committee shall, at any time, upon requisition signed by a minimum of ten Club members, specifying precisely the business for which such a Meeting is required, summon a General Meeting of the Club. Fourteen days notice must be given to all members. The expenses incurred will be the responsibility of the ten Club members who have summoned the meeting.

12. Committee Meetings shall be held as often as the Honorary Secretary may think necessary and four ordinary committee members, including a minimum of three Officers, shall be a quorum for such meetings. Three Officers are required to be present as part of the quorum at meetings. The ordinary Committee shall become the Show Committee before and for the duration of the Show. And any decision made will be by a majority of the Show Committee. Where it is deemed necessary to hold a Show Committee Meeting the Show Management will be invited to the meeting.

13. Every General Meeting shall have the power to elect Honorary members, to consider and vote on any report the Committee may present, and on any resolution of which notice shall have been given to every member not less than fourteen days before. The voting at all General Meetings shall be by a show of hands or by ballot and the Chairperson shall have a casting vote only.

Where it is deemed necessary for the Club to fold, any monies held in various Savings and Bank accounts will be divided equally between members and all trophies remain the property of the Club but can be returned to respective donors, where possible. There must be a two thirds majority vote by membership to dissolve the Club.

14. All expenses reasonably incurred by the Officers and Committee for or on behalf of the Club, shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Club including traveling expenses.

15. A report shall be drawn up by the Honorary Secretary relating to the business of the Club for the past year.

A statement of Accounts, showing the financial position of the Club, including an income and expenditure account, supported by a balance sheet, and examined by an independent examiner will be presented at the AGM by the Honorary Treasurer and approved by the Committee and the AGM.

The Club funds should be kept in accounts in the name of The Black and White Cat Club and there must be at least three signatories available to sign the cheque's, one of which must be the Honorary Treasurer.

16. All Officers or members of the Club who have custody of the books, documents, records, property or monies belonging to the Club must, on request, surrender them to the Committee.

The Committee reserves the right to take any action it considers necessary to recover the Club's belongings should anyone fail to comply with this request. Any property belonging to the Club shall be returned to the Club Secretary or a Committee member within 28 days.

Each winner of a trophy is responsible for its safe keeping until its return. The Club's trophies shall then be the responsibility of the Cup and Show Support Secretary. Failure to return any trophy may lead to a fixed penalty disciplinary procedure by GCCF, Section 4, Paragraph 13.

17. No alteration can be made to the Rules except at a General Meeting and passed by two thirds of the members present at such a meeting.

The members of The Black and White Cat Club agree to the rules and disciplinary powers in accordance with the constitution of Governing Council of the Cat Fancy.