Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland
Rules and Regulations Effective From October 2021
NAME
1. The name of the Club shall be The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland, a specialist Breed Club.
OBJECTIVES
2. The objectives of the Club shall be:-
· To improve the breeding of Bernese Mountain Dogs by complying with the Breed Standard as approved
· To promote and advance the interests of the breed
· To adopt and publish a Breed Standard
· To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
3. The Club shall consist of a committee and an unlimited number of members. The Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President shall be ex-officio members of the club. The committee shall comprise of :-
· Chairperson
· Vice-Chairperson
· Secretary
· Treasurer
· Three ordinary members
The Irish Kennel Club Representative need not be a member of the committee but can be elected to the position, being a fully paid up member of the club. However no member of the Committee of another Bernese Mountain Dog Club may be a member of the Committee of this Club. The management of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. A quorum for committee meetings will be five (5).
4. The Chairperson or temporary Chairperson of any meeting shall have an ordinary vote and a casting vote in the event of a tie. Questions arising at Committee Meetings shall be decided by a majority of those present and voting.
5. In the case of an office becoming vacant, the Committee shall have the power to elect one of their members to fill the vacancy and to co-opt a member of the Club to fill the resulting vacancy on the Committee or any other Committee vacancy. Any member co-opted onto the Committee shall be proposed and seconded and a vote taken at the next Annual General Meeting.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS
6. All candidates for membership shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members of the Club. Application for membership shall be made in writing on the Club’s official form which shall include a signed declaration to abide by the Rules of the Club and the Code of Ethics of the Irish Kennel Club, and shall be accompanied by the appropriate subscription. Such applications shall be considered at least thirty (30) days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall have the power to accept or reject applications by a simple majority. In the case of rejections, monies shall be refunded.
LIST OF MEMBERS
7. The Club shall keep a record of the names and addresses of fully paid up members, this list shall be available to members to view at the Annual General Meeting.
CLUB PROPERTY
8. The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. In event of the Club being dissolved, all Cups, Trophies and Club records and property shall be handed over to the Irish Kennel Club who will act as custodians thereof. The Irish Kennel Club shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute and in all cases relative to canine or Club matters.
CLUB ACCOUNTS
9. Any bank or other account operated by the Treasurer or any member on behalf of the Club must be in the name of the Club. The Treasurer shall receive all monies, keep a proper record of receipts and payments and report the financial status of the Club at each meeting of the Committee. Any withdrawals from any Club accounts shall be over the signatures of any two or three persons nominated by the Committee not residing in the same household. The Treasurer shall also submit an audited Income and Expenditure Account to the members at the Annual General Meeting. An independent Auditor(s) shall be appointed each year at the Annual General Meeting. No member is powered to pledge the credit of the Club without obtaining the authority of the Committee and all items of expenditure shall come before the Committee for approval.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
10. All annual subscriptions for the following year shall be due at the conclusion of each Annual General Meeting, and any members whose subscription is not paid by the 31st November shall be automatically erased from the register. The present membership subscriptions are:-
Single (1 person)
€15/£14
Joint (2 partners)
€20/£19
Family *(e.g. mother, father and 3 children = 5)
€20/£19
Europe & UK (except NI)
€25/£25
Overseas
€30
*Number in Family must be stated when subscription is paid annually. Children are those under the age of 18. Junior members must reapply for separate membership on reaching 18 years of age.
All fully paid up members over eighteen (18) years of age, present at the Annual General Meeting, shall be entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting and any General Meeting convened.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
11. The Officers and Committee shall have the power to require the resignation of any member whose conduct is deemed to be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. If requested by the member in question, the Committee shall call a Special General Meeting at which the member shall have the right to speak in his/her defence. The decision of the Committee shall be ratified or rescinded by a majority of members present and voting at that Special Meeting. Twenty-one (21) day’s notice in writing must be given for any Special Meeting and only items on the Agenda may be discussed.
12. Any member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland who knowingly sells a dog to a Puppy Farmer, Dealer, Commercial Outlet or their agents or has any dealings with such or sells to the Far East will be expelled from the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland.
13. Any member who may be suspended by the Irish Kennel Club shall automatically and for the same period be regarded as suspended from membership of the Club.
14. No member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland shall be involved in any way with the Cross Breeding of Bernese Mountain Dogs
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
15. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held each year before the end of October at a suitable place and on a date agreed by the Committee. The Secretary shall notify each member of the date of the Annual General Meeting a minimum of fourteen (14) days beforehand. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be eight (8) inclusive of Committee Members. All Officers and Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall assume office on the completion of the said Annual General Meeting. Any candidate for election as an Officer or Committee Member shall have been proposed and seconded by members of the Club/Society. If a person is nominated and is not present at the Meeting, such nominations shall not be accepted unless the written consent of the nominee to accept the position shall have been deposited with the Secretary prior to the commencement of the Meeting, except under extenuating circumstances. At the Annual General Meeting, if requested by any member present, the elections for all positions shall be held by secret ballot.
16. All officers and Committee, other than the Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President, shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall assume office on the completion of the said Annual General Meeting. Any candidate for election as an Officer or Committee member shall have been proposed and seconded by members of the Club. All persons standing for election should endeavour to attend the Annual General Meeting. When enough eligible committee members are available, no two Officers of the club should be from the same household.
17. Any proposed changes to the Rules of the Club must be notified to the members by the Secretary and included in the Agenda of the next Annual General Meeting. These must be passed by at least two thirds (2/3) of those present and voting with the exception of Rules insisted on by the Irish Kennel Club and, when passed, must be submitted to the Irish Kennel Club for their approval.
RESCUE & REHOMING
18. The Breed Rescue Scheme shall be administered by the current Officers and Committee members of the Club. A copy of these Rules is available from the Secretary.
19. The Club going forward will always run a Rescue and Re-Homing service.
20. The Club going forward will always raise funds for Rescue and these are to be segregated from the Club funds and protected under future committees.
Rules and Regulations Effective From October 2021
NAME
1. The name of the Club shall be The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland, a specialist Breed Club.
OBJECTIVES
2. The objectives of the Club shall be:-
· To improve the breeding of Bernese Mountain Dogs by complying with the Breed Standard as approved
· To promote and advance the interests of the breed
· To adopt and publish a Breed Standard
· To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
3. The Club shall consist of a committee and an unlimited number of members. The Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President shall be ex-officio members of the club. The committee shall comprise of :-
· Chairperson
· Vice-Chairperson
· Secretary
· Treasurer
· Three ordinary members
The Irish Kennel Club Representative need not be a member of the committee but can be elected to the position, being a fully paid up member of the club. However no member of the Committee of another Bernese Mountain Dog Club may be a member of the Committee of this Club. The management of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. A quorum for committee meetings will be five (5).
4. The Chairperson or temporary Chairperson of any meeting shall have an ordinary vote and a casting vote in the event of a tie. Questions arising at Committee Meetings shall be decided by a majority of those present and voting.
5. In the case of an office becoming vacant, the Committee shall have the power to elect one of their members to fill the vacancy and to co-opt a member of the Club to fill the resulting vacancy on the Committee or any other Committee vacancy. Any member co-opted onto the Committee shall be proposed and seconded and a vote taken at the next Annual General Meeting.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS
6. All candidates for membership shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members of the Club. Application for membership shall be made in writing on the Club’s official form which shall include a signed declaration to abide by the Rules of the Club and the Code of Ethics of the Irish Kennel Club, and shall be accompanied by the appropriate subscription. Such applications shall be considered at least thirty (30) days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall have the power to accept or reject applications by a simple majority. In the case of rejections, monies shall be refunded.
LIST OF MEMBERS
7. The Club shall keep a record of the names and addresses of fully paid up members, this list shall be available to members to view at the Annual General Meeting.
CLUB PROPERTY
8. The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. In event of the Club being dissolved, all Cups, Trophies and Club records and property shall be handed over to the Irish Kennel Club who will act as custodians thereof. The Irish Kennel Club shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute and in all cases relative to canine or Club matters.
CLUB ACCOUNTS
9. Any bank or other account operated by the Treasurer or any member on behalf of the Club must be in the name of the Club. The Treasurer shall receive all monies, keep a proper record of receipts and payments and report the financial status of the Club at each meeting of the Committee. Any withdrawals from any Club accounts shall be over the signatures of any two or three persons nominated by the Committee not residing in the same household. The Treasurer shall also submit an audited Income and Expenditure Account to the members at the Annual General Meeting. An independent Auditor(s) shall be appointed each year at the Annual General Meeting. No member is powered to pledge the credit of the Club without obtaining the authority of the Committee and all items of expenditure shall come before the Committee for approval.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
10. All annual subscriptions for the following year shall be due at the conclusion of each Annual General Meeting, and any members whose subscription is not paid by the 31st November shall be automatically erased from the register. The present membership subscriptions are:-
Single (1 person)
€15/£14
Joint (2 partners)
€20/£19
Family *(e.g. mother, father and 3 children = 5)
€20/£19
Europe & UK (except NI)
€25/£25
Overseas
€30
*Number in Family must be stated when subscription is paid annually. Children are those under the age of 18. Junior members must reapply for separate membership on reaching 18 years of age.
All fully paid up members over eighteen (18) years of age, present at the Annual General Meeting, shall be entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting and any General Meeting convened.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
11. The Officers and Committee shall have the power to require the resignation of any member whose conduct is deemed to be prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. If requested by the member in question, the Committee shall call a Special General Meeting at which the member shall have the right to speak in his/her defence. The decision of the Committee shall be ratified or rescinded by a majority of members present and voting at that Special Meeting. Twenty-one (21) day’s notice in writing must be given for any Special Meeting and only items on the Agenda may be discussed.
12. Any member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland who knowingly sells a dog to a Puppy Farmer, Dealer, Commercial Outlet or their agents or has any dealings with such or sells to the Far East will be expelled from the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland.
13. Any member who may be suspended by the Irish Kennel Club shall automatically and for the same period be regarded as suspended from membership of the Club.
14. No member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland shall be involved in any way with the Cross Breeding of Bernese Mountain Dogs
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
15. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held each year before the end of October at a suitable place and on a date agreed by the Committee. The Secretary shall notify each member of the date of the Annual General Meeting a minimum of fourteen (14) days beforehand. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be eight (8) inclusive of Committee Members. All Officers and Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall assume office on the completion of the said Annual General Meeting. Any candidate for election as an Officer or Committee Member shall have been proposed and seconded by members of the Club/Society. If a person is nominated and is not present at the Meeting, such nominations shall not be accepted unless the written consent of the nominee to accept the position shall have been deposited with the Secretary prior to the commencement of the Meeting, except under extenuating circumstances. At the Annual General Meeting, if requested by any member present, the elections for all positions shall be held by secret ballot.
16. All officers and Committee, other than the Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President, shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall assume office on the completion of the said Annual General Meeting. Any candidate for election as an Officer or Committee member shall have been proposed and seconded by members of the Club. All persons standing for election should endeavour to attend the Annual General Meeting. When enough eligible committee members are available, no two Officers of the club should be from the same household.
17. Any proposed changes to the Rules of the Club must be notified to the members by the Secretary and included in the Agenda of the next Annual General Meeting. These must be passed by at least two thirds (2/3) of those present and voting with the exception of Rules insisted on by the Irish Kennel Club and, when passed, must be submitted to the Irish Kennel Club for their approval.
RESCUE & REHOMING
18. The Breed Rescue Scheme shall be administered by the current Officers and Committee members of the Club. A copy of these Rules is available from the Secretary.
19. The Club going forward will always run a Rescue and Re-Homing service.
20. The Club going forward will always raise funds for Rescue and these are to be segregated from the Club funds and protected under future committees.
