Rules of The Bull Terrier Club
The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the Club in all cases relative to canine and society matters.
Rule 1: TITLE
The Club shall be called ‘THE BULL TERRIER CLUB’. Every member shall upon payment of the Entrance Fee and Subscription become entitled to the benefits of the Club as provided in the Rules and such payment shall be deemed a declaration of his/her acquiescence in and acceptance of the following rules and amendments thereto.
Rule 2: OBJECT
The object of the Club shall be: –
- To promote and encourage the welfare, breeding, exhibition and betterment of pure bred Bull Terriers.
- To urge owners, breeders and judges to adhere to the standard of the Breed, approved by the Kennel Club.
- To be ready to propose and to support alterations in the Standard of the Breed as approved by the Kennel Club.
- To promote shows for the benefit of the Breed.
- To foster friendly relationships with and between other Bull Terrier Clubs at home and abroad and to encourage competitive events between Clubs.
- To provide training and instruction for breeders and judges.
- That the Club will not be classed as a trading business and all profits from whatever source, function or activity of the Club should be retained for the benefit of the Club and its Members.
RULE 3: COMPOSITIONS
The Club shall consist of the following who shall be elected according to the Rules here in after provided:-
- The President.
- An unlimited number of life Members, Honorary Members and Ordinary Members.
- The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee who shall be elected from the members of the Committee.
- The Honorary Officers namely the Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Show Manager and the Honorary Editor.
- A Committee comprising not more than 8 General Members and not more than 4 Regional Members and other such Members as may be co-opted.
RULE 4: MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE
The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Committee all of whom shall be resident in the United Kingdom and shall include the President for the time being, the Chairman and Vice Chairman The Honorary Officers and not more than eight elected General Committee Members and four Regional Members elected from Members residing in each one of the following regions and such Members are co-opted Members.
REGION 1
The principality of Wales, Avon, Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Isle of Wight, Kent, Somerset, Surrey, West & East Sussex and Wiltshire.
REGION 2
Cleveland, Durham, Humberside, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, North, West & South Yorkshire.
REGION 3
The whole of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands and Isle of Man.
REGION 4
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Greater London, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, Northants, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire.
A quorum of the Committee shall be six and must include two of the following: Hon. Secretary, Hon, Treasurer, Chairman, Vice Chairman or President.
Any Member of the Committee absent from three consecutive meeting except for reasons of health or other reasons considered adequate by the Committee shall be deemed to have resigned and the vacancy may be filled by co-option.
The Committee shall have the right to fill any vacancy by co-option and such Member so co-opted shall retire immediately before the Annual General Meeting following their co-option, with AGM paperwork declaring a vacant position.
The Committee shall have power to appoint Sub-Committee from their own body and the Members of the Club generally and others for such purposes as they may deem expedient.
Voting on the Committee shall be by a majority. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote, in addition to his/her vote
RULE 5: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Membership shall be open to the World.
There shall be an Entrance Fee and an Annual and Joint Annual Subscription, payable on the 1st January each year to the Hon. Treasurer of such sums as the Committee shall decide from time to time and confirmed by resolution at an Annual General meeting. Where two Members are husband and wife and/or partners a joint subscription may be applied for.
Applicants for membership shall complete the application form in writing, be proposed by a Member and be elected by vote of the Committee.
A Member elected after the 1st day of October of any year shall not be liable for any further subscription until the end of the next financial year.
Any Member who is financially indebted to the Club shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting or to have any of the benefits or privileges of the Club.
RULE 6: DEFAULTING MEMBERS
Any Member failing to pay his annual subscription by the first day of March shall cease to be a Club Member and will have his/her name removed from the List of Members, though remaining liable for the subscription due.
RULE 7: ELECTION TO OFFICE
- A) THE PRESIDENT
The Office of the President of the Club shall be held for a period of not more than three years.
At the last Committee meeting prior to the issue of the Notice of Annual General Meeting the Committee shall nominate to the Office of President Elect, a member of the Club on the principle that election to such office is the Prime Honour the Club may confer in recognition of long and distinguished service to the Club by such Member. The Committee nomination for President shall be put to and confirmed by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting.
During the currency of his/her term of office The President shall be entitled to attend all Committee Meetings of the Club and to Vote at such meetings.
- B) LIFE MEMBERS AND HONORARY MEMBERS
Life Members and Honorary Members of the Club may only be elected by the Committee but such election shall require confirmation by a majority of those present at the Annual General Meeting following the election.
Life and Honorary Members shall cease to be liable for payment of the annual subscription.
- C) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN
At the first meeting of the Committee after the Annual General Meeting the Committee shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman from amongst its General and Regional Members for the ensuing year. In the absence of the Chairman at any Committee Meeting the Vice Chairman will take the Chair. In the absence of both, a Chairman shall be elected for that meeting only.
- D) HONORARY OFFICERS
The Officers of Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Show Manager and Honorary Editor. Any member who resides in the United Kingdom is eligible to be nominated. Such positions are two year terms. Retiring Officers may offer themselves for re-election.
- E) GENERAL & REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS ELECTION & RETIREMENT
- Any Member of the Club who resides in the United Kingdom is eligible to a general vacancy on the Committee
- The Procedure for the election of Committee including Regional Members shall be that an invitation for nomination shall be sent out with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting. Nominations must be proposed and seconded by paid up members of the Club.
- The Committee shall make nominations to fill vacancies where an insufficient number of nominations have been received. When the number of valid nominations for vacancies on the Committee exceeds the number of vacancies a postal ballot shall be held.
- When a Ballot is necessary Ballot Papers showing the candidates and indicating the number of votes members may use shall be issued to all fully paid up members residing in the United Kingdom by the Honorary Secretary not later than 14 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting together with an envelope marked Ballot Paper and addressed to the Magistrate to whom the envelope must be returned not later than three days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
- The Magistrate shall forward in a sealed envelope to the Honorary Secretary a certificate of the results of the ballot count, which will be declared at the Annual General Meeting. In the case of a tie for one or more vacancies the decision as to which member will fill the vacancy will be by vote of the Committee.
- Two General Committee members and one Regional Committee member shall retire annually provided in each case such member has completed a period of three years’ service. Retiring Committee members may offer themselves for re-election.
RULE 8: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
An Annual General Meeting shall be held on a convenient day after the 1st March but not later than the 30th April each year, at a time and place to be decided by the Committee. The business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting shall be as follows: –
- Apologies
- To approve the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
- To confirm when appropriate the Committee nomination to the office of President of the Club.
- To present by the Hon. Secretary the Hon. Secretary’s report.
- To receive and if approved, adopt the statement, of accounts and balance sheets.
- To hear the Chairman’s observation.
- To receive the declaration of the result of the election of Committee Members and Honorary Officers subject to the provisions of Rule 7 (C), (D) and (E).
- To appoint the Auditors for the ensuing year.
- To transact any other ordinary business on the Agenda.
A notice convening the Annual General Meeting and stating when and where such meeting will take place shall be sent to the Club Members resident in the United Kingdom not less than eight weeks before the Meeting date.
The notice shall also contain the following: –
- The names of the Members of the Committee.
- The names of retiring Committee Members and whether or not seeking re-election.
- The number of vacancies to include those seeking re-election arising with a request for nominations.
- An Invitation to submit in writing, by post or electronic mail (email) nominations for Committee or Honorary Officers in accordance with the Rule 7.
- An Invitation to submit in writing, by post or electronic mail (email) any motions they desire to be discussed at the meeting.
- Any nominations or motions shall have a proposer and a seconder and to be valid must be received by the Hon, Secretary within fourteen days of the date of the Annual General Meeting Notice.
The Annual General Meeting Agenda together with the statement of accounts shall be sent to Members residing in the United Kingdom not later than fourteen days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
The Chairman of the Committee shall preside at the Annual General Meeting.
Voting at the Annual General Meeting shall be by a majority of those paid up members present at the Annual General Meeting. The Chairman of the Meeting shall have a casting vote, in addition to his/her own vote.
A quorum at the Annual General Meeting shall be ten person including at least four members of the Committee present throughout the meeting. A register of attendance shall be kept.
The minutes of the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all Members of the Club as soon as possible.
RULE 9: SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
Special General Meeting of the Club may be called following a vote by the Committee, or by a request in writing to the Hon. Secretary signed by at least thirty members, stating the nature of the business to be transacted.
The Honorary Secretary shall, within six weeks of the receipt of a request for a Special General Meeting, call such a meeting and shall issue a notice of the meeting and an agenda which shall be sent to all paid up members resident in the United Kingdom at least fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
A quorum at the Special General Meeting shall be 20 person including at least four members of the Committee present throughout the meeting.
The Chairman of the Committee shall preside at the S.G.M. Voting at the S.G.M. shall be by a majority of those paid up members present at the S.G.M. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.
A report of every Special General Meeting shall be sent to members resident in the United Kingdom within one month of the meeting.
RULE 10: ALTERATIONS TO RULES
Alterations or additions to the rules shall only be passed at an Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules.
Such alterations or additions shall not come into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval thereto.
RULE 11: FINANCE
Bank Accounts to include The Bull Terrier Welfare Scheme shall be maintained in the name of the Club, to be operated by the Honorary Treasurer along with one of the following officers: –
The Chairman, The Honorary Secretary or The Honorary Show Manager.
The Clubs financial year shall end on 31st December.
Certification of the accounts must be carried annually by a qualified accountant unconnected to the Committee. The certified accounts shall be made available to members 14 days prior to the AGM.
RULE 12: DISCIPLINARY POWERS, ETC.
Any member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11j (5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11j (9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of The Club
For the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification and if the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of The Club be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of The Club, the Committee of The Club 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 Club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him.
Notices of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused member giving particulars of the complaint and advising him of the place, date and hour that he may attend and offer an explanation.
If, at the Special General Meeting a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present voting, his name shall be forthwith erased from the list of Members and he shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a Member of The Club, except that he may within two calendar months appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club impose.
Any Member having been expelled from The Club shall not be entitled to recover any portion of his or her subscription or have any claim against The Club.
The Club shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs.
RULE 13: CLUB PROPERTY, TROPHIES, ETC.
The property of the Club including all the Clubs Cups and Trophies shall be vested in the Committee as trustees for the Members of the Club who, in the event of The Club ceasing to exist, shall decide on the disposal of the assets in consultation with the Kennel Club.
The competition for Club Cups and Trophies shall be governed by the special rules appertaining to each. The Committee shall decide which Club Cups; Trophies shall be put up for competition at any particular show.
The Committee shall have power to vary the terms of any of the special rules appertaining to each of The Club Cups and Trophies but any such variation shall have reasonable regard to the term of the special rules and to the wishes of the donor.
The Ormandy Jugs and the Raymond Oppenheimer Trophy for Breeder of the year shall be held by The Club in perpetual trust for the Breed.
RULE 14: MAINTENANCE OF TITLE
The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year other returns, as stipulated in the Kennel Club regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities, will be forwarded to the Kennel Club.
The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of the month in which the Society’s Annual General Meeting is held and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Hon. Secretary of The Club which may occur during the course of the year.
RULE 15: BANKRUPTS
No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a kennel club registered society.
RULE 16: MEMBERSHIP LIST
The Bull Terrier Club will maintain an up-to-date list of Members’ names and their addresses, and make the list of names available for inspection if so requested by the members of The Club or by the Kennel Club.
APPROVED — 13/04/89
AMENDED — 01/04/90
AMENDED — 10/04/94
AMENDED — 23/04/95
AMENDED — 27/04/97
AMENDED — 30/03/98
AMENDED — 22/04/00
AMENDED — 11/04/23
AMENDED — 12/11/23
