1. Name and Objects

The Name of the Club shall be the ‘Border Collie Club of Ireland’.

The objects of the Club are to develop the general care and well-being of the breed and to promote the breeding, showing and working of Border Collies.

The Club shall affiliate to the Irish Kennel Club Limited.

2. Membership

The annual Membership subscription shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting and may be revised from time to time at such meetings.

The present membership subscription shall be as follows – Single Membership €10.00, family or joint membership €15.00. Application for membership shall be made in writing on the Clubs official form, which shall include a signed agreement to abide by the Rules of the Club and the Rules and Code of Ethics of the Irish Kennel Club Ltd and shall be accompanied by the appropriate subscription. Such applications shall be considered by the Committee at least 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.

On election of an individual to membership, the Secretary shall send that member a copy of the Rules of the Club.

All annual subscriptions for the following year shall be due at the conclusion of each Annual General Meeting and any Member whose subscription is not paid 30 days before the next Annual General Meeting shall not be entitled to voting rights at the Meeting. The Club year shall commence on the 1st day of September and membership fee’s are payable on that date.

The Club shall keep a record of the names and addresses of fully paid up members and that list should be available for inspection at all Committee and Annual General Meetings / Extraordinary General Meetings.

3. Officers and Committee

The affairs of the Club shall be managed by the Officers and Committee elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall resume office on completion of 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 at the Annual General Meeting. A member may be elected in their absence, however, 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.

The Committee shall consist of six (6) Honorary Members – Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and three (3) Ordinary Members.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt a replacement member to the committee with full voting rights only in the event of a resignation or death of a member.

The Chairperson or Temporary Chairperson of any Meeting shall have an ordinary vote and a casting vote only in the event of a tie. Questions arising at Committee Meetings shall be decided by a majority of those present and voting. The quorum at a committee meeting shall be three (3).

4. Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in September or October each year, on a date fixed by the committee, for receiving the Chairperson’s Annual Report, the Secretary’s Annual Report, the Treasurer’s Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account and for the election of Officers. The Secretary shall notify each member of such meeting a minimum of 21 days beforehand. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be 5.

The Irish Kennel Club representative shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting after the election of Officers.

No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters and Any Other Business or those which the Chairperson or the majority of members present, deem urgent.

The Committee may call an Extraordinary General Meeting on any matter(s) of urgency. No business other than the matter(s) on the Agenda or those which the Chairperson or the majority of Members present, deem urgent, can be discussed at such a meeting. 21 days notice in writing of such meeting shall be sent to each Member of the Club.

The Committee shall also be obliged to call an Extraordinary General Meeting on requisition of half of the Members of the Club stating the subject(s) to be discussed. No business other than the matter(s) on the Agenda or those which the Chairperson or the majority of Members present, deem urgent, can be discussed at an Extraordinary General Meeting. 21 days notice in writing of such meeting shall be sent to each Member of the Club.

5. Proxy Voting

No Proxy votes shall be allowed at Committee / Annual General Meetings / Extraordinary General Meetings.

6. Club Accounts

No Member is empowered 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.

The Club will only reimburse legitimate receipted expenses incurred by a Committee or Ordinary member acting on behalf of the Club provided such expenses are agreed in advance at a committee / Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting.

The Treasurer shall receive all monies and keep a proper record of receipts and payments. A banking account in the name of the Club shall be operated, any withdrawals from these Accounts shall be over the signatures of any two or three persons nominated by the Committee. Accounts shall be circulated to all the Committee Members together with the Minutes and Committee Meeting notification. Professionally audited accounts or a statement signed by the Treasurer and one other Committee member shall be circulated to all the members together with the Minutes and Annual General Meeting notification.

7. Club Property

The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee.

8. Club Trophies

All Club Trophies are confined to fully paid up members. Trophies can only be handed over on receipt of a signed indemnity form.

9. Expulsion of Members

Any Member who shall be suspended by the Irish Kennel Club Ltd., shall automatically be deemed suspended by the Club and for the same duration as the Irish Kennel Club Ltd. suspension.

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 interests of the Club, they may at a meeting, the notice convening which includes as an object the consideration of the conduct of the member, determine that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club be called for the purpose of voting on a resolution to expel him/her.

Notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to the accused member and all other members in writing 21 days before said date, giving particulars of the complaint and advising of the place, date and time of the meeting so that he/she may attend, offer an explanation and may also bring a representative.

If at that meeting and after full discussion, a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present, his/her name shall forthwith be erased from the list of Members of the Club, and shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club except that he/she may within two calendar months from the date of such meeting, appeal to the Irish Kennel Club Ltd. upon and subject to such conditions as the Irish Kennel Club Ltd. may impose.

The legal implications of the decision of the two-thirds majority present at an Extraordinary General Meeting must be indicated to the entire membership and must be included with the notification of such a meeting.

An expelled Member can only be re-admitted for membership by a two-thirds majority vote of Members present at an Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting.

10. Amendments to the Constitution

The Constitution may be amended or added to by Ordinary Resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members of the Club in and Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting provided the Committee and Members have been notified in writing of the resolution 21 days in advance of that meeting and when passed must be submitted to the Irish Kennel Club for their approval.

11. Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved by Special Resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members at an Annual General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting provided 21 days notice of intention to propose such a resolution has been sent to each member.

On dissolution, the assets shall be realized and the funds of the Club remaining after the liquidation of its just liabilities shall not be paid to, or distributed among the members of the Club, but, shall be given or transferred to the Irish Kennel Club Ltd., to be held in trust or passed to a body with similar aims to the Border Collie Club of Ireland.

In the event of the Club being dissolved, all cups, trophies and club records and property shall be handed to the Irish Kennel Club Ltd. who will act as custodians thereof.

12. Irish Kennel Club Limited - Disputes

In any event not covered by this Constitution the issue shall be decided upon by the Committee.

The Irish Kennel Club Ltd. may be asked to arbitrate if so desired by any parties involved in a matter of dispute.

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.