German Shorthaired Pointer Club Rules

  1. NAME
    The Club shall be called “The German Shorthaired Pointer Club”, referred to as “The Club”.
  2. OBJECTS
    The objects shall be to promote and improve the breed. The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
  3. MEMBERS
    There shall be an unlimited number of members, Associate members and Honorary Life members.
  4. PATRON, PRESIDENT, HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS AND OFFICER
    1. The Club may have a Patron who shall remain in continuing office.
    2. The Club may have a President who shall remain in office for five years but is eligible for re-election.
    3. The Club may have Honorary Vice Presidents who are Officers remaining in continuing office.
    4. The Club shall have the following Executive Officers: Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Membership Secretary remaining in office for five years but are eligible for re-election, each may be changed by a ⅔rd majority vote of those present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
  5. MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB
    1. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by and all its powers shall be delegated to a Management Committee consisting of not more than twelve members who shall be elected by postal ballot prior to the Annual General Meeting. The members of the Committee shall hold office for one year, but shall be elected individually. In addition, the Honorary Secretary of the Field Trial Committee and the Honorary Secretary of the Show Committee shall be non voting members of the Management Committee.
    2. The President and the Executive Officers shall be ex-officio members of the Management Committee, Field Trial Committee and Show Committee without vote.
    3. The Management Committee shall elect from its members a Chairman and Vice-Chairman to serve annually for the duration of the Committee, and until their successors are appointed, and they shall be ex-officio members, without vote, of all other Club Committees.
    4. The Management Committee may appoint members to fill the honorary posts, such as Legal Advisers, Veterinary Surgeons and Liaison Officer and have power to co-opt any member, and shall ensure that all interests of the Club are represented.
    5. The Management Committee shall meet at least four times annually and shall, subject to the provisions of the rules of the Club, have full power of management and control over the conduct and affairs of the Club and of exercising all such powers and functions relative to the Club as are not by the Club Rules required to be exercised by the Club in General Meeting.
    6. Five members shall form a quorum, of whom three shall be elected members.
    7. In order that the business of the Club shall proceed smoothly, the Honorary Secretary when necessary, and after consultation with either the Chairman or Vice-Chairman, shall be authorised to make decisions which accord with the policy of the Club. Such decisions shall be reported to the following meeting of the Management Committee.
    8. There shall also be elected annually by postal ballot, and announced at the Annual General Meeting, a Field Trial Committee, a Show Committee, and any other Committee which shall be found necessary. Each of these Committees shall consist of not more than twelve members, all of whom shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. Each Committee shall be responsible in its affairs to the Management Committee to which all policy recommendations must be submitted for consideration and approval before being put into effect. These Committees will elect their own Chairman and Honorary Secretary. Three elected members shall form a quorum. Minutes of all meetings must be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary of the Club within 14 days.
    9. A member of the Club is only eligible for election to a Committee of the Club, having been a fully paid-up member of the Club for a full calendar year and who has not misconducted himself/herself in any way in connection with dogs, dog shows or trials, or in any way acted in opposition to the fundamental principles upon which the Club has been established, or in any manner which would make it undesirable that he/she should serve on a Committee. Should any member be absent from meetings for three consecutive meetings, he/she is not eligible to serve on a Committee unless the reason for absence is approved by the Management Committee. Except in the case of a retiring member of a Committee seeking re-election, nomination for membership of any Club Committee shall be duly proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members and shall be in the hands of the Club Honorary Secretary 28 days before the day of the Annual General Meeting. The proposer must state that his nominee is willing to serve.
    10. No officer or member of a Committee of the Club may hold office or serve on a committee of another Breed Society for German Shorthaired Pointers without the written agreement of the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall have power to remove from office or from service on a committee of the Club any member who is found to be serving in an office or on a committee of such other society without having obtained the written agreement of the Management Committee.
  6. CLUB BRANCHES
    Any group of members living in a geographical area may apply to the Management Committee for the formation of a Branch. If the Management Committee agrees, it will apply to the Kennel Club for approval. When this is obtained, the Branch will be constituted and will be known as “The German Shorthaired Pointer Club…..Branch”. All Branches must conform to the German Shorthaired Pointer Club Rules for the Financing and Conduct of Branches. The Management Committee shall have the power to disband any such branch.
  7. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
    1. Candidates for membership of the Club shall be elected by the Management Committee. Each member of a joint membership must be individually elected by the Management Committee.
    2. The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so requested by the Kennel Club.
    3. Honorary Life Members – On the recommendation of the Management Committee, members may at an Annual General Meeting elect as Honorary Life Members of the Club any person considered to qualify for that distinction.
    4. Resignation of Members – Any member wishing to resign must give notice of this intention to the Honorary Membership Secretary on or before 15th February, otherwise he/she may be liable for his subscription for the following year. Any person upon ceasing to be a Club member shall forfeit all rights to any claim on the Club, its property and funds, nor shall he/she be entitled to have any part of his annual subscription for the current year refunded.
    5. Re-election of Members – A member who resigns or otherwise allows his membership to lapse and wishes to rejoin the Club must apply for membership as in Rule 7(a). The membership of any person which remains unpaid for a period of two months after the due date of 1st March shall be deemed to have lapsed. However, rejoining members may be considered for reinstatement by the Committee upon payment of the previous year’s arrears together with the current subscription.
    6. Expulsion of Members – Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j (4) and/or disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j (8) shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.

    If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Management Committee of the Club be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Management 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/her.
    Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member, giving particulars of the complaint and advising the place, date and hour 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 Club 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 condition as the Kennel Club may impose.

  8. FINANCIAL YEAR
    The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st March to the last day of the following February.
  9. SUBSCRIPTION
    Annual Subscription. The annual subscriptions for all categories of Members, shall be such sums as shall be determined from time to time, by the Management Committee. The annual subscription payable on the 1st March, shall be in accordance with the following categories:

    1. Single Membership – Must own or have owned a German Shorthaired Pointer (will be entitled to one vote and will receive all benefits and publications).
    2. Joint Membership – Two adults at one address who own or have owned a German Shorthaired Pointer (will be entitled to two votes and will receive all benefits and one copy of all publications)
    3. Junior Membership (Under 18 years of age and will be entitled to participate in German Shorthaired Pointer Club activities) – In association with a Single or Joint Membership.
    4. Associate Membership – Non German Shorthaired Pointer owners only (will be entitled to participate in German Shorthaired Pointer Club activities but ineligible for Committees apart from Branch/Group Committees).

    Reduced subscription – Members joining the Club on or after 1st November shall pay half of the annual subscription due, plus full subscription for the following year.

  10. CLUB ACCOUNTS
    The Honorary Treasurer shall pay all monies belonging to the Club into a Club Account which shall be operated by any two of the following:

    • Chairman of the Management Committee.
    • Honorary Treasurer
    • Honorary Secretary

    The Honorary Treasurer shall keep a record of all monies received or paid by the Club. The accounts shall be audited annually by an auditor appointed for that purpose at the Annual General Meeting, and a Statement of Accounts circulated to all Club members prior to the subsequent Annual General Meeting together with the Annual General Meeting Agenda. The Club Treasurer shall be a signatory to all Branches and Groups, Shows and Field Trial Committee funds, and at the end of each financial year those constituent Branches, Groups, Show and Field Trial Committees shall forward to the Club Treasurer an authenticated Bank Year End Statement.

  11. CLUB PROPERTY
    The property of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee and in event of the Club ceasing to exist, a Special General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Club assets, and to meet any Club liabilities.
  12. ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
    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 the continuance of Registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities be forwarded to the Kennel Club.
    The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Club which may occur during the course of the year.
  13. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
    A General Meeting shall be called in the first half of June – or as near as practicable – each year, for the following purposes:

    1. To receive the Report of the Management Committee and Statement of Accounts.
    2. To elect Officers and Committees as required and to declare the results of postal ballots for Committee membership.
    3. To elect Club Representatives to other bodies on the recommendation of the Management Committee.
    4. To discuss any Resolutions, except those concerning Rules of the Club and Rules for the Financing and Conduct of Branches, duly proposed for the Agenda, of which twenty-eight days notice has been given to the Honorary Secretary. Such resolutions must be signed by either:
      1. Two fully paid-up members of the Club or
      2. The Club Honorary Secretary on behalf of the Management Committee.
    5. To appoint the Auditors.

    No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those matters which, in the opinion of the Chairman, are urgent.

  14. NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS AND CLUB REPRESENTATIVES
    New nominations for the above, duly proposed and seconded, shall be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary not later than 28 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. The proposer must state that his nominee is willing to serve
  15. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
    A Special General Meeting may be summoned by the Management Committee or shall be summoned by the Honorary Secretary, if forty members shall send a signed request stating the subject to be discussed. In the latter case, the Meeting shall be summoned as soon as possible, and not later than two months after the receipt of the request. No business shall be discussed at this Meeting other than that for which it is called.
  16. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
    Not less than forty-two days notice of an Annual General Meeting or twenty-eight days for a Special General Meeting shall be given to all members. The Agenda of any such Meeting shall be sent to all members not less than fourteen days prior to the date of the Meeting.
  17. CHAIRMAN OF GENERAL MEETINGS
    The President shall normally be Chairman of any General Meeting, but in his absence the Meeting shall elect a Chairman from among those present.
  18. ALTERATION TO THE RULES
    Any Resolutions for alteration to the Rules of the Club or of the Financing and Conduct of Branches, must be proposed and seconded by two paid-up members, and must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary by 1st February so that the proposed changes can be considered by the Management Committee. Such rules may not be altered except by a two-thirds majority vote of those present at an Annual General Meeting of the Club, the Agenda of which includes details of the proposal to alter the Rules. Voting shall be by ballot if requested or found necessary. Such alterations may not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and has given its approval of the alterations.
  19. CODE OF CONDUCT
    Click here for GSPC Code of Conduct
  20. UNDISCHARGED BANKRUPT INDIVIDUALS
    No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on The Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
  21. FINAL AUTHORITY
    The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the German Shorthaired Pointer Club and in all cases relative to Canine or Club matters.
  22. RULES
    Every member, upon being elected, shall be sent a copy of the Rules.