Dog Agility Wellington Group

Constitution

1. Name :

Dog Agility Wellington Group Incorporated (DAWG).

2. Aims and Objects :

(a)to encourage and assist in the training of dogs and handlers for Agility and Flygility Competition.
(b) to ensure the safety and well-being of dogs and handlers participating in Agility and Flygility.
(c) to promote and assist in the running of Agility Events held in Societies Affiliated, Associated or Recognised by the NZ Kennel Club and the New Zealand Agility Committee and to uphold all the Rules and Regulations of the NZ Kennel Club and the New Zealand Agility Committee.
(d) to promote and assist in the running of Flygility Tournaments held in societies affiliated to the NZ Flygility Dog Association and to uphold the rules and regulations of the NZ Flygility Dog Association.
(e) to co-ordinate training of instructors, stewards, timekeepers, scorers, event managers, tournament managers and judges required for Agility and Flygility competition.
(f) to encourage and assist the use and development of positive training techniques.

3. Zone or Region of influence :

As defined in the NZ Kennel Club Obedience Regulations and/or by the New Zealand Agility Committee (NZAC) .

4. Club Headquarters :

For all matters pertaining to the administration of the Club, the registered office will be the address of that person for the time being holding the office of Administration Officer of the Club.

5. Members :

The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members. Application for membership shall be made in writing on the official forms supplied by the Club showing name and address where applicable and electronic address of the member and also indicating that a current Vaccination Certificate has been shown for each dog which will be training. Membership shall commence from payment of the appropriate fee subject to confirmation at an Ordinary Committee Meeting. Members' names and addresses and the date they become members shall be kept in a register by the Treasurer. A copy is to be held at all times by the Administration officer. This shall be open to inspection by members by arrangement with the Administration Officer. The Club may suspend or refuse membership or attendance in a class where, in the opinion of the committee a dog is considered to be a jeopardy to the safety of other dogs or people or where a person is considered by the committee to have brought the Club into disrepute.

6. Resignation :

Any member may resign membership in writing. Any member who refuses or neglects to pay such Annual Subscription, as shall have been fixed, within one of the AGM, shall be deemed to have resigned membership upon the expiry of the said one month PROVIDED that the Committee shall have the power to reinstate any such member on good cause being shown and all arrears of subscription being paid. The member, within seven days of their resignation, shall return to the Club any equipment that, being the property of the Club, is in their possession at the time.

7. Subscription :

(a) The financial year will be the 1st April to the 31st March.
(b) Subscriptions for members must be paid at least 14 days prior to the AGM for members to have voting rights.
(c) The amount of the Annual Subscription payable by any member shall be fixed at the AGM and will take effect from the 1st April following the AGM.
Members shall have one calendar month after the AGM to pay their current subscription after which the provisions of Rule 6 will apply.

(d) Where a member joins after 31st December they will pay the subscription set for the following 1st April and will have full member privileges through to 31st March as well as for the financial year commencing 1st April.

8.Types of membership shall be:

(a) Single membership– where one person is a member of the Club.
(b) Junior membership – where the person is 16 years or under and is not part of a Family membership
(c)Family membership – where two or more members of the same household are members of the Club.
(d) Associate membership – refers to members who do not train a dog.
(e) Honorary Life Membership.
Honorary Life membership is a mark of recognition of long term active service to Dog Agility Wellington Group. Honorary Life members will be exempt from all Club membership subscriptions and training fees, and will enjoy full membership privileges including voting rights.
Nomination: Any financial Club members may be nominated for Honorary Life Membership. The Proposer and Seconder must be financial members of the club. The nomination for Honorary Life membership must be received by the committee for consideration at least six (6) weeks prior to the AGM or EGM. The committee may decline or accept such nomination. Honorary Life Members may only be elected at an AGM or EGM by a 3/4 majority.

9. TRAINING FEES:

a) Training fees refer to the charge for training dogs in agility or flygility classes.
b) Training fees shall be set by the committee and altered as and when deemed necessary, by ¾ majority.
c) Training fees may be based on a term and/or annual basis. Where training fees are based on an annual basis this is referred to as Full membership. Where training fees are based on term basis this is called Term Fees.
d) Associate members – Where members do not train a dog there is no there is no training fees.
iv) Multiple dogs. Those members training more than one dog in any term are required to pay Multi dog training fees.

10. Officers and Committee :

The Officers and Committee shall be elected at the AGM. The Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Administration Officer and Treasurer, and eight committee members. A Patron and a Vice-Patron may also be appointed at the AGM. The term of such Patron or Vice-Patron shall expire at the following AGM.

11. Casual Vacancies :

If any casual vacancies shall occur in the Office of President, Vice-President, Administration Officer or Treasurer or Committee, the Committee may appoint another member to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of the office. A casual vacancy will arise if an officer or committee member resigns from the club, or resigns their position, or fails to attend three consecutive committee meetings without good reason.

12. Management :

Except where these rules otherwise provide, the Committee shall have the entire management of the Club and shall have the power to deal with any questions relating to the management of the Club not provided for in these rules.

13. Property :

The administration and control of the Club's property shall be vested in the Committee. A register of all club property will be maintained by the Treasurer.

14. Interpretation :

If any doubt shall arise as to the construction or interpretation of any constitutional rule the decision of the Committee shall be final PROVIDED that such decision shall be reduced to writing and recorded in the minute book.

15. Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall ensure that all monies paid to, or received by or on behalf of the Club shall be paid to the credit of the Club at such Bank or Banks as the Committee may from time to time appoint. All cheques drawn on such Bank and all withdrawals from such Bank or Banks shall be signed by not fewer than two officers of the Club. The Treasurer shall keep proper financial records, and prepare an Annual Financial Report. Once the Annual Financial Report is approved by the AGM, the treasurer shall file a copy with the Registrar of Companies, and with the NZ Kennel Club.

16. Expenses :

All expenses properly incurred by the Treasurer with consent of the Committee, for or on behalf of the club, shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Club alone, and no individual member shall be deemed to incur responsibility in respect of the same.

17. Investment :

The Committee may from time to time invest and reinvest in approved investment accounts upon such terms as it shall think fit the whole or any part of the Club's fund which shall not be required for the immediate business of the Club.

18. Borrowing :

The Committee shall, with the prior sanction of a Special Resolution duly passed at a General Meeting of the Club, have power to borrow for the purpose of the Club any sum or sums of money on the security of all or any of the Club's property and to secure such borrowing by the giving of mortgages, encumbrances or charges upon the usual terms and conditions.

19. Annual Financial Report. The accounts shall be made up to the 31st March each year, and a Financial Report containing a summary of all financial transactions undertaken during the club financial year, plus notice of all assets and liabilities, together with all receipts etc. shall be handed to the Club's Auditor for examination and certification as to their correctness. Once audited the club financial shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting as the Treasurer's Annual Financial Report.

20. Annual General Meeting :

(a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the 31st May in each year, and fourteen days notice in writing of any AGM shall be given to all members of the Club.
(b) Notices of Motion: These must be in writing, delivered to the Administration Officer no later than 21 days prior to the AGM.
(c) The Agenda for the AGM shall be as follows :
(i) Apologies, Minutes of the previous AGM, and business arising from such minutes.
(ii) President's Report.
(iii) Treasurer's Report.
(iv) Election of Officers and Committee Members and the appointment of one Auditor for the ensuing year.
(v) Any other General Business which concerns the Club.

21. Extraordinary General Meeting : (EGM) :

An EGM shall be called by Resolution of the Committee or on requisition in writing to the Administration Officer of 50% of members, and fourteen days notice in writing of an EGM shall be given to all members of the club.

22. Committee Meetings :

Meetings of the Committee will be held as often as necessary. A meeting may be called either by the President on his/her own motion, or by the President upon the request of not fewer than three Committee members. Not less than six clear days previous notice shall be given by the Administration Officer to all members of the Committee of such a meeting. Club members may attend a Committee Meeting, at the discretion of the President, and may speak, but have no voting rights.

23. Quorums :

At an AGM 15 members shall constitute a quorum. At an EGM 15 shall constitute a quorum. At a Committee meeting 50% of committee members shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not present all members shall be notified and the meeting shall be reconvened within 14 days and any business set down for that reconvened meeting shall be conducted as if those present constituted a quorum.

24. President :

If the President is absent or unwilling or unable to be the President then the President shall be the Vice- president or such member of the Committee willing to act as shall be appointed by resolution at the meeting.

25. Voting :

(a) At all meetings of the Club only financial members and Life members in attendance are eligible to vote.
(b) Except as is otherwise provided in these rules, voting shall be by show of hands unless a member shall require a secret ballot. The President shall have a casting as well as a deliberative vote.

26. Resolutions :

There shall be two types of Resolutions, namely a "Resolution" and a "Special Resolution". A Resolution proposed at any meeting shall be passed if a simple majority of the persons present and entitled to vote at such meeting vote in favour of the Resolution.
A Special Resolution proposed at any meeting shall be passed if not fewer than two-thirds of the persons present and entitled to vote at such meetings vote in favour of the Special Resolution.

27. Minute Book :

Minutes of the proceedings of all meetings shall be recorded by the Administration Officer in books to be kept for that purpose.

28. Common Seal :

The Administration Officer shall keep the common seal in safekeeping. The common seal can be affixed to a document approved by the committee and the affixing must be signed by two officers of the club.

29. Notices :

A Notice may be given to any member either personally or by sending it by post to their usual or last known address or by sending to the last known electronic address. Where a Notice is sent by post, service of the Notice shall be deemed to be effected at the expiration of five days after its posting by pre-paid letter. The accidental omission to give Notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of Notice of a meeting by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.

30. New Rules :

The addition, alteration or repeal of the Constitution shall take place at an EGM or AGM by Special Resolution. Particulars of the addition, alteration or amendment shall be given in the notice calling the meeting. Any proposed addition, alteration or repeal of the Constitution shall be subject to approval of the New Zealand Kennel Club.

31. Dissolution :

A special resolution shall be required for members to wind up the Club. In the event of the dissolution, winding up or cessation to exist as a Recognised Society, the assets of the Club, after the payment of all debts, liabilities and expenses, shall be forwarded to the New Zealand Kennel Club.

Adopted      2007     Signed     President

[ Calendar ] [ Home]