Rules of the Berkshire Pig Breeders Club
1. Name
The Club is called The Berkshire Pig Breeders’ Club.
2. Objectives
- 2.1 - To promote the Berkshire Breed
- 2.2 - To encourage the keeping of Berkshire Pigs
- 2.3 - To further communications between breeders
- 2.4 - To recommend, review and publicise Standards of Excellence for the Berkshire Breed
- 2.5 - To encourage pedigree registration of stock
3. Membership
- 3.1 - Every person who at the date of the adoption of these rules was a paid-up member of the club
- 3.2 - Every person who completes an application form for membership and has paid the subscription
4. Subscription
- 4.1 - The annual subscription shall be such sum as may, from time to time, be determined by the Club at the annual general meeting
- 4.2 - Every member shall pay to the Club on application in respect of the then current year, and thereafter annually, the subscription
- 4.3 - The annual subscription of each member shall become due on the first day of January in each year and if not paid by the last day of January shall be considered to be in arrears. No member whose subscription is in arrears shall be entitled to receive notice of, or to attend, or to vote at General Meeting or to enjoy any of the privileges of the Club
- 4.4 - The name of any member whose subscription has not been paid by the last day of February in each year shall be struck off the list of Members and thereupon will cease to be a Member of the Club
- 4.5 - No annual subscription may be repayable, in whole or in part, to any person ceasing, for any reason, to be a Member of the Club
5. Management
- 5.1 - The Club is managed by a Committee which shall consist of officers of the Club. Namely the President, the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Honorary Secretary, the Membership Secretary and the Treasurer.
- 5.2 - The Committee must be elected at the General Meeting in each year, and, subject to termination of office by resignation, removal or otherwise, the members remain in office until their successors are elected at the Annual or a special General Meeting following their election
- 5.3 - The Committee may fill any casual vacancy that occurs
- 5.4 - Retiring Members of the Committee may be re-elected
- 5.5 - The Committee may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn or otherwise regulate their meeting as they think fit
- 5.6 - The Committee shall have the power to appoint managers, officials, agents auctioneers, judges and servants of all kinds upon such terms of renumeration as it thinks fit and remove and suspend all paid officers and clerks and servants as it may consider necessary
6. General Meetings
- 6.1 - A General Meeting of the Club must be held in every year not later than September as it’s ‘Annual General Meeting’ at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee
- 6.2 - The business of the General Meeting must include:-
- 6,2,1 - receive and, if approved, adopt a statement of the Club’s accounts to the end of the preceding year
- 6.2.2 - consider and, if approved, sanction any duly made alteration of the rules
- 6.2.3 - appoint the officers
- 6.2.4 - appoint the auditor or auditors
- 6.2.5 - approve the election of anyone as a life member and
- 6.2.6 - deal with any special matter that the Committee desires to bring before the members and receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee
- 6.3 - Notice convening the general Meeting must be as far as practical sent to all members 21 days before the meeting and must specify the matters to be dealt with
- 6.4 - Each member of the Club shall have the right to require a resolution or motion (a Member’s Resolution) to be put before any General Meeting of the Club provided that at least 21 written days’ notice of a Member’s Resolution shall have been given to the Secretary, and that notice of a Member’s Resolution shall be given to Members of the Club at least 14 days prior to the General meeting
- 6.5 - The Chairman of the Club shall preside at every General Meeting but if he is unwilling to preside or fails to appear the Vice Chairman shall preside. If both the Chairman and Vice Chairman are for whatever reason unable to preside the Members present shall choose a Member to preside.
7. Special General Meeting
- 7.1 - A special General Meeting may be convened at anytime by the Committee and must be convened within 21 days from receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than one fifth of the Members of the Club specifying the object of the meeting
- 7.2 A special General Meeting may be convened:-
- 7.2.1 - to consider and, if approved, sanction any duly made alteration of the rules
- 7.2.2 - to deal with any special matter which the Committee wishes to place before the members
- 7.2.3 - to remove any Member or Members of the Committee from office and to fill any vacancy or vacancies caused by the removal or
- 7.2.4 - to deal with any special matter which the Members requiring the meeting wish to place before the Club
- 7.3 - Notice convening a special General Meeting must be sent to Members not less than 10 days before the meeting and must specify the matters to be dealt with
8. Chairman’s casting vote
- 8.1 - At committee meetings and at General meetings a Chairman must preside, and he may have a casting or additional vote in the event of an equality of votes
- 8.2 - At all General Meetings and Committee Meetings a resolution put to the vote at the meeting shall be decided, save as otherwise specified by these Rules, by a majority of the Members present and entitled to vote
- 8.3 - The following numbers are required to form a quorum:
- 8.3.1 - at Committee Meetings (except for the purpose of Rule 12) 3 members of the Committee
- 8.3.2 - at Committee Meetings for the purpose of Rule 12, half the total members of the Committee and
- 8.3.3 - at General Meetings 5 members
9. Receipts and Expenditure
- 9.1 - The funds of the Club, including all donations, contributions and bequests, shall be put into an account operated by the Committee in the name of the Club at such bank as the Committee shall from time to time decide. All cheques drawn on such account must be signed by at least 2 members of the Committee
- 9.2 - Funds of the Club shall be applied only in furthering the objects of the Club and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly to the Members of the Club.
- - Provided that nothing in this sub-clause shall prevent:-
- (i) - the payment, in good faith, of reasonable and proper renumeration to any officer or servant or member of the Club in return for any services actually rendered to the Club.
- (ii) - the reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses reasonably and properly incurred by any Member on behalf or in furtherance of any objects of the Club;
- (iii) - the payment of an award to any Member of the Club who may be a successful exhibitor or competitor at any show or sale approved for this purpose by the Club.
10. Accounts of the Club
- 10.1 - Full accounts of the financial affairs of the club shall be caused by the Committee to be kept and audited annually.
- 10.2 - The Committee shall have power, by unanimous decision of those present at any meeting, to invest monies at its discretion in the Club’s name.
11. Resignation
A Member wishing to withdraw from the Club must give notice in writing to the Secretary on or before 1st January in any year, otherwise the subscription for the ensuing year must be paid
12. Expulsion
- 12.1 - The Committee may expel any Member who offends against the rules of the Club or whose conduct, in the opinion of the Committee renders him unfit for Membership of the Club
- 12.2 - Before any such member is expelled the Secretary must give him seven days written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and must inform him of the complaints made against him
- 12.3 - No member may be expelled unless he has first had an opportunity to appear before the Committee and answer complaints made against him
13. Alteration of rules
The Committee may alter the rules, but no alteration takes effect until it has been confirmed at the next General Meeting or a special General Meeting convened for the purpose.
14. Dissolution
The Members of the Club may resolve by a two thirds or more majority of the Members present and voting at a General meeting to dissolve the Club. If upon winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the discharge of all debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among Members of the Club. In such a situation all assets shall be given or transferred to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust or to some other charitable institution having objects similar to the objects of the Club and which similarly prohibits the distribution of its income and property among its members save as hereinbefore provided. If and so far, effect cannot be given to such provision then to some other charitable object.
15. Construction
In these rules unless the context otherwise requires, the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter, the singular number shall include the plural and vice versa.