Club Rules

Policy Statement

IT IS THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF CLUB TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH, WELL BEING AND SURVIVAL OF THE NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF.  IT IS A REQUIREMENT, THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE ABOVE-NAMED CLUB PLACE THE INTEREST OF THE BREED ABOVE THEIR OWN.

1. NAME AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CLUB

The club will be called “The Neapolitan Mastiff Club” Its objectives shall be to: –

(a)         Promote the wellbeing, responsible ownership, and responsible breeding of the Neapolitan Mastiff.

(Please refer to TNMC & KC recommended health screening schemes)

(b)         Adopt and publish the K.C recognised standard and educate and encourage all breeders and judges in its use.

(c)         Assist members and the breed in every way that is compatible with the interest and promotion of the breed.

(d)         To promote education of members in the mentality and breed characteristics of the Neapolitan Mastiff, and to assist owners and breeders with training and assessment of the breed.

2. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

(a)         The Club shall consist of a President, Chairperson, and Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and an unlimited number of members. Vice Presidents may be elected at the discretion of the membership at Annual General Meetings; there will be a limit of four Vice Presidents serving the Club at any one time.

(b)         The management of the club shall be in the hands of the committee consisting of no more than twelve members, all of whom shall retire bi-annually at the relevant Annual General Meeting, and shall be eligible for bi-annual re-election.  In addition, the President, Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ‘ex officio’ (Latin phrase indicating are members of the Committee ‘by virtue of their office’) members of the committee with full voting powers except the Chairperson, who shall have only a casting vote in the event of equal votes being recorded for any proposition.  The committee shall have the power to make any necessary bye-laws, treat disputed matters and deal with points which are not covered by the club’s rules.

(c)         The committee shall meet as often as is deemed necessary, but on at least two occasions between Annual General Meetings.

(d)         At committee meetings it will be necessary for five members and /or officers to form a Quorum.  At Annual General Meetings a quorum shall consist of seven members, three of whom shall be from the committee.

(e)         The committee shall have the power to Co-opt members, who have held membership for 24 months or more, onto the committee if necessary, or in the event of positions becoming vacant between Annual General Meetings.  Those co-opted to fill positions becoming vacant between General Meetings shall have no voting rights at committee meetings, and will only hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Club, at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place.

(f)          All Officers of the Club shall be honorary, and no member shall be allowed to make the Club a means of private speculation or derive a monetary benefit there from.

(g)         No Officer or Committee member of the Club may hold office as an Officer or Committee member of any other Neapolitan Mastiff club.

(h)         No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the committee or hold any other office or appointment on the Canine Section of a Kennel Club Affiliated Organisation.

3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

(a)         The President, Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer will retire every four years, staggered so that not all officers stand down at the same time but shall be available for re-election.  Mid- term elections will run concurrently until the relevant position is up for re-election. Also, that for the case of the Chairperson position the nomination and election will be from members of the committee, if necessary, by secret ballot. The Committee will retire bi-annually but shall also be eligible for re-election.  Other candidates, who are fully paid up Club members may be proposed for election, but are not entitled to vote on the Committee until membership has been held for 24 months.  Any such nominations must be duly proposed and seconded in writing, signed by the nominee and forwarded to the secretary no later than 21 days prior to the notified date of the Annual General Meeting.

(b)         The election of Officers and Committee will take place at the Annual General Meeting in such form as, those retiring Committee eligible for re-election will be added with names of Nominees proposed for election to a paper ballot and votes taken at Annual General Meeting. Following the result of the election those officers elected will take office at the conclusion of the meeting.

(c)         Vice Presidents may be elected at the discretion of the Membership at the Annual General Meetings and may remain in office during their pleasure.

4. 4. COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

Meetings shall be held at any time, venue or internet medium, as agreed by the committee. Ensuring that at least two meetings in any one year, are in person. as agreed by the committee.  Any member of the committee who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without giving just cause for absenting himself, or herself, shall be deemed to have resigned, and the Committee shall have the power to co-opt another member in his, or her, place.

5. GENERAL MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

(a)         Special General Meetings.

The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting no less than four weeks and no more than eight weeks after either receiving instruction from the Committee to do so or receipt of a request in writing and signed by at least sixteen members of the Club, specifying the business for which such a meeting is required.  The Secretary will notify all members accordingly, in writing or via email (with receipt requested), at least 14 days prior to the date arranged for any such meeting.  No other business other than that named in the notice shall be considered or discussed by Members at a Special General Meeting.

(b)         Annual General Meeting

(i)          The financial year of the club will be from January 1 to December 31 and the Annual General meeting is held no later than March 31 in the following year.  This meeting will be convened by the Secretary and members informed by virtue of notification in writing or via email (with receipt requested) at least 28 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.  No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting, unless notice thereof appears on the published Agenda, with the exception of routine matters, or those which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, are considered of an urgent nature.

(ii)         Members will be permitted to add items for discussion at the meeting, by submitting them in writing no later than 21 days prior to the meeting. These items will then be considered as addenda to the original agenda for distribution to members who are present on the day of the meeting.

6. ELECTION OF MEMBERS

(a)         All applications for membership shall be made in writing to the Secretary.  The Secretary shall place all such applications before the Committee for approval. Acceptance shall be by majority vote of the Committee.  An up to date list of members and their addresses will be available for inspection if so, requested by the Kennel Club and Members of the Club.

(b)         The Committee reserve the right to debar from its membership any person or persons who have been found guilty of an offence against the Rules of the Kennel Club, and whose name has been brought before the Kennel Club Committee who has placed restriction upon such persons.  A condition of membership shall be that the applicant, if accepted, shall comply with all the rules and Regulations of the Kennel Club, the Rules and Regulations of this Club and any Code of Ethics, which may have been incorporated in those rules.

(c)         Honorary members may be elected, in recognition of long or outstanding service to the Club, or breed, at the discretion of the Membership at Annual General Meetings.  Such honorary members shall be exempt from payment of subscriptions.

7. VOTING RIGHTS

Each member shall be entitled to one vote.  Voting by Proxy will not be permitted. Votes taken at meetings of members shall be by show of hands or paper ballot or as otherwise decided by the majority present at the meeting.

8. CLUB ACCOUNTS

(a)         A banking account shall be held in the name of the Club at a recognised Bank or Building Society into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid, and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signatures of the Treasurer, Secretary or the Chairman, each withdrawal to carry two signatures of the three named officers.

(b)         A report shall be drawn up annually by the Treasurer to be presented to the Annual General Meeting, showing the financial position in any accounts held by the Club. The statement of Accounts, duly certified by the appointed Auditor(s), unconnected to the committee, shall be available to all members at the Annual General Meeting. The certified accounts will be made available on request to members fourteen days prior to the AGM.

9. PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE OF TITLE FEE

The officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club whether via the Secretary or by Direct Debit, for the continuance of registration and that by the 31st of July each year, other returns, as stipulated by 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 any change of Secretary of the club which may occur during the course of the year.

10. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription rates for the following year shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. Payments become due on January 1 of each year and should be forwarded to the appointed Treasurer/Secretary of the Club. Cheques should be made payable to “The Neapolitan Mastiff Club”. No member whose subscription is unpaid after the last day of JANUARY shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership until their subscription is paid in full.  If any member shall fail to pay the annual subscription by 31 March, the Committee shall have the power to erase their name from the list of members. Should the committee subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation, the member may, at the discretion of the Committee, and on payment of arrears, be re-admitted to full membership without reapplication. The subscriptions of new members joining on or after 1st October shall place such a member in credit until 31 December of the year following.

11. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

(a)         Any Member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(9) 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 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 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 conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.

(b)         If the Club expels any Member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows or trials, the Club must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club with seven days and supply all particulars required. 

12. BALLOTS

Whenever a ballot is taken of the membership of the Club, voting papers in such form as the Committee may subscribe, must be sent by post or via email (with receipt requested) to all Members of the Club who are eligible to take part in such a ballot. Voting papers must be returned to an independent scrutineer who will collate them prior to returning them to the Secretary together with a certified statement of returns.  All such voting papers will be retained by the Secretary for a period of twelve months during which time they will be available for inspection, on written request, by any member of the Club.

13. EXPENSES

All expenses incurred by the Secretary and Treasurer must be sanctioned and passed by the Committee.  All expenses and payments sanctioned by the Committee must be paid by cheques, which must be signed by any two of the following officers – Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.

14. AMENDMENT OF RULES

The Rules of the Club may not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, notice of which shall include details of the proposal(s) to alter the Rules. Such alterations shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alterations. New rules introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and are included in the Clubs Rules and constitution with effect from the Clubs Annual General Meeting.

15. CLUB PROPERTY

The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee.  In the event of the club being wound up or ceasing to be a registered Society under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations, a General Meeting shall be called to decide upon the disposal of the Clubs assets.  Any Challenge cups or trophies donated to the club shall be returned to their donors, their heirs or executors whenever applicable.  A final statement of audited accounts, with a record of the disposal of Club property shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.

16. FINAL COURT OF APPEAL

The Neapolitan Mastiff Club, acknowledges the Kennel Club as the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute between the Club and its members and third parties, concerning the Club’s affairs and management no matter in what manner arising and reference to all Courts of Law concerning such disputes is hereby excluded. The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of this Club and in all cases relative to canine or Club matters.

17. JUDGES LIST

(a)         The Club shall annually draw up a list of approved judges, copy of which shall be submitted to the Kennel Club as part of the club’s annual returns.  Whilst any member of the Club may nominate any person for consideration for the Club’s list of approved Judges, the election of such Judges to the list shall be vested in the committee.

(b)         The Committee shall draw up a list of judges at the first committee meeting following the Annual General Meeting, but may add to, or delete from, such a list as may be considered necessary between such Annual General Meetings.

(c)         The list will be subdivided into the following sections: –

A1 & A2: Not yet applicable in this breed

            A3 (Breed Specialist) & A3 (Non-Specialist): Persons approved by the Club and would be supported to award Challenge Certificates should CC’s become approved by the Kennel Club. 

            B (Breed Specialist) & B (Non-Specialist): All persons the Club would support to judge the breed without        Challenge Certificates.

            C (Breed Specialist) & C (Non-Specialist): For aspiring judges who have shown an interest in the breed &       have the support of the Club.

(d)         Persons nominated for inclusion on the list(s) must submit a written statement giving details of their judging CV and provide details of fulfilment of Judges List Criteria relevant to the list being applied for.

(e)         An approved judge’s name shall be removed from the list if instructed to do so by The Kennel Club, following expulsion from the Club, or in cases of infirmity of such a nature to make judging impractical, or when the judge is deceased or advises the Club that they no longer wish to be included in the list.

18. JOINING FEDERATIONS 

This Club shall not join any Societies or Clubs without the express approval of the Kennel Club.