Rules & Code of Conduct

Rules of the Beagle Association

 

1. NAME & OBJECTS

The name of the Association shall be The Beagle Association (hereinafter referred to as the

B.A.) and its objects shall be:

(i) To encourage the welfare, breeding and ownership of pure

bred Beagles.

(ii) To maintain the breed in accordance with the standard approved by The

Kennel Club.

(iii) To achieve the above through running shows and training judges, and to further the

education of its members in the management, training, showing and breeding of Beagles and

in every aspect pertaining to canines.

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2. CONDUCTING THE AFFAIRS

The Affairs of the B.A. will be conducted for the benefit of its Members and will not be classed

as a trading business. Any surplus funds that have been generated from the various activities

will be maintained for the further promotion of the objects of the B.A

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3. OFFICERS & MEMBERS

a. The B.A. may consist of:

(a) Patron, President, Vice-President(s), Chairman, Vice-

Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and a Committee of not more

than twelve members. The Patron, President, Vice-President(s) shall be ex-officio members

of the Committee, but shall not have voting rights. The Officers of the B.A. being the

Chairman, Hon. Secretary & Hon. Treasurer, shall be ex-officio members of the Committee,

but shall have voting rights and in addition the Chairman may exercise a casting vote. None

of the above mentioned offices may be held by a person under the age of 18 years.

 

(b) An unlimited number of Members without any residential qualifications, the names and

addresses of whom shall be recorded by the Hon. Secretary and be available for inspection if

so required by the members of the B.A or The Kennel Club.

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4. TERMS OF OFFICE

The Chairman, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer shall hold office for a term of three years

and after this term they shall be eligible to stand for re-election. They shall retire in the above

named rotation, commencing with the Chairman in 2003. The Committee shall be elected for

a term of two years and shall be eligible for re-election. Half shall retire annually and

commencing in 2003, those with surnames when listed alphabetically fall on odd numbers will

serve for a term of two years and those which fall on even numbers will serve for a term of

one year in this first instance. The Committee will propose the Patron, President and Vice-

President(s) and if these are endorsed by a simple majority at a General Meeting they will be

invited to accept the posts until the next Annual General meeting. The holders of the above

positions will be entitled to Honorary Membership of the BA during their tenure of office. The

Chairman, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer shall hold office from the conclusion of the

Annual General Meeting at which they are elected. Except in an emergency, no person may

hold simultaneously more than one named position in the B.A.

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5. GENERAL MEETINGS

The Agenda for General Meetings will be available at the meetings. Those members who

require copies prior to the meeting must contact the Secretary. At General Meetings Joint

Membership is restricted to a maximum of two votes. Overseas Members, Junior Members

and no person under the age of eighteen years will be entitled to vote at General Meetings.

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6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

The Annual General Meeting shall be held before 31st March at a place and time to be

decided by the Committee. At least 42 clear days notice of the Meeting shall be given to all

current members by direct mailing or by announcements placed in Our Dogs. The Annual

General Meeting shall be held to receive the reports of the Officers and the certified

Statement of Accounts for the last financial year, to appoint either one qualified Accountant or

two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience to certify the accounts, to receive the

result of the ballot for Committee Members and Officers from the appointed Scrutineers and

to discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda, of which at least fourteen days prior

notice in writing has been given to the Secretary. No business shall

be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda,

with the exception of routine matters or those that, in the opinion of the Chairman of the

Meeting, are urgent. At Annual General Meetings only those eligible members who are

present will be entitled to vote.

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7. NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS

The Officers and Committee for the current year shall be elected at the Annual General

Meeting. All nominations for Officers and Committee shall be proposed & seconded only by

fully paid up members of the Association, and shall be made in writing, together with the

nominee’s signature of consent, and received by the Hon. Secretary no later than 28 clear

days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. All nominees must have been members

of the BA for at least two consecutive years prior to the year of nomination. If the number of

nominees exceeds the number of vacancies the Hon. Secretary shall send out numbered

voting papers at least 18 days prior to the meeting. These voting papers must be returned, in

the envelope provided, to the Scrutineers postmarked at least ten days prior to the meeting.

The Scrutineers shall submit the result of the ballot in a sealed envelope to be opened by the

Chairman of the Annual General Meeting in the presence of the Members. Those names

obtaining the highest number of votes will be elected to fill the vacancies for the ensuing

terms of office and in the event of a tie a ballot of fully paid up eligible members at the

meeting will decide. In all other instances the voting at meetings shall be by a show of hands,

unless otherwise agreed. The Scrutineers shall keep the ballot papers in a sealed envelope

for a minimum of one calendar year. The Chairman shall have a casting vote. The Chairman’s

ruling on any matter shall be binding. No member of the B.A. Committee may take office on

the Committee of any other Beagle Breed Club, Society, Association, etc, without the consent

of the B.A. Committee. No person whilst an un-discharged bankrupt may serve on the

Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered

Society. Should any position fall vacant during a term of office, the Committee may, by coopting

a member if necessary, fill the vacancy according to the above criteria, and that person

shall complete the remaining term of office.

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8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Hon. Secretary if directed to do so by the

Committee, or on having received a written request which has been signed by twenty fully

paid up members, excluding Junior and Overseas Members, who have been members of the

B.A. for at least the preceding twelve calendar months. Not less than forty-two days notice will

be given to members by announcements in Dog World or Our Dogs or by direct mailing to all

fully paid up members. No business other than that matter on the Agenda may be discussed

at a Special General Meeting. Twenty members shall form a quorum at Special General

Meetings, one of whom must be an Officer, except when the committee has called such

meetings when the number of members required to form a quorum will be eight.

9. APPOINTMENT OF SCRUTINEERS FOR POSTAL VOTING

The members with voting rights will appoint scrutineers, who must be qualified as Solicitors or

Certifiers of Accounts, at the Annual General Meeting.

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10. ALTERATION TO THE RULES

The Rules of the Club shall only be altered at Annual or Special General Meetings, the

notices of which must include mention of any proposed changes. Any alterations to the Rules

shall not be brought into force until they have been submitted to and approved by The Kennel

Club. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet The Kennel Club

requirements shall be adopted immediately and such changes will be included in the new B.A.

rules which will be put to the members for ratification at the next Annual General Meeting.

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11. MAINTENANCE OF TITLE

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 continuance of Registration and

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 together with a list of names and addresses of members.

The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of

Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

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12. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Hon. Secretary shall call a meeting of the Committee as often as is deemed necessary

but at least three meetings will be held per year. Six will be a quorum at Committee Meetings,

one of whom must be an Officer and the remainder made up of Committee Members with

voting rights. At the first meeting following each Annual General meeting, the Committee will

choose a Vice-Chairman from within its ranks to preside over Committee Meetings in the

absence of the elected Chairman, and in such capacity, that person will assume the voting

rights of the elected Chairman. With the approval of the Committee the Secretary shall be

permitted to appoint from the Committee an Assistant Secretary. Any member of the

Committee who is absent from TWO meetings (AGM to AGM) shall have his / her attention

drawn to the fact and unless a valid reason if forthcoming the said member ‘s seat may be

declared vacant.

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13. JUDGES SUB COMMITTEE

At the first meeting following each Annual General Meeting the Committee will nominate a

Judges Sub Committee to be made up of not less than 4 members of which at least 75% shall

be CC judges for the breed. The Judges Sub Committee will be responsible for compiling the

Beagle Association Judging Lists each year and act in accordance with Kennel Club

requirements of Judges Sub Committees.

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13. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be divided into 5 categories – Single, Joint, Honorary, Junior and

Overseas. Single members are entitled to vote at General meetings or by postal ballot. Joint

Members, who shall have the full privileges of membership, are two of a family or two persons

who exhibit in partnership. They are entitled to one vote each. Junior Membership

shall cease on the 31st of December following the member’s 18th birthday.

Junior and Overseas members shall not be entitled to a vote.

The Committee shall have the power to grant Honorary Membership for life or a shorter

period as it may decide, and during this time such persons shall be entitled to all the rights

and privileges of fully paid up members. It is a condition of all types of membership that

members must agree to their names and addresses being stored on a computer for club

mailing purposes, as Members’ Lists in BA Publications and also forwarded to The Kennel

Club as required. No member whose subscription is not fully paid up shall be entitled to any of

the privileges of membership. If the annual subscription for the renewal of membership is

not fully paid up by 1st June or the closing date of entries for the Championship Show,

whichever is the earlier, the Committee shall have the power to erase the name(s) from the

list of members. However if all of the arrears are subsequently paid the Committee shall have

the power to restore the name to the Membership List.

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14. NEW MEMBERS

Candidates for membership of the B.A. shall be proposed and seconded by fully paid up

members and will be considered at Committee Meetings. Two or more negative votes will

exclude.

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15. SUSPENSION

Any Member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42.j.(5) and/or any member

whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42.j.(9) shall ipso facto cease to be

a Member of the Society for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification. If the

conduct of any Member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Society be injurious or

likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Society, the Committee of the Society

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 Society 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 thathe/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 Society 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. Should any

member be expelled for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, Dog Shows, Trials or

Competitions the matter will be reported to The Kennel Club in writing within seven days.

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16. BANKING ACCOUNTS

The financial year of the B.A. shall be from 1st January to 31st December. There shall be

banking accounts in the name of the B.A. into which all revenue shall be paid, and from which

withdrawals shall only be made on the signature of two of the three officers, one of who shall

be the Hon. Treasurer. Any form of electronic banking that permits transfer of B.A. funds to

any accounts not in the name of the B.A. shall require the written authority of the signatories

specified above.

The Hon. Treasurer shall keep the accounts and supply certified accounts for the financial

year prior to the Annual General Meeting. The resulting balance sheet will be presented to the

members at the Annual General Meeting but may be available to members prior to the

meeting upon request. All material and documents concerned with any financial aspect of the

B.A. will be retained for a further minimum period of five calendar years after that Financial

Year to which they relate and may only be disposed of with the specific permission of the

Committee.

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17. MANAGEMENT

The management of the B.A. shall be vested in the Officers and Committee, which shall have

the power to make bylaws and decide on matters not provided for by the Rules. However

The Kennel Club shall be the final authority for interpreting the Rules of the B.A. and for all

cases relating to canine or club matters.

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18. TROPHIES

All cups, trophies and awards that have been donated to the Association

shall be deemed to be the sole property of the B.A., and it is only under this condition that

they will be accepted. The Officers and Committee shall make every effort to ensure that the

wishes of the donors will be respected.

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19. PROPERTY

The property of the B.A. shall be vested in the Officers and Committee and in the event of the

B.A. ceasing to exist; a Special General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any

assets. A final statement of certified accounts with a record of disposal of the property of the

B.A. must be forwarded to The Kennel Club within six months, and the persons named as

Officers and Committee of the B.A. on the last return furnished to The Kennel Club will be

held responsible by The Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the B.A.

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20. JOINING FEDERATIONS

The B.A. shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs without the specific consent of The Kennel Club.

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CODE OF CONDUCT OF THE BEAGLE ASSOCIATION

Code of Ethics

 

All members of the Beagle Association undertake to abide by its general Code of Ethics.

Members will, when breeding dogs, adopt as a minimum standard the principles,

requirements and recommendations as embodied in the Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder

Scheme, including breed health screening. It is strongly recommended that members who

breed should apply to join the Scheme. Members will follow current Government legislation

regarding dog breeding.

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Members:

1. Will properly house, feed, water and exercise all dogs under their care and arrange for

appropriate veterinary attention if and when required.

2. Will agree without reservation that any veterinary surgeon who performs an operation on

any of their dogs which alters the natural conformation of the animal, or who carries out

a caesarean section on a bitch, may report such operations to the Kennel Club.

3. Will agree that no healthy puppy will be culled. Puppies which may not conform to the

Breed Standard should be placed in suitable homes.

4. Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act.

5. Will not create demand for, nor supply, puppies that have been docked illegally.

6. Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog

or to the breed.

7. Will not allow any of their dogs to roam at large or to cause a nuisance to neighbours or

those carrying out official duties.

8. Will ensure that their dogs wear properly tagged collars and will be kept leashed or

under effective control when away from home.

9. Will clean up after their dogs in public places or anywhere their dogs are being

exhibited.

10. Will only sell dogs where there is a reasonable expectation of a happy and healthy life

and will help with the re-homing of a dog if the initial circumstances change.

11. Will supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance concerning

responsible ownership when placing dogs in a new home.

12. Will ensure that all relevant Kennel Club documents are provided to the new owner

when selling or transferring a dog, and will agree, in writing, to forward any relevant

documents at the earliest opportunity, if not immediately available.

13. Will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers or directly or

indirectly allow dogs to be given as a prize or donation in a competition of any

kind. Will not sell by sale or auction Kennel Club registration certificates as stand

alone items (not accompanying a dog).

14. Will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise

dogs nor mislead any person regarding the health or quality of a dog.

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Breeding Guidelines:

15. The primary aim in breeding a litter will be to produce Beagles which are structurally

and temperamentally sound and conform to the Breed Standard.

16. Breeders, to ensure there is always a reasonable expectation of placing puppies in

suitable homes, and should adopt a planned breeding programme.

17. Breeders should ensure they have the facilities and knowledge to ensure the well being

of the bitch and puppies.

18. A bitch should not be mated before she is 18 months of age

19. Members should only breed from beagles (both dogs and bitches) which are KC

registered and, as a minimum, have been tested (or be hereditary clear) for conditions as

listed in the Kennel Club priority and important health schemes and tests for Beagles.

(Currently MLS, NCCD and Lafora’s). In the event of their being a carrier this must be

taken into account in any future breeding plans. Owners of any puppies resulting from a

mating should be made fully aware of the risks involved and consequent action to be taken.

20. A bitch should not whelp after her eighth birthday (except when approved by the KC

committee).

21. A bitch should not whelp twice within a 12 month period.

22. A bitch should not whelp more than 4 litters.

23 Mating between father and daughter, mother and son or brother and sister are not

allowed save in exceptional circumstances or for scientifically proven welfare reasons and

permission has been received by the KC.

24. A bitch must not be mated if it has already had two litters delivered by caesarean

section, save for scientifically proven welfare reasons, and this only provided an application

is made to the Kennel Club prior to the mating.

25. Stud dogs should only be used on bitches which are proven to be KC registered and,

as a minimum, have been tested (or be hereditary clear) for conditions as listed in the

Kennel Club priority and important health schemes and tests for Beagles. (Currently MLS,

NCCD and Lafora’s). All relevant guidance should be given to owners of the bitch

regarding health testing and any necessary ensuing action to be taken.

26.Stud dog owners must refuse the use of their dog if there is any doubt as to the

intentions of the breeder.

27. Stud dog owners should give advice and help to novice breeders.

28. It will be as much the stud dog owner`s responsibility, as that of the brood bitch owner

to ensure that these guidelines are observed.

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Sale/Placement of Beagles:

29. Ensure that prospective owners are informed of the special characteristics and

requirements of the breed and provide an effective advisory service to new owners.

(Information booklets are available from the BA.)

30. Actively assist with the re-homing of a Beagle, if the initial circumstances change or are

found to be unsuitable.

31. No puppy shall be placed in a new home until it is physically and mentally ready, and in

no circumstances under eight weeks of age.

32. In line with legislation, puppies will be microchipped and recorded by the time they are

eight weeks old and before they are sold. When a dog is transferred, the new owner’s

(keeper’s) details must be added to the database.

33. Special care must be taken when exporting Beagles; facilities are often available to

check prospective owners and guidance should be sought in any cases of doubt.

 

 

These guidelines create a common basis for all, and ensure puppies are guaranteed a fair start with the expectation of a long, healthy and happy life. Used with discretion they can be the means whereby the Committee may be empowered to ask a Member to answer a complaint against him, and in extreme cases, in conjunction with Rule 15, expel that member from the Association.