I   -  The name of the Association shall be THE WIRE FOX TERRIER ASSOCIATION.  The headquarters shall be the address of the Honorary Secretary at which address all monies are due.

Objectives

II  -  The objectives of the Association shall be to promote the breeding of wire-haired fox terriers, to publish a description of the true type and actively encourage the adoption of such type on breeders, judges, etc.  To do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed by giving prizes, supporting shows and any other steps deemed necessary.

Membership

III  -  Any person favourable to the objectives of the Association is eligible as a member.  The Committee shall have the power to elect as Honorary Members such persons as they may see fit from time to time.  A member, having once resigned from the Association, shall not be eligible for further membership for a period of three years, except under special conditions, which shall be considered by the Committee.  No member can resign whose subscription for the year is unpaid.

Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j(5) and/or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Association.  If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Association, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Association, the Committee 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 Association 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 Association, 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.   Any member so suspended shall be reported to the Kennel Club within seven days with the particulars supplied.  Any member so suspended may only be re-admitted to membership after being approved by the Committee.

If the Association expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the Association must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within 7 days and supply any particulars required.

A list of members and their addresses will be made available for inspection by the Kennel Club. 

Subscription 

IV  -  The annual subscription shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting for the current year and payable by 1^st January each year.  No member whose subscription for the current year is unpaid shall be eligible to compete in any members classes for special prizes offered by the Association or for any of the Association’s trophies.    Any member whose subscription remains unpaid on 31^st March in any year shall be declared in arrears and not eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting.  Notice of this fact shall be sent to him/her by the Hon. Secretary and if this subscription remains unpaid on 30^th April of the same year, his/her name shall be struck off the list of members and he/she shall not, at any future date, be eligible for further membership of the Association except under special circumstances, which shall be considered by the Committee.  New members must have joined and paid their subscription 6 calendar months before the date of the Annual General Meeting in order to attend and vote at such a meeting.  Joint members shall have one vote each.  Postal or proxy votes are not allowed.                                 

Officers

V  -  The officers shall consist of a President, a Vice-President and an Honorary Secretary/Treasurer.  The President shall serve for one year only and judge the Association’s Championship Show at the end of that year in office.  The Vice-President shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and will also serve for one year only, succeeding the President at the end of that year in office.  Neither shall be permitted to serve again until a period of three years has elapsed.  The Honorary Secretary/Treasurer shall be awarded an honorarium annually, the amount to be set by the Committee at its first meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

Committee

VI  -  All concerns of the Association and all arrangements for its management shall – save as otherwise expressly provided by the Rules – be conducted by the Committee, who shall appoint a Chairman and Vice-Chairman who will preside at all Committee and General Meetings of the Association, the terms of office to be one year.   In the event of an equal division of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.  In the event of both being absent from the meeting, the President shall take the Chair.  The Committee should consist of not more than 15 members, each elected to serve for three years unless a casual vacancy occurs by the early resignation of one of the committee.  The members of the committee who have been the longest in office, shall retire at the end of each year and if they so desire, offer themselves for re-election.    The President, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer should be ex-officio members of the Committee.  No person is eligible for nomination for election to the Committee unless he or she has been a continuous member of the Association for a period of not less than five years.  No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee, or hold any other office or appointment, within the Association.  The Committee meetings shall be called as often as necessary, seven to form a quorum.  The Committee shall have the power to appoint a sub-committee to deal with any matters which may arise.   The Committee and Vice-President shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

Any member of the Committee who does not attend three consecutive meetings without a valid and reasonable excuse will be deemed not to be a committee member and thus a casual vacancy will have been created.   Members elected into a casual vacancy will serve out the term of the person who created the vacancy, and subsequently offer themselves for re-election in the normal way.   

Any member of the Association wishing to see the minutes of the Committee Meetings shall be permitted to do so by requesting sight of the minute book from the Hon. Secretary, Chairman or Vice-Chairman at the Annual General Meeting.  The minute book may not be removed from the Hon.Secretary’s table.    .

Sub-Committees

VII  -  The work of a sub-committee shall be carried out by both meeting and by correspondence directly emanating from the Honorary Secretary.  The President, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex officio members of all sub-committees.  Such sub-committees are, in all cases, subservient to the General Committee and their reports shall, from time to time, be reported to the General Committee for ratification.

 Meetings

VIII  -  An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as the Committee deems fit.  The election of committee members shall be by ballot by all paid-up members of the Association.  Members of the Association present at the Annual General Meeting shall be required to vote for up to, but not more than, the number of vacancies on the Committee.  All nominations for the Committee for consideration at the Annual General Meeting and items for the agenda shall be submitted to the Honorary Secretary not less than 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.  Nominations for the Committee should be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members and accompanied by a letter of consent from the nominee.  Any items for the Agenda must be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members.  New nominees for office and Committee MUST attend the Annual General Meeting as must their proposers and seconders.  Members submitting items for the Agenda must also be present.

Special General Meetings may be called at such other times as may be necessary.  A Special General Meeting must be called by fourteen members signing a notice of their desire for such a meeting to be called and forwarding such notice to the Honorary Secretary.  Notice of a Special General Meeting shall be announced in the weekly publications OUR DOGS and DOG WORLD and will also be published on the Association‘s website, viz. www.wirefoxterrierassociation.co.uk  no later than 28 days prior to the date of such a meeting.  The Agenda will be circulated at the meeting.  At a Special General Meeting, if any member desires to bring forward any business other than that on the agenda, he shall first ask leave of the meeting to do so.  Any such matter must be raised through the Chairman.   The Committee is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting at its direction.  

No addition or alteration of the Rules of the Association shall be made except at an Annual General Meeting, the notice of which includes details of the proposed changes.   Any alteration to the Rules passed at an Annual General Meeting shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval to the alterations.  

Accounts

IX  -  A bank account in the name of The Wire Fox Terrier Association shall be opened into which all revenue of the Association shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made with two out of three designated signatories.  Two of the signatories shall normally be the Chairman and the Hon.Secretary/Treasurer and the third, a nominated member of the Committee, utilised in the event that either the Chairman or Hon.Secretary/Treasurer is unavailable.  All expenses incurred by the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer for or on behalf of the Association shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Association.  The accounts shall be certified annually by either one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals and a balance sheet shall be laid before the members at the Annual General Meeting.    Should there be an adverse balance, such balance may be met by a call on the members.  The financial year is from 1^st January to 31^st December.  

Annual Report 

X  -  An Annual Report of the work of the Association, together with the Rules, List of Officers, etc. of the Association and the audited Statement of Accounts, shall be printed and supplied to members not later than 31^st March each year.

Prizes

XI  -  The question of giving members classes, special prizes, etc. at   any show shall be decided by the Committee which shall satisfy itself as to the classification and generally to all matters not later than 31^st March each year.

Honorary Members

XII  -  Honorary Life Vice-Presidents may be elected as the membership deems requisite at the Annual General Meeting, the procedure being as for the nomination and election of the Committee contained in Rule VIII above.  Honorary Life Vice-Presidents may attend meetings of the Committee but may not vote at any meeting of the Association.

Acceptance of Rules

XIII – Any member of the Association, in taking up his/her membership, shall be deemed to have read the Rules of the Association and be prepared to abide by them.

Appeals

XIV  -  If any question or dispute arises as to the meaning or interpretation of these Rules, the matter must be submitted to the Committee for a ruling thereon.  The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal and its decision shall be binding on all parties.

 Annual Returns to the Kennel Club 

XV  -  The Officers acknowledge that, during the month of January each year, the Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Honorary Secretary for continuance of Registration and that by 31^st July each year, other returns as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils etc. will be forwarded to the Kennel Club.  The Officers acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of the month in which the Association’s Annual General Meeting is held, notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date and of any change of Honorary Secretary of the Association which may occur during the course of the year.    

Association Property