GSDL-WDG Constitution 2022
Issue 1, 2022, 1st April
Preliminary Notes:
i. The ‘German Shepherd Dog League – Working Dog Group’ shall be referred to as the ‘GSDL-WDG’.
ii. The ‘GSDL-WDG National Executive Committee’ will be referred to as ‘the GSDL-WDG Committee’.
A. Mission Statement and Declaration
A1. The GSDL-WDG’s principal aim is the training and testing of German Shepherd Dogs to the requirements of the WUSV breed standard. It is a primary goal of the GSDL-WDG to promote healthy German Shepherd Dogs with correct working temperaments. Another aim is the promotion of IPO / schutzhund dog sport in Great Britain; therefore, other breeds are also invited to attain qualifications and compete in relevant competitions.
B. General
B1. It is the primary objective of the GSDL-WDG to ensure that training, events and competition are conducted with the maximum safety to all persons concerned. Failure to comply with any of the safety rules may result in immediate suspension pending disciplinary action. (See disciplinary code)
B2. GSDL-WDG Branch Clubs are free to form their own constitution and rules, however no item or rule should contradict or compromise the Rules of the GSDL-WDG. Failure to comply may result in immediate suspension pending disciplinary action. (See disciplinary code)
B3. The Committee of the GSDL-WDG shall be made up of up to 9 people to be elected annually on a rotational basis at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the GSDL-WDG (See section E).
B4. The GSDL-WDG AGM will be held during the month of February each year and any agenda items must be received at least 21 days before the AGM date by the General Secretary and the agenda issued to each of the affiliated GSDL-WDG Branch Club secretaries and posted on the GSDL-WDG website at least 14 days before the AGM date. All agenda items must be detailed, proposed and seconded by current GSDL-WDG members, the proposer and/or seconder of the agenda item must be present at the meeting for the item to be discussed and voted upon.
B5. The annual membership fee is due by the 31st of December of the previous year. No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by the end of March, he/she will be considered a new member, should he/she reapply for membership.
B6. Only GSDL-WDG members with a full membership (see section C4), who are fully paid up by the 31st of December will be entitled to vote on matters presented at the AGM. Members without voting rights may attend the meeting but will not be entitled to vote on any matters presented.
C. Membership
C1. Application for and renewal of membership to the GSDL-WDG will be in ALL cases through an affiliated GSDL-WDG Branch Club, with the appropriate completed application form and payments forwarded to the GSDL-WDG Membership Secretary.
C1a. Membership of the GSDL must be renewed for GSDL-WDG membership renewal to be processed. For new members GSDL membership must be applied for and accepted before an application for GSDL-WDG membership can be considered.
C2. New members must obtain final approval of membership from two members of the GSDL-WDG Committee.
C3. Memberships may be refused when the GSDL-WDG Committee feel that membership of an individual may not be in the best interests of the GSDL-WDG.
C4. There are six (6) types of membership available.
- Single membership entitling the member to vote at the annual meeting.
- Family membership entitling one of the members to vote at the annual meeting (up to four family members with the children’s maximum age 18), the person casting the vote must be at least 16.
- Joint membership entitling two votes at the annual meeting.
- Single OAP membership entitling the member to vote at the annual meeting
- Joint OAP membership entitling two votes at the annual meeting
- Joint OAP and single membership entitling two votes at the annual meeting
C5. Membership subscription shall be as follows:
- Single membership – £35
- Joint membership – £50
- Family membership – £55
- OAP membership – £30
- Joint OAP membership – £45
- Joint single and OAP membership – £48
- One month trial fee – £30
- The one-month trial fee is only available to current members of WUSV organisations or organisations affiliated to their National Kennel club.
- The one-month trial fee will be valid for 1 month only
- The one-month trial fee only allows participation in GSDL-WDG club trials
- The one-month trial fee does not allow entry in major events or to license as a helper or tracklayer
- People how have paid the one-month trial fee do not have the right to vote or to attend general meetings
C6. The Council shall have power to elect Honorary WDG Members on such terms and conditions as it may deem expedient. Honorary GSDL members shall not be considered WDG members and will not have voting rights.
C7. The liability of Members shall be limited to the amount of their subscription as provided herein.
C8. Members of the Council and of any Sub-Committee and officials of the WDG shall be indemnified by the WDG against any legal claim made against them, in connection with any oral or written statement, made by them in good faith in the course of, or in furtherance of their WDG duties or responsibility.
C9. An up to date list of members and their addresses, and those of branch members where appropriate, must be maintained and, if so requested, made available for inspection by the Kennel Club and members of the society. A declaration of the number of members of the society must be made with Annual Returns
D. Annual General Meeting
D1. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be posted on the GSDL-WDG website at least 4 weeks prior to the meeting.
D2. Quorum at the Annual General meeting shall be 50% +1 of the members present who are eligible to vote (if there’s an uneven number of members present, quorum shall be ((number of members present minus 1) divided by 2) + 1).
D3. The Constitution of the GSDL-WDG may not be altered by the GSDL-WDG except at an annual general meeting or a special general meeting, notice of which includes details of the proposal to alter the Rules. (New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet The Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Society’s Constitution with effect from the Society’s annual meeting). No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting are urgent. The committee shall have the power to deal with all matters in relation to the day to day running of the organization which are not specifically provided for in the Constitution.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting shall be Called by the Committee
a) At the committee’s discretion
b) If 10% of the fully paid up members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. No business other than that detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.
Quorum for a special General meeting shall be at least 10% of the current fully paid up members.
E. GSDL-WDG Committee
E1. The GSDL-WDG Committee shall manage the day to day affairs of the GSDL-WDG, and shall comprise of up to nine GSDL-WDG members and be voted for on a rotation basis (one third of the number of committee members stepping down each year and offering themselves for re-election if they so wish). The Committee members to retire in each year shall be those who have been longest in the office since the last election, but as between persons who became Committee members on the same date, those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot.
- A maximum of 2 members from any one club can be on the National Committee at the same time.
E2. Voting for the GSDL-WDG Committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting of the GSDL-WDG.
E3. On completion of voting the following Officers shall be appointed from within and by the elected GSDL-WDG Committee:
- Chairman
- Vice Chairman
- General Secretary
- Treasurer
- Membership Secretary
E4. The GSDL-WDG Committee shall have the right to appoint non-executive members to fulfil specific roles on an as and when required basis (including the positions of Membership Secretary and Treasurer)
E5. The GSDL-WDG Committee will meet at least twice a year at properly convened meetings with a detailed agenda for which items will need to be received by the General Secretary at least 14 days prior to the agreed meeting dates. Extraordinary Committee Meetings will be held when considered necessary by a majority of Committee members. Seven days’ notice shall be given for the holding of committee meetings, except in the case of any emergency, when three days’ notice shall suffice.
E6. Quorum for committee decisions shall be 50% +1 of the current committee members (if the committee consists of an uneven number of members, quorum shall be (((number of committee members minus 1) divided by 2) + 1) ie. For a committee of 9, the quorum shall by 5)
E7. Anyone seeking election for a vacant position on the GSDL-WDG Committee must have been a GSDL-WDG member for three complete years consecutively prior to the year in which they offer to stand for election and be proposed and seconded by current GSDL-WDG members.
E8. No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club registered Society.
E9. Voting for the vacant GSDL-WDG Committee positions will be by secret ballot.
- Members may vote for between one (1) and up to and including the number of vacant committee positions (usually 3).
E10. In the event of a vacancy arising on the Committee by death, resignation, or expulsion of a Member or due to insufficient nominations for the committee at the AGM, the Council may fill the vacancy/vacancies by co-opting, but a Member so co-opted shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting. A Member requires a minimum of three full consecutive years Membership in order to qualify for co-option. If for any reason the Committee are unable to obtain a quorum (e.g. Committee Membership having fallen to less than five) the Committee shall have the power to hold a Committee meeting for the purpose only of co-opting sufficient members to enable a quorate meeting to be held. In these circumstances the Committee shall immediately call a Special General Meeting at which the co-opted Members shall first of all retire and an election held to fill the remaining vacancies on the Committee.
E11. The duties of the GSDL-WDG Committee shall be to manage the GSDL-WDG’s affairs at GSDL-WDG and Club level properly and diligently. Without prejudice to these duties, they should be mindful of the following:
- The property of the GSDL-WDG shall be vested in the Executive Committee and property at Branch Club level shall be vested in the Club Committee.
- The GSDL-WDG Committee may appoint such of its members as it from time to time thinks fit to constitute a Sub-Committee(s) or Working Party(s) to exercise such of the powers of the GSDL-WDG Committee may decide.
- The GSDL-WDG Committee in respect of National events and the Branch Club Committee in respect of Branch Club events shall decide upon the value and nature of prizes to be offered at competitions or club events and may make regulations for their conduct according to any applicable WUSV or GSDL regulation.
- The GSDL-WDG Committee shall prepare and/or review at regular intervals of not more than twelve months, a list of persons who are official representatives of the GSDL-WDG Committee, Club Committees, Sub-Committees and also approved Judges, Helpers and Tracklayers.The GSDL-WDG Committee will allocate an agreed sum of money to the organising Clubs of the National, International, and WUSV / FCI qualification events. Any shortfall/profit made by the organising Branch Club shall be borne by that Club.
F. Discipline
F1. Any member who shall be suspended by the GSDL, WUSV, Kennel Club and / or FCI shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the GSDL-WDG.
F2. Disciplinary measures will be as per the Disciplinary Code of Conduct
G. Revenue
G1. The GSDL-WDG Membership Fee should be reviewed annually. The GSDL-WDG Membership Fee will become the property and funds of the GSDL-WDG.
H. Winding Up
H1. The procedure for winding up the GSDL-WDG or a GSDL-WDG Branch Club shall be by way of a properly convened Special General Meeting.
H2. If the GSDL-WDG or any of its Branch Clubs cease to exist, any property or profits of the GSDL-WDG or Branch Club concerned shall be dealt with or disposed of as the members attending the Special General Meeting convened specifically for that purpose think fit.
I. Accounting
I1. An account shall be opened in the name of the Club at such a bank as the GSDL-WDG Treasurer or GSDL-WDG Branch Club Treasurer may decide and only the signatures of any two of its GSDL-WDG Committee or GSDL-WDG Branch Club officers shall operate such accounts. Accounts and records shall be kept by each Treasurer and shall be made available for inspection annually or at every official meeting.
I2. The Financial year of the GSDL-WDG shall be the calendar year commencing on 1st January and ending on 31st December in each year.
I3. The GSDL-WDG accounts will be certified annually and presented to the Members at the Annual General Meeting. NOTE: Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified Accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience.