1.    Name

The Club shall be called “The Mastiff Club” hereinafter referred to as the Club.

 2.    Object

The objects of the Club shall be:

a)    To encourage breeding and exhibition of Mastiff dogs conforming to NZKC standards.

b)    To eventually hold Shows, Ribbon Parades and meetings.

c)    To provide facilities to hold Shows, Ribbon Parades and meetings.

d)    To promote good fellowship and mutual support among dog owners and fanciers.

e)    To support other clubs recognised by the NZKC.

f)     To promote the well-being of dogs in general.

 3.    Membership

The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of persons.

 4.    Election Of Members

Any person may be proposed and seconded by two financial members of the Club. Election shall be by vote at an ordinary Committee Meeting and membership shall commence from payment of the appropriate fee.

5.    Financial Year

The club’s financial year shall commence of the first day of April and end on the thirty-first day of March each year.

6.    Subscriptions

The annual subscription for members for the ensuing year will be determined by the Committee at their last meeting proceeding the first day of April in each year.

7.    Management

• The Officers of the Club shall consist of: a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The Committee shall consist of at least eight members of the Club.

• The Officers shall be deemed to be members of the Committee and the word “Committee” in these rules shall hereinafter be understood to mean the Officers and Committee jointly unless otherwise stated.

• The Honorary Offices who shall not be ex officio members of the Committee shall consist of a Patron, any number of Vice-Patrons, an Auditor and a Legal Advisor and a Veterinary Surgeon.

8.    Election Of Officers and Committee

Only members who have been financial for the previous year are eligible for election as Officers or Committee Members. They shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting and must be either nominated in writing prior to the AGM or nominated from the floor at the AGM.

Each candidate must be duly proposed and seconded by financial members of the Club and the candidate need not necessarily be present at the AGM provided he or she has signified in writing his or her consent to nomination.

Where the number of candidates who have duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number to be elected, a secret ballot shall be held among those financial members present at the AGM

9.    Vacancies

In the case of a vacancy arising on the Committee from any cause whatsoever, that body shall have power to fill such vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

10.    Duties Of Offices and Committe

The Officers and Committee as a whole are charged with full control and management of the affairs and business of the Club.

a)    Duties of President

·         To act as Chairman at all General and Committee meetings.

b)    Duties of Vice-Presidents

·        To stand in for President as required.

c)    Duties of Secretary

·        To keep Minutes of all General and Committee meetings.

·        To keep a register of all members.

·        To read and file all communication and present the same to next Committee meeting.

·        To issue all notices of meetings.

·        To conduct correspondence as directed by Committee.

·        To keep Minutes of all General and Committee meetings.

·        To collect all monies paid to the Club and pay same to the Treasurer.

d)    Duties of Treasurer

·        To receive all monies and issue receipts.

·        To pay all money promptly into the Club’s bank accounts.

·        To pay all accounts passed for payment by the Committee.

·        To keep full accounts of all monies received and paid out.

·        To have receipt books, bank deposit book, cheque book and all account books available at each Committee meeting or at any time for the Honorary Auditor.To present to the AGM a duly audited statement of income and expenditure and a Balance Sheet showing assets, liabilities and accumulated funds.

e)    Duties of Committee

·        To meet regularly to conduct the Club’s affairs.

f)     Duties of Auditor

·        To examine accounts at any time.

·        To audit accounts and balance sheet prior to presentation to AGM.

g)    Duties of Legal Advisor and Honorary Veterinary Surgeon

·        To assist the Club as and when required.

11.    Committe Meetings

The Committee shall meet as often as it shall deem necessary but a minimum of four times a year. Five clear day’s notice of any Committee Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to all its members. The President, Secretary or six ordinary Committee members may call a Committee Meeting.

In the absence of the President and both Vice-Presidents, the meeting shall elect a Chairman from among their number.

A quorum shall consist of five members.

The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in the case of an equality of votes, he shall also have a casting vote.

The Agenda for the meeting shall consist of:Apologies, Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising, Correspondence, Accounts and General Business in which any member may introduce any matter pertaining to the managements of the Club and its affairs.

12.    General Meetings

Annual General Meeting: The AGM shall be held not later than two calendar months after the end of the financial year provided that the Committee, if they think fit, may postpone the date for said meeting for a period not exceeding one month.

An Annual Report of the Club’s progress which shall include a tabulated statement of the meeting of the Committee together with a duly audited Balance Sheet showing receipts and expenditure for the past year and the assets and liabilities of the Club shall be presented to each member at his last known address together with a notice summoning the meeting at least 14 days before the day appointed for such meeting.

The order of business shall be:
Apologies, Adoption of Minutes of previous AGM, Presentation of Annual Report and Balance Sheet, Election of Officers and Committee, General Business.

Special General Meetings: A Special General Meeting of the members of the Club shall be convened by the Secretary on receipt of a requisition signed by ten financial members of the Club or by resolution of the Committee. Such meeting shall be held within 14 days after receipt of such requisition and 7 days notice shall be given to all members setting out the purpose for which such meeting is being called. No business other than that for which due notice has been given shall be transacted at that meeting.

13.    Quorum

a)    At any committee Meeting of the five members shall form a quorum. At any General Meeting of the Club eight financial members shall form a quorum.

b)    No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Club unless a quorum of members is present.

c)    If within half an hour of the appointed time for a meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting if a Special General Meeting convened until the requisition of members shall be dissolved. In any other case, it shall be adjourned to the same day and time in the next week, all members shall be notified and any members present at the subsequent meeting may transact any business as set down for that meeting as if they constitute a full quorum.

14.    Voting

a)    At all meeting of the Club only financial members for the current year may vote.

b)    In all voting, except elections, a simple majority (ie 50% or more of the number of voters) shall determine the result of the poll. In the case of elections, the highest polling candidate(s), regardless of proportion, shall be declared elected.

c)    In all elections voting shall be by secret ballot. All voting other than elections shall be by voices or by show of hands if any one person so requires or by secret ballot if the Chairman and any two members present so require or by holding a postal ballot of all members if the Chairman or any five members present so desire.

d)    Where a secret ballot is held, two scrutineers shall be appointed to count the votes, such appointment being made before taking the votes.

e)    Where a postal ballot has been approved, the meeting may be adjourned until the ballot has been taken. Any adjourned meeting must resume within one month of the adjournment. Voting papers shall be sent to all financial members who shall complete and return them to the appointed Returning Officer who shall open them in the presence of two scrutineers and advise the result at the resumed meeting. If the meeting at which the postal ballot was called for was completed, the Returning Officer shall notify the Secretary who shall advise all members of the result within one month of the date of the meeting.

f)     In all elections, members may vote for less that the number required to fill vacancies but the voting paper shall be invalid if it shows more than the number required to fill vacancies.

g)    In all voting the Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in the case of any equality of votes he shall have the casting vote.

15.    Code Of Ethics

All future intending members of The Mastiff Club shall be sent a copy of the Code of Ethics and shall sign a form provided to say that they understand and agree to abide by the rules laid down under the Code.

16.    Cessation of Membership

a)    Resignation. A member of the Club may retire at any time by giving advice in writing of such to the Committee. Such resignation shall be accepted providing all overdue subscriptions are paid and all Club property returned.

b)    Expulsion

1.    The Committee shall have power to cancel the membership of any member who is in arrears of subscription. In each case, one month’s notice in writing shall be given of the Committee’s intention to cancel membership to enable said member to become financial.

2.    The Club shall have the power to cancel the membership of any member who has been found by an Open Meeting to have acted in an unbecoming or dishonourable manner concerning matters affecting the Club or acting in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the Club or to have breached the Code of Ethics.

In any case considered under 16(b)(2), a Special General Meeting shall be called for this purpose. The member concerned shall be given 1 month’s written notice containing particulars of the alleged matter and requesting his/her presence at such meeting. Such person shall be allowed an advocate to speak upon the matter affecting the proposed expulsion. The Club may, after hearing the member concerned, or his advocate, or should he fail to attend after considering the matter resolve to discipline or expel such member.

A member expelled under this Rule shall have the right to appeal to the New Zealand Kennel Club who may confirm or rescind or vary the resolution of the Club expelling or disciplining such member.

17.    Alteration to Rules

The Rules of the Club may be altered, added to or rescinded at any General Meeting of which at least 7 days notice has been given to all members. The notice so given shall contain a copy of or state briefly the nature of the resolution to be moved at the General Meeting. No addition to or alteration or rescission of the rules shall be approved if it affects the personal benefit clause or the winding up clause.

The Club shall register any alteration in, or addition to, these Rules as required by any statutory provisions in force at that time.

All alterations shall be notified to the NZKC for approval.

18.    Common Seal

The Common Seal shall be under the control of the Committee and in the custody of the Secretary. It shall be affixed by the Secretary to such documents as the Committee shall from time to time direct.

19.    Winding Up

a)    The Club may be wound up voluntarily if the members at any General Meeting pass a resolution requiring the Club to be so wound up and this resolution is confirmed at a subsequent General Meeting called for that express purpose.

b)    Upon the dissolution of the Club, any surplus assets after payment of all liabilities shall be paid to the NZKC to be held in trust for any future club in New Zealand which may be formed to meet objects similar to those of this Club.

20.    General

If any case occurs which is not provided for in these rules, it shall be determined by the Committee in such manner as they shall deem fit and their decision will be final.

21.    Payment to Members 

No member of the Club or person associated with a member should participate in or materially influence any decision made by the Club in respect of the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit or advantage whatsoever. Any such income paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arms-length transaction (being the open market value). The provision and effect of this clause shall not be removed from this document and shall be included and implied into any document replacing this document.