Constitution of the Canaan Dog Club of the United Kingdom
Updated: 22 September 2025
Name
Name shall be The Canaan Dog Club of the United Kingdom.
Objects
TO PROMOTE THE INTERESTS OF THE CANAAN DOG IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND SAFEGUARD THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS UNIQUE BREED.
Indemnity by all Members
The Club is an unincorporated private members club. As such the Club has no legal existence of its own – apart from the Members of which it is composed. There is, therefore, the potential for personal liability whenever any Member incurs an obligation or liability on the Club’s behalf. All the affairs of the Club – including the regular examination of its financial resources – are, therefore, managed by the Club’s Officers and its Committee(s). Neither individual Officers nor the Committee, may incur an obligation which would commit the expenditure of more than £500 or 50% of the Club’s financial resources, unless authorised by resolution of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or a Special General Meeting.
Members hereby agree to indemnify their Officers and Committee(s) against personal liability in respect of properly authorised expenditure.
Accounts
A Banking Account shall be maintained in the name of the Club into which all revenues of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signature of two Signatories, including at least one Officer. The signatories shall consist of the Treasurer and any other Committee Members appointed by the Committee. Signatories shall not sign cheques totalling more than a limit set by the Treasurer without informing the Treasurer in advance. The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December. The Treasurer shall receive all monies, keep a proper record of receipts and payments, and submit a properly audited Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet to the members at the AGM Certification of accounts will be carried out by one qualified Accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts. A copy of the annual statement of accounts for the last financial year certified as above shall be made available on request to Members 14 days prior to the AGM. Additionally the annual statement of accounts will be available for inspection by Members at the AGM and at times to be stipulated in the rules.
Membership
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members whose names and addresses shall be entered in a register kept by the Secretary. On request, the register is to be made available for inspection by The Kennel Club.
Applicants for full membership of the Club (18 years or over) or junior membership (8 years to 18 years) shall be proposed by one full member and seconded by another, and the election shall take place at any Committee meeting. A simple majority shall be required. Every applicant shall complete such application form as shall be prescribed by the Committee from time to time, such form to contain an undertaking to be bound by and comply with the Club Rules and Code of Ethics from time to time in force.
Each applicant for new membership shall forward his/her subscription with application form to the Secretary, and his/her membership shall count from the date of receipt by the Secretary if the application be confirmed by the Committee.
The Canaan Dog Club if so requested must make an up-to-date list of members available for inspection by the Kennel Club.
Honorary Lifetime Membership
The Committee may invite senior members who have given distinguished service to the Breed to become Honorary Lifetime Members, such members to be exempt from membership dues, although entitled to all rights and benefits of membership except that they may not become officers or members of the Committee.
Subscription
The annual subscription shall be payable on 1st January each year, the amounts for the first member (full or junior) of a family or partnership, for each additional member, and for overseas members (single or joint) to be decided by the Committee. Members joining during the last three months of the financial year shall get continuous membership to the end of the following year. Each family or partnership shall receive only one copy of the Newsletter and other matter circulated by the Secretary
No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the: privileges of membership, and if any members fails to pay the annual subscription by 1st March (2 months from the prescribed date of payment) the Committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the list of members, but if the Committee shall subsequently receive an explanation for non-payment that is deemed satisfactory by a simple majority of the Committee, the member may, at the discretion of the Committee and on payment of the arrears, be re-admitted to membership.
Those co-opted (who need not be full voting members) shall only hold office until the next general meeting of the Club at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place. The Committee shall also have the power to elect a “Chairman of the Day” in the event that both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are absent from a meeting.
Four members of the Committee shall form a quorum and there shall be at least one Committee member (non-officer) in the quorum. Committee meetings shall be held as deemed necessary by the Secretary, Chairman, Vice-Chairman (or a minimum of one Officer and two Committee Members) but at least one Committee meeting shall be held every four months. Should any member of the Committee absent himself/herself from two consecutive meetings, the Secretary shall request a written explanation for the absence and this then be considered by the Committee within an agreed timescale. They shall have the power by resolution to declare that such a member has ceased to be a member of the Committee and the position will be vacant.”
Voting rights
Each full member shall be entitled to one vote at any election for the Committee or at Annual or Special General Meetings if subscriptions for each full member are paid up-to-date at the time of the meeting and they have been a member for one full year. They are then referred to as “Full Voting Members”. Joint members are entitled to one vote each.
Officers and Committee
The Officers and Committee shall consist of the Patron, President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Recording Secretary, * Treasurer and a committee, all of whom unless co-opted must be full voting members of at least two years duration. The total number of committee members, excluding the Officers, shall not exceed 5% of the membership of the Club. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be entitled to attend Committee meetings (without voting rights). The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Recording Secretary and Treasurer shall each be an ex officio member of the Committee, entitled to vote. The Chairman (or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman) shall take the chair at Committee meetings and have an additional casting vote if necessary. No officer or committee member may be an officer or committee member, or on the steering committee of any other Canaan Dog breed club or society.
(*The Recording Secretary shall take the minutes of the meetings of both the Committee and the general membership and shall also be responsible for sending out cards of condolence and congratulations to members as requested by the Committee.)
The Committee shall have power to co-opt to fill vacancies or for any special purposes. The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees as they deem fit. All decisions and actions of sub-committees shall be subject to confirmation by the Committee.
The Committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. The terms of office of the Patron, President and Vice-Presidents shall be 3 years but they shall be eligible for re-election. Officers and Committee who retire annually should only actually retire after an Election has been concluded, either at the Annual General Meeting or subsequently if the Election is to be conducted independently.
Meetings and Elections
The AGM shall be held not later than 30th April each year. The AGM shall receive the report of the Committee, the Accounts and Balance Sheet and shall deal with any business, including Elections, duly placed on the Agenda and of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary. Items for the Agenda must be received by the Secretary in writing (either by fax, email or post) 28 days prior to the meeting. The AGM shall be chaired by the President or a Vice-President or the Club Chairman or Vice-Chairman. In the case of equality of votes the Chairman of the Meeting shall have an additional casting vote, except for Elections.
At least 42 days prior to the AGM the Secretary shall publish the notice of the AGM, which shall include a request to all members to submit nominations for the Officers and Committee for the ensuing year. Candidates must be duly proposed and seconded in writing (either by email or post) and the nomination forwarded to the Secretary and supported by written acceptance of the nominee to be received by the Secretary no later than 28 days prior to the AGM.
As soon as practicable following receipt, the Secretary will publish a complete list of members’ nominations and the nominations by the Committee For the offices of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Recording Secretary and also for Patron, President and Vice-President(s) if applicable. The Agenda for the AGM will be enclosed with the list.
At the AGM the Officers and Committee shall be elected by a vote of full voting members. Full voting members may vote eitherin person at the Annual General Meeting or by having written to the Secretary before the AGM (Letters to the Secretary containing votes should be securely sealed and marked ‘Vote’. Members will vote by show of hands; or, any member may request that an immediate secret ballot be held there and then. After that, postal votes will be opened, verified for validity/duplication and counted. At that point the Chairman will ensure that no full voting member either has sought in writing or seeks in person that an independent ballot be held after the AGM. Provided that no independent ballot is being sought, the Chairman will then resolve any tied votes and announce to the AGM the result of the Election. (In the event of a tie, the result will be decided on the spin of a coin.) In the event that there is no contest for the positions of officers or committee members, the Secretary can cast one vote at the AGM to elect the committee-nominated slate.
A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary if 20 members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Committee of the Club is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting. No business other than the matter on the Agenda can be discussed. The Secretary shall give 14 days’ notice in writing (either by fax, email or post) of such a meeting and the notice must be sent out within 14 days of receiving the requisition.
Amendments to Rules
The Rules of the Club may not be altered except at a General Meeting, the Agenda for which contains specific proposals to amend the Rules, Any proposed alteration to the Rules may not be brought into effect until The Kennel Club has been advised and approved the alteration.
Expulsion of Members
Any Member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11j(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11j(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Society.
If the conduct of any Member of the Association shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious to the character or interests of the breed and/or the Association, or should any member fail to comply with the principles laid down in the Code of Ethics, the Committee of this Association 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 be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him or her. Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member, giving particulars of the complaint, and advising him or her of the place, date and time of the Meeting, in order that he or she may attend to answer the complaint.
If at the meeting a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting, his or her name shall be forthwith erased from the list of Members, and he or she shall thereupon cease to all purposes to be a Member of the Association except that he or she may within two calendar months from the date of such meeting appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions that the Kennel Club may impose.
The Association acknowledges its duty to report the expulsion of any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows or trials, in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply particulars required.
Annual Returns
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 that 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” will be forwarded to The Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of any changes of the Secretary of the Club, which may occur during the course of the year. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform The Kennel Club of the month in which the Club’s AGM is held and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date.
Club Property
The Property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee. In the event of the Club ceasing to exist a General Meeting shall be called to decide upon the disposal of the Club’s assets and the outcome of the Meeting notified to The Kennel Club, together with a final statement of accounts and a record of the disposal of the property of the Club.
The Officers’ and Committee of the Club accept that they will be held responsible by The Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.
Disputes
The Kennel Club shall adjudicate in any dispute, which a Special General Meeting has been unable to resolve to the Meeting’s satisfaction. In seeking adjudication by The Kennel Club, there is no intention by the Club to oust the jurisdiction of the Court – where any Member would always be entitled to seek redress
Joining Federations
The Club undertakes not to join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
Bankruptcy of Members
No person while an undischarged Bankrupt may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within the Club.
Judges’ List
Requests by applicants who wish to be considered for inclusion on the Club’s official Judges’ List must be sent to the Secretary in writing and the application will then be put before the Judges Sub-committee at the earliest convenient meeting. It is understood that all applicants will be required to meet a set form of criteria, said criteria to be agreed by a two-thirds majority of the Judges Sub-committee. From time to time the criteria can be altered or amended by the Judges Sub-committee by a two-thirds majority decision.
Judging Lists shall run from 1st January to 31st December and shall be scheduled for revision at the last Committee meeting of the year. In January either the club or show secretary shall mail the updated lists to all societies scheduling classes for the Breed.
Trophies or Prizes
Members are encouraged to donate trophies as prizes for members and their dogs to compete for. Any such trophies will be deemed to have been given to the Club by the member who donates it and the gift shall be noted in the minutes of the Committee by way of receipt.
Prizes are awarded to the owners of successful dogs at the AGM or Canaan Dog Club of the United Kingdom’s Annual Show, as decided by the Committee. Such date of presentation of prizes will be notified to members by the Secretary with the notice of the AGM. The owner of the successful dog will be required, as a condition of accepting the trophy, to leave a monetary deposit for the prize. The deposit, the amount of which will be decided by the Committee from time to time, will be refunded on the return of the prize, suitably engraved, and in good condition.
The Committee will decide periodically whether a particular prize should be insured by the Club.