RULES
NAME AND OBJECTS
1. The Association will be called the Griffon Bruxellois Breeders Association.
2. The objects of the Association shall be to guide and encourage breeders of Griffon Bruxellois to produce litters of the quality and standard as laid down by the Kennel Club Breed Standard and to consider all matters which affect the breed.
MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING RIGHTS
3. The Association shall have an unlimited number of Full Members, Associate members, Overseas and Junior members. Hon Life members may be approved by Committee-in-session of those persons whom the committee consider to have contributed outstanding service to the Association and/or the breed. Nominations for Hon Life membership may be received by the Secretary from Full Members of the Association. Such persons so honoured would retain any existing voting rights.
4. a) Full membership of the Association is restricted to a person who has bred a litter of Griffon Bruxellois which has been registered at the Kennel Club, and for the owner of a Griffon Bruxellois stud dog that has sired a litter of Griffon Bruxellois which has been registered at the Kennel Club. Full Members will not have voting rights until they have been members for one year, unless they have previously been an Associate Member for at least twelve months.
b) Associate Members shall receive all the benefits of full membership but without voting rights. Junior Members shall not have voting rights. Joint Full Members shall each have voting rights.
c) Associate Members who have served the Association over a long period of years and have a special interest in the GBBA may be proposed and seconded by Full Members for full membership and sent to the Secretary, such proposals shall be voted for at the Annual General Meeting.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS
5. Any persons desiring to become a member of the Association shall be proposed and seconded by two Full Members of the Association using the appropriate membership form. Their application will be considered by the committee at their earliest meeting.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
6. The annual subscription will be such amount as agreed by members in General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. Membership may be: Single, Joint, Overseas, Junior (up to age 18). All membership subscriptions must be renewed by 31st December each year. Anyone who has not complied with this rule will cease to be a member after due reminder.
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
7. a) The Association shall have a Patron, who will be invited for that honour by the Committee. There shall also be a President, both of whom are entitled to attend committee meetings but do not have a vote.
b) The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and a Committee of six (two thirds ( 6 members) of the voting Officers and Committee members form a quorum). The committee may be empowered to co-opt four additional members to serve no longer than one year, after which time their co-option to be reviewed. Co-opted members of the committee shall not have voting rights.
c) The President, Officers and Committee shall be elected by a paper ballot at the annual General Meeting, nominations to be received by the Secretary by the date stated on the Notice of the Annual General Meeting. The President and Officers to retire after three years but may stand for re-election. One third of the committee to retire annually but may stand for re-election. Votes cast to be announced to the Members at the Annual General Meeting.
d) The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio Members of the Committee and by virtue of their office be Full Members of the Committee and have voting rights. The Chairman, who must be a Full Member, to have a casting vote.
Associate Members may be nominated and appointed as Secretary and Treasurer. All committee members and Officers will automatically become FULL members of the Association.
e) No two members of the same household may serve as Officers at the same time but two members of the same household may serve on the Committee at the same time.
f) That a Serving Officer should not serve on another Griffon Bruxellois Breed Club while holding office.
g) No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee, or hold any other office or appointment.
8. a) The Committee shall be empowered to appoint:
1. A Show Manager, who may be either a Full or Associate Member
2. A Progress/Newsletter Editor, who may be either a Full or Associate Member
3. Regional Representatives who must be Full Members
b) The Committee may fill any vacancy that may arise on the committee during the year.
c) The Committee may invite Regional Representatives and the Progress/Newsletter Editor to attend committee meetings but without voting rights.
9. 9. There will be a Breed Health Coordinator ( BHC) that is
appointed by Breed Clubs. Breeds with more than one club must
have a majority agreement on the candidate. A BHC may be
appointed for a variety of different reasons, including their breed
knowledge and their skills set.
FINANCIAL YEAR/ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
10. The financial year of the Association shall terminate on the 31st December and the Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as practicable after the end of the financial year. Members are to be given notice of the AGM a clear 28 days prior to the meeting. A notice will be placed on the website and the GBBA’s Social Media Site if no Email address held.Members are to be given a specific date by which to submit any nominations and/or resolutions to the Secretary. All nominations must be proposed and seconded by fully paid up members. Members are to be given a copy of the agenda a clear 14 days prior to the meeting. The agenda will be placed on the website and the GBBA’s Social Media Site if no Email address held. 9 full members present, form a quorum.A copy of the balance sheet for the last financial year, which must be certified in accordance with the rules of the association are to be sent to the Committee members at least 14 days prior to the AGM and be made available to members, on request to the Treasurer, 14 days prior to the AGM. The balance sheet will be made available for inspection by members at the AGM.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
11. The Secretary shall, at any time, upon written request of 15 members, or a third of the membership, whichever is the lowest, or at the behest of the Committee, stating the business for which it is required, call a Special General Meeting within 28 days of such requisition. Fourteen days notice will be sent to all members. A notice will be placed on the website and the GBBA’s Social Media Sites if no Email address held. No business other than that named shall be bought before any Special General Meeting.
EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
12. Any Member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j. (5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(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 of the 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 shall be called for the passing of 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 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 condition as the Kennel Club may impose.
ASSOCIATION PROPERTY
13. The property of the Association shall be vested in the Committee and in the event of the Association ceasing to exist, a General Meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of any assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
14. The Committee are vested with the power to deal with any contingency not provided for in these rules, but no rule may be altered, or added to, except at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting and such alterations and additions shall not be bought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and its approval given.
Notices of the meetings will include the full details of any proposed rule changes.
ANNUAL RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB
15. 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 the continuance of Registration and that by the end of July next following that in which the Annual General Meeting is held, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Titles of Registered Societies, 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 and to notify the Kennel Club of any subsequent amendments to that date.
The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Association which may occur during the course of the year.
MEMBERSHIP AND JUDGING LISTS
16. a) The Secretary to maintain an up to date list of all members of the Association and make the list of names available on request by a Representative of the Kennel Club or Member of the Association and published Annually in Progress. Members will be requested to inform the secretary on what information they wish to be included in the publication with the minimum being full name and location.
b) The Committee to have available an up to date Judges List. This is to be prepared by secret ballot each year by the Committee or Sub-committee in order to comply with Kennel Club regulations. Members and non-Members who wish their names to be included on such a list may, in the first instance, write to the Secretary. Criteria for inclusion on the Judges List is printed therein and is to be published annually in Progress.
ASSOCIATION ACCOUNTS
17. A banking account to be opened in the name of the Association into which all revenue of the Association shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signature of two Officers. The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer. The accounts will be certified annually and presented to the members at the AGM. Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant or two individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepared the accounts.
CODE OF ETHICS ( Appendix 1)
18. All members of the Association must agree to abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics, or be liable to sanction under Rule 12.
KENNEL CLUB COURT OF APPEAL
19. The Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the rules and regulations of the club in all cases relative to canine or society matters.
Note: For the purposes of clarification throughout the rules, for ‘Members’ read ‘Full and Associate Members’ unless otherwise stated.
(Updated April 2024 )