1. The name of the Club shall be “The Midland Counties Labrador Retriever Club” (the Club). The objectives being:-
(a) To promote and encourage the welfare and interests of the Labrador Retriever.
(b) To promote the breeding, improvement and type of the Labrador Retriever, as defined in the Kennel Club Breed Standard.
(c) To conserve the best type of working Labrador.
(d) To promote Limit, Open and Championship Shows; Working Tests and Field Trials.
(e) To ensure that only qualified judges be invited to judge at Shows and that adequate classification is given.
(f) To encourage the Junior and Novice Exhibitor.
(g) To educate members in the training, handling and care of Labradors.

2. The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members, whose names and addresses shall be kept by the Membership Secretary on the Club’s computer, which shall be open to inspection by members or by the Kennel Club. The election of members other than the original members shall be vested solely in the Committee (being the body constituted by Clause 5 below). Candidates for membership shall be proposed and seconded by existing fully paid-up members. Each member shall be entitled to one vote with the exception of the Chairman who will only have a casting vote (one vote for each member of a partnership) upon acceptance of membership. Postal or proxy votes are not allowed.

3. The Annual Subscription of each member shall be £10.00, joint £15.00, junior £3.00 (18 years and under) and £2.00 for bona fide Gamekeepers upon production of signed statements from their employers, payable on January 1st each year. Member’s liability shall be limited to the amount of their subscriptions, and no member shall be entitled to the privileges of the Club if his Subscription is unpaid. If a member’s subscription shall be more than six months in arrears he or she shall cease to be a member of the Club unless satisfactory explanation is accepted by the Committee when, upon payment of all arrears, he or she may be reinstated. Subscriptions of members elected after November 30th shall be deemed to cover the following year.

4. The financial Year of the Club shall be from 1st January to 31st December. A Banking account shall be opened in the name of the Midland Counties Labrador Retriever Club in to which all revenue of the Club shall be paid, and from which withdrawals shall be made on the signature of two or more officers one of whom shall be Treasurer.

5. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee (the Committee) consisting of not more than 16 members, excluding the President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Field Trial Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Show Secretary, Membership Secretary and Hon. Year Book Editor. The above named Officers shall be ex-officio members of all Committees. The Committee will appoint a Field Trial Sub-Committee consisting of nine members, together with the Hon. Field Trial Secretary.
The Committee will act on behalf of the Club and all its members to promote and further the objectives of the Club. The Committee and Sub-committees must always act in the best interests of the Club and its members, and must manage the Club’s financial and other resources with all due prudence and diligence. The Committee and the Hon. Treasurer will be responsible for regulating all the Club’s financial matters and interests and for ensuring the financial well-being of the Club. If any Committee member or Sub-Committee member at any time becomes aware of any financial or other personal interest that may be perceived as conflicting with the interests of the Club, the member must declare this to the Committee at the next available meeting and it shall be recorded accordingly in the minutes. If such a personal interest may reasonably be perceived as prejudicing the ability of the Committee or Sub-Committee to make a proper decision in the best interests of the Club on any particular item of business, the member will be required to declare such interest and shall take no part in the discussion of such item and shall not be entitled to vote.

6. The entire control and management of the Club shall be vested in the Committee, who shall have power to appoint Sub-Committees as deemed necessary, make by-laws, and decide upon all matters of dispute not provided for by these Rules, subject to final appeal of the Kennel Club. Sub-Committees shall be answerable to the Committee on all matters, and the Chairman of the Sub-Committee shall be a member of the Committee, who will report the Sub-Committee’s activities to the Committee, and is accountable accordingly. All Sub-Committees must take minutes of all their meetings and any other decisions and submit them to the next available meeting of the Committee.
The Committee shall have the right to co-opt members on to the Committee in the event of positions becoming vacant between General Meetings. Those co-opted shall hold office only until the next General Meeting of the Club at which an election of Officers and Committee takes place. A quorum for Committee meetings shall be seven excluding Officers.
In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Field Trial Sub-Committee, the Committee will appoint to the Sub-Committee a co-opted member on the recommendation of the Hon. Field Trial Secretary, who will be responsible for ensuring that such person is suitable and understands the responsibilities of Sub-Committee membership.

7. One third of the Committee longest in office, the President, the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Hon. Secretary, the Hon. Field Trial Secretary, the Hon. Treasurer, the Hon. Show Secretary, the Hon. Membership Secretary and Hon. Year Book Editor shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election and shall be elected by the Annual General Meeting.
Nominations for Officers and one third of the Committee may be proposed by any Member of the Club, provided that the nominations are notified to the Hon. Secretary in writing by 31st January, together with the name of the Proposer and the Seconder, and the Nominee’s agreement to stand. The names of all persons seeking election together with the proposer and seconder will be included in the A.G.M. Notice and circulated to all Members prior to the A.G.M.
Nominations for membership of the Field Trial Sub-Committee must be received by the Hon. Secretary in writing by no later than the 31st January each year.
The Committee will determine the nature and content of nominations for membership of all Sub-Committees, and all other relevant procedural matters. Members of the Field Trial Sub-Committee will be appointed by the Committee annually at its first meeting following the A.G.M.
Committee members unable to attend a Committee meeting must send an explanation to the Officers and Committee. Committee members attending less than 50% of Committee meetings held during the year, unless their absence is excused by an apology, acceptable to the Committee, must resign before the next A.G.M. but shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations will be required as for Officers and Committee members seeking re-election.

8. 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 Secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in the 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 change of Secretary of the Club which may occur during the course of the year.

9. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held at such times and place as the Committee may appoint, providing that each meeting shall be held within 15 months of the preceding meeting. The Annual General Meeting will receive the report from the Chairman, the balance sheet and elect Officers and Committee and discuss any resolution duly placed on the Agenda, of which prior notice has been given to the Hon. Secretary by 31st January. 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.

10. The Hon. Secretary shall be bound to call an Extraordinary General Meeting should he be requested to do so in writing by not less than 20 Members. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given in writing to all members of any General or Extraordinary Meeting, and no such business other than the business stated on the notice calling such Meeting shall be taken, except the passing of Accounts and the election of members of the Committee. Twenty Members to form a quorum.

11. Committee meetings shall be held at such date and place (or if necessary, by email) as the Committee may decide. The Hon. Secretary shall have the power to summon an Emergency Meeting whenever he or she may think it necessary, provided that three clear days’ notice is given of such Emergency Committee Meeting to each Member of the Committee. Seven members to form a quorum.

12. The Annual Report shall be drawn up by the Chairman and circulated before the Annual General Meeting to all members. The certified accounts for the year shall also be presented at the Annual General Meeting and if any member wishes to see them before they are presented then they will be sent a copy on request, by e-mail or by post on receipt by the Treasurer of a stamped addressed envelope. Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant, or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience, unconnected to the committee. The certified accounts will be made available on request to members fourteen days prior to the AGM.

13. No prizes, cups or subscriptions shall be granted to Shows or Field Trials, which are not held under the Rules of the Kennel Club.

14. In all matters of dispute the Kennel Club shall be recognised as the Final Court of Appeal. 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 Club. If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Club, be injurious or likely to injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee of the Club 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 Club 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 thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club, 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.

15. Any Member may withdraw from the Club by giving written notice to the Hon. Secretary. Provided that each member shall be liable for his subscription for the current year in which such notice is given, and shall have no further claim following resignation on any of the property or funds belonging to the Club.

16. If any member is expelled by the Club for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions the matter will be reported to the Kennel Club in writing within seven days of the expulsion together with all the relevant documents.

17. In the event of the dissolution of the Club the free assets and property of the Club shall be disposed of as directed by a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, and a final statement of the audited accounts, with a record of the disposal of property of the Club shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months, and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Club on the last return furnished to the Kennel Club. These Officers and Committee will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club. All Challenge Cups, and other such items which are the property of the Club and which have not been won outright at the time of dissolution, shall wherever reasonably practicable be returned to the donors, their heirs, executors or assigns but if this is not reasonably practicable such items shall be disposed of in such manner as the Committee shall reasonably determine.

18. This Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

19. The foregoing rules shall form the basis of membership and shall not be added to, altered or amended except at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting, notice of such proposed alterations and additions to be given 14 days prior to the meeting. The Kennel Club must approve any alterations before becoming effective.

20. To comply with Kennel Club rules regarding the submission of annual returns, the Club will utilize the Breed Council Judges Lists, and provide a list of members’ names and addresses.

21. No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold other office or appointment within a Kennel Club registered Society.

22. Any Committee, Sub-Committee Member or officer of the Club shall not be a Committee, Sub-Committee Member or officer of another Labrador Breed Club.