Rules

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THE TABBY CAT CLUB
RULES

1. NAME & OBJECTIVES

The name of the club shall be The Tabby Cat Club hereinafter called the Club. The Club is a non-profit making organisation and its objects are:

a) to promote interest in cats, to safeguard their well-being and long-term health;

b) to recommend guidelines for, and to promote the breeding of all patterns of Tabby cats, in all breeds, coat lengths and textures

c) to work in conjunction with relevant Breed Advisory Committees in the selection and promotion of judges and to encourage entrants to the Stewarding Schemes;

d) to review and make recommendations on matters relating to the Standards of Points and Registration Policies for all the Club’s breeds;

e) to participate in the running of the cat fancy through the appointment of a delegate(s) to the GCCF Council;

f) to hold an annual Club Show.

2. MEMBERSHIP

The Club will consist of Ordinary Members, and Honorary Members.

a. Applications for membership are to be in writing. Election is by a majority vote of the Committee. Should membership be refused, no reasons will be given to the applicant.

b) The Committee may propose as Honorary Members any persons who have rendered special service to the Club; such Honorary membership to be conferred by a majority vote of Members at the following Annual General Meeting of the Club. Honorary Members do not have voting rights;

c) If, in the opinion of the Committee, the conduct of any member may have been prejudicial to the welfare, breeding or exhibiting of cats, or is likely to prove injurious to the character, reputation, or interest of the Club, the Committee must give the member details of the allegation in writing and give the member at least 28 days to respond either in writing or in person as the member chooses. After giving the member the opportunity of being heard the Committee may determine to:

i. take no further action in which case the member must be informed of this,

ii. issue a warning to the Member,

iii. suspend the Member for such period as it thinks fit,

iv. expel the Member from the Club.

d) If the Committee determine that the Member should be suspended or expelled from the Club, the Club Secretary will send to the member full details in writing (including any evidence they hold) of the reason(s) for their suspension or expulsion. Within 28 days of the issue of this notice the member may:

i. Accept the decision of the committee. If no written response is received by the “Club” Secretary within 28 days the member will be deemed to have accepted the decision.

ii. Appeal the decision and request the appeal be heard at a General Meeting of the “Club”. The Member may respond, either orally at the General Meeting, or in writing. If the proposal to expel or suspend the Member is passed by a simple majority of those present and voting, the person whose expulsion or suspension is sought will cease to be a Member immediately.

iii. Appeal the decision via the GCCF Appeals Committee in accordance with and accepting the rules of operation of that committee. (see GCCF Byelaw 11.6)

N.B. only one of these options may be selected

e) All persons elected as Members shall be deemed to be bound by these rules and shall accept the disciplinary powers of the Governing Council in accordance with the Byelaws;

f) If a member has been suspended by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, his or her membership of the Club will automatically be suspended for the same period. Any such Member wishing to re-join after expiration of the suspension, must apply to the Club Committee for re-election of Membership.

g) If a members resigns from the Club or has membership withdrawn any rights to or claim upon the Club’s property or funds shall be forfeit. In the event of expulsion under these rules or resignation of a Long Term member no part of the Long Term membership fees shall be returnable.

3 DUTIES OF MEMBERS

a) Membership of the Club implies acceptance of its rules and objects

b) Every Member is expected to promote the objects of the Club.

c) All Officers or Members of the Club who have custody of any books, documents or accounts (including electronic records), property or monies belonging to the Club shall, on request, surrender them to the Committee.

4 SUBSCRIPTIONS

a) All membership fees will be reviewed annually at the AGM

b) Subscriptions are payable on election to the Club and thereafter annually on 1st January. Two people living at the same address may pay a joint subscription.

c) Junior Members (i.e under the age of 16 years) must have their Membership form signed by a parent or guardian.

d) Members failing to pay their subscriptions by 1st May will be considered lapsed.

e) No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to vote at an AGM or Special General Meeting.

5 MANAGEMENT

a) The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee comprising of SIX elected Members of the Club and FOUR Officers.

b) Each of them must be a fully paid-up Member.

c) The Officers of the Club shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer and shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for a period of ONE year and will be eligible for re-election.

d) The members of the Committee shall serve for a period of three years. Each year one third of the Committee Members will retire in a rotation but will be eligible for re-election.

e) In the event of a vacancy arising, the Committee may co-opt a member, who will have full voting powers and who will serve until the end of the current year, whereupon the Member shall be eligible for election for the remainder of the term of the vacancy.

f) The Committee may co-opt a Member to the Committee if no vacancy exists; in this case that member will not have voting rights, but may then stand for election at the next AGM, from which time, if they are elected, their term of office will start.

g) The Committee may appoint such Sub-Committees or working parties as it thinks necessary, members of which need not be Committee Members.

h) The Committee will have the power to make byelaws consistent with these Rules, to cover any matter arising in the management of the club, and to deal with any question not provided for in these Rules.

i) The Committee may nominate a President for election by the members at an AGM who will remain in Office for FIVE years and will be eligible for re-election. The Office of President is honorary and while no duties are imposed upon them, they will have the right to attend meetings and speak but will have no vote unless they are also a fully paid-up member of the Club.

6 ELECTIONS

a) Nominations, proposed and seconded, and agreed in writing by the nominee, from eligible persons for membership of the Committee or as an Officer, except existing Committee Members and Officers who are agreeable to stand for re-election, must be received by the Secretary no later than FOUR weeks prior to the advertised date of the AGM. All proposers, seconders and nominees must be fully paid up members of the Club

b) In the event of more than one nomination being received for any one vacancy, voting is to be by paper ballot at the AGM. Nominees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected until all vacancies are filled.

7 MEETINGS

1. Committee Meetings

a) The Committee is to meet not less than FOUR times in any Club year. At all Committee Meetings, a quorum shall be five members and must include either the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman. Meetings may be held via virtual means. The Chairman, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman, will be the Presiding Officer.

b) The date of the next committee meeting together with the agenda will be sent to each member at least 7 days before the meeting.

c) Every Committee Member present at the meeting will have one vote, excluding the Presiding Officer.

d) In the event of equal voting, the Presiding Officer will have the casting vote.

e) Any Member of the Committee who fails to attend three successive Committee meetings without a reason considered sufficient by the Committee, will cease to be a member of the Committee and will not be eligible for immediate re-election. The Club Secretary will inform him/her of the Committee decision.

2. Annual General Meeting

a) The Annual General Meeting of the Club is to be held not later than the last day of April and may be held via virtual means. At least 14 days’ notice shall be given to all Members. The voting at the at the AGM shall (at the Chairman’s discretion) be by a show of hands and the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

b) An announcement advertising this meeting is to be placed with the GCCF, on the Club Web-site, and on any other suitable forums at least 6 weeks in advance.

c) The Chairman, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman will preside over the meeting.

d) The agenda for the meeting, together with the Minutes of the last AGM and a duly examined statement of the Accounts for the preceding year ending 31 December, will be sent to each member not later than 14 days before the date of the Meeting.

e) The quorum for a General Meeting is to be SIX fully paid-up adult Members including Officers and Committee.

f) Any Member wishing to have an item placed on the Agenda must inform the Club Secretary not later than FOUR weeks prior to the advertised date of the AGM.

g) Every Member present at a Meeting will have one vote, excluding the presiding officer. In the event of equal voting the presiding officer will have the casting vote.

h) All matters will be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast except for amendments to these rules when a two-thirds majority is required.

i) If a quorum of members is not present at an AGM, a postal and/or electronic ballot of all the voting members who were not present at the AGM should be carried out to ratify any decisions made at the AGM. Provided the total responses, when combined with those of the members present at the AGM, constitute a quorum, the decisions made at the AGM may be considered approved/not approved.

3. Special General Meeting

a) A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called by the Club committee or on receipt of a written request signed by at least 15 paid-up Members of the Club, stating precisely the business to be discussed.

b) The SGM must be held not more than 3 months after receipt of the request by the members.

c) Not less than 28 days’ written notice of any SGM is to be sent to each Member by the Club Secretary, together with the agenda specifying the business to be discussed. No other business will be allowed.

d) The quorum for an SGM will be SIX fully paid-up adult Members including Officers and Committee.

e) The costs of an SGM will be met as follows:

i. If the SGM is called on the written request of members and their proposal(s) are unproven or defeated, the members calling the SGM will be liable for the costs of the meeting, including paper, postage and the hire a meeting room if used.

ii. If the proposals are proven or carried, then the costs of the SGM will be met by the Club.

iii. The costs of an SGM called for any other reason will be met by the Club.

8 TROPHIES

The ownership of all donated trophies passes to the Club.

9 AMENDMENT OF RULES

a) No new Rule is to be made, nor any Rules be amended or rescinded unless notice of the proposed change has been given on the agenda of an AGM or SGM, and unless the proposed changes have received the assent of at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at the Meeting.

b) The Board of the GCCF must be notified of any changes to these rules and they must be approved. The new rules must be submitted in an electronic format and any changes highlighted.

10 FINANCE

a) All Society funds are to be deposited in an account(s) in the name of the Club.

b) The Treasurer, on the direction of the Committee, shall be empowered to open such bank accounts as to effectively and efficiently manage the finances of the Club.

c) The Club’s funds may be moved at the discretion of the Committee to the best advantage of the Club.

d) The financial year of the Club is to end on 31st December each year, to which date the annual accounts of the Club are to be balanced.

e) The property of the Club is vested in the Committee.

f) Payments are to be authorised by two of the nominated Officers who may not come from the same household.

g) The Club's accounts are to be examined annually by a suitable independent person appointed at the AGM and eligible for re-appointment. In the case of the appointed person being unable to fulfil their duty, then another person shall be proposed and seconded at the next Committee Meeting.

h) Once finalised the Club accounts must be made available to the membership, published either on paper and circulated and/or on the Club website.

11 MEMBERSHIP OF THE GCCF

a) The Club shall be affiliated to the GCCF, and shall be represented at Council Meetings by a delegate(s) who shall be elected annually by the Members at the AGM, in the same manner as committee members are elected, and will hold office during the immediately succeeding official year of the Governing Council. If the Club is entitled to only one delegate, a substitute delegate will be elected at the AGM. Delegates must be Officers or members of the Committee.

b) No delegate may serve on the Committee of any club not affiliated to the GCCF, nor act in any official capacity for such club.

c) The Club and its Members shall be bound by the rules laid down by the GCCF and the Council shall have the disciplinary powers according to its Byelaws over the Club’s members.

d) Membership of the Club shall be deemed to constitute acceptance of the rules of the GCCF.

12 BREED ADVISORY COMMITTEES

The Club shall provide representatives for the relevant Breed Advisory Committee(s), who shall be elected annually by the Members at the AGM. Representatives must be Officers or members of the Committee.

13 DISSOLUTION

a) Any proposal to dissolve the Club is to be decided by a ballot of all Members which may be postal and/or by electronic means. A majority of at least two-thirds of the total Club Membership will be required to dissolve the Club.

b) If the motion is confirmed by two-thirds of the Members, the Club’s liabilities shall be discharged and any balance of funds donated to a charity promoting cat welfare chosen by the Committee. Cups and trophies are the property of the Club shall, so far as possible, be returned to the donors; any not so returned will be distributed to other clubs at the discretion of the committee.

As amended and adopted 29^th March 2023