Welsh Mountain Sheep Society (Pedigree Section)

CYMDEITHAS DEFAID MYNYDD CYMREIG – ADRAN BEDIGREE WELSH MOUNTAIN SHEEP SOCIETY – PEDIGREE SECTION

OBJECTS AND RULES

TITLE OF THE SOCIETY
The Society shall be known as “Cymdeithas Defaid Mynydd Cymreig – Adran Bedigree”. English Title – “Welsh Mountain Sheep Society – Pedigree Section”

OBJECTS
The objects of the Society are:-

1. 1)  To encourage the breeding and improvement of Welsh Mountain Sheep.

2. 2)  To publish the Welsh Mountain Sheep Flock Book and to register and enter

   therein animals which are eligible for registration and entry.

3. 3)  To hold shows and sales and to offer cash and other prizes for competition by

   the breed and its products at agricultural and other exhibitions.

4. 4)  To undertake propaganda and demonstration work and to issue such publica- tions, articles and advertisements, and generally to take such other steps as to secure publicity for, and extend the popularity and usefulness of the breed as

   may, from time to time, be deemed necessary or desirable.

5. 5)  To carry out any further activities which may benefit the Society and improve

   the breed.

CONSTITUTION
1 The Society shall consist of President, President – Elect, Hon. Life Vice

Presidents, Council, Standing Committees, and Secretary and such other officials as the Council may from time to time deem necessary to appoint.

President
2 The President shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of members

each year, and shall be an ex-officio member of the Council and all Committees during his term of office and an ex-officio member of the Council for one year following the year which he retires from office. He shall take the chair at all general meetings of members at which he may be present, and shall hold the office for one year, but shall be eligible for re-election.

President – Elect
3 The President – Elect shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting of

members each year and shall succeed to the office of President of the Society in the year following his appointment as President – Elect. The President – Elect shall be an ex-officio member of Council and of all Committees.

Secretary
4 The Secretary shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of members,

It shall be his duty to keep all records, books, and accounts of the Society, to attend to all correspondence, prepare publications and, whenever possi- ble, to be present at the meetings of the Society, Council, and Committees, and to take the minutes of such meetings. In the unavoidable absence of the Secretary from any meetings, a capable deputy shall attend in his stead. An Honorary Treasurer may be elected at the Annual General Meeting if required.

Trustees
5 Trustee(s) shall be appointed who shall be Trustee(s) of all or any of the

property or investments of the Society, and shall be vested in or transferred to a Corporate Trustee, if and when required.

MEMBERS

Election of New Members
6 The Council shall elect new members from time to time on receipt of a

formal application for membership, and shall pay an annual subscription at the appropriate rates determined by Council. They may resign on giving

in notice in writing to the Secretary before December 31st in any year and paying any debts owing by them to the Society, including the current year’s subscription.

Privileges of Membership
7 Members shall be entitled to register and enter stock in the Flock Book at

the appropriate rates, and to receive free copies of propaganda leaflets issued by the Society, and to enjoy such other privileges as the Council may from time to time determine, including entries at the annual show and sale.

Payment of Subscription
8 All subscriptions shall be due and payable in advance on March 31st in

every year, and, if not paid by December 31st shall be deemed in arrears. A member who is in arrears with the payment of his subscription shall not be entitled to any membership privileges or attend of vote at any meeting of the Society, Council or Committees, or to be elected to ant office under the Society including the panel of judges, and any subscription in arrears shall be a debt to the Society, and shall be recoverable by legal proceed- ings, at the discretion of the Council.

Honorary Life Vice-President

9 Honorary Life Vice – Presidents may be elected, from time to time, at the Annual General Meeting of the Society, on recommendation of the Coun- cil and in recognition of conspicuous services rendered by them to the Society and Breed. An Honorary Life Vice-President shall not be required to pay any subscription upon election or thereafter.

Honorary Life Member
10 Honorary Life Members may be elected, from time to time, at the Annual

General Meeting of the Society, on recommendation of the Council and in recognition of conspicuous services rendered by them to the Society and Breed. An Honorary Life Member shall not be required to pay any sub- scription upon election or thereafter.

Removal of Members
11 The Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Council shall

have the power to remove any member whose conduct in its opinion is, or has been, derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interest of the Society, its members and the Breed. The removal of a member shall not relieve him of liability for the payment of arrears of his subscription or of any debt due from him to the Society. The member shall be offered the right to appeal.

MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

Annual General Meeting
12 An Annual General Meeting of Members of the Society shall be held every

year within six months of the end of the financial year, December 31st, and ten days notice thereof and of the business to be transacted thereat shall be given to each Member.

Notices of Motion
13 Notices of Motion shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least fourteen

days before the Annual General Meeting. Notice of amendment to motions appearing on the Agenda Paper shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting.

Extraordinary General Meeting
14 An Extraordinary General Meeting of Members of the Society may be

called at the request of the President or upon receipt of a requisition addressed to the Secretary and signed by at least five members of the Council or ten members of the Society or by a two – thirds majority of votes received at a General Meeting of Members, and shall be held at such time and place as may be appointed by the President, or in the case he shall be unable or unwilling to name a venue, by the Chairman of the Council. Ten days notice shall be given by the Secretary of all Extraordinary

d)

e)

f) g)

h) i)

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Flock Book
21 The

Acceptance of Stock for Registration
22 Ram lambs and ewe lambs shall be accepted for registration in the Flock

Book on the Council being satisfied that they comply with the regulations for the time being in force regarding registration therein.

Ordinary Meetings
23 The Council shall meet at least twice in each year at such times and places

as it may determine.

Notices and Agendas
24 Notices convening ordinary meetings of the Council, together with the

agenda shall be sent by the Secretary to all Members of the Council at least ten days prior to a meeting.

Notices of Motion
25 Notices of Motion shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least fourteen

To approve a budget annually, to scrutinise the annual balance sheet and accounts and to make recommendations accordingly to the Annu- al General Meeting.
To issue the publications of the Society and to consider the cost pertaining thereto.

To receive reports and recommendations from committees.
To nominate a President for election by the Annual General Meeting of Members.
To convene regional meetings as required.
To appoint panels of judges and / or inspectors who must be current members of the Society, for report to the Annual General Meeting To organise and conduct Shows and Sales and to administer any income accruing therefrom.
To organise field days and other educational and competitive events. To convene meeting of members as and when required.

Welsh Mountain Sheep Flock Book shall be published annually or as the Council may from time to time decide. Members shall be entitled to receive a copy of each volume of the Flock Book at a price to be decided upon by the Council and shall be entitled to purchase copies of earlier volumes (if available by the Society) at half the price.

Quorum

days before the ordinary meetings of Council. Notice of amendments to motions appearing in the agenda paper shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least seven days before the ordinary meetings of the Council.

26 The quorum of the Council shall be six members and committees three members.

Collaboration with the “Hill Flock Section”
27 The Council shall convene, from time to time, a joint meeting in consulta-

tion with the “Hill Flock Section” of the Society for consideration of matters of mutual interest.

Prefixes
28 Members of the Society shall be entitled to the exclusive use, for the

purposes of registration or entry into the Society’s publications, of a distinctive prefix upon payment of a registration fee to be determined by the Council from time to time.

Eligibility to Compete for Prizes, Trophies, Medals, and Certificates of the Society
29 Only animals which are registered, accepted for registration, or eligible for registration in the Welsh Flock Book (provided their owners are members of the Society) shall be eligible to compete for monetary or other prizes offered by the Society. In the event of any prize so offered being awarded to an unregistered animal application for such animal’s registration in the Flock Book shall be lodged with the Secretary to the Society within twenty eight days of the award being made, and such prize shall be with-held until the animal in respect of which the award was made is accepted for registration. In the event of no application for registration being received within the prescribed time, or of registration of the animal in respect of which the application is made being refused, the prize awarded to it shall

be cancelled. DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY

30 Should it ever be resolved at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraor- dinary General Meeting that the Society be dissolved, the funds and other property of the Society, after payment of all proper debts and liabilities shall be held in trust for a period of ten years to be made available to a resurrected Society, and thereafter shall not be distributed among the members of the Society, but shall be given – paid – transferred to any such other charitable institutions within Wales having similar objects to those of the Society or the promotion of Agriculture as the Council, with the approval of the General Meeting shall determine.

ALTERATION OF RULES AND BYE-LAWS

31 Any member wishing to propose an alteration of the Society’s Rules shall give notice in writing to the Secretary, specifying fully the nature of the