Changes to Model Rules for use by Bairnsdale & District Dog Obedience Club Inc
1 Name
The name of the incorporated association is "Bairnsdale & District Dog Obedience
Club Incorporated".
2 Purposes [Added]
(1) to promote responsible dog ownership
(2) to facilitate the training of dogs in obedience and other dog sports
(3) to employ positive reinforcement techniques
(4) to promote competition and adherence to the ethics of the Victorian Canine
Association (trading as DOGS Victoria)
(5) To work with local authority to promote the wellbeing of dogs within
the community
(6) to continually improve grounds and facilities to enable the club to fulfil its
purposes
3 Financial year
The financial year of the Association is each period of 12 months ending on 31 July.
4 Definitions
associate member means a member referred to in rule 14(1); [deleted]
by-laws, means the by Laws in force for the time being of the Club and shall form a part of and be
taken to be incorporated into the Rules of the Club [Inserted]
Dual Member means one of any two members of the one family resident at the same address or one of
any two of the persons who are partners in the conduct of a kennel having a kennel prefix in their joint
names registered with the VCA Inc who have been admitted with the other of such persons as a dual
member of the club
Exhibition includes a canine show, canine exhibition, canine parade, gundog trials and tests, canine
competition, Display, Obedience Trials, agility and associated trials and tracking trials, retrieving
trials, contest, march or similar events
honorary member - a person who has rendered outstanding services to the club or for other good
and sufficient reason, and is recommended by the Committee or upon written nomination signed
by not less than five members, and is elected by resolution passed at the agm by a majority of
three fourths of the members present, shall be given honorary membership for a determined
period. Honorary membership carries the rights and privileges of a financial member, but not
voting rights or the right to hold office.
Family Membership 1 or 2 adults (or child over 16), plus children under 16
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Junior Member a member under 16 years of age
Life member a member who has been admitted to the club as a member for life, without payment of
subscription
Regulation either the Associations incorporation regulations or the regulations of the VCA Inc.
Victorian Canine Association (VCA) trading as DOGS Victoria
9 Application for membership
(2)
The application—
(a) must be signed by the applicant; and
(b) may be accompanied by the joining fee.
(c) must be accompanied by the insurance application and fee, or
(d) must be accompanied by evidence of DOGS Victoria Inc membership
12 Annual subscription and fee on joining
(1) At each annual general meeting, the Association must determine—
(a) the amount of the annual subscription (if any) for each membership category for
the following financial year; and
(b) the date for payment of the annual subscription.
(2) The Association may determine that a lower annual subscription is payable by associate
members. [deleted]
13 General rights of members
(2)
A member is entitled to vote if—
(a) the member is over 16 years of age of any membership type {member other than
an associate member [delete]}; and
(c) {more than 10 business days[delete]} 90 days have passed since he or she
became a member of the Association; and
(d) the member's membership rights are not suspended for any reason.
(3) To receive any publication issued by the Club
(4) To compete for prizes (including trophies) available for members of the Club when exhibiting or
competing at any exhibition conducted by the club
14 Classification of Membership
Ordinary membership
Dual
Family
Junior
Honorary
Life
Any other class of membership
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17 Resigning as a member
(2)
A member is taken to have resigned if—
(a) the member's annual subscription is not renewed [INSERT} by August 31 of
current year [delete] more than 12 months in arrears; or
(b) [DELETE] where no annual subscription is payable - honorary member ????—
(i) the Secretary has made a written request to the member to confirm that he
or she wishes to remain a member; and
(ii) the member has not, within 3 months after receiving that request, confirmed
in writing that he or she wishes to remain a member.
19 Grounds for taking disciplinary action
The Association may take disciplinary action against a member in accordance with this
Division if it is determined that the member—
(a) has failed to comply with these Rules; or
(b) refuses to support the purposes of the Association; or
(c) has engaged in conduct unbecoming a member or prejudicial to the Association.
30 Annual general meetings
(1)
The Committee must convene an annual general meeting of the Association to be held within
3 months [deleted 5 months] after the end of each financial year.
(4) [Insert] (e) to award Honorary or Life Memberships
(6) The notice convening the annual general meeting shall be given to each member not less than
thirty days before the date of the meeting and shall be accompanied by a Nomination of
Committee form.
(a) Notice of the annual general meeting and the form of nomination shall be considered
to have been given to each member if they are published in a Club publication, whether
collected, sent by mail or email. A notice sent by post shall be taken to have been received within
normal postal delivery time.
(b) A notice of meeting and nomination form sent to one of a dual membership will be
considered to have been sent to both
(d) the accidental omission of notice to a member or if a member fails to receive a notice
shall not invalidate an agm
32 Special general meeting held at request of members
(1) The Committee must convene a special general meeting if a request to do so is made in
accordance with subrule (2) by at least (was 5%) 10% of the total number of members.
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(4) A special general meeting convened by members under subrule (3)—
(a) must be held within [Inserted] 2 {one month in old} [deleted - 6 ] months after
the date on which the original request was made; and
34 Proxies
[Deleted] Representation by proxy including voting by proxy is precluded
35 Use of technology
(1) A member not physically present at a general meeting may be permitted to participate in
the meeting by the use of technology that allows that member and the members present
at the meeting to clearly and simultaneously communicate with each other.
(2) For the purposes of this Part, a member participating in a general meeting as permitted
under subrule (1) is taken to be present at the meeting and, if the member votes at the
meeting, is taken to have voted in person.
36 Quorum at general meetings
(1) No business may be conducted at a general meeting unless a quorum of members are
present.
(2) The quorum for a general meeting is the presence (physically, [DELETE by proxy] or
as allowed under rule 35) of 10% of the members entitled to vote.
38 Voting at general meeting
(1) On any question arising at a general meeting—
(a) subject to subrule (3), each member who is entitled to vote has one vote, and
(b) members [insert] must [delete]may vote personally [Delete or by proxy]; and
41 Minutes of general meeting
(3) In addition, the minutes of each annual general meeting must include—
(a) the names of the members attending the meeting; and
(b) [deleted proxy forms given to the Chairperson of the meeting under rule 34(6);
and
44 Composition of Committee
(2) The committee shall consist of Executive members and ordinary members, Executive
members must be members of the VCA Inc (or as required by the affiliation agreement)
51 Nominations
(2)
An eligible member of the Association may—
(a) nominate himself or herself; or
(b) with the member's consent, be nominated by another member.
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(3) To be eligible for nomination or to nominate, the member must have been a financial
member of the club for at least three months of the previous financial year, and be a current
financial member.
(4) Nominations must reach the Secretary three weeks before AGM
(5) A member nominated for a position and fails to be elected to that position may be
nominated for any other position who is for which an election is yet to be held.
54 Ballot
The election of committee members shall be by ballot
(a) cast by members present at the agm and eligible to vote
(i) a person becoming a member between the closing date of the financial year preceding the
agm and the date of the agm shall not be eligible to vote
(b) any member eligible to vote that cannot be present at the agm shall be entitled to apply to the
Secretary for a postal vote. Such applications must be in writing and lodged fourteen days prior the
agm. Within 7 days the Secretary in the presence of the president and one other committee member
will forward an initialled ballot paper to each applicant and record their names. Members who
receive ballot papers by post will not be given a second ballot paper. Completed ballot papers are to
be returned to the Returning Officer or Secretary in envelopes clearly marked Ballot Papers. The
envelopes will be handed unopened to the Returning Officer at the AGM.
(5) The returning officer must give a blank piece of paper to each member present in person;
(b) each proxy appointed by a member. [deleted]
Example
If a member has been appointed the proxy of 5 other members, the member must be given 6 ballot
papers—one for the member and one each for the other members.
58 Meetings of Committee
(1) The Committee must meet at least 10 times (DELETE) 4 times in each year at the dates,
times and places determined by the Committee.
62 Use of technology -
63 Quorum
(1) No business may be conducted at a Committee meeting unless a quorum is present.
(2) The quorum for a committee meeting is the presence (in person or as allowed under rule
62) of a majority [two thirds] of the committee members holding office.
(3) If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes after the notified commencement time of a
committee meeting—
(a) in the case of a special meeting—the meeting lapses;
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(b) in any other case—the meeting must be adjourned to a date no later than 14 days
after the adjournment and notice of the time, date and place to which the meeting is
adjourned must be given in accordance with rule 59.
64 Voting
(5)
DELETED Voting by proxy is not permitted.
73 Registered address
The registered address of the Association is PO Box 335 Bairnsdale, 3875
DELETE(a) [Delete the address determined from time to time by resolution of the
Committee; or
DELETE (b) if the Committee has not determined an address to be the registered address—
the postal address of the Secretary.
74 Notice requirements
(1) Any notice required to be given to a member or a committee member under these Rules
may be given—
(a) by handing the notice to the member personally; or
(b) by sending it by post to the member at the address recorded for the member on the
register of members; or
(c) by email [delete - or facsimile transmission].
(2) Subrule (1) does not apply to notice given under rule 60.
(3) Any notice required to be given to the Association or the Committee may be given—
(d) if the Committee determines that it is appropriate in the circumstances—
(i) by email to the email address of the Association or the Secretary; or
(ii) DELETE by facsimile transmission to the facsimile number of the
Association.
76 Winding up and cancellation
(3)
Subject to the Act and any court order made under section 133 of the Act, the
surplus assets must be given to [ INSERT] a recognised charity or a body that has
similar purposes to the Association and which is not carried on for the profit or gain of
its individual members.
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