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Tonkinese Breed Club Rules
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THE TONKINESE BREED CLUB RULES – May 2020
Note: Any rules relating to GCCF bylaws, where a bylaw changes the bylaw takes precedence over Club Rules
1. NAME - The Club shall be called 'The Tonkinese Breed Club', hereinafter referred to as the 'Club'.
2. OBJECTIVES - The objects of the Club shall be:
a) To promote interest in the breeding and exhibiting of Tonkinese under the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) Rules.
b) To hold and support shows to exhibit Tonkinese.
c) To maintain membership with the GCCF, the Council shall have disciplinary powers in regard to members of the Club in accordance with the Constitution of the Council.
d) To represent the interests of Club members and their cats at the GCCF via Delegate/s to the council.
e) To establish and keep under review a Standard of Points (SOP) and breeding policies for Tonkinese, and to nominate persons for appointment as Judges of Tonkinese, acting through the Tonkinese Breed Advisory Committee (TBAC), or such breed advisory structures as are set by the GCCF, set up in accordance with the GCCF Rules.
f) To support the continued health and well being of the breed in general, and to encourage and promote the breeding of Tonkinese within the approved Tonkinese breeding programme.
g) To encourage friendly working relationships between breeders and other breed clubs, offering help, advice and support to owners, exhibitors and breeders.
h) To establish and maintain a welfare/rescue scheme for the breed and where appropriate liaise with other rescue groups.
i) To encourage the care and protection of all cats.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership shall consist of an unlimited number of Ordinary, Long-Term, Junior and Honorary members.
. Ordinary and long Term ‑ A member who pays the appropriate annual or long-term subscription.
. Joint ‑ Two members of the same household.
. Junior ‑ Up to the age of 16 years.
. Honorary members shall be recommended by the Committee and elected by a two‑thirds majority vote at a general Meeting. This class is reserved for individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the Tonkinese breed and/or cats in general. They shall retain Honorary status unless they resign as such, or unless they have contravened GCCF or Club Rules.
. Honorary and Junior members shall enjoy all the rights and benefits of membership except they may not vote at meetings and in elections or serve on the Committee.
. Officers and Committee members shall be over 18 years of age.
b) Membership of the Club shall be open to any person interested in the objects of the Club. Application should be made on the appropriate form with the appropriate fee.
c) Election shall be by a majority vote of the Committee. The Committee shall not be required to give reasons for accepting or refusing membership.
d) Membership of the Club shall imply acceptance of the Club Rules, and of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules.
e) Any member who has been suspended or expelled by the Committee, except where Article 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules applies, may at their own expense appeal against the decision and request a General Meeting where their case may be put to the membership. Notice of such a meeting and of the business to be discussed must be posted to all members in writing, not less than 14 days before the meeting. The suspended or expelled member shall have the right to state their case and if the appeal is upheld, the member will be re‑instated by a simple majority of the members present and their expenses reimbursed by the Club.
f) Any member, who has been suspended under Article 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules and wishing to rejoin the Club after expiration of the suspension, must apply to the Club Committee for re‑election.
g) All members shall strive to promote the objects of the Club.
4. ENTRANCE FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
a) The entrance fee and subscription for the various classes of membership shall be determined by the Committee, subject to approval at the AGM. Annual subscriptions shall be due on January 1st of each year, irrespective of the date of joining, except that new members joining after October 31st shall be covered for the following year.
b) A member whose subscription remains unpaid on the day of the AGM will be considered a 'lapsed member'. Lapsed members may either seek re‑election, or at the discretion of the Committee may be reinstated upon payment of the arrears.
c) No member shall be entitled to compete for any prize offered to the Club members, or to enjoy any of the privileges of membership until their subscription for the year has been paid.
5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
a) The Club may have a President and one or more Vice Presidents and shall be managed by a Committee consisting of 4 Officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary) and no more than 6 other elected members of the Club. Not more than two members of the same household may serve on the Committee at the same time.
b) The Committee shall have the power to co‑opt members to fill vacancies occurring during the year, and such co‑opted members shall have full voting rights. Co-opted members must stand for election at the next AGM if they wish to remain on the Committee.
c) The Committee shall have the power to set up Sub‑committees and/or Working parties and co‑opt such additional members as may be found necessary to advise and aid the working of the Club. These additional members shall have no vote at Committee meetings.
d) The Committee shall meet no fewer than three times in a year. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be more than half the number of serving Committee members, and shall include at least two Officers. Any Committee member who, in the Committee's opinion, unreasonably fails to serve their full term of office or to attend at least half of the Committee meetings called during the year shall cease to be a Committee member and shall not be eligible for immediate re‑election. They shall be informed of the Committee decision by the Honorary Secretary.
e) All members of the Committee shall have one vote. The Chairman or acting Chairman may at any meeting exercise a casting vote to resolve a tie.
f) In matters not covered by, or specified in these Rules, the Committee shall have power to act and to regulate its own procedures.
g) No Officer or Committee member of the Club may also be an Officer, Committee member, official, judge, show manager or functionary of any organisation in the UK that is not affiliated to the GCCF and whose activities include the registration of and/or licensing or holding of shows for pedigree cats.
6. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE
a) The Officers shall act generally under the authority of the Committee whose duties shall include the following:
. Shall maintain a register of Club members, inform new members of their election and supply a copy of these Rules.
. Shall keep under review the Standard of Points for Tonkinese cats.
. Shall arrange Show Support authorised by the Committee.
. Shall cause to be maintained a Tonkinese Kitten Register, Stud Register and Pedigree Register.
. Shall cause to be produced a Club newsletter.
. Shall report to the members at every AGM the activities and progress of the Club.
b) Honorary Secretary:
. Shall conduct the correspondence of the Club.
. Shall call meetings in accordance with the requirements of these Rules.
. Shall keep minutes of all meetings and submit them for confirmation at the next succeeding appropriate meeting.
c) Honorary Treasurer:
. Shall hold all monies received on behalf of the Club in bank and/or investment accounts in the name of the Club, approved by the Committee for which the Treasurer and two other nominated Committee members shall be signatories; any two of whom may authorise withdrawals.
. Shall defray, on behalf of the Club, expenses properly and necessarily incurred by the Committee or expenses incurred by members that the Committee consider to be appropriate, except that expenditure of any single sum in excess of £100 requires the minuted authorisation of Committee.
. Shall present a statement of income and expenditure and a balance sheet, checked by a suitable independent person (see 8b), to the AGM.
d) Data Protection
In addition to above mentioned responsibilities, Committee members may be asked to take on additional duties and responsibilities as agreed by the Committee to meet the demands of changing circumstances. Such additional responsibilities shall be notified in writing to the Committee member concerned.
7. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
a) The property, management and finance of the Club shall be vested in the Committee, which shall have the power to:
. Call Club meetings.
. Formulate Rules.
. Offer advice in any dispute.
. Elect members.
b) Suspend or expel any member or official from the Club, if their activities are detrimental to the welfare, breeding or exhibiting of cats, or to the character, reputation or interests of the Club; in accordance with Rule 3e) any such member has the right to appeal.
c) All Officers, Committee Members or members of the Club who have custody of any books, documents, computer records or monies or property belonging to the Club shall on request of the Committee, surrender them to the Committee.
d) If a matter comes before the Club Committee that is covered by Bylaw 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules, it shall be passed immediately to the Secretary of the GCCF.
e) Complaints not covered by 7d) shall be dealt with by the Committee at their discretion and as appropriate.
8. FINANCE
a) The financial year of the Club shall run from January 1st ‑ December 31st.
9. MEETINGS
10. NOMINATIONS AND VOTING
11. TROPHIES – This Rule is in abeyance as, from 2017, the Club decided to no longer hold trophies.
12. ALTERATION OF RULES, AMALGAMATION AND WINDING UP
a) These Rules may only be altered at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Any proposed alteration in Rules must be notified in writing to the Honorary Secretary, which must appear on the agenda for that meeting. Any such alteration shall require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
b) The Club may only be wound up or amalgamated with another Cat Club at an Extraordinary General Meeting and notice of such a motion must appear on the agenda for that meeting together with a proposal for the disposal of the Clubs assets. Any such motion requires a two-thirds majority of the fully paid up membership.
Note: Any rules relating to GCCF bylaws, where a bylaw changes the bylaw takes precedence over Club Rules
1. NAME - The Club shall be called 'The Tonkinese Breed Club', hereinafter referred to as the 'Club'.
2. OBJECTIVES - The objects of the Club shall be:
a) To promote interest in the breeding and exhibiting of Tonkinese under the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) Rules.
b) To hold and support shows to exhibit Tonkinese.
c) To maintain membership with the GCCF, the Council shall have disciplinary powers in regard to members of the Club in accordance with the Constitution of the Council.
d) To represent the interests of Club members and their cats at the GCCF via Delegate/s to the council.
e) To establish and keep under review a Standard of Points (SOP) and breeding policies for Tonkinese, and to nominate persons for appointment as Judges of Tonkinese, acting through the Tonkinese Breed Advisory Committee (TBAC), or such breed advisory structures as are set by the GCCF, set up in accordance with the GCCF Rules.
f) To support the continued health and well being of the breed in general, and to encourage and promote the breeding of Tonkinese within the approved Tonkinese breeding programme.
g) To encourage friendly working relationships between breeders and other breed clubs, offering help, advice and support to owners, exhibitors and breeders.
h) To establish and maintain a welfare/rescue scheme for the breed and where appropriate liaise with other rescue groups.
i) To encourage the care and protection of all cats.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership shall consist of an unlimited number of Ordinary, Long-Term, Junior and Honorary members.
. Ordinary and long Term ‑ A member who pays the appropriate annual or long-term subscription.
. Joint ‑ Two members of the same household.
. Junior ‑ Up to the age of 16 years.
. Honorary members shall be recommended by the Committee and elected by a two‑thirds majority vote at a general Meeting. This class is reserved for individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the Tonkinese breed and/or cats in general. They shall retain Honorary status unless they resign as such, or unless they have contravened GCCF or Club Rules.
. Honorary and Junior members shall enjoy all the rights and benefits of membership except they may not vote at meetings and in elections or serve on the Committee.
. Officers and Committee members shall be over 18 years of age.
b) Membership of the Club shall be open to any person interested in the objects of the Club. Application should be made on the appropriate form with the appropriate fee.
c) Election shall be by a majority vote of the Committee. The Committee shall not be required to give reasons for accepting or refusing membership.
d) Membership of the Club shall imply acceptance of the Club Rules, and of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules.
e) Any member who has been suspended or expelled by the Committee, except where Article 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules applies, may at their own expense appeal against the decision and request a General Meeting where their case may be put to the membership. Notice of such a meeting and of the business to be discussed must be posted to all members in writing, not less than 14 days before the meeting. The suspended or expelled member shall have the right to state their case and if the appeal is upheld, the member will be re‑instated by a simple majority of the members present and their expenses reimbursed by the Club.
f) Any member, who has been suspended under Article 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules and wishing to rejoin the Club after expiration of the suspension, must apply to the Club Committee for re‑election.
g) All members shall strive to promote the objects of the Club.
4. ENTRANCE FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
a) The entrance fee and subscription for the various classes of membership shall be determined by the Committee, subject to approval at the AGM. Annual subscriptions shall be due on January 1st of each year, irrespective of the date of joining, except that new members joining after October 31st shall be covered for the following year.
b) A member whose subscription remains unpaid on the day of the AGM will be considered a 'lapsed member'. Lapsed members may either seek re‑election, or at the discretion of the Committee may be reinstated upon payment of the arrears.
c) No member shall be entitled to compete for any prize offered to the Club members, or to enjoy any of the privileges of membership until their subscription for the year has been paid.
5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
a) The Club may have a President and one or more Vice Presidents and shall be managed by a Committee consisting of 4 Officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary) and no more than 6 other elected members of the Club. Not more than two members of the same household may serve on the Committee at the same time.
b) The Committee shall have the power to co‑opt members to fill vacancies occurring during the year, and such co‑opted members shall have full voting rights. Co-opted members must stand for election at the next AGM if they wish to remain on the Committee.
c) The Committee shall have the power to set up Sub‑committees and/or Working parties and co‑opt such additional members as may be found necessary to advise and aid the working of the Club. These additional members shall have no vote at Committee meetings.
d) The Committee shall meet no fewer than three times in a year. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be more than half the number of serving Committee members, and shall include at least two Officers. Any Committee member who, in the Committee's opinion, unreasonably fails to serve their full term of office or to attend at least half of the Committee meetings called during the year shall cease to be a Committee member and shall not be eligible for immediate re‑election. They shall be informed of the Committee decision by the Honorary Secretary.
e) All members of the Committee shall have one vote. The Chairman or acting Chairman may at any meeting exercise a casting vote to resolve a tie.
f) In matters not covered by, or specified in these Rules, the Committee shall have power to act and to regulate its own procedures.
g) No Officer or Committee member of the Club may also be an Officer, Committee member, official, judge, show manager or functionary of any organisation in the UK that is not affiliated to the GCCF and whose activities include the registration of and/or licensing or holding of shows for pedigree cats.
- No Committee member shall serve as an Officer of the Club while serving as an officer of more than one other cat club. Committee members and those standing for Committee shall declare their membership of, and positions on, any other cat club committee.
- No elected or co-opted Committee member may serve on the committee of any other Tonkinese club.
6. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE
a) The Officers shall act generally under the authority of the Committee whose duties shall include the following:
. Shall maintain a register of Club members, inform new members of their election and supply a copy of these Rules.
. Shall keep under review the Standard of Points for Tonkinese cats.
. Shall arrange Show Support authorised by the Committee.
. Shall cause to be maintained a Tonkinese Kitten Register, Stud Register and Pedigree Register.
. Shall cause to be produced a Club newsletter.
. Shall report to the members at every AGM the activities and progress of the Club.
b) Honorary Secretary:
. Shall conduct the correspondence of the Club.
. Shall call meetings in accordance with the requirements of these Rules.
. Shall keep minutes of all meetings and submit them for confirmation at the next succeeding appropriate meeting.
c) Honorary Treasurer:
. Shall hold all monies received on behalf of the Club in bank and/or investment accounts in the name of the Club, approved by the Committee for which the Treasurer and two other nominated Committee members shall be signatories; any two of whom may authorise withdrawals.
. Shall defray, on behalf of the Club, expenses properly and necessarily incurred by the Committee or expenses incurred by members that the Committee consider to be appropriate, except that expenditure of any single sum in excess of £100 requires the minuted authorisation of Committee.
. Shall present a statement of income and expenditure and a balance sheet, checked by a suitable independent person (see 8b), to the AGM.
d) Data Protection
- The Committee has a duty to protect private, personal and confidential information about their members in accordance
In addition to above mentioned responsibilities, Committee members may be asked to take on additional duties and responsibilities as agreed by the Committee to meet the demands of changing circumstances. Such additional responsibilities shall be notified in writing to the Committee member concerned.
7. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
a) The property, management and finance of the Club shall be vested in the Committee, which shall have the power to:
. Call Club meetings.
. Formulate Rules.
. Offer advice in any dispute.
. Elect members.
b) Suspend or expel any member or official from the Club, if their activities are detrimental to the welfare, breeding or exhibiting of cats, or to the character, reputation or interests of the Club; in accordance with Rule 3e) any such member has the right to appeal.
c) All Officers, Committee Members or members of the Club who have custody of any books, documents, computer records or monies or property belonging to the Club shall on request of the Committee, surrender them to the Committee.
d) If a matter comes before the Club Committee that is covered by Bylaw 12 of the GCCF Bylaws and Rules, it shall be passed immediately to the Secretary of the GCCF.
e) Complaints not covered by 7d) shall be dealt with by the Committee at their discretion and as appropriate.
8. FINANCE
a) The financial year of the Club shall run from January 1st ‑ December 31st.
- An independent person shall be appointed annually at the AGM to examine the Club accounts.
- All reasonable expenses incurred by the Officers, GCCF Delegates or Breed Advisory Committee (BAC) Representatives on behalf of the Club, shall, subject to approval by the Committee and the presentation of receipts, be defrayed from the Club funds. Monies for travel etc. may be advanced at the discretion of the Committee but shall not normally cover attendance by a member in their capacity as a Committee member or representative
9. MEETINGS
- The Annual General Meeting shall normally be held not later than April 30th and at a place to be determined by the Committee. All matters for the agenda must be received by the Honorary Secretary before 28th February. The agenda shall be sent together with other relevant papers to the membership not less than 28 days before the meeting. The business to be discussed at an Annual General Meeting will be specified on the agenda. The Chairman must accept amendments to motions on the agenda and may at his/her discretion permit discussion of other matters.
- An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Committee or on the written demand of 15 or more fully paid up members, specifying the exact business to be discussed, on a surety of £100, the return or disbursement of this sum to be decided by members at the meeting. Such a meeting shall be called within 1 calendar month of the Honorary Secretary receiving the request and the papers shall be sent to all fully paid-up members not less than 14 days before the meeting. Only items on the agenda will be discussed.
- The quorum for all General Meetings shall be the number of the active Committee plus two other Club Members. At least two Officers of the Club shall be present.
- Every member, excepting Junior and Honorary members, present at the meeting shall have one vote on each proposal, motion and amendment. In the event of votes cast being equal, in addition to his/her personal vote, the presiding Officer shall have the casting vote.
- By order of the Committee a question may be decided by referendum. The Honorary Secretary shall send a voting paper to each entitled member, specifying the matter to be decided. The voting paper must be properly completed, signed and returned to the specified person not later than the date given on the paper. The referendum shall be decided by simple majority of the votes cast otherwise the question shall be referred back to the Committee who shall take any necessary action. All papers shall be retained for one calendar month after the announcement of the results.
- The Committee shall offer a proxy vote to each voting Member for all General Meetings, which shall be issued with the agenda for the meeting. Each Committee Member shall be listed as a proxy representative. The completed proxy forms must be received by the nominated scrutineer no later than 14 days before the meeting. Proxy votes shall be presented at the General Meeting by the person recording the minutes. Each duly returned proxy vote shall be considered as one Club member present at the meeting.
10. NOMINATIONS AND VOTING
- The President and Vice President/s shall be proposed by the Committee, and elected by a simple majority vote of the members at an AGM. They shall remain in office unless either a Committee proposal to remove them from office is approved by a simple majority at an AGM or they have contravened GCCF or Club Rules.
- Committee members shall be elected by postal and/or electronic ballot, counted by a scrutineer (see Rule 10d). Written nominations, signed by the nominee, the proposer and seconder, must be received by the Secretary before 28th February. Each member shall have as many votes as there are vacancies. In the event of a tie there will be a re-vote between the two people concerned by the members present at the AGM. Ballot results will be announced at the AGM and all ballot forms will be retained for one calendar month after the announcement.
- Members standing for Committee must have been a Club member for one full year.
- The name of the scrutineer, who shall not be a member of the Club, nor related to a Club member, must be shown on the voting papers and shall be appointed as required by the Committee.
- The Club shall be represented at GCCF Council meetings by the number of Delegates permitted under GCCF Rules. Delegate/s and Substitute Delegates shall be nominated annually from members of the serving Committee and elected by a simple majority at an AGM. Delegate/s will be eligible for nomination the following year unless they fail to attend at least two thirds of the relevant meetings of the GCCF during their term of office.
- Officers shall be appointed annually from the Committee by the Committee, at the first meeting following the AGM. Members shall be informed at the soonest possible date thereafter.
- All Committee members may serve for a term of 3 years. Not less than 3 and no more than 4 shall retire annually, in rotation, but shall be eligible for re‑election.
- The Club will take part in the Tonkinese Breed Advisory Committee, or such breed advisory structures as a set by the GCCF, under the Rules of the GCCF. Club representatives will be selected by the Committee from the Committee and/or from members who have appropriate knowledge of breeding and/or showing Tonkinese with the GCCF.
11. TROPHIES – This Rule is in abeyance as, from 2017, the Club decided to no longer hold trophies.
12. ALTERATION OF RULES, AMALGAMATION AND WINDING UP
a) These Rules may only be altered at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Any proposed alteration in Rules must be notified in writing to the Honorary Secretary, which must appear on the agenda for that meeting. Any such alteration shall require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
b) The Club may only be wound up or amalgamated with another Cat Club at an Extraordinary General Meeting and notice of such a motion must appear on the agenda for that meeting together with a proposal for the disposal of the Clubs assets. Any such motion requires a two-thirds majority of the fully paid up membership.