The Club
Rules & Regulations
The rules that govern how the Clumber Spaniel Club is run. From membership, elections and meetings to finance, trophies and our rescue service.
Revised October 2025Contents
Name
The name of the club shall be the Clumber Spaniel Club.
Objects
The Objects of the Club shall be
To promote the breeding of the Clumber Spaniel to conform to the Kennel Club Breed Standard.
To support and encourage the working abilities of the breed.
To advance and protect the interest of the breed at all times.
Membership
The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members. Application for membership shall be in writing on the prescribed form duly proposed and seconded by existing members together with the appropriate joining fee and subscription. Such applications shall be considered by the Committee at one of their meetings.
There shall be five types of membership as follows:
Single: for one person.
Joint: for two people, all communications will be sent only to the address of the first person in the joint membership.
Junior: for persons up to and including the age of 16 years.
Overseas: for persons permanently resident outside the British Isles.
Gamekeeper: for persons employed as a full time Game Keeper.
The subscription and joining fee to the Club shall be the sum recommended by the Committee for each type of membership and approved by the members in Annual General Meeting.
Each new member shall be supplied with a copy of the Club Rules & Regulations, Code of Ethics, latest Certified Accounts and any other available Club publications in print.
Each existing member shall be entitled to receive:
The Club Rules & Regulations after any revision.
A biennial Year Book.
A copy of each published Newsletter.
A copy of the Statement of Account for the last financial year.
A Schedule for each Clumber Spaniel Club Show.
Joint members shall only be entitled to separate copies of the aforementioned items upon payment of an additional sum equal to the difference between the joint membership and two single memberships per year.
Each subscription shall be paid annually and shall become renewable on 1st January.
Any member whose annual subscription has not been received by Feb 1st shall be deemed to be lapsed. Lapsed members wishing to renew their membership after that date shall be treated as new members.
The Committee shall appoint a Membership Coordinator from within the Committee who will be responsible for maintaining an up to date list of all members’ names and addresses their communication preferences and opting out status for the publication of their addresses and other contact details. If this information is stored on computer, the list shall not be issued or sold to commercial organisations. In order to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018, signing of the application form implies agreement that the member has no objection to his / her name and address being recorded on a computer or appearing in any of the Club’s publications. The Club must make a list of members and their address available for inspection if so requested by the members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.
Honorary Membership
The Committee shall have the power to nominate Honorary Life Membership in respect of any member who has rendered distinguished service to the Club or the interests represented by it. Such recommendations will require approval of members in Annual General Meeting. Honorary Members will possess the same rights and privileges as ordinary members but will not be required to pay an annual subscription.
Management
The affairs of the Club shall be under the Management of a Committee consisting of a President, Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Field Trial Secretary and eight members.
Up to 5 Vice-Presidents may be elected but will not be members of the Committee.
The Club may have a patron.
Officers, Committee and Coordinators
The President shall be elected for a term of five years. The Chairperson, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected for 3 years and shall retire in rotation. The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected for a term of one year. The Field Trial Secretary shall be elected for a term of three years.
A Breed Health Coordinator and Breed Rescue Coordinator shall be elected. The Breed Health Coordinator will be elected for a term of five years. The Breed Rescue Coordinator will be elected to serve for a term of three years.
Each year four ordinary members of the Committee shall retire in rotation. Each Officer and Committee member shall be eligible for re-election.
Nominees for Officers must be fully paid up member of the club for a continuous period of 5 years.
Nominees for Committee must be fully paid up members of the club for a Continuous period of 2 years
Officers and Committee members wishing to stand for re-election shall inform the Secretary and shall not be required to be re-nominated.
The election of Officers and Committee shall be postal ballot of fully paid up members. The ballot paper to be received by the date shown on the form.
The Committee has the power to co-opt on to the Committee to fill any vacancies should they occur.
Meetings
A General Meeting of the members shall be held annually at the same location and on the same day as the Clumber Spaniel Club Open Show for the following purposes:
To receive reports from the Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Field Trial Secretary, Honorary Breed Rescue Coordinator, Breed Health Coordinator, Breed Education Coordinator, and the Certified Accounts from The Honorary Treasurer. All reports will be circulated by email ONLY in advance with the agenda for the meeting.
To announce Officers & Committee.
To announce Open & Championship show judges.
To discuss and if necessary to vote on any resolution duly placed on the Agenda of which prior notice has been given to the Honorary Secretary.
To appoint either one qualified accountant or two individuals who have accountancy experience to audit the Clubs Annual Accounts for the next year and are independent of the committee.
All Annual General Meeting business must be conducted in presence and / or virtually no postal AGM voting will be permitted under any circumstances.
Notification of the date and venue of the Annual General meeting, plus a request for items for the agenda will be sent to all members prior to the Annual General Meeting. All nominations resolutions, proposed and seconded by named members, must be sent to the Honorary Secretary 60 days prior to the Annual General Meeting so that the final Agenda and ballot papers, including the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any intervening Special General meeting and a copy of the Certified Accounts can be sent 21 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
No business shall be transacted other than that stated on the agenda with the exception of routine matters or any item which, in the interest of the Chairman is urgent.
A Special General Meeting may be summoned by the Honorary Secretary on receipt of a written request signed by at least 25 members specifying the business to be discussed. A Special General Meeting may also be convened at the request of the Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall issue a notification in the same way as for an Annual General Meeting giving members at least 14 days clear notice. No other business other than that specified on the notice shall be transacted.
Meetings of the Committee shall be held prior to the Annual General Meeting, Clumber Open and Championship Shows and as often as deemed necessary.
Meetings of the Committee shall be held at the discretion of the Honorary Secretary or at the written request of the chairperson or four Committee members. Not less than 7 days notice of such a meeting shall be given to each member of the Committee.
The quorum at the General Meeting shall be twenty-five members present and for the committee meeting five Committee members present.
Minutes of the committee meetings shall be available at the Annual General Meeting.
Any Officer or Committee member missing more than 3 committee meetings within a period of 1 year without valid explanation shall cease to be an Officer or Committee Member. A record of committee attendance shall be available to any member of the Club.
Arrangements will be made for members to attend General Meetings either in person or virtually. Meetings of Committee shall be held in person or virtually
Judges
Judges for both the Club Open and Championship Shows will be elected by ballot of the membership. Nominations for judges for both the Club Open and Championship Shows will be received in writing 60 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Prospective judges will then be written to, informing them of their nomination and of the criteria they need to meet to be eligible to judge and hence for inclusion on the voting paper. The nominees’ names will appear on a voting paper to be sent to all members prior to the Annual General Meeting. Voting papers must be returned by post prior to the Annual General Meeting; the ballot paper to be received by the date shown on the form. Results of the voting will be announced at the meeting such that the person gaining the most votes will judge the show. In the event of a tie, the decision will be left to the Committee. Should the elected judge be unable to fulfil the appointment the person coming second in the voting will be invited to judge, then third etc. Should none of the nominees be available to judge, the Committee will select a replacement judge.
Finance
The financial year of the Club shall commence on 1st January and end on 31st December.
Accounts shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid and from which payments will be made. Cheque withdrawal shall only be made on the signature of two or more Officers; and payments by funds transfer following discussion between two or more Officers in line with bank mandate rules, or by designated Officers.
The annual accounts shall be prepared and kept by the Honorary Treasurer, and shall be checked by the appointed Auditor(s). Those undertaking the audit must be independent from those who prepared the accounts.
All expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of the club, or by any officer or Committee of the club shall be reimbursed from Club Funds as delegated by the Committee.
Voting
At all General Meetings voting shall be by show of hands or by secret ballot of those present, at the discretion of the Chairperson of the meeting. One vote shall be allowed to each individual member with the Chairperson having the casting vote as well as a deliberative vote if necessary. Juniors do not have a vote.
Rules
Any alteration of these rules shall only be made by a majority of those members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting and such alterations shall not be brought into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval. Notice of intention to move any alteration shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary not later than 60 days before an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose. Proposals for rule changes must appear on the notice of Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting with full details of the proposed alterations to wording. New Rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately and be included in the Society’s Constitution with effect from the Society’s annual meeting.
Property
The Property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee.
If the Club is wound up or ceases to be a registered Club under Kennel Club Regulations a General Meeting shall be called to decide on the disposal of any assets.
Trophies
All valuable trophies shall be valued periodically and the valuation of the trophies shall be recorded in the accounts of the Club. A record of the Club Trophies shall be kept by the Cup Steward. All trophies shall be signed for, upon receipt, by a current Club member at the Clumber Open and Championship Show.
The Cup Steward can either be a Committee or non-committee member who will be responsible for the Club Trophies (Silverware) records.
Resignations
Any member may resign his / her membership at any time by notifying the Honorary Secretary in writing but shall not be entitled to the return of any subscription paid. He / she shall nevertheless be liable for payment of any subscription or charges due to the Club.
A member who has resigned or whose resignation has been requested or who has been removed from membership or whose membership is suspended, shall forfeit all rights and privileges of the Club and shall forthwith return to the Honorary Secretary all Club Property including cups, Trophies which he / she may hold.
Rescue
A rescue Clumber Spaniel is defined as a Clumber that has not got a home and cannot be taken back by the breeder. Notification of the rescued Clumber Spaniel and expenses are to be made to the Honorary Treasurer who will keep a record of rescued Clumber Spaniels.
That from 2026 the Rescue Coordinator’s Honorarium is paid from The Clumber Spaniel Rescue Fund.
Any entire rescue dog/bitch is neutered once settled in its new home and the invoice is forwarded by the vet to the CSC for settlement, unless the CC veterinary advice deems it inadvisable for a particular dog/bitch.
A Clumber Spaniel Rescue Service will be available throughout the country.
Medical expenses for the rescued Clumber Spaniel will be paid for by the Rescue Fund whilst the dog is in the care of the Clumber Spaniel Rescue Service and for on-going medication after rehoming at the discretion of the Committee.
Boarding will be paid for by the Rescue Fund from the time the Clumber Spaniel has come into the Rescue until finding a suitable home.
Reasonable expenses as agreed by the Rescue Coordinator, which occurs in collection of the dog from the original home and delivery to the new home will be met by the Rescue Fund.
Separate Bank accounts will be set up for Clumber Spaniel Rescue and maintained by the Honorary Treasurer, and annual audited accounts will be prepared for Clumber Spaniel Rescue Services.
Kennel Club Compulsory Ruling
Annual Returns
The officers acknowledge that a maintenance of title fee will be forwarded annually to the Kennel Club whether by the secretary or by direct debit, for continuance of registration and that 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 or other officers and committee members of the society which may occur during the course of the year.
Interpretation
The Kennel Club shall be the Final authority for the interpretation of the rules and regulations of the Society and in all cases relative to Canine or Society matters.
Asset Disposal
A final statement of audited accounts with a record of the disposal of the property shall be forwarded to the Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and Committee on the last return sent to the Kennel Club will be held responsible by the Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.
Expulsion
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 Society. If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Society be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interest of the Society, the Committee of the Society may, at a meeting convened which included as an object the consideration of the conduct of the Member, determine that a special General Meeting of the Society 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 place, date and hour of the meeting, 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 forthwith be erased from the list of members and he / she shall there upon cease all purposes to be a member of the Society except that he / she may within two calendar months from the date of such meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to any such condition as the Kennel Club may impose.
If a Society expels any member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, or trials, the Society must report the matter in writing to the Kennel Club within seven days and supply particulars required.
Undischarged Bankrupts
No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt may serve on the Committee of or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.
Federations
The Society shall not join any Federations of Societies or Clubs.