5.     GENERAL
           (adopted 10/99, effective 1/1/2000)

National Breed Councils do not have an Executive Group (unless specifically stated in their constitution) - the President and/or the Secretary does not have any powers to make decisions on behalf of National Breed Council or their Member Clubs.

A new President and/or Secretary and all Member Clubs are to be provided with a copy of the latest approved Constitution for their National Breed Council.

The National Breed Council cannot direct a Member Club to initiate actions that are in conflict with the Member Club’s ANKC Member Body’s regulations even if the decision and/or direction has been carried at a properly constituted meeting of the National Breed Council.

The Member Clubs are the legal basis of the National Council and all the authority of the Council emanates from the Member Clubs.

Decisions can only be made by the Member Clubs by either:

Having their delegate attend a meeting of the National Breed Council to present the views and the vote as directed by the Member Club. The Meetings can be in person or via Telephone ConferLink. or

Corresponding via the National Breed Council Secretary and each Member Club lodges their vote in accordance with the Member Clubs decisions.

Delegates

Each Member Club appoints a Delegate to represent the views and to vote as directed by the Member Club, at a properly constituted meeting of the National Breed Council. A Member Club may appoint more than one Delegate, but each Member Club shall have only one vote.

A Delegate has no authority other than as directed by the Member Club the Delegate represents.

Delegates are the servants of the Member Clubs not the National Breed Council.

Executive (National Breed Council)

The Executive of a National Breed Council normally comprises a President and a Secretary. The President functions as a figure head and to chair meetings of the National Breed Council whilst the Secretary attends to the administration of the Council according to the decisions and directions of the Members Clubs.

The Executive has no authority to direct a Member Club and cannot initiate actions on behalf of the National Breed Council, unless directed to do so by a majority of the Member Clubs at properly convened meetings.

National Breed Council Meetings

Properly constituted Meetings are called so that the Delegates of the Member Clubs can meet to discuss matters raised by the Members Clubs.

All items to be discussed at a National Breed Council Meeting must be on the agenda and circulated in accordance with the constitution so Member Clubs can discuss the item prior to the National Breed Council Meeting and direct their Delegate how they wish them to vote.

The meeting is chaired by the President with the Secretary attending to record the proceedings.

The views expressed at the meetings are the views of the Member Clubs; no individual views from the Delegates are permitted, and the President and Secretary have no input since they do not represent the views of a Member Club.

The President and/or Secretary may advise on procedural matters.

Administration

Member Clubs may bring any business before a meeting of the National Breed Council by giving 90 days notice of its intention to the National Breed Council Secretary, or as otherwise required by the individual National Breed Council’s Constitution.

The Secretary shall communicate the agenda for a Meeting to each of the Member Clubs at least 60 days prior to the date of the meeting, or as otherwise required by the individual National Breed Council’s Constitution.

Except with the unanimous consent of all Member Clubs, no resolution carried at a meeting of a National Breed Council shall be valid UNLESS notice has been given in accordance with clause 5.9.1, or as otherwise required by the individual National Breed Council’s Constitution.

Correspondence

All correspondence between the National Breed Council and the Member Clubs is Secretary to Secretary. The Secretary of the National Breed Council shall not correspond directly with Delegates.

Where a Member Clubs corresponds with the National Breed Council such correspondence should be courtesy copied (cc) to all other Member Clubs by the Member Club’s Secretary. Likewise, correspondence between the National Breed Council and a Member Club should be cc to all other Member Clubs by the National Breed Council Secretary. (This saves time and administration workload.)

Correspondence between the National Breed Council and the ANKC is National Breed Council Secretary to ANKC Administrator and vice a versa only.

Copies of all correspondence between National Breed Council and the ANKC and vice a versa should be courtesy copied (cc) to all Member Clubs by the National Breed Council Secretary.

A Member Club may only correspond with the ANKC through the Secretary of the National Breed Council or through the Member Club’s Member Body.