The title of the Club shall be The South of England Basset Hound Club

The objects of the Club shall be:

a. To promote the welfare of the Basset Hound

b. To encourage exhibition, working activities and responsible breeding to the standard as recognised by The Royal Kennel Club.

c. To hold shows, other functions and activities as the Committee may decide and to encourage classes for the Basset Hound in the South of England.

d. To advise and encourage those members who have no previous experience of the breed.

e. The object of the Club is for the benefit of its members and will not be classed as a trading business so that all profits from any service, function and/or activity of the Club shall be maintained for the benefit of, and the further education of, its members in the management, training, showing, breeding and every aspect pertaining to canines.

All applicants for membership shall be in writing on the form for the time being prescribed by the Committee. Candidates for membership shall be proposed and seconded by a member and subject to the approval of the Committee. Admission to membership shall include an undertaking by the applicant to observe the rules of the Club.

Membership shall consist of Single, Joint, Junior, Overseas and Honorary members. Single members shall have one vote, Joint members shall have two votes at general meetings and in elections. Junior and Overseas members shall have no votes.

The club shall maintain a register of the names and addresses of members which shall be made available for inspection if so requested by members of the club or by The Royal Kennel Club.

The Committee shall have the power to recommend Honorary Membership in respect of any persons who has rendered distinguished service to the Club or interests represented by it.

Honorary members shall be relieved of the payment of subscriptions to the Club and shall possess the same rights and privileges as full subscribing members.

Subscriptions shall be due on the 1st January each year and shall be paid to the Treasurer.

The subscription to the Club shall be such sum as may be recommended by the Committee and notified to members for approval at an Annual General Meeting. Annual subscriptions shall be available for:

One member as a Single Membership

Joint Membership for two members of the same family residing at the same address or joint owners.

Junior Membership shall be available for persons up to and including 16 years of age.

Overseas Membership (Single and Joint) shall be available to persons living permanently outside the U.K. Such membership shall be for a period of 5 years.

No member who subscription remains unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if any member shall fail to pay his or her subscription by 31st March each year, he or she shall be considered to be no longer a member.

The Officers shall consist of a President, and a number of Vice-Presidents. A Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

The President shall be nominated by the Committee and elected by the members in Annual General Meeting. for life. He/She shall preside at all such social gatherings as may be his/her convenience and he/she shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee with the right to vote thereat.

His/Her status shall be that of an Honorary member. If for any reason whatsoever the office of President shall become vacant, such casual vacancy shall be filled by the Committee and the person appointed shall continue in office till the next Annual General Meeting.
An unlimited of Vice-Presidents may be appointed annually by the Committee. Their membership status shall be that of an honorary member. A Vice-President shall not be an ex-officio member of the Committee.
The Chairman's duties shall be to preside at all General and Committee meetings of the Club and to deputise for the President when called to do so.
The duty of the Vice-Chairman shall be to deputise for the Chairman in his/her absence or when called upon to do so.
The Secretary's duties shall be to summon and attend all General and Committee meetings of the Club. He/She shall keep a correct record of the proceedings in a Minute Book which shall be signed by the Chairman at the next meeting. He/she shall conduct correspondence on behalf of the Club and transact such business as shall be required by the Committee.
The Treasurer shall receive all monies, keep a proper record receipts and payments, and submit a properly certified Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet to the members at the Annual General meeting of the Club. He/She shall keep a banking account in the name of the Club and cheques shall be signed jointly by the Treasurer and the Chairman, with the Secretary authorised to in place of either of them should the need arise.
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected for a term of three years. Nominations for these offices shall be received by the Secretary not later than twenty-eight days prior to the Annual General Meetiing.
If in any case the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies, an election shall be decided by a ballot of those members personally present at the Annual General Meeting.
If for any reason whatsoever any office shall become vacant, such casual vacancy shall be filled by the Committee and the person appointed shall continue in office until the next Annual General Meeting.
No officer of another Basset Hound Club is eligible to serve as an officer of this club.

The Committee shall consist of twelve members with power to co-opt and shall be elected for a term of three years and four members shall retire annually by rotation.

Nominations for the Committee shall be received by the Secretary not later than twenty-eight days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
If in any case the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies, an election shall be decided by a ballot of those persons personally present at the Annual General Meeting.
If for any reason whatsoever any office shall become vacant on the Committee, such casual vacancy shall be filled by the Committee and the person appointed shall continue to serve on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.
The Committee shall have the power to form sub-committees as required.
Sub-committees shall have the power to co-opt members of the Club even though they may not be members of the Committee.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint any member of the Club to act as its representative to any other body or organisation.
The Committee shall meet at convenient times as and when considered necessary.
Four committee members and two officers shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.
A member of the Committee will be expected to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings and, failing to do so, will be required to offer a reasonable explanation to the Committee upon which the Committee will decide.
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.

An Annual General Meeting shall be held once a year to receive the report of the Committee, to review and approve the Statement of Accounts & Balance Sheet, to elect officers and members of the Committee and to discuss any notice of motion signed by the proposer, and seconder, who shall be fully paid-up members of the Club of which prior notice of at least twenty-eight days has been given to the Secretary and which has duly been placed on the Agenda.

Only business, notice of which appears on the Agenda, shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting, with the exception of which in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting is urgent. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to members not less than 42 days prior to the meeting, in the appropriate Club Newsletter. New rules or amendments introduced specifically to meet The Royal Kennel Club requirements shall be adopted immediately.

The Constitution or Rules of the Club may not be altered except at a General Meeting, the notice for which contains specific proposals to amend the rules. Any proposed alterations to The Constitution or Rules may not be brought into effect until The Royal Kennel club has been advised and approved the alteration.  

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The financial year of the Club shall be from the 1st January to 31st December. A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall be made only on the signatures of two or more officers. The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer and an auditor shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting who shall certify the Club's accounts for the ensuing year prior the next Annual General Meeting.

Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant or two individuals with accountancy experience. Those undertaking the certification must be independent from those who prepare the accounts. A copy of the certified annual statement of accounts will be made available to members, on request, 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Additionally, the annual statement of accounts will be available for inspection by members prior to the commencement of the Annual General Meeting. 

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The Property of the Club shall be vested in the Officers and Committee for the time being. Members who donate cups and trophies to the Club must accept that these are then the property of the Club.

In the event of Club ceasing to exist, a General Meeting shall be called to decide upon the disposal of the Club's assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to The Royal Kennel Club.
If the Club is wound up or cease to be a registered society under the regulations, a final statement of accounts with a record of the disposal of the property of the Club shall be forwarded to The Royal Kennel Club within six months and the persons named as Officers and Committee of the Club will be held responsible by The Royal Kennel Club for the proper winding up of the Club.

Any member who shall be disqualified under The Royal Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and /or The Royal 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 Club, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character and interests of the Club, the Committee of the Club may, at a meeting the notice convening which includes as an object that consideration of the conduct of the member, determine that a Special General Meeting of the Club 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 the member of the place, date and hour of the meeting that 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: he/she shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club except that the member may within two calendar months from the date of such meeting appeal to The Royal Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as The Royal Kennel Club may impose. If the society expels any Member for discreditable conduct in connection with dogs, dog shows, trials or competitions, the Society must report the matter in writing to The Royal Kennel Club within seven days and supple any particulars required.

The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year the Maintenance of Title will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the Secretary for the continuance of Registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in The Royal Kennel Club Regulations for Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities be forwarded to The Royal Kennel Club. The Officers acknowledge their duty to inform The Royal Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

The Committee of the Club shall have power to deal with all matters pertaining to the Club not specifically covered by the Rules of the Club. The Royal Kennel Club is the final authority for interpreting the Rules of the Society in all cases relative to canine or Society matters.

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The Club shall not join any federation of Societies or Clubs. 

Officers and Committee shall be allowed to exhibit hounds at Club shows. The selection of judges for Club shows shall be made by a majority decision of Officers and Committee members in a meeting by a show of hands or paper ballot at the discretion of the Chairman. Should an Officer or Committee member be nominated as a judge he/she should not take part in the vote.

All members are further required to read and abide by all parts of The South of England Basset Hound Club published Code of Ethics.                                                                                                                updated on 5/9/2023 by the Secretary, Mrs Kim Culyer-Dawson