RULES OF THE SIAMESE CAT ASSOCIATION
As at 10 September 2023
Each candidate must be proposed and seconded by members.
The Committee shall have the right to warn or to suspend from Association Membership, either temporarily or permanently, any member convicted in a court of law of ill-treating or neglecting an animal, as well as any person whom it may hold to be guilty of gross misconduct connected with the keeping, exhibiting or judging of cats. Any person so accused shall have the right to appear before the Committee, to be represented, to call witnesses and, in the event of a suspension, to appeal to the Governing Council.
The Entrance Fee and the Annual subscriptions and Life Membership fees shall be determined from time to time by the members in General Meeting. Members of not less than three years' standing may compound for all future subscriptions upon payment of such an amount as shall have been determined to be the Life Membership fee in accordance with the provisions of this Rule at the time of the appropriate application so to compound future subscriptions. Life Membership shall be non-transferable and the fee paid shall not be repayable in the event of termination of membership for any reason whatsoever.
Junior and Hon. Members may exhibit in Association classes.
Nominations proposing and seconding eligible persons for membership of the Committee or as delegates to the Governing Council respectively together with the written consent of the persons so nominated must reach the Hon. Secretary not later than 31st December, in each year.
THE CHAIRMAN - Shall preside at all Committee and Association Meetings and it shall be his duty to ensure that such meetings are conducted in a proper and orderly manner in accordance with the Association Rules and the rules of debate. It shall be the duty of the Chairman to enable every member entitled to do so to speak at least once to any motion under discussion, freely and without interruption from other members. To enable him to ensure the above conditions the Chairman shall have the power to suspend for the duration of the meeting and to request the withdrawal of any person who is in his opinion guilty of grossly improper behaviour, always providing that he issues to such a person a prior warning.
The Chairman shall preserve an impartial attitude in all matters of debate and shall put all motions to the vote, and shall declare the results which shall thereafter constitute the official results of such voting.
THE VICE-CHAIRMAN - Shall assume all the duties and powers of the Chairman in the latter's absence or upon the latter's request.
THE HON. SECRETARY - Shall keep minutes of all Association and Committee Meetings and the minutes of the last meeting shall be read by him at the commencement of each subsequent meeting, and upon the approval of those present shall be passed to the Chairman for signature: The Hon. Secretary shall as far as he is able help members in all matters relating to Siamese Cats and the Association.
THE HON. TREASURER - Shall perform all duties normal to his office, and in particular shall collect subscriptions and other monies for banking and shall cause a Statement of Accounts which has been examined and signed by a suitable independent person to be produced at the Association A.G.M. All cheques drawn on the Association's account for 100 or over shall be countersigned by the Chairman or Hon. Secretary. The end of the financial year shall be 31st December.
All Officers shall have the right to vote in Committee and Association Meetings, with the exception of the person occupying the Chair. In the event of a draw the Chairman shall be obliged to cast a vote.
A quorum for any meeting of the Committee shall be five members provided always that in the event that in the course of a meeting of the Committee at which a quorum was originally present the number of members present shall for any reason fall to less than the required quorum the remaining Committee members may continue to transact any ordinary business of the Committee notwithstanding that there may then be no quorum. Any business transacted as aforesaid shall be subject to express confirmation by the Committee at its next following meeting.
The Committee shall elect new Association members and Life Members, appoint a Show Manager and a Show Committee, appoint Representatives to the Siamese Joint Advisory Committee and any other body approved by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and generally conduct the affairs of the Association in accordance with these Rules and authorise expenditure of Association Funds.
Any member of the Committee who fails except in cases of notified illness to attend at least one half of the Committee meetings held in any year shall cease to be a member of the Committee upon a resolution to this effect being passed by the Committee.
For the purposes of these Rules unless the context otherwise requires the expression "year" shall mean that period of time which elapses between the end of the Annual General Meeting of one year and the end of the Annual General Meeting held in the next following year, notwithstanding that the said period may be more or less than a calendar year and the term "three years" hereinbefore used shall be construed accordingly. Notwithstanding anything herein provided an annual subscription shall be payable in respect of each financial year.