Aims, Constitution, Rules and Bye-Laws of the Society
The aims of the Shetland Cattle Herd Book Society are:
- To maintain unimpaired the purity of the breed of Shetland Cattle, and to promote the breeding of these cattle.
- To collect, verify, preserve and publish information relating to said cattle.
- To further the above objects by publishing 'The Shetland Cattle Herd Book'.
- To receive subscriptions and other payments.
- To make Bye-Laws for conducting the business and regulating the proceedings of the Society and to enforce the same by fines or otherwise.
- To expend Society funds for the good of the breed.
- The general purpose of the Society will be charitable.
CONSTITUTION, RULES AND BYE-LAWS OF THE SHETLAND CATTLE HERD BOOK SOCIETY
1. SOCIETY NAME
The name of the Society shall be The Shetland Cattle Herd Book Society.
2. SOCIETY OFFICE
The registered Office of the Society will be situated in such a place as the Society may decide from time to time.
3. SOCIETY OBJECTS
(a) The advancement of Shetland's heritage and culture, and
(b) The advancement of Community Development.
In furtherance of the above objects we will -
(1) Maintain unimpaired the purity of the breed of Shetland Cattle, and promote the breeding of these cattle.
(2) Collect, verify, preserve and publish information relating to said cattle.
(3) Publish "The Shetland Cattle Herd Book".
(4) To promote knowledge regarding the beneficial qualities of Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a unique property, scientifically proven to exist naturally within Shetland Cattle and to be conducive to healthy living.
(5) To encourage the continuation of the rural population of land stewards and thus secure the viability of the countryside, the community therein, and to ensure permanent enjoyment of visitors through promotional development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future generations to meet their own needs.
(6) To advocate the advancement of education to ensure continuity of appreciation of the indigenous heritage and culture.
4. SOCIETY POWERS
1. To receive subscriptions and other payments.
2. To make Bye-Laws for conducting the business and regulating the proceedings of the Society and to enforce the same by fines or otherwise.
3. To expend Society funds for the good of the breed.
5. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Any person desirous of becoming a Member must complete an application form for consideration of the Council. Name, designation and address of the applicant will be entered on the form of application to be signed by the applicant and if possible a proposer. The application will contain an undertaking by the applicant , if elected, to abide by the Rules and Bye-Laws of the Society. The application for membership will be submitted to the first meeting of Council or the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Intimation of election shall be sent to the applicant by the Secretary.
6. THE SOCIETY SHALL CONSIST OF:-
Life Members and Annual Members. Subscriptions shall be decided by the Council from time to time.
7. ANNUAL MEMBERS
Annual Members may at any time compound for all future payments and convert to Life Membership.
8. REGISTER OF MEMBERS
An alphabetical Register of Members shall be kept by the Secretary, stating whether they are Life or Annual Members, and dates of election, and their postal addresses.
9. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Members shall give notice in writing to the Secretary of any change of address. All communications forwarded by the post to the address recorded in the Register if Members shall be deemed to have been duly delivered.
10. REMOVAL OF MEMBERS
A member may be expelled for conduct considered prejudicial to the Society by a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the Members of Council present and voting at a Special Council Meeting, of which not less than fourteen days previous notice, specifying the intention to propose such resolution, shall have been sent to the Member whose removal is in question, and to all Members of Council. Notice specifying the alleged grounds for removal shall be sent to the Member whose removal is in question at least fourteen days before the Meeting, giving an opportunity to attend the Meeting to answer allegations or to make written representation to the Society.
11. SUBSCRIPTION
Subscription of Annual Members shall be payable on 1st January each year in advance and shall be in arrear if unpaid after the 31st March. No Member who is in arrear with their subscription or any monies due to the Society shall be admitted to any meeting of the Society or to any privileges of membership. A Member who shall not have paid the subscription due for any year within the following year will be treated as having forfeited his or her membership, and may only become a Member again upon re-election in terms of para.5 hereof, and upon payment of the subscription for the two years up to the date of forfeiture of original membership.
12. VOLUMES OF THE HERD BOOK:-
May be purchased at a cost to be decided by the Council, but the Society does not bind itself to supply any volume which is out of print.
13. PATRONS
The Society may invite one or more Patrons as it thinks fit but such a Patron or Patrons may not be members of the Council.
COUNCIL
14. MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
The management of the Society shall be vested in a Council, consisting of a President, two (2) Vice Presidents and not more than fourteen (14) Ordinary Members. They shall all retire at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination should they so wish. A president shall not be eligible for re-election to the Presidency for more than three (3) years in succession. No person shall hold office as President or Vice-President until they have served at least one term of office as an Ordinary Member of the Council.
15. CASUAL VACANCY
In the event of a casual vacancy occurring on the Council, the Council may appoint any member of the Society to fill the vacancy, and the member so appointed shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when he or she shall be eligible for re-election.
16. THE COUNCIL
The Council shall be deemed to be duly constituted, and shall continue to possess all the powers hereby conferred upon it, notwithstanding any vacancies in its body.
17. QUORUM
A Quorum at Council Meetings shall consist of six (6) Members.
18. NOMINATIONS.
Nominations for the elected Members of Council each year from Members of the Society, will be received by the 1st April each year, which must be signed by a proposer. It is the duty of the proposer to ascertain that the candidate is willing to accept office if elected, and to attend meeting regularly.
19. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL
The Council shall have full power to superintend and do all things necessary or incidental or conductive to the attainment of the objects of the Society. They may from time to time convene and hold General Meetings; also frame, alter, rescind and amend the Constitution, Rules and Bye-Laws of the Society.
(a) At Council Meetings, the President, or in their absence one of the Vice-Presidents, in order of seniority, shall be Chairperson of the Meeting. Failing these the meeting shall elect a Chairperson.
20. COMMITTEES
The Council may delegate any of their powers or duties (except the appointment and removal of Members of their body and of the Society) to Committees of any number (not less than three) of Members of their body and from time to time make, alter and rescind regulations and bye-laws for conducting the business delegated to such Committees. The President of the Society shall be ex officio a member of all Committees. Three (3) Members shall form a Quorum.
21. APPOINTMENT OF SECRETARY
The Council shall appoint and may remove a Secretary and such other officers as they may deem necessary, and determine their remuneration and respective duties in addition to those set out in the Rules.
22. FUNDS
They may deal with funds as seems best to them in the interest of the Society.
23. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING .
A General Meeting of the Society shall be held in each year at a place, date and hour as the Council or a General Meeting shall determine; when a report of the progress of the Society during the previous year, a financial statement, duly audited, shall be submitted, and Council Members for the ensuing year appointed.
24. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
All other General Meetings shall be called "Extraordinary".
25. The Council may, whenever they think fit, and they shall on the requisition made in writing signed by at least twenty (20) members of the Society, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting. Any requisition made by the Members shall express the purpose of the proposed Meeting and shall be delivered to the Secretary. Upon receipt of such requisition, Council shall forthwith proceed to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting. If they do not proceed to convene same, to be held within twenty-one days of the date of the requisition, the requisitionists or any other member amounting to the required number may themselves convene an Extraordinary General Meeting.
26. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
Ten days notice at least, specifying the place, day and hour of the meeting, and in the case of special business, general nature of such business, shall be given to members in manner hereinafter mentioned, or in such other manner (if any) as may be prescribed by the Society in General Meeting. The non-receipt of such notice by any Member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any General Meeting.
27. AUDITOR
An Annual General meeting may appoint an Auditor or Auditors who will continue to act until other appointment is made. The Auditor or Auditors shall audit the accounts of the Society previously to the Annual General Meeting succeeding their appointment, and a statement showing the financial position of the Society and examined and certified by the Auditor or Auditors, shall be laid before every Annual General Meeting and shall be considered by the Members at such Meeting.
28. CHAIRMAN.
The President, or in their absence one of the Vice-Presidents, in order of seniority, shall be Chairperson of the meeting; failing these the Meeting shall elect a Chairperson at all General Meetings.
29. REPRESENTATIVES
Any authority, organisation, society or body concerned with promoting the objects of the Society, and wishing to be represented at General Meetings, are invited to nominate a representative before the Annual General Meeting. Such a person shall be eligible for election to the Council during the continuance of their appointment.
30. VOTING
All questions and matters brought before Meetings, except the removal of a Member of the Society, shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Members actually present (each Membership having one vote, in the case of joint members there is an entitlement to exercise one (1) vote per joint membership) and in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have second, or casting, vote in addition to their vote as a Member.
31. QUORUM
The quorum of Members at any General Meeting shall be ten (10).
32. NO QUORUM PRESENT
If within one hour from the time appointed for the Meeting a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place, and if at such an adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within one hour from the time appointed for the Meeting then the Members present shall be a quorum.
33. MINUTE BOOKS
The Minute Books of the Society shall be open to inspection of the Members at all reasonable times.
34. NOTICE
A Notice may be served by, or on behalf of the Society, upon a Member either personally or by post to the Member at their registered address. In cases of removal, by recorded delivery.
35. COMMUNICATIONS
All communications, whether written or verbal, between Members of the Society, relating to the business of the Society or Membership thereof, or any entry in the Herd Book or at any Show, shall be privileged, and shall not be made the subject of any action or any claim for damages against the Society or against the Member making the communication.
SECRETARY
36. SECRETARY'S DUTIES
The Secretary shall be immediately responsible to the Council for the various duties they require them to perform. They shall attend all General Meetings and Council Meetings. They shall also attend on any Committee requiring their presence when not in attendance on the Council. They shall take Minutes of the Council; and also, when attending on any Committee, the Minutes of such Committee if required to do so by the Chairperson. They shall conduct the correspondence of the Society, preserving the letters they may receive in a classified arrangement. They shall keep copies of all letters which they write by direction of the President, Council or Committee.
37. RESPONSIBILITES
Under the direction of the Council, the Secretary shall be responsible for all monies, books, documents and other property of the Society; and shall keep accounts in such manner as they direct. All books and papers sent to the Society shall be stamped with the Society's stamp at once. All monies received on behalf of the Society shall, in so far as the same is not required for current purposes, pay the same into Bank. They shall be authorised to receive sums due to the Society and make all normal payments on behalf of the Society. Any extraordinary payments or claims shall be referred by them to the first Meeting of Council or to the Annual General Meeting.
38. RECEIPTS
All receipts for money received on behalf of the Society shall be in duplicate and the duplicate shall be retained by the Secretary.
THE HERD BOOK
39. HERD BOOK ENTRY
The Council shall from time to time draw up Rules embodying the qualifications which animals must possess to entitle them to be entered into the Herd Book, and the charges to be levied for the insertion therein relating to bulls, cows, additional produce of cows, inspected stock or otherwise, and other matters.
40. All communications to the Society shall be in writing, addresses to the Secretary, and shall be sent to the office of the Society.
41. SOCIETY ASSETS
None of the Society's assets may be distributed or otherwise applied, on being wound up or at any other time, except to further its charitable purposes.
42. WINDING-UP
The Society may at any time be wound up by a resolution carried by a majority of three-fourths of the Members present at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Society called especially for the purpose. The Secretary shall notify each Member, by post, and by advertisement in the "Shetland Times" for three consecutive weeks before the Meeting. If resolved to wind up the Society, the property of the Society shall be disposed of to such similar Society or Societies having for its objects the same charitable purpose as this Society.
20th June 1981, Revised April 2011 and November 2022.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF ENTRY TO THE HERD BOOK
1. ENTRIES TO THE HERD BOOK
All entries when lodged become the property of the Society and are received subject to the decision of the Society.
2. OFFICIAL FORMS
All entries shall be made on the official forms of the Society and lodged with the Secretary.
Entries for the year ending 31st December should be made by the end of the following January. If received later than31st January publication of the entry will be deferred until the issue of the next volume.
Thereafter they will not automatically be included in the Herd Book.
3. NAME
The exclusive use of a prefix (not an affix) may be registered by the Society.
4. IDENTITY
All animals must have a National Herd No. and Animal No. These together with the Prefix and Name are given by the Owner of the dam at the time of birth and cannot be changed.
The breeder of the produce is the owner at the time of insemination.