This section is from the book "Sporting Dogs. Their Points And Management In Health, And Disease", by Frank Townend Barton. Also available from Amazon: Sporting Dogs; Their Points and Management in Health and Disease.
1. That the object of the Society be to promote the breeding of pure Retrievers, and to develop and bring to perfection their natural qualities. In order to carry out these purposes, a working trial, if practicable, shall be annually held.
2. That the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, a Committee, and an unlimited number of members.
3. That one-third of the Committee (exclusive of officers) shall be withdrawn by lot each year, at the Annual General Meeting for the first two years, and afterwards by rotation, and members shall be elected to fill their vacancies; the retiring members to be eligible for re-election. The President, Vice-Presidents, and Honorary Secretaries shall be ex-officio members of the Committee, and shall be elected annually.
4. That the entire control and management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee (of which three shall form a quorum), who shall have power to make bye-laws, and decide upon all matters in dispute not provided for by the rules of the Society ; and, further, that any member of the Committee,if unable to be present at a Committee Meeting, shall be permitted (upon application for same) to vote by proxy, duly signed, upon any resolution appearing upon the agenda paper, except as provided in Rule 8.
5. That each candidate for admission shall be proposed and seconded by members of the Society. The candidate's name, rank, residence, and profession or occupation, if any, shall be sent to the Secretary a fortnight before the election of candidates at the Committee Meeting ; and that each member of the Committee be advised, at least seven days beforehand, of the proposed election of a new member of the Society.
6. That the election of members shall be vested solely in the Committee, and be made by ballot, two black balls to exclude.
7. That for the present no entrance fee shall be charged, and that the annual subscription shall be one guinea, payable 1st January in advance ; and that any member whose payments shall continue in arrear for six months shall (due notice of such arrear having previously been given in writing by the Secretary) have his name struck off the list, and shall cease to be a member of the Society. Any member joining the Society after the 31st October in any year shall not be liable for an annual subscription for the current year. Life membership may be acquired upon payment in a lump sum of ten guineas.
8. Any member of the Society who shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Committee to have in any way misconducted himself in connection with Dogs, Dog Shows, or Trials, or to have acted in any way which would make it undesirable that he should continue to be a member, shall be requested to retire from the Society; and if a resolution to that effect shall be carried by three-fourths of the Committee (present and voting), duly summoned or warned to the consideration of the case, the member so requested to retire shall henceforth cease to be a member of the Society.
9. That subscriptions and donations, after payment of all liabilities, shall be applied in such a manner as the Committee shall determine, for prizes at Trials or Workers' Classes at Dog Shows, or otherwise ; and all balance shall be invested for the use of the Society, in such manner as the Committee shall direct.
10. That Committee Meetings may be held at each Trial Meeting of the Society, or at such other times and places as the Committee may determine, notice thereof having been duly sent to each member of the Committee.
11. That the Annual General Meeting of the Society be held in May or June, in London, and that a Special General Meeting may be called at any time, at such place as may be agreed to by the Committee, on the requisition of six members.
12. At every meeting the President, or one of the Vice-Presidents, shall be chairman, or failing these, a member of the Committee, such chairman to have a casting vote at all meetings. And, further, the minutes of the preceding meeting shall be read, approved, confirmed, and signed by the Chairman at the commencement of the next subsequent meeting.
13. Any member may withdraw from the Society on giving notice in writing to the Secretary, provided always that such member shall be liable for his subscription to the Society for the current year in which he gives such notice.
14. That the Secretary shall enter the name and address of each member of the Society in a book kept for that purpose.
A. E. Sansom,
Secretary.
12 and 13 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.
 
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