Our rules

Rules of the Old English Mastiff Club

Updated December 2024

1. The Club shall be called ‘The Old English Mastiff Club’. The object of the Club shall be to encourage the Old English Breed THE MASTIFF and to urge the adoption of the Kennel Club Standard of the Breed upon Breeders, Judges and Show Committees. This is the only standard of excellence by which Mastiffs are to be bred, judged and awards made. Any deviation or attempt to deviate from any aspect of the Standard is strictly not allowed. To do all in its power to protect, preserve and advance the interests of the breed, by all means possible when necessary, and to behave in a sportsmanlike manner.

2. There shall be one General Meeting every year where possible on the day of the Annual General Meeting, devoted to the well-being of the breed in general.
Membership of the Club

3. The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of Members and a list of members’ names and their addresses shall be maintained and the list of names made available for inspection if so requested by members of the Club or by the Kennel Club

4. All applicants for membership shall return the required signed membership application form to the Membership Secretary. The application shall be presented to the Committee at the earliest opportunity for consideration and approval by a simple majority vote among the Officers and Committee Members. Successful applicants will then pay the required membership subscription and the date this is received will be deemed to be the date of the commencement of their membership. In the event that a majority of the Officers and Committee do not approve a membership application, a letter of refusal will be sent to the applicant, and no reason for refusal shall be given.

New members may not vote in the elections or at General Meetings until 12 calendar months have elapsed from the start date of their membership. However, during the 12 calendar months, such members may attend general Meetings. Members may only stand for Committee or as an Officer in accordance with Rule 20. In the event of resignation from Membership, acknowledgement will be sent by the Hon. Secretary or other Officer, 7 days following receipt.

5. The Annual Subscription for Members shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. Members of the same household who shall have qualified for Membership shall have the privilege of a reduced subscription as determined by the Annual General Meeting. Members Subscription shall be due on election and on each subsequent 1st January and no one shall be entitled to the privileges of Membership until his or her subscription has been paid. Notice of renewal and the amount payable shall be communicated to Members annually.

6. No member whose subscription is unpaid is entitled to any of the privileges of Membership and if the Member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 1st March, it shall be deemed that he or she has ceased to be a member of the club.

7. Only Members whose current subscription has been paid shall participate in elections or General Meetings of the Club and only those over 16 years of age may vote.

8. Members with 30 years’ paid-up membership shall become life members without further charges. This rule can be applied retrospectively at the discretion of the committee.​

9. The Officers and Committee of the Club shall consist of a President and not more than six Vice-Presidents, an Honorary Treasurer, an Honorary Secretary and a Committee of ten other Members all of whom shall be resident in the United Kingdom or Irish Republic. The President and Vice Presidents shall have no voting rights within the Committee. All positions within the Club, whether Officer or Committee, are considered of equal status. No more than one member of a family be it spouse/partner or family member by birth or law, shall stand for, or serve as an Officer or member of the Committee at the same time.

10. The Officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year, Maintenance of Title Fee 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 Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities will be forwarded to the Kennel Club. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any change of the Secretary of the Society, which may occur during the course of the year.

11. The affairs of the Club shall be managed, in accordance with Club Rules and the Committee standing orders, by a Committee. Four Committee Members, one at least being an Officer, shall form a quorum. In the event of a clash of interests, it is the duty of the Committee always to act in the best interests of the Club. Meetings of the Committee shall be held as often as necessary but at least four times a year.

12. The Committee shall have the power to appoint any number of Committee Members to a Sub-Committee for any purpose whenever it may deem necessary and to co-opt Members of the Club to serve on the Sub-Committee, the number of Members of the Club co-opted should not exceed one-third of the Sub-Committee.

13. The Committee shall have the power to appoint members to fill any vacancy occurring through resignation or otherwise, in its own body or in the office of Secretary or Treasurer, until the next Committee takes office in accordance with Rules 19, 20 and 21.

14. 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.

15. The Committee shall have the power to recognise Branches subject to Kennel Club Rules and approval. These branches shall consist of an unlimited number of members who must be fully paid-up members of the O.E.M.C. The management of the branch shall be in the hands of the Branch Chairman, Branch Treasurer, Branch Secretary and a Committee consisting of not less than 3 Committee Members who shall retire annually but such branch officers and Committee shall be eligible for re-election. The O.E.M.C. shall be responsible for the payment of the annual Branch Maintenance of Title Fee to the Kennel Club the branches to provide an end-of-year report and accounts to the Committee of the O.E.M.C.
Nomination of Officers & Committee

16. The President and the Vice-President shall be elected for life or until the receipt of a personal resignation or removal as a result of a vote of no confidence by a majority of three-quarters of the Members, present and voting at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. The calling of that Special General Meeting shall require the signature of 50 members.

17. The Committee shall have the power to recommend to the AGM, for election as Vice-Presidents or to Honorary Membership, individuals who have made a special contribution to Mastiffs or the Club. Retiring Presidents shall automatically become Past Presidents with the same privileges as Vice-Presidents.

18. In the event of there being a vacancy for President, the Chairman shall call for nominations within 2 months, signed by the proposer, seconder, nominee and twenty other members, and all signatures to be on a single form. The nominee shall be a current member for at least 15 years and have served on the OEMC Committee for a minimum of 2 years.

19. The Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer shall be elected for a two-year period in alternate years. These officers shall be eligible for re-election subject to rule 9. If either office is vacated in the year normally requiring the re-election of the other, the other office will be automatically extended by one year to avoid both Officers being elected in the same year. Nomination forms for the post of Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer to be circulated by the person or persons authorised by the Committee and must be received by the said persons by the 31st October of the appropriate year signed by the nominee, proposer, seconder and 10 other members, and all signatures to be on a single form.

20. Members of the Committee shall retire biennially and shall be eligible for re-election subject to rule 9. Nomination forms shall be circulated by the person or persons authorised by the Committee and must be received by the said persons by the 31st of October of the election year, signed by the proposer, seconder and nominee. Only members with twelve calendar months of continuous full membership of the club shall be eligible to stand as a Committee member. Only members with two years of continuous full membership of the club shall be eligible to stand as an Officer.

21. All elections shall be by postal ballot, the votes to be counted by an impartial body, such as the Kennel Club, or a body of similar status, appointed by the Committee, the results to be available in December. The Committee to take office from the 1st of January.

22. Officers and Members of the Committee shall be elected by a simple majority. Each Member may cast a single vote for not more than ten Committee Members and one for each Officer. In the event of a candidate standing for the positions of both Officer and Committee Member and being elected to the position of Officer that candidate shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the election for Committee Member.

23. No President or Vice President or Committee Member or Officer or Branch Committee Member or Branch Officer, or their perceived partners, shall serve on the Committee of another Club, Society or Association for the Mastiff breed.

Committee Procedure

24. The Committee at its first Meeting of the year shall elect a Chairman from its own body and such a Chairman shall continue to serve for the year and be a Member of all Sub-Committees. In the event of equal votes being cast in Committee for and against a proposal, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote which should be assumed to be for the preservation of the status quo.
Financial Arrangements

25. Banking Accounts shall be opened in the name of the Club. The Club shall also be empowered to open other financial accounts and make such investments as may be prudent. Any expenditure shall be approved by the Committee. Withdrawals shall only be made on the signature of two or more Officers, one of which shall normally be the Treasurer. In the event, for whatever reason, two Officers are not available to sign withdrawals, then the Committee Chairman will be authorised to be the second signature until such time that two Officers are again available. The expenses incurred by the Hon Secretary or Hon Treasurer or any other person acting at the behest of the Committee for and on behalf of the Club shall be defrayed out of the Club funds. The financial year shall end on 31st December each year. The Accounts shall be audited annually. Certification of accounts must be carried out by one qualified accountant or two unqualified individuals with accountancy experience, unconnected to the committee. The certified accounts shall be made available to members 14 days prior to the AGM, together with the minutes of the previous AGM and with the agenda for the AGM.
The Accountant shall be appointed at the AGM for the forthcoming year.

26. There shall be an Annual General Meeting, at which normally the president shall take the chair, as early in the year as possible, the date of which shall be sent to members at least 3 months in advance. At the AGM the Committee shall have ready an audited Balance Sheet and Report on the last year’s work i.e. January 1st to December 31st. Members shall be given 21 days notice in writing with an agenda, items for which must have been received in writing by the Hon Secretary not later than 2 months before the AGM. No Business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters, or amendments to proposals in accordance with rule 28 and those matters, which in the opinion of the chairman of the meeting are urgent. In the event of equal votes being cast for and against a proposal, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

27. A proposal may, before being put to the meeting, be the subject of the amendment, provided that the proposed alteration is not so fundamental as to destroy the intent of the original proposal or to alter its effect to a major degree.

General

28. No alterations or additions shall be made to the Rules of the Club except at the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting convened in accordance with Rule 29 for that purpose, and the proposed alterations shall be sent to each Member prior to the Meeting, and shall not be brought into force except with the approval of the Kennel Club.

29. The Committee shall be empowered to call a General or Special Meeting whenever it may think necessary and shall call a Special General Meeting on requisition stating the object of such meeting signed by twenty members. At such Special General Meeting, the only business after the election of a Chairman shall be the consideration of the special matter for which the Meeting is called, and of which particulars shall have been given on the notice summoning the Meeting. 14 days’ notice of such Meetings must be given to Members. The quorum shall be 20. In the event of equal votes being cast for and against a proposal, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote, which should be assumed to be for the preservation of the status quo.

30. The Committee shall have the power to offer Challenge Cups and other prizes out of the funds of the Club, for competition by Mastiffs being the property of Members, resident in the United Kingdom or Irish Republic at such shows, as it may consider desirable.

31. Any letter, document or photograph, sent to members of the Club concerning Club matters, are not to be distributed by any media outlet, including social media by third parties, without the consent of the committee.
Disciplinary Powers

32. Members accused either of breach of the Code of Ethics as published in the Annual Report, or of
aiding and abetting another Member to do so, shall be given particulars of the complaint and advised of the place, date and hour of the Committee Meeting at which the complaint will be considered so that the Member can submit a written explanation to the Committee or attend to offer an explanation.

33. Any member who shall be disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(5) and/or Kennel Club Rule A11.j.(9) shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Club.

34. If the conduct of any Member shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club, the Committee of the Club may, at a meeting, the notice convening which includes as an object the 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 the Member. Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member giving the particulars of the complaint and advising the Member of the place, date and hour of the Meeting, that the Member may attend and offer an explanation. If at any meeting a resolution to expel is passed by two-thirds of the Membership present and voting, the Member’s name shall be forthwith erased from the list of Members, and the Member 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 Kennel Club subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose.

35. If the conduct of a Committee Member, other than the President or Vice Presidents, shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the Club the Committee of the Club may, at a meeting, the notice convening which includes as an object the consideration of the conduct of a Committee Member, determine that a Special General Meeting of the Club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to terminate the office of the Committee Member. Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused Member giving the particulars of the complaint and advising the Member of the place, date and hour of the Meeting that the Member may attend and offer an explanation. If at any meeting a resolution to terminate the office of the Member is passed by a simple majority of the Membership present and voting the Committee Member shall cease to hold the office except that the Member may within two calendar months from the date of such Meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club, subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose. The Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the next Committee takes office in accordance with Rules 18,19 and 20.

36. In the event of the winding-up or dissolution of the Club, the Cups and Trophies in the possession of the Club shall be sold. The proceeds of such sale, together with any other assets, after the debts and liabilities have been met, shall be given to such charitable objects as may be decided upon by the Committee.

37. The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.

38. The Kennel Club shall be the final authority in all cases relating to Canine matters, and for interpreting the Rules and Regulations of the Old English Mastiff Club.