Rule 1. Name and Objectives of the Club
The name of the Club shall be "Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of South Wales". Its objectives shall be the promotion of the best quality and breeding for the exhibition and working of Welsh Springer Spaniels according to the breed standard as defined, published and approved by the Kennel Club, and to further the interests and progress of the breed in the Principality of Wales.
Rule 2. Officers and Committee
The Club shall consist of Patron, President, Vice-President, Chairman, Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Vice-Chairman and Assistant Secretary and a Committee of eighteen members, together with an unlimited number of ordinary members and junior members, whose names and addresses shall be entered in a register and kept by the Secretary.
Junior members may attend General meetings but shall not be entitled to vote. Junior membership applies only to persons who have not attained the age of eighteen years.
Rule 3. Management
The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Officers and Committee referred to in Rule 2. The Committee shall consist of eighteen members, of which six shall retire annually by rotation, but shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination. The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall retire by rotation, but shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination.   The Committee shall hold such meetings as may be deemed necessary. Seven days notice thereof must be given by the Secretary.
Eight members shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of the Chairman for any meeting, the Vice-Chairman will take the Chair for that meeting.
In the event of the vacancy of any Officer and/or Committee, the Committee shall have the power to elect any member to fill such a vacancy until the following Annual General Meeting.
In the equality of votes the Chairman shall have the casting vote but he/she will not cast an initial vote.
No individual who has been a member of the Club for less than one year may be elected onto the Committee.
The Committee may appoint such Sub-Committees as deemed necessary and may co-opt from among the fully paid up members of the Club. Co-opted members shall receive full voting rights.
These Sub-Committees must report their proceedings to the Committee and must conduct their business according to the direction of the Committee.
Rule 4. Honorary Life Membership
The Annual General Meeting may elect any person or persons to be Honorary Life Members of the Club who, in the opinion of the meeting, are considered worthy of the distinction by vitue of their support, devotion and value to the breed.
Rule 5. Election of Officers
The election of Officers shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election on a 3 year rotation without further nomination.
Nominees, who must be fully paid up members, must be proposed and seconded and must consent to their nomination.
The nominations must be with the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
No Officer of the Club may be elected without having served a minimum of two years on the Committee.
Vice-Presidents are not ex-officio members of the General Committee. They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. They shall retire annually and shall be eligible for re-election without further nomination.
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.
Rule 6. Election of Members
Candidates for membership of the Club shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another and elected by or balloted for by the Committee at one of their meetings.
In the case of joint members, both will have full voting rights, upon acceptance of membership and upon payment of subscription.
Voting shall be by secret ballot or by show of hands as decided by majority at the meeting. Postal/proxy votes are not allowed. Voting rights of Junior members are as stated in Rule 2.
The Club must send a list of members and their addresses to the Kennel Club with the annual returns and, if so requested, make an up to date list of members available for inspection, if so requested, by the members of the Club or by the Kennel Club.
Rule 7. Subscriptions
The annual subscription shall be such amount as agreed by members in general meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. The subscription is payable to the Honorary Treasurer on 1st. January each year.
No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership and if the member shall fail to pay outstanding subscriptions by 1st. March, the Committee shall have the power to erase his/her name from the register but if the Committee shall subsequently receive a satisfactory explanation the member may, at the discretion of the Committee, and upon payment of arrears, be re-admitted to the register.
Rule 8. Club Property
The property of the Club, including all cups and trophies, shall be vested in the Committee. Intending donors of challenge cups and trophies shall be requested to acknowledge that a gift is made outright to the Club.
In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, a general meeting shall be called to decide the disposal of the Club's assets and the outcome of the meeting notified to the Kennel Club.
Rule 9. Expulsion of Members
Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j(4) and/or any member whose dog/s is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42j(8) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Club for the duration of the suspension and/or disqualification.
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 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 him/her. Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused member giving particulars of the complaint and advising 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 and he/she shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the Club. Except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of such meeting, appeal to the Kennel Club upon and subject to such condition as the Kennel Club may impose.
Rule 10. General Business and Meetings
The Annual General Meeting shall be held after January 31st. but before March 31st. for the following purpose: to receive the report of the Committee and balance sheet, to elect Officers and Committee members and to discuss any resolution duly placed on the agenda of which a minimum of fourteen days prior notice has been given in writing to the Secretary.
No business shall be transacted at an Annual General meeting unless notice thereof appears on the agenda, with the exception of routine matters or those which, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting are deemed urgent.
The election of Officers and Committee at the at the Annual General Meeting shall be either by vote or by ballot of those present at the meeting.
The provisional agenda for the Annual General meeting shall be circulated to members with the notices of the meeting.
Rule 11. Special General Meeting
A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary on the written request of either the President, Chairman or ten members, stating the object of such a meeting.
No business, other than the matter on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting.
Notices of the meeting must be sent out within seven days of receiving the request, together with the agenda.
Twenty one days notice in writing shall be given for an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
Rule 12. Amendments to Rules
The rules of the Club may not be altered, except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. Any alterations to the rules shall not be brought into effect until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alterations.
Rule 13. Club Accounts
The financial year of the Club shall be from January 1st. to December 31st.
A banking account shall be held in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the Club shall be paid and from which withdrawal shall only be made on the signatures of two of the following Officers: Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer.
The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer. One qualified accountant or two unqualified persons with accountancy experience shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting who shall audit the Club's accounts for the ensuing year before the Annual General Meeting.
Rule 14. Annual Returns to the Kennel Club
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 continuance of registration and that by 31st. July each year, other returns, as stipulated in the Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of 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 Secretary of the Club which may occur during the course of the year.
Rule 15. Kennel Club Appeals
The Kennel Club shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute.
Rule 16. Membership Of Federations Or Societies
The Club shall not join any Federation of Societies or Clubs.
Rule 17. Breed Club Judges Lists
The expiry date of the said lists shall be clearly stated thereon and on expiry new lists shall be compiled. Nomination for inclusion on the lists to be in writing in the form of a supplied questionnaire obtainable from the Secretary. Previously listed judges shall be eligible for the ballot without further nomination. The said lists shall be prepaired by the judge's sub-committee as appointed by the general committee in line with Kennel Club requirements. Acceptance onto these lists shall be by a simple majority with the Chairperson of the sub-committee having a casting vote.
Rule 18. Breeder's Code of Conduct

All members of the WSSCSW undertake to abide by its general Code of Ethics.
Club members:
1) Will properly house, feed, water and exercise all dogs under their care and arrange for appropriate veterinary attention if and when required.
2) Will agree without reservation that any veterinary surgeon performing an operation on any of their dogs which alters the natural conformation of the animal, may report such operation to the Kennel Club.
3) Will agree that no healthy puppy will be culled. Puppies which may not conform to the Breed Standard should be placed in suitable homes.
4) Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act.
5) Will not create demand for, nor supply, puppies that have been docked illegally.
6) Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog or to the breed.
7) Will not allow any of their dogs to roam at large or to cause a nuisance to neighbours or those carrying out official duties.
8) Will ensure that their dogs wear properly tagged collars and will be kept leashed or under effective control when away from home.
9) Will clean up after their dogs in public places or anywhere their dogs are being exhibited.
10) Will only sell dogs where there is a reasonable expectation of a happy and healthy life and will help with the re-homing of a dog if the initial circumstances change.
11) Will supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance concerning responsible ownership when placing dogs in a new home.
12) Will ensure that all relevant Kennel Club documents are provided to the new owner when selling or transferring a dog, and will agree, in writing, to forward any relevant documents at the earliest opportunity, if not immediately available.
13) Will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers or directly or indirectly allow dogs to be given as a prize or donation in a competition of any kind. Will not sell by sale or auction Kennel Club registration certificates as stand alone items (not accompanying a dog).
14) Will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise dogs nor mislead any person regarding the health or quality of a dog.

15) The Club and the Joint Health Group maintain that a breeder/stud dog owner, having bred a litter that has produced a fitting animal, where the condition, after tests, is deemed to be idiopathic (primary) epilepsy, should not breed from the sire/dam again. The failure of the breeder/stud dog owner to adhere to this rule shall be considered a breach of  the Club's Code of Practice and will be dealt with accordingly and may result in membership being withdrawn. This rule may be rescinded should a test for carrier animals become available.

Breach of these provisions may result in expulsion from club membership, and/or disciplinary action by the Kennel Club and/or reporting to the relevant authorities for legal action, as appropriate.

KC/GJ September 2008