5
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Society shall consist of the following categories of members:
5.1
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Persons, who are engaged, directly or indirectly, in the breeding of animals shall be eligible for membership of the Society as Ordinary Members who shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership, including the right to vote at any general meeting of the Society, and the right to be elected to the Board.
5.2
JUNIOR MEMBERS
Any person under the age of 18 years may become a Junior Member and participate in the activities of the Society on approval by the Board and payment of the prescribed fees, provided that his parents or guardians countersign the application and accept full responsibility for financial and other commitments on his behalf. A Junior Member may not vote at meetings, and is not eligible for election to the Board.
5.3
COMPANY, CLOSE CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP OR BODY CORPORATE
5.3.1
A company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate applying for Ordinary Membership shall disclose to the Society such facts as may be necessary to determine the nature of the controlling interest therein. In addition to the requirements imposed in respect of all applications, the Secretary shall be provided with the name and address of the person who will act as representative at meetings of the Society. Such person shall have the right to nominate an alternate in writing. Such nomination must reach the Secretary not later than 20 (twenty) days prior to a general meeting at which such alternate will vote.
5.3.2
All communications addressed to such authorised representative referred to in Subclause 5.3.1 shall be deemed to be duly served upon the company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate. At all meetings at which such authorised representative is in attendance, such company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate shall be deemed to be duly represented.
5.3.3
The principal person so appointed to represent such company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate shall be eligible for election to the Board.
5.3.4
Should such company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate cease to comply with the requirements of Ordinary Membership as laid down in Subclause 5.1, its rights shall automatically be terminated, and the provisions of Subclause 5.3.5 shall mutatis mutandis apply in respect of such company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate.
5.3.5
The liquidation of a company or close corporation and the dissolution of a partnership or body corporate shall automatically result in the termination of its membership of the Society, provided that:
a)
all amounts owing to the Society as on the date of liquidation or dissolution shall be recoverable by the Society from the liquidator of such company or closed corporation, or from the members (either jointly or severally) of such partnership or body corporate;
b)
the liquidator of such company or close corporation and the members of such partnership or body corporate shall be obliged to discharge all the obligations of such company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate in respect of registration, transfers and whatever obligations the company, close corporation, partnership or body corporate would have had to discharge as a member of the Society; and
c)
whatever fees may be due and payable after such automatic termination of membership, shall be raised on the scale payable by Ordinary Members.
5.4
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
5.4.1
Application for membership of the Society shall be made to the Secretary in writing in such form as may be prescribed by the Board, and shall be accompanied by the relevant fees as may be determined by the Board.
5.4.2
All new members shall sign an undertaking to abide by the Constitution and Bylaws, and to procedures and regulations pertaining to participation in any event organised under the auspices of the Society.
5.4.3
The Board may admit any applicant to membership of the Society, either unconditionally or on such conditions as it may determine, or it may refuse admission to membership, disclosing the reason for such refusal. At each Board meeting the Secretary shall submit the names of new applicants whose memberships must be confirmed or refused by the Board.
5.4.4
An applicant to whom admission to membership has been refused shall be entitled to a refund of any fees forwarded with his application for membership.
5.5
RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS
5.5.1.
Save for executors of deceased estates, trustees of insolvent estates and liquidators of companies or close corporations, the rights and privileges of every member of the Society shall be to him personally, and shall not be transferable or transmissible - either by his own act or by operation of law. These shall include the following rights:
a)
to receive all official communications published by the Society for members;
b)
to apply for the birth recording of puppies and registration of Boerboels under the Society’s rules;
c)
to attend all general meetings of the Society, and - subject to Subclause 10.6. - have the right to vote at such meetings;
d)
to receive technical advice on Boerboel matters from the Society, and if applicable, at a fee to be determined by the Board; and
e)
to consult and use the Society’s official reports at the discretion of the Board, and if applicable, the costs to be defrayed by the applicant.
5.6
DELEGATION OF POWERS
5.6.1
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Constitution, any member may under power of attorney, duly executed and filed with the Secretary, authorise another person to sign on his behalf any application for registration, application for transfer, certificate of transfer, certificate of service, returns or reports or any other document in connection with the administration of a kennel (stud). Any such signature given by such member, shall be accepted by the Society as valid and binding, provided that nothing herein contained shall entitle such authorised person to participate in the nomination of, or voting for any member of the Board, or voting on any matter where his principal has a vote, or to attend any meeting on his principal’s behalf.
5.7
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS
5.7.1
The Society’s preferred and accepted communication medium shall be via electronic mail to members. Official notifications shall be sent to members via electronic mail, and also be published on the Society’s website. Notifications and correspondence sent to members via electronic mail shall be deemed duly delivered and received, as provided for in Subclause 10.7.
5.8
REGISTER OF MEMBERS
5.8.1
The Society shall keep a register of all members reflecting their date of admission, membership status, phone numbers, electronic, physical and postal addresses, and the amounts received from them with the dates of payment, and arrears, if any which may be due.
5.8.2
Every member shall communicate in writing within 30 (thirty) days to the Secretary any change of his phone numbers, electronic, physical and postal address. All notices or publications sent to any such address shall be considered as duly delivered to him.
5.8.3
Communications sent by the Secretary to a member to any of the addresses provided by him shall be binding.
5.8.4
The Secretary shall submit to the Registering Authority of the Society such information as it may require concerning admissions to membership, terminations of membership (for whatever reason), and the contact details and addresses of members.
5.8.5
The Society shall be the sole owner of the records of members, and of the Boerboel Database which shall remain in South Africa, and may be maintained on its behalf in South Africa by a designated Registering Authority.
5.8.6
All personal information and contact details of members shall be confidential and for the sole use of the Society, and shall not be made available to third parties without the permission of the member concerned, unless demanded by a court of law.