About

About the Breed Council

The Labrador Breed Council represents the thirteen Labrador Retriever Breed Clubs in the United Kingdom. It is the official channel of communication with the Kennel Club. Meetings are held once per year and each club nominates & sends two representatives to the annual meeting. Each club has one vote at the meeting. The Chairman and Hon Secretary are elected each year by the club representatives.

The Labrador Breed Council is responsible for establishing a consensus from among the member Breed Clubs on Judging criteria, training, qualifications and lists, Breed Standard, Health issues, KC Registration

A separate sub committee of 6 elected representatives form a Health committee which meets biannually. Each member represents two Breed Clubs.

Sub Committees are set up as necessary to discuss detail or formulate policy which is then voted upon by all clubs at the annual meeting.

Breed Clubs

The 13 Breed Clubs represented by the Labrador Breed Council are listed below. 

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE LABRADOR BREED COUNCIL

1. NAME & OBJECTS:- The name of the association, here in after referred to as the Council, shall be the Labrador Breed Council. Its object shall be:-

a) To bring about close co-operation between those registered Clubs devoted to the Labrador Retriever breed in order to further the development of the breed.
b) To encourage the maintenance of the Labrador Breed Standard and to make recommendations to the Kennel Club regarding this standard.
c) To compile and publish lists of those persons who would be supported when judging at different types of shows.
d) To make recommendations to the Kennel Club regarding applications to register new Labrador Breed societies.
e) To make recommendations to the Kennel Club regarding applications to award Challenge Certificates in the breed.
f) To consider any matter referred by the Kennel Club.

2. CONDUCTING THE AFFAIRS:- The affairs of the Council will be conducted for the benefit of the constituent Clubs and will not be classed as a trading business. The word “shall” is mandatory and the “may” is permissive.

3. OFFICERS & MEMBERS:- The Council shall consist of:-

a) A Chairman, Hon. Secretary & Hon. Treasurer who shall hold office for a period of one year, but
shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for Chairman and Hon Secretary shall be made by the constituent clubs and shall be lodged with Hon Secretary no later than 31st December each year. The Hon Secretary shall issue ballot forms to the constituent clubs by 1st February and the ballot forms shall be returned by 31st March. Those elected shall not represent a club at Meetings of the Breed Council.
b) Any Club which is solely devoted to the Breed and has been duly registered at the Kennel Club is entitled to membership to the Council on application. A maximum of two representatives appointed by each of the constituent Clubs shall be entitled to attend meetings.
c) Should the members agree by a simple majority in General Meeting, the positions of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person.
d) A Club may resign its membership at any time by giving notice to the Hon. Secretary in writing and in such cases all subscriptions and fees which have been paid shall be forfeited.
e) At all meetings eight members shall form a quorum

4. VOTING:- With the exception of changes to the Constitution which shall be supported by two thirds of the votes cast, all voting shall be decided by a simple majority. Only one vote may be cast by each constituent Club and only those representatives present shall be entitled to vote, with the exception of votes from the Labrador Club of Northern Ireland which may be delivered to the Secretary in clearly marked envelopes prior to the meeting.

Voting shall normally be by a show of hands but may be by ballot if required by a majority of the members. The Chairman shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie.

5. FINANCE:- The Hon Treasurer will give an estimation of the projected budget for the following Financial Year at each Annual General Meeting and the members shall agree an annual subscription to finance the operation of the Council for that year. Each club shall pay an equally proportional share and
if necessary similarly make up any shortfall at the end of that financial year. The Financial Year of the Council shall be from 1st January to 31st December. A banking account shall be held in the name of the Council and into which all revenue shall be paid and from which withdrawals shall only be made on the signatures of Chairman and the Hon Treasurer. The Accounts shall be kept by the Hon Treasurer.

The Accounts shall be audited by either one qualified or two unqualified Auditors to audit the accounts for the current Financial Year.

Representatives of each constituent Club to be reimbursed their reasonable travel costs to attend Council meetings, subject to a maximum of the cost of a 2nd class return journey rail fare (or acceptable equivalent), to be paid one year in arrears.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:- The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the 31st May each year, Bank Holiday weekends to be avoided, and not less than 28 days notice shall be given to the Secretaries of all constituent Clubs.
The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall include the following items:
i) Approval of the Agenda
ii) Review of the Minutes of previous AGM
iii) Matters Arising there from
iv) To receive the Officers Reports
v) To receive the Accounts
vi) To receive the Report from the Show Council Representative
vii) To receive the Health Sub Committee Report
viii) Election of Officers
ix) Appointment of Auditors
x) Motions submitted by Members
xi) Any other urgent business at the discretion of the Chairman.

7. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:- A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Hon. Secretary if requested to do so by the Chairman or by a minimum of three of the constituent Clubs. At least 28 days notice shall be given to the members. Only those items placed on the agenda may be discussed.

8. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL:- The Hon. Secretary shall call meetings of the Council as agreed by the members. Where items on the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting require further consultation within the constituent Clubs the Hon Secretary shall give at least 28 days notice to the members of the
meeting. Such meetings may be conducted electronically with a minimum of 4 weeks being given for consultation within the Clubs. The Hon Secretary shall set out the timetable for such a meeting when notice is given and give the date by which members must submit their vote.

9. ALTERATION TO RULES:- The Constitution of the Council may only be altered at the Annual or Special General Meetings, the agenda of which must include the proposed amendment. No alterations to the Constitution may be brought into effect until they have been submitted to and approved by the
Kennel Club.

10. ANNUAL RETURNS:- The Council shall submit to the Kennel Club by 31st July annually, a copy of the current constitution, the names of the constituent Clubs, the names and addresses of the Officers and a copy of the Judges list. The Officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any changes of Secretary during the course of the year.

11. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL:- The Council shall not have any executive powers as regards the affairs of the constituent member Clubs and acknowledges that it is purely a consultative body.

12. DISSOLUTION:- The General Committee of the Kennel Club shall have the power to dissolve the Council by giving notice to the Hon. Secretary or the individual Secretaries of the constituent Club.

14. APPEAL:- The Kennel Club shall be the final Court of Appeal in all matters of dispute.

Revised April 2019.

Club Documentation

Below are the minutes of Annual General Meetings and General Meetings held by the Labrador Breed Council.