STATUTES (CONSTITUTION)
of the WORLD UNION OF ST. BERNARD-CLUBS (WUSB)
CHAPTERS I: NAME, RESIDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY
Article 1
An international organization under the name "World Union of St. Bernard Clubs" was formed on September, 23 1967 in Luzern (Switzerland) by independent St. Bernard Clubs for an indefinite time. The WUSB can operate in international contact under the following names: WELT-UNION der St. Bernhards-Clubs (WUSB) WORLD-UNION of St. Bernard-Clubs (WUSB)
Article 2
The domicile of the WUSB is with the President.
Article 3
Under WUSB obligations only WUSB assets are laible. A seperate responsibility from connected juristic or natural persons is out of question and in turn the WUSB is not responsible for the delegates' obligations.
CHAPTERS II: AIM (TARGET)
Article 4
The aim of the WUSB is to unite all St Bernard friends under an universal recognized interpretation of the standard, to strive together for the purity, the health and the character of the breed and to nurse and improve the friendship of the St Bernards Fanciers.
Article 5
An obtain financial profit is not intended. WUSB-assets shall be deposit in a Bank or Savings Bank.
Article 6
The WUSB can be asked to mediate dissension between member-clubs. It will however recognize the autonomy of the members and cannot interfere from itself in their internal affairs.
Article 7
The target (aim) will be accomplished by:
a. Cooperation at every level to promote (advance) our breed and its health.
b. Universal recognition of the Swiss Standard and the correct interpretation of it.
c. Exchange of judges between the member-clubs.
d. If possible a yearly international judges meeting with educational lectures from experts, films, photographs, etc...
e. Drafting of guidelines and recommendations to improve uniformity of the type and the health.
f. Organization of WUSB-Shows, congresses over breeding and health, exchange of the club-magazines and stud-books, publication of the " Barry International ", and others.
g. At WUSB-Shows only dogs with pedigrees recognized by the FCI can be shown.
CHAPTER III: MEMBERSHIP
Article 8
Member of the WUSB can be any St Bernard Speciality Club recognized by their countries umbrella (cupola) organization. That umbrella organization must have been recognized by the FCI. Clubs, that would not like become a full-member because of the distance or for other reasons, can get an "associated member's" status. They pay the half membership fee. Membership applications must be done in writing to the secretary and must include:
a. Club-statutes in the original and in German or English
b. Name and address of the President and Secretary as well as their telephone numbers and e-mail-adresses
c. Name, address, telephone number and e-mail-adress of their delegates.
d. Number of members of the club. Alterations must be communicated in each case in time before the next delegatesmeeting. Admission as a new member will be decided by the delegates-meeting of the WUSB with majority.
Article 9
The member-clubs commit themselves to tell alterations of the statutes, from executive, delegates a. s. o. immediately to the first secretary and to print communications of the WUSB in its club-magazines.
Article 10
The membership begins with the first payment of dues. The membership will lapse automatically, when the club resolves, no longer belongs to the umbrella organization of its country, or when the club is two years behind in paying the WUSB-dues. The Club has to be notified by mail of this approaching termination of membership.
Article 11
Resignation from the WUSB can be done at the end of every calendar year with a consideration of three months notice of termination. The termination has to be done by mail to the President.
Article 12
Clubs, who violate in a serious way the interest of the WUSB, can be suspended for the time being by 2/3 majority of the Board. If the complaint is not removed, the next delegates-meeting decides in secret vote with 2/3 majority on the final exclusion. Members of the WUSB-board as well as delegates of the concerned club have no right to vote.
Article 13
Clubs, who's membership for whatever reason has lapsed (expired), are not entitled to a refund of dues, donations or any other assets of the WUSB.
CHAPTER IV: DELEGATES MEETING
Article 14
The delegate-meeting convers the WUSB-shows and makes all decisions in accordance with article 7. It is chaired by the president, when he is hindered by members of the board in the sequence of article 17.
Article 15
The delegates meeting consists of two delegates per member club. Every delegate has one vote. If 2 clubs are member of the WUSB, so the first-club (after the date of entry) has 2 delegates, the second-club 1 delegate. More than 2 clubs from a country cannot be incorporated.
Every delegate has the full voting right for the country he represents. The delegate has to be active in the club who he is representing and speaks the language fluently. He is allowed to vote in any case without asking the representing country.
Associated members doesn't have a right to vote, but have full speech- and proposition-right. All elections and resolutions will be made by a single majority vote except for resolutions which by constitution require a specified majority vote. In case of a tie the chairman of the meeting will cast a second and deciding vote. A quorum for the meeting will be reached by the attendance of at least halve of the clubs.
Article 16
Each member-club has the right to give his view, support and advise to the WUSB on questions regarding the breed and make proposals and motions for the betterment of it. Propositions to the delegates-meeting which require qualified majority have to be put at least 4 months before a meeting so that they can be sent with the invitation (agenda).
Article 17
Normally the delegates meeting will take place once a year. Special meetings can be called by the board or must be summoned after proposition of 3 member-clubs. The invitation-period with announcement of the agenda amounts to at least 2 months. In urgent cases the board can ask the delegates in written way for decision.
Article 18
A delegate can have itself replaced with another representative of its club, but each country can only be represented with 2 delegates with voting right.
Article 19
The delegates meeting can confer by motion the Honorary Membership to a deserving board member, delegate or judge. Voting will be done by a secret ballot and requires a 2/3 majority vote. The delegates meeting can appoint by motion former WUSB-Presidents to Honorary Presidents. Voting will be done by a secret ballot and requires a 2/3 majority vote . Honorary-Members and Honorary-Presidents can attend the delegates meetings with advisory voice.
CHAPTER V: BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Article 20
Every 3. Year the Delegate Meeting elect the WUSB boarder.
The WUSB boarder is:
a) President
b) Vice-President
c) 1. Secretary (Same language as the president and German)
d) Treasurer
e) 2. or 3.Secretary (depends of the language) Board members cannot be replaced by their clubs during their term of office. Exception: they are no longer member of their club. The delegates meeting can also intend spokesmen (Deans) for certain work-areas (for example: breeding, judging). Every 3 years the judges meeting elects a judges-chairman (Dean of Judges) out of the present judges. He prepares the judges meeting and chairs it. Every 3 years a WUSB-Congress will be held with lectures to the breed and health. Further arrangements are in the responsibility of the organizing club according to the agreement with the WUSB-board.
Article 21
The delegates meeting elects 2 auditors out of their own rows not belonging to the board. They can be supported by a Trust Company. The treasurer audit will be done every three years before the election of the new board. A treasurer's report will be given yearly at the delegates meeting.
Article 22
The Board has the mandate to govern the WUSB as long as the delegates meeting does not adopt and issues other directives. It prepares the delegates meetings and makes its decisions under chairmanship of the president in meetings or by telephone (fax). It can put in commissions over certain problems, who give their reports to the delegates meeting.
The secretary keeps the files of the WUSB and writes the minutes.
Article 23
President and editor publish the official communication-magazine of the WUSB "Barry International " in common responsibility.
CHAPTER VI -END RULES / PROVISIONS
Article 24
-Club year and yearly report The club-year is in concurrence with the calendar year. A President's report will be given yearly at the delegates meeting.
Article 25
-Contributions Over the height of the contributions the delegates meeting decides with 2/3 majority vote. The contributions have to be paid on basis of the membership of the December 31st of the previous year at the latest up to the next delegates meeting.
Article 26
-Constitutional changes and dissolution Resolutions for constitutional changes must be decided with 2/3, the dissolution of the WUSB must be decided with 3/4 majority vote of the delegates meeting. After dissolution of the WUSB available assets will be given to an European cynological foundation for St Bernard dogs.
Article 27 –
WUSB Languages By the interpretation of the constitution or reglementes of the WUSB the German text (or language) is prominent. Translations into English language must made, into other languages can be made.
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Passed unanimously in the delegates meeting on July 31st, 1998 in Vejen/Denmark.
Article 20 changed in the delegates meeting on May 21st, 2004 in Esztergom/Hungary. The Changing of articles 8 and 14 were decided unanimously in the delegates meeting at Mlada Boleslav/Czechia on June 1st, 2012 The changing of the articles 15 and 20 were decided unanimously in the delegates meeting at Alsfeld/Germany on May 30st 2014. All former settings of the WUSB-constitution become invalid with it. For the correctness
Wolfgang Ketzler,
WUSB-President