It was a wet and windy November morning that greeted 118 members for the Bi-Annual General Meeting of Kennel Club members held last week at the Curzon Cinema in London’s Mayfair.

With the AGM’s agenda swiftly dealt with and no matters arising it was down to the chairman Mr Ronnie Irving to update members on the chairman’s address circulated to members and published in last week’s issue of OUR DOGS.

He commented on the club’s disappointment at the Animal Welfare Act receiving Royal assent on November 7th and everyone’s concern over the docking clause which still remains therein. The act will hit the statute books next April.

Commenting favourably on the previous weekend’s Discover Dogs exhibition he was able to tell the members that a record 26,000 people visited the show.

Only item 5 on the agenda was destined to produce any dialogue and even this was feeble. Vice Chairman Mr Bill Hardaway proposed a rise in the fee for transfers to £12 from £10 at which level it had been since 2002. Seconded by Mr Len Hammond, only one lone voice raised concern over the 20% rise and another spoke in its favour. It was, we were told, a small price to pay for the enhanced package now on offer with all transfers and represented good value for money.

The amended fee which needed the usual two-thirds majority was passed comfortably.
In an effort to make the meeting last more that 15 minutes the General Committee had thoughtfully organised a power-point presentation by Helen Fox on the recently relaunched Kennel Club website. It was, she said, a much more user friendly site and one which members could tailor for their own needs

With no notice of any more questions the 19 minute meeting was closed by the chairman and the sprint for the clubhouse was on.