Constitution of the World Cat Congress

The name of this organisation shall be The World Cat Congress.
The purpose of this organisation is to provide harmony within the cat fancy worldwide and to include as members those organisations with similar philosophies on the health and welfare of cats, standards, judge training, registrations, titles, and respect for the constitution and by-laws of the WCC.
Membership:
1. The five foundation members of the organisation are:
  1. ACF Inc.
  2. CFA Inc.
  3. FIFe
  4. TICA Inc.
  5. WCF
2. The WCC can admit additional members at its discretion. Such additional members shall be represented by the presidents or their designees. Their case for membership shall be put to the Closed Meeting by the nominator and seconder. Should the nomination be successful the President or designee of the new member organisation will be entitled to participate in the remainder of the meeting provided the annual membership fee has been paid.
3. Any organisation seeking membership shall make application to the WCC Secretary. They shall be nominated and seconded in writing by two of the members and such nomination, together with all relevant details of the nominee as set out below, shall be communicated to the members with the agenda for the next meeting.
4. Admission to membership of the WCC shall be determined by a vote of a simple majority of the member bodies.
5. Qualifications for membership:
  1. The organisation should represent at least 1000 individuals.
  2. The organisation shall have had at least ten year's experience as a properly constituted cat registry or be comprised of a number of member bodies which conduct such registries.
  3. The organisation should have at least twenty appropriately qualified judges.
  4. The organisation should have demonstrated a willingness to co-operate with other cat organisations and its aims and objectives should be consistent with those of the members.
  5. The organisation shall have a Code of Ethics containing the common minimum requirements.
  6. A member organisation may, at any time, resign from the WCC by delivering a written notice of resignation, signed by two officers authorised to act on behalf of the member organisation and evidence of the consent of the member organisation.
6. In the event a member group, federation or affiliate of any WCC body (i.e. FIFe, WCF, CFA, ACF, TICA, NZCF,CCCA, GCCF, SACC) is suspended or expelled from that WCC body, it is not recognised in any way by other WCC member bodies. In the case of suspension, non-recognition would be reviewed at the appropriate time.
7. Should a WCC member receive an application for membership by an affiliate or club from another WCC member, they will notify the initial parent body of such an application prior to considering it. Should any disputation exist between the affiliate or club and its parent body, then the WCC member receiving the application for membership will defer considering the application for membership until such dispute has been either resolved by mutual consent or settled by litigation.
Delegates to meetings of the WCC, whether physical or electronic, shall be the presidents of the member organisations or their designees.
Administration:
1. The affairs of the organisation shall be administered by an Executive Board to be made up as follows:
  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Secretary
  4. Treasurer (positions c and d may be combined)
    The President shall be elected on odd years. The Vice-President shall be elected on even years. The Secretary and Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer shall be appointed in the same year as the Vice President.
2. All officers shall be elected from among the delegates of the member organisations or shall be subject to appointment of suitably qualified persons by the delegates.
3. Term of office: each officer shall be elected or appointed for a period of two years or until the AGM of the year in which the original term expires.
Conduct and location of Meetings:
1. The location and date of each Annual General Meeting shall be decided at least two years in advance at each Annual General Meeting.
2. The physical Annual General Meetings of the WCC (the Business meeting) will be held in conjunction with an Open Meeting, a seminar and preferably a show run by the host member.
3. All motions to be passed by a simple majority of the members. Each member will be deemed to have one delegate and will have one vote. All amendments to the Constitution shall be passed by a 75% majority of the delegates.
4. Each member is entitled to representation by one voting delegate and has one vote. A voting delegate can only represent one member. In addition to a voting delegate, each member will be entitled to a second person to act. in an advisory capacity.
5. The WCC may utilise electronic or postal voting instead of a physical meeting, at the discretion of any two of the President, Vice-President and Secretary.
6. At all meetings of the WCC where questions of order or practice arise, the ruling of the Chairman shall be accepted as final.
7. A simple majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
8. AGM – Proposals, Agenda and Minutes:
  1. The members of the WCC are convened by e-mail, sent 4 (four) calendar months prior to the date set for the WCC Annual General Meeting, and they shall send a receipt of confirmation to the WCC Secretary.
  2. They are allowed to send proposals and items for discussion on letter-headed paper, in an appropriate format by e-mail 2 (two) calendar months prior to the date set for the AGM, the receipt of which shall be acknowledged by the WCC Secretary by e-mail.
  3. The Agenda for the WCC AGM, which will include all these proposals and discussion items shall be sent by the WCC Secretary to all members 1 (one) calendar month prior to the date set for the AGM by e-mail.
  4. The draft Minutes of the AGM shall be circulated to the WCC Members within 2 (two) months following the meeting and shall be acknowledged or amended within one month thereafter.
9. Where matters of admission of new members or discipline are to be discussed, the Business Meeting will go into an ‘Executive Session’ at which only the delegates and officers may be present.
Finance:
1. The financial year shall close on 31st December each year.
2. All members shall pay an annual membership fee. The amount of this fee shall be decided at each Annual General Meeting and shall be fixed in the currency of the country where the treasurer resides. This fee is intended to cover the running costs of the WCC.
3. The current annual membership fee shall be paid not later than the 31st January each year. Non-payment of this fee shall preclude voting rights and official attendance at the Annual General or any other meeting, electronic or physical.
4. Each of the member organisations is responsible for the travel and lodging and incidental expenses of its delegate. In the event of a show being held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting, the host organisation should utilise the services of delegate or officer/judges, paying a previously agreed amount towards the travelling and other expenses of such delegate or officer/judges. Host bodies will not incur other expenses on behalf of WCC without prior consultation between the delegates.
5. All WCC delegates shall have the same travel costs to attend the meeting.
  1. For those delegates who receive compensation for possible Judging engagements in connection with the WCC or the weekends immediately preceding or after such meetings, this compensation will be deducted from the amount they may receive from WCC. In principle no compensation will be given if the meeting takes place on the continent of residence of the WCC delegate.
  2. RULES FOR TRAVELLING EXPENSES
  3. 1.1. All travelling expense claims shall be presented on the appropriate form. All bills, or at least copies, shall be attached to the form.
  4. 1.2. If the total of travelling costs is more than the annual agreed amount, the WCC will pay the difference.
  5. 1.3 If the total of travelling costs is less than the annual agreed amount, there be will no compensation.
  6. 1.4. WCC will only reimburse actual travelling costs verified by bills. If airfare is chosen the ticket shall be the absolute cheapest (APEX or equivalent). If travelling by car the remuneration will be an agreed amount per kilometre or the APEX fare whichever is cheapest.
  7. 1.5 The amounts will be set every year during the meeting, dependent upon the financial situation of the WCC.
6. The expenses of the three officers; the President, Vice-President and Secretary shall be paid by the WCC subject to the financial situation of the WCC.
7. In the event that the accumulated funds of the WCC are insufficient to meet the annual expenses, each member organisation shall contribute an equal share on receipt of an invoice from the Treasurer
8. The Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer shall keep true records of finances, records of receipts and expenditure in such manner as the delegates may direct.
9. The accounts of the WCC shall be audited annually by an independent person who is suitably qualified.
By-laws:
1. Decisions affecting WCC passed either at physical or electronic meetings by a simple majority of the delegates present shall become binding upon member bodies and shall constitute the WCC By-laws. However, this should not impinge on the right of each member organisation to conduct its own internal affairs according to its own constitution or rules.
Disciplinary action:
1. Should any member contravene the substance or intent of this constitution and/or the WCC By-laws, its membership of the WCC may be suspended for a specified period by a 75% majority vote of the members to that effect, the member in dispute having no voting rights in the decision made.
Dissolution:
1. In the event of the dissolution or winding up of the WCC by agreement of 75% of the member organisations, following payment of all outstanding debts, any funds remaining in the account will be distributed in equal parts to the financial member organisations.

Amended May, 2011