Southern Counties Heavy Horse Association 

RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION

 Founded 21^st November 1970 as the Southern Counties Horse Ploughing Association.

 The Association shall be called the SOUTHERN COUNTIES HEAVY HORSE ASSOCIATION (ref: Minutes Annual General Meeting 29/01/74). The Association shall aim to promote:

• The art of Horse Ploughing
• Encourage more men/women to compete in horse ploughing
• Foster the interest in the work of the heavy horse
• Encourage young people to understand and possibly work with heavy horse
• Co-operate with other societies of similar interests
• To promote both working and leisure use, playing particular attention to sound working practices with regard to both animals and humans involved. (ref: Minutes committee meeting 10^th March 2004 and AGM 2004) 

The Association shall adopt a recognised set of rules of Horse Ploughing, In-Hand and Turnout classes. 

Membership of the Association shall be open to all upon payment of an annual subscription. Fees for 2008/9. 

Individual Subscription                                                            £20.00

Family Subscription                                                                 £30.00

Life Member                                                                            £500.00 

The Annual General Meeting which shall be held as soon after January 1^st as expedient shall elect the following officers: President, Vice-president(s), Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer and with a committee not exceeding 18 in number. The committee shall at the first committee meeting following the AGM elect its Chairman and Vice-Chairman. (Amendment AGM 1994) Each member of the committee serves a term of three years and then may stand for re-election if they wish. 

Every fully paid-up member and/or life member shall be eligible to hold office and to vote at the AGM. There should be a quorum of twenty at the AGM and six at a committee meeting. These not to include the Chairman. The committee shall have the power to elect or co-opt additional members to serve on the committee as deemed necessary. 

The financial year to be from January 1^st to December 31^st. Two signatures out of four (i.e. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary) shall be on every Association cheque. If funds accrue they shall be invested as agreed by the committee until needed to promote events. An honorarium shall be paid to the secretary and Treasurer as agreed by the committee. 

When funds allow horsemen/women who have competed in the Association’s ploughing matches, shows or working shall be given financial assistance with the cost of transport of their horses. Such payment to be made on a scale agreed by the committee within the limit of funds available, subject to the competitor having satisfied the rules of the competition (or satisfied the committee of his reason for being unable to do so.

These rules can be changed or amended only at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.