SCWTAC- August 1, 2019
Section 1 – Membership
1.1 Application for Membership:
1.1.1 Application can be made for an Associate or Regular Membership in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws, by submitting the official application form, properly completed, a signed code of ethics and the prescribed fee. Associate Members may participate in all aspects of the Association including committees but cannot hold office or vote. A Regular Member has all privileges of the Association.
1.1.2 In the event of more than one member residing at an address only one copy of official mailings will be sent to each household.
1.1.3 From time to time the application form may be updated, subject to the approval of the Board.
1.1.4 New members will be informed of their acceptance, in writing, by the Secretary. The names of new members will be published in the following issue of the Association’s official publication, called Wheaten Wags (Wags).
1.1.5 Any individual rejected for membership by the club must be provided with a written explanation.
1.2 Renewal Procedure:
1.2.1 The Secretary will officially signify to all members the necessity of renewing their membership for the following year.
1.2.2 Typically this notification for renewal of membership will be included with the final issue of the year of the Wheaten Wags, or by email, not later than December 10.
1.2.3 Members not submitting their membership fees by the first day of April each year will be deleted from the records and must reapply for associate membership to become members again.
1.2.4 Membership fees are to be returned to the Secretary or another member determined by the Board.
1.3 Membership Fees:
1.3.1 Membership fees will be determined by the Board not later than November 1.
1.3.2 The Associate Membership fee shall be $30.00, including one annual subscription to Wags with an additional fee of $5.00 for each additional Associate member at the same address.
1.3.3 The Regular Membership fee shall be $35.00, including one annual subscription to Wags with an additional fee of $10.00 for each additional regular member at the same address.
1.3.4 Canadian resident fees shall be in Canadian dollars; all other nationalities will submit fees in US dollars.
Section 2 – Board of Directors
2.1 The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the Officers: President; Vice-President; Secretary; and Treasurer; plus a minimum of four (4) Regional Directors representing a minimum of four (4) of the six (6) Regions across Canada. The six Regions are: British Columbia; Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba); Ontario; Quebec; Atlantic Provinces; and Yukon and the Northwest Territories. As per CKC Club Policy, each Region may be represented by a maximum of three Regional Directors.
2.2 The number of Regional Directors from each region with a membership of at least three (3) Regular Members (to a maximum of three Directors per Region), for the next two (2) year term of office, will be as follows:
British Columbia: 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 11, British Columbia Southwest and Zone 12, representing members residing in British Columbia Interior and Yukon; Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba): 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 8, Manitoba; 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 9, Saskatchewan; 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 10, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavik; Ontario: 3 Regional Directors: 1 Regional Director for Ontario North representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 4, 1 Regional Director for Ontario West/Central representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 6 & 7; and 1 Regional Director for Ontario East representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 5; Quebec: 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 3, Quebec; and Maritime Provinces: 1 Regional Director representing members residing in CKC’s Zone 1, Newfoundland and Labrador/Nova Scotia and Zone 2, Prince Edward Island/New Brunswick.
2.3 The distribution of Regional Directors in 2.2 is subject to revision by majority vote of the Board of Directors prior to the call for nominations, subject to CKC Club Policy.
2.4 A Regular Member may hold a specific position on the Board of Directors for up to two consecutive terms of office. An additional term of office may be served for any position, due to extenuating circumstances, by a majority vote of the Board. A Regular Member may hold only one position on the Board of Directors at a time.
2.5 The Past-President will be included on the Board of Directors in a non-voting advisory position.
2.6 All business of the Board shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order unless otherwise stipulated in these Procedures.
Section 3 – Nomination and Election Procedures
3.1 The procedure for the nomination and election of Officers and Regional Directors shall be conducted by the Association in a democratic manner.
3.2 All elections must be conducted by secret ballot.
3.3 The Club will conduct nominations, elections and voting by mail with a minimum of three (3) weeks (i.e. twenty-one days) return period for ballots.
3.4 Election of Executive Officers:
3.4.1 In an initial (first) issue of Wags, the office(s) will be opened.
3.4.2 Nominations will be received from members until two weeks preceding the deadline of the next (second) issue. Nominations must be submitted, in writing, or by email, to the Secretary, and must be accompanied by a written, or emailed letter of acceptance of the nomination by the nominee.
3.4.3 In the next (second) issue, the candidates’ names and offices will be published and ballots provided to each eligible voter (Regular Member). The Board shall name a member, who is not among the nominees, to receive and oversee the counting of the ballots. The named member shall select two non-members to witness the counting of ballots. Marked ballots are to be returned by the deadline, typically two weeks preceding the next issue, to the designated member. The voting results will be published in the next (third) issue.
3.4.4 A majority of voting members shall prevail.
3.5 Election Of Regional Directors:
3.5.1 In an initial (first) issue of Wags, the positions for Regional Directors will be opened.
3.5.2 Nominations will be received until two weeks preceding the deadline of the next (second) issue.
3.5.3 Nominations must be submitted, in writing, or by email,to the Secretary and must be accompanied by a written, or emailed letter of acceptance of the nomination by the nominee. Nominations must specify the region of representation.
3.5.4 Nominations will be accepted only from members residing in the specified region. The nominee must also reside in the specified region.
3.5.5 In the next (second) issue, the candidates’ name and region will be published and ballots provided to each eligible voter (Regular member) in the region. The Board shall name a member, who is not among the nominees, to receive and oversee the counting of the ballots. The named member shall select two non-members to witness the counting of ballots. Marked ballots are to be returned by the deadline, typically two weeks preceding the next issue, to the designated member. The voting results will be published in the next (third) issue.
3.5.6 A majority of voting members shall prevail.
3.5.7 As a minimum, only four (4) regions need to be represented by a Regional Director.
Section 4 – Probing and Voting – Other National Issues
4.1 Voting – Other National Issues:
4.1.1 Issues considered by the Board to require a membership vote shall be published in an initial (first) issue of Wags, inviting written comment for publication in the next (second) issue. Any proposed changes to the Constitution and By-Laws or to the Breed Standard or to the Procedures Documents requires a membership vote.
4.1.2 Written comments will be published in the following (second) issue.
4.1.3 Ballots will be provided for each eligible voting (Regular) Member in the second issue if no written comments are received by the published deadline OR in the third issue if written comments are submitted for publication.
4.1.4 A majority of voting members shall prevail, except in the case of an amendment to the Constitution or By-Laws or changes to the Official Breed Standard. Refer to the Constitution for voting requirement when amending the Constitution or the Official Breed Standard, which requires a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of eligible voters.
4.2 Probing:
4.2.1 Probing is a procedure whereby the Board of Directors may invite direct membership input/comment regarding issues which do not require a membership vote.
4.2.2 Procedure for Probing – In an initial (first) issue of Wags, members will receive the detailed proposition(s). It will be clearly signified that if after the deadline of the next (second) issue, no serious opposition(s) has been received, the Board will pursue without other notification.
4.2.3 If, before the deadline of the next (second) issue, some acceptable amendment(s) has been received, the Board will begin another probing or the Board will amend the proposition(s) and pursue without other notice if the amendment(s) is of a minor nature.
Section 5 – Eligibility to Vote
5.1 Only Regular Members are eligible to vote. In order to be a Regular Member, one must have been an Associate Member in good standing with the Association for a minimum of one calendar year, applied for Regular Membership and paid the required fee.
5.2 Only Regular Members residing in the region are eligible to vote for a Regional Director.
Section 6 – Duties of the Officers and Regional Directors
6.1 The PRESIDENT:
6.1.1 shall be the Chief Executive Officer.
6.1.2 shall automatically be a member of all committees.
6.1.3 shall have the responsibility of the Wags editorship team.
6.1.4 shall, with the aid of the Secretary, have charge of all external correspondence.
6.1.5 may cast a vote to make or break a tie vote.
6.1.6 shall be authorized to be a co-signer as required, with the Secretary or Treasurer, of all cheques.
6.1.7 shall not sign blank cheques.
6.1.8 shall arrange to have the books audited annually by a member other than those with signing authority.
6.2 The VICE-PRESIDENT:
6.2.1 shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President’s absence, incapacity, or death for the period necessary or until the term is served.
6.3 The SECRETARY:
6.3.1 shall keep record of all meetings, activities, decisions, votings, and probings of the Association.
6.3.2 shall produce regular reports of the Board’s decisions and activities, and results of probing and voting.
6.3.3 shall have charge of internal correspondence; and shall have charge of external correspondence as directed by the President.
6.3.4 shall keep a roll of the members.
6.3.5 shall notify membership of renewal requirements.
6.3.6 shall be responsible for the record centre and produce subsequent contents lists and documents, as required.
6.3.7 shall be authorized to be a co-signer as required, with the Treasurer or President, of all cheques.
6.3.8 shall not sign blank cheques.
6.4 The TREASURER:
6.4.1 shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Association.
6.4.2 shall deposit same in a Chartered Bank or Credit Union in an account in the name of the Association.
6.4.3 shall keep books opened, at all times, for inspection by the Board.
6.4.4 shall provide an annual financial report summarizing the financial year from January 1st through December 31st no later than January 15th of the following year. This report will be published in the first quarter issue of Wheaten Wags.
6.4.5 shall provide a detailed financial report to the Board for the financial year from January 1st through December 31st no later than January 15th of the following year.
6.4.6 shall provide a detailed financial report to the Board by July 15th covering transactions from January 1st to June 30th.
6.4.7 shall produce a quarterly report for periods ending March 31st, June 30th, September 30th and December 31st, summarizing the financial activity, to be published in Wags.
6.4.8 shall be authorized to be a co-signer as required, with the Secretary or President, of all cheques.
6.4.9 when money is owed to the Treasurer, the reimbursement cheque shall be signed by Officers with signing authority, after receipts have been reviewed by the President or Secretary.
6.4.10 shall be bondable.
6.5 Transfer of Charges:
6.5.1 All previous charges can be given to one other officer but the responsibilities of the charge(s) remain to the officer.
6.6 The REGIONAL DIRECTORS:
6.6.1 shall serve on the Board of Directors to provide a regional perspective and represent all the members living in their region, not just their Regional LSC.
6.6.2 shall attend Local Section Club meetings in their region whenever possible in order to accurately represent the members in their area.
6.6.3 shall share ideas from members in their region and information about Wheaten activities in their region through submission of articles, reports and photos to the editor of Wheaten Wags. Reports from each of the Regional Directors shall be submitted for inclusion in each issue of Wheaten Wags.
Section 7 – Meetings
7.1 Meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Club Membership:
7.1.1 All meetings of the members will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order unless otherwise stipulated in these Procedures.
7.1.2 The President, or his/her designate, will chair the meeting.
7.1.3 Order of procedure for general membership meetings:
- a) Call to order;
- b) Adoption of minutes of the previous meeting as accepted or amended;
- c) Reports of the Treasurer, Secretary, Committees;
- d) Unfinished business;
- e) New business; and
- f) Adjournment.
7.2 The President will call an Annual General Meeting of the Membership and an Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors, both meetings, if possible, to coincide with the place and date of the SCWTAC Specialty Show.
Section 8 – Establishment, Duration and Termination of Committees
8.1 Establishment:
8.1.1 Upon determining the need for a committee, the Board of Directors will publish, typically in Wheaten Wags, the mandate of the proposed committee. The Board of Directors will invite volunteers from the membership to join the committee.
8.1.2 Any member of the Association is eligible to join a committee at any time by written or emailed notification to the Secretary with a copy to the Committee Chairperson.
8.2 Committee Chairperson:
8.2.1 The Board of Directors shall direct each committee to select a chairperson in a democratic manner. An interested board member will be assigned to oversee each Committee.
8.2.2 The chairperson is responsible for reporting on the progress of the committee to the Board of Directors and to the membership (through regular committee reports published in each issue of Wheaten Wags).
8.2.3 The Chairperson may appoint a co-chair to assist.
8.3 Duration:
8.3.1 Committees will be in effect until their mandate is completed.
8.4 Operation:
8.4.1 All committees of the Association shall operate on a democratic premise.
8.4.2 Any business conducted within a committee shall be done with the knowledge of all committee members. If there is a difference of opinion within a committee, a majority vote of all committee members shall prevail.
8.4.3 Before any proposal is presented to the Board, it is the Chair’s responsibility to make certain all committee members have full knowledge of the proposal.
8.4.4 Any proposal of a committee shall be presented to the Board of Directors for approval.
8.4.5 Committee Chairs must submit a yearly activity report to the Board of Directors (see 8.2.2).
8.4.6 If a committee is not performing the duties as described in the mandate of the committee, the Board of Directors may dismantle the committee.
8.4.7 Application for funding for committee projects must be made by submitting a detailed budget proposal to the Board of Directors. Acceptance or rejection of the application will be based on majority vote of the Board of Directors.
8.5 Termination:
8.5.1 Notification of termination of committees will be published in Wheaten Wags.
Section 9 – Official Publication – Wheaten Wags
9.1 The number of issues of Wheaten Wags published per year is at the discretion of the Board of Directors, but there will be no fewer than four issues per year. These may be newsletter-type publications.
9.2 Each membership household is entitled to receive one copy of each issue published during the term of their membership.
9.3 The President shall appoint the editor of Wheaten Wags.
9.4 The Editor may receive the help of a Co-editor or editorship team.
9.5 The President shall act as Director of the Editorship Team.
9.6 Deadlines for all editions shall be printed in each issue.
9.7 The following statement is to be included in each issue of Wags: “Wheaten Wags is the official publication of the SCWTAC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor(s) or the Board of the SCWTAC. The Editor(s) reserve the right to reasonably edit all material submitted for publication. Permission to reprint is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author, SCWTAC and Wheaten Wags.”
9.8 The Board’s reports shall be published in an administration section in Wags (including authors’ names).
9.9 All information regarding voting and/or probing, including results, shall typically be conveyed by means of this publication.
Section 10 – SCWTAC Local Section Clubs
10.1 Considering the Association’s Constitution, referring to the Aims of the SCWTAC, the Board should be able to, indirectly and never by dictatorial means, use the Local Section Club’s activities for the improvement of the SCWTAC.
10.2 To be a “SCWTAC Local Section Club”, these obligations shall be followed:
10.2.1 Members of the SCWTAC will make an official written request to the Secretary of the SCWTAC to establish a Local Section Club (LSC) in a defined geographical region. The Secretary will forward the request to the Board of Directors for discussion and a vote to accept or reject the request. The Secretary will inform the applicants, in writing, of the decision of the Board.
10.2.2 The LSC will reserve regular membership for members, in good standing, of the SCWTAC and may establish associate membership for those who elect not to join the National Association.
10.2.3 The LSC President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer (or Secretary/Treasurer) are required to be Members in good standing of the SCWTAC.
10.2.4 The President of the LSC, or his/her designate (who must also be a member of the SCWTAC), will act as a liaison between the LSC and the Board of Directors.
10.2.5 The President of the LSC, or his/her designate will submit a quarterly report describing their activities to the editor of Wheaten Wags.
10.2.6 The LSC will follow the By-Laws, Constitution and Code of Ethics of the SCWTAC.
10.3 The Board of Directors shall be able to define from time to time, other regulations with respect to LSC(s).
10.4 The SCWTAC Board retains the right:
10.4.1 to edit news from the LSC’s activities in Wags if items reported are not considered to be acceptable.
10.4.2 to help by means of the parent association’s resources.
10.4.3 to grant a LSC permission to hold a Booster or a Specialty Show, once a year, in the SCWTAC’s name (only one SCWTAC Specialty Show per year in Canada).
10.5 The President and Secretary of the SCWTAC shall be “complimentary” members of all LSCs. No voting privileges are attached to these memberships but memberships include subscriptions to all LSC newsletters and other mailings.
Section 11 – CKC Sanctioned Events
11.1 The Association should hold one National SCWT Specialty event per year, to be rotated through the different regions. As per CKC Club Policy, the Association may hold only one national event per year and the event must be held within Canada, unless approved otherwise by The Canadian Kennel Club. As per CKC policy (CKC Policy and Procedures Section V Club Policy A-8) a CKC recognized club that has not held a sanctioned or approved official event for a period of three (3) years will automatically have its status changed to a non-event holding club. If the club is a National Breed Club it will automatically lose its club recognition at the end of the three (3) year period when challenged by another club who wishes to become a national club.
11.2 Procedure for Holding a National Event:
11.2.1 LSCs may apply to the Board of Directors to hold a SCWTAC National event. The application must be signed by at least four (4) SCWTAC Regular Members.
11.2.2 The application must detail a plan, including a proposed method for selection of venue and judge, as well as a budget and proposed source of funding. The application form/contract will be provided by the Board and is subject to review and revision.
11.2.3 If the application is accepted by the Board of Directors, a specific year for holding the national event will be assigned to the successful applicants and the applicants will be informed, in writing or by email, by the Secretary.
11.2.4 The group organizing the national event will provide monthly reports to the Board of Directors, detailing the organizational progress to date.
11.2.5 If the group wishes to apply for financial support from the Association, application can be made by submitting a detailed budget proposal. The application for funding will be accepted or rejected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Funding will only be made during the year of the event. The Treasurer will set aside approved funding.
11.2.6 All credits for this event will be given to the National Club.
11.3 The “Specialty and Booster Guidelines” will be reviewed, assessed and updated by committee, a minimum of every five (5) years.
Section 12 – Discipline Procedures
12.1 Filing of Complaints/Charges against Member(s):
12.1.1 Written charges with specifications must be filed with the Secretary within 60 calendar days of complainant becoming aware of the alleged incident or issue of complaint.
12.1.2 The Secretary will immediately send a copy to the accused member(s) by registered mail.
12.1.3 The accused member(s) then can provide an explanation and/or defence. This must be supplied to the Secretary in writing or by email within 30 calendar days of receiving the registered complaint.
12.1.4 If no defence to the charges are received by the Secretary, the charges will be forwarded to each Officer as per 12.2.1
12.2 Response to Complaints/Charges:
12.2.1 The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges and defence, if received, to each Officer.
12.2.2 The Officers shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Association, the SCWT or the Association’s Code of Ethics.
12.2.3 The Officers shall also consider if the charges are before the CKC Discipline Committee and how that might affect the outcome to the involved members.
12.2.4 The Officers have the option to call upon the remainder of the Board at this time.
12.2.5 If the Officers consider that the charges do not allege conduct, which might be prejudicial, they may refuse to entertain jurisdiction.
12.2.6 All correspondence and discussion amongst the Officers or Board of Directors and the involved members must be considered confidential.
12.2.7 If the Officers entertain jurisdiction of the charges, the Secretary shall promptly send, by registered mail, a notice of the hearing by the Board to the defendant and the complainant, together with an assurance that the defendant may personally send a letter in his/her own defence and bring witnesses’ letter(s) if he/she wishes. Hearing may be conducted in person, by teleconference, or by other electronic means, as determined by the Board.
12.2.8 The Secretary will then send a copy of the charge, plus any explanation or defence provided by the accused, to the Board members, together with the notice of the hearing.
12.2.9 The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing, but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard.
12.2.10 No Board member having a direct relation with the complaint shall vote on or take part in the discussion in the Board complaint committee.
12.2.11 If the complaint involves the Secretary, all duties related to the complaint shall be assigned to another Officer.
12.3 Suspension or Expulsion:
12.3.1 Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may, by majority vote, suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Association for up to twelve (12) months from the date of the hearing.
12.3.2 A member under suspension shall be removed from the Breeders’ List.
12.3.3 A member under suspension who is an Officer or Director will immediately be removed from their position on the Board and the Board will vote on a replacement (see Bylaws Section 3.4.1).
12.3.4 After the suspension period is over the member will be reinstated as an Associate Member of the Association.
12.3.5 If the Board deems that punishment is insufficient, it may also recommend to the voting membership that the penalty be expulsion.
12.3.6 Immediately after the Board has reached a decision; its findings shall be summarized by the Secretary and filed. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the decision and penalty, if any.
12.3.7 Until the Board has reached its decision, all aspects of a disciplinary case will remain confidential. Only if the charges are sustained shall the confidentiality be lifted.
12.3.8 If the charges are sustained; a report of the charges and any applicable penalties shall be published in Wags and recorded in the minutes of the next SCWTAC Board meeting.
Section 13 – Procedures Amendments
13.1 Amendments to the Procedures Document may be proposed by the Board or by written petition addressed to the Secretary, signed by twenty (20) percent of the Regular Members in good standing.
13.1.1 Board proposed amendments will be voted on by the Board with a simple majority being required for acceptance to submit the amendments to the Regular Membership for a vote (see Section 4 Probing and Voting – Other National Issues).
13.1.2 Amendments proposed by petition shall be promptly subjected to the probing procedure (see Section 4.2 Probing and Voting – Other National Issues).
13.2 The Board reserves the right to revise all forms created by SCWTAC.
Section 14 – Breeders List Requirements
14.1 The list is to begin with the waiver “While our Association has a Code of Ethics to guide our breeder-members, the Association does not assume responsibility for the conduct of individual members nor for your decision as a buyer. The ultimate responsibility for the selection of a breeder falls on you. “
14.2 In order to be on the SCWTAC Member/Breeder List it is required that each individual has been a member of the SCWTAC for two consecutive years, immediately prior to inclusion on the list.
14.3 Request/consent for inclusion on the Breeders List (web site) to be made/given via the membership application for the year.
14.4 Breeders listing to include contact information supplied by member.
14.5 There will be a fee, determined by the Board, for inclusion on the Breeders list. Listing will be posted on the SCWTAC club website at www.scwtac.com.
Section15 – Specialty and Booster Guidelines
15.1 A Local Section Club may apply to host a National Specialty or Booster by using the application form/contract supplied by the Board and by following the procedure outlined in Section 11 CKC Sanctioned Events.
15.2 Once approval is granted by the Board to host a National Specialty in a specific year, the Local Section Club or their Event Secretary, shall file an event date application and judging panel application with the CKC.
15.2.1 The Club Executive noted on all documents relating to the National Specialty shall be the Executive Officers of the National Club.
15.2.2 The official logo of the SCWTAC shall be used by the LSC on all documents related to the Specialty.
15.2.3 Specialty ribbons will include the official logo of the SCWTAC and the CKC as specified in the CKC Conformation Show Rules & Regulations.
15.3 All plans for the Specialty or Booster may be advertised in Wags, free of charge, including items to be used for fundraising and/or sponsorship of awards up to the date of the event.
15.4 The Board may provide templates to the LSC for budgeting, scheduling, ribbons, catalogue guidelines, National Club Trophy descriptions or any other documents to assist in hosting the event.
15.5 The Annual General Meeting of the Association is usually held in conjunction with the National Specialty, and a venue shall be provided, and notice given of the time and date of the AGM in the issue of Wags prior to the event, but a minimum of 21 days prior to the Specialty date. Ideally this will be printed in Wags but may be sent via email to all members.
15.6 The cost of hosting a National Specialty is to be borne by the LSC hosting the event. All monies raised by entry fees, fundraising, sponsorship or other means shall belong to the LSC. The LSC may apply for additional financial support from the National Club (see Section 11.2.5 CKC Sanctioned Events).
15.7 National Club Trophies
15.7.1 The premium list for the Specialty must contain notice of the National Club trophies to be awarded as provided by the Board.
15.7.2 National Club trophies are to be presented at the Specialty in accordance with each award’s criteria.
15.7.3 The maintenance of each National Club trophy and provision of a keeper trophy for the recipients is a responsibility of the individual trophy sponsor.
15.7.4 Club members wishing to sponsor a National Club Trophy may make a proposal in writing or by email to the Board outlining the title of the sponsored award, type of trophy and method for retiring said trophy. The trophy itself is to be provided by the sponsor. It is the sponsor’s responsibility to transport it to and from each Specialty. The addition of a national trophy will be approved by a majority vote of the Board.
15.8 National Specialty report – The SCWTAC National Specialty is the showcase of our breed and a celebration of the purebred Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and its breeders and exhibitors in Canada, and as such;
15.8.1 The host LSC shall provide a report detailing the National Specialty event and results to be published in the first issue of Wags following the Specialty or published as a stand-alone Specialty report to be mailed with the first issue of Wags following the Specialty. Deadline extensions may be granted if the date of the Specialty show closely coincides with the Wags deadline.
15.8.2 The Specialty report shall include the marked catalogue, winners of all National Trophies presented, judges’ comments if provided, and comments from the Show Chairperson. Candid photos of the event, participants and club dinner are encouraged.
15.8.3 The editor of Wags will provide a guideline for size of the report and amount of material that may be provided. The Wags editorial team will provide assistance in formatting and editing the report if necessary.
Official Breed Standard
Revised January 2017
Origin and Purpose: The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier originated in Ireland. It was an all-purpose working farm dog used for destroying vermin, hunting small animals, herding and guarding against intruders.
General Appearance: The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized, hardy, well-balanced sporting terrier, covered with a soft, silky, wavy coat of clear, warm, wheaten colour. The breed requires moderation in all points and any exaggerated features are to be avoided.
The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier should present a square outline with the overall appearance of a steady, happy, well-coordinated animal who is alert to his environment and carries himself with a gentle dignity and self-confidence.
Temperament: Good-tempered, spirited, and game. Affectionate and loyal. Alert and intelligent. Defensive without aggression. He does not start a fight, but should always stand his ground; exhibits less aggressiveness than is sometimes encouraged in other terriers.
Size: Males 18 – 19 inches (46 cm – 48 cm) with the ideal height being 18 ½ inches (47 cm); for females 17 – 18 inches (43 cm – 46 cm) with the ideal being 17 1/2 inches (44 cm). Ideal weight for males is 35-40 lbs. (16-18 kg); for females 30-35 lbs. (14-16 kg). Deviations from the ideal should be penalized according to the amount of deviation from the ideal.
Coat and Colour: Abundant, single-coated, soft, silky textured, having a gentle wave that is apparent when standing. When the dog moves the coat has a free and flowing character to it. Neither woolly nor wiry, crispy nor cottony, frizzy (tight, crisp curl) nor straight.
Colour is any shade of wheaten. Upon close examination occasional red, white or black guard hairs may be found. However, the overall colouring must clearly be wheaten with no evidence of any other colour except on ears and muzzle where blue-grey shading may be present. Puppies under one year may carry deeper colouring and some black tipping. The adolescent under two years may be quite light in colour, but must never be white nor
carry grey, other than on ears and muzzle. In both puppies and adolescents, the mature, wavy coat is generally not yet seen.
Coat colour and texture do not stabilize until about three years of age and some latitude should be given in young dogs. However, the softer and darker puppy coat should not be preferred over the lighter and slightly harsher adult coat. For show purposes, the coat should be trimmed to present a neat, square terrier outline. Overstyling is to be discouraged and severely penalized.
Head: Well-balanced and moderately long with skull and foreface of equal length and in good proportion to the body. The skull is flat and not too wide. Cheeks are clean; moderate stop. The muzzle is square, powerful, and strong with no suggestion of snipiness. The nose is black and large for the size of the dog. Lips are tight and black. Teeth are strong and white, meeting in a scissor or level bite with scissors preferred. The eyes are dark hazel or brown, medium sized and well protected under a strong brow. Eye rims are black. Coat should fall forward over the eyes. The ears are small to medium in size, breaking level with the skull, and dropping slightly forward, close to the cheeks, pointing to the ground rather than the eye.
Neck: Medium in length and set well upon the shoulders, gently sloping into the back.
Forequarters: The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier should have good reach in front. The shoulders should be well laid back with a clean, smooth appearance. The upper arm should be equal in length to the shoulder blade and elbows placed well under the body. The forelegs are straight when viewed from all angles and are well boned and muscled. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet are round and compact with good depth of pad. Dark nails are preferred but tortoiseshell is acceptable. Pads are black.
Body: The body is compact; the chest is deep but not round. The ribs are well sprung. The back is strong with relatively short coupling. Topline is level.
Hindquarters: The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier requires good drive from behind, so requires well-muscled rear assembly. The legs should be well developed with powerful muscles, well-bent stifles, turning neither in nor out. The hocks are well let down and parallel when viewed from behind. Dewclaws on rear legs may be removed. The nails are dark.
Tail: The tail is high set. The tail is usually docked so that two-thirds of its original length remains. An undocked tail is allowed. Whether docked or natural, the tail is to be carried upright 90 degrees from the back, either straight or with a slight curve forward.
Gait: The gait is free, graceful and lively, having good reach in front and strong drive from behind, straight action fore and aft.
Faults: The foregoing description is that of the ideal Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. Any deviation from the above-described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation, keeping in mind the original purpose of the breed.
Major Faults: Yellow eyes; nose not solid black; overshot or undershot mouth; timid or overly aggressive.