The following countries were present:
Germany, represented by Baron de Plato and Baron de Rodde (Delegierten Kommission), and by Mr Georg Obreen (Kartell);
Austria, represented by Baron de Plato;
Belgium, represented by Mr G. De Buck, Mr G. van Muylem and Mr J. Lévita;
Holland, represented by Dr A.J.J. Kloppert and Jhr. P. N. Quarles van Ufford;
France, represented by Mr Gramont, the Duke of Lesparre, Count J. Clary and Baron Jaubert.
Count Bagneux, vice-president of the Société Centrale pour l’Amélioration des Races de Chiens en France, welcomes the Federation’s delegates from abroad. At the suggestion of Dr Kloppert, the Duke of Lesparre is nominated as the provisional president. The minutes of the preparatory meeting held in Brussels on March 7th, 1911 are read out by Dr Kloppert and subsequently adopted.
The president goes on to read out the statutes proposed and approved in Brussels.
At this juncture, Baron Jaubert informs the delegates of a proposal coming from the American Kennel Club (AKC), an association representing 116 clubs. Its delegate, Mr Goldenberg, is requesting that the AKC also becomes a member of the Federation. Though the examination of this request for affiliation is postponed till a later date, it triggers a discussion which leads to the term “European” in the Federation’s title being substituted by “International”: the Federation would from now on be known as the “Fédération Cynologique Internationale”. It is also decided that the general committee could only be chosen by associations with their registered offices in Europe and that, indicative of the apparent success of the Federation, a deputy-secretary would also belong to the general committee, acting as assistant to the secretary-treasurer.
With no further comments coming from members, the president puts the adoption of the statutes as currently drafted to the vote. Following their unanimous adoption, the president declares the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) constituted!
The next item on the agenda is the appointment of the general committee for 1911. The following are appointed by a show of hands to form the FCI’s first ever general committee:
President: the Duke of Lesparre (France),
Vice-president: Freiherr von Plato (Germany),
Secretary-treasurer: Dr Kloppert (Netherlands),
Deputy secretary: Mr Obreen (Germany)
During the discussions, the assembly makes major decisions for the FCI: the creation of the title of “Champion International de Beauté” (CIB title) as well the award called “Certificat d’Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (CACIB). These awards are mentioned in the very first version of the FCI Statutes and FCI Regulations. Another major principle, still applied today and on which our federating system is based, is approved: the mutual recognition, by the FCI members, of the kennel names.
