Constitution of the New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Incorporated

 

1. NAME:
The name of the Society is The New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Incorporated.

2. OBJECTIVES: within New Zealand:

a) To advance education, training and research of rehabilitation in New Zealand at a public, clinical and political level,

b) To be beneficial to the community by providing opportunities to connect people involved in rehabilitation nationally and internationally, and

c) To provide leadership and to advocate for excellence in rehabilitation in New Zealand 

3. POWERS:

a) To conduct conferences allowing for a free interchange of ideas on Rehabilitation

b) To associate and/or affiliate with any other groups or organisations whose activities may advance the objects of the Association

c) To purchase, lease, hire, sell or otherwise deal with real or personal property

d) To deal in any manner with any part of the Association's property

e) To borrow, raise, receive, administer and expend money on such terms s the Association may from time to time approve

f) To employ at such remuneration and on such terms as the Association may think fit, any person to act in any capacity or to perform any work in the furthering of the objects of the Association

g) Generally to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects or the exercise of the powers of the Association.

4. MEMBERSHIP:

a) The Association shall consist of members who are involved in Rehabilitation. This may include people who are involved in funding, providing, receiving, researching, teaching or advocating for rehabilitation.

b) Membership applications shall be made on an application form.

c) The Executive alone shall have the power to accept new members.

d) Membership of the Association shall not be used in personal promotion, or to imply a professional qualification or expertise.

e) The Executive of the Association reserves the right to terminate membership if it is of the opinion that there is any infringement of the Rules of the Association.

f) Any member may cease to be a member by resigning in writing to the Secretary.

g) All members of the Association shall abide by the ethical rules of their own main professional bodies, or their employer's ethical standards.

h) The Executive shall determine the annual subscriptions (if any) for members of the Association and the date by which they shall be payable. Should any member fail to pay the subscription within one year of the due date, membership shall cease. Any such members shall thereafter be eligible for membership only upon payment of current subscription.

i) The Committee may recognise distinguished service by the appointment of Honorary Life Members of the Association.

j) The Secretary shall keep a register of all members containing their name, address, date on which they became members and their qualifications, including the date thereof.

k) No member or associated person will receive private pecuniary profit from the Association.

5. EXECUTIVE:

a) The Association shall have an Executive consisting of at least six members.

b) There shall be a president, secretary, treasurer and at least three other members, all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. If an Executive position becomes vacant, the Executive shall have the power to co-opt a new Executive member.

c) The Executive shall have the power to make by-laws for the proper and efficient running of the Association.

d) The Executive shall meet at least once in each financial year. The other meetings of the Executive shall be convened by the President and Secretary jointly. Meetings may be by teleconference.

e) Sub-committees may be appointed by the Executive as required but the Chairman and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of the sub-committees.

f) The term of office for President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be two years, but there shall be a maximum term of continuous service of four years.

g) The term of office for members other than president, secretary, and treasurer shall be 3 years, but there shall be a maximum term of continuous service of six years.

h) Following a change in president, the immediate past-president will automatically become an executive member, without need for election.

6. MANAGEMENT:

The Executive shall have the management of the ordinary business and affairs of the Association.

7. MEETINGS:

a) The venue of each Annual General Meeting shall be decided three months in advance and shall be the decision of the Executive of the Association. One calendar months' notice in writing of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members.

b) A Special General Meeting of the Association shall be convened by the Secretary if a requisition in writing specifying the business of the meeting signed by not less than twenty members of the Association, shall so require. Such a meeting shall be convened within one calendar month after receipt by the Secretary of such a requisition.

c) Twelve clear days notice shall be given in writing to the members of the Association of any Special General Meeting and shall specify the business of that meeting.

8. QUORUM:

The quorum for meetings of the Executive shall be three members which shall include either the President or the Secretary and for meetings of the Association shall be fifteen members.

9. VOTING:

a) At all general meetings, each registered member present shall be entitled to one vote. At such meetings and at meetings of the Executive, the Chairperson shall be the president of the Association and in his/her absence, an officer elected by the meeting. The Chairperson shall have a deliberative and also a casting vote.

b) Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless a poll is called for by at least two registered members of the Association.

c) The executive shall be empowered to call for a postal vote or referendum of members of the Association on important matters and especially for changes in the Constitution, results shall be binding on the whole Association.

10. MINUTES:

The Secretary shall cause Minutes to be duly entered in the books kept for the purpose, of all appointments of officers, and of all resolutions and proceedings of meetings. Such Minutes, if purporting to be signed by the Chairman of the meeting or by the Chairperson of the next meeting, shall be conclusive evidence of the matters stated in those minutes.

11. ALTERATION OF RULES:

These Rules may be altered, added to, replaced, or rescinded at any General Meeting of the Association, notice of such meeting to contain a copy of the proposed amendment, provided that no alteration, addition, replacement or rescission or any other amendment to these Rules shall be made which is inconsistent with the charitable nature of the Association.

12. FINANCIAL:

a) Each financial year of the Association shall commence on the 1st April.

b) All monies received shall be paid to the credit of the Association at such bank as the Executive shall from time to time appoint, and cheques on the bank account and other negotiable instruments shall be signed by any two authorised members of the Executive.

13. REGISTERED OFFICE:

The Registered Office of the Association shall be as fixed from time to time by the Association.

14. WINDING UP:

a) The Association may be wound up or dissolved in any of the ways provided in the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

b) In the even of a winding up or dissolution of the Association, a Special General Meeting of the Association shall be called. The Association shall then proceed forthwith to decide how the surplus assets shall be distributed, with assets going to one or more organisations that have purposes that are charitable according to New Zealand Law, and shall, as near as possible, resemble the objectives of the Association. A resolution under this rule as to the disposal of surplus assets must be passed by a majority of two thirds of the members present. In the event of the Special General Meeting being unable to pass a resolution required by the provisions of this rule, the provisions of Section 27 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 shall apply.

15. COMMON SEAL:

The Association shall have a Common Seal which shall be kept in safe custody by the Secretary and shall only be used by resolution of the Association, and every instrument to which the Seal is affixed shall be signed by two members of the Executive of the Association.

This Constitution was last amended at the NZRA Annual General Meeting in July 2009.

© 2015 New Zealand Rehabilitation Association, Inc. 

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