|
Contents
- Name
- Mission Statement
- Aims
- Membership
- Annual General Meetings
- Special General Meetings
- Committee Meetings
- Management Structure
- Operation of the Committee
- Meeting Procedures
- Working Groups
- Professional Accreditation of Members
- Use of the Common Seal
- Control and Investment of Funds
- Financial Year
- Alterations to the Constitution
- Winding Up
- Registered Office
- Honoraria
- By-laws and Regulations
- Indemnity
CONSTITUTION OF NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGN
Top 1 Name
The name of the Society is the New Zealand Society of Garden Design Incorporated, hereinafter called ¡¥the Society¡¦.
Top 2 Mission Statement
The New Zealand Society of Garden Design has been established to further the practice and scholarship of garden design.
Top 3 Aims
The aims of the society are as follows:
(a) To encourage and further the practice of garden design.
(b) To encourage and further the teaching of garden design.
(c) To encourage and further research and study of garden design.
(d) To provide for the accreditation of practitioners of garden design.
(e) To provide for the accreditation of teachers, researchers and
archivists of garden design.
(f) To provide for the accreditation of educational qualifications of
garden design and educational institutions providing for said
qualifications.
(g) To act as the professional body in the activities as set out in the
above aims.
Top 4 Membership
(a) Any person may join the Society by submitting to the Secretary a completed and signed official membership form of the Society. All such members shall pay the annual subscription fixed at each Annual General Meeting which shall be payable from this date. Any person whose annual subscription remains unpaid after the expiration of six months from that date shall be a non-financial member. All financial members shall have the right to vote and the right to hold office as Chairperson or Committee Member; provided that no person may hold the office of Chairperson for more than two years consecutively.
(b) Every member shall from time to time communicate to the Secretary his or her address. Such address shall be inserted in the Register of Members, and all notices sent by post to that address shall be deemed to have been delivered.
(c) Any member wishing to withdraw from the Society shall notify the Secretary in writing but will be responsible for the subscription for the then current year.
(d) Every member shall be bound by and submit to the rules and by-laws of the Society.
(e) All complaints shall be made in writing to the Secretary.
(f) If any member wilfully infringes the rules or by-laws of the Society or acts or conducts himself (or herself) in any manner contrary to the aims or objects of the Society, the Committee may suspend or cancel his membership.
Top 5 Annual General Meetings
(a) Each year there shall be an Annual General Meeting held within 90 days of the end of the financial year.
(b) Notice for Annual General Meetings shall be by public advertisement or by newsletter or separate notice posted at least two weeks prior to any General Meeting and such notice will include the date, time, place and purpose of the Meeting.
(c) A quorum for any Annual Meeting shall be 10 financial members.
(d) The business at the Annual General Meeting shall include:
„X The Chairperson's report on the activities for the year;
„X The presentation of the annual accounts;
„X The appointment of an auditor;
„X The election of Officers and Committee members;
„X The election of a Patron if so desired;
„X Setting of Annual Subscriptions;
„X Any constitutional matter which has been previously noted and may be properly put before the Meeting or any other general business.
(e) Every member standing for election or re-election must complete a nomination paper signifying their willingness to stand for such a position and the nomination paper must bear the signature of the proposer and seconder. Nominations must be in the hands of the Secretary not less than 7days before the Annual General Meeting. If there have not been sufficient nominations for any position the Chairperson will accept nominations at the meeting from the floor. If more members are nominated for any position than are necessary to fill such position the election for that position shall be by secret ballot.
Top 6 Special General Meetings
(a) Special Meetings may be called at any time on the request in writing to the Secretary from at least six members.
(b) Such request shall specify the proposed business and the Meeting shall be held within one month of the request.
(c) Notice of any Special General Meetings shall be by public advertisement or by newsletter or by separate notice posted at least one week prior to any such Meeting or may be conveyed personally (also with one weeks notice) by the Chairperson or Secretary. Such notice shall include the date, time, place and proposed business of the Meeting.
(d) A quorum for any General Meeting shall be 10 financial members.
Top 7 Committee Meetings
(a) A Meeting of the Committee may be called by the Chairperson or Secretary at any time or shall be called within fourteen days of the receipt of a request signed by any two members of the Committee.
(b) Notice of Committee Meetings shall be made by the inclusion in and posting of the previous Meetings minutes, or by newsletter or notice or may be conveyed personally by the Chairperson or Secretary.
(c) A quorum for any Committee Meeting shall be 50% of the voting Members of the Committee.
Top 8 Management Structure
The Society shall have the following Officers who will be elected at the AGM:
(a) A Chairperson who is responsible for ensuring that meetings and the business of the Society are conducted in accordance with the Constitution. The Chairperson shall be the spokesperson for the Society or any other person(s) as determined by the committee. No other Member may make public statements on behalf of the Society without the Committee¡¦s specific approval. Written public statements must have the agreement of another Committee Member prior to release.
(b) A Committee consisting of at least 8 and no more than 13 members elected under Rule 5; provided that casual vacancies may be filled by the Committee. Subject to anything elsewhere laid down in this Constitution or to any instructions from a General Meeting, the management of the Society including financial and day to day running but excluding Professional Accreditation shall rest in the hands of the Committee. The Committee may at any time take a postal vote of financial members on matters relating to the affairs of the Society.
(c) An Accreditation Board elected on a 5-yearly cycle to administer the Professional Accreditation functions of the Society as prescribed in Rule 12.
Top 9 Operation of the Committee
(a) The Committee shall at its first meeting following the election of the Chairperson and members of the Committee, appoint from its members :
(i) A Vice-Chairperson who shall fulfil the duties of the
Chairperson in his/her absence.
(ii) A Secretary who is responsible for ensuring that the minutes
of all meetings are recorded, verified and signed and for conducting
any correspondence as required by the Society, shall be responsible
for the custody of any common seal, and shall maintain a register of
Members.
(iii) A Treasurer who is responsible for ensuing that all financial
transaction are conducted and recorded in accordance with this
Constitution. The duties of Secretary and Treasurer may be
combined if thought expedient.
(b) The Committee may appoint its members to additional positions as it sees fit, eg Publicity Officer, Projects Coordinator.
(c) The Committee may as it sees fit co-opt a maximum of two additional members of the Society as Committee members with voting rights.
Top 10 Meeting Procedures
The following procedures shall apply to all Society Meetings except Working Group Meetings:
(a) A motion, except for changes to the Constitution, may be moved from the Chair or from the floor by any Member.
(b) Any formal motion shall be moved and seconded by Members present and entitled to vote.
(c) To become a resolution, a motion must be voted on affirmatively by a majority of Members present.
(d) Voting will be on voices, or if any Member requests it, a show of hands. A secret ballot will be held if more than half of those present request it.
(e) At Annual General and Special General Meetings all Members shall have a single vote. At Committee Meetings, Committee Members only (including co-opted Members) shall have a single vote. The person chairing the Meeting shall have a single deliberative vote and may have an additional casting vote.
(f) At Committee Meetings, Members of the Society may speak if and when recognised by the Chair but will have no voting rights.
(g) Vote by proxy is not allowed.
(h) Any decision on meeting procedure ruled by the Chairperson of any Meeting shall be final.
Top 11 Working Groups
(a) The Committee may appoint Working Groups of appropriate size for a particular purpose as it sees fit and upon such terms as it may decide.
(b) Each Working Group shall have a Convenor appointed by the Committee.
(c) Each working group shall include at least one Committee member.
(d) Working Groups shall report to the Committee at each Committee Meeting.
(e) Proposed activities of Working Groups may be undertaken only on approval by the Committee.
(f) No Working Group shall have any control over expenditure of the funds of the Society except in so far as such control may from time to time be given by the Committee.
Top 12 Professional Accreditation of Members
(a) The Society shall appoint an Accreditation Board for the purpose of awarding professional accreditation to any member who satisfies the provisions of this rule, and for related administration. The Board shall comprise one accredited member in design practice, one accredited member in academic practice, and one experienced professional from an allied field. Transitional arrangements will allow an external monitor to accredit the first candidates for the Board. One member of the Board may act as Registrar, with routine functions delegated by the Board. The administration of accreditation shall be self-funding, and for this purpose the Board may at its discretion levy an application fee and/or annual administrative fee on accredited members.
(b) Any member who satisfies the requirements of subclauses (c) or (d) hereunder may be granted professional accreditation in any field nominated from the following:
„X as a garden designer; or
„X as a researcher in the field of garden design; or
„X as a teacher in the field of garden design
(c) Professional accreditation may be granted to any member who :
(i) has at least three years practical experience in his/her
nominated field of a nature acceptable to the Accreditation Board
appointed by the Committee, of which at least one year shall have
been completed in New Zealand; and
(ii) has passed a course of study recognised by the Board; and
(iii) has satisfied a professional interview with the Board; and
(iv) undertakes to observe the Code of Ethics promulgated by the
Board; and
(v) undertakes to fullfil a personal programme of continuing
professional development on an annual basis in accordance with the
requirements of the Board.
(d) In exception to subclauses (c)(i) and (c)(ii) above, a member who has passed no course of study recognised by the Board but has completed not less than nine years practice in the above fields and has made a substantial contribution to practice in his/her nominated field, may be granted professional accreditation.
(e) Professionally accredited members may use the designatory letters ProfAccredNZSGD. There shall be no designatory letters for other members.
Top 13 Use of the Common Seal
The Common Seal shall be held by the Secretary and shall be used only on documents signed by the Chairperson and the Secretary acting on a resolution approved by a General Meeting or Committee Meeting of the Society.
Top 14 Control and Investment of Funds
(a) The Society may seek funds from any appropriate and lawful source to achieve the Aims of the Society.
(b) The Society may seek funds from any appropriate and lawful source to achieve the Aims of the Society.
(c) The expenditure of any funds, except for everyday administration shall be approved in advance by the Committee.
(d) All of the Society¡¦s funds shall be held and operated in a bank account as decided by the Committee.
(e) Surplus funds shall be invested in an interest bearing bank account or public lending institution approved by the Committee.
(f) Any cheques or withdrawals from the Society's account shall be signed by the Treasurer and Chairperson, or by alternative signatory approved by the Committee. In all cases, at least two signatories are required.
(g) All financial transactions shall be controlled by the Treasurer who shall keep proper financial records in accordance with the requirements of the Incorporated Societies Act or any other relevant legislation and any additional requirements set from time to time by the Committee.
(h) A set of the annual accounts shall be prepared by the Treasurer and Audited as required by the previous Annual General Meeting and presented for approval at the next Annual General Meeting following the end of the financial year.
Top 15 Financial Year
The financial year for the Society shall begin on the 1st of April each year.
Top 16 Alterations to the Constitution
(a) Except as provided for in subclause (e) hereunder, the Constitution shall not be altered, added to or rescinded except by resolution passed at a General Meeting of the Society, the details of the proposed alteration to be stated in the notice or advertisement convening the meeting.
(b) Any motions for change must be given to the Secretary in writing at least one month before the Meeting.
(c) Any changes to the constitution must be by 75% majority present and eligible to vote.
(d) Any such alteration, addition or rescission shall be valid if and only if it does not affect or detract from the exclusively charitable nature of the Society.
(e) A resolution to alter, add or rescind the Constitution may alternatively be passed by 75% of those financial members casting a valid vote in a postal ballot which closes not less than 21 days after the date on which the Secretary issues the voting papers.
Top 17 Winding Up
In the event of the winding up of the Society, any assets it has, after settling all liabilities, shall be given or transferred to some other organisation with similar aims to the Aims of the Society.
Top 18 Registered Office
The registered office of the Society shall be at such a place as may be determined from time to time by the Committee.
Top 19 Honoraria
The Committee shall have the power to pay honoraria to Officers of the Society as they see fit.
Top 20 By-laws and Regulations
The Committee shall have the power to make by-laws and regulations in connection with its activities provided they shall operate within the framework of these rules.
Top 22 Indemnity
The Committee and other officers of the Society shall be indemnified by the Society against all disbursements, expenses, liabilities and losses incurred by them in or about the discharge of their duties except such as happen from their own wilful act, neglect or default.
| 
)