Administration NZGS Rules
Rules
To move down the page, click on the relevant heading:
Name: Objects: Membership: Privileges of Members of the Society:
Subscriptions: Branches: Elected Officers of the Society: Council: Executive Committee:
Administration of Property and Funds: Annual General Meeting: Special Meetings:
Board of Geography Teachers: Editorial Board: Amendments to These Rules: Date of Adoption of these Rules
1.1 The name of the Society shall be the New Zealand Geographical Society, Incorporated.
1.2 The Registered Office (the 'Head Office') of the New Zealand Geographical Society, Incorporated (the 'Society') shall be in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland, or at another such place as the Council of the Society shall from time to time decide.
The primary aims and objectives of the Society are:
• to foster the study of geography in secondary and tertiary educational institutions across New Zealand
• to promote geographic research in tertiary educational institutions, the private sector, Crown agencies, and community organisations
• through its serial and any occasional publications, to make available to interested individuals and parties in New Zealand and abroad the findings of original geographic research, and
• to respond effectively and in a timely manner to calls from the private sector, Crown agencies, and community organisations for informed submissions.
3.1. Membership of the Society is open to all persons interested in its aims and objectives.
3.2. There shall be four classes of membership:
• Full - including high schools, and individuals ordinarily resident in New Zealand who are in paid employment
• Associate - New Zealand residents who are either full-time students enrolled in a recognised tertiary educational institution or not in paid employment
• Overseas – individuals who reside outside New Zealand, and
• Life – individuals who have been formally elected to this status at an Annual General Meeting of the Society on the unanimous recommendation of the Council.
3.3. A member of the Society, other than a Life Member, is deemed financial upon payment of the current annual subscription and any arrears.
3.4. Membership of the Society is for successive periods of twelve months, starting 1 January, and ceases when written notification is received by the Business/Executive Manager of a member’s intention not to renew the subscription.
4.1. The membership subscription payable annually by a Full Member, an Associate Member, or an Overseas Member shall be determined from time to time by the Council.
4.2. An organisation may subscribe to the New Zealand Geographer, with the subscription determined by the Society and payable directly to the commercial publisher, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
4.3. All subscriptions are due on 1 January and apply until 31 December of that year.
5.1. A financial member of the Society shall receive copies of any newsletters (including electronic newsletters) and all issues of the New Zealand Geographer published during the year.
5.2. A financial member of the Society shall receive a copy of the Annual Report, including the financial statement, normally four weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
5.3. A financial member of the Society may vote in person on any formal motion brought to the Annual General Meeting.
6.1. The Council may authorise the formation of a branch of the Society anywhere in New Zealand.
6.2. Each branch shall be bound by the rules of the New Zealand Geographical Society Incorporated, including the provisions of this constitution.
6.3. A branch may enrol interested individuals in its area who for a sum determined by the Branch Committee shall receive copies of the Branch programme and newsletters but none of the Society's publications.
6.4. Each branch shall be represented on the Council by one financial member of the Society.
6.5. Each year the Society through its Head Office shall rebate an agreed proportion of the membership subscription income for individuals who reside in the area covered by a branch.
6.6. A branch may use the rebate from Head Office to cover approved expenses, and each year shall provide the Council with copies of its audited balance sheet, including a statement of income and expenditure for the previous twelve months.
6.7. The rules of a branch shall be approved by the Council of the Society, as shall any amendments to them.
6.8. A branch shall be responsible for covering any deficit it may from time to time incur.
6.9. Branch members in good financial standing may formally move that their branch shall cease operation. If a majority of the votes cast by branch members is in support of that motion then all financial and other assets shall be transferred to Head Office within one month of the decision being taken.
7. Elected Officers and Employees of the Society
7.1. Before expiry of an incumbent’s term, the Council shall call for nominations of financial members to serve as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Information/Media Officer and Managing Editor.
7.2. The terms of President and, Vice President shall be for two years. The Vice President will normally become the President after two years. The terms of the Secretary, Treasurer, Information/Media Officer and Managing Editor shall be for three years, with the option of a further such term or terms at the discretion of the Council.
7.3. The Council shall appoint four editors, each of whom must be in good financial standing, for the New Zealand Geographer, with prime responsibility, respectively, for education, human geography, physical geography, and reviews.
7.4. The term of an editor shall be for three years, with the option of a further such term.
7.5. None of the elected officers shall receive a fee or honorarium for their work, but the Society may contribute towards the cost of attendance at Council and Executive Committee meetings.
7.6. The Business/Executive Manager shall hold a part-time appointment from the Executive Committee and be paid at the appropriate rate.
7.7. The Geography Resource Centre shall be operated by Head Office with the assistance of a paid, part-time manager who shall report to the Business/Executive Manager.
7.8. The terms of the Business/Executive Manager and the part-time manager of the Geography Resource Centre shall normally be for three years, and are renewable.
8.1. The Council shall pursue the aims and objectives of the Society. The Council shall also establish a roster of Branches responsible for organising and hosting the biennial conferences of the New Zealand Geographical Society, including joint conferences with the Institute of Australian Geographers.
8.2. Membership of the Council shall be as follows:
• the President
• the Vice-President
• the Secretary
• the Treasurer
• Information/Media Officer
• the Managing Editor
• the Chair of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers,
• the University Academic Teachers Liaison Officer,
• the Graduate Student Representative, and
• one financial member from each branch of the Society.
8.3. A meeting of the Council shall be held in a place to be decided by the Executive Committee, and the quorum for a meeting shall be:
• the President, or the Vice-President
• the Secretary and the Treasurer
• the Managing Editor, or one of the appointed Editors, or the Information/Media Officer, and
• at least three branch representatives.
Under exceptional circumstances, the Business/Executive Manager may stand in for the Treasurer and have full voting rights.
8.4. In the absence of the President, the meeting shall be chaired by the the Vice-President or Secretary.
8.5. The Minutes shall normally be taken by the Business/Executive Manager.
8.6. Other financial members, employees, and friends of the Society may be invited to attend a meeting of the Council and contribute to its discussions, but shall not have voting rights.
8.7. The President shall call and preside over a meeting of the Council at least once each calendar year.
8.8. Voting at a meeting of the Council shall be by voice or show of hands unless a ballot is requested by a majority of those present.
8.9. The Council may from time to time set up working parties to report to it on matters of interest to the Society.
8.10. On the unanimous vote of those present at the meeting, the Council can approve Life Memberships of the Society, the Distinguished New Zealand Geographer Awards and Distinguished Service Awards.
9.1. The Executive Committee shall be a Standing Committee of the Council.
9.2. The Executive Committee shall conduct its business at a meeting in a place to be decided, or by teleconference.
9.3. Membership of the Executive Committee shall be:
• the President
• the Vice-President
• the Secretary
• the Treasurer
• Information/Media Officer
• The Managing Editor, and
• the Chair of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers
• the University Academic Teachers Liaison Officer,
• the Graduate Student Representative
9.4. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be:
• the President, or the Vice-President one of whom shall chair the meeting
• the Secretary, or the Treasurer
• the Chair of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers, or nominee, and
• the Managing Editor, or one of the four Editors.
The Business/Executive Manager may attend meetings of the Executive Committee and contribute to its discussions, but shall not vote on formal motions. Under exceptional circumstances, however, the Executive Manager may stand in for the Treasurer and have full voting rights.
9.5. Voting shall be by voice or show of hands of those present.
9.6. The Minutes shall normally be taken by the Business/Executive Manager, and any decisions reported to the next meeting of the Council.
9.7. The Executive Committee can make decisions binding on the Council and the Society provided they do not involve changes to the Society’s broad policies or expenditures in excess of amounts previously authorised by Council.
10. Administration of Property and Funds
10.1. The Secretary shall act as the chief administrative officer of the Society and keep records of all business transacted in the name of the Society.
10.2. The Treasurer shall act as accountant to the Society and each year furnish a statement of accounts duly certified by the Auditor appointed by the Council.
10.3. One member of the Society in good financial standing shall be nominated by the Council to serve as the Trustee, and election shall be by majority vote of the Council. The normal term is for the period between consecutive Annual General Meetings, and is renewable annually. The Trustee and the Treasurer shall act as trustees of the Society’s property and funds.
10.4. All income received by or on behalf of the Society shall be deposited in an account with a trading bank approved by the Council. All cheques and withdrawal slips shall be signed by any two of the following: the Business/Executive Manager, Secretary, Treasurer, and Trustee.
10.5. The Society shall have the power to borrow or invest money on terms previously agreed to by the Council.
10.6. The Common Seal of the Society shall be held by the Secretary and affixed to documents in the presence of the President, or the Trustee, or the Treasurer.
10.7. Any income, benefit, or advantage must be used to advance the charitable purposes of the Society. No member of the Society, or anyone associated with a member, is allowed to take part in, or influence any decision made by the Society in respect of payments to, or on behalf of, the member or associated person of any income, benefit or advantage. Any payments made to a member of the Society, or person associated with a member, must be for goods or services that advance the charitable purpose and must be reasonable and relative to payments that would be made between unrelated parties.
10.8. If the Council recommends that the Society should be dissolved, the President shall inform each Branch of the grounds and terms, and request a formal response within six weeks. The President shall then call a special meeting of the Society to discuss the proposed dissolution and seek agreement on the terms. If the Council's recommendation is not accepted by members present at that meeting then the Business/Executive Manager shall call for nominations to fill all places on the Executive Committee and arrange a special meeting of the Society to elect a new set of officers. The current President shall chair that meeting and hand over to the newly elected President when the election results are known. If the Society is dissolved, its assets shall be donated to an educational charity operating in New Zealand.
10.9. The Geography Resource Centre shall be a trading arm of the Society to provide a publication, reference, and distribution service for geography teachers, mainly in secondary educational institutions. Its part-time manager shall be line managed by the Executive Manager in consultation with the Treasurer and the Chair of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers. It shall report annually to the Council.
11.1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 30 September at a place to be determined by the Council.
11.2. The quorum shall be ten financial members, including:
• the President, or the Vice-President, one of whom shall chair the meeting
• the Secretary, and
• the Treasurer.
Under exceptional circumstances, the Business/Executive Manager may stand in for the Treasurer and have full voting rights.
11.3. Not less than six weeks before the Annual General Meeting, the Executive Manager shall write to Branches requesting details of any item(s) that they wish discussed at the meeting.
11.4. Normally not less than four weeks before the agreed date for the Annual General Meeting the Executive Manager shall send copies of the agenda and attachments to each financial member.
11.5. Provided that the motion does not involve changes to the Society’s Constitution or the rules of any of its standing committees, a new item of business may be formally moved and seconded at that meeting then put to the vote.
11.6. Voting shall be by voice or show of hands unless a formal ballot is requested by at least one financial member present at the meeting.
11.7. Only financial members present at an Annual General Meeting may cast a vote.
12.1. A special meeting of the Society can be summoned by the Executive Committee in its own right or upon receipt of a petition signed by at least twenty financial members of the Society. Notice of the time, date, place and business shall be sent to financial members not less than three weeks before the proposed meeting. The quorum, meeting management, and voting procedures shall be the same as for an Annual General Meeting.
13. New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers
13.1. The New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers shall be a standing committee of the Society.
13.2. Through its Chair, the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers shall advise the Council on matters relating to the teaching of geography in secondary educational institutions.
13.3. The Rules, and any changes to existing rules, of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers shall be approved by the Council before becoming operative.
13.4. The Chair of the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers shall be elected by that body to serve for a period of two years, with the possibility of renewal for a further two years.
14.1. The Editorial Board shall be a standing committee of the Society and consist of the Managing Editor and four Editors.
14.2. Through its Managing Editor shall advise the Council on matters relating to the New Zealand Geographer and any of the Society's occasional publications.
14.3. The Rules, and any changes to existing rules, of the Editorial Board shall be approved by the Council before becoming operative.
14.4. The Managing Editor shall be elected by the members of the Society and serve for a period of three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further three years.
15. Amendments to the Constitution
15.1. Any five financial members of the New Zealand Geographical Society – one to move and four to second – can formally propose amendment(s) to this constitution.
15.2. Notice of any proposed amendment(s) shall be sent by the Business/Executive Manager to financial members not less than four weeks before an Annual General Meeting.
15.3. Voting on a formally proposed amendment shall be by voice or show of hands of those present at the Annual General Meeting.
15.4. Any agreed amendment(s) shall take effect immediately.
School Zone
