AUCKLAND MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY INC
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
These rules rescind all previous rules:
- 1. NAME: The name of the Society shall be Auckland Multicultural
Society Incorporated (hereinafter referred to as the Society).
- THE MISSION STATEMENT shall be as follows:
To work together to promote educational and social activities as a means of increasing understanding between cultures and strengthening New Zealand society.
- GOALS: The goals of the Society shall be:
(a) To foster awareness of each culture and communication between members of the Society
.(b) To experience and learn from the customs, traditions and ways of life of the ethnic groups represented in the Society as well as the wider community.
(c) To achieve through educational and community projects, deeper understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
(d) To publicise and promote the multicultural goals and work of the Society as a means toward achieving unity in New Zealand.
4 MEMBERSHIP:
- Membership shall be open to incorporated societies comprising an ethnic group and incorporated as corporate bodies in their own right, and to persons representative of an ethnic group in the greater Auckland area. Any application for membership shall be made in the form specified by the Society and shall be subject to approval by a two-thirds majority of a General Meeting. Application for membership shall be considered at the general meeting next following. Reasons shall not be given for not accepting an application.
(i) Each member society shall have the right to nominate a maximum of two representatives to attend meetings with one vote between them at each General Meeting, Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting.
(ii) No more than one Society from an ethnic group of one country is eligible for membership at any one time so as to maintain a fair balance of membership numbers, but may be considered when the existing Society no longer wishes to nominate representatives.
(iii) Because the Mission Statement and Goals do not include religious and political matters, societies pursuing mainly these goals do not comply with the Constitution and are not eligible for membership.
(iv) Membership Fee: An annual Membership Fee is required to be paid by all categories of membership, at the beginning of each financial year after the Annual General Meeting. The amount to be paid will be decided at each Annual General Meeting.
(v) The condition of membership is that each member shall attend meetings. If a member misses more than two consecutive meetings without apology or leave of absence, the Executive may contact the ethnic group represented and ask for a replacement member, or where an individual is not representing a group effectively, he or she may be asked to resign by the Executive.
(vi) Any member may resign by fourteen days’ notice in writing to the Secretary.
(vii) The Executive and the Society in General Meeting shall have the right to refuse to accept any application for membership and shall not be required to give their reasons for so doing.
(viii) Any member who fails to observe these Rules or the spirit of the Society can be expelled from the Society at a General Meeting attended by a representative of at least two-thirds of the ethnic groups represented in the Society.
- Associate Membership: This shall be open to individuals of any cultural group supporting the Mission Statement and Goals of the Society, or who can assist in a specialised field. Such members may participate fully in discussion but are not eligible to vote. The same application procedures apply as in A above.
(i) Associate members with a record of service and loyalty to the Society may, subject to a two-thirds majority or a General Meeting, be granted full voting rights at General Meeting, but not at the Annual General Meeting. These rights to be reviewed annually at the AGM.
- Friends of the Society:
(i) An Incorporated Society representing cultural and ethnic interests and individuals not qualifying for membership but supporting fully the Society’s Mission Statement and Goals may maintain regular contact by being accepted as Friends of the Society. The same application and approval shall apply as in A above.
(ii) Acceptance includes the right to attend meetings by invitation but not to vote on any matter, and entitles “Friends” to receive information about publications and forthcoming events and the Society “Newsletter”. These will be applied upon payment in advance of a fee to be determined annually to cover mailing and printing cost.
5 MEETINGS:
(a) General Meetings and all other types of meetings shall be held at such times as the Executive may decide, by written notice two weeks in advance.
(b) The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such a date in each year as the Executive may decide but in no event later than the 30th day of June.
(c) A Special General Meeting may be called by members representing at least five ethnic groups with no less than twenty-eight days’ notice in writing to the Executive.
(d) The quorum at all General Meetings, except the Annual General Meeting, must comprise a representative member from at least thirty percent of the ethnic groups. If the quorum is not met on two consecutive occasions, the Chairperson and Secretary may jointly lower the quorum, which shall not be less than twenty per cent.
(e) The quorum at the Annual General Meeting must comprise a representative member of at least fifty per cent of the ethnic groups. If the quorum is not met at the Annual General Meeting, that meeting shall be re-advertised and at the Meeting the ordinary quorum shall obtain.:
(f) Votes at General Meetings shall be by show of hands or by secret ballot if the President deems it necessary.
(g) In the event of a tied vote the President shall have the casting vote.
(h) Votes may be recorded personally or by proxy. A signed proxy must be in the hands of the President before the commencement of the Meeting at which it is intended to be used.
- ADMINISTRATION.
(a) A President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall comprise the Executive and shall be elected at the Annual General Meetings for a term of one year and shall hold office until resignation, removal from office, or election of successors. The Executive shall carry out the administrative functions and duties of the Society. The Society may approve temporary replacement of officers in the event of a casual vacancy occurring. The quorum for meeting of the Executive shall not be less than three (3). The Executive shall have the power to co-opt such persons as it thinks fit to further the Goals of the Society.
(b) The President shall preside at each General Meeting and each Executive Meeting. In his or her absence the Vice-President shall assume the Chair.
(c) A Patron, President and Honorary Vice-Presidents may be elected by the Society for the purpose of furthering the Goals of the Society.
(d). Minutes shall be kept of all Meetings and ratified at the beginning of each Meeting. A record of all correspondence shall be kept and presented at each Meeting.
- FINANCE
(a) All monies received by or on behalf of the Society shall be banked to the credit of the Society’s account at such Bank as from time to time shall be decided by the Executive. All cheques and all withdrawal forms shall be signed by any two of the three persons nominated for that purpose by the Society in General Meeting.
(b) The Society may from time to time undertake to raise or borrow money in any manner it thinks fir, including making a levy upon its members and executing a Mortgage over real property the Society may own.
(c) The Society may from time to time invest any parts of its funds in an investment approved by law for the investment of trust funds and upon such terms as the Society thinks fit.
(d) The Treasurer shall keep a full and correct record of income and expenditure and present regular statements to the monthly meetings.
(e)The Executive may authorise a financial payment up to five hundred dollars ($500) without prior Society approval. Such payment, nevertheless, shall be confirmed at the next Meeting of the Society following payment.
(f)Any expenditure in excess of the sum of $500 must be authorised at a General Meeting of the Society at which there is a representative member of at least two-thirds of the ethnic groups.
(g) All annual accounts shall be audited, certified and presented at the Annual General Meeting. The Auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting. The books shall be closed sixty (60) days Prior to the Annual General Meeting.
(h) No member of the Society or any person associated with a member shall participate in or materially influence any decision made by the Society in respect of payment to or on behalf of that member or Associated person of any income, benefit, or advantage whatsoever.
(i) Any such income paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in arms length transaction (beng the open market value.) The provisions and effect of this rule shall not be removed from this document and shall be included and implied into and document replacing this document.
- INTERPRETATION
Any dispute arising as to the interpretation of these Rules or the Constitution shall in the first place be resolved by discussion within the Society. If this is not achieved, the matter shall be referred to a Solicitor by the Society whose decision shall be final.
- AMENDMENTS, ALTERATIONS AND RECISSIONS
(a) Any amendment, alteration or recission of these Rules shall require approval at a General Meeting of the Society at which there is a representative member of at least two-thirds of the ethnic groups provided fourteen (14) days’ prior notice of the intention to make such amendments, alterattions or recissions is posted to all members.
(b) No addition to or alteration of the personal benefit rules (Rules 7 (h) and 7 (i) or the dissolution rule shall be approved without prior approval of Inland Revenue.
- COMMON SEAL
The Society shall obtain a common seal and the sameshall not be affixed to any document unless there is a prior Resolution from the Society in a General Meeting and the common seal shall be witnessed underneath by at least two members of the Executive.
- REGISTERED OFFICE.
The Society shall have a registered office in Auckland to which all communication may be sent at an address to be determined by the Executive.
- 12. LIQUIDATION:
The Society may be liquidated or wound up voluntarily if the Society at a Special General Meeting passes a Resolution requiring that the Society be liquidated or wound up, provided that the Meeting is attended by a representative of at least two-thirds of the ethnic groups of the Society.
Should these conditions not be met, a second meeting is required under the terms of the Incorporated Societies Act. If, in the event of liquidation there remains, after satisfaction of all debts, any property whatsoever the same shall not be…. distributed among the members but shall be distributed to such charitable organisations within New Zealand as shall be chosen by the Society at the Special General Meeting.
- Amended on 13th June 2005
No part of the Society’s income or other funds is to be used or available for use privately by any member or associated person of a member
These rules were adopted at a Meeting of the Society on the 3rd day of March 1997 at Auckland.
Signed: Ataur Rahman (President)
Signed: John Buckland (Secretary).
Amendments (italics) of the constitution of Auckland Multicultural Society Inc. adopted at our Annual General Meeting held on 13th June 2005 at Grey Lynn Community Centre, Grey Lynn, Auckland
- COMMON SEAL
The Society shall obtain a common seal and the same shall not be affixed to any document unless there is a prior Resolution from the Society in a General Meeting and the common seal shall be witnessed underneath by at least two members of the Executive.
- REGISTERED OFFICE.
The Society shall have a registered office in Auckland to which all communication may be sent at an address to be determined by the Executive.
- LIQUIDATION:
The Society may be liquidated or wound up voluntarily if the Society at a Special General Meeting passes a Resolution requiring that the Society be liquidated or wound up, provided that the Meeting is attended by a representative of at least two-thirds of the ethnic groups of the Society.
Should these conditions not be met, a second meeting is required under the terms of the Incorporated Societies Act. If, in the event of liquidation there remains, after satisfaction of all debts, any property whatsoever the same shall not be…. distributed among the members but shall be distributed to such charitable organisations within New Zealand as shall be chosen by the Society at the Special General Meeting.
These rules were adopted at a Meeting of the Society on the 3rd day of March 1997 at Auckland.
13 Amended on 13th June 2005
No part of the Society’s income or other funds is to be used or available for use privately by any member or associated person or a member
Thuten Kesang QSM – President
Rani Thuraisundaram Vice President
Derek Williams- – Secretary