Club Rules

The University of Canterbury Club Incorporated (UCC)

Rules (Constitution)

(as revised March 2021)

NAME:
1. The name of the Club shall be The University of Canterbury Club Incorporated (registration number 220188) (hereinafter referred to as “The Club”).

OBJECTS:
2. The objects of the Club are:
(1) To take over the assets, effects and liabilities of the existing unregistered club heretofore known as The University of Canterbury Staff Club.
(2) To foster the interests of the staff, postgraduates, and alumni of the University of Canterbury (hereinafter referred to as the University) by the organisation of meetings and social functions, the provision of facilities for social intercourse and mutual helpfulness, and by such other means as may be deemed expedient.
(3) To give support and encouragement to the functions and activities of the University.
(4) To hold, purchase, acquire by gift, devise, or bequest, or otherwise take on lease any property, real or personal, in the name of the Club which shall be deemed expedient for the purpose of the Club, and to sell, exchange, mortgage, pledge, lease, hire out, and grant any option over any such property with power to alter or pull down buildings and to rebuild the same.
(5) To use the funds of the Club for and to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.

REGISTERED OFFICE:
3. The registered office of the Club shall be situated at the University of Canterbury or such other place as shall from time to time be determined.

MEMBERSHIP:
4. There shall be the following classes of members of the Club: ordinary members and life members.

5.
(1) Ordinary membership of the Club shall be open to, notwithstanding current enrolment status at the University:
(a) Members of staff of the University;
(b) Retired members of staff of the University;
(c) Postgraduate students enrolled in a Masters Part II or PhD at the University;
(d) Alumni of the University;
(e) Other persons connected with the University, such as Adjuncts, who may be determined to be eligible for membership by the Committee.
(2) No person shall be eligible to become a member of the Club until they attain the age of 18 years (or such other age as may from time to time be prescribed by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 or any amendment thereto as being the age at which a person may lawfully and without restriction as to being in the company of others consume alcohol on licensed premises).
(3) Application for Ordinary Membership shall be made in writing addressed to the Secretary. The names of applicants shall be posted on to the Club’s notice board for fourteen (14) clear days prior to election. Any objection lodged in writing to the Secretary during the period of posting shall be considered by the Committee. Election shall be by simple majority vote at the first Committee meeting held after the expiration of the said fourteen (14) days. Upon the approval of an applicant the Secretary shall notify the same to the applicant and request payment of the first year’s subscription or the establishment of a satisfactory direct credit for subscription money to the Club. If payment is not made or a satisfactory direct credit not established within two months from the date of the Secretary’s notice the acceptance shall be void unless sufficient cause be shown to the satisfaction of the Committee.

6. Life members of the Club may be elected by the Club in general meeting from persons eligible for ordinary membership of the Club and shall on election be entitled henceforth without payment of any subscription to all the rights, privileges, and benefits enjoyed by ordinary members.

7. Members of other clubs with which the Club has an arrangement for reciprocal visiting rights are entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits enjoyed by ordinary members with the exception of voting rights.

8. A member may at any time by giving notice in writing to the Secretary resign membership of the Club, but shall continue to be liable for any annual subscription or other financial liability due and unpaid at the date of resignation. A member who intends to be absent from New Zealand for a period of 12 months or more may request that their membership be suspended during the period of absence during which period of suspension the member shall remain liable to pay their subscription but on return to New Zealand the member may request that the Committee remit a sum equivalent to half the subscription due for the period of absence.

9. Any member whose subscription has been due and unpaid for a period of twelve months may be removed from the membership by the Committee without proof of the member having received any demand for the subscription.

10. The Club in general meeting may at any time remove any person from membership on the ground that their continued membership is not in the best interests of the Club.

11. Admission to the Club premises during Club Hours, or to any function put on by the Club for the Membership shall be limited to Members and Visitors (as defined in Section 38), unless the admission is only to an area of the premises that has been booked for a function not put on by the Club, or unless as otherwise prescribed by the Committee

OFFICERS:
12.
(1) There shall be the following officers, namely a President, Vice-President, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
(2) Officers shall hold office from the end of the annual general meeting immediately following their election until the end of the following annual general meeting. Where any person has held the office of President for three consecutive years they shall not be eligible for re-election to that office until three further years have elapsed. The holders of the other offices shall be eligible for immediate re-election. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by one individual at the same time.
(3) The Committee may fill any casual vacancy in an office by appointing thereto an ordinary member of the Club, who shall hold office until the end of the next following annual general meeting.

COMMITTEE:
13.
(1) There shall be a Committee consisting of the President, Vice-President, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer and eight other ordinary members.
(2) Members of the Committee shall hold office from the end of the annual general meeting at which they are elected until the second following annual general meeting with half the committee positions falling vacant at each annual general meeting.
(3) The Committee may fill any casual vacancy by appointing an ordinary member of the Club to hold office until the end of the next following annual general meeting.
(4) The Committee shall meet from time to time. The President shall preside at such meetings of the Committee. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President the Committee shall elect a Chairman pro tempore from among its members. A quorum shall be five members.
(5) The committee may reserve a position from one of the eight ordinary members of the committee for a postgraduate representative to be chosen from the membership as defined in Rule 5 (1) (c).

14. The Committee shall be responsible for dealing with the day to day management of the Club between general meetings, for dealing with matters of urgency, and for carrying out such functions as may be delegated to it by the Club. In addition, and without derogating from the foregoing or from others of these Rules conferring functions or powers on the Committee, the Committee may, subject to any directions of the Club, exercise the following powers:
(1) Pay the costs, charges, and expenses, preliminary and incidental, to the promotion, formation and establishment of the Club.
(2) Take and give receipts, releases and other discharges for money, payable to the Club and for claims and demands of the Club.
(3) Pay from funds of the Club such reasonable sums for items of expenditure which may not appear to come within the scope of the expressed objects of the Club but which in the opinion of the Committee are fair and legitimate charges to be borne from the funds of the Club.
(4) Pay from its discretion, appoint, remove, or suspend any member of the staff of the Club and may determine their respective duties and power and fix their various duties.
(5) From time to time appoint a member or members of the Club to assist it in the management and control of the Common Rooms or for other purposes.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
15. The Club in general meeting may from time to time appoint, combine, reappoint and discharge special committees to which may be delegated any matter for consideration, management, or control.

MEETINGS:
16. The annual general meetings of the Club shall be held in the months of February or March in each year upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the Committee for the following purposes:
(1) To receive from the Committee the financial statements of the Club including, but not limited to, a position statement and a performance statement.
(2) To decide on any motion which, subject to the provisions of Rule 21 herein, may be duly submitted to the meeting.
17.
(1) Not less than one month before the annual general meeting the Secretary shall call in writing for nominations for the various offices and committee members. Nominations need not be seconded, but must have the consent of the nominee. If nominations exceed the number required to fill the office or place, a postal ballot shall be held in time for the results to be announced at the annual general meeting.
(2) In the event of a postal ballot there shall be space on the ballot form for a brief autobiographical statement from the nominee.
(3) The results of the election are to be announced at the annual general meeting.

18. The Committee may at any time for any special purpose call a special general meeting and shall do so forthwith upon the requisition in writing addressed to the Secretary of any fifteen members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required. No business other than that specified in the notice calling the meeting shall be transacted at a special general meeting.

19. Not less than fourteen clear days notice of all meetings of members (whether annual or otherwise) and the business to be conducted thereat shall be given to members.

20. The President shall preside as Chairman over general meetings of the Club. In default of the President the Vice-President shall preside, and in default of the Vice-President, the members present shall elect a Chairman pro tempore.

21. Notice of any motion for the amendment of these Rules, or for the winding up of the Club, or for the conferment of a life membership of the Club on any person, or for removal of any person from membership of the club, or for varying or affecting a resolution of the Club made at a previous general meeting shall be given to the Secretary twenty-one clear days before the meeting at which the motion is to be made. Any other motion may be made without prior notice.

22. Apart from the matters relating to the disposition of property in the event of the winding up of the Club contained in Rule 36, these Rules or any of them may from time to time be added to, altered, rescinded, or otherwise amended by a resolution passed by a three-quarters majority of members present and entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Club for which due notice has been given.

23.
(1) At a general meeting each member present shall be entitled to one vote, and in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a casting vote.
(2) A vote may be taken on voice and the matter decided accordingly, provided that if a show of hands is without delay required by any member present the matter shall be decided on a show of hands notwithstanding any decision on the voices.

24. At any general meeting of the Club the quorum shall be fifteen members.

25. In the event of a quorum not being present thirty minutes after the time fixed for any general meeting, the meeting shall be postponed to such a time as those present shall decide.

MINUTES:
26. The Club and the Committee shall keep minutes of their respective acts and proceedings.

FINANCIAL:
27. Every member shall on or before the 30th day of June in every calendar year pay to the Club an annual subscription of such amount as shall be fixed by resolution from time to time in general meeting. The Committee may in a proper case waive or reduce payment of a subscription or subscriptions as it may see fit. New members who pay their membership fees in full shall be charged a prorated amount based on the remaining number of calendar months in the calendar year.

28. All moneys received by or on behalf of the Club shall forthwith be paid to the credit of the Club at such bank or banks as shall from time to time be determined by the Committee, and all cheques drawn on the name shall be signed by any two of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and an ordinary member of the Committee designated by the Committee for the purpose.

29. The Committee may from time to time invest the whole or any part of the funds of the Club in works of art and in any such securities as are permitted by law for the investment of trust funds and upon such terms as the Committee may see fit.

30. Subject to any prior directions of the Club given in general meeting, the funds of the Club may be used in the discretion of the Committee for any purpose mentioned in the objects of the Club set forth in Rule 2 hereof and for the payment of all expenses and outgoings incurred in connection with carrying out the work of the Club.

31. The Club shall, in addition to the other powers vested in it, have power to borrow or raise money from time to time, but the power of so borrowing or raising money shall not be exercised except pursuant to a resolution of the Club passed by a three-fifths majority of those present in general meeting.

32. The financial year of the Club shall be such as may be determined by the Club in general meeting, and, in default of a contrary determination, shall be the twelve month period ended the thirtieth day of November in every year.

SEAL:
33. The Club shall have a common seal, for the custody and control of which the Secretary shall be responsible subject to the directions of the Committee. The seal shall not be affixed to any document save in pursuance of a resolution of the Club or the Committee, and its affixing shall be witnessed by any two members of the Committee.

NOTICES:
34. Any notice required to be served on any officer or member may be served either on the officer or member personally or by sending it to the email address provided by the officer or member or by sending it through the post in a pre-paid envelope or wrapper addressed to the officer or member at their last known place of address or (in the case of an officer) at the registered office of the Club. Any notice served by post shall be deemed to have been served on the day on which according to the ordinary course it would have been delivered, and in proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope or wrapper containing the notice was properly addressed and posted.

BY-LAWS:
35. The Club in general meeting may make by-laws not inconsistent with these Rules for the conduct of meetings of the Club or of any committee thereof or for any other purpose whether of a similar nature or not as it may see fit.

WINDING UP:
36. The Club may be wound up if a resolution is passed by a majority of members present and entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Club for which due notice has been given of the proposed resolution and the resolution is confirmed at a subsequent general meeting called together for that purpose and held not earlier than thirty days after the date on which the resolution so to be confirmed was passed. All property shall be transferred to the University for use in such purposes as are consistent with the objects of the Club as the University Council may deem expedient.

CLUB PROPERTY:
37. Except with the authority of the Committee, no member shall take away or permit to be taken away from the Commons Rooms under any pretence whatever or shall damage or destroy any newspaper, pamphlet, journal, magazine, book, or other article that is the property of the Club.

VISITORS:
38.
(1) The following persons may be admitted as visitors to the Club provided that they are over 18 years of age (or such other age as may from time to time be prescribed by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 or any amendment thereto as being the age at which a person may lawfully and without restriction as to being in the company of others consume alcohol on licensed premises):
(a) Overseas visitors to the University of Canterbury.
(b) Members of the academic and senior administrative staff of other New Zealand Universities.
(c) Professional persons visiting members of the Club on official university business, provided that they are not otherwise eligible for membership of the club.
(d) Any person eligible for membership, but not a member, may be introduced as a visitor on not more than four occasions per calendar year.
(e) Any other person, not eligible for membership, may be introduced as a visitor on not more than one occasion per month.
(2) Notwithstanding Rule 38(1), persons under 18 years of age (or such other age as may from time to time be prescribed by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 or any amendment thereto as being the age at which a person may lawfully and without restriction as to being in the company of others consume alcohol on licensed premises) may be admitted as visitors to the Club provided that they are accompanied by a suitable guardian who is a member of the Club or who has been admitted as a visitor under Rule 38(1), and provided that they do not purchase or consume alcohol on the premises of the Club except in accordance with section 240 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 or any amendment thereto.
(3) All visitors shall be accompanied by a member who shall sign the visitors’ book, which shall be provided by the Committee, on each occasion they introduce a visitor, and the member shall have their visitor sign the visitors’ book also and enter their full name and address.
(4) No visitor shall be supplied with alcohol on the Club’s premises unless the visitor is present on the invitation of a member, and the alcohol is supplied for consumption on the premises.

ANNUAL RETURNS:
39. The duties of the Secretary shall include the making up and forwarding to the Registrar of annual returns of the income and expenditure, funds and effects, and number and particulars of members in accordance with the Act.

INTERPRETATION:
40.
(1) In these Rules unless inconsistent with the context “Act” means the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. “General Meeting” means an annual general meeting or a special general meeting of members of the Club. “Registrar” means the Registrar of Incorporated Societies. “Alcohol” is as defined in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 or any amendment thereto.
(2) Any question relating to the interpretation of these Rules or any bylaws hereunder shall be settled by the Committee whose decision shall be final.

NOTE: This page should be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions located here: https://ucc.org.nz/terms-and-conditions/ and in the event of any conflict between these Club Rules and the Terms and Conditions, the Rules shall prevail.