This is the 2001 Constitution of the Hamilton Tramping Club Incorporated.

1    NAME

The name of the Club shall be Hamilton Tramping Club Incorporated.

2    INTERPRETATION

In this Constitution, unless a contrary intention appears, “Club” means Hamilton Tramping Club, “Committee” means the committee for the time being appointed under clause 10 of this Constitution, “Term” is the period from one Annual General Meeting to the next.

3    OBJECTS

A    To encourage tramping and other associated activities for individuals and family groups.

B    To acquire real and personal property for the purpose of the Club and to dispose of property no longer required.

C    To protect native flora and fauna and the natural features of New Zealand.

D    To act in co-operation with the Government, Local Bodies or associated groups for the promotion of the above objects.

E    In construing the forgoing objects, the construction of any clause shall not be limited or restricted by reference to any other clause.

4    MEMBERSHIP

Shall consist of Ordinary Members, Family Members, Student Members, Associate Members and Life Members.

A    Ordinary Members shall be persons who have completed two club trips before being proposed by one and seconded by another Member and accepted by a majority at a meeting of the Committee. Such Ordinary Members to have full voting rights.

B    Family Groups shall consist of one adult or two adult partners and their dependent children. Voting rights restricted to the adult partners only.

C    Student Members shall be persons who are full-time students, who do not qualify as family members and have completed two club trips before being proposed by one and seconded by another Member and accepted by the majority at a meeting of the committee. Student Members shall have full voting rights.

D    Associate Members shall be individual persons who are interested and/or sympathetic towards the Club’s objects but who take a limited part in its activities and who have been proposed, seconded and accepted by a majority at a meeting of the committee. Associate Members shall not have voting rights or be eligible for election to the Committee.

E    Life Members shall be persons who have contributed to the Club in a variety of ways over a long period of time. They shall have been proposed by one and seconded by another Member, the nomination been accepted by the Committee at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting and then accepted by a majority at an Annual General Meeting. A Life Member is not liable for an annual subscription, but is entitled to take part in all club activities.

F    Newly-elected members upon payment of their entrance fee (if any) and first subscription, shall become Members of the Club.

5    ENTRANCE FEE

The Members may, at an Annual General Meeting, impose such entrance fee as they may from time to time determine.

6    SUBSCRIPTION

The annual subscription to be paid by each Member shall be determined by an Annual General Meeting and may be altered at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting. Notification of a possible alteration to the subscription payable must be circulated prior to the General Meeting, but nothing in this clause shall prohibit the amendment of the proposed subscription by the General Meeting.

7    DEFAULT IN PAYMENT OF SUBSCRIPTION

If any Member shall fail to pay their Annual Subscription after the end of the financial year it shall be at the discretion of the Committee to terminate their membership by resolution to that effect, but the Member shall remain liable for the subscription due.

8    RESIGNATION

Any Member may resign their membership by giving to the Secretary notice in writing to that effect but the Member shall remain liable for any subscription due up to the date the notice is received.

9    EXPULSION

The Committee may expel from membership any Member willfully disobeying the Rules of the Club, or guilty of any conduct rendering that person unfit, in their opinion, to be a Member of the Club, providing that, before expelling the Member, the Committee shall call upon the Member for an explanation of his or her conduct and shall hear what they may wish to say in their defence.

10    COMMITTEE

A    The entire management of the Club and its property shall be deputed to a committee consisting of a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Club Captain and at least three other eligible Members as defined in clauses 4A, 4B and 4C.

B    The office of President may be held by the one person for not more than two consecutive Terms, but after being out of office for one Term such person shall be eligible for re-election for President.

C    Nominations of candidates for all offices shall be in writing, with the consent of the nominee, and shall be in the hands of the Secretary at 4 pm the day before the Annual General Meeting. In the case of no nominations being received for any office the Annual General Meeting may elect an eligible Member to fill the same. Any unsuccessful candidate for a named office is eligible for nomination to other offices as a verbal nomination at the meeting. All retiring members shall be eligible for nomination for re-election subject to the limitation of clause 10B. The Committee is empowered to fill any casual vacancy occurring during the year.

11    MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

A meeting of the Committee may be called at any time by the President or Secretary and shall be within seven days of the receipt by the Secretary of a requisition signed by three members of the Committee.

12    NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING

A    Notice of any committee meeting shall be given to every member of the Committee by notifying them, at least 48 hours before the time appointed for the meeting, of the time and place of such meeting.

B    In an emergency the President of Secretary may call a meeting with such notice as is appropriate to the occasion but the resolutions of any such meeting shall be subject to ratification at the next meeting of the Committee called as prescribed in clause 12A.

13    QUORUM AT A COMMITTEE MEETING

At each meeting of the Committee, four shall constitute a quorum.

14    PROCEDURE AT A COMMITTEE MEETING

The Chairperson shall have both a deliberative and a casting vote. The President, if present, shall be entitled to chair the meeting, otherwise the meeting shall elect another Chairperson.

15    DEPUTIES AND AUXILIARY OFFICERS

The Committee shall be empowered to depute any part of its authority to such Members of the Club as it may from time to time appoint to auxiliary office or sub-committee.

16    ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in May or June on a date fixed by the Committee.

17    EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

The Committee may at any time and shall, within fourteen days after the receipt of a requisition in writing of at least five Members (which requisition shall set out in the form of resolutions the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting) convene an Extraordinary General Meeting for any specific purpose or purposes.

18    NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING

The Secretary shall, at least seven days before any General Meeting, send to every Member at their address in the Club books, a notice stating the time, date and place where it will be held.

19    PROCEDURE AT GENERAL MEETING

At all General Meetings the Chair shall be taken by the President, if present, otherwise by any member of the Committee and, failing them by any Member chosen by the meeting. Every Member shall have one vote and in the case of equality of votes the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. Voting shall be by voice, but if any Member present desire, the Chairperson shall call for a division which shall be indicated by show of hands, or, if the meeting or Chairperson so desire, by ballot, in which case two scrutineers shall be appointed.

20    QUORUM AT GENERAL MEETING

The quorum at a General Meeting shall be ten Members.

21    PATRON

The Club may approach a suitable person to be Patron. The appointment must be approved by a majority at an Annual General Meeting. Upon accepting the position, the Patron becomes an ex-officio member of the Committee, but is not eligible for election or appointment to named office.

22    ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

This Constitution may be repealed, altered or added to by a resolution at a General Meeting gaining a two-thirds majority of Members present. The notice of this meeting shall specify the proposed repeal, alteration or addition, but nothing in this clause shall prohibit the amendment by the General Meeting of any proposal which has been specified in the notice.

Alteration, signed by at least three members of the society, and beside each name write that they are a member of the society and office held.

Sign ..... “are a member of the Club” ..... Office

Two signed copies of the amendments are to be sent to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies. \new_htc_con r2.doc