New Zealand Statistical Association (Inc.)
P O Box 1731, Wellington
Constitution of the New Zealand Statistical Association
(Approved 1 September 2008)
1. NAME
This Association shall be called the New Zealand Statistical Association (Incorporated).
2. AIMS AND OBJECTS
The object of the Association will be to promote research into and the practice and understanding of statistics in New Zealand for the common good.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall consist of three classes:
a. Ordinary members: Except for foundation ordinary members, the method of election to the membership will be by application to the Secretary, approval then being given by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may establish sub-classes of ordinary membership eligible for alternative subscription rates.
b. Honorary Life Members: Honorary Life Members are ordinary members of the Association who have been nominated by the Executive Committee and elected by a majority vote at a General Meeting of the Association on the basis of a long and distinguished record of service to the Association. They have all the rights of an ordinary member.
c. Corporate members: Firms or organizations interested in furthering the aims and objects of the Association. The method of election shall be the same as for ordinary members. Corporate members are entitled to have staff members attend General Meetings of the Association without their being ordinary members, but persons attending in this capacity will have no voting rights on any motion presented or ballot conducted at such meetings, except in the election of the corporate representative on the Executive Committee at the Annual General Meeting.
4. SUBSCRIPTION
The annual subscription for both ordinary and corporate members will be fixed from year to year by the majority vote of the ordinary members present at the Annual General Meeting. Honorary life members shall not be liable for any subscription.
5. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Any member whose annual subscription is not paid within 3 months of invoices being first posted out may forfeit membership and may be re-admitted to membership only by method of rule 3, or by payment of arrears.
6. RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS
Members may resign by written notification to the Secretary of the Association.
7. LOCAL BRANCHES AND AFFILIATED GROUPS
a. The Association may grant the status of Local Branch or Affiliated Group to any group formed with an object compatible with the objects of the Association. The status of Local Branch or Affiliated Group shall be granted, and may be revoked, by a majority vote at a General Meeting of the Association, and may at any time and at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Association, be affirmed or suspended pending the next Annual General Meeting. A Local Branch or Affiliated Group may terminate its affiliation at any time by giving notice in writing to the Association.
b. The granting of such status shall not confer upon the group, nor any of its members, any of the rights of a member of the Association, and shall not place the Association under any financial or other obligation to the group or to its members. The acceptance of such status shall place no financial or other obligation to the Association upon the group nor upon its members. If a financial relationship is established between the Association and a Local Branch or Affiliated Group, the Group will report to the Executive Committee on its financial status.
8. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
The Executive Committee may enter into working arrangements and reciprocity agreements with other societies and organizations.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
a. There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Association within six months of the end of each financial year, or nine months under the specific exemption of the previous Annual General Meeting.
b. The financial year shall end on the last day of March each year.
c. Notice and agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall be distributed to members by circular at least fourteen days before the meeting.
d. Sixteen ordinary members shall constitute a quorum for an Annual General Meeting.
e. The President shall chair the meeting. If the President is unable to be present, the meeting shall elect another member to the chair.
f. Voting shall be decided by voices or show of hands at the discretion of the chair. The chair shall have a deliberative and casting vote. A ballot shall be taken if requested by any member.
g. Special General Meetings of the Association may be held from time to time at the discretion of the Executive Committee guided by the wishes of the members, following the same protocols as for Annual General Meetings.
10. ALTERATION OF RULES
a. The rules of the Association may be altered, added to, or rescinded only by the Annual General Meeting or a meeting specially called for the purpose and for which notices are sent to members as in rule 9.
b. No such alteration, addition or rescinding shall be permitted if it in any way affects the tax-exempt status of the organization.
c. Notification of a proposal to alter the rules must reach the Secretary at least one month before the meeting at which the proposal is to be put forward.
d. Modifications to the constitution will require a two-thirds majority of votes of members present at the meeting.
11. COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a. The President, Secretary, Treasurer, five representatives and one corporate members’ representative, all of whom must be ordinary members of the Association, will be elected to the Executive Committee of the Association. Candidates for these positions must be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting.
b. The President, Secretary and Treasurer will each be elected by separate ballot.
c. Nominations will then be called for five representatives of the ordinary members and, a ballot having been taken, the five nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
d. The corporate members’ representative will be elected by the official representatives of the corporate members (one per corporate member) present at the meeting.
e. The Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt members to fill temporary vacancies in elected positions.
f. Ordinary members of the Association who are on the Editorial Board of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics will be ex officio members of the Executive Committee.
g. In addition, sub-committee representatives and portfolio holders specified in the Policy Document of the Executive Committee will be ex officio members of the Executive Committee, and their positions will be put collectively to the Annual General Meeting for endorsement. The Annual General Meeting may direct the Executive Committee to review its portfolios.
12. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a. The Executive Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Association between General Meetings of the Association, and, through the President, shall report to the Annual General Meeting upon the state of the Association’s affairs.
b. The President shall chair any meeting. If the President is unable to be present, the meeting shall elect another member to the chair.
c. The Executive Committee shall hold meetings as it sees fit.
d. Decisions at meetings shall be by majority vote with the chair having the casting vote in the case of a tie. The quorum necessary for transaction of business at a meeting shall be four.
e. The Executive Committee may also decide questions and take action without a meeting, in which case every attempt shall be made to obtain the opinion of every member of the Executive Committee within a given time frame, and the approval of a clear majority of responding members, or four members, whichever is greater, including the President, shall constitute a decision of the Executive Committee; any such action shall be reported to the next Executive Committee meeting.
f. The Executive Committee may delegate one or more of its members the authority to exercise any of the powers of the Executive Committee on such terms as the Executive Committee sees fit.
13. POLICY DOCUMENT
The Executive Committee may adopt a policy document to support its management of the affairs of the Association, provided no policy contravenes the constitution. A policy or amendment or repeal shall be passed by a majority of an Executive Committee meeting and shall be notified to the membership in a publication of the Society or otherwise. The Executive Committee shall review any policy upon request from a member. The initial policy document and all modifications to Policy in a given year shall be put to the Annual General Meeting for endorsement.
14. EDITORSHIP OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS
a. The Executive Committee shall, in conjunction with the Central Council of the Statistical Society of Australia Incorporated, make appointments to the Nominating Committee for the selection of new members of the Editorial Board of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics.
b. Recommendations of the Nominating Committee will be put to the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Statistical Association and the Central Council of the Statistical Society of Australia Incorporated for approval.
c. Editors of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics who are members of the New Zealand Statistical Association shall, in conjunction with Australian Editors, and with the assistance of the Associate Editors, Technical Editor and Book Review Editor, edit the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics.
15. OTHER COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS
The Executive Committee may establish other committees, and appoint members to portfolios, with such terms of reference as it sees fit. All committees and appointments report to the Executive Committee. The members of these committees shall be selected or endorsed by the Executive Committee except where this authority is vested in the Annual General Meeting. No committee or member thereof may contract or make representations in the name of the Association except by delegation from the Executive Committee. Any member of a committee which receives money or other property pursuant to a contract entered by the Association or otherwise for the benefit of the Association shall immediately account to the Executive Committee.
16. ASSOCIATION FUNDS
Proper account shall be kept and a reviewed statement of accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting. These accounts shall be forwarded yearly to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies. All Association funds, except those delegated to a Local Branch or Affiliated Group, will be under the control of the Executive and shall be deposited with reputable financial institutions. All withdrawals from, or drawings upon, Association accounts shall require the signature of any two of the following persons: Treasurer, Secretary, such two other members as the Executive Committee may designate from time to time. All financial activities of the Association, including those delegated to a Local Branch or Affiliated Group, shall be reported to the Treasurer and included in the Association’s accounts. The Association shall not have the power to borrow money.
17. COMMON SEAL
The common seal will be held in the custody of the Secretary. It will be used by the President in the presence of the Secretary, either by authority of a vote at a general meeting, or an Executive Committee meeting.
18. DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY
In the event of dissolution of the Association, the disposition of the property of the Association shall be decided at the last General Meeting, except that on dissolution no property whatsoever shall be paid to or distributed directly or indirectly among the members of the Association. Provided that any disposition of the property shall only be given or transferred to some other charitable organisation or body having objects similar to the New Zealand Statistical Association (Incorporated), within New Zealand.
19. TAX-EXEMPT STATUS
The Association is prohibited from making any distribution, whether by way of money, property, or otherwise whatsoever, to any member, save reasonable remuneration for services performed. No member of the organisation or any person associated with a member shall participate in or materially influence any decision made by the organisation in respect of the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit or advantage whatsoever. Any such income paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arm’s length transaction (being the open market value). The provisions and effect of this clause shall not be removed from this document and shall be included and implied into any document replacing this document.
20. USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO PRESENT AT MEETINGS
(a) The presence of a member at a general meeting need not be by attendance in person but may be by that member and each other member at the meeting being simultaneously in contact by telephone or other means of instantaneous communication.
(b) A member who participates in a general meeting as allowed under sub-rule (20a) is taken to be present at the meeting and, if the member votes at the meeting, the member is taken to have voted in person.