Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa / New Zealand
 
World Council of Anthropological Associations (WCAA)  

Background and constitution

Background

The New Zealand Association of Social Anthropologists (NZASA) was established in 1975 and held its first Annual General Meeting in August 1976. At that AGM its constitution was ratified unanimously. In August 1997 it changed its name to the Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Constitution and Rules

1. Name

The name of the Association shall be the Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand Incorporated.

2. Interpretation

2.1 Definitions

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Act" means the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

"Association" means Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand Incorporated.

"Committee" means the Executive Committee elected to manage the affairs of the Association.

"Financial member" means a member whose subscription for the current year has been paid.

"Member" means a member of the Association selected according to these Rules.

"Rules" means these rules of the Association amended from time to time in accordance with Rule 12.

"Registrar" means the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.

"Secretary" means the secretary of the Association elected according to these Rules.

"Treasurer" means the treasurer of the Association elected according to these Rules.

"Editor" means the editor of the Association elected according to these Rules.

 

3. Registered Office

  1. The situation of the registered office of the Association will be sent to the Registrar.
  2. Notice of any change of situation of the registered office will be sent to the Registrar.

 

4. Objects

The Association is established for the following objects and purposes only:

  1. To provide the framework for maintaining contact among persons interested in social anthropology as a discipline.
  2. To provide a framework for members to take joint action in relation to the university and to the wider society.
  3. To support the publication and dissemination of research in social anthropology.
  4. To support the ethical conduct of social anthropology.

 

5. Membership

5.1 Commencement of Membership

  1. Members will be admitted by application on a prescribed form and the payment of an enrolment fee as well as the subscription for the current year. The application will be sponsored by one member of the Association who is satisfied with the suitability of the applicant. The Committee will approve an application, except in those cases where a vote is taken at an Annual General Meeting. In those cases where a vote is taken at an Annual General Meeting the application will be circulated or tabled; candidates will be elected on simple majority of those voting.
  2. Honorary Life Membership may be conferred on an individual by a majority vote of the Annual General Meeting of the Association, on the recommendation of the Committee. Such Honorary Life Members will have the all the rights and responsibilities of other members excepting those relating to the payment of subscriptions from which they will be exempt.

5.2 Register of Members

  1. The Secretary shall maintain a register of the members of the Association in the form required by Section 22 of the Act which shall be open to perusal by any member
  2. Every member of the Association shall advise the Secretary of any change of their address.

5.3 Cessation of Membership

  1. Any members who do not pay their subscription for two consecutive years, after inquiry by the Secretary consisting of a final notice sent to their last registered address, with a three week period in which to respond, will be deemed to have resigned.
  2. Any member may resign from membership of the Association by giving the Secretary written notice to that effect.
  3. Any member who has resigned or who has been deemed to have resigned according to the provisions of these Rules who wishes to rejoin the Association will have to seek admittance as a new member as provided for by these Rules.

5.4 Membership Subscription

  1. The Committee shall determine rates of annual subscription for membership of the Association. The Committee will submit these rates for ratification to the Annual General Meeting. In the event the rates are not ratified the old rates will be deemed to be operative.
  2. Subscriptions will fall due on the 1st April of each year. Non-financial members will have no right to vote at meetings or in postal ballots.
  3. The Committee may waive payment of a subscription by a member in a case of hardship.

5.5 Membership enrolment fee

  1. The Committee shall determine rates for the enrolment fee for new members of the Association. The Committee will submit these rates for ratification to the Annual General Meeting. In the event the rates are not ratified the old rates will be deemed to be operative.
  2. The enrolment fee will fall due on the election of the member to the Association and will be payable within the year of election. Failure to pay the fee will render the election null and void.
  3. The Committee may waive payment of the enrolment fee in a case of hardship.

 

6. Officers

6.1 Executive Officers

  1. The executive officers of the Association will be the Chairperson, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Editor. The Executive Committee will consist of these officers and at least four other members. The Committee will have the power to co-opt.
  2. The election of executive officers and the committee members will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. All executive officers and committee members will hold office from the date of their election until the next Annual General Meeting, and will be eligible for re-election.

6.2 Representative Officers

  1. It will be open to the Association on the recommendation of the Committee and on a simple majority vote at an Annual General Meeting or in a postal vote of all financial members, to affiliate to or co-operate formally with any other organisation of an appropriate character, or, if already affiliated, to disaffiliate from such an organisation.
  2. Election of Representative Officers of the Association to these other bodies will take place each year at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
  3. Representative Officers will hold office from the date of their election until the next Annual General Meeting, and will be eligible for re-election
  4. Representative Officers are required to keep the Executive Committee of the Association, through its Secretary, informed of the activities of the bodies on which they are representatives, to obtain the Committee's authority to take action on behalf of the Association in relation to these bodies, and to present a report in writing concerning their role as representative officers to the Annual General Meeting of the Association each year.

6.3 Vacancies

  1. Casual vacancies of both Executive Committee officerships and Representative officerships may be filled by nomination and voting at any business meeting of the Association.

 

7. Executive Committee's Powers and Duties

7.1 Powers

  1. The Executive Committee will be empowered to take any action it considers appropriate, by a simple majority vote of the members of the Committee, in any matter concerning the members of the Association that is consistent with the Association's objectives. Members will be informed of any such action as soon as possible, and an appropriate item will be placed on the Agenda of the next general meeting of the Association.
  2. The Committee shall have power to appoint subcommittees to deal with specific issues and to co-opt persons (who may or may not be members) to act in conjunction with the Committee or any subcommittees on particular issues.

7.2 Duties

  1. The Committee will keep proper minutes of all appointments of members and officers and of the proceedings of all meetings of the Association and of the Committee and of all business transacted at such meetings.
  2. It shall be the duty of the Committee to keep usual and proper books of account properly posted up and other records of the business of the Association, and to notify members of intended general meetings and the business to be transacted and to prepare and submit to the Annual General Meeting a report, balance sheet and statement of the accounts for the preceding year.

7.3 The Common Seal

  1. The Common Seal of the Association shall be approved by the Committee. The Secretary shall be responsible for its safe custody and control.
  2. Whenever the Common Seal is required to be affixed to any instrument the Seal shall be affixed pursuant to a resolution of the Committee or Association and witnessed by at least two executive officers of the Association.

 

8. Meetings

8.1 Business Meetings

8.1.1 General Meetings

8.1.1.1 Annual General Meeting

  1. A business meeting of the Association will be timed and placed to coincide with the Annual Conference of the Association. This business meeting will be the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
  2. The time and the place for the Annual General Meeting will be determined by the Executive Committee but no later than 15 months after the last Annual General Meeting.
  3. The Committee is required to give a minimum of three weeks notice of the date, time and venue of the Annual General Meeting.
  4. The Annual General Meeting shall meet for the following purposes:
    (i) To receive from the Committee a report and an audited statement of accounts and balance sheet for the preceding year.
    (ii) To elect the Executive Committee
    (iii) To decide on any resolutions which may have been duly submitted to the meeting.
  5. Annual General Meetings shall be subject to all the procedural requirements of general meetings in addition to those stated in clause 8.1.1.1.

8.1.1.2 Special General Meetings

  1. The Committee may at any time call a special general meeting.
  2. The Committee shall forthwith call, with a 14 day notice period to all financial members, a special general meeting upon requisition in writing by not less than 5 financial members of the Association.
  3. Special General Meetings will be subject to all the procedural requirements of general meetings in addition to those stated in clause 8.1.1.2.
8.1.2 Conduct of General Meetings
  1. A quorum for all general meetings, both Annual and Special, will be 12 financial members.
  2. At all general meetings, the Chairperson or in his or her absence any other person elected by those assembled for the meeting, shall take the chair.
  3. Every member present shall be entitled to one vote on every motion exercised in person. No proxy voting shall be permitted.
  4. The method of voting at general meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless half of the members present demand a ballot, in which case the question will be decided by ballot.
  5. In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairperson of the meeting shall have a casting vote, as well as a deliberative vote.
  6. Resolutions to be considered at a General Meeting will be circulated to financial members of the Association by the Secretary 14 days in advance of the meeting by either post, fax or electronic mail, provided that with the consent of not less than one third of members present the Chairperson shall accept any resolution of which the required prior notice has not been given with the exception of resolutions relating to changes to the constitution.

8. 2 Executive Committee Meetings

  1. The Executive Committee will meet from time to time to conduct the business of the Association.
  2. Meetings of the Committee shall be called by the Secretary and not less than 48 hours' notice shall be given to each officer either orally, in writing, by electronic mail or fax, delivered to their last known address or phone number.
  3. Meetings may be conducted at a specified place or by telephone.
  4. A quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be not less than three members.

 

9. Financial Affairs

9. 1 Control and Investment of the Funds of the Association

  1. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys on behalf of the Association and issue receipts.
  2. The Treasurer shall bank all moneys received in the Association's accounts.
  3. The Treasurer shall keep the books of the Association together with other records that may be found necessary for fully and correctly showing the Association's affairs.
  4. The Treasurer shall prepare a Financial Statement and the Annual Statement of Finance for presentation to each Annual General Meeting
  5. All cheques and withdrawal slips shall be signed by any two of the following officers: Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, or other appointed member of the Executive Committee
  6. The Committee shall appoint an Auditor who shall not be a member of the Association and shall audit the books and accounts of the Association at least once in each year prior to the Annual General Meeting.
  7. Subsidiary Funds may be administered separately by an administrator appointed by the Committee and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting. The duties of this administrator shall conform to those stated above for the Treasurer in regards to the subsidiary fund.

9.2 Power to Borrow Money

  1. The authorisation of a loan has to be through a resolution at a General Meeting.

9.3 Private Pecuniary Profit Prohibited

  1. The income and property of the Association will not be distributed to members for personal profit or gain at any time during or after the existence of the Association. This, however, does not prevent payment to any member for services rendered nor does it prohibit a member from receiving funds as a grant awarded by the Committee to further research in Social Anthropology in accordance with the Association's objectives.
9.3.1 Use of income

Any income, benefit, or advantage obtained by or through the Association shall be applied to the purposes of the Association.

9.3.2 No Personal Influence

No member of the Association or any person associated with a member shall participate in or materially influence any decision made by the Association in respect of the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit, or advantage whatsoever.

9.3.3 Reasonable Remuneration

Any remuneration paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arm's length transaction.

9.3.4 Not removable

The provisions and effect of this clause (9.3 Private Pecuniary Profit Prohibited) and its subclauses shall not be removed from these Rules and shall be included and implied in any rules replacing these Rules.

 

10. The Winding Up of the Association

  1. The Association may be wound up in accordance with Section 24 of the Act, by resolution of the members at a General Meeting which is confirmed subsequently by another General Meeting held not earlier than 30 days after the date on which the resolution was passed.
  2. In the event of the winding up of the Association, the disposition of the assets of the Association shall be decided at the time of the winding up by a General Meeting of the members of the Association with the proviso that all surplus assets and income shall be given or transferred to some other charitable organisation or charitable body within New Zealand.
  3. Members are expressly prohibited from receiving any of the funds and assets distributed at the time of winding up.
  4. The provisions and effect of this clause shall not be removed from these Rules and shall be included and implied in any rules replacing these Rules.

 

11. By Laws

The Association may from time to time by resolution in general meeting make, amend or rescind bylaws not inconsistent with these Rules.

 

12. Changing the Constitution

  1. These Rules may be altered, added to or rescinded by special resolution at any general meeting of the Association subject to the required procedure for that resolution and meeting having been followed with the proviso that such a resolution is approved by a two thirds majority of those voting and further provided that no alteration, addition or rescission shall be permitted that will affect the exclusively charitable nature of the Association and the provisions and effects of clauses 9.3 and 10.
  2. These Rules may also be altered, added to or rescinded by a resolution which is the subject of a postal ballot which allows 28 days before the closing date. Such a resolution must be initiated by at least 10 financial members of the Association who will submit the proposed resolution to the Committee provided that no such alteration, addition or rescission shall be permitted that will affect the exclusively charitable nature of the Association and the provisions and effects of clauses 9.3 and 10.
   

« top of page | contact info | site updates