Constitution of the New Zealand Historical Association Incorporated
December 2021
1. Name
1.1 The name of the Association shall be the New Zealand Historical Association Incorporated.
2. Objectives
2.1 The objectives of the Association shall be to promote historical study, teaching and research.
2.2 The methods used to promote these objectives shall include:
i. regular conferences;
ii. a regularly updated website fostering contact between people and organisations interested in history;
iii. financial or other assistance for the promotion and publication of historical research and study in New Zealand;
iv. raising awareness of the significance of historical scholarship;
v. expression of opinion on issues of public policy which concern historical study, teaching, research and publication;
vi. protecting and enhancing the access of historians to archival and other record collections; and
vii. fostering contact and co-operation with associations with similar objectives
PROVIDED that the aims of the Association shall always be read and applied so as to obtain and retain the non-profit, non-taxable status of the Association.
3. Membership
3.1 Membership shall be open to all individuals and organisations supporting the objects of the Association and paying the appropriate subscription.
3.2 Membership shall be of two kinds: individual and institutional. An organisation which is an institutional member shall be entitled to nominate one representative to speak and vote on its behalf.
3.3 Individual or institutional membership may be terminated by a decision of a majority of members of the Council, by non-payment of the subscription within the period specified in clause 4, or by voluntary resignation.
3.4 Honorary life members: the Council of the Association may nominate as an honorary life member any person who, in its opinion, has rendered outstanding service to the Association or made a notable contribution to its aims and objects. Such a member shall have the same advantages and voting rights as an ordinary member. Such nomination shall be voted upon at the Annual General Meeting of the Association or if appropriate at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose.
4. Subscriptions
4.1 The subscriptions for individual and institutional members shall be proposed from time to time by the Council of the Association in accordance with the procedures laid down in clause 7.2. Subscriptions shall cover the calendar year and are required to be paid from 1st January, being payable by the end of the Association’s financial year on 30th June.
5. Privileges of members
5.1 Each member is entitled to receive a copy of the Annual Report and Balance Sheet, as well as any other papers which the Council shall from time to time designate.
5.2 Members shall be entitled to attend national and regional conferences organised by the Association, and to attend the Annual General Meeting.
5.3 Members, provided they are financial, shall be entitled to elect the Executive of the Association as specified under clauses 6.2 and 6.5.
5.4 With the approval of the Council of the Association, members of the Association in a region or regional centre, or sharing a special interest in historical research, may form a committee to promote the objectives of the Association, provided that such committee shall be financially self-supporting and that an annual report on activities shall be made by the date of the Annual General Meeting to the Council. Such bodies shall be known as Committees of the Association.
5.5 Membership of the Association may also be granted to such groups as may be affiliated to the Association, such groups having as their purpose the promotion of interest and research in particular areas of historical study.
6. Executive and Council
6.1 The role of the Executive and the Council shall be to undertake the orderly conduct of the Association’s affairs on a regular basis and without limiting the generality of the foregoing they shall be responsible for organising the regular conferences as well as the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
6.2 The Executive of the Association shall be the President, the Secretary, Webconvenor and the Treasurer, each elected for a two-year term by a simple majority of those present at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. In the event of the resignation of a member of the Executive between Annual General meetings, the Executive shall appoint a replacement.
6.3 No Executive of the Association shall serve more than two consecutive terms of two years.
6.4 The Executive will have the power co-opt up to three additional members for a term of up to twelve months to fill gaps in its expertise or representativeness.
6.5 In the event of a new Treasurer or Secretary being elected, the outgoing Treasurer or Secretary shall remain on the Executive as ordinary members for a transition period of no more than six months.
6.6 The Council of the Association shall be made up of the Executive of the Association and seven other persons. It shall include:
i. the immediate past President;
ii. six other individual members.
6.7 The six individual members of the Council will be elected by a simple majority of those present at the Annual General Meeting of this Association provided that the number of financial members present is at least ten per cent of the financial membership of the Association.
6.8 The six individual members of the Council should each represent and be ordinarily resident in one of six areas based around Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, provided however that the Council once elected may co-opt to its membership appropriate persons who the Council may, in its discretion, consider as representing areas and / or interest groups not otherwise represented on the Council and whose presence would advance the objectives of the Association.
6.9 The Executive of the Association shall be responsible for calling regular meetings of the Council. Thirty days’ notice of such meetings shall be given. The quorum shall be five.
7. Formulation and implementation of policy
7.1 The Association in general meetings shall frame the general policy of the Association.
7.2 Changes in or additions to the general policy of the Association shall be made at the Annual General Meeting or any Special General Meeting called for the purpose.
7.3 Conferences organised by the Association may propose resolutions on matters concerning historical study, teaching and research, provided that such resolutions are consistent with the general policy of the Association. Such resolutions shall only become policy of the Association when adopted as such by the Association in an Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose.
7.4 The Executive of the Association shall meet from time to time to implement the general policy of the Association and to carry on the administration and management of the Association.
8. Administration of property and funds
8.1 All moneys received by or on behalf of the Association shall forthwith be paid into a bank account opened in the name of the Association. Monies shall not be drawn from this account except on the signature of two members nominated by the Executive of the Association.
8.2 The Association shall have power to borrow or invest moneys in ways determined by the Council.
8.3 The income and property of the Association, however derived, shall be applied by the Executive and the Council of the Association solely towards promotion of the Association’s objectives.
8.4 Where any member is engaged on the Association’s business, the Executive may pay any reasonable expenses to that member.
8.5 No member or person associated with a member shall derive any income, benefit or advantage from the Association where they can materially influence the payment of that income, benefit or advantage, except where that income, benefit or advantage is derived from:
i. Professional services to the Association rendered in the course of business, charged at no greater than the current market rates.
ii. Interest on money lent at no greater than current market rates.
8.6 The Treasurer of the Association shall be required to furnish an annual statement of accounts in compliance with the reporting obligations of Incorporated Societies, as laid down by the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. The statement of accounts shall be distributed to all members and presented for approval to the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
8.7 The Annual General Meeting shall be called at a time deemed appropriate by the Executive. The purpose of the meeting shall be:
i. to make policy for the Association where appropriate;
ii. to elect the Executive of the Association as specified in clause 6.1;
iii. to receive the President’s report;
iv. to consider the annual accounts which shall be distributed to each member prior to or at the annual meeting;
v. to consider such general business as may be appropriate. The Executive shall endeavour to hold the meeting in conjunction with a conference of the Association whenever possible.
8.8 Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members by appropriate notice by email or other electronic format to all members and website notice not less than one month prior to the date of such meeting. The quorum for voting shall be not less than ten percent of the financial membership of the Association.
9. Winding up
9.1 The Association may be wound up in terms of section 24 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
9.2 After the clearance of all encumbrances residual assets are to be distributed to a like-minded organisation for the benefit of historical research and study.
10. Website
10.1 The Web Convenor of the Website shall be appointed by the Council of the Association.
10.2 Any member of the Association may advise the Web Convenor of any information they consider suitable for publication.
10.3 The Web Convenor shall have full control of the contents of the Website provided that the Website shall represent the general policy and objectives of the Association.
11. Amendments to this Constitution
11.1 This Constitution may be altered, added to, rescinded or otherwise amended by a resolution passed by a simple majority of those present at a Special General Meeting brought for the purpose, or the Annual General Meeting, provided that:
i. a quorum for such a purpose shall be ten percent of the financial members;
ii. at least thirty days’ notice of the proposed amendments is given to all members of the Association.
11.2 This Constitution may also be altered, added to, rescinded or otherwise amended by postal or email vote, the procedure for which shall be as follows:
i. The Secretary shall arrange for every financial member of the Association to receive a copy of the proposed amendments together with a voting paper;
ii. Votes must be in the hands of the Secretary not more than thirty days after the date on which the proposed amendments were posted to members.
11.3 Proposed amendments to this Constitution shall be forwarded to the Secretary, who within ninety days of receipt shall submit them to members of the Association as specified in clauses 11.1 and 11.2. Such proposed amendments shall be signed by five members of the Association, one of whom shall be designated as the proposer and another as the seconder.
11.4 No addition, alteration or rescission shall be approved where the same affects the clauses relating to payments to members, the winding up of the Association or the proviso to Clause 2.
The New Zealand Historical Association 