Rules of the Hamilton Bonsai Club

1 TITLE

The name of the club shall be the Hamilton Bonsai Club hereafter referred to as the ‘Club’.

2 UNLIMITED NUMBER

The club shall consist of an unlimited number of members who are interested in Bonsai culture.

3 OBJECTIVES

The Objectives of the club shall be to

  • Re-create the spirit of nature with the art of bonsai.
  • Exchange Bonsai knowledge and experience.
  • Further the art of Bonsai Culture
  • And foster the spirit of Bonsai fellowship throughout the world.
4 APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

On membership admission to the club each new member shall be bound by the rules of the club.

5 SUBSCRIPTION

The Club year shall be deemed to commence on the first day of April and end on the thirty first day of March as this aligns with the tax year.

The amount of the annual subscriptions and beginners bonsai class fees can be made by the committee with a simple 70% majority agreement of the committee. This allows a change in subscriptions/fees to be implemented at the start of the next financial/calendar year.

Club Subscriptions

> Sign up April-Sep pay 12 months subscription to the following 31 Mar.

– This includes Beginner Bonsai Class Members on the February Class.

Example: Feb 2024 class members would be signed up until 31st March 2025.


> Sign up Oct-Mar pay 6 months subscription to the following 31 Mar.

– This applies to those members of the public who sign up at the HBC Annual show or attend a club day after the 1st October.

– Also, to those Beginner Bonsai Class members in the August class.

Example: Aug 2024 class members would be signed up until 31st March 2025.


6 NON PAYMENT OF SUBSCRIPTION

No member shall be entitled to vote at any meeting whose subscription for the previous year has not been paid in full.

7 SALES

Commissions of 10% of private sales shall be payable to the club at any activity organised by the club such as workshops, shows etc

8 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The affairs of the club shall be managed by the executive committee.

The committee may have that number of members as necessary to carry out the functions of the Hamilton Bonsai Club. This will include, but not be limited to, the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

All members shall have been elected at the Annual General Meeting of the club. A President may be elected for any number of terms. After a term in office the President may become an advisor to the committee at their discretion or stand for a general committee position if they choose.

A casual vacancy among the elected members of the executive shall be filled by the committee for the remainder of the year.

9 DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY AND TREASURER

The Secretary and Treasurer are to attend each meeting of the executive committee, keep minutes of the proceedings read and file all communications and other papers, issue notices of meetings where directed or required by the rules and conduct correspondence. The treasurer shall collect all subscriptions and other revenue and shall keep a correct account of all monies paid to and by the club and prepare a statement of Income and Expenditure and a Balance Sheet of the Club as on the last day of March each year.

The Secretary shall read the minutes of the previous committee meeting.

10 ANNUAL REVIEWER

One Reviewer shall be selected by the Hamilton Bonsai Club Committee whose duty it shall be to check and review the books and accounts, examine and prove the assets, and see that a true and proper statement of Income and Expenditure and a Balance sheet is prepared.

11 POWER OF EXECUTIVE

The Executive Committee shall have the management and control of all the property and funds of the club subject to the provisions of these rules and of any resolutions passed in pursuance of the same by the club in general meeting. All monies paid to the club shall be paid to the credit of the Hamilton Bonsai Club.

12 AFFILIATION WITH OTHER CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS

The Committee shall have the right to affiliate with other clubs or associations subject to the approval of members obtained in General meeting.

13 REVISION OF EXECUTIVE

The Committee shall have the Power to make and enforce these rules for the guidance of members and alter or amend the same from time to time as it shall think necessary to safe guard the interests of the Club. Such resolutions, rules, or by-laws shall be subject to revision or alteration, or if necessary rejection by a General Meeting or other meeting of the Club having notice of such business but no General Meeting or other meeting of the club shall repudiate any acts done by the committee so long as they are in accordance with the fundamental objects of the club.

14 MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The committee shall meet at such times as shall be deemed advisable.

Meetings of the committee shall be presided over by the President, or in his/her absence, by one of the committee.

Decisions by the committee shall be decided by the majority of votes and in the case of equality of the vote, the chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

A quorum of Executive Committee shall consist of five members.

15 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Club shall hold an Annual General Meeting in June of each year to

  1. Receive the report of the Executive Committee.
  2. Receive the statement of accounts, the balance sheet, and the auditor’s report.
  3. Elect Executive Officers for the ensuing year.
  4. Consider, and if necessary, take action with reference to any business or motion, of which due notice has been given, on which the majority of those present may determine to entertain.
16 LIFE MEMBERSHIP

Life Membership can be awarded to recognise outstanding service to the club over many years. This is to be at the discretion of the Committee.

17 SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special meetings of the club may be convened by the President or at the request of at least three members of the committee, or on the requisition of not less than eight members of the club.

Notice calling such a meeting shall be given to members at least fourteen days prior to the date of the meeting.

Notice of such a meeting shall indicate the business for which the meeting has been called.

18 VOTING AT ANNUAL OR SPECIAL MEETINGS

Every question submitted to such a meeting shall, unless unanimously decided, be decided in the first instance by a show of hands, but immediately after the declaration by the Chairperson of the result of the voting, a poll may be demanded by any three members present and must be taken on the same day. The result of this poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.

19 AMMENDMENT OF THE RULES

(a) These rules shall not be added to, amended or rescinded except at an Annual or Special General Meeting.

(b) Notice of the proposed alterations to the rules shall be given to all members with notice of the Annual or Special General Meeting.

(c) No personal benefit clause shall be added to the rules or any addition, alteration or revision of rule 19 or 20 without the approval of the Inland Revenue Department.

(d) No addition to or alteration or recession of the rules shall be approved if it affects the non profit aims, pecuniary profit or the winding up clause. The provisions and effects of this clause shall not be removed from this document and shall be included and implied into any document replacing this document.

20 WINDING UP

(a) Winding up of the club must be determined by resolution at a General Meeting. A two thirds majority vote by members present at the meeting shall be required for winding up to proceed.

(b) This resolution must be notified to all members in writing and be confirmed at a subsequent Special General Meeting called for that purpose and held not earlier than 30 days after the date on which the resolution was originally passed.

(c) If upon winding up or dissolution of the organisation there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the organisation but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable organisation or body having objectives similar to the objectives of the first organisation, or for some other charitable purpose within New Zealand and in default thereof by the High Court of New Zealand.

21 GENERAL

Any case not provided for in these rules or any question arising from their interpretation shall be decided by the Executive Committee. All members shall be deemed to have notice and be bound by these rules.