Equestrian . . .
About Us » Constitution
As at 2006
1. Name
The club should be called the Canterbury Riding Club
2 Objectives
The objectives for which the club is established are
1. To be a member of the New Zealand Riding Clubs' movement and to uphold its objectives and aims.
2. To encourage riding as a sport and recreation, to promote good fellowship amongst riders and to improve and maintain a standard of riding and horsemanship.
3. To organise instructional meetings, lectures and competitive events and any other activities deemed to further the objectives of the club.
4. To be affiliated to the New Zealand Equestrian Federation (Inc.) and the New Zealand Riding Club (Inc.).
5. To co-operate with recognised organisations interested in the breeding of horses and ponies.
6. To co-operate with New Zealand Bridleways to improve the access of horses to tracks and Bridleways. Affiliation to New Zealand Bridleways will be decided annually at the Annual General Meeting.
7. To concern itself with any matter which may benefit the horse and horse user.
8. To do all such things which are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives.
3. Membership.
3.1 Persons of either gender shall be eligible for full membership provided they are 17 years of age.
3.2 The committee may at its discretion either grant or refuse an application for membership, and in the latter case, without giving reason for refusal.
3.3 There shall be the following categories of membership:
a. Single membership.
b. Family membership consisting of members of the same family residing at the same address. Such membership shall entitle the family to one vote only and to one newsletter per family.
c. Honorary membership.
d. Life membership.
e. Associate membership.
3.4 The committee shall have power to elect as Honorary members without payment of any further subscription, any member who shall in the opinion of the committee have rendered notable services to the Club. Honorary membership is deemed as annual membership with full rights and privileges of membership.
3.5 Life membership may only be granted to such members upon election at a general meeting.
3.6 The committee shall have power to elect associate members on such terms and paying such subscriptions as they may determine. Associate members shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of membership except they shall not be qualified to be officers or members of the committee, or to vote as members or to claim any share of the property of the club upon its dissolution.
4. Committee.
4.1 The club shall be managed by a committee of members and shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and not more than 10 other members.
4.2 The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the Committee shall be elected at the AGM and subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise shall remain in office until their successors are appointed at the Annual General Meeting next following their appointment.
4.3 The committee shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur.
4.4 The retiring officers and other members of the committee shall be eligible for re-election.
4.5 Without prejudice to the general powers conferred by the Rules the committee shall have the following powers:
a. It should be responsible for the management of the affairs of the club including the control and investment of the clubs funds.
b. It may appoint sub-committees from among its members and delegate any of its powers to such sub-committees and make rules for regulating the proceedings of such sub-committees. The role of a sub-committee shall be to undertake special projects on behalf of the committee to which it shall report. The president shall be an ex-officio of all sub-committees.
4.6 Members elected to the committee shall not be liable for membership fees, but still retain the full rights and privileges of single membership holders.
4.7 Committee members shall vacate office on the happening of any of the following:
1. Resignation in writing to the Secretary
2. They are absent from three (3) consecutive committee meetings without due cause
3. Committee members are not seen to be providing notable service to the club throughout their term.
In the event of (1) or (2) above the committee member will cease immediately. If a committee member is to vacate office in the event of (3) above, the following procedures must be followed. Actioned by the Committee : One (1) verbal warning, followed by (1) written warning if the problem has not been rectified within an agreed time set by the committee. Then by committee majority vote, the committee member in question will be required to pay full Membership fees for the entire year. If not paid within one month of the Committee vote, the Committee Member in question will cease to be a member of the Canterbury Riding Club.
Actioned by Canterbury Riding Club Member(s) : One(1) verbal or written complaint to the Committee. This will be minuted in the next committee meeting and a reply of the outcome will be given to the member(s). If the Member(s) are not satisfied with the Committee's actioning of the complaint then formal written complaint, signed by not less than five (5) Canterbury Riding Club Members, is to be tabled at the next committee meeting. There must be at least one (1) of the complainants present at the meeting able to discuss the issue.
5. Financial Year.
The financial year of the club shall be from the 1st day of April in one year to the 31st day of March in the next year.
6. Joining Fee.
Such joining fee as the committee may determine shall be payable by a prospective member/s and shall be paid with the first annual subscription. No prospective member shall be entitled to the privileges of membership until payment of the entrance fee and the first annual subscription.
7. Subscriptions.
7.1 Subscriptions shall be due on the first day of April in every year. If a subscription has not been paid within two months of the due date, the defaulter shall cease to be a member of the club. If a satisfactory explanation is given to the committee, they may, at the discretion of the committee be readmitted to membership on payment of all arrears without payment of any further entrance fee.
7.2 The annual subscription and entrance fee for the following year shall be determined at the preceding Annual General Meeting.
7.3 Any member joining the club within three months of the end of the current financial year may at the sole discretion of the committee pay only the joining fee.
8. Annual General Meeting.
8.1 A general meeting of the club shall be held in every year within two months of the end of the financial year of the club to transact the following business;
a. To receive and if approved to adopt a statement of the clubs accounts to the end of the proceeding year.
b. To consider and if approved, sanction any duly made alteration of the rules.
c. To elect the President and other members of the committee.
d. To deal with any special matter which the committee desires to bring before the members and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the committee.
e. To appoint an auditor or auditors.
8.2 Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to the members not less than fourteen days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
9. Special General Meeting.
9.1 A special general meeting may be convened at any time by the committee and shall be convened within 21 days from the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than five members specifying the object of the meeting for any of the following purposes:
a. To consider and if approved, sanction any duly made alteration of the rules.
b. To deal with any special matter which the committee may desire to place before the members.
c. To receive the resignation of the committee or to remove any members thereof from office and to fill any vacancy or vacancies caused thereby.
d. To deal with any special matter which the members requiring the meeting, may desire to place before the club.
9.2 Notice convening a Special general meeting shall be sent to members not less than fourteen days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.
9.3 In the event of the committee failing or neglecting to so convene a Special general meeting the members shall have the right to convene such Special general meetings and all decisions at that meeting shall be binding on the club, providing the is a quorum present at the meeting.
10. Notices.
Notices of all annual general meetings and of all special general meetings of the club shall be deemed to be duty given if posted to the last known address in NZ of the member as registered in the records of the club. The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or non receipt of a notice of a meeting by any member, shall not necessarily invalidate the proceedings of that meeting. In any event, such notices shall be advertised in at least one edition of the local newspaper.
11. Quorum.
At committee meetings a quorum of at least fifty percent of the committee members are required. At general meetings a quorum shall be not less than twenty percent of the club members. At any meeting, if a quorum be not present within half an hour of the appointed time, that meeting shall be adjourned. There must be a quorum present at the start of, and throughout, the meeting.
12. Resolutions
Subject to clauses 15 and 20, no resolution at any annual or special general meeting shall be deemed to have been passed unless it be carried by a majority of the members voting thereon.
13. Chair at Meetings
At committee meetings and at general meetings the President shall reside and shall have a casting vote, except for the election of officers
14. Bylaws.
The committee shall have power to make , alter or rescind bylaws not inconsistent with these rules for the conduct and behaviour of members or any other related matter to the affairs of the club. Bylaws shall take effect and become binding on all members 14 days after notice of the bylaws have been given by circular letter to all members, unless within that time written notice of objections signed by five members is received by the secretary in which case such notice shall be deemed to be a requisition for the purpose of convening a special general meeting of members.
15. Alteration of the Rules.
15.1 The committee shall have power to alter the rules but no such alteration shall take effect until same has been confirmed at the Annual general meeting or at a special meeting convened for the purpose.
15.2 These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any annual or special general meeting provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it be carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members voting thereon.
16. Safety
Current approved safety standard helmets shall be worn at all club jumping events and hard hats shall be worn at all other events. Acceptable riding attire including hats and safe footwear shall be worn at all times while mounted.
17. Competition Rules
For competitions and demonstrations, the committee may formulate additional rules and in such case, such rules shall be advertised prior to the competition or demonstration.
18. Resignation.
A member desiring to withdraw from the club must give notice in writing to the secretary on or before the 1st April in any year otherwise the subscriptions for the ensuing year shall be payable.
19. Expulsion of Members
The Committee may at any time by letter, invite any member within a specified time to retire from membership for breach of these rules or misconduct and in default of such retirement may deal with the question of such expulsion at a meeting of the committee to be held within three calendar months from the date of the letter and at such meeting the member who expulsion is under consideration shall be allowed to offer an explanation, verbally or in writing and if there upon two thirds of the members of the committee present shall vote for expulsion such member shall forthwith cease to be a member. Any refund of membership fees will be at the discretion of the committee.
20. Dissolution
If at any general meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the club shall be passed by a majority of the members present and such resolution shall at a special general meeting, held not less than one month thereafter, at which not less than one half of the members shall be present, be confirmed by a resolution proceed to realise the property of the Club and after the discharge of all liabilities shall divide the same equally among all members and upon the completion of such division the Club shall be dissolved.