New Zealand Rehabilitation Association, Inc.

This year's NZRA AGM has been been scheduled to occur during a lunch break in the upcoming AFRM/NIRR/NZRA Rehabilitation Conference.  All NZRA members and any other interested parties are welcome and encouraged to attend! The organisation runs on the goodwill and participation of interested individuals.

Membership forms will be available to anyone attending, and this year the NZRA membership fees has recently been set at a Special Rate of $1.  What have you got to loose!

Most importantly Lunch is provided!

Scheduled Date and Time:

12-1pm, Thursday, 23 July 200

Venue:

Inigo Bar, Rydes Hotel, 38 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown

Agenda:

1. President Report - Will Taylor
2. Financial Report - Speaker: William Levack
3. Achieving Charitable Trust Status - If approved at the AGM, this will require a vote to alter two minor aspects of the NZRA's constitution (see Appendix 1). Speaker: William Levack
4. Membership recruitment - A vote is required on a suggested alteration to the NZRA constitution in order to allow the possibility of free NZRA membership at a later date (see Appendix 2). Speaker: William Levack
5. Term of office for NZRA Executive members - A vote is required on a suggested alteration to the NZRA constitution in order to limit the maximum number of terms an NZRA, members can serve on the executive for any one period of time (see Appendix 3). Speaker: Will Taylor
6. Strategic planning for 2010 - Consultation on development of a Strategic Plan for NZRA for 2010 on. Speaker: Will Taylor
7. Other business

Appendix 1: Achieving Charitable Trust Status

• There are two Act governing charities in NZ: the Charitable Trust Act (1957) and the Charities Act (2005). You can be an Incorporated Society (like the NZRA) and still be a registered charity under the Charities Act (2005) or you can be a Charitable Trust under the Charitable Trust Act (1957) but would still need to be registered under the Charities Act (2005) to get the tax benefits.
• At present we have to pay income tax on our revenue. If we were a registered charity we wouldn't have to.
• The other advantage of being a registered charity is that we would present more clearly as a charitable/not-for-profit organisation to potential sponsors in the future. This would be useful for marketing the NZRA website for instance and would clarify to purpose of the organisation.
• It would appear to be easy for us to become registered under the Charities Act, as our constitution already is aligned with a charitable purpose. All we would need to do is the following:

1. Submit an application to become a registered charity under the Charities Act, including the completion of ‘officers certification form'
2. Alter the clause in our constitution to state that the NZRA is established and maintained exclusively for charitable purposes:

Current wording in our constitution:
"2. OBJECTIVES: within New Zealand:
a) To provide leadership and to advocate for excellence in rehabilitation in New Zealand,
b) To promote interest in and support opportunities for education, training and research of rehabilitation in New Zealand at a public, clinical and political level, and
c) To connect people involved in rehabilitation nationally and internationally."

Proposed revised wording of our constitution #1:
"2. OBJECTIVES: within New Zealand:
a) To advance education, training and research of rehabilitation in New Zealand at a public, clinical and political level,
b) To be beneficial to the community by providing resources and opportunities to connect people involved in rehabilitation nationally and internationally, and
c) To provide leadership and to advocate for excellence in rehabilitation in New Zealand."

Basis for this recommended change to the constitution: the content of the objectives is the same, but the language around the objectives has been altered to better meet the required wording recommended by the charities commission

     3. Alter the clause in our constitution to state clarify that if the NZRA was to finish, any remaining assets would go to one or more organisations that have charitable purposes according to New Zealand Law.

Current wording in our constitution:
"14. WINDING UP:
a) The Association may be wound up or dissolved in any of the ways provided in the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
b) In the even of a winding up or dissolution of the Association, a Special General Meeting of the Association shall be called. The Association shall then proceed forthwith to decide how the surplus assets shall be applied exclusively for charitable purposes in New Zealand which purposes shall, as near as possible, resemble the objects of the Association. A resolution under this rule as to the disposal of surplus assets must be passed by a majority of two thirds of the members present. In the event of the Special General Meeting being unable to pass a resolution required by the provisions of this rule, the provisions of Section 27 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 shall apply."

Proposed revised wording to our constitution #2:
"14. WINDING UP:
a) The Association may be wound up or dissolved in any of the ways provided in the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
b) In the even of a winding up or dissolution of the Association, a Special General Meeting of the Association shall be called. The Association shall then proceed forthwith to decide how the surplus assets shall be distributed, with assets going to one or more organisations that have purposes that are charitable according to New Zealand Law, and shall, as near as possible, resemble the objects of the Association. A resolution under this rule as to the disposal of surplus assets must be passed by a majority of two thirds of the members present. In the event of the Special General Meeting being unable to pass a resolution required by the provisions of this rule, the provisions of Section 27 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 shall apply."

Appendix 2: Membership Recruitment

• The NZRA has a healthy surplus of assets ($53,607.19 at close of business on 31 March 2009) but struggles to recruit members.
• The process for paying membership fees has been identified as a barrier to a) recruitment and b) retention of NZRA members.
• A change to the constitution has been recommended to introduce the option for the NZRA Executive to allow no-fee membership (see below).
• The NZRA Executive would still be required under the constitution to approval all new members.

"9. VOTING:
a) At all general meetings, each financial member present shall be entitled to one vote. At such meetings and at meetings of the Executive, the Chairperson shall be the president of the Association and in his/her absence, an officer elected by the meeting. The Chairperson shall have a deliberative and also a casting vote.
b) Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless a poll is called for by at least two financial members of the Association.
c) The executive shall be empowered to call for a postal vote or referendum of members of the Association on important matters and especially for changes in the Constitution, results shall be binding on the whole Association."

Proposed revised wording to our constitution #3:
"9. VOTING:
a) At all general meetings, each registered member present shall be entitled to one vote. At such meetings and at meetings of the Executive, the Chairperson shall be the president of the Association and in his/her absence, an officer elected by the meeting. The Chairperson shall have a deliberative and also a casting vote.
b) Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless a poll is called for by at least two registered members of the Association.
c) The executive shall be empowered to call for a postal vote or referendum of members of the Association on important matters and especially for changes in the Constitution, results shall be binding on the whole Association."

Appendix 3: Term of office for NZRA Executive members

Current wording in our constitution:
"5. EXECUTIVE:
a) The Association shall have an Executive consisting of at least six members.
b) There shall be a president, secretary and at least four other members, all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. If an Executive position becomes vacant, the Executive shall have the power to co-opt a new Executive member.
c) The Executive shall have the power to make by-laws for the proper and efficient running of the Association.
d) The Executive shall meet at least once in each financial year. The other meetings of the Executive shall be convened by the President and Secretary jointly. Meetings may be by teleconference.
e) Sub-committees may be appointed by the Executive as required but the Chairman and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of the sub-committees.
f) The term of office for President and Secretary shall be two years, but there shall be a maximum term of continuous service of four years."

Proposed revised wording to our constitution #4:
"5. EXECUTIVE:
a) The Association shall have an Executive consisting of at least six members.
b) There shall be a president, secretary and at least four other members, all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. If an Executive position becomes vacant, the Executive shall have the power to co-opt a new Executive member.
c) The Executive shall have the power to make by-laws for the proper and efficient running of the Association.
d) The Executive shall meet at least once in each financial year. The other meetings of the Executive shall be convened by the President and Secretary jointly. Meetings may be by teleconference.
e) Sub-committees may be appointed by the Executive as required but the Chairman and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of the sub-committees.
f) The term of office for President and Secretary shall be two years, but there shall be a maximum term of continuous service of four years.
g) The term of office for members other than president and secretary shall be three years, but there shall be a maximum term of continuous service of six years. Years of service as president or secretary shall not be counted towards the maximum term of six years in this capacity.
h) Following a change in president, the immediate past-president will automatically become an executive member, without need for election."