Christchurch Chamber of Trade and Commerce

Rules

 

1.         NAME

The name of the Association is the Christchurch Chamber of Trade and Commerce (‘the Chamber’).

 

2.            OBJECTS AND POWERS

(a)     For the association of traders, manufacturers, professional and other business persons, to consider and promote all such lawful measures, plans and schemes to further, improve and secure the trading and commercial and other interests of the Borough of Christchurch (‘Christchurch’);

(b)     To collect, collate and circulate statistical and other information and to support fair principles of trading for members as will assist them in their commercial or professional pursuits, and to print, publish and distribute circulars, bulletins, journals and such other papers as may be necessary to disseminate such information;

(c)     To advance commercial and technical education;

(d)     To borrow money or raise loans required for the purposes of the Chamber, upon such securities as may be determined;

(e)     To create and foster a spirit of goodwill, friendship and unity among traders of the town and by meetings, discussions, lectures, debates, conferences and other functions to provide facilities for social studies on a friendly basis between all members of the Chamber;

(f)       To subscribe to and support from the funds of the Chamber such local charitable institutions and objects as may be deemed worthy;

(g)     To do all such lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.

 

Provided that the Chamber shall not support with its funds or endeavour to procure the observance by its members or others of any restriction or regulation which if an object of the Chamber would make it a Trade Union.

 

3.             MEMBERSHIP

 

(a)     Full Membership of the Chamber shall be open to all individual persons, companies and firms actively engaged in business in Christchurch.  Full Membership of the Chamber shall cease upon termination of active engagement in business in Christchurch.

(b)     Associate Membership shall be available to all past Full Members who are no longer trading in Christchurch, and to other persons and organisations who are not trading in Christchurch but who support the objectives and activities of the Chamber.  Associate Members will be entitled to all the benefits of Full Membership at the normal full rate subscription, but will not be eligible to vote at AGMs or special meetings of the Chamber or collectively to occupy more than two places on the Executive Committee at any one time.

(c)     Corporate Membership shall be available to larger organisations actively engaged in business in Christchurch who support the Chamber’s objectives and wish to make a significant contribution to their fulfilment by payment of the larger subscription for Corporate Members and by helping in other ways.  Corporate Members shall be entitled to all the benefits of Full Membership and shall be entitled to identify themselves as Corporate Members on their letterheads and other corporate documents while their membership is maintained at that level.

(d)     The membership category of Corporate Affiliate shall be available to any larger organisation not actively engaged in business in Christchurch which supports the Chamber’s objectives and wishes to make a significant contribution to their fulfilment by payment of the larger subscription for Corporate Affiliates and by helping in other ways.  Corporate Affiliates shall be entitled to identify themselves as such on their letterheads and other corporate documents while their membership is maintained at that level.  They will be entitled to all the benefits of Corporate Membership at the same subscription rate, except that they will not be eligible to vote at AGMs or special meetings of the Chamber or collectively to occupy more than one place on the Executive Committee at any one time.

(e)     Applications for membership in any of the above four categories shall be received by the Executive Committee, who shall consider the same, but shall have power to refuse an application for membership in any category without assigning a reason.

(f)       Any member in any category who shall commit any act or express any opinion calculated to injure or discredit the Chamber may be expelled from the Chamber by a resolution of the Executive Committee. Such member shall be allowed to appeal against such expulsion to a special meeting of the Chamber.

(g)     The Chamber shall have power to elect by ordinary resolution, in Annual General Meeting, Honorary Life Members; Honorary Life Membership shall be conferred only as a mark of recognition for outstanding services to the Chamber.  No person who is not an existing or former paid-up Full Member shall be eligible for election as an Honorary Life Member.  Once elected as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to confirm the continuance of his or her name on the roll of Honorary Life Members at any subsequent meetings of the Chamber.  Honorary Life members shall have no voting rights at any meetings of the Chamber or its committees, nor shall they be required to pay any subscriptions or other dues as a condition of continued membership.

 

4.            SUBSCRIPTIONS

Every member shall pay an annual subscription as determined at the Annual General Meeting of the Chamber.

 

(a)     All subscriptions shall become due on the first day of January in each year and an invoice will be sent out by the Honorary Secretary at that date.  No member shall be entitled to vote at any meeting unless his subscription shall have been previously paid.

(b)     If payment of subscription is not made by 30 June without good cause, membership shall cease automatically, due notice having been issued by the Honorary Secretary.

 

5.            OFFICERS

The Officers of the Chamber shall be a President, Senior Vice-President, a Junior Vice President, an Honorary Treasurer, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Auditor and an Honorary Solicitor.

 

6.         THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

(a)     The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and a maximum of sixteen members.  The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt as may be deemed necessary.

(b)     The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint such Sub-Committees as may be deemed necessary.

(c)     The Executive Committee may co-opt to any of their Sub-Committees should the occasion arise.

(d)     The Officers named in paragraph 5 shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(e)     The Executive Committee shall be elected for four years on a rotational basis.

(f)       Not more than two Associate Members and one Corporate Affiliate may be members of the Executive Committee at any one time.

 

7.            EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

All nominations for Officers and membership of the Executive Committee shall be made in writing signed by two members and by the nominee consenting to serve, and sent to the Secretary, not later than twenty eight days before the Annual General Meeting, who shall send a final list and resume of those seeking re-election, and those nominated, no later than twenty one days before the Annual General Meeting.

 

8.            ATTENDANCE AND VACANCIES

The attendance of members of the Executive Committee shall be duly recorded by the Secretary.

 

Any member, or co-opted member of the Executive Committee failing to attend three consecutive meetings without an acceptable apology shall automatically cease to be a member thereof.  In the case of an elected member of the Executive Committee his seat shall be filled at the next Annual General Meeting.

 

Where a member is co-opted on to the Executive Committee he shall complete the term of office of the member whose vacancy he fills.  He may then stand for re-election if he so wishes.

 

In the event of any of the Officers ceasing to serve during the year for any reason the vacancy may be filled as decided by the Executive Committee.

 

9.            HONORARY TREASURER

The Honorary Treasurer shall keep an account of all moneys received and paid by him for and on behalf of the Chamber and shall pay all accounts approved by the Executive Committee.

 

He shall present to the members at the Annual General Meeting a duly audited statement of accounts showing all financial transactions of the Chamber made up to the 31st day of December in each year.  All cheques on the Chamber’s bank account must be signed by any two of the President, Vice President and Treasurer.

 

10.            HONORARY SECRETARY

(a)     The Honorary Secretary shall record the proceedings of all the Executive Committee and General Meetings of the Chamber in Minute Books to be kept for that purpose.  The Honorary Secretary shall maintain a correct roll of members.

(b)     Due notice having been given, the records of the Chamber shall be available for inspection by any member at reasonable hours.

 

11.            ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall be held during February of each year. 

 

12.            GENERAL MEETINGS

The Executive Committee may convene General Meetings of members to consider particular matters.

 

In addition, upon a requisition in writing of seven or more members, the Secretary shall convene such a meeting to be held within twenty one days of the receipt of such requisition.

 

13.            CHAIRMAN

In the absence of the President and the Vice-Presidents from any meeting, the members present at that meeting shall elect a Chairman to preside at that meeting.

 

14.            VOTING

Every fully-paid up member of the Chamber shall have one vote, which may be exercised by a show of hands but it shall be competent for members limited to 10% of those attending before such a vote is taken to require that it shall be taken by ballot.

 

Upon written request to the Honorary Secretary a member may be entitled to a postal vote.

 

When a ballot is to be taken, two persons shall be appointed by the meeting as scrutineers, who shall count the number of votes and report the result in writing to the Chairman of the meeting, who shall declare the results of the ballot to the meeting.  In cases of equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

 

Firms and companies being fully-paid up members of the Chamber may appoint representatives to attend, only one of whom shall be entitled to vote at meetings.

 

Quorum: For the purposes of the Executive Committee a quorum shall be ten persons.  For the purposes of a General Meeting a quorum shall be fifteen voting members.

 

15.             NOTICES OF MOTION

Every fully paid up member of the Chamber has the right to submit a notice of motion in writing to the Secretary, which shall be placed on the agenda for the next meeting, provided it is received by the Secretary at least twenty one clear days before such General Meeting.

 

16.        TRADE SECTIONS

Any number of members of the Chamber, not being less than five, who may desire to associate themselves together in a Trade Section, with a view to presenting more effectually the interest of any particular trade business or profession, may so request the Executive Committee who may authorise the formation of such a Trade Section.  Each such Trade Section shall appoint a Chairman, who shall report to the Executive Committee at the following meeting.

 

The Executive Committee shall have power to dissolve or reconstitute or order the reconstruction of any Trade Section.  An appeal against the decision of the Executive Committee may be made to the next General Meeting of members upon notice being given in accordance with Rule 19.

 

 

 

 

17.             CHANGE TO RULES

No alteration shall be made to these rules except by a resolution duly passed by a three quarters majority of the voting members present and voting at a General Meeting.  Twenty one days notice in writing of any proposed alteration shall be given to all members.

 

18.             NOTICES

A notice may be served by the Chamber upon any member, either personally or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to such member at his last registered place of address.  Any notice sent by post shall be deemed to have been served, and in providing such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope or wrapper containing the notice was properly addressed and posted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MODEL STANDING ORDERS

 

(a)     That at every meeting the Minutes of the preceding meeting be submitted and if approved signed by the Chairman.

(b)     That all communications received by the Secretary or Chairman of the meeting requiring the consideration of the meeting be summarised after the Minutes are confirmed.

(c)     That resolutions of the Committee and its reports and those of its appointed Sub-Committee shall have precedence over ordinary resolutions.

(d)     That only one amendment shall be before a meeting at any one time, which must be decided by the meeting voting for or against it.  Any amendment which is carried shall take the place of the original resolution, and shall be subject to fresh amendments.  No resolution or amended resolution shall be considered as carried until it shall have been voted upon as a substantive resolution after all amendments thereon have been disposed of.

(e)     That no member shall have the right to speak at a General Meeting more than once on the same resolution or amendment except the mover of the resolution who shall have a right of reply.

(f)       In the course of debate a member may ask a question without notice for the purposes of obtaining information on the subject of that debate.  Any such question shall not be deemed to be a speech within the meaning of Standing Order No. 5.

(g)     The decision of the Chairman with regard to the application of these Standing Orders shall be final.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Rules of the Chamber as set out herein were approved at the Annual General Meeting on 22 February 2001.]