All Rotary Clubs in New Zealand are required to update their constitutions and by-laws to comply with recent changes to the Incorporated Societies Act.
While not the most exciting of topics, this is a vital process — without incorporated status, members could be exposed to potential legal challenges. Maintaining incorporation provides protection and is unquestionably the best way forward. The Board has been working with the provided constitution and by-law templates. The constitution is a fixed document, already approved by Rotary and the required external bodies.
The by-laws allow some flexibility, and we have tailored them to better suit our club’s needs. The final version is streamlined, references the constitution where appropriate, and gives us the flexibility to operate effectively and efficiently.
At this meeting, we will also present the annual accounts for acceptance and sign-off. This is earlier than our usual AGM in November, but completing both the constitution/by-law updates and the accounts by 31 October will reduce the administrative requirements that the District would otherwise need from us, including the annual re-negotiation of insurance cover.
Please make every effort to attend on Thursday 30th October for this important session, plus our normal general business and social catch up. A big thank you to the Board, Warren Megget, and John Fothergill for their work in preparing us for this process.