The Constitution
The Constitution of
THE NEW ZEALAND LITERACY ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED
(an affiliate of the International Reading Association)
He kete korero
Nau te rourou
Naku te rourou
Ka ora ai tatou
With your basket of knowledge
and my basket of knowledge
all will benefit
Article I – Name
The name of the Association shall be “The New Zealand Literacy Association Incorporated” referred to in this document as “the Association” or “NZLA”
Article II – Nature AND Purposes
Section 1 – Mission Statement
Section 2 – Purpose
The purposes of the association shall be:
- to encourage and actively promote enjoyment of literacy
- to encourage literacy learning
- to encourage research in literacy education
- to publish results of significant literacy investigations and practices
- to foster continuing literacy education programmes for teachers
- to encourage and support the work of reading/literacy councils in New Zealand
- to provide and promote meetings and conferences on literacy
- to foster national and international co-operation in the field of literacy
- to advise and make representations on matters related to literacy
Section 3 – Affiliation to the International Reading Association
The New Zealand Literacy Association shall be affiliated to the International Association. All executive members of the NZLA shall also be financial members of the International Reading Association. Their membership will be funded by NZLA.
Article III – Membership
Section 1 – Eligibility
Membership shall be open to any individual interested in the purpose of the Association.
Section 2 – Subscriptions
Membership shall be achieved in the first instance through the payment of such annual subscriptions as shall be determined by an annual meeting of a local council to the treasurer of the local council.
Section 3 – National Levies
All financial members of local councils shall be deemed to be members of the New Zealand Literacy Association Incorporated and local councils will pay on their behalf, per capita levy to the national treasurer, at a rate determined by resolution at the Annual Meeting of the Association. However, at the discretion of the executive, levies for a new council may be waived in its first year.
Section 4 – Arrears
A council with levies in arrears shall be notified by the executive before further action is taken.
Section 5 – New Zealand Councils in the International Reading Association
The New Zealand Literacy Association shall encourage individuals to become members of the International Reading Association.
Section 6 – Termination of Membership
Membership of the Association shall be terminated by: voluntary resignation from local council, or upon falling into arrears with the local council subscription beyond a date notified by the local council.
Section 7 – Distribution of Monies
Should a local council go into recess, any assets remaining after the payment of debts and acknowledgment of local support, will revert to the New Zealand Literacy Association.
Article IV – National Committee
Section 1 – Composition
The national committee shall consist of the executive officers of the Association together with one delegate from each New Zealand local council and the Editor of Literacy Forum NZ.
Each council may also be represented at annual and general meetings by no more than two observers who may speak, but who do not have voting rights.
Section 2 – Financial Control
The national committee shall have the power to raise such loans as may be required from time to time or to invest Association funds for the profit of the Association or to make loans to local councils. Such decisions shall be actioned by the executive, and serviced and recorded by the treasurer.
Section 3 – Reimbursement / Koha
The annual meeting may approve a reimbursement / koha at the end of the financial year – the amount to be determined by the meeting. The reimbursement / koha may be paid to the president, secretary, treasurer, and the editor of Literacy Forum NZ.
“Any income, benefit or advantage shall be applied to the objectives of the organisation. No member of the organisation or any person associated with a member shall participate in or materially influence any decision made by the organisation in respect of the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit, of advantage whatsoever Any such income shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arm’s length transaction (being open market value).”
If a paying organisation puts in place a process for making a reasonable estimate of the amount of expenditure likely to be incurred by a volunteer for whom reimbursement is payable, payments based on that estimate will also be treated as exempt income.
Section 4 – Voting Rights
Each member of the National Committee, ie the executive officers plus one delegate from each NZ local council, shall be entitled to one vote when voting for executive members, and on remits and motions at Annual Meeting. The forum editor will be entitled to vote at Annual Meeting. In the event of a tie the President has the casting vote.
Article V – Executive
Section 1 – Officers
The executive shall consist of the following officers:
- President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- President Elect, or Past President
- Two other representatives and the proviso to co-opt for special tasks as identified by the executive or by the national committee
Any member of the Association is eligible for election to the executive.
Section 2 – Co-opted Members
The President shall co-opt a secretary and a treasurer, who are members of a local council, for the duration of the President’s term of office.
For the duration of extraordinary assignments, the executive may co-opt not more than two additional members, who have voting rights related to that assignment.
Section 3 – Term of Office
The members of the executive shall serve a three year term, except president elect and past president who shall serve one year, except under extraordinary circumstances when the terms of office will be determined at the Annual Meeting.
Section 4 – Assumption of Office
Elected office bearers shall commence their terms of office immediately after the closure of the annual meeting.
Section 5 – Vacancies
In the event of the office of president becoming vacant the executive shall decide whether the president elect or the past president shall serve the unexpended portion of the president’s term of office in addition to the term for which he or she was elected.
If neither president elect nor past president is available to carry out the president’s duties, the executive shall select a president pro tem to serve the remaining portion of the president’s term of office.
Section 6 – Duties of the President
The president shall serve as the principal executive member of the Association, presiding at meetings, exercising general leadership of the Association and supervision of its affairs and carrying out such additional duties as the executive shall advise.
The president will be a signatory to instruments of the Association.
Section 7 – Duties of the President Elect
The president elect shall serve as a member of the executive and of the national committee, carrying out duties determined by the president and executive particularly in the area of programme development, membership and council relationships.
Section 8 – Duties of the Past President
The past president, after completing a term of office of president, shall serve as a member of the executive and national committee, carrying out duties determined by the president and executive particularly in the area of programme development, membership and council relationships.
Section 9 – Duties of the Secretary
The secretary shall maintain minutes, records and correspondence of the Association, act as secretary to the executive and the national committee, and supervise the election of officers other than that of secretary.
Section 10 – Duties of the Treasurer
The treasurer shall supervise funds held in the name of the Association, receive all monies including council levies, sign cheques and manage online banking, in accordance with budgetary decisions approved by the executive. All payments shall be ratified by the Executive Committee. Prior to the annual meeting of the Association the treasurer shall arrange for a signed audited set of accounts of the Association’s finances to be provided for each member of the national committee in order that they may be ratified at the Annual Meeting.
Section 11 – Duties of the Literacy Forum NZ Editor
The editor shall maintain the NZLA journal (Literacy Forum NZ (Te Korero Panui Tuhituhi o Aotearoa)), presenting perspectives on literacy education at all levels: early childhood, primary and secondary.
Article VI – Nomination and Election of Officers
Section 1
The president elect and two additional representatives shall be elected prior to the Annual Meeting of the national committee of the Association.
Section 2 – Nominations
Nomination of office bearers must be submitted in writing to the secretary by the proposer and seconder councils who are in good standing of the Association, by the date set in the NZLA timeline.
Section 3 – Absence of Nominations
In the event of written nominations not being received, the president, acting in consultation with the national executive may decide to accept nominations from the floor of the meeting.
If no nominations are forthcoming, the executive is to arrange for nominations to be put forward.
Section 4 – Ballots
If more than one nomination is received for a particular office, a ballot shall be held, with the nominee receiving the most votes being declared elected.
The outcome of an election of officers shall be conveyed by the President to members of the Association immediately following the ballot, and the ballot papers destroyed.
The ballot will be taken by a secret written vote.
The President will appoint two independent scrutineers.
Article VII – Meetings
Section 1 – Executive
The executive shall meet, or communicate formally, not less than three occasions each year.
Section 2 – Purpose of Annual Meetings
The Association will call an annual meeting of delegates. The Annual Meeting shall be the legislative body of the Association and shall have authority over the affairs of the Association.
An annual meeting shall have the power to receive recommendations made by the executive and to confirm or reject them.
Section 3 – Notice of Meetings
The Annual Meeting shall be held at a time and in a place determined by the executive. Whenever possible the Annual Meeting should take place in the second weekend in June.
Notice of the Annual Meeting shall be communicated to members of the local councils at least one month in advance of that meeting.
Section 4 – Special Meeting
A special general meeting shall be called on the decision of the executive or that of majority of delegates to the national committee.
A special general meeting may also be called on receipt of a written petition signed by not less than one hundred members of the Association. Such a meeting shall be convened by the secretary.
Notice of a special general meeting shall be sent to local councils at least one month before the date of the meeting.
Section 5 – Postal or electronic Ballots of National Council Delegates
A postal or electronic vote may take place as the result of:
- a resolution of the executive;
- a decision taken at a meeting; or
- a written petition to the secretary, signed by not less than one hundred members
of the Association.
Section 6 – Quorum
A quorum for an annual meeting of the Association shall consist of two thirds of the delegates to the national committee possessing voting rights.
Section 7 – Minutes
Minutes of all annual meetings shall be recorded by the secretary and made available to members of the Association through delegates.
Section 8 – Voting at Meetings
The chairperson of the annual, or special, meetings of the Association shall use any or all of the following procedures for voting according to the necessity to ensure that the decisions of the meeting are democratically defined: – voices, show of hands, secret ballot.
Article VIII Sub-Committees
Section 1
The executive, acting in consultation with the national committee, may form sub-committees to undertake projects related to the purposes of the Association in research, membership, publicity, conferences, study tours, teacher education and finance.
Article IX – Local Councils
Section 1 – Definition
A local council may be formed by ten or more interested members in an area within New Zealand providing the closest established local councils consider that a subdivision is desirable.
Section 2 – Membership and By-laws
Local councils shall send to the secretary of the Association a return of members by 15 April each year.
Local councils shall also send to the national secretary a copy of the council’s by-laws /constitution, policies or procedures. These shall be in accordance with the constitution of the Association.
The secretary must be advised of any changes to local council documentation (which may only occur at local council annual general meeting).
Section 3 – Officers
A local council shall elect office bearers including the council delegate to the national committee of the Association.
Section 4 – Levies
A local council shall determine the level of subscription for members with regard to the levy payable to the Association on behalf of each member.
Section 5 – Programme
It shall be the function of both the executive and the national committee to support the programmes of local councils.
Article X – Disputes
Section 1
In the event of a dispute being referred to the executive and being deemed by the executive to lie within its competence, the decisions of the executive, ratified by the national committee, shall be binding upon all members.
Article XI – Amendments to the Constitution
Section 1 – Amendments
Amendments to the constitution may only be made by a vote of at least two thirds of members of the national committee present at an annual meeting of the Association. No addition to or alteration of the charitable objects, personal benefit clause or the winding up clause shall be approved without the approval of the Inland Revenue Department and the provisions and effect of this clause shall not be removed from this document.
Section 2 – Motions
Motions incorporating amendments to the constitution may be tabled at an annual meeting by any committee member or local council. Such motions are to be forwarded to the secretary of the Association at least six weeks before a general meeting.
The secretary shall ensure that all motions relating to changes to the constitution and received within the prescribed time are forwarded to all delegates of the Association.
The secretary shall ensure that all motions relating to changes to the constitution and received within the prescribed time are forwarded to all members of the national committee at least one month before the date of the next general meeting.
Article XII – Dissolution
Section 1i
In the event of the Association being dissolved, the executive, after settling the accounts for which the Association is liable, shall dispose of remaining assets to approved charitable organisations or groups concerned with the improvement of literacy in New Zealand.
Section 1ii
The objects shall be limited to within New Zealand
Addendum to Constitution
Koha Payments
The Koha is intended to cover the following for each office holder.
President
- Incidental private mileage, on NZLA behalf, not claimed for elsewhere.
- Use of home space as an office space.
- Storage of documents, files etc as required for the position.
- Stationery and consumables not claimed for elsewhere.
- Incidental use of internet and phone for communication, for NZLA, not claimed for elsewhere.
Secretary
- Incidental private mileage, on NZLA behalf, not claimed for elsewhere.
- Use of home space as an office space.
- Storage of documents, files etc as required for the position.
- Stationery and consumables not claimed for elsewhere.
- Incidental use of internet and phone for communication, for NZLA, not claimed for elsewhere.
Treasurer
- Incidental private mileage, on NZLA behalf, not claimed for elsewhere.
- Use of home space as an office space.
- Storage of documents, files etc as required for the position.
- Stationery and consumables not claimed for elsewhere.
- Incidental use of internet and phone for communication re finances, for NZLA, not claimed for elsewhere.
Forum Editor
- Incidental private mileage, on NZLA behalf, not claimed for elsewhere.
- Use of home space as an office space.
- Storage of documents, files etc as required for the position.
- Stationery and consumables not claimed for elsewhere.
- Incidental use of internet and phone for communication with writers etc, for NZLA, not claimed for elsewhere.
Website Co-ordinator
- Incidental private mileage, on NZLA behalf, not claimed for elsewhere.
- Use of home space as an office space.
- Storage of documents, files etc as required for the position.
- Stationery and consumables not claimed for elsewhere.
- Incidental use of internet and phone for communication and website access, for NZLA, not claimed for elsewhere.
