Our Constitution

Articles of Association for HASCA

Articles of Association for Homeschool Auckland Sports and Cultural Association Incorporated

1 Name
The name of the association shall be ‘Homeschool Auckland Sports and Cultural Association Incorporated’.

2 Objects
a) To foster and administer the entry of the child or children of members into appropriate secondary schools and/ or other schools catering for other age groups, where appropriate, for the purposes of the children participating in sports, education, and cultural events.
b) Where appropriate and in the most beneficial way practicable to encourage, conduct, and facilitate the participation of homeschooled children in sports, education, and cultural events.
c) To promote public awareness of the benefits of the children of members through being involved in sporting, educational, and cultural events.

3 Membership
a) Ordinary Members – Any person whose child holds a current “Certificate of Exemption (from enrolment at a registered school)” from the Ministry of Education (or is applying) or that homeschooled child is over sixteen years of age.
b) Honorary Member – Any person, whom the Association or the Executive deems appropriate to further the objectives of the Association, may be invited to Honorary Membership status and be Non-Paying. An Honorary Member shall not be eligible to vote at any General and/or Executive Meeting.
c) Associate Member – Associate member may be any person wanting to participate in a HASCA event or team who does not have homeschool status. They may apply for associate membership status. This will entitle them to become an associate member of HASCA. Such members have speaking rights but shall not be eligible to vote at any General and/or Executive Meeting.

4 Levy
a) Each member/family other than an Honorary member will pay an annual fee as decided at the Annual General Meeting at the recommendation of the Executive.
b) Levies shall be payable to the Association within 30 days of Joining the Association.
c) Any member whose subscription has not been paid within 30 days shall be deemed to be un-financial and shall forfeit all rights of membership.

5 Termination of Membership
Membership of the Association may cease in accordance with any of the following:
a) A member who relinquishes his/her exemption for homeschooling within the Auckland region shall cease to be a member.
b) A member who moves outside of the Auckland region shall cease to be a member.
c) Any person may resign from membership and/or the Executive by advising the committee in writing.
d) The Executive may expel or suspend from membership any member who commit a break of the Rules or is guilty of conduct which the Executive considers is detrimental to the interests and objectives of the Association. Such action shall require the unanimous approval of the executive.
The Member concerned shall have the right to appear before the Executive to give an explanation in defence before the decision of the Executive is made, provided that the Association shall not be responsible for any expenses incurred by that matter.

6 General Meetings
Notice of any General Meeting of the Association shall be circulated to all Members at least two weeks before the date of the meeting.

a) Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a date to be decided by the Executive but shall take place before 31 March each year (except in its inaugural year). The Executive shall decide the place and the date and shall be communicated to all Members at least 4 weeks before the date of the meeting. The business of the meeting shall be to receive the Annual Report, to approve accounts (may be audited), to elect Executive Members as required by these Rules/Constitution and to transact any other business.

b) Special General Meeting
The Executive may at any time and shall upon the written request of the financial members, convene a Special General Meeting for any specific purpose. Such meeting shall be held not more that six weeks after the receipt of the request.

The quorum at any of the above meetings shall be 8 financial members, including the President, Secretary, and Treasurer (or their proxies from the executive).

7 Voting
a) All financial Ordinary members shall be eligible to vote at all General Meetings.
b) Voting at any General or Executive Meeting shall be by voices or show of hands, except that a ballot shall be held if any member requests it.
c) At any Meeting at which the President is in the chair, the President shall have casting votes as well as a personal vote.

8 Executive
a) The Executive shall consist of at least 5 members and no more than 10 elected members.
b) Members of the Executive shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting (except in its first year when members are nominated so as to set up the Association and call its first general meeting. This first general meeting is to be held within 12 months of forming the Association).
c) The term of office for each Executive Member shall be up to a maximum of three years and may be extended for up to another three years if so decided by the members.
d) The Executive will elect positions within the Executive at its first meeting after the Annual General Meeting.
e) The quorum at any Executive Meeting shall be 3.
f) A member of the Executive may call a meeting at any time, and shall be held within fourteen days of receipt by the President.
g) In the event of an Executive Member resigning or becoming ineligible for office before the expiry of his/her term of office, the replacement Executive Member elected at the next Annual General Meeting will have tenure in office for whatever period of time remained for the replaced Executive Member.
h) The Executive may appoint an Ordinary Member to fill a vacancy for the period up until the Annual General Meeting.

9 Powers and Duties of the Executive
a) The Executive shall carry out the Objectives in accordance with these Rules and shall decide any matter not herein included provided the decision is consistent with the exclusively charitable nature of the Association.
b) The Executive shall meet at least three times a year. Meetings over and above these three meetings may be carried out over the internet.
c) The Executive shall facilitate the establishment and running of the Auckland Homeschool Sports and Cultural Association Incorporated.
d) The Executive shall have the power to appoint sub-committees as required and appoint representatives on any committee.

10 Honorary Auditor
The Honorary Auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall not be the Treasurer of the Association. The Executive shall fill a vacancy occurring in the said office during the year.

11 Finance
a) The Association shall have a current account at a bank approved by the Executive, which may be operated by any two Executive Members.
b) The financial year of the Association shall be from 1 January to 31 December.
c) The Association shall have power to administer funds to carry out its duties and pay subscriptions for participation in sport and cultural events sanctioned by the Association.
d) No Member of the Association shall receive any profit or employment from the Association, but members may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred when on the Association’s business, subject to the approval of the Executive.

12 Common Seal
The common seal of the Association will be held at the registered office of the Association and maybe used on documents issued in the name of the Association to show their validity. Only members of the Executive Committee shall be authorised to use the common seal.

13 Borrowing of Money
Any loans raised must be approved at wither the Annual or Special General Meeting and must be directly related to the objects in article 2 above.

14 Alterations
a) The Rules may be altered, added to, or rescinded at a Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting of the Association, provided that:
(i) No alteration, addition or rescission shall detract from the exclusively charitable nature of the Association.
(ii) Two thirds of those present and eligible to vote are in favour.
b) Notice of the proposed changes shall be sent in writing to all Members at least fourteen days prior of the date of the Meeting.

15 Winding Up
The Association may be wound up if a General Meeting passes a resolution by a simple majority, requiring the Association to be would up. That resolution is to be confirmed at a subsequent Special General Meeting called for that purpose, and held no earlier than thirty days after the date son which the resolution is to be confirmed was passed. Such second meeting may also direct the method of disposition of the funds and property of the Association. Provided that such funds and property shall not be distributed amongst Members, but paid to or distributed between one or more charitable organisations in New Zealand. These organisations having charitable objectives similar to the Association or are related to home schooling.