THESE RULES RESCIND ALL PREVIOUS RULES
RULES OF THE WAIKATO HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED) (updated February 2007)
(1) NAME
The name of the Society is WAIKATO HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED) hereinafter referred to as "the Association".
(2) OBJECTS
The objects of the Association are:
(a) TO promote and develop the sport of hockey;
(b) TO provide playing and other facilities for hockey including but not limited to the provision of artificial playing surfaces;
(c) TO undertake on its own behalf fundraising activities, the securing of new grounds for hockey, the arranging of sponsorships and other financial assistance, liaison with government and local bodies, the provision of coaching and any other activities to further hockey;
(d) TO prosecute or defend and make submissions on or in any actions suits applications investigations inquiries or proceedings before any court body of tribunal whatsoever whether by itself or in conjunction with any other person or body and whether on behalf of itself or one or more of its members as may be necessary in the interests of the Association and/or its members;
(e) TO take such other steps as may from time to time be deemed desirable to protect or develop the interests of the Association or its members or the sport of hockey;
(f) TO make such regulations and by-laws for its members and persons dealing with them as may be considered necessary or expedient for attaining any of its objects and to rescind or alter such regulations and by-laws;
(g) TO buy or otherwise acquire sell improve manage develop exchange lease let take on lease or rent mortgage charge dispose of or otherwise deal with real and personal property of all kinds or any interest therein and to invest deal with and turn to account all or any part of the Association's property or rights;
(h) TO carry on any other undertaking which may seem to the Association capable of being conveniently carried on in connection with these objects or calculated directly or indirectly to enhance the value or render valuable any of the Association's property or rights;
(i) TO enter into any arrangement for sharing profits union of interests co-operation joint venture reciprocal concession or otherwise, with any person or company carrying on or engaged in, or about to carry on or engage in, any business or transaction which this Association is authorized to carry on or engage in, or any business or transaction capable of being conducted so as directly or indirectly to benefit this Association;
(j) TO enter into any arrangements with any governments or authorities supreme municipal local or otherwise that may seem conducive to the Association's objects, or any of them, and to obtain from any such government or authority any rights privileges and concessions which the Association may think it desirable to obtain, and to carry out exercise and comply with any such arrangements rights privileges and concessions;
(k) TO borrow or raise or secure the payment of money in such manner as the Association shall think fit charged upon all or any of the Association's property both present and future,
(1) TO draw accept make endorse discount execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange, bills of lading, warrants, debentures and other negotiable or transferable instruments;
(m) TO take such other steps in pursuance of this Constitution as may from time to time be deemed expedient or necessary to protect the interests of the Association;
(n) TO obtain a Licence under the Sale of Liquor Act (1962) or any subsequent legislation;
(o) GENERALLY to do by all lawful means such acts matters and things as may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects hereinbefore stated.
(3) CONSTITUTION
(a) The Waikato Hockey Association (Inc) is an Association of the members of all Hockey Clubs and Sub-Associations, such membership to be limited to Clubs, Schools and Sub-Associations within the Region of Waikato or such part or parts thereof as may from time to time be under the jurisdiction of the Association as approved by the New Zealand Hockey Federation (Inc).
(b) Every member of a Club, School or Sub-Association affiliated to the Association shall be deemed to be a member of the Association, and every member of a Club, School or Sub-Association which shall be hereafter affiliated to the Association, shall be deemed to become a member of the Association upon the affiliation of the Club, School or Sub-Association to which such member belongs, and to cease to be a member of the Association when such Club, School or Sub-Association shall cease to be affiliated to the Association. No such member shall have any right to take part in the management or affairs of the Association except by the delegates of such Club, School or Sub-Association as are hereinafter provided, or by virtue of any position as an Officer of the Association;
(c) Any new Club, School or Sub-Association desiring affiliation to the Association must apply in writing to the Secretary, and be duly proposed and seconded by two affiliated Clubs, Schools or Sub-Associations, and elected by vote of majority present at a General or Management Committee meeting.
REGISTERED OFFICE
The Registered office of the Association shall be at the office or residence of the Secretary for the time being or such other place or places as the Management Committee shall from time to time decide.
AFFILIATION TO N.Z.H.F. (INC.)
The Association shall be affiliated to the New Zealand Hockey Federation (Inc) and shall adopt the Rules of Hockey as approved from time to time by that body.
OFFICERS
(6) (a) The officers shall be elected annually and consist of a President and Vice-President.
(b) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually, should there be no paid official of the Association to undertake the duties and powers of such an office;
(c) The Coaching Director shall be elected annually;
(d) Notwithstanding anything contained in Rule (b) or any other rule of these Rules any person who is a paid official of the Association shall not have a vote at any general meeting of the Association or at any meeting of any committee or, sub committee of the Association or of the Management or any other committee of the Association.
DELEGATES
(7) (a) No Affiliated Body shall have any night to take part in the management or affairs of the Association except by delegates as hereinafter provided. The delegates for each year shall hold office until the Annual General Meeting in the following year, when the new delegates for the ensuing year shall come in to office.
(b) Clubs that are affiliated to the Senior Management Board representation shall be by two delegates appointed by that body;
(c) Secondary and Intermediate Schools which are affiliated to the Junior Management Board representation shall be by two delegates appointed by that body;
(d) Primary Schools which are affiliated to the Mini Management Board, representation shall be by one delegate appointed by that body.
(e) The Waikato Hockey Umpires' Association shall be entitled to one delegate;
(f) The Waikato Hockey Charitable Trust shall be entitled to one delegate;
(g) Sub-Associations that are affiliated to the NZHA, representation shall be by one delegate appointed by those bodies.
(h) If desired any one delegate may exercise all the votes to which his/her Body is entitled;
(i) The names and addresses of delegates shall be received in writing by the Secretary of the Association at least one clear day before each General Meeting, and such notices shall be signed by an officer of that Body;
(j) A delegate shall not represent more than one Body at the same time. In the event of a delegate being unable to attend any meeting, a substitute may act in his/her stead. Such substitute must, however, be a member of the Body he/she proposes to represent;
(k) The Association's Governing Body shall be The Management Committee.
MANAGEMENT
(8) (a) The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Management Committee. The Management Committee shall consist of;
(i) The President;
(ii) The Vice-President;
(iii) The Secretary/Executive Officer;
(iv) The Treasurer (if not also the Secretary/Executive Officer);
(v) The Coaching Director;
(vi) Junior Management Board Representatives (2);
(vii) Mini Management Board Representative; (2)
(viii) Senior Management Board Representatives (2;)
(ix) Umpires Association Representative;
(x) Waikato Hockey Charitable Trust Representative
(xi) Sub-Association/s Representative;
(xii) The quorum shall be seven provided one of the President, Vice President or Management Committee Chairperson is present.
(xiii) Nominations for the elected members of WHA Management Committee shall close with the Secretary before each Annual General Meeting and shall be circulated to all affiliated bodies at such meeting.
(b) The Management Committee shall control the administration between the Association and the N.Z.H.F. and all other Hockey Associations, the policy, finance, grounds, property, representative matches, tours and tournaments at all levels, ratify the appointment of Selectors, Managers, and Coaches of representative teams at all levels, ratify the appointment of Judiciary Committee and such other Sub-Committee that may be required from time to time and shall fix / ratify appropriate fees;
© The Management Committee may at its discretion, appoint up to two (2) persons, in any calendar year, to assist in the carrying out of its function. Any such appointed person(s) shall have the right to vote at Management Committee meetings during the duration of their appointment. Such appointments shall be reviewed annually at the first WHA Management Committee meeting for that calendar year, and the appointments shall either cease or be reconfirmed at that meeting, PROVIDED HOWEVER that the Management Committee shall have the power to remove, at any time and at its discretion, any appointed person by a majority vote of the Management Committee.
(d) The Management Committee shall elect a Chairperson who shall control all Management Committee meetings attended by that Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson who shall stand instead of the Chairperson on occasions when the Chairperson is unavailable;
(e) Meetings of the Management Committee shall be held at such times and places in each year as it shall determine. A Special Meeting of the Management Committee may be called at any time by the Chairperson or by a Deputy Chairperson ;
(f) Any member of the Management Committee who shall be absent from three consecutive meetings without permission of the remaining members shall be liable to forfeit his/her seat;
(g) The members of the Management Committee shall be removable as a body or individually by the vote of delegates taken at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, and in case of such removal the meeting shall, to fill the vacancies, forthwith elect others to carry on the business of the Association until the next Annual General Meeting;
(h) In case any vacancy should occur in the Officers or Management Committee, by death, resignation or otherwise, any vacancy may be temporarily filled by the Management Committee;
(i) The Management Committee may waive any of the time limits expressed or implied in this constitution for the giving of any notice;
(j) The Management Committee may delegate any of its functions to such persons or body as it thinks fit;
(k) The Management Committee may ratify any decisions of any Management Committee made at a meeting which lacked a quorum.
AUDITORS AND SOLICITORS
(9) An Honorary Auditor and Honorary Solicitor shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall retire at the end of the year for which he/she shall be appointed but shall be eligible for re-election.
SECRETARY
(10) The Secretary shall, in person or by deputy attend each meeting of the Association or Management Committee, keep minutes of the proceedings, read and file all communications and other papers, issue notices of meetings when directed, and conduct the correspondence of the Association.
TREASURER
(11) (a) The Treasurer shall collect and account for all dues, fines, and funds and disburse all monies of the Association under the authority of the Management Committee, but no money shall be pal 'd out except by cheque signed as hereinafter provided, and authorised by a minute of the Management Committee;
(b) The Treasurer shall supply a copy of Receipts and Payments at each meeting of the Management Committee, and produce at the Annual General Meeting a balance sheet, duly audited, of the receipts and disbursements for the past year. All accounts to be passed by the Management Committee before payment.
COACHING DIRECTOR
(12) The Coaching Director shall co-ordinate and lead the coaching activities of the WHA including initiating coaching development of programmes, facilitating net working among coaches and promoting hockey skill development across all levels.
BANKERS
(13) The working account and the trust account or accounts of the Association, shall be kept at such trading bank and such savings bank or savings banks, respectively, in Hamilton as the Management Committee shall from time to time decide. Such accounts shall be operated on by any two of the persons from time to time appointed for that purpose by the Management Committee.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(14) (a) The financial year of the Association shall end on the last day of September in each year, and the Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 15 November, for the purposes of receiving the annual report and balance sheet, which shall be circulated to all affiliated Bodies at least fourteen days before such meeting, election of Officers and Management Committee for the ensuing year, and to deal with any other business brought forward;
(b) The quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be 60% of affiliated Bodies' delegates;
(c) Notice of the time and place of the meeting shall be advertised as the Management Committee shall from time to time direct. Not less that twenty eight days' notice shall be given to the Secretaries of all affiliated Bodies of the date of the Annual General Meeting;
(d) The President or in his/her absence the Chairperson of the Management Committee shall chair the Annual General Meeting.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
(15) (a) The Secretary shall at any time, on the authority of the President, or the Management Committee, or written request of four Clubs stating their objects, call a Special General Meeting of the Association.
Such meeting shall be called not later than 14 days from the receipt of such requisition, and not less than seven days' notice shall be given to the Secretaries of all affiliated Bodies;
(b) At such meeting 60% of affiliated Bodies' delegates shall form a quorum;
(c) The business of such meeting shall be limited to the subject set out in the notice of meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
(16) Any meeting of the Association may be adjourned from time to time.
VOTING POWERS AND MODE OF VOTING
(17) (a) The Officers of the Association, and all members of affiliated Bodies, shall be entitled to attend the Annual General Meeting or any Special General Meeting of the Association and speak on any question, but only the duly appointed Officers and Delegates shall have power to vote, except that Delegates only shall have power to vote in the election of the Management Committee. Should the Chairperson be a delegate he/she shall have a deliberate as well as a casting vote, but otherwise he/she shall have a casting vote only;
(b) No delegate shall be eligible to vote at any meeting if the Body he/she represents is in arrears with any fees or fines;
(c) The mode of voting at any meeting of the Association or Committee shall be by open voting or ballot as the Chairperson of the meeting may direct, provided always that the election of the Management Committee at the Annual General Meeting shall be by ballot, and that each voter shall ballot for up to the maximum number required;
(d) The Chairperson of the Management Committee and of any other Committee of the Association shall have a casting as well as a deliberative vote at all meetings of his/her committees;
(e) At all General Meetings, three scrutineers shall be appointed none of whom shall be Delegates or Officers of the Association;
(f) In the case of a new Body, in their first year they shall be entitled to one vote only at any General Meeting.
LIFE-MEMBERS
(18) Life members may be elected at any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Association, upon 80 percent of the votes recorded of the Officers and the Delegates present, and shall be entitled to all the privileges of ordinary membership of the Association. Life membership shall only be awarded for long and outstanding service to the Association or to the game, and no monetary or donation to the Association funds, shall be regarded as any consideration whatsoever. Any nomination shall be accompanied by a citation in respect of the nominee, and nominations must be in the hands of the Secretary at least 18 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Association shall provide each Life Member with a suitable medallion or badge.
HONORARY/ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
(19) Honorary and/or Associate Members may Join the Association on payment of a subscription of such sums as the Management Committee shall determine from time to time. They shall have the right to attend all General or Special General Meetings, and of speaking there at, but shall not have power to vote at any meetings.
SUB-ASSOCIATIONS
(20) (a) Any Hockey Association within the area controlled by the Association, may be affiliated as a Sub-Association in the manner provided by Rule (3), and upon such affiliation being effected all the Rules of the Association including those referring to Clubs, shall apply equally to such Sub-Associations and the decision of the Chairperson of the Management Committee for the time being, of the inconsistency or inapplicability of any such rule shall be final;
(b) Sub-Associations shall pay to the Association annual affiliation fees as provided in Rule (30) (a), and shall be entitled to be represented by a delegate or delegates as provided in Rule (7) (g);
(c) Sub-Associations shall submit their colours to the Association for approval and registration;
(d) Sub-Associations boundaries shall be as approved by the Management Committee of the Association, and shall be subject to revision at the discretion of the Management Committee;
(e) Each Sub-Association shall forward to the Secretary of the Association, before the date of the Annual General Meeting in each year, a list of the Clubs/Schools and Sub-Associations affiliated to that Body and shall from time to time notify the Secretary of any additions or alterations to such list;
(f) The Association shall be entitled to include members of Sub- Associations in the Waikato Representative teams;
(g) Sub-Association/s affiliated to the Association shall have the right to appoint one delegate to represent the combined Sub-Associations to the Management Committee of the Association under Rule(3)(b): this delegate shall be appointed by the Sub-Association/s at a meeting convened by them for that purpose at which each Sub-Association shall have one vote for each graded team registered in that Sub-Association; any dispute over the appointment of a delegate under this rule shall be referred to the Management Committee of the Association for decision.
AFFILIATED BODIES
(21) (a) The Rules of all affiliated Bodies, and any alterations thereto proposed to be made, shall be submitted to the Management Committee of the Association for consideration and approval before adoption;
(b) Affiliated Bodies shall be self-govemed, but shall have the right to refer any matter to the Management Committee of the Association for decision, and such decision shall be final.
WAIKATO HOCKEY UMPIRES 'ASSOCIATION
(22) The Waikato Hockey Umpires Association may be affiliated upon payment of a fee as fixed by the Management Committee and shall be entitled to appoint one delegate to the Association.
JUNIOR MANAGEMENT BOARD
(23) The Junior Management Board, shall be under the control of the Management Committee, being affiliated upon payment of a fee as fixed by the Management Committee and shall be entitled to appoint two delegates to the Association.
MINI HOCKEY MANAGEMENT BOARD
(24) The Mini Hockey Association, shall be under the control of the Management Committee, being affiliated upon payment of a fee as fixed by the Management Committee and shall be entitled to appoint two delegates to the Association.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT BOARD
(25) The Senior Management Board shall be under the control of the Management Committee, being affiliated upon payment of a fee as fixed by the Management Committee and shall be entitled to appoint two delegates to the Association.
SELECTORS / MANAGERS / COACHES
(26) (a) The Management Committee shall appoint a Selector or Selection Committee of not more than three persons, for representative matches for each representative team;
(b) The Management Committee shall ratify the appointment of a Manager, and / or a Coach for each representative team and where appropriate a chaperone;
(c) Any appointment may be terminated by the Management Committee at its discretion.
ASSOCIATION COLOURS
(27) The colours shall be red, gold, and black or such other colours as the Management Committee may decide.
CLUB COLOURS
(28) Each Club and School shall register its colours with the Association, and the Club and School first registering any colours shall have the exclusive right to use them, subject to the overall control of the Management Committee.
RESPONSIBILITY OF AFFILIATED BODIES
(29) (a) Each Body on joining the Association shall be provided with a copy of the Rules of the Association and from time to time with any amendments made, and be bound thereby and in case of any wilful infringement thereof by any affiliated Body shall be liable to be fined or to suspension or expulsion from the Association;
(b) Each Body on becoming affiliated shall forward to the Secretary of the Association a copy of its Rules, and any amendments which may be made from time to time;
(c) No affiliated Body (team) shall play or arrange matches against an unaffiliated body (team), or send teams on tour, or arrange or play matches outside the grade competitions, without first obtaining permission from their respective Body. Such permission must be applied for in writing to the Secretary of that Body;
(d) No affiliated Body shall be allowed to accept gate money or other remuneration for any match without the permission of the Management Committee, provided that this shall not prevent any affiliated Sub-Association charging admission to its own local competitions or representative fixtures;
(e) Every Club shall provide players or approved persons to control matches at such times and places as the Management Committee may direct, such players to be members of such team as the Management Committee may nominate or approved substitutes. In the event of such players or substitutes not being provided the Management Committee may suspend or fine the member, team or Club at fault;
(f) The respective Secretaries of all affiliated Clubs shall, before the commencement of the championship competitions in each year, furnish in writing to the Secretary of their Body the names of all the playing members of their respective Teams, and also from time to time to furnish the names of anyone becoming a member after such commencement. No player shall be allowed to take part in the Association's competitions until registration as per Rule (30) (b) has been effected.
AFFILIATION, REGISTRATION AND TEAM FEES
(30) (a) The annual affiliation fee for all Bodies shall be payable at a time set by the Management Committee.
(b) Before any player can take part in the Association's Club competitions, he/she must be registered as a member of an affiliated Club/Team. Registrations stand for the current season only.
Registration fees for each player shall be assessed by their respective Body each year and shall be paid and collected in such manner as the respective Management Committee from time to time directs;
(c) Team and ground fees for each grade shall be assessed by the respective Bodies each year, and be payable at such times and in such instalments and in such manner as the respective Bodies shall from time to time direct;
(d) The Management Committee shall have power to suspend all competitions;
(e) The Management Committee shall have power to suspend any team, Club, School or Sub-Association that may be in arrears with any fees or fines,
(f) The Management Committee shall have power to correct any anomalies which may arise by reason of the charging of fees, by making such allowances as it in its absolute discretion shall think fit.
FINES
(31) The Management Committee shall have power to levy fines against any affiliated Body who are in arrears with any fees, or against members, Clubs, Schools or Sub-Associations guilty of any breach of these rules, or of the regulations governing the Association's various competitions.
QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS
(32) (a) Except in the cases of Primary School and Secondary School competition players transferring to or from School to School, and such School players transferring to or from open Clubs, no player previously registered with a Club may transfer from that Club to another without the permission of the respective affiliated Body's Management Committee, but when satisfied that such a transfer is reasonable and justified, the Management Committee shall not arbitrarily withhold permission. All applications for transfers must be made in writing on special forms provided for that purpose;
(b) No player may be a member of two Clubs, but this rule shall not prevent members of School teams participating also in the grade competitions.
GRADING
(33) (a) The Management Committee shall determine the gradings for the competitions and determine the rules for the competition;
(b) The Management Committee shall retain the right to grade any player irrespective of the rules determined for the competition.
PROTESTS
(34) (a) The Management Committee shall establish Regulations to administer protests;
(b) The Management Committee shall, however, have power to act without a formal protest being lodged should it consider such action to be justified in the interest of the game.
PENALTY FOR ARREARS
(35) No member of an affiliated Body in arrears with his/her subscription, fines, etc shall be allowed to play for any Team, but a permit to play may be given on payment of arrears, if a satisfactory reason be fumished to their respective Body for previous delay.
(36) In the event of any unseemly conduct or language by a player or member of the Association during the progress of a match, or in any of the Association's grounds, or of his/her wilful infringement of these rules, the "Code of Conduct" procedure will apply for all grades.
Provided that no punishment may be inflicted until the Secretary of the Club to which the member belongs has been notified of (1) the offence with which the member is charged; (2) the time and place where the member will be given an opportunity to answer the charge;
The Management Committee and the accused shall have power to summon witnesses to appear and give evidence at any such inquiry held by the Committee, or by any person or persons appointed by it, and in the event of such a failure or refusal to attend, the Management Committee shall have the power to impose such penalty as the committee considers appropriate.
(37) The income and property of the Association, from whatever source derived, shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Association. No portion of the funds shall be paid directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus to any member of the Association, but nothing contained herein shall prevent payment of any dividend or dividends upon any debentures issued, or may be issued by the Association or the repayment thereof.
(38) The Association shall have power to borrow such sums as the members thereof may from time to time, by resolution passed at any General Meeting of the Association, called for that purpose decide. Any such sum shall carry interest at such rate as may be decided at such General Meeting, and may be secured by pledging the assets of the Association or otherwise, as may be resolved at such General Meeting.
(39) No member shall derive any pecuniaiy gain, except as a salaried officer, from any property or operations of the Association. Members cannot retain prize money. Pecuniary gain does not include the winning of trophies or prizes, nor does it include prize money where such money is paid to an Association or Club.
DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY
(40) In the event of the Association being wound up, the nett assets of the Association, and the proceeds thereof, after discharging all liabilities, shall be divided between those Bodies for the time being affiliated thereto pro rata, according to the contributions paid to the Association by such Bodies during the Hockey season in which the Association shall be wound up, or in case the Association shall be wound up after the end of a Hockey season, then according to the contributions paid by such Bodies during the Hockey season immediately preceding the date of such winding up.
(41) No alteration, additions, or rescission of these rules shall be made except by consent of the majority at a General or Special General Meeting. Notice of any such proposed modification shall be given in writing to the Secretary twenty-one days at least before the meeting at which it is intended to propose such modification. Upon receipt of such notice the Secretary shall forthwith notify the Secretaries of all affiliated Bodies at least 14 days before such meeting.
(42) The Association shall have a Common Seal, which shall be held for the Association by the Secretary, and shall not be affixed to any document except by two members of the Management Committee in the presence of the Secretary, pursuant to a resolution of the Management Committee;
The members of the Management Committee who shall affix the Common Seal to any document as aforesaid, and the Secretary shall sign such document of behalf of the Association.
(43) Any case not provided for in these rules, or any question arising as to their interpretation, shall be decided by the Management Committee;
APPEALS TO N.Z.H.F.
(44) (a) There shall be a night of appeal to the Management Board of the New Zealand Hockey Federation by any affiliated Body against any direction, decision or Judgement given by this Association acting through its Management Committee in so far only as it concerns any point of Law;