County Club Rules 1914

Rules and By-Laws
OF THE
COUNTY CLUB
(INCORPORATED)
HASTINGS, H.B.

HART TYP.

Rules and By-Laws
OF THE
COUNTY CLUB
(INCORPORATED)

Hart & Co., Printers, Queen Street, Hastings.

RULES AND BY-LAWS OF THE COUNTY CLUB

1. This Club shall be called “THE COUNTY CLUB” (Incorporated), and shall be registered under “The Incorporated Societies Act, 1908.”

INVESTMENT OF SURPLUS FUNDS.

2.  The surplus funds of the Club may be invested by the Committee in the name of the Club in such securities as are approved by the Committee.  Deeds and other documents in connection with investments shall be prepared by the Solicitor of the Club, and certified by him as in order, and all dividends and interest arising out of such investment shall go to augment the funds of the Club.

MANAGEMENT.

3. A President and a Vice­-President shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting in the month of December.

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4. The general affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the election of their successors. The Committee shall from time to time make, alter or rescind such By-­laws and Regulations, consistent with the General Rules, as they may think fit, necessary or expedient for the well-­being of the Club, and such By-­laws and Regulations and the decisions of the Committee on all questions shall be binding until set aside by a Special General Meeting of the Club, to be assembled as directed in Rule 47. A copy of the By-­laws shall be kept posted in the Club’s premises.

COMMITTEE.

5.  The Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-­President, and seven other members, five to form a quorum.

6.  The President, the Vice­-President and Committee shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting.  Each candidate for election must be proposed by one member and seconded by another, and the name of the candidate, with the signature of the candidate’s proposer and seconder, must be posted on the notice-­board of the Club for twenty-­one days preceding the date of ballot.

7. Voting papers shall be prepared, on which shall be printed the names of all candidates for election to the offices of President and Vice­-President, and as members of the Committee, and shall be posted to members at least fourteen days prior to the ballot. Each member shall strike out from the voting paper

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the name of any candidate against whom he desires to vote.  He shall leave uncancelled the names of any candidate for whom he desires to vote. In the case of the election of the President and Vice-­President he shall vote for one candidate for each office, and in the case of the election of the Committee for seven of the candidates.

8. No member shall vote by proxy. Any who desires to vote may send or deliver his voting paper, in the form provided by Rule 7, sealed up, and enclosed in an envelope, to the Secretary of the Club; and in the same envelope must be enclosed another paper on which must be written the voting member’s name in his own handwriting. The Secretary shall hand these signatures to the Scrutineers appointed for the purpose, and shall cause all such voting papers to be placed in the ballot-­box.

9. At the close of the ballot, the Scrutineers shall open the voting papers, count the votes for and against each candidate, and announce the result to the Chairman of the meeting, without giving the numbers.

10.  In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Committee, the remaining members of the Committee shall fill up such vacancy for the unexpired term of office.

11. The Committee shall hold meetings whenever called together by the Secretary, or by the President, or the Vice-­President, and at least three days’ notice of Committee meetings shall be given to each member of the Committee.

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12. The President, or the Vice-­President, or in their absence one of the members present, shall take the chair at all Committee Meetings, and the Chairman shall have both a deliberative and casting vote.

13. Any non-­official member of the Committee absenting himself from three consecutive meetings, without permission of the Committee, shall, at their option, cease to be a member thereof, and the Committee may elect a substitute for his unexpired term of office.

14. The Committee shall have power in the corporate name of the Club to enter into any Agreement or Agreements it may think necessary or expedient in the interests of the Club, and to execute any transfer, lease, assignment or mortgage of the Club’s assets, or any of them, for the purpose of carrying into effect the objects of the Club, or any of them.  Such Agreement or other document shall bear the common seal of the Club and shall be executed in accordance with Rule number 76.

15. The Committee may from time to time at their discretion borrow for the purposes of the Club from any person, company or bank any sum or sums of money, either without security or upon the security of all or any of the Club’s assets and effects, either under legal mortgages or charges with powers of sale and other usual powers and authorities, or by bank overdraft, or by the issue of debentures or bonds of the Club, and on such terms and conditions as to rate of interest or otherwise as the lender and the Club shall arrange.

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SECRETARY AND TREASURER.

16. The Committee shall from time to time appoint a Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall hold office at its pleasure.  One person may hold both offices, and the holder of either or both offices need not necessarily be a member of the Club.

SIGNING OF CHEQUES.

17. All cheques must be signed by the Treasurer and one of the Committee.

FINANCIAL YEAR.

18. The Financial Year of the Club shall end on the last Friday in the month of November.

AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS.

19.  The accounts of the Club shall be audited annually by two auditors, one of whom is and one of whom is not a member of the Club, and who shall be appointed by the Committee; and a balance-­sheet shall be printed and a copy posted to each member of the Club not less than fourteen days before the Annual Meeting.

HOUSE COMMITTEE.

20. The Committee, at their first meeting after each Annual General Meeting, shall appoint four of themselves, who shall be a House Committee, the members whereof shall continue in office until the

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next following Annual General Meeting, unless sooner removed by death, resignation or otherwise.  All vacancies in the House Committee occurring in the meantime shall be filled up by the Committee.

21.  The House Committee shall carry out the directions of the Committee, and subject thereto, conduct the ordinary internal business of the Club, and see that the Rules and By-­laws for the government thereof are properly carried into effect.

22. The House Committee shall hold an ordinary meeting at least once in every calendar month, three to form a quorum. Any member of the House Committee may cause a Special Meeting thereof to be held at any time, by the Secretary giving to each member as much notice thereof as possible.

23. Every member of the House Committee failing to attend three consecutive meetings shall, at the option of the Committee, cease to be a member thereof.

MEMBERSHIP.

24. Members shall be elected by ballot at a General Meeting. Each candidate for admission must be above the age of twenty-­one years and must sign an application in the form set out in the Schedule at the end hereof, and must be proposed by one member and seconded by another. Such nomination shall then be submitted to the Committee for its approval, and upon such approval being given in their own handwriting, the name of the candidate, with the signatures of the proposer and seconder in the form provided, must be posted on the notice­-board of the Club for twenty­-one days next preceding the date of the ballot.

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25. No member whose subscription is in arrear for three calendar months shall have the privilege of proposing or seconding a candidate for election while such subscription remains unpaid.

26.  No candidate shall, unless with the express permission of the Committee, be eligible for election until he shall have been resident in the Provincial District of Hawke’s Bay for six months next preceding the date of his nomination.

27. Voting papers shall be prepared, on which shall be printed the names of all candidates for election, together with the names of the proposer and seconder of each, and these shall be posted to members at least fourteen days prior to the ballot.  Each member shall strike out from the voting paper the name of any candidate against whom he desires to vote. He shall leave uncancelled the name of any candidate for whom he desires to vote.  He shall write the words “No vote’’ against the name of any candidate for whom he does not desire that his vote should be recorded.

28.  No member shall vote by proxy. Any member who desires to vote may send or deliver his voting paper, in the form provided by Rule 27, sealed up, and enclosed in an envelope, to the Secretary of the Club, and in the same envelope must be enclosed another paper on which must be written the voting member’s name in his own handwriting.  The Secretary shall hand these signatures to the Scrutineers, and shall cause all such voting papers to be placed in the ballot box.

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29.  No ballot shall be valid unless at least thirty members entitled to do so shall vote. At least five members shall be present at such ballot, and they shall appoint two Scrutineers from their number.

30.  At the close of the ballot the Scrutineers shall open the voting papers, count the votes for and against each candidate, and announce the result to the Chairman of the meeting without giving the numbers. One adverse vote in six shall exclude.

31.  No rejected candidate shall be re-­proposed for election within the space of twelve calendar months after rejection, unless with the sanction of a majority of the whole of the Committee at a meeting convened for the purpose of considering the question.

32.  On the election of each new member, the Secretary shall notify the fact to him, furnishing him at the same time with a copy of the Rules, and stating the amount of the entrance fee and the annual subscription, on payment of which within one month he shall be enrolled on the books of the Club, and become entitled to its privileges.

33. Any member may resign his membership at any time by notifying his resignation in writing, under his own hand, to the Committee, and thereupon he shall, ipso facto, cease to be a member of the Club; but no such resignation shall relieve any member from the payment of any subscription or other money due or payable by him, or from his proportion of any of the outstanding liabilities of the Club for which he is liable under these Rules or any of them at the time of such resignation.

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34. Any person who has voluntarily ceased to be a member of the Club may be re-elected at any time at a General Meeting in the manner prescribed for the election of new members, on payment of an Entrance Fee of £1/1/0 but no ex-member shall on re-election be required to pay an entrance fee if he has resigned from the Club within the previous ten years.

35. Subject as hereinafter provided the members of the Club shall be liable jointly and severally for the amount of the Club’s bank overdraft or for any other debt or liability of the Club and if at any time the Club shall be called upon to discharge such liability or pay such debt every member shall forthwith upon demand bear and pay his proportionate share of such liability or debt but in no case shall any member be liable to pay more than the sum of ten pounds. This obligation will remain in full force and effect against a member whether he has resigned from the Club or not or whether his connection with the Club is severed by expulsion or otherwise howsoever Provided also that the liability of any member under this rule shall continue for one year after his connection with the Club ceases and no longer.

ENTRANCE FEE AND SUBSCRIPTION.

36. The Entrance Fee shall be £1/1/0 and the Annual Subscription shall, from the first day of December, 1913, for members residing in the Provincial District of Hawke’s Bay be three guineas, and for members resident outside the said Provincial District of Hawke’s Bay two guineas; but this Rule shall not in any way limit the power of members assembled at a General Meeting convened in accordance with these Rules to increase from time to time the amount of such Entrance Fee and Subscription as members, or the requisite majority of them, shall think fit.

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37. Members elected at Meetings other than the Annual General Meeting, shall be charged one-fourth only of the Annual Subscription for each quarter until the expiry of the current financial year.

38. If a newly-elected member does not pay this Entrance Fee and Subscription within one month after his election, his election may be declared void at the discretion of the Committee.

39. The Annual Subscription is due on the first day of December in each year. No member shall be entitled to vote at any meeting either for election of members, or for any other purpose, if his subscription has been in arrear for three calendar months.

40. Interest at the rate of ten pounds per centum shall be added to all subscriptions unpaid after three calendar months in each year. But this rule shall not apply to members for the time being absent from the Dominion.

41. Any member whose subscription is unpaid for a period of one year subsequent to the first December of that year shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Club. But this Rule shall not apply to members for the time being absent from the Dominion.

42. Any member who shall be absent from the Provincial District of Hawke’s Bay for twelve consecutive calendar months shall be liable for a proportionate amount only of his Annual Subscription due at the date of his departure. He shall during his absence retain full membership by payment at the rate

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of one guinea per annum, and upon his return shall again become liable for a proportionate part of his full subscription for the remainder of the then current year.

43. No member retiring from the Club, or ceasing, from any cause, to be a member, shall be entitled to, or have any claim upon the property of the Club or any portion thereof.

LIFE MEMBERS.

44. On the recommendation of the Committee any General Meeting may on the votes of two-thirds of the members present thereat elect any member of the Club of not less than five years’ standing to be a life member. Any gentleman so elected shall be entitled to all the privileges of membership, without payment of any subscription, but shall be subject to the Rules and By-laws of the Club.

GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS.

45. At all meetings of the Club, the President, or the Vice-President, or a member of the Committee, or in the event of their absence some member to be elected by the Meeting shall be the Chairman of the meeting. The Chairman shall have a deliberative and a casting vote at such meeting.

46. An Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held during the month of December, with power of adjournment, fourteen days prior notice of such meeting, and of the business to be discussed thereat, must

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be sent by the Secretary to each member. The business of the meeting shall be to elect officers for the year, the Managing Committee and new members, to receive from the Committee a Report and a Statement of the financial affairs of the Club for the past year, and to discuss any other business of which due notice has been given.

47. A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called by the Committee, of their own motion, or on the written request of six members of the Club. All Special General Meetings shall have the same powers as an Annual Meeting, provided that twenty-one days’ notice of the subject matter to be discussed at such meeting shall be posted in the Club and that fourteen days prior notice of such meeting shall be sent to each member.

48. No General Meeting shall be competent to transact business, excepting the election of new members, as provided by Rule 28, unless at least ten effective members be present and vote; and no proposition for altering or adding to or repealing the Rules, or dealing with the property of the Club, shall be adopted without the sanction of a majority consisting of two-thirds of the members present at a General Meeting voting thereon.

49. No subject but that which relates to the management of the affairs of the Club shall ever be brought forward or proposed at any General Meeting.

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50. All resolutions passed at any meeting of the Club shall be conclusive and binding on all members of the Club, whether they shall be present at such meeting or not, provided that such meetings are held in conformity with the Rules.

51. Quarterly General Meetings shall be held during the months of December, March, June and September on such days as shall be fixed by the Committee at 8 p.m. with power of adjournment, for election of new members, and for such other business as may be necessary.

52. Notice of all General Meetings, and of the business to be transacted thereat, shall be exhibited in the Club, and a circular letter shall be posted not later than fourteen days before such meeting to every member.

53. In ordinary cases the mode of voting shall be by show of hands; but if required by a majority of the members present, by actual division or ballot. In all cases of voting the matter shall be decided by a majority, except in cases otherwise expressly provided for by these Rules.

54. All meetings, whether of Committee or members, to transact any business of the Club shall be held at the Club House.

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55. Any member wilfully infringing the Rules and Regulations of the Club, or becoming a defaulter, or whose conduct in or out of the Club after his election shall, in the opinion of the managing Committee, be derogatory to the character of a Gentleman, or prejudicial to the interests of the Club, shall be subject to suspension or expulsion, as hereinafter provided. Charges of this nature shall first be considered by the Committee who, if they consider such a course necessary, shall direct the Secretary to inform the member of the charge brought against him with a view of giving him an opportunity of explaining his conduct to the Committee. The Secretary shall, if called upon by any such member to do so, within seven days after such member shall be notified of the charge brought against him call a meeting of the Committee for the purpose of allowing such member to explain his conduct. Should such member decline or fail to satisfactorily explain his conduct, the Committee shall convene a Special General Meeting of the Club before which they shall lay their report on the subject. Such Special General Meeting shall not be competent to deal with the case unless it consists of at least twenty effective members of the Club. The opinion of the meeting shall be ascertained by ballot, when if two-thirds of the members present shall decide that the accused member has merited suspension, he shall be suspended for any period not exceeding twelve calendar months, during which period such member shall not be entitled to any of the privileges of the Club. If two-thirds of the members present at such meeting shall decide that the accused member has merited expulsion he shall be expelled, and shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Club.

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56. The Club rooms shall be open and ready for the reception of members at a time or times to be provided for in the By-laws and shall be finally closed at the hour for the time being fixed by the Committee: after which hour no game shall be begun or refreshments provided, except, on special occasions by direction of the Committee.

57. All suggestions shall be made to the Secretary in writing or entered and signed by the member complaining, in a book to be kept for that purpose in the reading room of the Club. Such suggestion shall be laid before the Committee at its next ensuing meeting, and an answer sent by the Secretary under its direction.

58. Subject to the By-laws, members shall not appoint the Club Rooms, by advertisement or otherwise, as a business medium, or use the same for business or advertising purposes, or as a place for meeting applicants for employment.

59. Subject to such regulations as the Committee or House Committee may make, any member of the Club shall have the privilege of introducing friends to the Club. Those invited to the Club may, if accompanied by the member introducing them, be admitted to all portions of the premises of the Club.

60. All servants of the Club except the Chief Steward, who shall be appointed by the Committee, shall be appointed by, and shall be under the control of the House Committee.

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61. Members shall not give any money or gratuity to any of the servants of the Club. Servants of the Club shall not directly or indirectly receive any present, money or gratuity from any member, or from any tradesman or other person employed by the Club, under pain of immediate dismissal by the Committee.

62. Servants of the Club shall not be sent out of the Club House by members except as the House Committee may from time to time sanction,

63. All complaints of any inattention or improper conduct of a servant shall be stated in a letter signed by the member complaining, addressed to the Secretary, and shall be by him laid before the House Committee with as little delay as possible.

64. No member shall bring a dog into the Club on any pretext whatever.

65. No member of the Club shall take away from the Club Rooms or deface, tear, or damage any newspaper, book, pamphlet, or other article the property of the Club.

66. Any member breaking or damaging any article belonging to or in the use of the Club, shall pay to the Secretary the necessary cost or replacing such article, the price to be fixed by the House Committee.

67. Games which may be deemed by the Committee gambling games shall not be allowed in the Club.

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HONORARY MEMBERS.

68. No person residing within a radius of twenty miles from Hastings or who is under the age of twenty-one years, shall be eligible for honorary membership of the Club.

69. Any gentleman eligible for honorary membership may be admitted as an honorary member on arrival in Hastings by any two members of the Committee upon being proposed in writing by a member. The name, residence, and profession, or occupation (if any) of the proposed honorary member shall be entered upon a nomination paper, which shall be signed by the proposer, and by two members of the Committee approving of the admission, whereupon the name of the honorary member shall be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose, and a card of invitation shall be sent to him. No member whose subscription is in arrear for three calendar months may propose or second any gentleman as an honorary member.

70. The period for admission under the last preceding rule shall be one calendar month, during which no fee or subscription shall be charged. After the expiry of such calendar month the admission may be extended by the Committee, upon application of the proposer, from month to month, for a period not exceeding six consecutive months, upon payment of ten shillings subscription per month.

71. No gentleman admitted as an honorary member shall be re-admitted within six calendar months from the expiry of his previous honorary membership without a resolution of the Committee sanctioning such re-admission.

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72. Honorary members shall make themselves acquainted with and observe the Rules of the Club. The member who proposes an honorary member shall be held responsible for his obligations for the first month of his membership.

73. Gentlemen who have been proposed and seconded for membership may, at the discretion of the Committee, be admitted as honorary members for the period between their being proposed and seconded and their being submitted to the ballot.

74. The Committee shall have power to revoke the admission of any honorary member at any time.

75. No honorary member shall be permitted to attend or vote at any meeting of members of the Club, or to bring into the Club rooms or entertain therein any strangers.

Seal [Handwritten]

76. The Club shall have a Common Seal, which shall be affixed to documents and contracts made by the Club in the presence of the Secretary and two members of the Committee.

DISSOLUTION AND REPEAL.

77. On application in writing made to the Committee by twenty effective members signifying their desire that the Club should be dissolved, a Special General Meeting shall be called to consider the question, at which meeting the votes of at least two-thirds of the effective members on the books of the Club shall be necessary to carry the proposition for dissolution, and upon such resolution being carried the assets of the Club shall, subject to the liquidation of the then existing liabilities, be disposed of as shall be determined by the members in general meeting.

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78. It is expressly declared (anything in these rules to the contrary notwithstanding) that nothing in these rules shall be construed to modify or limit the right of members, convened for the purpose in accordance with these Rules, to add to, vary, amend or repeal these Rules, or any of them; and any such amendment, addition, variation or repeal, whether such amendment, addition, variation or repeal affect the amount of entrance fees or subscription, or other matter or thing affecting the Club, shall be valid and effective, and shall when passed be binding on all members of the Club without reference to the date of the commencement of their membership.

79. The above Rules shall, unless where otherwise expressly provided, come into force on the First day of December, 1913.

80. The objects of the Club are as follows: –

To… establish Club premises in… Hastings and to maintain and after conduct the same for the convenience and social intercourse of the members.

Geo Ebbett Pres. [Handwritten]

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(The Schedule.)

COUNTY CLUB (Incorporated)

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.

I        of               , do hereby apply to be admitted as a member of the above Club. If elected I agree to be bound by and to observe the rules and by-laws of the said Club.

Signature…
Proposer…
Seconder…

Dated this     day of      191

Rule 35.

Subject as hereinafter provided the members of the Club shall be liable jointly and severally for the amount of the Club’s bank overdraft or for any other debt or liability of the Club and if at any time the Club shall be called upon to discharge such liability or pay such debt every member shall forthwith upon demand bear and pay his proportionate share of such liability or debt but in no case shall any member be liable to pay more than the sum of ten pounds. This obligation will remain in full force and effect against a member whether he has resigned from the Club or not or whether his connection with the Club is severed by expulsion or otherwise howsoever Provided also that the liability of any member under this rule shall continue for one year after his connection with the Club ceases and no longer.

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BY-LAWS.

1. The Club premises shall close at the hour of 12 p.m. each night.

2. Any member or honorary member remaining on the Club premises on any night shall be fined : – After midnight Ten Shillings, after 1 a.m. Forty Shillings, and after 2 a.m. One Hundred Shillings, for each hour or part of an hour; such fines to be paid to the Steward at the commencement of each hour.

3. No games shall be allowed on the Club premises on Sunday.

4. No member shall remove any books or papers from the Reading Room.

5. The Strangers’ Room only shall be used by members wishing to discuss business between themselves or with strangers.

6. Any member taking part in a game of cards will be charged Sixpence per sitting.

The above By-laws were made at a meeting of the Committee held at Hastings on the Sixth day of November, 1913, and were ordered to come into force when posted in the Club.

INCORPORATED SOCIETIES ACT

[Handwritten]
Robert A Hayes
Registrar
9 May 1914