About the NZJA
By jugglers for jugglers
New Zealand Juggling Association is an incorporated society established as a non-profit organisation to advance the development, understanding and appreciation of juggling and associated disciplines in New Zealand.
Part of this role is to foster and promote events which provide awareness of juggling (and associated disciplines), with a specific focus on an annual festival / convention in New Zealand - the NZ Juggling Festival.
Both the NZJA and the NZ Juggling Festival are staffed and run by unpaid volunteers who generously give their time and labour to educate and nurture emerging talent as well as to present juggling and circus to the wider community.
The NZJA officers and the Festival committee are usually the same group of people voted into office by their peers at the preceding year's festival.
The NZ Juggling Festival is now in its 22nd consecutive year and the event has grown to embrace much of the wider circus, poi, fire and unicycling community of NZ.
Since its inception, the festival has been held in various locations throughout the country with local jugglers undertaking to host and organise the festival in their region.
NEW ZEALAND JUGGLING ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED CONSTITUTION
Society Name
New Zealand Juggling Association Incorporated
Society Objectives / Purpose
To advance the development, understanding and appreciation of juggling and associated disciplines in New Zealand.
To foster and promote festivals and events which provide awareness of juggling and associated disciplines with a specific focus on an annual festival / convention in New Zealand.
To present a public performance at least once per annum to promote juggling and associated disciplines to the wider community and provide performance experience to members.
To encourage collaboration between other organisations and events with similar objects.
To raise funds by means of subscription, event registration or any other means of fund-raising to fulfil the Society's purpose.
To open and operate trading and savings bank accounts.
To obtain insurance cover annually for all events held by the Society.
To produce information to members regarding events and knowledge-sharing in the form of a newsletter or website.
To promote New Zealand juggling abroad and encourage international performers to seek New Zealand as a performance destination.
Membership
Membership shall be open to anyone as long as they accept the rules outlined in the Constitution.
Membership for one year will be automatic on payment of registration fees at the annual festival / convention.
Any member may have their membership terminated for behaviour deemed by the Committee to be unbecoming an association member or detrimental to the Society.
Changing the Rules
The Committee may prepare rules on Society matters but changes to the rules set out in the Constitution must be approved by two-thirds of all current members.
No addition or alteration or recession of the rules shall be approved if it affects the non-profit aims, personal benefit clause or the winding-up clause.
Meetings
The Annual General Meeting will be held at the annual festival / convention in the months of February or March.
A Treasurer's report and statement of accounts will be presented.
Officers will be elected for the coming year.
Festival / convention venues for the coming year will be decided.
Any general business will be attended to.
All members have the power of voting moving and seconding.
Every member of the Society shall have one vote on any motion at a meeting but only if they are present when the vote is taken.
Voting shall be normally made by a show of hands.
The quorum for a meeting shall be all that attend plus at least 2 officers.
The committee shall meet as it deems necessary, any two members of the committee may call a meeting.
The elected Committee will be responsible for the organisation of the festival / convention for the coming year and will have the power to form any sub-committee necessary to facilitate the production of the festival / convention.
Appointment of Officers
Officers will consist of a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
Officers will be elected by members voting.
Selection shall be made by nominating and seconding candidates, then voting, the candidate receiving majority votes for any position shall be declared elected.
In the event of a tied vote a second vote may be held, if the votes are still equal, the chairperson shall exercise a casting vote in addition to his/her deliberative vote.
No person may be nominated against his or her will.
Control and Use of Society's Common Seal
The Committee shall approve a Common Seal for the Society, which shall be obtained and kept in the custody of the Secretary.
The Common Seal shall be affixed only to such documents as the Committee shall from time to time by resolution direct, provided that such Seal shall be affixed by at least two Officers of the Committee.
Control and Investment of Society Funds
The Committee, subject to any constraints placed on them by a General Meeting, shall control the funds and resources of the Society. The Committee must be apprised of the whereabouts of these resources at all times.
The Committee shall appoint at least 2 signatories, one shall be the Treasurer. Any two of these signatories may operate the bank accounts of the Society on the instructions of the Committee.
The treasurer shall furnish the AGM with a copy of the statement of accounts since the previous AGM for the preceding year.
All monies received on behalf of the Society shall forthwith be paid to the credit of the bank account/s held by the Society.
The Society from time to time may invest and re-invest the whole or any part of the Society's funds that may not be required for the immediate business of the Society.
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 to the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit, or advantage whatsoever. Any such income paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arm's length transaction (being the open market value)
Powers of Society to Borrow Money (if any)
The Society shall have power to borrow or raise money from time to time, by any means the members think fit using such terms and conditions as shall be deemed expedient by the Committee.
How Society's Property will be Distributed if Wound-up or Dissolved
The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority at the Annual General Meeting of the Society provided written notice of the motion has been given to members.
Should the club cease to operate any monies and resources will be passed on to an organisation with similar objects to the Society's as decided by the Society's members.
If upon the winding up or dissolution of the organisation there remains after the satisfaction of all it's debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the organisation but shall be given or transferred to some other organisation or body having objects similar to the objects of the first organisation, or to some other charitable organisastion or purpose, within New Zealand.
Indemnity
The Committee shall be indemnified by the Society against all disbursements, expenses, liabilities and losses incurred by them in or about the discharge of their duties except such as happen from their own wilful act, negligence or default.