nzLARPS Annual General Meeting September 30th

nzLARPS
#21

I apologise if I sound hostile, my wording was perhaps more forceful than I intended (it was late) but of all the proposed changes in the constitution, it’s the changes to make the society a more national machine that I feel most passionate about. We’ve finally got the opportunity to work with some amazing people from Wellington, and we’ve made our Hamilton members wait long enough - we need to be quick with the welcoming.

It doesn’t actually say anything in the constitution about AGM’s being run under the previous constitution if changes are made, and if that is considered proper society conduct, I did not realise - I was going by previous nzLARPS precedent. I try to live by a philosophy of “spirit of the laws” and “the less bureaucracy to waste our Wednesday night on the better”

I’ll have another read of the constitution and consult the government societies website. I have a copy of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (last amended September 2007) on hand as well. To me, it feels like pointless bureaucracy since the end result will be the same, but if all it takes is me taking 30 seconds to change the post and announce the words “And now we begin the SGM…and now we close the SGM and open the AGM…” so be it.

#22

The NZLarps end of year financial report is complete, and will be distributed at the AGM. If any NZLarps member want to have me send them a copy before then, PM me. (Or if you’re out of town and not attending the AGM …)

I’m out of town from here-on in. So if anyone wants the financial report contact Anna. Have a good meeting everyone, look forward to seeing the results.

#23

[quote=“Scotty”]Just a query regarding 'writing proxy votes into the constitution".
If the vote on changing the constitution is being held at this AGM then the changes ratified should take effect at the conclusion of the AGM because the under normal society conduct the AGM’s are held under the current prevailing rules/constitution. Or are you going to retroactively apply changes (which would be odd).[/quote]

Actualy if we’re getting technical, according to RONR the changes to a constitution take effect immediatly. Or at a particular time of implimentation as as stated in the motion. As seen here…

So personaly I see no reason for the SGM (although RONR is an informal guide but if its good enough for thousands of organisations world wide…). But I’m neither chair or secretary so i can’t make the call.

#24

There is nothing in our constitution that calls for an SGM in the situation we have at present and historical precedent in society conduct has been that constitution changes at the AGM come into effect immediately.

#25

A reminder email about the AGM has been sent to all current members of the society. A copy of it is posted below for general perusal. The email also contained a word document of the proposed which has posted on the thread regarding the constitution changes.

[quote=“Email to members of the society”]Hi everybody,

Thank you all for continuing to be members of nzLARPS! This email is just to remind you that our society’s annual general meeting is coming up this Wednesday, the 30th September. It will begin at 7:30pm and be hosted at Commerce A building at the University of Auckland city campus. If you are unsure where that is, you can find it if you walk through the hole in the stone in front of the UoA General Library (Alfred St) and walk in a straight line. There are signposts to help you. This year, we will have a Skype connection to our Wellington members, making this the first truly national AGM of the society. Jackie Brasfield in Wellington is organising the Wellington meeting, and our Wellington members are directed to her for details.

We need as many members to attend the meeting in order for us to have quorum and to transact the business of the agenda in a constitutional manner. In addition to our annual election of the committee, we have a number of proposed changes to the constitution to be voted on. These proposed changes, and the order in which they shall be voted on have been attached to this email in the form of a word document.

Our agenda for the night is as follows:

7:30pm – Welcome. Reports from the current committee members, the past year in the society.
7:50pm – Constitution changes debated and voted on.
8:50pm – Nominations for new committee are taken. Brief speeches made, positions voted on.
9:30pm – AGM concludes.

For online discussion and debate on the proposed constitution changes, please visit the thread on Diatribe: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=4074

If you have any questions at all about the proceedings or logistical details, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, or to raise your questions on Diatribe. We are keen to have as much of the society involved in the AGM process as possible.

We look forward to seeing many of you there on Wednesday!

Kind regards,
Anna Klein
President nzLARPS
[/quote]

#26

As a bonus, there will be drinks and chippies at the AGM, because we have stuff left over from Fleet Street on Saturday night.

#27

We will need a current UoA student to hook two laptops up to the university network. One laptop will be running Skype to teleconference the Wellingtonians in, the second laptop will be used for text-reports of the AGM and for receiving the distance votes, should distance voting be allowed in the constitution.

If you can’t be at the AGM but would like to follow the proceedings, we will be posting updates 140 characters at a time on Twitter (username: nzlarps) Voting on the constitutional amendments will done to nzlarps@gmail.com

Procedures are still being developed for secret ballot voting (i.e. committee position votes)

#28

I’m happy to be the UoA username, although I can’t set up any laptops. Bonus is that as a grad student I have free unlimited fast internet :slight_smile:

#29

Thanks, Daphne :slight_smile: We’ll hook up my laptop with your username for Skyping. I’m sure we’ll have someone capable of connecting us to the network there! (fingers crossed)

#30

Actually, if I can be there, I can get you logged into the network on a staff ID - this is better as you don’t get the bandwidth limitations on the internet link, which might help when using skype :wink:

Not sure I can make it though due to family but I will try

Now how many students knew about the QoS bandwidth throttling on the Internet link… :question:

#31

it was obvious

#32

A reminder that this is TODAY and we need as many people to come along as possible so we have quorum.

See you guys there - Room 13 at Commerce A. My cellphone number is (removed) if anyone needs to reach me.

#33

Hi,

Did you guys get to the point of electing officers? Sorry we all had to bail - the office we were meeting in had to lock up.

Steph

#34

i would like to apologize for no being able to make it tonight as i had a family emergency.

#35

Please help - I’ve left my Toshiba laptop AC charger at the venue, G13 in Commerce A. If anybody is in tomorrow at uni, please grab that for me and txt me at (removed).

Eternal thanks!

#36

Just a quick run down.

Blocks 1 Passed with an addition of electronic voting also being allowed due to other mitigating circumstances (Illness, work, family matters) on a case by case basis as seen by the chair of a meeting.

Block 2 and 3 Passed with no changes.

Block 4 Passed with no clause added. No limit on terms as pres now.

Block 5 Passed with small ammendments in the wordings. Now contact by a communication form of members choice (email or post), If notified of failure of email postal notification sent out.

Blocks 6 is to be reworded and voted on at an SMG as the wording could not be decided on for parts of Block 6

Blocks 7a and 7b were skipped over due to time restraints and the tabling of Block 6. To be voted on at an SMG.

Block 8 Failed to Pass

Anna got Prez
Rowena got Sec
Adam got Treasurer
Muppet (AKA Philip) got Marketing
Gaffy got Gear officer
Blair and Myself (Cameron) got general officers

#37

Actually, the first motion in block 6 passed. So as Mike pointed out to me last night, it is now possible for regional branches to form if the president believes there are sufficient numbers in that region to warrant it. The form they should take has not been put into the constitution, and therefore it’s presumably at their or the president’s discretion. This wouldn’t have to wait until further motions are passed, they can push on.

#38

The Committee is Dead! Long Live the Committee!! Huzzah!

Er.

Thanks, that’s good to know.

Steph

#39

Great! So it’s safe to say Wellington can consider themselves “official” now?

#40

We passed motion 10 (in block 6) which says:

So the central committee can now use their discretion to allow the formation of a regional Wellington branch. They’ll presumably have to vote on that.

It’s a shame we didn’t manage to get through everything. It was quite an ambitious agenda for 2 hours, especially with the technical issues with remote broadcast and voting. The lack of discussion of the regionalisation amendments here on Diatribe before also meant that we had a lot to discuss at the meeting.