Written by
NAME, OBJECT AND AMATEUR STATUS
1. The name of the society shall be the “NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIC WRESTLING UNION AND ASSOCIATED STYLES INCORPORATED.”(Trading as “WRESTLING NEW ZEALAND) hereafter in these Rules referred to as “the Union”.
2. The objects of the Union shall be:-
(a) To promote, organise and control Olympic Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling,Grappling and Beach Wrestling in New Zealand.
(b) To affiliate and maintain affiliation with the Federation Internationale des Luttes Associees (hereinafter referred to as “FILA”) as long as approved by that body.
(c) To affiliate and maintain affiliation with the National Olympic Committee as long as approved by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
(d) The Anti Doping Policy of the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union and Associated Styles Incorporated. will be the Anti Doping Policy as approved by FILA and the New Zealand Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association (Inc).
(e) To affiliate or associate with such organisations as may be approved and in the manner approved from time to time by the Council of the Union.
(f) To own such property, establish such funds and take all or any other action, which may be deemed from time to time necessary, desirable or beneficial for the sport of Amateur Wrestling/ Grappling in New Zealand.
(g) To assist in finance and control of overseas tours and participation by New Zealand Wrestlers/ Grapplers, Referee-Judges, Coaches or other officials and the tour of New Zealand by persons of similar status in other National Federations affiliated to the “FILA”.
(h) To borrow or raise and give security for money by the issue of the bonds, debentures, provisionary notes or other securities of the Union and generally to raise monies for the benefit of the Union.
3 DRUG POLICY.
(a) Subject to rule 2d the rules of New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union and Associated Styles Incorporated for Anti-Doping shall be the sports Anti-Doping Rules made by Drug Free Sport New Zealand, and as amended from time to time.
(b) Nothing in rule 3a is intended to replace or supersede any applicable rule of FILA which may apply with respect to anti-doping matters provided the applicable rule of the International Federation is consistent in all respects with the World Anti-Doping Code.
(c) For avoidance of doubt, the Sports Anti-Doping Rules referred to in 2d shall replace all existing Anti-Doping rules,policies,by-laws or regulations of the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union and Associated Styles Incorporated.
(d) To the extent of any inconsistency between the Sports Anti-Doping Rules and any rule in this constitution or any policy, regulation or by-law of the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union and
Associated Styles Incorporated, the Sports Anti-Doping Rules shall apply.
4 The Union is an amateur organisation.
MEMBERS
5 Membership of the Union shall be open to all persons, interested in Amateur Wrestling/Grappling and its progress in New Zealand who applies to join, via a club, and who are not exclude by resolution of Council. Members shall be of two classes
(a) Those who pay the current subscription and become subscribing members and
(b) Those who pay the current registration fee and become registered wrestlers/Grapplers.
6. A member may resign by notice in writing to the Secretary of his/her Club but shall remain liable for all subscriptions accrued due.
7. The Council may at any Annual meeting elect any person to be a Life Member for any conspicuous or distinguished service to amateur wrestling if:
(a) The Board of Directors has so recommended.
(b) The following Annual meeting has so resolved to elect. Total number not to exceed ten in number.
8. The officers of the Union shall be:
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Three Directors
Who shall be Directors respectively of the Commissions;
Finance, Technical, Promotion.
(a) The positions of the President and the three Directors shall be on a two-year, revolving term.
1) The positions of President, Directors of Promotions and shall be chosen in an uneven year.
2) The positions of Directors of Technical and Finance shall be chosen in an even year.
9. a) Nomination for appointment as officers shall be made in writing by any Affiliated Club and shall be received by the Secretary not less than two calendar months before the Annual General meeting.
b) Voting for Office bearers shall be Postal and based on the following formula;
(1) The Patron and all Life members shall receive one vote each.
(2) Clubs will be entitled to one vote for every five [or part thereof] financial members. [Refer clause 35(a)]
(3) For a member to be deemed financial their registrations must be paid into the New Zealand Wrestling Union (Inc) account by the 30th June in the year of the election.
(4) For voting purposes Honorary members and Supporters will not be included in club voting entitlement.
(5) The three Directors, President, Secretary and Treasurer shall not receive any voting entitlement
c) The formula described in 8.b) will also be used to resolve voting entitlement for all matters put before Council
10. The Office of President [if required], and Directors shall be confirmed at the Annual General meeting of Council. The Board of Directors shall propose the office of Secretary. The Board of Directors shall also propose the position of Treasurer, who is directly responsible to the Director of Finance. Both these positions require confirmation by Council, and may be either Salaried or Honorary. Neither the appointed Secretary nor the appointed Treasurer shall be eligible to vote. The office of Immediate Past President shall be held until the incumbent’s immediate successor as President has been replaced.
11. If no nominations have been received, the Council may appoint from within its membership to any such office without nomination
12. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, between Annual meetings, the Board of Directors shall appoint one of the Directors to be President until the next meeting of the Council.
CLUBS
13. The membership of Wrestling New Zealand shall consist of the members of any number of clubs affiliated to the Union, and each Club shall pay to the Union an annual levy at such rate as the Board of Directors shall determine and be confirmed at the Annual General meeting.
14. Every member of a Club Committee must be a member of the Union.
15. Nothing in these Rules shall prevent a Club Committee becoming a separate Incorporated Society if.
(a) All of the members of such Club Committee’s are members of the Union.
(b) Nothing in the organisation of such Incorporated Society hinders the performance of a Club Committee of its functions under these Rules.
(c) The approval of the Board of Directors is granted before Incorporation is applied for.
COUNCIL
16 Every Club shall elect one of its members as a Councillor to be in attendance at the Annual General meeting of the Union.
(a) Councillors shall be elected annually by Clubs and shall hold office until they resign or the club
Otherwise advises. In addition, the officers and Life Members shall be ex officio Councillors.
(b) A club elected councillor will carry their Club’s voting’s entitlement for voting at Council meetings [as defined in clause 8. {b}]
17. The President shall be Chairman of both the Council and the Board of Directors.
18. There shall be held in the month of February or March each year the Annual General meeting of the Council at which the President, or if not present, one of the Directors, will preside. The dates of all Annual General Meetings shall be set at the preceding Annual General meeting.
19. No quorum shall be necessary for any meeting of Council provided that not less than 21 days notice of the meeting has been given to all persons entitled to attend, such notice having been sent to their last recorded address.
20. At any meeting of the Council the President shall preside or in the absence of the President one of the Directors will preside over that meeting.
21. PROXY VOTING: Proxy voter must be a financial member of their Club and may only carry their own club entitlement.
22. A Club may appoint a replacement Councillor by giving no less than 30 days written notice to the National Secretary prior to any Council meeting and the Board of Directors giving a decision of approval within seven days of the National Secretary receiving such notice of appointment. Each appointment is to be treated on a case-by-case basis.
SPECIAL MEETINGS
23. Upon written application by five or more clubs or by resolution of the Board of Directors, the President shall instruct the Secretary to convene a special meeting of the Council at any time, Twenty-one day’s notice must be given and such special meeting may also deal with any business referred to it by the Board of Directors.
THE BUSINESS OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SHALL BE:
(a) To confirm the Officers of the Union, Patron and National Selectors. The Officers, Patron and National Selectors is to take office immediately following the Annual General meeting of Council.
(b) To receive the reports and an audited statement of accounts from the Board of Directors.
(c) To elect Life Members.
(d) To consider and if thought fit to approve regulations made by the Board of Directors concerning the New Zealand Championships, the Technical Officials Panel and the awarding of coaching certificates.
(d) To appoint an Auditor.
NATIONAL SELECTION PANEL
24. (a) The National Selection Panel shall comprise of three elected members and shall be
Appointed on a one year term.
(b) The National Selection Panel shall be convened by the Director of Technical and shall be responsible for the updating of the ranking system and major championship awards.
(c) The National Selection Panel will consist of one member from the North Island, one from the South Island and one from either the North or South Islands.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
25. The Board of Directors shall comprise of the President, the three Directors.
26. The business of the Union shall be completely in the hand of the Board of Directors except insofar as these rules otherwise specifically provide. The Board of Directors may take such action as it may deem necessary, expedient or desirable including the referral by agreement of certain sports related disputes to the Sports Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand as set out in the Rules of that Tribunal and may meet at such times and places as it may by resolution determine, or as it may be convened by the Secretary at the direction of the President or by the Secretary on written requisition of any three members of the Board of Directors. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the President or in the absence of the President, one of the Directors appointed by the Board of Directors shall preside.
27. The Board of Directors in carrying out it’s business in terms of the preceding rule shall diligently consider any recommendations given for it’s guidance by Council, the Commissions, or the Panels. The Council, however shall not except by resolution of a special meeting called for the purpose, alter any decisions already made by the Board of Directors.
28. A copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Board of Directors shall be forwarded to all members of Council and to each Club Committee within twenty-one days of such meeting.
29. The quorum for meetings of the Board of Directors shall be three members present
30. At any meeting of the Board of Directors each member present shall be entitled in respect of any question put to the vote to exercise one vote. The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in addition, if the voting were equal, a casting vote. No salaried officer of the Union shall have voting rights at either Board of Directors or Council meetings.
MEETINGS AND HEADQUARTERS
31. The Commission’s of Finance, Technical and Promotion shall be established.
(a) The function of the Commissions shall be to advise the Board of Directors on selected matters and carry out approved Union policy.
(b) Each Commission shall have one of the Board of Directors as its Director, with members being co-opted by Director.
(c) Each Commission shall appoint a Deputy Director and all meeting minutes be taken by the National Secretary.
(d) Each Commission shall meet at least twice a year.
(e) Minutes of each Commission meetings shall be circulated to all Commission members, Commission Panel members and the Board of Directors within twenty-one days.
(f) Each Commission shall report annually to the Annual General meeting of Council.
32. Panels of one or more persons will be established within each Commission. Panel members shall take responsibility for specific areas of Union activity within their respective Commission. Each Panel will have representative on its respective Commission and such representative will report to each meeting of the Commission.
33. The specific areas of responsibility of each Commission and the composition of its Panels shall be:
(a) The Finance Commission will have responsibility for the orderly conduct of the Unions financial and legal affairs and the seeking of sources of income to fund the Unions activities.
Sponsorship and Fundraising activities.
(b) The Promotion Commission will have a specific responsibility to promote and publicise wrestling/grappling in New Zealand. It will also have as a major roll, the maintaining, increasing and strengthening of the Unions membership. Panels shall be established for:
Publicity (printed media, Radio and Television)
Kiwi sport / High school / Collegiate wrestling
National magazine/Web Site
Outfitting
Protocol and Membership
(c)1 The Technical Commission will have responsibility for setting national programmes to improve the standards of wrestling/grappling and coaches. It will make recommendations to the Board of Directors for the Selection, preparation and touring of national teams. Panels shall be established for:
National Coaching
National Selection Panel
Wrestlers/Grappling Panel
Club Coaches
Co-ordinating Cultural Exchange and National teams.
Officials Panel
2 The Technical Commission will have responsibility for overseeing the Officials Panel.
The Officials panel responsibilities will comprise:
Officials and Pairmasters
Championship Records
Timekeepers
34. The headquarters of the Union shall be in such a place, as the Council shall from time to time determine.
FINANCE
35. Clubs shall collect their member’s and wrestlers/grapplers registration fees as set by the Director of Finance and confirmed at the Annual General meeting and the full amount remitted to the Treasurer to the Union.. At the same time the Club shall advise the names, addresses and membership numbers of those who have paid their subscriptions and of all members who are officials and who by these rules become members of the Union.
(a) Members Subscriptions must be paid to the Treasurer of the Union by the 30th day of June of that year. Upon receipt of member’s and wrestlers/grapplers registration fees they shall be deemed financial. Clubs failure to pay by the stipulated date will result in a recalculation of their voting entitlement under clause 8.(b)
36. Every club shall pay an annual affiliation fee of such amount as set by the Board of Directors and confirmed at the Annual General meeting. The registration fees shall be paid in full to the Treasurer of the Union. At the same time, if possible, the Club shall advise the names, addresses of club office bearers for the following year
(a) The Club Affiliation fee must be paid to the Treasurer of the Union by the 20th day of April of that year.
37. There shall be established in a bank chosen by the Board of Directors an account into which all funds of the Union shall be paid and out of which the expenses approved by the Board of Directors shall be paid. Two signatures shall be required for any cheque drawn on this account and the Board of Directors shall from time to time determine who such signing officers shall be, there being not less than three such signing officers.
38. The Board of Directors may also establish sub accounts within its one account, provided the establishment of such sub accounts is reported to and approved by the next following meeting of Council. The signing authorities for such special funds shall be as determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.
39. The financial year of the Union shall close on the 31st day of December in each year and an audited statement of accounts for such year shall be tabled at the Annual meeting of the Council next following and circulated to all members of Council with the notice convening such meeting.
40. The Board of Directors shall have custody of the funds of the Union and may invest any part of such funds not required for current administration in such property, securities, or other valuable consideration as the Board of Directors may from time to time approve with similar power to sell, transfer or otherwise trade or realise the same.
ALTERATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS
41. The regulations under which Olympic wrestling/grappling shall be engaged in and controlled in New Zealand shall be those in current use by FILA as approved from time to time by the Board of Directors. Should these regulations be deemed inappropriate for New Zealand conditions, alterations may be adopted through Council only, after recommendation from Clubs and or the Board of Directors.
42. The Rules and or the Regulations may be amended or revoked only in the manner following:
(a) A proposal to so amend or revoke may be made at any time by the Board of Directors or any Club. If made by a Club, notice of such proposal to amend or revoke must be sent to the Secretary to the Union at least three calendar months before the Annual meeting of Council.
(b) Not later than ten weeks before the Annual meeting of Council, the Board of Directors shall circulate such proposals (fully and correctly worded) to all members of Council.
(c) At the Annual meeting of the Council such proposals may be bought forward with Board of Directors recommendations.
[d] If such proposals are carried by three fourths majority of the valid votes available at such Annual meeting of the Council these rules shall be approved or revoked and notice thereof given to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies
GENERAL PROVISIONS
43. COLOURS: The colours to be worn by all wrestlers/grapplers representing New Zealand shall comply with FILA Rules, being red or blue wrestling togs and may have a silver fern, with the word “New Zealand” which can be contracted to “NZL”.
44. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Board of Directors shall with the consent of the Council, promulgate such regulations for the conduct of the New Zealand Wrestling/grappling Championships as they may from time to time determine and may with the consent of the Council amend or revoke such regulations provided that no such change shall be notified not later than 1st January in any year if it is to apply to the championships of that year.
45. TECHNICAL OFFICIALS PANEL: The Board of Directors shall appoint a panel of referee judges to be called the Technical Officials Panel. The Technical Officials Panel shall elect its own Chairman annually. Persons appointed to such panel shall:
(a) Be members of the Union, proposed as referee judges by any Club Committee and shall continue to be members of the Union.
(b) Be approved by the Board of Directors as Referee/Judges. The Board of Directors may by regulation approved by the Council, prescribe for the conduct and procedure of the Technical Officials Panel, or in the absence of such regulations, may so direct the panel, but so that at no time shall the Board of Directors or any member thereof influence or attempt to influence of the panel on the judging or refereeing any particular bout to which the referee or judge is appointed except as may be provided for in any regulations.
46. SUSPENSION: The Board of Directors may at any time suspend any member of the Technical Officials Panel or any authorised Coach or any Official or Wrestler/Grappler or Member, for any conduct that brings the sport of Wrestling/Grappling or the Board of Directors into disrepute. What will be considered disreputable behaviour will depend on the facts that surround each case. However the board of Directors may at their discretion use any other extrinsic aid to help them in their determination of what amounts to disreputable behaviour. Provided always that a General Meeting of Council will within two months, confirm such suspension.
47. APPEAL: Any decision made by the Board of Directors must be submitted exclusively by way of appeal to the Sports Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand. Any appeal to the Sports Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand will be dealt with in accordance with the Rules of that Tribunal and must be filed within 21 days of the decision of the Board of Directors.
48. SAVINGS: Any matter not provided for may be determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may take any or all actions not expressly by these rules prohibited or limited to certain circumstances or conditions, in which case the action may be taken in such prescribed conditions.
49. WINDING-UP: The Union may be wound up by resolution of the Council passed and subsequently confirmed as provided in Section 24 of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. The surplus assets will be distributed to an organisation with similar interests and will be decided by resolution at the first of the General Meetings held to wind-up the Union.
50. SEAL: The Seal of the Union shall be kept in the custody of the Secretary, but shall only be affixed to any document pursuant to a resolution to that effect of the Board of Directors such resolution to specify two members of the Board of Directors to witness the affixing of the Seal.
51. VOTING: Where at any Club, Council or Board of Directors meeting any matter is put to a vote such vote may be either on voices, by show of hands or by ballot whichever may be directed by the meeting or in the absence of such direction, at the discretion of the Chairman of such meeting.
