10.1 Annual Conferences
(a) The Association shall hold an annual conference at such time and place as the National Executive may decide.
(b) The Association shall give members and branches at least three months’ notice of the annual conference.
10.2 Special Conferences
(a) A special conference may be called by the National Executive whenever it decides there is a matter of such importance that it should be dealt with by a special conference.
(b) A special conference shall be called by the National Executive within 60 days of the National President or national office receiving a requisition signed by not less than 10% of the members (other than associate members) of the Association. The requisition shall also state the business to be conducted at the conference.
(c) The Association shall give members and branches not less than one month’s written notice of any special conference.
(d) The notice calling the special conference shall clearly state the business to be considered at the special conference and no other business shall be considered by that conference.
10.3 Conference Participation
(a) Any member, associate member or life member may attend and speak at any conference of the Association;
(b) Only duly authorised branch representatives have the right to vote on matters before the conference;
(c) Members of the National Executive are entitled to attend and speak on any matter before any conference and to move or second resolutions but may vote only if they are duly appointed branch representatives;
(d) Each branch is entitled to appoint and send to any conference one representative for every twenty five members in the branch, with a minimum of one representative. This entitlement shall be based on branch membership at 31 March each year.
(e) A branch that is unable to fill its quota of representatives from its own members may do so from members of another branch;
(f) The Association shall pay the reasonable travel and accommodation costs of each representative and member of the National Executive who attends the conference.
10.4 Conference Remits
(a) Remits for consideration by an annual or special conference may be submitted by the National Executive or any branch or member of the Association. All remits must be in writing and sent to the national office.
(b) Remits proposing a change to the Association’s constitution must be received in the national office at least three months before the first day of the conference.
(c) Any other remits must be received in the national office at least one month before the first day of the conference.
(d) Remits proposing changes to the Association’s constitution shall be sent to branches for their consideration within one month of their being received by the national office.
(e) All other remits shall be sent to branches for their consideration at least three weeks before the first day of the conference.
(f) Late remits may be accepted for consideration by the conference but only if two-thirds of the representatives registered to attend that conference agree.
10.5 Annual Conference Business
Subject to a secret ballot of the whole membership, the annual conference provides a forum and opportunity for the Association through its branch representatives to meet and:
(a) Debate and decide the Association’s policy;
(b) Receive and consider financial and other reports from the National Executive;
(c) Set the annual subscriptions for members and associate members;
(d) Make any other decisions required by this constitution; and
(e) Generally oversee the business of the Association.
10.6 Not later than the first day of the conference the national office shall send or give to each representative a copy of:
(a) The conference agenda;
(b) The Association’s annual report;
(c) The Association’s audited financial statements for the previous financial year.
10.7 Voting
(a) Voting shall ordinarily be by show of hands, but if three representatives present at the conference request it, voting shall be by secret ballot of all representatives present at the time the vote is taken.
(b) Only branch representatives are entitled to vote on any matter before the conference.
10.8 Quorum
The conference quorum shall be 40% of the number of branch representatives registered to attend.
10.9 A hui-ā-motu (national hui) for Māori members of the Association shall take place at lease once every three years.
