BY-LAWS
These By-Laws are raised under the authority of Clause 13.3 of the Friends of Kings Park Constitution, which states:
The Management Committee may issue, amend, vary, supplement, supplant or revoke By-Laws at its discretion for the good governance of Friends.
1.0Categories of Association Membership
(a)The categories of membership shall consist of those which are financial, and therefore entitled to vote under clause 9.2, and non-financial. The Committee may vary these categories and determine other categories, as required.
(b)Categories of financial membership include:
(i)Individual Member
(ii)Joint Member
(iii)Concessional Member
(iv)Corporate Member
(v)Honorary Life Member
(vi)RTN Associate Member
(c)Categories of non-financial membership include:
(i)Complimentary Members
(ii)Staff Members
(d)Individual Member: Individuals who shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership.
(e)Joint Member: Two adults with a common address shall be eligible for joint membership. At any meeting of the Association, a joint membership shall be entitled to two votes.
(f)Concessional Member: The Concessional Membership category is made up of individuals who:
- receive a pension from the Commonwealth Department of Human Services; or
- are holders of a Pensioner’s Health Benefits Card; or
- are holders of a WA Seniors’ Card; or
- receive such other classes of pension as the Committee may determine from time to time to be eligible for concessional membership; or
- are full time students over the age of 18 attending a secondary, tertiary or TAFE institution;
- are country residents, ie live outside the Perth metropolitan area (the Perth metropolitan area being defined as those postcodes within the range of 6000 – 6200 inclusive); and
- are interstate or international residents.
(g)Corporate Member: Any government, semi-government or private sector organisation shall be eligible for membership as a corporate member. The decision of the Committee shall be final as to whether or not any particular organisation falls within this category as an eligible organisation.
(h)Honorary Life Member: At its discretion the Committee may grant Honorary Life Membership of the Association to a member who has rendered special or meritorious service in furthering the objects of the Association in accordance with Clause 5.7of the Friends of Kings Park Constitution.
(i)RTN Associate Member: Individuals who volunteer to work in Rio Tinto Naturescape and are not otherwise members, may join as RTN Associate Members. RTN Associate Members receive all the benefits of full membership with the exception of the supply of the ‘For People and Plants’ magazine.
(j)Complimentary Member: Complimentary FoKP Memberships are provided to new members of Park Volunteer Groups to encourage greater camaraderie between the FoKP and those Volunteer Groups. Volunteer Groups within the Park are to provide FoKP with the names and contact details of their new members, for whomFoKP will process one single annual membership for each person. Complimentary members are non-financial members, but are entitled to all normal membership benefits, other than the right to vote.
(k)Staff Member: Complimentary FoKP Membership are provided to BGPA staff to provide them with an incentive to join FoKP and encourage greater camaraderie between Park staff and members of the Friends. All current BGPA staff are entitled to complimentary membership of FoKP but must first complete and submit a membership form to FoKP. Complimentary membership ceases once a staff member’s employment with BGPA ceases. BGPA staff complimentary members are non-financial members, but are entitled to all normal membership benefits,other than the right to vote.
2.0Nomination and Election Process
2.1Election Procedure
The following shall be the method of election of the members of the Management Committee:
(a)The Management Committee shall appoint a Returning Officer who shall not be a candidate for election.
(b)The Returning Officer shall by way of a notice on the Friends’ website and in the Friends’ newsletter call for nomination for the offices to be filled and specify a closing date at 2pm on a Thursday not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting.
(c)Nominations for office shall be in writing and signed by members proposing and seconding the candidate who must be a member and who shall sign an acceptance of such nomination.
(d)The Returning Officer shall produce a list of members who are entitled to vote for the election of members of the Management Committee. Such list shall comprise those financial members as at the date of the ballot.
(e)In the event that a ballot is required for any position, in accordance with Rule 11.11, the Returning Officer shall conduct the ballot.
2.2Ballot Procedures
(a)Each member entitled to vote shall have one (1) vote for each office.
(b)Election of members of the Management Committee shall be by simple majority.
(c)The Returning Officer shall after the closing of the ballot open the box and proceed with the counting of the votes.
(d)The Returning Officer shall report in writing to the Chairman of the Annual General Meeting the names of the persons elected and the Chairman shall declare them duly elected at the Annual General Meeting.
2.3Disputes Procedure
(a)Any dispute as to the ballot for office is to be submitted in writing to the Returning Officer within 38 hours of the declaration of the poll.
(b)The Returning Officer shall without delay call a meeting of the outgoing Management Committee who shall consider and rule on the dispute.
(c)The ruling of the Management Committee shall be final.
(d)In the case of a dispute as to the ballot being submitted, the outgoing Management Committee shall retain the authority and responsibility for running the Friends until such time as a decision on the dispute is handed down by them, or, in the case of the calling of a new ballot, until the declaration of the new poll.
(e)Any dispute as to the ballot made after e8 hours is to be considered by the incoming Management Committee, whose ruling shall be final and subject only to legal challenge.
Friends of Kings Park By-Laws – 1 June 2017