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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 7

Rules and regulations of the Canterbury Club, Christchurch

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Rules of the Canterbury Club

Constitution of Club

I.

The Club shall be called The Canterbury Club.

Name of Club

II.

The Club shall consist of those gentlemen already entered as

Who Members

original members, together with all those who may be thereafter elected under Rule V., without any limit as to number.

III.

The Club shall be under the management of a Committee of

Management of Club

seven, who shall have full power to direct and manage the affairs of the Club during the currency of their office.

Nomination and Admission of Members

IV.

No one shall be eligible for election to Membership unless he

Qualification for Membership, and Annual Subscription

shall be the holder of at least one share in the "Canterbury Club Company, Limited"; and the annual subscription shall be Three Guineas, payable in advance, on the first day of August in each year.
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V.

Members elected by Ballot

Members shall be elected by a general ballot. Each Candidate for admission must be proposed by one member and seconded by

Nomination of Candidates

another, in their own handwriting, in a book kept for that purpose, and a list of the names, occupation, or profession, and address of each candidate, with the names of the proposer and seconder, must be exhibited in one of the public rooms of the Club, twenty- one days preceding the day of ballot, and be dated and signed by the Steward.

VI.

Mode of Ballot

The ballot shall take place between 2 and 5 p.m., on the first Tuesday of every month, during which time the ballot shall be kept open in the presence of the Steward and one member of Committee. No ballot shall be valid unless 25 Members actually vote. One black ball in five shall exclude.

VII.

Notification of Election by Secretary

On the admission of each new Member, the Steward shall notify it to him, furnishing him at the same time with a copy of the Rules, and shall request him to remit the amount of his Subscription; on payment of which he shall be enrolled in the books of the Club, being thereby entitled to its privileges and also subject to its Rules.

Expelled or Retiring Members

VIII.

Non-payment of Entrance Fees and Subscriptions

If any Member elected previous to the 23rd October, 1874, fails to pay the annual Subscription due on the 1st August, 1874, within two months from the 23rd October, 1874, and if a newly elected Member fails to pay his Subscription within one month from the date of his election, and if any Member fails to pay the Annual Subscription, due on the 1st of August in each year, within one month thereafter, the Steward shall report accordingly to the Committee, who shall cause the name of such defaulters to be erased from the list of Members. But the Committee shall have the power to restore any Member page 9 whose name shall have been so erased if he can justify the delay to their satisfaction. No newly-elected Member shall be allowed to make use of the Club-House until he shall have paid his Subscription.

IX.

Any Member intending to withdraw from the Club, shall

Withdrawal of Members

signify his intention so to do to the Steward, on or before the 1st of May in each year, otherwise he shall be liable for the succeeding year's Subscription.

Supernumerary Members X.

Any Member of the Club intending to leave the Province, may

Supernumerary Members

upon his or his Agent's application in writing to the Committee, (his subscription for the current year being paid) be placed on the list of "Supernumerary Members" and be exempt from payment of the Annual Subscription until his return, when it will be necessary before he is replaced on the list of Members, that he should pay the same Subscription as a newly elected Member for the then current year. Any Supernumerary Member who shall fail to report his return to the Committee within the period of one month thereafter, shall cease to be a Member of the Club unless he shall justify the day to the satisfaction of the Committee.

Honorary Members or Visitors XI.

Gentlemen newly arrived, or being vsitors in the Province,

Honorary Members

may be admitted by any two members of the Committee of Management as "Honorary Members," for any period not exceeding one month, during which time they shall not be called upon for any Subscription. And it shall then be in the power of the Committee to invite such Gentlemen to remain Honorary Members of the Club for the further period of three months, upon payment of One Guinea Subscription ninthly in advance. The names and addresses of such Honorary Members shall be entered by the Steward, and endorsed by the respective signatures of page 10 the two members admitting the same, in a book to be kept for that purpose. Honorary Members shall not be allowed to introduce strangers into the Club, but any Member of the Club may introduce a non-Member in company with himself. Should any complaint be made to the Committee of the introduction to the Club of any non-Member, the Committee shall consider such complaint; and, are empowered to require that the introduction of the visitor complained of be discontinued.

Committee XII.

Committee

The present members of Committee shall continue in office

Special Meetings

until the election by ballot of their successors. Special Meetings may be called on urgent occasions by the Steward on the written requisition of three Members; twenty-four hours' notice to be given to each Member. The Committee are to meet as often as they may think proper for the transaction of business; three to be a quorum. And in order to facilitate the working of the Committee, a record of attendance at the meetings, shall be kept by the Steward, and such record shall be placed before the Club

Member of Committee absent without leave

at the Annual General Meeting. Any member of Committee absenting himself more than three consecutive times from the meetings, without permission from the Committee, shall cease to be a Member of the same, and the Committee may elect a

Vacancies in Committee

substitute for his unexpired term of office. In the event of vacancies occurring in the Committee, the remaining members of Committee shall fill up such vacancies for the unexpired term of office.

Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings

XIII.

Annual General Meeting

There shall be Annual General Meeting of the Club on the second Saturday in August—or should that day be a holiday, then on the day previous—for the purpose of transacting the general business of the Club, electing a Committee of Management for the succeeding year, receiving from the Committee a report and abstract of the accounts of the Club for the past year, and considering propositions for any new Rule or alteration of page 11 any existing Rule of the Club, of which due notice shall have been given in writing, signed by at least two Members, and which notice shall have been posted in the Smoking room of the Club, for not less than twenty-one days prior to such meeting. The yearly accounts to be certified by two Auditors appointed at a previous General Meeting.

XIV.

If at any time it shall be deemed expedient to adopt any new

Extra ordinary General Meeting

Rule, or alter any existing one, or to make any other proposition which may appear to require the sanction of a general meeting, the Committee may call an extraordinary general meeting, on giving fourteen days' notice, specifying the subject intended to be submitted—the discussion at which meeting shall be confined to the subjects specified alone. The Committee may also call an extraordinary general meeting on the requisition of ten Members, under restrictions similar to the preceding.

XV.

At all General Meetings or Special Meetings, thirty members

Quorum

must be present before proceeding to business, but should there not be a quorum, the members present may, at the expiration of half-an-hour from the time appointed for assembling, adjourn the meeting for a period of not less than seven, nor more than fourteen, days, of which due notice shall be given.

Resolutions binding on Members XVI.

All resolutions passed at meetings of the Club shall be conclusive

Resolutions binding on all Members

and binding on all the Members of the Club, whether present at such meetings or not; provided that such meetings be held in conformity with the Rules at present, or which may hereafter be in force in the Club.

Complaints XVII.

All complaints must be written in a book kept for that purpose,

Complaints

signed by the Member complaining, which shall be laid before the Committee at the next meeting; and their decision shall be final.
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Of the Payment of Club Accounts XVIII.

Payment of Bills by Members

All Members are to pay accounts of any expenses they may have incurred in the Club-house daily or weekly, and before they leave the neighbourhood of Christchurch. Any Member refusing to pay his account when requested to do so by the Committee, or their officer, shall cease to enjoy the privileges of the Club until his account shall be paid, or he shall have arranged for the payment to the satisfaction of the Committee; and in the case of any member so defaulting, the Committee shall have power to erase his name from the list of members, subject to confirmation by the next meeting of members.

Miscellaneous

XIX.

Servants not to receive gratuities

No Member of the Club shall give any money or gratuity to any of the servants of the establishment under any pretence whatever.

XX.

Gambling

Gambling on no account to be allowed in the Club. Any complaints thereof to be decided by the Committee, and no game which may be deemed by the Committee a gambling game shall be allowed in the Club.

XXI.

Dogs not admitted

No Member is on any account to bring a dog into the Club House.

XXII.

Smoking

No smoking shall be allowed in the Club House, except in the room or rooms appropriated for that purpose by the Committee of Management.

XXIII.

Destruction of the Properties of the Club

Any Member breaking or injuring any article belonging to, or in use of the Club, shall pay the necessary costs of replacing such article.
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XXIV.

No Member shall, upon any pretence whatever, take or allow

The Properties of the Club not to be removed therefrom

to be taken away from the Club, any book, newspaper, or other article, the property or in the use of the Club.

XXV.

The Club House shall be open from 7 o'clock a.m. till midnight,

Club-House, when open

after which hour no refreshments will be supplied, unless on some special occasion, by direction of the Committee.

Who to enjoy Privileges of Club XXVI.

No provisions, wines, or liquors, shall be sent out of the Club

Members only to enjoy the privileges of the Club, except under certain circumstances

House for the use of any Member or any other person, unless with the sanction of the Committee.

By-Laws XXVII.

The Committee shall have power to make By-Laws, and to

By-Laws

alter, amend, or rescind them as occasion may require, and such By-Laws shall have the same effect as (provided they are not inconsistent with) the Rules and Regulations. A book containing the By-Laws shall be kept in one of the rooms of the Club, open to the inspection of Members.

Members becoming Bankrupt XXVIII.

If any Member shall become bankrupt or shall take the benefit

Members becoming Bankrupt

of any Act for the relief of insolvent debtors, or make any assignment for the benefit of, or composition with, his creditors, he shall ipso facto cease to be a Member of the Club, and shall not be again admissible as a Member until he has obtained his certificate, or a release from his creditors after which he may be re-elected in the ordinary manner.
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Misconduct of Members XXIX.

Misconduct of Members

Any Member proved guilty of wilfully infringing the Rules or By-Laws, or of conducting himself in or out of the Club-House in a manner derogatory to his station in Society, shall be liable to expulsion. The charge against the accused Member must, in the first instance, be submitted in writing to the Committee by a Member, of which a copy shall be forthwith transmitted to the Member accused; and if upon due investigation they shall be of opinion that the circumstances require the notice of the Club, a Special General Meeting shall be convened, in conformity with Rule XIV., and the Member accused shall be informed of it. The opinion of such General Meeting shall be obtained by ballot, when, if two-thirds of the Members voting at the Meeting shall decide that the accused Member has merited expulsion, he shall cease to be a Member of the Club, which shall be notified to him forthwith by the Steward.

[The foregoing Rules were passed at a General Meeting of Members of the Club, on 23rd October, 1874.]