NZSSRA: DRAFT 2025 AGM Minutes

DRAFT

Date: Sunday 23 March 2025
Time: 5pm
Venue: Sir Don Rowlands Centre, Lake Karāpiro
(Agenda)

Welcome
Mark Cotham (NZSSRA President) welcomed and thanked everybody for taking the time to be at the AGM.
Roll Call
Member Schools present & entered at Maadi: Ashburton College, Auckland Grammar School, Avonside Girls High School, Bethlehem College, Cashmere High School, Christchurch Boys High School, Christchurch Girls High School, Christ's College, Craighead Diocesan School, Cromwell College, Diocesan School For Girls, Gisborne Boys High School, Glendowie College, Hamilton Boys High School, Hastings Boys High School, Hillcrest High School, John McGlashan College, John Paul College, Kings College, Macleans College, Marlborough Boys College, Marlborough Girls College, Mt Albert Grammar School, Mt Aspiring College, Napier Boys High School, Nelson College For Girls, Onslow College, Otago Boys High School, Otago Girls High School, Pompallier Catholic College, Queen Margaret College, Rangi Ruru Girls School, Roncalli College, Rotorua Girls High School, Rotorua Lakes High School, Sacred Heart Girls College (Hamilton), Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Scots College, St Bede's College, St Cuthberts College, St John's College (Hamilton), St Kentigern College, St Kevin's College, St Margaret's College, St Paul's Collegiate School, St Peter's College, St Peter's School, St Thomas Of Canterbury, Takapuna Grammar School, Tauranga Boys College, Tauranga Girls College, Timaru Boys High School, Twizel Area School, Villa Maria College, Waikato Diocesan School, Waitaki Boys High School, Waitaki Girls High School, Wellington Girls College, Wentworth College, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School, Whakatane High School, Whanganui Collegiate School, Whanganui High School (proxy), Whangarei Girls High School (65)
Other Members Schools: Paraparaumu College (1)
Life Members: Garry Carr-Smith (proxy), Jack Colin (proxy), John O'Connor, Trudy Keys (4)
Total votes available: 70

Quorum: 40% of members which are member schools entered at the ongoing Championship. 116 schools entered Maadi. Quorum = 47. 65 present. Quorum met.
Apologies
Aquinas College, Baradene College, Burnside High School, Cambridge High School, Carmel College, Chilton St James School, Garin College, Hauraki Plains College, Hillmorton High School, Huanui College, James Hargest College, Kristin School, Logan Park High School, Marian College, Nelson College, New Plymouth Girls High School, Onewhero Area School, Pukekohe High School, Queens High School, Southland Girls High School, St Patrick's College, Tauhara College; Father Earl Crotty SM, Fred Strachan QSM, John Drummond (25)

Non-voting representatives: ACG Strathallan College, Aotea College, Columba College, Epsom Girls Grammar, Gisborne Girls High School, Hamilton Girls' High School, Iona College, Lindisfarne College, Marian College, Otumoetai College, Rosehill College, Rototuna High School, Shirley Boys High School, St Andrew's College, St Catherines College, St Hilda's Collegiate, St Mary's College (Wgtn), Taupo-Nui-A-Tia College, Tawa College, Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu, Wakatipu High School, Wellington East Girls College (22)

Other attendees: Andrew Carr-Smith, Gus Scott, Trudy Keys, Bruce Tong (NZSSRA Board); Jane Stanley, Jared Cummings, Adrian Riepen, James Devereaux, Sarah Davis, Michele Munroe (Schools Committee); Teresa Armstrong (NZRA)
In Memoriam
This year the rowing community was sad to hear of the passing of Brian Parr, Alexandra (Lex) Clark, Don (Doc) McDonald, John Wylie, John Letts, and Doug Burrows.
President's Address
Verbal update given by Mark Cotham (NZSSRA Schools Committee President).

A warm welcome to the new and returning schools joining us this year. We are delighted to have Papamoa College, Rolleston College, Ellesmere College, Te Aratai College, Motueka High School, and Otahuhu College competing under NZSSRA for the first time. We also welcome back Tawa College, Ngaruawahia High School, Pompallier College, Cullinane College, Lincoln High School, Logan Park High School, and Pukekohe Christian School after a period away from school rowing. It is fantastic to see so many schools engaging with the sport, and we hope you have a rewarding experience.

The past year has brought both challenges and significant progress. One of the most complex discussions we have navigated was the rule change banning Year 14 students from competing at Maadi Regattas this decision was driven by the voice of our membership- principals- who sought alignment with the core values of fairness within secondary school sport. While the process was not without difficulty and ultimately led to a vote of no confidence in the Schools Committee, we have taken this as an opportunity for growth. We recognise the need to strengthen our processes, improve communication, and ensure our membership feels heard. We are committed to building trust and working collaboratively to shape the future of school rowing, which is why the AGM will adjourn later today and reconvene on Friday at the Principal's morning tea.

Over the past year, NZSSRA has been actively engaged with Rowing New Zealand, participating in workshops focused on updating its constitution in line with the new Incorporated Societies Act. This will be a major focus for us moving forward, as we too will have to work towards ensuring compliance while maintaining the integrity of our organisation. Additionally, with the 2025 AGM being a rule change year, we will continue reviewing and refining our rules of racing in alignment with Rowing New Zealand to create a clear, practical, and unified framework for our sport.

The success of our regattas continues to depend on the dedication of our volunteers, officials, and school communities. As participation grows, so does the need for support in running these events. I encourage all schools to engage with their communities and consider how they can contribute to sustaining and strengthening school rowing.

On behalf of NZSSRA, I would like to extend our gratitude to Rowing New Zealand for their support, with particular thanks to Jared Cummings and Rebecca Millicich, for their leadership and ongoing contributions to domestic rowing. I would also like to thank the NZSSRA Board members and the Schools Committee members for their contributions and commitment over the past year. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge our regatta hosts and officials for their tireless efforts in ensuring our events run smoothly. Finally, I wish all competitors the very best for a week of racing- may it be fair, competitive, and, most importantly, enjoyable.
Minutes of Previous SGMs
- November 2024
- January 2025
The wording for remit in the draft January minutes wasn't correct. This will be updated to match the remit wording from the agenda.

Move: St Margaret's College
Second: Villa Maria College

Outcome: Minutes have been unanimously adopted.
Finance Reports
Presented in information pack.
Call for acceptance of financial reports.

Move: Whanganui Collegiate School
Second: Rangi Ruru Girls' School

Outcome: The report has been unanimously adopted.
Report on business carried out by the Schools Committee during the past year.
Over the past year, the Schools Committee (SC) has undertaken key activities to support school rowing within NZSSRA.
A leadership change saw Jane Stanley appointed as Chair, succeeding Bruce Tong, who stepped down after nine years of dedicated service and now sits on the NZSSRA Board. Additionally, the Board appointed Sarah Davis to fill an extraordinary vacancy.
The SC held 10 general meetings throughout the year, and additional meetings to respond to the work around the Y14 remit. During which it:
- Welcomed six new schools as NZSSRA members and facilitated the return of seven schools.
- Convened two Special General Meetings (SGMs) to implement the new Year 14 policy and required rule changes. To ensure compliance, the SC took action under Article 24.1 to cure postal ballots for the second SGM, as outlined in the remits. The committee also engaged with School Sport New Zealand (SSNZ) to secure recognition of the updated NZSSRA Rule in their eligibility criteria so the Maadi Regatta could continue to be a sanctioned event.
- Completed an Article 11.2. A review of the Rules and Regulations, with proposed amendments included in the remits.
- Convened a special committee to assess Rule 2.5 exception applications. The committee, comprising of Jane Stanley, Bruce Tong, Sarah Davis, Patrick Gale, Ngarie Ashmore, reviewed 3 applications, granting no exemptions.
- Declined requests from homeschooled students and a French school seeking to compete at NZSSRA Championships, in accordance with existing regulations.
- Approved changes of colours for Rotorua Lakes High School, Rototuna High School and Wellington College.
The Schools Committee remains committed to transparent management, fair competition, and ensuring school rowing continues to thrive. We appreciate the engagement of members throughout the year and welcome any feedback on these matters.
Membership Fee
The Schools Committee did not propose any changes to the annual subscription or any levies.
Election of Officers
1. Life Members - No nominees received
2. Appointed Member of the Schools Committee
  There were two strong candidates for this position, Sarah Davis was appointed by NZSSRA Board (meeting February 2025) for the position of Appointed Member of the Schools Committee until 2028.
  
  Move: Rotorua Girls' High School
  Second: Westlake Boys High School
  
  Outcome: Sarah's position was unanimously ratified.
Championship Regattas
1. Hosting applications
  1. KRI applications to host 2027 Maadi Regatta
  2. KRI applications to host 2027 NISSC
  3. SIR applications to host 2027 SISSC
  The Chair suggested the three applications could be dealt with in one vote.
  Move: St Cuthbert's College
  Second: Macleans College
  
  Discussion: The Ministry of Education has not yet set 2027 Term dates. This means 2027 Summer Tournament Week dates are not available.
  
  Term 1 and Summer Tournament Week dates are affected by Easter. Easter Sunday 2027 is 28 March. A date not seen since 1948.
  
  Easter is very early, which tends to result in a late Maadi e.g. 27 March 2016 = Maadi 4-9 April. But the date is on the cusp of when we end up with an early Maadi e.g. 31 March 2002/2013/2024 = Maadi 18-23 March
  We are looking at
  - either the earliest ever Maadi: 15-20 March
  - or the latest ever Maadi: 5-10 April
  School Sport NZ has previously sought NZSSRA feedback in such cases. Even if they don't do that this time, we would still want to make a submission.
  
  Factors to consider:
  - EARLY Maadi, 15-20 March
    - NISSC/SISSC on usual dates relative to that = 26-28 February
    - This compresses the rowing calendar.
    - Nationals is supposed to be 16-20 Feb.
    - Unless SIR can get 3 consecutive weeks' late closure SISSC would have to be closer to Maadi than usual 5-7 March i.e. after Maadi entries close.
      note: this closeness has happened with NISSC before and was very unpopular.
  - LATE Maadi, 5-10 April
    - NISSC/SISSC on usual dates relative to that = 19-21 March
    - Daylight savings = ends 4 April
    - Regatta daylight hours will be 06:40-18:00 (instead of 07:40-19:00)
    - Day length is 11hrs 20 mins (c.f. 12hr 10mins for early Maadi)
      note: although this looks like 1 hour less racing available, KRI only has the lake for racing from 06:00-18:00 so the extra hour is not time they would usually be able to use anyway
  {Straw poll: outcome = roughly 2:1 favour late Maadi}
  
  Outcome: The hosting applications have been unanimously accepted.
2. Entry fees
  1. SIR fee change proposal for 2026 Maadi Regatta
    
    Description Fee
    
    Single $32
    
    Double/Pair $42
    
    Quad/Four $55
    
    Octuple/Eight $74
    
    Amenity $36
    
    Move: Macleans College
    Second: St John's College
    
    Discussion: John O'Connor (in his capacity as SIR Secretary) explained the fees increase will support, among other things, expansion of the boat park.
    Outcome: The fees have been unanimously revised.
  2. SIR fees proposal for 2026 SISSC
    
    Description Fee
    
    Single $22
    
    Double/Pair $24
    
    Quad/Four $33
    
    Octuple/Eight $45
    
    Amenity $28
    
    Move: St Margaret's College
    Second: Villa Maria College
    Outcome: The fees have been unanimously revised.
  3. KRI fees proposal for 2026 NISSC
    KRI did not propose any change to the fees. They remain the same as for 2025.
Remits
Mark explained remits b-f, i, j, m, and n are largely administrative changes and suggests they could potentially be dealt with batched together in one vote.
1. Transitional clause reference removal (Article 1.F)
  Constitution Article 1.F is updated to: "Life Member shall mean a person to whom life membership of NZSSRA has been granted pursuant to Article 6.2."
2. Application of Safety System changes (Article 14.8)
  Constitution article 14.8 is amended to: "Amendments to the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System shall be made only if approved by 75% of the Members represented personally or by proxy at the AGM or a SGM called for the purpose. Amendments affecting the conduct of the Championships shall not take effect until after any ongoing Championships; all other amendments shall take effect at the conclusion of the AGM. Nevertheless, an AGM may agree that changes to the Safety System take effect at the conclusion of the AGM and affect the conduct of an ongoing Championships provided the changes do not materially affect entries or disadvantage schools entered at that Championships."
3. Missing Novice events (Regulation 6.3)
  Regulation 6.3 is amended to add as the first event in the BOYS AND GIRLS UNDER 18 NOVICE list "Eight oars with coxswain" and to add as the second-to-last event in the BOYS AND GIRLS UNDER 18 NOVICE list "Quadruple sculls with coxswain"
4. Entry fees setting date (Regulation 8.2)
  Regulation 8.2 is amended to: "For Championships, entrance fees and levies will be set at an Annual General Meeting no later than the year before the regatta. The proposal from the Host Association for Entry and other fees and levies shall be submitted in writing to the Schools Committee not less than five weeks before the Annual General meeting which shall decide the matter."
5. "Principles" (Rules 4.2 & 20.1)
  The Rules are amended to correct instances of principal being used where it should be principle by amending Rule 4.2 to change "principals" to "principles"; and by amending Rule 20.1 to change "principal" to "principle".
6. Cross-reference correction (Rule 12.5)
  Rule 12.5 is amended so the cross-reference says "(see 12.6 below)" instead of "(see 12.4 above)"
7. Declaration form reference update (Rule 13.2)
  Rule 13.2.B is amended to: "the substitute's details are available in a completed entry DECLARATION FORM for the regatta; and"
8. Disciplinary terms
  Definitions of disciplinary terms are added to the Constitution and those terms therefore capitalised throughout the Rules, Regualtions, and Safety System as follows:
  1. the following disciplinary definitions are inserted within Article 1.1 in alphabetical order (and Article 1.1 renumbered accordingly):
    - Reprimand means a formal admonishment that the conduct of the student or crew is in breach of the Regulations, Rules, or Safety System. This will be an appropriate sanction where the breach does not warrant a high level of sanction;
    - Yellow Card means a formal warning for a breach of the Regulations, Rules, or Safety System. A Yellow Card shall apply to the next race in which that crew competes in that regatta. It shall lapse only when the race is concluded and shall therefore still apply in the case of a postponement or rerow of that race. A crew awarded two Yellow Cards applying to the same race shall be Excluded from the event.
    - Relegation (REL) means the crew is placed last in its race;
    - Exclusion (EXC) means the crew is removed from some or all rounds of the event in question. This sanction is for a serious and/or repeated breach of the Regulations, Rules, or Safety System, justifying that the offending crew take no further part in the event;
    - Disqualification (DSQ) means the students or crew are disqualified from all events in the regatta:
      1. This sanction is for the most serious breaches of the Regulations, Rules, or Safety System, justifying removal from the regatta.
      2. Where a student is Disqualified, that student shall take no further part in the regatta.
      3. Where a student is Disqualified at a time when Rule 13.4 restricts substitutions, then the student may not be replaced and the crew of that student shall be Excluded from all rounds of the event in question.
      4. Where a crew is Disqualified, no member of that crew shall take any further part in any event of that regatta.
      5. Where a school is Disqualified, none of its students shall take any further part in any event of that regatta;
  2. "disqualified" is capitalised to "Disqualified" in Regulation 7.4; Rules 2.3, 4.3, 10.1, and 17.2; and Safety System clauses 7.C, 7.D, 9.A, and 9.B.
  3. "disqualification" is capitalised to "Disqualification" in Rules 20.A and 20.B
  4. "exclusion" is capitalised to "Exclusion" in Regulation 7.4 and Rule 12.5
  5. "exclude" is capitalised to "Exclude" in Rule 19.7.B
  6. "excluded" is capitalised to "Excluded" in Rule 23.2
  7. "relegated" is capitalised to "Relegated" in Rule 12.7
  8. "reprimand" is capitalised to "Reprimand" in Rule 17.2
9. School Sport NZ
  References to "NZSSSC" are updated by:
  1. amending the definition in Article 1.1, replacing "NZSSSC" with "SSNZ" and re-ordering the definitions alphabetically.
  2. amending Article 18.4 to remove "To the extent that it is practicable to do so NZSSSC codes shall be adopted in respect of Secondary Schools that are members of NZSSSC."
  3. amending Regulations 1.5, 6.2.B, and 7.3.B.iii by replacing "NZSSSC" with "SSNZ"
  4. amending Rule 2.4 by replacing "NZSSSC" with "SSNZ"
1. Para & Adaptive-rowing classes (Rule 11)
  Rule 11 is altered to add a new Rule 11.5 & 11.6
  1. Para-rowing Classification
    A Para-rower is a rower with a disability who meets the minimum criteria set out in the FISA Classification Rules. Only Para-rowers (and support person if required) shall compete in a Para-rowing event.
  2. Adaptive-rowing Classification
    An Adaptive-rower is a rower who has a diagnosed intellectual impairment. Only Adaptive-rowers (and support person if required) shall compete in an Adaptive-rowing event.
  Move: Takapuna Grammar School
  Second: St John's College
  
  Outcome: Remit has passed.
1. Communication Equipment (Rule 4.3)
  Rule 4.3 is altered to "No boat or member of any crew shall carry any electronic equipment that shall enable coaching to be received from any person who is not in the boat. A crew found receiving coaching while racing, in any form, with or without the use of electronic equipment, shall be excluded from the event."
  
  Move: Takapuna Grammar School
  Second: St John's College
  
  Ashburton College proposed amending the remit so that "shall" becomes "may" and the words "or without" are removed.
  
  Second: Rangi Ruru Girls School
  Outcome: The amendment is passed.
  
  Rule 4.3 is now altered to "No boat or member of any crew shall carry any electronic equipment that shall enable coaching to be received from any person who is not in the boat. A crew found receiving coaching while racing, in any form, with the use of electronic equipment, may be excluded from the event."
  
  Outcome: The amended remit is unanimously passed.
1. Uniform violations (Rule 10.1)
  Rule 10.1 is amended to: "Every rower must wear the official uniform of the school that they are representing. Any crew not wearing approved rowing uniforms may be Excluded."
  
  Move: Whanganui Collegiate
  Second: Whangarei Girls High School
  
  Outcome: Remit has passed unanimously.
1. Damage in start zone (Rule 21.7) (to be removed from the Rules)
  1st Option - That Rule 21.7 be removed from the Rules
  
  Move: Whanganui Collegiate
  Second: Craighead Diocesan School
  
  Discussion: Justin Wall noted as a Chief Starter at Lake Ruataniwha, breakages in the start zone are not always reported as required and are more frequent than the stats show.
  
  Outcome: Members did not agree with this remit, it does not pass.
1. Damage in start zone (Rule 21.7) (2nd option)
  Rule 21.7 is updated to replace the word "shall" in the first sentence with the word "may".
  
  Move: St Peters School
  Second: Kings College
  
  Outcome: Remit has passed nearly unanimously
1. Promotional Equipment (Rule 4.4)
  A new Rule 4.4 is added: "The Organising Committee may require crews to carry on their boats such equipment as it considers desirable for the better promotion of the sport of rowing (e.g. mini-cameras, microphones, GPS, etc.) provided that such equipment is identical in weight and location for all boats in a race."
  
  Move: Whanganui High School
  Second: St Thomas Of Canterbury
  
  Discussion: KRI believe promoting rowing by providing live footage alongside GPS tracking information visible on screens would greatly enhance the experience for those unable to attend in person, significantly improving the sport's promotion. KRI feel it's essential to establish a rule for this, rather than leaving it open to rejection. Schools discussed the consequences for boat weighing.
  
  Altitude are planning on doing some GPS tracking at this regatta, they looked at 3 events, there are 40+ across these events, every single school said yes to putting GPS tracking on the boat.
  
  Outcome: Remit has passed unanimously.
1. Remit for temporary membership validity (Article 1.1)
  Constitution Article 6.3.A is amended to: "The Schools Committee at its sole discretion may admit that Secondary School as a Member School and/or declare that Secondary School's status as a Member School to be valid for a specified period or purpose with all associated rights and benefits; and"
  
  Move: St Margarets College
  Second: Wentworth College
  
  Outcome: The remit has passed unanimously.
1. Year Group Classification (Rule 11)
  A remit to alter Rule 11, for the current classification of rowers by age be replaced by Classification by school year level.
  
  Move: John O'Connor - Life Member
  Second: Ashburton College
  
  Discussion: there was wide ranging discussion about potential impacts of the proposed change on students, squads, entries, and competition. A statement from RNZ was read out (attached). Members discussed whether perceived inequities related to levels of experience could be resolved through changes other than a new classification system.
  
  Outcome: Remit was not passed, a supermajority voted against it.
  
  Mark took an opportunity to gauge Members views on changing the Under-15 classification to Under-15 Novice, and changing the birth-date cute off reference date. Discussions raised request for Schools Committee to explore these options further.
General Business
St Peters College raised the idea of having events for "second" crews. There was not support strongly for or against.

Description	Fee
Single	$32
Double/Pair	$42
Quad/Four	$55
Octuple/Eight	$74
Amenity	$36

Description	Fee
Single	$22
Double/Pair	$24
Quad/Four	$33
Octuple/Eight	$45
Amenity	$28

----- Meeting adjourned 6:55pm -----

----- Meeting recommenced Friday 28th March 10:30am at Sir Don Rowlands Centre. -----

Principals' forum
Jane welcomed all Principals and thanked them for supporting school rowing. Jane acknowledged it has been a challenging 6 months for NZSSRA as they worked around various issues including the Year14 rule. Jane informed members of the internal NZSSRA Board and Schools Committee structure, noting it has challenges which are worth improving. Jane acknowledged Mark Cotham who has been working persistently for NZSSRA over the last 6 months.

Mat Jensen informed Members Rowing New Zealand is updating their Constitution to adhere to new Incorporated Societies Act. RowingNZ is proposing an "all-in membership" model, allowing schools, clubs, universities, individuals to become members, for a unified disputes and disciplinary process. Members raised no questions.

Jane queried if Principals would be interested in assisting NZSSRA update their Constitution.
Member asked for NZSSRA to provide what would the expectations of being apart of the Constitution Update Working Group look like so they could make informed decision.
Discussion whether Maria Clarke who is RowingNZ Constitution lawyer, could potentially cross over and be lawyer for NZSSRA also, if NZSSRA have consistent views with RowingNZ.

Jane recapped Sunday's AGM, noting some remits were amended before being passed, and the Year Group classification did not gain enough support and was not passed.

Discussion raised about U15 events shifting to U15 Novice. Comments against included - this could cause "fairness issues" in U16 events and be challenging for smaller schools. It was also noted the skill difference between 2 and 3 years rowing experience, is less than the skill difference between novice and 2 years' experience.
There was support from the majority of Principals for Schools Committee to investigate this change further.

Discussed a change to "birth date cut off" possibly to winter to align with off-season.
Discussions that need to keep consistent with 1st January aligning with School Sport NZ and across all school sport codes. There was not a lot of support for any change here.

Jane recapped NZSSRA needing to review their structure to better service school rowing.
Discussions raised priority to strengthen the voice of Principals, needing Principal engagement.

Principal noted needing transparency on the Year14 exemption process. Jane advised NZSSRA will be seeking feedback on the new Year14 ruling this year.

Discussion about alternating the last event of Maadi between girls and boys U18 eights every year or two years -allowing Karapiro and Twizel final. Principal raised concern as final event Maadi Cup aligns with regatta. Andrew informed since 2022 Maadi has been called Maadi Regatta and the Maadi Cup no longer appears in logo. Majority of hands raised in favour for alternating final race every two years and the girls eight should be the last event next year.
Date of next AGM
Those in attendance liked the split AGM, thought it worked well. Jane advised NZSSRA can send a few suggestions for 2026 AGM via survey and confirm how the next AGM will be. Principals acknowledge the movement of NZSSRA Schools Committee and RowingNZ having better engagement recently.

----- Meeting closed 11:15am -----