NZSSRA: 2025 SGM minutes

1. Attendees: ACG Strathallan College, Auckland Grammar School, Avonside Girls High School, Baradene College, Bayfield High School, Cambridge High School, Cashmere High School, Christchurch Boys High School, Christchurch Girls High School, Christ's College, Columba College, Craighead Diocesan School, Cromwell College, Diocesan School For Girls, Ellesmere College, Epsom Girls Grammar, Francis Douglas Memorial College, Glendowie College, Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton Girls' High School, Hauraki Plains College, Hillmorton High School, Huanui College, James Hargest College, John McGlashan College, Kings College, Kings High School, Kristin School, Macleans College, Marian College, Marlborough Girls College, Mt Albert Grammar School, Mt Aspiring College, Nelson College, New Plymouth Boys High School, New Plymouth Girls High School, Otago Boys High School, Otago Girls High School, Otahuhu College, Otumoetai College, Pukekohe High School, Queens High School, Queen Margaret College, Rangiora High School, Rosehill College, Rotorua Girls High School, Rangi Ruru Girls School, Sacred Heart Girls College (Hamilton), Sacred Heart Girls College (New Plymouth), Shirley Boys High School, St John's College (Hamilton), Southland Girls High School, St Paul's Collegiate School, St Patrick's College, St Andrew's College, St Bede's College, St Thomas Of Canterbury, St Cuthberts College, St Hilda's Collegiate, St Kentigern College, St Kevin's College, St Margaret's College, St Mary's College (Wgtn), St Peter's College, Takapuna Grammar School, Tauhara College, Te Awamutu College, Timaru Boys High School, Tauranga Boys College, Trident High School, Trinity Catholic College, Villa Maria College, Wentworth College, Westlake Girls High School, Whakatane High School, Whangarei Girls High School, Wellington College, Wellington Girls College, Whanganui Collegiate School, Whanganui Girls College, Whanganui High School, Waitaki Boys High School, Waitaki Girls High School, Garry Carr-Smith, John Drummond, John O'Connor.
   
   Andrew Carr-Smith (NZSSRA Board) counted the votes at 2pm Friday 24th January 2025
2. Roll call (based on list of ballots received)
   86 Members submitted an electronic vote between 29th November 2024 and 2pm 24th January 2025.
   
   NZSSRA currently has 136 members (Financial Members and Life Members), therefore the quorum was met. There were 10 ballots received from non-financial Members. Those 10 ballots were cured (considered financial members for this SGM) and therefore included in the voting.
3. Apologies
   None received
4. Remit
   The remit before the SGM is: that alterations to Constitution, Regulations, and Rules of Racing are made as follows
   • Article 1.1 of the Constitution of NZSSRA is altered to add a new Article 1.1.U with a definition for "Year 14" so that Articles 1.1.T. and 1.1.U. become:
     20. SGM shall mean Special General Meeting of NZSSRA;
     21. Year 14 in relation to a student means the student's Year Level has reached Year 14 when Year Level is established as follows
         1. The first year of secondary school is Year 9. Year 14 is the sixth year of secondary school.
         2. A student's Year Level is established through the processes in this definition. It is
            1. independent of their academic level.
            2. independent of their programme of study.
         3. A student who is attending school before the first year of secondary school (e.g. attending intermediate school) has a Year Level of "pre-secondary"
         4. A student's Year Level is set to Year 9 when they first attend the first year of secondary school. A student's Year Level does not get re-set to Year 9 if they repeat the first year of secondary school.
         5. A student's Year Level increases by 1 in January of every year after they are Year 9. A student's Year Level always increases by 1 each year. A student's Year Level:
            1. does not reset if a student repeats a year
            2. does not stay unchanged if a student leaves school for a year or more
            3. does not increase by 2 or more if a student is accelerated forward a year or more
         6. A student who transfers school has their Year Level determined by when they first attended the first year of secondary school, not when they first attended their new school.
         7. A student whose first year of secondary school is not the first year of secondary school but who attended intermediate school or the last year of primary school has their initial Year Level calculated by
            1. first setting their Year Level to the level corresponding to their last year of school as follows:
               1. last year of primary school: Year 6
               2. first year of intermediate school: Year 7
               3. last year of intermediate school: Year 8
            2. then increasing their Year Level by 1 for each January that passed until they first start secondary school
         8. Any other student whose first year of secondary school is not the first year of secondary school (e.g. an overseas student, a home schooled student joining mainstream education) has their initial Year Level calculated by
            1. using Year 1 as the year they turned 6
            2. then increasing it by 1 for each January that passed until they first start secondary school
            note: for these students Year Level = [current year] - [birth year] - 5
   • Regulation 7.3.B.iii. of the Regulations for Regattas is altered to included the words ", Year Level (e.g. Year 9)" between the words "status," and ", whether ". Regulation 7.3.b.iii. becomes:
     3. For each student on the list, their identification number, first and family names, date of birth, classifications, NZSSSC School Team Eligibility status, Year Level (e.g. Year 9), whether the student appears on the MEDICAL ALERT FORM, and a list of the event numbers the student is entered into
   • Regulation 7.4 is altered to include the words ", Year Level" between the words "... age" and ", registration...". Regulation 7.4 becomes:
     4. Any false declaration concerning name, age, Year Level, registration number, classification of a student or school of attendance shall result in the exclusion of the student's crew(s) from the regatta entered. Any trophies, medallions or badges won shall be forfeited.
        If after hearing from the school to which any student rower belongs, the Organising Committee or Schools Committee considers it warranted to do so, especially if the false declaration arises from recklessness, wilfulness or gross negligence, that school may be disqualified from the regatta. Any trophies, medallions or badges won in any race shall be forfeited.
   • Rule 2 of the Rules of Racing is altered by adding a new sub-clause 2.5 with the following wording
     5. No Year 14 student shall be eligible to compete at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Championships unless their Principal applied for an exception from the special committee set up for considering such exceptions and an exception was approved.
   
   A 75% super-majority is required to adopt this remit (75% will be calculated off number of votes cast).
   
   Out of the 86 votes cast, 72 Members voted in favour for adopting the remit.
   14 ballots voted against adopting the remit.
   With over 75% of votes in favour for adopting the remit, this remit has been passed and is effective immediately.

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