Club Version A Constitution Template - Definitions and interpretation

Sep 2, 2026

Club Version A constitution template with guidance for an incorporated society. Covers how to draft and structure a constitution, including mandatory requirements tied to the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and Regulations 2023, and explains the roles of the committee in meeting club obligations. Includes introductory notes on when to seek advice, how to prepare club-specific insertions, and how to use color-coded guidance. Focus section begins with definitions and interpretation to standardize terminology throughout the document.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatDOCX

Pages25

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Definitions and interpretation

Definitions

How to use the document

Guidance notes

Mandatory requirements

Club specific and optional wording

Constitution Template – Club Version A with guidance Committee is elected by members – members do not separately elect positions (eg President, Treasurer, Secretary) – Committee ensures all Club obligations are met & may assign positions/roles among Committee members. See guidance at clause 6.2. INTRODUCTORY NOTES This is a template constitution suitable for a club that is an incorporated society. To maintain incorporated status, your club must re-register on the HYPERLINK "https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/" Incorporated Societies Register under the HYPERLINK "https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2022/0012/latest/LMS100809.html" Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (Inc Soc Act) by April 2026 with a constitution that complies with the Act and the HYPERLINK "https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2023/0240/latest/LMS891513.html" Incorporated Societies Regulations 2023 (Inc Soc Regulations). This template constitution is only a starting point. You may need to seek advice to ensure your constitution is suitable for your requirements. Before seeking legal advice reach out to your national or regional organisation as they may have a legal advisor already identified with the right skill and experience. Legal advisors would ideally have sport and recreation specific knowledge and experience as well as a deep understanding of the new Incorporated Societies act (2022) and Regulations. If they do not already have sport and recreation specific constitutional templates this template along with guidance notes and the check list have been designed to avoid duplication of error and cost. A club should also check in with their national organisation and regional organisation to understand if either will provide assistance or a template constitution that is customised to their code and its structure. Clubs should wait to see if this or other assistance may be available to save your club significant time and cost. The constitution should set out the purposes and rules by which the club will operate. Details for the day-to-day management of the club or the procedures by which the purposes are to be implemented can be included in bylaws. If your club is a member of another incorporated society (for example if you are in a sport network and you are a member of your regional sport body), you should check if that society requires anything specific to be included in your constitution. HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT GUIDANCE NOTES Words in purple are GUIDANCE notes to assist you with drafting your constitution. Remove these before you finalise your constitution. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS Words in red indicate that the related clause is a MANDATORY REQUIREMENT. It must be in your constitution to meet the requirements of the Inc Soc Act. CLUB SPECIFIC Words in green means you need to insert your CLUB SPECIFIC wording. OPTIONAL WORDING Wording in blue is OPTIONAL WORDING. You can include these if they apply to your club’s circumstances. CHARITY Consider words in orange if your club is, or is seeking to be, a CHARITY. Your constitution must comply with registration requirements under the Charities Act 2005. Check the cross referencing of clauses is correct before you finalise your constitution Check the table of contents numbering is correct. CONSTITUTION OF [FULL CLUB REGISTERED NAME] INC. [organisation name] Constitution Contents TOC \o "1-1" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410994" 1. Definitions and interpretation PAGEREF _Toc157410994 \h 2 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410995" 2. Club details PAGEREF _Toc157410995 \h 4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410996" 3. Purpose and powers PAGEREF _Toc157410996 \h 5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410997" 4. Members PAGEREF _Toc157410997 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410998" 5. General Meetings PAGEREF _Toc157410998 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157410999" 6. Committee PAGEREF _Toc157410999 \h 13 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc157411000" 7. Committee meetings PAGEREF _Toc157411000 \h 16

FAQs

What is this club constitution template intended for?

It is a template constitution suitable for a club that is an incorporated society, structured to help the club meet statutory requirements. It is designed as a starting point and needs club-specific wording where required.

How does the template explain the committee’s role?

The committee is elected by members and does not separately elect positions like President or Treasurer. The committee ensures club obligations are met and may assign roles among committee members.

What do the guidance notes, mandatory, and optional color cues mean?

Purple text provides guidance notes that should be removed before finalizing. Red text marks mandatory requirements that must be included to meet the Act, green indicates club-specific insertions, and blue indicates optional wording that may be included if relevant.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Lucas Vance