The Club shall be called “Officers Club Inc.”.

Purposes

The purposes of the Club shall be:

• To support the New Zealand Armed Services as feasible,
• To provide a social environment in which Members may maintain past associations and their interest in Defence,
• To encourage relationships with officers’ wardrooms and messes, and officers’ clubs in New Zealand,
• To foster patriotism within the New Zealand community by donations or otherwise, and
• To provide opportunities for members to increase knowledge relevant to the profession of arms.

Categories of Membership

The Membership of the Club shall comprise the following categories:

• Officer Members
• Civilian Officer Members
• Associate Members
• Lady and Gentleman Members
• Honorary Members
• Life Members.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Membership in any category, a candidate must be a member of The Northern Club, an unincorporated society based in Auckland, New Zealand (“the Northern Club”). Upon a Member of the Club ceasing to be a member of The Northern Club the Member shall cease to be a Member of the Officers Club.

Officer Members

To be eligible for Membership under this Rule a candidate must be:

• A person who holds or has held a commission or an honorary commission as an Officer in the New Zealand Armed Services or any person who currently holds or has held a commission in the New Zealand Cadet Forces; or
• A person who satisfies the Committee that a commission has been held as an Officer in the Armed Forces of any country which is a member of the British Commonwealth, granted by the Sovereign or the Head of State of that country; or
• A person who satisfies the Committee that a commission has been held as an Officer in the Armed Forces of any country or State (other than a member of the British Commonwealth) approved for this purpose by the Committee.

Civilian Officer Members

To be eligible for Membership under this Rule a candidate must be or must have been:

• A New Zealand or Commonwealth Merchant Naval Officer; or
• A New Zealand or Commonwealth Police Officer in the rank of Inspector or above; or
• An Officer of other equivalent civilian organisations considered acceptable at the sole discretion of the Committee.

Associate Members

To be eligible for Membership under this Rule a candidate must be:

• The spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of any Member, or
• The spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of a deceased Member or of a deceased Officer (whether or not the deceased Officer was a Member).

Lady and Gentleman Members

To be eligible for Membership under this Rule a candidate must be a fit and proper person to become a Member of the Club.

The Committee shall be the sole judge of eligibility under this category, with due regard for the military ethos.

Honorary Members

Subject to the consent of the Northern Club, the Governor-General, the Chief and Vice Chief of the Defence Force, the Chiefs of the three Armed Services. and the Senior Officers (or an appropriate alternative decided upon by the Committee) of the Navy, Army, Air Force and Special Air Service stationed in Auckland during their terms of office, shall be Honorary Members of the Club. The committee shall maintain appropriate contact with such persons.

Life Members

Any Member may be nominated by the Committee and elected at any General Meeting, to Life Membership status if, in the opinion of the Committee, the Member’s services to the Sovereign and/or to the Club have been so conspicuous as to merit such election, taking into account the services of previous Life Members. No subscription shall be demanded of any Life Member, who shall otherwise be entitled to all the privileges of Membership.

Nomination for Membership

Each candidate for Membership shall complete the application form and be proposed and seconded by Members. The proposers shall be responsible for introducing the candidate to at least three (3) Members of the Committee prior to the Committee’s consideration of the application. The Committee may give approval in principle.

Following nomination and approval in principle as a Member of the Club the applicant must apply for membership of The Northern Club, unless already a member of that club. Following election as a member of The Northern Club, the applicant will be entered as a Member in the appropriate category.