In NSW, if the association's constitution so provides, a general meeting may be held at 2 or more venues using any technology that gives each of the association's members a reasonable opportunity to participate. Only NSW and Victoria have specific provisions in their Acts allowing you to benefit from the electronic revolution. The chair should have considerable power, and autonomy, and flexibility, and should exercise these to make the meeting flow freely. They can make rulings on any issues of procedure that aren't covered in the constitution (or standing orders made under the constitution), which is pretty well all of them. The board chair (president), or vice-chair (vice-president) usually runs the Annual General Meeting. Voting by proxy is allowed if stated in the constitution, otherwise not. What about proxies?Ī member who is unable to attend the AGM may be able to delegate their voting power to another member or representative to vote in their absence. There the quorum for a general meeting of an incorporated association is "at least the number of members elected or appointed to the association's management committee at the close of the association's last general meeting plus one". This is defined in your constitution, except in Queensland. The quorum is how many people you need to be present in order for a decision to be valid. give grace periods for payment of back dues?.say nothing at all about start and finish dates?.say that memberships run for a year from the date you paid your last sub?.say that memberships run for the calendar year?.say that memberships run for the financial year?.That sounds simple, but there are almost always difficulties, due largely to poor drafting of constitutional provisions to do with membership terms. A court later declared the meeting, and its associated elections, invalid. the little-read Burnie Advocate, which may have been within the rules but was nonetheless regarded as somewhat unsporting. The board deliberately under-advertised its Canberra AGM in a small local newspaper. This also helps to prevent abuses, as in the case of the Wilderness Society. Nobody looks at public notices any more, and email is much more efficient, cheaper too. You're not, unless that's what your constitution says - and if it does, it's probably time to change it. Many organisations still think that they're obliged by law to put a notice in the newspaper. This too depends on the provisions of your constitution. How much notice must you give to members?Įvery state now leaves that up to the provisions of your own constitution - unless you're putting up any of those special resolutions, in which case you have to give 21 days' notice (in all states). You may, if you want, pass special resolutions - changes to the constitution, say, or anything else that isn't ordinary business. You may also, if your constitution specifies, need to appoint an auditor. The Acts don't say you have to have an election at all, actually you can pull names out of a hat, or have all board members nominated by Kylie Minogue, if that's what your constitution says. This arrangement is not the standard, though, and most constitutions have office bearers elected to their positions by the members at the AGM. We recommend, in general, that the AGM elects a slate of board members (the number will depend on your constitution), who then vote during the next board meeting on who fills which positions (chair, secretary, etc.). In every other state it's a matter for your own constitution. Most not-for-profits elect their board at the AGM - but most groups don't have to the only state Act that actually insists you do is Queensland. Exactly what has to go into that report depends on what state you're in and the size of your group - larger groups generally have to take more trouble than smaller ones - but the basic concept is that you have to give your members an honest account of how the finances are holding up and tell them about any major initiatives. The Act in each state says you have to make a report to your members.
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