Part 3 — General Meetings
[General meetings are those where all Members are entitled to attend and participate in the business of the Association. Annual General Meetings are required by this Constitution to be held every year to present reports, including financial reports, and update Members on the activities of the Association. Special General Meetings can be called by the Committee or on requisition by the Members to raise specific items of business or items requiring Special Resolutions.]
Section 3.A — General Provisions
3.A.1 The President, or in their absence the Vice-president, presides at any General Meeting. If neither the President nor Vice-president are Present, the Members Present must choose a person to chair the meeting.
3.A.2 Minutes of every General Meeting must be kept, confirmed at the next such meeting, and signed by the person who presided at the meeting or by the person presiding at the meeting where they are confirmed.
3.A.3 Members may inspect the minutes of General Meetings free of charge, in accordance with the Act.
3.A.5 A General Meeting may be held using any technology that allows Members to participate in the business of the meeting, exercise their voting rights and be heard by other participants, whether or not all Members attend the same physical location. A Member participating by that technology is taken to be Present at the meeting.
3.A.6 Questions arising at a General Meeting are decided by a show of hands, unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by the person presiding, or by at least 5 Members Present. If a poll is demanded, it must be taken in the manner the person presiding directs, and the result of the poll is the resolution of the meeting on that question. A demand for a poll may be withdrawn.
Section 3.B — Annual General Meeting
[The Annual General Meeting gives the opportunity for Members to be updated by the Committee on the Association's progress, significant events, financial performance and plans for the coming year.]
3.B.1 The Association must hold an Annual General Meeting each year, within 5 months after the end of its Financial Year.
3.B.2 The Secretary must give Members written notice of the Annual General Meeting, including the agenda, at least twenty-one (21) days before the meeting.
3.B.3 The business of the Annual General Meeting includes:
(a) confirming the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting;
(b) receiving the Committee's report on the Association's activities for the financial year;
(c) receiving the Association's financial accounts for the financial year;
(d) [electing / announcing] the Committee;
(e) any other business the Association is required by the Act to conduct at its Annual General Meeting
Section 3.C — Special General Meeting
[A Special General Meeting can be called by the Committee to put any matter that requires Member consent - generally as a Special Resolution. The Special General Meeting can also be called by the Members to address a specific issue and put specific resolutions to the Members.]
3.C.1 The Committee may call a Special General Meeting of the Association whenever it considers it necessary or desirable to do so.
3.C.2 Only a matter specified in the Notice of Meeting may be considered at a Special General Meeting, however it was called.
3.C.3 The Committee must give Members a minimum of twenty-one (21) days' notice, including the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting and any proposed resolutions to be considered.
3.C.4 How many Members eligible to vote should be needed to request a Special General Meeting?
Remember, this figure should be substantial enough to prevent a small minority from calling a Special General Meeting, but not so high that it becomes practically unachievable.
You can set this figure as either a number of Members or a percentage of Members eligible to vote. Please complete only one of the two boxes below.
3.C.5 On receiving a request from Members or the Committee, the Secretary must issue a Notice of Meeting within twenty-one (21) days. The SGM must be held within twenty-one (21) days of the Notice being communicated to all Members.
3.C.6 The Notice of Meeting must specify the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting and any proposed resolutions to be considered.
3.C.7 Where a Special General Meeting has been requisitioned by Members, the Committee may appoint an independent Chairperson for that meeting.
3.C.8 The person appointed must not be a member of the Committee and must have no conflict of interest in the matters to be considered at the meeting.
3.C.9 The independent Chairperson has the same powers and responsibilities for conducting the meeting as the person presiding would ordinarily have under this Constitution.
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