Annual General Meetings

Print-friendly guide to the Annual General Meeting [PDF]

The Annual General meeting (AGM) is an important event for every club. It gives members, the racing industry and the committee a broad overview of the club’s current directions, an overview of the activities and highlights from the preceding year, the financial health of the organisation and confirms its purpose. It is also the time to undertake the official engagement of members into key elected positions.

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the procedures that need to be considered to achieve an effective AGM.

Generally the clubs constitution or the model rules for an association will provide information on AGM procedures. This document will refer to the Associations Incorporation (Model Rules) Regulations 2007 for guidance.

When must it be held

The timing of the AGM will be dependent on the rules of the club (the constitution or model rules). The AGM will generally be held within a certain timeframe following the completion of the audit of the Financial Statements. The model rules state that an AGM must be held within 3 months after the end of the financial year of the Association.

Notice of Meeting

A club needs to give advance notice of the date, time and place of an AGM to all its members. The club rules or constitution will specify the manner of calling the AGM and the manner in which notice should be given. The notice should specify that it is the Annual General Meeting.

The model rules state that at least 14 days’ notice must be given and the public officer is to publish notice in at least one newspaper circulating in Tasmania. However, a club should give consideration to current forms of advertising to ensure notice is reached to all interested stakeholders.

Business to be conducted

The business of an AGM is normally to:

• confirm the minutes of the last AGM and of any special general meeting held since that meeting
• receive from the committee reports on the activities of the association during the last financial year
• elect office bearers and ordinary members of the committee
• to appoint the auditor and determine his or her remuneration
• receive the association’s financial statements [this must be done at the AGM], and
• conduct other business of which notice has been given to the members.

Meeting papers

The following documents should be prepared and provided to all members and office bearers in advance of the meeting:

• A set of accounts – balance sheet and financial statement – in the required format.
• Annual Report
  The organisation’s annual report must contain the accounts and should contain
  -a summary of the year’s activities
  -a record of the year’s achievements
  -a preview of what is planned for the next year
  -a restatement of the organisation’s vision.
• Agenda consisting of:
  • Welcome by chairperson
  • Apologies
  • Confirmation of minutes of the previous AGM
  • Business arising from the minutes
  • Chairperson’s report
  • Treasurer’s report and presentation of audited financial statement
  • Election of Office Bearers
  • General business
  • Guest speaker (if any)
  • Date of next meeting (if known)
  • Close
• Minutes
  The relevant minutes are the minutes from the previous AGM, not the previous Committee meeting.

Meeting procedure

The procedures at the AGM are basically the same as those at an ordinary committee meeting.

Motions

Motions must be moved
-to accept the minutes of the last AGM
-to approve the Chairperson’s report (the Annual Report)
-to approve the Treasurer’s report (the Financial Statement)

Nominations

Nominations must be called for from the floor for Office bearers – Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer – and Committee members. If more than one person nominates for any office, or if there are more nominations than there are committee places, there must be an election. Election can be through a show of hands or by secret ballot.

Special procedural provisions

The only special procedural provisions at an AGM are that:

• the quorum may be different (consult your constitution or model rules)
• if the position of Chairperson is being contested, the Chairperson should stand down from the Chair during the election and be replaced by an acting Chairperson (someone who is not standing for any position) specially elected just for the period of the election)

Quorum

The quorum is how many people you need to be present in order for a decision to be valid. This is defined in your constitution or rules.

Chairperson

The Chairperson is to be the president or in the absence of the president the next senior committee role. The chair should have considerable power, and autonomy, and flexibility, and should exercise these to make the meeting flow freely.

Guest speaker

Guest speakers may be invited to present at the AGM. These can be experts on specific topics or people of interest.

Other entertainment

If your organisation lends itself to visual presentation, consider preparing a display of your work during the year.

After the AGM

Documentation

Make sure that the minutes are written up shortly after the meeting. If (as sometimes happens) they are left to the evening before the mailout, the Secretary may have difficulty finding last year’s notes. Ensure that you send any necessary documentation, for example the audited statement and change of public officer to the appropriate state/territory government department.

Handover

Retiring office bearers must hand over the operations to the new person, together with all documents, rubber stamps, bank details, etc. Retiring officers should also give their successors briefings describing key processes and current priorities and challenges.

Banking

If any of the people who are retiring from the Committee are signatories to the organisation’s bank account, try and have the necessary forms on hand so that the new signatories can be authorised after the meeting

Lodgment of Annual Return

The Annual report and financial statements must be lodged with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services following the AGM. More information can be found at http://www.consumer.tas.gov.au/registrations/incorporated_associations

Additional Information

A number of templates have been provided to assist with record keeping.

Appendix A: Notice of AGM

Appendix B: Agenda for AGM

Appendix C: Minutes of AGM