Types of meetings
Associations will have different needs for their meetings. How often you should meet and who should be there will depend on:
- how big your association is
- what its purpose is
- how much ongoing business there is to attend to.
The types of meetings are general meetings, annual general meetings and management committee meetings.
General meetings
General meetings can take place at any time. Hold them as often as you need to fulfil your association’s purpose and activities.
Calling a general meeting
Your association rules must set out how to call a general meeting. This includes:
- giving notice to members
- the procedure for the meetings.
Under the model rules, the secretary is responsible for calling the meetings.
The model rules require them to call a general meeting:
- when the committee needs them to call one
- in response to a signed written request
- from at least a third of the committee
- by a group of ordinary members that’s more than double the number on the committee plus 1.
Running a general meeting
The rules should state:
- whether members can vote by proxy and how this should apply
- how many members make a quorum
- the procedure to follow at general meetings.
A quorum for a general meeting is:
- the same number of members as are on the committee, plus 1
- the total number of members, minus 1 (if the committee makes up the entire membership).
The model rules say that you cannot carry out business unless a quorum is present. Your association’s rules should set out what to do if a quorum is not present.
You must keep the minutes of all general meetings.
Annual general meetings (AGMs)
An AGM must happen within 6 months of the end of your association’s financial year.
This meeting is a chance to:
- state your association’s financial position
- give audited or reviewed financial statements to your members
- outline the activities of the year before
- elect office bearers.
Attendees at AGMs may be:
- committee members
- ordinary members
- invited guests.
Calling the AGM
Your association’s rules must set out how to:
- call an AGM
- give notice of an AGM to your members
- give notice of any special resolutions to your members.
Under the model rules, the secretary gives notice to each member. They must:
- outline the nature of the business (including that it is the AGM)
- send the notice at least 14 days before the AGM
- send written notice and details of any special resolutions at least 14 days before the AGM.
You can send the meeting notice and notice for any special resolutions in the same document.
Running the AGM
Your association’s rules should set out what business to cover at the AGM. Under the model rules, you must:
- receive the financial statement for the last financial year, covering
- income and expenditure
- assets and liabilities
- mortgages, charges and securities affecting your association’s property
- receive an auditor's or verifier’s report about the financial position
- present and adopt the audited or verified financial statements
- appoint an auditor or verifier for the next financial year
- elect members of the management committee.
The format of the meeting is similar to that of a general meeting. The previous minutes should come from the previous AGM, not the previous general meeting.
You must keep minutes of the AGM. The minutes kept must specifically state that they are the minutes of the AGM.
Management committee meetings
Management committee meetings must be held according to the rules. The rules usually allow the committee to determine the time and place.
The committee should meet as often as needed for your association to function. At a minimum, this must be every 4 months. Committee meetings must:
- follow the rules of your association
- always have the minutes recorded
- happen at a place and time that the committee decides.
Calling a committee meeting
The committee should decide on how a meeting is to be called and how notice is to be given.
Running a committee meeting
The president must chair a committee meeting if they are present. If they aren’t, any other committee member may chair in their place.
A quorum is the minimum number of attendees needed for the meeting to take place. Your rules must set out how many committee members will make up a quorum.
The model rules define a quorum as being more than half the number on the committee as at the last general meeting.