Incorporated associations are intended to be run in a democratic manner. The way in which meetings are conducted can have a major effect on members’ perceptions of whether their association is democratic.
The following suggestions can assist your association to comply with its obligations under the Act
as well as contribute to its democratic character. These suggestions apply to meetings of the
committee, sub-committees or meetings of all members (known as general meetings):
- Make sure that the members who are entitled to attend a meeting are given proper notice in
accordance with the rules. In particular, note that all members are entitled to be invited to
attend a general meeting. - Make sure that meetings are conducted in accordance with the rules. For example, check
that there is a quorum (the minimum number of members who must be present for a meeting to be legally effective). - Depending on the nature of your association, it might be useful to have an agenda of the
items to be discussed at the meeting prepared beforehand. Members who are participating
in the meeting also should have the opportunity to have items included on the agenda. - Correspondence to and from the association should be tabled at the meeting. Members in
attendance should be given the opportunity to read the documents, or, if agreed, to obtain
copies. - Make sure that everyone at the meeting gets a say. This can mean that some people who
tend to dominate should be stopped and quieter people should be encouraged to say what
they think. - At the same time, no one wants to spend hours and hours at meetings. If there are a lot of
people who want to speak in relation to the matters under discussion, it might be useful to
limit the amount of time each member can have to speak on a matter. - Make sure that there are clear decisions on the matters being discussed, which everyone
understands. It is especially important that the person taking the minutes has the opportunity to write down what is agreed and it can sometimes be a good idea to stop and check that
everyone is happy with what has been recorded as the resolution passed. (Also see Record keeping and related items.)
Annual General Meetings
Except for its first annual general meeting (AGM), which can be held up to 18 months after incorporation, AGMs must be held at least once in each 12 months and within four months of the end of the association’s financial year. In most cases, associations’ financial years go from 1 July
to 30 June the following year, but if they want to, associations can define their financial year
differently in their rules.
If you require an extension of time to hold your AGM you must apply to the department for permission, and make sure that you include the application fee. (Refer to the Schedule of Fees.)
Financial accounts must be submitted to the members at each AGM. The Act does not require that accounts be audited, although this may be required by your association’s rules, its members, or funding bodies.
The financial accounts must present the financial position of the association at the end of the
previous financial year and generally should consist of a statement of income and expenditure and also a balance sheet of assets and liabilities, if any.