Altering the rules

Over the life of an association, it is very likely that it will need to change its rules at some point, even if only to keep step with changes in society. For example, changes in social attitudes (and laws) to discrimination or technological advances, such as email, could mean that some rules either need to be amended or could be improved through an amendment. Commerce recommends, as a matter of best practice, associations should review their rules every three to five years, and amend them as needed.

The legal process for altering the rules of an association is relatively straight forward, but for some associations in the past, the devil has been in the detail! This Section describes the requirements for altering the rules of association and for ensuring that those alterations are legally effective.