An AGM is held to transact certain business: the report on the ballot for officers and committee (unless they are elected at the AGM itself); the report on the accounts; the adoption of the accounts, as audited; and other reports as required by a club’s own rules.
Firstly it is essential for the AGM to be properly summoned. This usually involves a notice being placed on the club notice board announcing the date and time of the meeting and requesting motions to be submitted to the Secretary by a certain date.
The rules of most clubs provide that a notice of the AGM shall be exhibited at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting; and the notice of any motion must be submitted within ten days following the posting of the notice. Rules can also say that the agenda must be posted for a specified number of days before the date of the meeting.
Before the meeting it is essential for whoever is taking the Chair–Club President or Chairman depending on the club’s rules–to undertake a careful study of the agenda. This will mean he can conduct the business effectively and also spot any difficult matters that might arise. Preparation is crucial to the success of the meeting.
When the meeting starts, the Chairman should satisfy himself that the requisite quorum is present. Most club rules require a quorum. This is to prevent a small, poorly attended meeting making decisions which affect the whole club.
The meeting must proceed with each item of business taken in the order in which it appears on the agenda. A normal agenda begins with confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM, any business arising from them, then the Treasurer’s report on the accounts, the election of officers, and so on.
The presiding officer, mindful of the need for a well-ordered, good tempered and constructive meeting, must see that the agenda is followed strictly. Speakers should stand when called by the chairman and, to preserve order, only one person should be on their feet at the same time. When the Chairman rises any other speaker should sit down and this should be insisted upon. Unless this is done, a meeting can degenerate into disarray and chaos.
A proposal for discussion is a ‘motion’ and when it is accepted it becomes a ‘resolution’. Before discussion begins, a motion must be proposed and seconded. A motion that is proposed, but finds no seconder, lapses and the meeting proceeds to next business. When a motion is proposed and seconded it is open for discussion. No speaker should be allowed to address the meeting more than once on each motion, except for the proposer, who may reply to the debate. A motion may be ultra vires–that is, outside the scope of the meeting–and should immediately be ruled out of order by the chairman.
An amendment is a proposal to alter the wording of a motion and may be moved at any time during the discussion of the original motion. Special care must be taken over this if the meeting is not to be allowed to become confused. The proposal requires a proposer and seconder before it can be considered by the meeting. The chairman should present an amendment to the meeting, once it has been properly proposed and seconded, in terms such as: ‘To the motion before the meeting the following amendment has been duly proposed and seconded, that…’ The wording of the amendment then follows and the immediate discussion must be confined to the subject of the amendment. Some bodies permit amendments to be moved to amendments but it is NOT recommended for clubs. If it is allowed it can prolong discussion and make for a complicated passage of business. In practice the proposer of the main amendment may incorporate in it what he considers best in suggestions for further amendments, if he accepts they will improve his proposal. No amendment may be a direct negative to the main motion for this would merely duplicate the need to vote on a particular proposition. An amendment must be disposed of before the meeting can proceed to a further amendment. If an amendment is accepted it becomes part of the original motion; it is then called the substantive motion. Further amendments may be considered in turn until all have been dealt with. Then, discussions may continue on the substantive motion until it is put to the vote. Before the vote on each amendment the chairman should repeat its wording so that there is a clear understanding of the matter on which a vote is being taken.
Similarly the substantive motion should be read out again before the vote. When those ‘for’ and ‘against’ in each vote have been counted, the chairman should announce the result. If a large number of people are voting, the President should appoint two ‘tellers’ to count the votes. The tellers should both count the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes. If there is any disagreement the vote MUST be taken again. When an issue is controversial a close vote may be disputed so it is useful to be prepared for a written vote.
One further possible motion is ‘That this meeting do now adjourn.’ This takes precedence over all other business and may be moved at any time during a meeting. The Chairman should not accept such a motion if he thinks it is being moved with the intention of disrupting the meeting. The decision is made on the vote of the meeting, on a motion proposed and seconded, and without lengthy discussion. Amendments are possible but only to set, limit or extend the period of the adjournment.
The correct conduct of a meeting is not an easy skill to master, but many difficulties can be avoided if the presiding officer follows the procedures set out here. However, even this will not guarantee that meetings are without problems. Some issues will so divide the membership that heated, and sometimes irresolvable, exchanges are inevitable. Nevertheless, a basic knowledge of tried, and accepted, procedures will help ensure that most meetings are managed efficiently.