Pedantic people changing the minutes – what can you do?

I received this question from Cheryl in Adelaide. What can one do if the Treasurer of the board is constantly revising the minutes that have

Secretary (or any office bearer) resigns early – what to do?

I received this question from Alan in Australia: What is the correct procedure, when the secretary resigns early in the term? If the Secretary (or

Who can raise a point of order in a meeting?

Alan is from a community association in the USA and has asked this question: Are members allowed to raise point of order, or is that

Proxy votes – when and how are they used

Bruce from Gabbin in Western Australia has asked this question: In the absence of anything in the Constitution related to when proxies have to be submitted at

What happens when there is only one nominee for a position

Alan from Palmeston, Australia has asked this question: If there is only one nominee for President at the AGM, do the members still have to

Which minutes are tabled at an AGM? When are committee meeting minutes tabled?

I have received this double-barrelled question from Gloria in South Australia: Is it only the previous years AGM minutes that are tabled at an AGM.

What gets recorded in the minutes when a Point of Order is made?

I have received a question from Steven in the USA. When a point of order has been made, should it or may I have it

Which minutes are tabled at a Special General Meeting?

I have received this question from a subscriber – Which minutes are tabled at a Special General Meeting? Sounds like a tricky question doesn’t it? The issue

Can a motion passed at a general meeting be overridden by the Board of Management?

A question has been asked by Judith from Pomona in Queensland: Can a motion passed at a general meeting of members of an incorporated club

Casting Votes – when and how to use them

Casting votes is an issue that has come up recently with a client. They sound simple but there is a little bit behind them. Firstly,

Can I raise a point of order even during the announcements?

I have been asked this question by a subscriber in the Philippines. Can I raise a point of order even during the announcement of other

As a member, can I see the committee minutes?

I have received a question from a subscriber in the United Kingdom. I have asked to see the minutes of a committee meeting of our

What is the difference between an ordinary meeting and a special meeting?

Pranav has asked this question and it’s a common one. What is the difference between an ordinary meeting and a special meeting? An ordinary meeting is

What do you do when there is no quorum

Many people ask about the quorum at a meeting. A quorum is the minimum number of people who must be present for the meeting to transact any

What should be in a financial report?

Terry from Morley has asked about Treasurer’s reports. He is in a not for profit association and he serves on the executive committee. So having

How to smell a rat – signs to look for that flag possible fraudulent or inappropriate behaviour in organizations

The vast majority of people in organizations, particularly voluntary ones, are reasonable and honest people. But there are some bad apples out there and they

Can a disciplinary board rescind a motion moved by another board?

Keith from Bathurst in New South Wales has asked this question: A motion that has been moved to ban a competitor from an event. A

Do reports for an AGM need to be sent with the notice of the meeting?

Natalie from New Zealand has asked this question. She asks: I understand that 2 weeks notice should be given before an AGM. Is it necessary

Can a monthly meeting rescind a motion passed at an AGM

Dellys from Mackay in Australia has asked this question: Can a motion passed at an AGM attended by 50 people be rescinded 6 months later

Elections were not held according to the rules – what can I do?

Max from Tasmania has asked this question: A motion was passed at a recent meeting and has been acted on. My question is it appears

Who can withdraw a motion that has been moved?

Tony from Subiaco has asked this question. The answer confuses some people but it is in fact very simple. Once a motion has been moved

What are the main authorities or references for meeting procedure in Australia and New Zealand

There are a number of books on meeting procedure in Australia and New Zealand. CAUTION: Your organisation may use a book called “Robert’s Rules” (often

Special General Meetings

I have received a question from Liza: Can you provide an example of a Special General Meeting? A Special General Meeting has the same status

What happens when a motion to “lie on the table” is moved on an amendment?

This is a tricky issue and thankfully does not occur often. When it does though, it can be confusing. The best way to understand it

What can an unfinancial member do at a meeting?

A question has been received from John of Ballajura in WA. We had a person who is unfinancial but used to be a member attend

Does an Ex-officio director stay a director when they no longer hold the position?

This question has been asked by Amanda in Adelaide, South Australia. “We have a constitution for our organisation which says that a person can be

Confirming minutes when the people are no longer around

Peter has asked the following question: How do minutes become confirmed if the persons present at the meeting when a decision was adopted are no

Casting votes – a tricky issue

Lee has written the following question: What happens when the ‘status quo’ is ambiguous? In this example half of a committee thinks a committee member is not

Ordinary and Special meetings

Tepora Wright has asked the following question: What is the difference between an ordinary meeting and a special meeting? The best way to think of

What minutes do you table at a Special Meeting

Tepora Wright has asked the following question: Do you have to table minutes of an ordinary meeting at a special meeting? I hate being pedantic,

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