Abstaining
Choosing not to vote on a decision is called abstaining. People can abstain from voting for various reasons, including for ethical reasons.
If someone abstains from voting, this could change the number of Yes votes needed for a motion to pass. For example, if there are 20 people voting at a meeting, a motion would need 11 Yes votes to be carried and a special resolution would need 15 Yes votes to be carried (i.e. 75%).
But if four people abstained from voting, there would only now be only 16 people present and voting, so a regular motion would need only nine Yes votes to be carried and a special resolution would need 12.
It is important to check your constitution for specific wording regarding the required number of votes for motions to be carried during your meetings.
Agenda
The agenda is like your road map, setting out each item to be dealt with at the meeting. It should not only list topics, but also a clear picture of what you intend to decide at the meeting. It is a good idea to release your agenda well in advance of the meeting, to give all attendees time to prepare and suggest additions to the agenda.
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest arises when a management committee member has an opportunity to use their position, or information they obtain from being in that position, for personal gain or the personal benefit of someone else.
If a committee member has a conflict of interest in any matter involving their club, they must declare the interest at the next management committee meeting (or in writing) as soon as they become aware of the conflict. The interest must be recorded in the minutes of the meeting, entered into a register of declared interests and disclosed at the next annual general meeting of the club.
No one with a conflict of interest should vote on a motion that relates to that interest.
General business
General business is a standing agenda item where smaller items can be discussed.
General business should be reserved for things that are truly general in nature. This can include matters that don’t require a formal decision but should be noted in the minutes (e.g. expected delivery dates for items the club has ordered, or purchase decisions that will cost the club less than $100, i.e. petty cash).
If anything significant comes up during general business, consider deferring it to the next meeting, so that everyone can be prepared before making the decision.
Minutes
Meeting minutes are important, as they’re the only formal record of what happens at a meeting. But this doesn’t mean that they need to be a complete transcript of everything said during the meeting.
Because the agenda outlines what you intend to decide at the meeting, the agenda should form the basis of the minutes.
Minutes should follow the order of the agenda and include:
Following meetings, the secretary should complete and circulate the minutes promptly, ideally within one week, as this provides information and details of the meeting to those who were absent, as well as a record of the decisions made at the meeting and who has tasks to complete.
Meeting minutes are presented at the following meeting for acceptance as a true and correct record. Once this has been done, the president should sign the minutes.
Did you know? Keeping minutes electronically in a shared location will make your life easier and ensure your minutes are easily accessible for the management committee.
Motion
Any significant decisions to be made are listed on the agenda as motions.
The best way to think about how to write a motion is to ask yourself, “What do I want the meeting to ‘decide’?”
Motions should:
Example of a good motion:
That the club invest in a new team tent up to the value of $500 from a reliable vendor to replace the current worn-out tent, which is no longer providing adequate shelter. (S. SMITH)
Example of a poor motion:
Team tent.
Moving motions
The person who put a particular motion on the agenda should move and speak to the motion when the time comes.
After the motion is moved, it is seconded by someone else, then opened for further debate. If there is no seconder for a motion, the motion lapses. If necessary, amendments to the motion may be debated until the meeting is satisfied with the wording of the motion and it can then be put to a vote.
Notice
You’ll need to notify members (for e.g. by email or hard copy) well in advance that a meeting has been called. A meeting notice should always clearly set out the business for which the meeting has been called and only needs to be given to those people who should attend the meeting.
The notice periods for each of your meetings will be set out in your constitution.
Did you know? Only the items of business listed on the notice of the meeting can be discussed at any general meeting. As some of your members may decide not to attend a general meeting because they don’t really mind which way the decisions go for the items on the notice, it’s not fair to them if last-minute agenda items are added on the day. If those items were on the original notice of the meeting, any otherwise disinterested members may have come along to have their say on those decisions.
A notice of a meeting must be distributed to members by sending a hard copy, email or other electronic communication. Consider sending a reminder notice closer to the meeting date, especially for important meetings like AGMs.
Proxy voting
Proxy voting is where a member who will not be at a meeting can give their right to vote to another person, who will vote at the meeting on their behalf. The main benefit of proxy voting is that it provides an opportunity for a member who is unable to attend a meeting to still exercise their right to vote. Proxies must be in writing and will contribute to the number of votes cast at the meeting. As a UQ Sport club, any proxies submitted for an AGM do not count towards achieving a quorum. This means that only the number of people present at the AGM can be counted towards the quorum. Your constitution will specify if proxy voting is allowed and if there are any other requirements surrounding voting. Proxies are usually only permitted for general meetings, not management committee meetings.
Did you know? Some organisations don’t allow proxies, as they prefer that anyone intending to vote participates in the debate before the decision is made. Others don’t like the idea of one person being able to gather multiple proxies and potentially stack the outcome.
If people can vote by proxy, for example in a contested election, ensure that all candidates have the same opportunity to campaign for more votes by proxy.
As members can now take part in and vote at meetings using technology, there is a greater chance they can cast a well-informed vote, even if they are unable to physically attend the meeting.
Special resolution
A special resolution is required for significant club decisions, like amending the constitution, and must be presented at a general meeting of members (AGM or SGM). To pass, a special resolution requires a Yes vote from least 75% of those members present, eligible to vote and voting. If any special resolutions are to be considered at the meeting, they should be clearly specified in the notice, with enough detail that members can make an informed decision.
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of people that must be in attendance for the meeting to be able to proceed. This is to ensure that any decisions made at a meeting are considered by enough people to represent the interests of the club’s members.
The quorum requirements for each type of meeting will be detailed in your constitution.
Did you know? For management committee meetings and general meetings, if a quorum is not met, no decisions can be made and no votes can be held. If you don’t have a quorum, or if people leave and you are left with too few people for a quorum, the meeting will need to be adjourned (which means temporarily suspended or rescheduled).
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