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After being a minute-taker for various organizations for many years, I've been working as volunteer secretary for the past four years for a NPO society in Canada. After the AGM's, I always prepare and circulate minutes with attachments (financial reports, president's and director's reports). Admittedly, this makes the document lengthy--sometimes 20 pages or so, depending upon the number of reports, although the minutes themselves are usually only three or four pages. Recently, I've been told that this is incorrect and that AGM minutes (1) should not include any documents and (2) should not be circulated to members because the minutes are read out at the next AGM (obviously at least a year later). I say this makes no sense because the membership will not be the same each AGM, and members, not all of whom attend the AGM, are entitled to know the business as soon as possible after the meeting. I've searched Google in general and RONR in particular, but can find no definitive answer. I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions. Thank you.

What are the rights of non-members attending the AGM of a Society. Are they entitled to speak from the floor or do they require permission from the chair, or the assembled members, to speak? Know that non-members do not have a vote, but can they move motions? Can they raise a point of order? Do they have any other rights on the floor? I will be chairing the AGM Thank you.

I submitted some amendments to the constitution of our minor hockey association prior to the AGM (one for conflict of interest, one for confidentiality and one for transparency as well as tweaking some existing by-laws). The one that seems to have them upset is a change to the election rules - we are one of the only associations in our region which requires that someone have served on the board for any length of time before being eligible to become VP. More then half don't require this for president either. The board does not seem happy with this and has proceeded to email the members arguing against my amendments while also saying I have a vendetta and personal agenda. These have come from the president, the vice-president and other board members. I'm wondering if this is common practice prior to an AGM. The main issue I'm having is I don't have access to the membership the same way they do (they have everyone's email address), so they get to debate the merits outside the AGM. As well, the president will be presiding over these matters at the AGM and has already questioned my motives on the issues and let his position be known in an email to the entire membership prior to the AGM. I recall another contentious AGM for the local youth orchestra and the president and board members in that case were totally quiet leading up to the AGM. They did not try to influence the people in any way (publicly) prior to the debate at the AGM.

We had our AGM today and at the end of the meeting someone proposed a new motion not on the agenda. It was said that if everyone at the meeting agreed the vote could go ahead. Other AGMs which I have attended would not allow a new item not on the agenda. I could not find the answer in my11th edition. Suggestions please. Bill

Hello At a recent AGM we held an election with 6 candidates for 5 positions. The bylaws state that there is a majority vote process with those receiving the highest number of votes to fill all the vacant positions are elected. After the election results were announced and the AGM adjourned it was discovered that one of the candidates did not meet all the requirements in the bylaws to run, and hence were ineligible. They have agreed to not serve due to this. With a wierd distibution of votes, the sixth place candidate also selected on more the 50% of the ballots. Reading through RONR it appears to me that the votes for the ineligible candidate should not have counted. What I don’t see anywhere is what is the outcome? Is the other candidate put into the position? Would the above outcome have been the same if the ineligibility had been discovered during the AGM or during the counting of the ballots? Using the “what if it happened six months before/after” thought process, I would think that had this been discovered after the officer had been active on the Board when this was discovered then it would lead to a Board vacancy. This leads me to think there may be outcome might change depending on where this was discovered. Thanks Dean

Are the rules for writing condo board AGM minutes the same as those for regular board meeting minutes? Specifically I am wondering if owners names need be included in AGM minutes or are their unit #s sufficient. Due do privacy laws names are not included in regular board minutes.

Our board has a number of committees working on various tasks. These committees were formed by the board, and their members were appointed by the board. One committee would like to give a presentation to the general membership at the AGM, but it has not given the board any inkling as to what it will be presenting. As a board member, I am not comfortable with this committee presenting...well, who knows what? It may well be fine, but wouldn't the proper order of things have the board approve the content of this committee's presentation first?

There is a possibility at our annual general meeting that if a former board member gets elected this year, most of the board will immediately resign, state their reasons and walk out of the meeting. I am concerned we will then not have enough board members to form a quorum to hold a board meeting, and no one to chair, record minutes, sign cheques, pay bills, etc. Effectively our club will cease to be able to do business. Here are my questions should these newly elected officers and board directors resign and walk out: Can someone make a motion to have the board member causing these resignations to be removed from their elected position (if they won`t resign of their own accord). Does the membership vote to accept or reject all of these resignations (I assume a simple majority is needed). If the resignations are accepted do we hold a new election immediately while we have the membership altogether. What do we do if we cannot fill out the board to achieve a quorum for board meetings.

A member of our club wants a letter that has been reicieved by the committee to be read out at the A G M .This letter will lead to a lengthy debate . The committeee has saud that the matter can be added onto the agenda even though the chair of that committee says she would rather it not be at that time. Can this be done . There is only seven days before the A G M .