Annual General Meeting 2024
19:00 on Weds 15th May 2024 @ Little Haven Hall
Now with “Life on Caldey” Talk and a Light Buffet
The St Madoc of Ferns Community Group, working to preserve St Madoc’s, Haroldston West, are pleased to invite you to our first Annual General Meeting (AGM). We look back at our first year as a registered charity, our finances, and to our plans for the future as we present our Officers Reports. We will elect the trustees and officers of the charity, discuss any proposed changes to the constitution or the way we work, and how you can get involved.
Everyone is welcome to join us for our short meeting and stay for what I am sure will be a fascinating talk and a light buffet.
If you would like to become a trustee (we encourage you to do so) or you have a topic we should discuss / resolution to propose, then please let us know by 12:00 BST on 12th May 2024 (email info@stmadocofferns.wales).
If you can’t make it in person then you can join us via Zoom – email info@stmadocofferns.wales to request a link (before 18:00 on Wednesday please).
Agenda
- Apologies for absence.
- Declaration of interests.
- Minutes of the previous AGM
- Agree minutes and matters arising (not applicable – initial AGM)
- Chair’s Report
- Secretary’s Report
- Treasurer’s Report
- To receive and consider the accounts for the year ended 05/04/2024.
- Whether to appoint an independent auditor for 2023 / 24 as our income falls below the Charity Commission audit requirement of £25,000.
- Appointment of charity trustees
- As specified in our constitution, all the initial trustees will retire at the AGM and trustees will be appointed (or re-appointed) by election. Voting by members will only be required if more than twelve candidates are standing. See Standing for Election as a Trustee.
- All but one of the initial trustees are expected to stand for re-election. Their names will be confirmed shortly.
- Appointment of charity officers
- The trustees of the charity are asked to stand for election as one of the principal officers of the charity: Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. If there is more than one candidate for a post, then the appointment will be settled by a vote of members present. See Standing for Election as an Officer.
- Alterations to the Constitution
- Proposal to change annual membership to lifetime membership. The full text of this proposal will be published shortly.
- Resolutions
- Member resolutions / topics to discuss.
- These must have received by 12:00 BST on 12th May 2024 (email info@stmadocofferns.wales). We will issue a revised agenda by 21:00 on 12th May 2024. See Submitting a Resolution
- .Any other business
Officers Reports
Standing for Election as a Trustee
Any member of the Community Group that is committed to furthering it’s charitable purposes and the charity is very welcome to stand as a trustee (part of the managing committee), provided that they meet the criteria set by the Charity Commission (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/automatic-disqualification-rule-changes-guidance-for-charities). A trustee will be expected to complete a self declaration that they do not have reason to be disqualified before taking up the position of trustee.
There is more information about the role and responsibilities of a trustee on the Charity Commission website (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved).
For a candidate to be considered for election, they must be proposed and seconded by (different) members of the society. An individual member can propose or second any number of candidates.
The constitution states that there can be up to twelve elected trustees. At the first AGM (May 2024) there will be twelve vacancies, so there will be no election if there are less than twelve (proposed and seconded) candidates.
The following initial trustees intend to stand for election at the AGM: Alison Gibby, Christine Link, Gareth Morgan, Sally Morgan, Nicola Morton, Iain Tweedale.
In the event of a contested election, an Election Officer will be appointed to run the process. This will be a volunteer (not standing for election) at the AGM. If there are several volunteers, they will be selected based on a show of hands by members.
All candidates will be offered the opportunity to describe their relevant skills and experience in a speech lasting no more than three minutes. If the candidate is not present at the meeting they may ask another member to speak on their behalf or submit a short email (info@stmadocofferns.wales) to be read on their behalf.
Members will then be asked to list up to twelve candidates that they wish to serve as trustees. Their papers will be collected by the Election Officer who will total the votes and the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes will be elected. In the event of a tied vote for the final position(s) there will be an additional “run-off” election between those candidates following a similar process managed by the Election Officer.
Standing for Election as an Officer (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary)
The principal officers of the charity are the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. More information can be found on the Commission website (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved#chair-and-treasurer-trustee-roles).
These positions will be appointed based on a vote of the members. The position of Chair will be appointed before going on to Treasurer and then Secretary. An individual trustee may serve in one of these offices.
For a trustee to be considered for election to office, they must be proposed and seconded by (different) members of the society. An individual member can propose or second any number of candidates.
In the event of a contested election for an office, an Election Officer will be appointed to run the process. This will be a volunteer (already appointed for trustee election, not standing for election, or already elected to office) at the AGM. If there are several volunteers, they will be selected based on a show of hands by members.
All candidates for office will be offered the opportunity to describe their relevant skills and experience in a speech lasting no more than three minutes. If the candidate is not present at the meeting they may ask another member to speak on their behalf or submit a short email (info@stmadocofferns.wales) to be read on their behalf.
Members will then be asked to vote for the trustee they wish to be appointed to that office. Their papers will be collected by the Election Officer who will total the votes trustee with the highest number of votes will be elected. In the event of a tied vote there will be an additional “tie-break” election through a show of hands by trustees only.
Submitting a Resolution / Discussion Topic
For a resolution to be discussed at the AGM
- The resolution must consist of a few sentences (up to 125 words) that clearly describe the motion which members are being asked to consider. A supporting statement of up to 500 words may also be submitted.
- The resolution must clearly state the outcome / actions should the motion be agreed.
- The resolution is e-Mailed to the charity (info@stmadocofferns.wales) by the deadline of 12/05/2024.
- The resolution must be proposed and seconded at the AGM by separate members of the charity.
The resolution will be declined by the trustees if:
- The Trustees believe the resolution to be defamatory or unlawful to publish.
- The Trustees believe that the resolution deals with the same issues as another resolution which is to be considered at the same AGM, or that it deals with something which has been dealt with in an AGM resolution in the previous twelve months.
- At least 75% of the Trustees believe that the resolution is not materially relevant to the purpose of the charity.
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