Background

The Committee has received a number of approaches from members who are concerned that for a variety of reasons they may not have been able to participate in important decisions made by the Club. Those reasons have included illness, holidays and a requirement to work on the date of a general meeting. In all cases this has meant that those members have not been able to contribute to an important vote, sometimes upon matters for which they held strong views.

The Committee has discussed a number of available solutions and has discounted the use of “proxy voting” i.e. allowing another member to exercise your vote at a general meeting. However, the Committee would be supportive of allowing members to vote in advance of the meeting casting their vote either by signed letter or by email.

The Committee has therefore proposed three alternative rule changes, each of which will require the support of two thirds of members present at the A.G.M. if they are to be adopted into the Constitution. Version A allows members to vote in advance on all resolutions, Version B will not allow members to vote in advance on amendments to the Constitution but will allow members to vote in advance on Membership Rule amendments and Version C clarifies that only members present at the General Meeting may vote on any amendment.

For Clarification: if Version A is passed then Versions B and C will not be voted upon. Similarly, if Version B is passed then Version C will not be voted upon.

Version A: Accept postal/email vote for amendments to both the Constitution and Rules

5.       A resolution proposing an alteration to the Constitution must be notified in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least six weeks before the date of the A.G.M or E.G.M. and shall be passed if it receives two thirds or more of the total votes cast. Any other resolution is passed if it receives a majority of the total votes cast. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Total votes cast will be the aggregated number of votes made by those members present at the A.G.M. or E.G.M. together with those votes notified by members in advance to the Secretary by no later than 21.00 on the day prior to the meeting.  Should any member wish to notify the Secretary of their vote they may do so either in writing or by sending an email from an email address which has been registered to that member.

Any member found to be voting twice will be subject to the Complaints Procedure.

Version B: Reject postal/email vote for amendments to Constitution but accept that method for amendments to the Rules.

5.       A resolution proposing an alteration to the Constitution must be notified in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least six weeks before the date of the A.G.M or E.G.M. and shall be passed if it receives two thirds or more of the votes cast. Only members present at the meeting may vote upon resolutions proposing alterations to the Constitution.

Any other resolution is passed if it receives a majority of the total votes cast. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Total votes cast for such resolutions will be the aggregated number of votes made by those members present at the A.G.M. or E.G.M. together with those votes notified by members in advance to the Secretary by no later than 21.00 on the day prior to the meeting.  Should any member wish to notify the Secretary of their vote they may do so either in writing or by sending an email from an email address which has been registered to that member.

Any member found to be voting twice will be subject to the Complaints Procedure.

Version C: Rejection of postal/email vote for amendments both to the Constitution and the Rules

5.       A resolution proposing an alteration to the Constitution must be notified in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least six weeks before the date of the A.G.M or E.G.M. and shall be passed if it receives two thirds or more of the votes cast. Any other resolution is passed if it receives a majority of the votes cast. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Only members present at the meeting may vote upon any resolution.

Resolution proposed by Neil Higgins, Vice-Chairman.

Seconded by Lawrence Penney, Chairman.