Dear BGDA Members,
Notice is hereby given under the Constitution of Brisbane Girls Debating Association Inc., that the Annual General Meeting of the Association is to be held at 7pm on Thursday 28 August 2014 at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.
The Meeting will include annual reports from the Executive, elections for the positions on the 2014/15 Executive and
1) Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of other general meetings held since;
2) Receive reports from the Officers of the Association and ask questions of those officers;
3) Elect all Executive positions; and,
4) Consider any other business required by the Act or which may properly brought before the meeting.
Apologies, agenda items and proxy vote details may be sent to [email protected]
Thanks,
Clare Armstrong
President BGDA Inc
Other information you may need!
This following is important information for people wishing to attend and particularly those intending to run for a position on the 2014/15 Executive so please bare with me and read the passages relevant to you carefully.
The BGDA has three permanent Director positions (President, Secretary and Treasurer) and then during the AGM members vote on the creation of Officer positions before filling them. This year there were five such positions, all of which will be proposed in this year’s AGM. All roles and responsibilities are detailed below.
*Please Note: You must be 18 years and over to run for a position*
Directors:
President - The President- The President is the head of the Executive, and ordinarily chair of General Meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee. The President has oversight over the organisation as a whole and the Executive members. The President has powers to counter-sign cheques and to reprimand Executive members for not doing their roles satisfactorily. The President has no other special powers.
Secretary - The Secretary takes official minutes, is the official custodian of the common seal of the Association and all official documents of the Association. The Secretary must keep a register of all the members and must make decisions to do with proxies as previously outlined for the conduct of General Meetings. The Secretary will also handle any other paperwork of the Association that is non-financial in nature.
Treasurer - The Treasurer is the only member of the Executive with the power to write cheques, but must have the President co-sign those cheques. The Treasurer must ensure compliance with relevant legislation and Chapter V of this Constitution. The Treasurer is responsible for paying adjudicators, reimbursing people for legitimate expenses, the financial health of the Association and financial compliance. All financial documents must be verified by the Executive, except for the yearly budget and yearly financial statements, which can only be verified at an AGM.
Officers:
Schools Officer – Responsible for contacting schools and debating coordinators throughout the year to promote, encourage and assist participation in the BGDA Competition.
Sponsorship Officer – Responsible for obtaining new sponsorship for the association in addition to maintaining existing sponsor relationships
Adjudicator Officer - Responsible for recruiting, training and coordinating adjudicators throughout the BGDA season – this includes ensuring individuals’ compliance with Queensland’s ‘Blue Card’ laws when working with children.
Competition Officer – Responsible for the logistical operations regarding the running of the BGDA competition season and finals
Teacher Liaison (Must be a debating coordinator in a Brisbane-based high school) – Responsible for consulting with any relevant debating coordinators from other Brisbane schools and to then represent the opinions, views, thoughts and ideas of these teachers (including your own).
Below are some AGM/voting sections from Constitution that may be of use for members, you can also access the full document here: http://www.brisbanegirlsdebating.com.au/association-documents.html
Conduct and Procedure for All General Meetings
46. Quorum for a general meeting shall be 10 members, at least four (4) of whom are not Directors. Should quorum not be present within one hour after the appointed starting time of a general meeting, the chairperson shall adjourn the meeting to a time and place they think proper.
47. Persons may use electronic technology such as Internet telephony or webcams in order to participate in the meeting and communicate with other members, but such members do not count as present at the meeting for the purposes of quorum.
48. Interested members of the public may attend meetings but may not vote. 9. All members of the Association have the right to attend and vote at any general meeting. Any member may bring business before a general meeting, but all business required by the Act, as well as all special resolutions, shall take priority over any other business. Non-members, may, in writing either electronically or in print, suggest business to the Executive, but the Executive may disregard such requests, provided they write back to the non-member/s about their decision and give full reasoning.
Resolutions in General Meetings
55. Each member shall have one vote except the chairperson, who shall have a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes. The chairperson is required by this Constitution to maintain the status quo (which ordinarily involves voting ‘no’), unless the resolution is required to comply with relevant legislation or any binding legal judgment, in which case they must vote ‘yes’.
56. Any member may delegate their vote to another member (a “proxy vote”) but any person may only accept a maximum of one proxy. As far as practicable, those casting a proxy vote should ascertain from those who they are casting ballots for how they want to vote before a meeting and communicate either by telephone or electronically within the meeting if new matters or candidates arise.
57. Members may also vote by absentee ballot on any resolution, by lodging their vote with the Secretary prior to the meeting.
58. No resolution may be voted on by means of a postal or electronic ballot. 9. In the case of representatives of schools, that person must be empowered by the school in question to act as their representative. Ordinarily, such a person would be the Debating Coordinator of that school, or a relevant delegated person. In any case, the school must communicate either in writing, electronically or otherwise to the Executive who they are empowering, otherwise that person must not be allowed to vote at general meetings.
Executive and Directors
67. The Executive shall consist of the Directors of the Association, which:
(1) Must include the following:
(a) One President;
(b) One Secretary;
(c) One Treasurer;
(2) May include up to seven other Directors;
(a) Each position must be opened by the passing of a motion by simple majority at each AGM;
(b) At least two positions must be opened up at each AGM.
68. At each AGM, the members shall elect all Directors in the Association. All Directors, irrespective of the time of their election or appointment, hold office until the adjournment of the next AGM.
Annual General Meeting
45. The business of the AGM shall be to:
(1) Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of any general meeting/s held since that meeting,
(2) To receive and vote upon the validity any statements or accounts submitted by the Association in accordance with the Act;
(3) Receive reports, written and oral, from Officers of the Association and ask questions of those officers;
(4) Elect all Directors of the Executive; and,
(5) Have schools be able to ask questions publicly of the Officers of the Association,
(6) Consider whether the Association is fully achieving its aims,
(7) Consider any other business required by the Act or which may properly be brought before the meeting.
Notice is hereby given under the Constitution of Brisbane Girls Debating Association Inc., that the Annual General Meeting of the Association is to be held at 7pm on Thursday 28 August 2014 at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.
The Meeting will include annual reports from the Executive, elections for the positions on the 2014/15 Executive and
1) Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of other general meetings held since;
2) Receive reports from the Officers of the Association and ask questions of those officers;
3) Elect all Executive positions; and,
4) Consider any other business required by the Act or which may properly brought before the meeting.
Apologies, agenda items and proxy vote details may be sent to [email protected]
Thanks,
Clare Armstrong
President BGDA Inc
Other information you may need!
This following is important information for people wishing to attend and particularly those intending to run for a position on the 2014/15 Executive so please bare with me and read the passages relevant to you carefully.
The BGDA has three permanent Director positions (President, Secretary and Treasurer) and then during the AGM members vote on the creation of Officer positions before filling them. This year there were five such positions, all of which will be proposed in this year’s AGM. All roles and responsibilities are detailed below.
*Please Note: You must be 18 years and over to run for a position*
Directors:
President - The President- The President is the head of the Executive, and ordinarily chair of General Meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee. The President has oversight over the organisation as a whole and the Executive members. The President has powers to counter-sign cheques and to reprimand Executive members for not doing their roles satisfactorily. The President has no other special powers.
Secretary - The Secretary takes official minutes, is the official custodian of the common seal of the Association and all official documents of the Association. The Secretary must keep a register of all the members and must make decisions to do with proxies as previously outlined for the conduct of General Meetings. The Secretary will also handle any other paperwork of the Association that is non-financial in nature.
Treasurer - The Treasurer is the only member of the Executive with the power to write cheques, but must have the President co-sign those cheques. The Treasurer must ensure compliance with relevant legislation and Chapter V of this Constitution. The Treasurer is responsible for paying adjudicators, reimbursing people for legitimate expenses, the financial health of the Association and financial compliance. All financial documents must be verified by the Executive, except for the yearly budget and yearly financial statements, which can only be verified at an AGM.
Officers:
Schools Officer – Responsible for contacting schools and debating coordinators throughout the year to promote, encourage and assist participation in the BGDA Competition.
Sponsorship Officer – Responsible for obtaining new sponsorship for the association in addition to maintaining existing sponsor relationships
Adjudicator Officer - Responsible for recruiting, training and coordinating adjudicators throughout the BGDA season – this includes ensuring individuals’ compliance with Queensland’s ‘Blue Card’ laws when working with children.
Competition Officer – Responsible for the logistical operations regarding the running of the BGDA competition season and finals
Teacher Liaison (Must be a debating coordinator in a Brisbane-based high school) – Responsible for consulting with any relevant debating coordinators from other Brisbane schools and to then represent the opinions, views, thoughts and ideas of these teachers (including your own).
Below are some AGM/voting sections from Constitution that may be of use for members, you can also access the full document here: http://www.brisbanegirlsdebating.com.au/association-documents.html
Conduct and Procedure for All General Meetings
46. Quorum for a general meeting shall be 10 members, at least four (4) of whom are not Directors. Should quorum not be present within one hour after the appointed starting time of a general meeting, the chairperson shall adjourn the meeting to a time and place they think proper.
47. Persons may use electronic technology such as Internet telephony or webcams in order to participate in the meeting and communicate with other members, but such members do not count as present at the meeting for the purposes of quorum.
48. Interested members of the public may attend meetings but may not vote. 9. All members of the Association have the right to attend and vote at any general meeting. Any member may bring business before a general meeting, but all business required by the Act, as well as all special resolutions, shall take priority over any other business. Non-members, may, in writing either electronically or in print, suggest business to the Executive, but the Executive may disregard such requests, provided they write back to the non-member/s about their decision and give full reasoning.
Resolutions in General Meetings
55. Each member shall have one vote except the chairperson, who shall have a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes. The chairperson is required by this Constitution to maintain the status quo (which ordinarily involves voting ‘no’), unless the resolution is required to comply with relevant legislation or any binding legal judgment, in which case they must vote ‘yes’.
56. Any member may delegate their vote to another member (a “proxy vote”) but any person may only accept a maximum of one proxy. As far as practicable, those casting a proxy vote should ascertain from those who they are casting ballots for how they want to vote before a meeting and communicate either by telephone or electronically within the meeting if new matters or candidates arise.
57. Members may also vote by absentee ballot on any resolution, by lodging their vote with the Secretary prior to the meeting.
58. No resolution may be voted on by means of a postal or electronic ballot. 9. In the case of representatives of schools, that person must be empowered by the school in question to act as their representative. Ordinarily, such a person would be the Debating Coordinator of that school, or a relevant delegated person. In any case, the school must communicate either in writing, electronically or otherwise to the Executive who they are empowering, otherwise that person must not be allowed to vote at general meetings.
Executive and Directors
67. The Executive shall consist of the Directors of the Association, which:
(1) Must include the following:
(a) One President;
(b) One Secretary;
(c) One Treasurer;
(2) May include up to seven other Directors;
(a) Each position must be opened by the passing of a motion by simple majority at each AGM;
(b) At least two positions must be opened up at each AGM.
68. At each AGM, the members shall elect all Directors in the Association. All Directors, irrespective of the time of their election or appointment, hold office until the adjournment of the next AGM.
Annual General Meeting
45. The business of the AGM shall be to:
(1) Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of any general meeting/s held since that meeting,
(2) To receive and vote upon the validity any statements or accounts submitted by the Association in accordance with the Act;
(3) Receive reports, written and oral, from Officers of the Association and ask questions of those officers;
(4) Elect all Directors of the Executive; and,
(5) Have schools be able to ask questions publicly of the Officers of the Association,
(6) Consider whether the Association is fully achieving its aims,
(7) Consider any other business required by the Act or which may properly be brought before the meeting.
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