Financial General Meeting

Introduction: The General Committee (GC) is keen to encourage as many members as possible to engage with and attend the meeting.

Format: The FinGM will be a hybrid meeting with physical attendance at the Club and online attendance using an online platform.

A summary of the FinGM booking and voting process is as follows;

Booking: The FinGM will be a bookable event through the Club website. Members can choose whether to attend in person or virtually at the time of booking. Please book here.

Attendance: If demand exceeds capacity for in-person attendance at the Club, priority will be given first to those running the meeting, followed by those members putting forward a motion, after which places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Voting process: Voting will take place using the online voting platform ElectionBuddy, which can be used on mobile phones, tablets or laptops, via email.

At the start of the FinGM, a voting email will be sent from ElectionBuddy to all registered attendees who are eligible to vote, whether they are attending in person or online. The email will contain instructions on both how and when to submit votes.

Voting on motions: Motions tabled on the agenda will be discussed during the meeting. It is planned that voting takes place after all motions have been considered, towards the end of the meeting and afterwards up until 23:45 hours. Exact timings for voting will be confirmed at the start of the meeting.

After members have submitted their votes, ElectionBuddy will send email confirmation that each vote has been received by the Club.

Proxy voting:

• Ordinary members are entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise any or all of their rights to attend, to speak and to vote at an ESC GM.
• However, using an online voting platform means that members do not need to actually attend the GM (either in person or online) in order to be able to vote. Thus, the only members requiring a proxy vote will be those who are eligible to vote but who have indicated that they do not use computers/tablets/smartphones.
• The appointment of a proxy must be notified to the GC in writing before the commencement of the GM that the proxy will attend.
• The member's vote will be counted as it would have been if the member was attending the meeting.

Amendments to motions at GMs with online voting:

• Live changes to motions cannot be made when using ElectionBuddy.
• If an amendment to a motion is proposed and seconded during the meeting, it may be discussed but it cannot be voted on.
• If, after discussion, the proposer agrees to withdraw the amendment, the original motion will be voted on, as tabled.
• If, after discussion, the amendment becomes the substantive motion, it will need to be deferred to a subsequent GM. In this instance, any votes cast for the original motion will be disregarded.
• If, after discussion, the Commodore (or delegate) feels that the proposed amendment has been appropriately considered and is either resolved or is not material, the original motion will be voted on, as tabled.
• The Commodore (or delegate) may consult with others including, but not limited to, other members of the GC and the Advisory Board.