Holding meetings

General meetings

Your incorporated society is required to hold at least one general meeting a year, at which the members approve the society’s annual financial statements. This meeting is usually known as the annual general meeting (AGM). In addition to approving the annual financial statements, the meeting will elect officers (for example, a chair person, secretary) and approve any necessary rule changes. This could be a good time for your society to agree to reregister under the 2022 Act. Getting ready for reregistering

Your society’s rules may allow for other general meetings to be held during the year – for example, special (one-off) general meetings may be needed if the society has to consider some urgent or important matter that can't wait until the next AGM.

The society’s rules must include:

• how notice of a general meeting will be given to members
• how business at a general meeting will be conducted – for example, proposing resolutions or nominating people for election
• how members may vote.

If the rules are no longer appropriate, they should be updated. Any amendments to a society's rules are only valid once registered by us. Until then the existing rules must be followed.

General meetings

Your society needs to hold at least one general meeting a year – its Annual General Meeting (AGM). You must hold your AGM within 6 months of your society’s balance date (its end of financial year).

The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) sets out what information your committee must present at each AGM, namely —

• An annual report on the operations and affairs of your society for the most recently completed accounting period.
• The society’s financial statements for that period.
• Details of any conflict of interests disclosed during the financial year. This must include a brief summary of the matters, or types of matters, to which those disclosures relate.

At the AGM it’s also common to elect officers and it can be a good time to vote on changes, like amending your society's constitution.

Your society must keep minutes of each AGM.

Your society’s constitution may allow for other general meetings to be held during the year. For example, your society may need to hold a special (one-off) general meeting if it has to consider some urgent or important matter that can't wait until the next AGM.

Refer to your constitution for specific guidance for general meetings

Your constitution must cover how your society will call and hold general meetings. It must also cover things like —

• how and when notices of motion are notified
• meeting quorums, and
• how members vote – including by proxy, post, or electronic means.

If the constitution is no longer appropriate, it should be updated. Amendments to your society's constitution only take effect once they have been registered by us. Until then the existing constitution must be followed.

Committee meetings

Societies are run by their committee. Your committee members — your society’s officers — are chosen by your society to manage, direct and supervise its operations and affairs.

To operate effectively your society’s committee will need to meet regularly throughout the year.

Again, your society’s constitution must cover certain aspects of these meetings, such as —

• committee meeting quorums,
• how officers vote, and
• whether the committee chairperson (if there is one) has a casting vote.

Learn more about committees and officers