Running Your AGM: A Step-by-Step Guide

What an AGM Actually Is (and Why It Matters Beyond Ticking a Box)

Let's be honest. For most clubs, the AGM sits somewhere between a chore and a mild hostage situation. A handful of members turn up. The treasurer reads numbers off a printed sheet. Someone nominates themselves for president unopposed. Everyone goes home.

But here's the thing. The AGM is the single most important governance event your club runs each year. It's the one time the full membership gets to hold the committee accountable. To vote. To ask hard questions. To decide the direction of the organisation. Every incorporated association in Australia is legally required to hold one, and the requirements aren't suggestions - they're embedded in state legislation.

The Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (VIC), the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW), the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (QLD), and their equivalents in every other state and territory all mandate annual general meetings. Fail to hold one, fail to hold it properly, and you can invalidate every decision made at it. In extreme cases, your incorporation status itself can be at risk.

But beyond the legal obligation, a well-run AGM does something no other club event can do. It gives members ownership. When people see the finances, understand the challenges, vote on the leadership, and have a say in the direction - they stop being customers and start being stakeholders. That shift is the difference between a club that has members and a club that has a community.

So no, it's not just a box to tick. It's the democratic backbone of your organisation. And if you're the secretary or president responsible for making it happen, you need to get it right.

Related reading: If you're new to the secretary role, our Club Secretary's Complete Handbook covers the full scope of the job - AGM preparation is one piece of a bigger picture.

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When to Hold It

Your constitution will specify when the AGM must be held. The most common phrasing is something like: "The annual general meeting shall be held within five months of the end of the financial year."

For clubs operating on a standard July–June financial year, that typically means holding the AGM between July and November. For calendar-year clubs (January–December), it's usually between January and May.

Here's what catches people out: the financial year end matters more than you think. Your treasurer needs time to close the books, prepare financial statements, and (if required) have them audited or independently reviewed before they can be presented at the AGM. If you schedule the AGM for six weeks after financial year end, your treasurer will be working weekends. Give them at least three months.

State-specific deadlines:

• Victoria: Within five months of the financial year end (s.75, Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012).
• NSW: Within six months of the financial year end (s.37, Associations Incorporation Act 2009).
• Queensland: Within six months of the financial year end (s.68, Associations Incorporation Act 1981).
• South Australia: Within five months of the financial year end (Associations Incorporation Act 1985).
• Western Australia: Within six months of the financial year end (Associations Incorporation Act 2015).
• Tasmania: Within four months of the financial year end (Associations Incorporation Act 1964).

If your club is a registered charity, the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) governance standards also apply. Standard 2 requires accountability to members, which includes holding an AGM if your governing document says you will.

UK equivalent: Companies limited by guarantee must hold an AGM unless all members agree to dispense with it (s.336, Companies Act 2006). Charities should follow the Charity Commission's guidance CC48 on meetings and decision-making.

New Zealand: The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 requires an annual general meeting within six months of each balance date (s.83). This is a relatively new act - societies re-registering under it should review their rules against the updated requirements.

Practical tip: Pick the same month every year. Members will expect it. The committee will plan for it. The treasurer will have the accounts ready. Consistency beats optimisation.

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The Countdown: 12 Weeks Out to the Day

If your AGM feels rushed, you started too late. Here's a realistic timeline that gives everyone enough room to do their part properly.

12 Weeks Out: Set the Date and Brief the Committee

• Confirm the date. Check it against school holidays, long weekends, and anything your sport has on (finals, representative fixtures, major events). A Tuesday or Wednesday evening works for most clubs. Weekends are harder - people have lives.
• Book the venue. Your clubhouse, a local hall, a function room. You need enough space for your likely attendance (typically 15–30% of membership for most clubs), a table at the front for the committee, and power for a laptop and projector.
• Brief the committee. The president, treasurer, and secretary all have preparation to do. Give them the timeline now so nobody is scrambling in week 10.

10 Weeks Out: Financial Statements and Reports

• Treasurer starts closing the books. Reconcile every account. Chase outstanding invoices. Categorise every transaction. If the club uses accounting software like Xero, this is faster - but it still takes time.
• Audit or review engagement. If your constitution or incorporation act requires an audit or independent financial review, engage the auditor now. Not in four weeks. Now. Auditors have other clients and your club is not their priority.
• President drafts the annual report. What did the club achieve? How many members? What events were run? What challenges were faced? Specific numbers. Not "we had a great year" - that's a toast at the Christmas party, not a report.

8 Weeks Out: Nominations and Special Business

• Open nominations for office bearer positions. Most constitutions require nominations to be submitted in writing before the AGM, with a nominator and seconder who are both financial members. Design a simple nomination form. Send it out. Follow up personally with people you'd like to see on the committee.
• Identify any special resolutions. Is the committee proposing constitutional changes? A fee increase that requires member approval? These must be included in the AGM notice - they cannot be raised from the floor. Draft the exact wording now. Special resolutions require precision; a vaguely worded motion can be challenged.

6 Weeks Out: Draft the Notice

• Draft the formal notice of AGM. This must include: date, time, venue, agenda, full text of any special resolutions, nomination details, proxy form (if your rules allow proxies), and instructions for attending remotely (if applicable).
• Have someone else read the notice. A second pair of eyes catches the date that says "Tuesday 14 October" when the 14th is actually a Wednesday. These mistakes look small but undermine confidence.

4 Weeks Out: Send the Notice

• Send the notice to all members. Your constitution specifies the minimum notice period - usually 21 days. Send it at 28 days to give yourself a buffer. Use the method your constitution requires: email, post, or as displayed on a noticeboard. If your constitution says "in writing" and doesn't define what that means, email is generally accepted, but check your state's interpretation.
• Distribute reports with the notice. Attach the financial statements and annual report. Members who read them beforehand ask better questions and the meeting moves faster.
• Post on your website and social media. The notice is a legal document, but it's also a marketing opportunity. You're inviting people to participate in their club's democracy. Make it sound like it matters, because it does.

2 Weeks Out: Chase and Prepare

• Chase nominations. If you have positions with no nominations, you have a problem. Ring people directly. The "I'll nominate from the floor" approach works but is unprofessional and signals a club that can't organise itself.
• Close nominations at the deadline specified in your constitution.
• Prepare voting materials. Ballot papers for contested elections, proxy forms received, a register of who has voting rights (financial members only - check your constitution's definition).
• Print sign-in sheets or set up digital attendance tracking. You need to prove quorum was met.

1 Week Out: Final Logistics

• Confirm the venue. Check the booking still stands. Confirm access arrangements, keys, AV equipment.
• Prepare the chair's run sheet. A page-by-page script for the president or chairperson, with every motion pre-drafted. This is the single most important document at the meeting. Without it, the chair is improvising.
• Send a reminder. A short email or message: "Reminder - AGM is next Tuesday at 7pm. All members welcome."
• Prepare refreshments. Tea, coffee, biscuits. If you have budget, pizza. People are more likely to stay, and to be civil, if they've been fed.

The Day

• Arrive early. Set up the room. Test the projector. Lay out the sign-in sheet, agendas, and any printed reports.
• Have a quorum contingency plan. Know what your constitution says about failed quorum before it happens, not during.

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Notice Requirements: What the Law Actually Says

This is where clubs get into trouble most often. The notice of AGM is a legal document. Get it wrong and every decision made at the meeting can be challenged.

Minimum notice period

The standard across most Australian states is 21 days' clear notice. "Clear" means 21 full days between the notice being sent and the meeting - the day of sending and the day of the meeting don't count. So if your AGM is on a Wednesday, you need to send the notice no later than the Tuesday three weeks and a day prior.

Some constitutions require more. Always check your own rules first - they override the statutory minimum if they're stricter.

What the notice must contain

At minimum, the notice should include:

1. Date, time, and venue of the meeting.
2. The agenda - a list of business to be transacted.
3. Full text of any special resolutions. Not a summary. The exact wording. Members need to know precisely what they're voting on.
4. Nomination details - which positions are being elected, how to nominate, the deadline.
5. Proxy information - whether proxies are permitted, how to appoint one, the proxy form, and the deadline for lodging proxy forms.
6. Remote attendance instructions if a virtual or hybrid option is available.

How to deliver the notice

Your constitution will say. Common methods include:

• Email to the member's registered email address.
• Post to their registered postal address.
• Displayed on a noticeboard at the club's premises (increasingly rare and legally risky if it's the only method).

If your constitution says "in writing" without further definition, email is generally accepted under the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Cth) and its state equivalents, provided the member has consented to receiving communications electronically.

A trap for new players: If even one member hasn't provided an email address, and your constitution says notice must be given to "all members," you may need to post a physical copy to that member. One missed notice to one member can be grounds for challenging the validity of the meeting.

Use your membership management system to track who has a valid email on file and who doesn't. This is exactly the kind of operational detail that saves you a constitutional crisis.

See also: Meeting Minutes for Clubs: A Better System covers how to handle the documentation side of both regular committee meetings and AGMs.

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Quorum: What Happens If Not Enough People Show Up

Quorum is the minimum number of financial members who must be present for the meeting to be valid. If you don't have quorum, you don't have a meeting - you have a gathering of people in a room with no legal authority to make decisions.

What counts as quorum

Your constitution defines the number. Common formulations:

• A fixed number (e.g., "20 members" or "15 financial members").
• A percentage (e.g., "10% of financial members" or "one-fifth of the membership").
• A combination (e.g., "20 members or 10% of membership, whichever is lesser").

If your constitution is silent on quorum, the default in most state acts is somewhere between 5 and 20 members, depending on the jurisdiction. In Victoria, the default is the number specified in the model rules - currently "the number that is equal to the number of members of the Committee plus one" (rule 33, Schedule 4, Associations Incorporation Reform Regulations 2012).

Who counts towards quorum

Financial members - meaning members whose fees are fully paid and current at the date of the meeting. Lapsed members, honorary life members (depending on your rules), and social or associate members may or may not have voting rights and therefore may or may not count.

Proxies - if your constitution allows proxy voting, proxies generally count towards quorum. A member who has appointed a proxy is considered "present" for quorum purposes. This can be the difference between making quorum and not, so it's worth reminding members about the proxy option in your notice.

When quorum fails

Don't panic. Most constitutions have an adjournment provision that goes something like this:

"If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time, the meeting shall be adjourned to the same day, time, and place in the following week [or within 14–28 days]. At the adjourned meeting, the members present shall constitute a quorum."

That last sentence is the important bit. It means the adjourned meeting can proceed with whoever turns up, regardless of number. This is a safety valve - without it, a club could be permanently paralysed by member apathy.

If your constitution doesn't have an adjournment clause, you have a serious gap. Fix it at the next AGM by passing a special resolution to insert one.

Practical strategies for making quorum:

• Hold the AGM immediately before or after a regular club activity (training session, social event, game day). Capture people who are already there.
• Actively promote proxy voting. A member who can't attend in person can still count.
• Make it short. Nobody wants to sit through a three-hour meeting. If you can run the AGM in 45–60 minutes, more people will come next year.
• Offer food. It works. Every time.

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The Agenda Template

Your constitution may prescribe specific agenda items. Beyond those, here's the standard order that most clubs follow. It's loosely based on Robert's Rules of Order (the standard reference for meeting procedure, originally published in 1876 and still in use) but adapted for the way Australian clubs actually operate.

Standard AGM agenda

1. Welcome and acknowledgement of country
2. Apologies - record the names of members who notified they can't attend.
3. Confirmation of minutes from the previous AGM - a motion to accept the minutes as a true and accurate record. If there are corrections, note them, amend, then confirm.
4. Business arising from previous minutes - matters from last year's AGM that were actioned (or weren't). Keep this brief.
5. President's report - a summary of the year. Achievements, challenges, thanks. Presented by the president, received by the meeting.
6. Treasurer's financial report - the financial statements for the year. Presented by the treasurer. This is the one agenda item where members should be encouraged to ask questions.
7. Appointment of auditor (if required by your constitution or incorporation act).
8. Election of office bearers - vacate all positions, then elect. The returning officer (someone who is not standing for a position) chairs this section.
9. Special resolutions - any pre-notified resolutions requiring a 75% majority. Constitutional amendments, changes to fees, etc.
10. General business - matters raised from the floor. No binding resolutions can be passed here on matters not included in the notice (unless your constitution says otherwise). This is for discussion, not decisions.
11. Close

A word on general business: this is where AGMs go off the rails. Someone raises a grievance. Someone wants to relitigate a committee decision from March. The chair needs to manage this firmly. General business is for new items of general interest, not for ambushing the committee. The chair can rule items out of order if they should have been submitted as a motion in advance.

For new presidents: The Club President's Complete Handbook has a full section on chairing meetings - including how to handle the tricky moments at an AGM.

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Financial Reports: What the Treasurer Needs to Present

The financial report is the centrepiece of the AGM. It's the committee's primary accountability mechanism - this is how members verify that their fees, fundraising, and grant money was spent properly.

What's required

At minimum, the treasurer should present:

• A statement of income and expenditure for the financial year. Income in, expenses out, surplus or deficit.
• A balance sheet (statement of financial position) showing assets, liabilities, and net equity at the end of the financial year.
• Notes to the accounts explaining any significant items, accounting policies, or changes from the prior year.

If your club's revenue exceeds a certain threshold, your state's incorporation act may require an audit or an independent financial review. The thresholds vary:

• Victoria: Clubs with total revenue over $250,000 require a reviewed financial statement. Over $1 million requires an audit.
• NSW: Tier 1 associations (gross receipts over $250,000 or assets over $500,000) require a review or audit.
• Queensland: Large associations (gross receipts, assets, or employees above thresholds) require an audit.

For smaller clubs, an unaudited statement prepared by the treasurer is sufficient, but it must still be presented formally and received by the members.

How to present it

Don't just read the numbers out loud. Nobody can absorb a balance sheet being read to them at 7:30 on a Wednesday night.

Instead:

1. Distribute the report before the meeting - ideally with the AGM notice.
2. Summarise on the night. "We took in $47,000, we spent $44,000, we have a surplus of $3,000. Our bank balance at year end was $28,000. Here are the three biggest things we spent money on and why."
3. Invite questions. This is the one part of the AGM where questions should be actively encouraged.
4. Move a motion to receive and accept the financial report.

The motion is typically: "That the financial report for the year ended [date] be received and accepted." Moved, seconded, voted on by show of hands.

A note on "accepted" vs "approved"

There's a subtle legal distinction. "Received" means the members have been given the report. "Accepted" means they have accepted it as a fair representation of the club's finances. Some clubs use "adopted" or "approved." Check your constitution for the correct wording - it matters if the accounts are later questioned.

For treasurers: The Club Treasurer's Complete Handbook covers year-end accounts preparation in detail, including the Xero integration workflow that most TidyHQ clubs use.

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Electing Office Bearers

This is the part of the AGM that makes people nervous. It shouldn't. Most club elections are uncontested - one nomination per position, elected by acclamation. But you need to know the procedure for when they're not.

The process

1. Vacate all positions. The chair (usually the outgoing president) declares all committee positions vacant. At this point, the chair should hand over to a returning officer - someone who is not standing for any position. This avoids the awkwardness of someone chairing their own election.

2. Elect position by position. Start with president, then vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and then any other positions your constitution specifies (committee members, captains, etc.).

3. For each position:

   • The returning officer reads the nominations received.
   • If there's one nomination: "There being one nomination for the position of President - [Name], nominated by [Name], seconded by [Name] - I declare [Name] elected." Simple.
   • If there are multiple nominations: each nominee may be given a brief opportunity to speak (1–2 minutes). Then a vote is taken - by show of hands for most clubs, by secret ballot if your constitution requires it or if any member requests it.

4. Record the result. The minutes must record who was elected to each position, and for contested elections, the vote count.

Nominations from the floor

Some constitutions allow nominations from the floor if a position has received no written nominations. Others don't. Know your rules before the meeting.

If nominations from the floor are permitted, the returning officer asks: "Are there any nominations from the floor for the position of [role]?" The nomination still needs to be moved and seconded by financial members.

What if nobody nominates?

This is more common than anyone admits. If a position receives no nominations and none are forthcoming from the floor, it remains vacant. The committee can generally co-opt someone into the role later (most constitutions have a casual vacancy provision), but a co-opted member typically serves only until the next general meeting.

A club that struggles to fill committee positions has a governance problem that can't be fixed at the AGM. It needs to fix it in the other 51 weeks of the year. Make roles smaller, more defined, and less burdensome. Nobody wants a job description that reads "everything nobody else wants to do."

Contested elections

These are rare but important. If two or more people are nominated for the same position:

• Each candidate speaks briefly (the returning officer should enforce time limits).
• A vote is taken. Show of hands is standard unless your constitution requires a ballot, or any member present requests a ballot.
• The returning officer counts the votes, announces the result, and records it.
• If there's a tie, your constitution should specify what happens - commonly the chair has a casting vote, or a second ballot is taken.

Handle contested elections with dignity. Both candidates have put themselves forward for the good of the club. Whoever loses should be thanked publicly and genuinely.

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Special Resolutions and Constitutional Changes

A special resolution is any resolution that requires more than a simple majority to pass. In most Australian jurisdictions, it requires 75% of votes cast at a general meeting, with at least 21 days' notice that specifies the resolution's exact wording.

When you need a special resolution

• Changing the constitution (rules of the association).
• Changing the name of the association.
• Amalgamating with another association.
• Winding up the association.
• Any other matter your constitution designates as requiring a special resolution (e.g., selling property, taking on significant debt).

Getting it right

The critical requirement is notice. The full text of the special resolution - the exact wording - must be included in the notice of meeting. You cannot spring a special resolution on members at the meeting. You cannot amend the wording at the meeting (though there's some legal ambiguity about minor or editorial amendments - if in doubt, don't).

Draft the resolution carefully. If you're amending the constitution, show both the existing clause and the proposed replacement. Members need to understand exactly what they're voting on.

Voting on special resolutions

The chair puts the resolution: "The resolution before the meeting is: [reads exact text]. This is a special resolution requiring 75% of votes cast to pass. All those in favour? All those against? Any abstentions?"

Count carefully. Record the numbers. If the resolution passes, it takes effect immediately unless the resolution itself specifies a future date.

For constitutional changes in most states, you'll also need to lodge the amended constitution with your state regulator (Consumer Affairs Victoria, NSW Fair Trading, Queensland Office of Fair Trading, etc.) within a specified period - typically 14 to 28 days.

The 75% threshold in practice

For a room of 30 people voting on a special resolution, you need 23 votes in favour. If 5 people abstain, you need 75% of the 25 who actually voted - so 19. Abstentions reduce the denominator, which actually makes it easier to pass. Make sure your constitution and state act agree on whether it's 75% of votes cast, 75% of members present, or 75% of members present and voting.

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Proxy Voting and Remote Attendance

Proxy voting

A proxy is an authorisation by one member for another person to attend and vote on their behalf. Not all constitutions allow it. Some allow proxies at the AGM but not at committee meetings. Some allow them at special general meetings only. Check your rules.

If your constitution permits proxies:

• The proxy form should be included with the AGM notice.
• It must be signed (or electronically authenticated) by the appointing member.
• It must be lodged with the secretary before the deadline specified in the rules - commonly 24 or 48 hours before the meeting.
• The proxy holder must be a financial member of the club (in most constitutions).
• A proxy holder may generally hold proxies for multiple members, though some constitutions cap this.

Why proxies matter for quorum: A member who has appointed a proxy is counted as "present" for quorum purposes. If you're worried about quorum, actively promote the proxy option.

A proxy may be general (the holder votes as they see fit on all matters) or directed (the holder must vote a specific way on specific resolutions). Directed proxies are fairer to the absent member but more complex to administer.

Remote attendance

Since COVID, most state incorporation acts have been amended to permit meetings using technology - video conferencing, teleconferencing, or hybrid formats. Victoria explicitly allows it (s.75A, Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012, inserted by the Justice Legislation Amendment (System Enhancements and Other Matters) Act 2021). NSW permits it if the constitution allows.

In the UK, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 introduced temporary provisions for virtual meetings, some of which have been extended. The Charity Commission's CC48 guidance addresses virtual meetings for charities.

In New Zealand, the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (s.82) explicitly permits meetings using audio or audio-visual communication.

Practical considerations for hybrid AGMs:

• Test the technology beforehand. A Zoom link that doesn't work at 7:01pm is worse than no Zoom option at all.
• Assign someone to manage the online participants - monitor the chat, relay questions, confirm they can hear.
• Voting becomes harder. Show of hands doesn't work for remote attendees. Use a poll function, or have the online monitor count verbal votes.
• Record attendance for both in-person and remote participants. Everyone counts for quorum.

Related: Our article on Stakeholder Democracy in Sport Beyond the AGM explores why annual voting isn't enough and what better engagement looks like.

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Taking Minutes at the AGM

AGM minutes are a legal record. They may be inspected by members, required by your state regulator, or subpoenaed if there's ever a dispute. Take them seriously.

What to record

• Date, time, and venue of the meeting.
• Names of attendees (or reference to the attendance register). Note: you don't need to list every name in the minutes - "23 financial members were present as per the attached attendance register" is fine.
• Apologies received.
• Confirmation that quorum was met and the number present.
• For each agenda item:
  • A brief summary of what was presented or discussed.
  • The exact wording of any motion put to the meeting.
  • Who moved and seconded each motion.
  • The result of the vote (carried/not carried, and the count for contested votes or special resolutions).
• Election results: who was elected to each position, and vote counts for contested positions.
• Any special resolutions: exact wording and vote count.
• Time of close.

What not to record

• Individual opinions or statements made during debate. Minutes are a record of decisions, not a transcript of arguments.
• Exact quotes from members unless there is a specific reason (e.g., a member asks that their objection be formally noted).
• General business discussion that doesn't result in a resolution or action.

The test is this: could someone who wasn't at the meeting read the minutes and understand what was decided, who is responsible, and what happens next? If yes, the minutes are sufficient. If you need to have been there to understand them, they're too thin.

Who takes the minutes

The secretary, in most constitutions. If the secretary is standing for election or is otherwise occupied, appoint a minute-taker before the meeting starts. This person doesn't need to be on the committee - they just need to be accurate and attentive.

Confirming the minutes

AGM minutes are confirmed at the next AGM - not at the next committee meeting. This means they sit unconfirmed for up to 12 months. Some clubs get around this by confirming them at a special general meeting or by circulation (if their constitution permits). Either way, distribute the draft minutes to all members within 14 days of the AGM while memories are fresh.

See also: Meeting Minutes for Clubs: A Better System goes deeper on minute-taking technique for both AGMs and regular committee meetings.

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After the AGM: Filing, Handover, and Communication

The meeting's over. The new committee is elected. Everyone's gone home. Now what?

File your annual return

Most states require incorporated associations to lodge an annual return (sometimes called an annual statement or annual information statement) with the state regulator. This is separate from the AGM - it's an administrative filing that typically confirms the club's name, registered address, office bearers, and financial year end.

State deadlines vary:

• Victoria: Annual statement due within one month after the AGM (s.100, Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012). Lodged with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
• NSW: Annual summary due within one month after the AGM (s.47, Associations Incorporation Act 2009). Lodged with NSW Fair Trading.
• Queensland: Annual return due within one month (s.59I, Associations Incorporation Act 1981). Lodged with the Office of Fair Trading.
• South Australia: Annual return due annually. Lodged with Consumer and Business Services.
• Western Australia: Annual return due annually. Lodged with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (Consumer Protection).
• Tasmania: Annual return due within one month after the AGM. Lodged with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services.

Miss the deadline and you'll get a reminder. Miss it repeatedly and your incorporation can be cancelled. It's a five-minute job. Don't let it slide.

If your club is a registered charity, the ACNC also requires an Annual Information Statement, due within six months of the end of your reporting period. This is separate from the state return.

UK equivalent: Companies limited by guarantee must file an annual confirmation statement with Companies House (s.853A, Companies Act 2006) and an annual return with the Charity Commission if registered. Penalty for late filing is automatic.

New Zealand: Under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, societies must file an annual return with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies within six months of each balance date (s.109).

Lodge constitutional amendments

If the AGM passed any special resolutions amending the constitution, lodge the amended constitution with your state regulator within the required timeframe. In Victoria, that's 14 days. In NSW, it's 28 days.

Committee handover

This is where institutional knowledge dies if you're not careful. The outgoing committee needs to hand over to the incoming committee:

• Bank account signatories. Update immediately. Two outgoing members who no longer have a reason to be on the account but can still sign cheques is a governance risk.
• Access to systems. Email accounts, website admin, membership management platform, accounting software, social media accounts. All of them. Don't leave the outgoing treasurer as the only person who can log into Xero.
• Passwords and credentials. Use a shared password manager. Not a sticky note in the clubhouse kitchen.
• Key documents. Constitution, policies, insurance certificates, lease agreements, minutes of the past 12 months, financial records.
• Ongoing obligations. What's due when? Grant acquittals, insurance renewals, lease payments, governing body affiliation deadlines.

The best handover is a meeting - incoming and outgoing in the same room, walking through every system and every obligation. The worst handover is a zip file emailed at midnight the day before the new committee's first meeting.

Related: Committee Handover: How to Not Lose Everything is specifically about this moment. Read it before your next AGM cycle.

Communicate the outcomes

Within a week of the AGM, send a summary to the full membership - not just those who attended. Include:

• Who was elected to each position.
• Key decisions made (any special resolutions passed, major plans announced).
• A thank you to outgoing committee members by name.
• The financial summary (surplus/deficit, bank balance).

This communication serves two purposes. First, it keeps non-attendees informed and included. Second, it signals that the AGM matters - that decisions were made, and the club is in competent hands.

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Virtual and Hybrid AGMs: What Changed Post-COVID

COVID forced every club in the country to figure out Zoom in about three weeks flat. Some loved it. Some hated it. But the legal landscape changed permanently, and it's worth understanding where things stand now.

The legal position

Before 2020, most incorporation acts were either silent on virtual meetings or implicitly assumed they'd be in-person. COVID-era emergency legislation temporarily permitted virtual meetings. Since then, most jurisdictions have made the position permanent or semi-permanent:

• Victoria: The Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 was amended to explicitly permit meetings using technology. Your constitution must not prohibit it, but it doesn't need to explicitly permit it.
• NSW: Virtual meetings are permitted if the constitution allows. If your constitution was written before 2020 and is silent on the topic, you should amend it to include technology-assisted meetings at your next opportunity.
• Queensland: Similar to NSW - constitutionally permissive, not mandated.

The AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors) published guidance recommending that all not-for-profit constitutions be updated to explicitly permit hybrid and virtual meetings, with clear procedures for how voting and quorum work in a technology-assisted format.

In the UK, the Charity Governance Code (Principle 5) encourages charities to make meetings accessible, including through technology. The Companies Act 2006 allows virtual meetings if the articles permit. Post-COVID, the Law Commission recommended that the government legislate to clarify the position, but as of early 2026, this remains under consideration.

In New Zealand, the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 is clear: meetings can be held using audio-visual communication (s.82). This is one of the advantages of having a brand-new act - the drafters wrote it with modern technology in mind.

Hybrid is better than fully virtual

A fully virtual AGM can feel disconnected. The social element - the handshake, the catching up before the meeting starts, the reading of the room - is lost. Hybrid gives members the choice: attend in person if they can, join online if they can't. Attendance generally goes up 20–40% when a remote option is offered.

Making it work

• Platform: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet all work. Choose whichever your members are most comfortable with. Don't experiment with a new platform on AGM night.
• Dedicated moderator: Someone in the room whose only job is managing online participants. They monitor the chat, relay questions, confirm online attendees can hear, and facilitate online voting.
• Voting: For uncontested elections and routine motions, a show of hands in the room plus a "yes/no" in the chat works. For contested elections or special resolutions, use the platform's poll function or a dedicated tool like Election Buddy.
• Recording: Consider recording the meeting (with consent). It provides a backup for minute-taking and allows absent members to catch up. Check your state's surveillance and recording laws before doing this - in most cases, informing attendees at the start of the meeting is sufficient.
• Bandwidth: Test the venue's internet connection. A clubhouse with spotty WiFi will ruin the experience for online attendees. A 4G/5G mobile hotspot as backup is cheap insurance.

Updating your constitution

If your constitution doesn't mention technology-assisted meetings, add it. A simple clause like:

"The committee may determine that a general meeting is to be held using any technology that allows members to clearly and simultaneously communicate with each other. A member who participates in a meeting using such technology is taken to be present at the meeting."

This requires a special resolution - so you'll need to include it in the AGM notice, get 75% of votes, and lodge the amended constitution with your state regulator.

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Pulling It All Together

An AGM is really three things at once. It's a legal compliance exercise - your incorporation act says you have to do it, and there are rules about how. It's an accountability mechanism - the committee reports to the members, submits to election, and opens the books. And it's a community event - the one time a year when the full membership can participate in the direction of their club.

Most clubs get the first one right. They hold the meeting. They send notice. They count heads. The compliance boxes get ticked.

Fewer clubs get the second one right. Accountability means the financial report is clear enough for a non-accountant to understand. It means the president's report has specific numbers, not just warm sentiments. It means members feel genuinely free to ask questions and challenge decisions.

Almost no clubs get the third one right. That's the missed opportunity. An AGM where 25% of members attend and feel genuinely invested in the outcome is more powerful than any newsletter, any social event, any recruiting drive. It's where members become owners.

Start planning 12 weeks out. Send your notice on time. Prepare a run sheet for the chair. Feed the people. Keep it under an hour. File your annual return the next day.

Do all that, and you'll run an AGM that's worth more than a box to tick.

Further reading:

• The Club Secretary's Complete Handbook - the full scope of the secretary role
• The Club President's Complete Handbook - chairing meetings and leading the committee
• The Club Treasurer's Complete Handbook - financial reports and year-end accounts
• Good Governance for Community Organisations - governance beyond the AGM
• Essential Policies Every Club Needs - the policy framework that supports good governance

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References and Further Reading

1. Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (VIC). Available at: legislation.vic.gov.au
2. Associations Incorporation Reform Regulations 2012 (VIC), Schedule 4 - Model Rules. Available at: legislation.vic.gov.au
3. Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW). Available at: legislation.nsw.gov.au
4. Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (QLD). Available at: legislation.qld.gov.au
5. Associations Incorporation Act 1985 (SA). Available at: legislation.sa.gov.au
6. Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA). Available at: legislation.wa.gov.au
7. Associations Incorporation Act 1964 (TAS). Available at: legislation.tas.gov.au
8. Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), Governance Standard 2: Accountability to Members. Available at: acnc.gov.au/tools/guides/governance-standard-2
9. Sport Australia, Sport Governance Principles. Available at: sportaus.gov.au
10. Companies Act 2006 (UK), Part 13 - Resolutions and Meetings. Available at: legislation.gov.uk
11. Charity Commission for England and Wales, CC48: Charity Meetings. Available at: gov.uk/government/publications/charity-meetings-cc48
12. Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (NZ). Available at: legislation.govt.nz
13. Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Not-for-Profit Governance Principles, 2nd edition (2019). Available at: aicd.com.au
14. Robert, Henry M., Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition (2020). Da Capo Press.
15. Cornforth, C., "Nonprofit Governance Research: The Need for Innovative Perspectives and Approaches," Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 6 (2012), pp. 1116–1124.
16. Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Cth). Available at: legislation.gov.au
17. Justice Legislation Amendment (System Enhancements and Other Matters) Act 2021 (VIC). Available at: legislation.vic.gov.au
18. Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (UK). Available at: legislation.gov.uk
19. Charity Governance Code Steering Group, Charity Governance Code (2020). Available at: charitygovernancecode.org
20. Baulderstone, J. and Presser, S., "Measuring the value of volunteers: a framework for assessing and comparing the contribution of volunteers in community organisations," Third Sector Review, vol. 22, no. 1 (2016), pp. 29–52.