Stop Dillydallying get AGM21 off the Ground - Here's what to do

There’s already complains over social media about the delay of the financial year’s AGM _ Is it Covid-19? Last year the AGM was held in August. Normally AGMs of this institution are are held most times during the second quarter of the year, most times in May or as early as April. Actually I cannot come up with any logical reason why the AGM was not held in April this year – all other major Credit Unions were able to have theirs. Why was Choiseul not able? Inquiring minds want to know!!

If their excuse is covid-19, well, as a tech minded guy I have come up with a strategy for the Choiseul Credit Union to have  an online AGM as early as October 2021.

They should plan their meeting carefully. Don’t hit ‘send’ until they have all the fundamentals in place. Here’s what they should do.

They need to allow enough time for people to not only get notice that an AGM is going to be held, but to consider any decisions that need to be made and get their votes in (by mail if necessary). Factor in time for at least one reminder notice.

Keep decisions to an absolute minimum. Avoid special business. If you must have special business, call for proxies on that, noting that any special business will have to be passed by a two-thirds super-majority. Include enough background information in their meeting papers to ensure people who can’t tune in to the meeting have enough information to make a decision.

Gilroy Satney - President

Do this electronically for those who’ve agreed to it, and through the post for everyone else:

• Your annual report
• A message from the chair about when and how you will hold an AGM, and why this mode of meeting has been chosen. Offer up a phone number (preferably the Chair’s) for people to call if they have concerns/queries. Be clear about timelines.
• Voting papers, and clear instructions on to where and by when they need to be returned.

 If they do decide to proceed with an online meeting, there are a number of useful software tools that may be used depending on circumstances, preferences, budgets, and their organisation’s existing systems.

Free tools such as Zoom and Skype may be used for video conferencing between up to 100 individuals and 50 individuals, respectively. (Please note that the free version of Zoom is limited to 40-minute meetings; this limit can be overcome by purchasing a subscription, but you may prefer just to hurry through the business).

Tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams may be used for instant text communication, as well as video and voice calling. Text communication may be preferable under circumstances where a robust internet connection is not present, or where video or voice communication among a large number of participants is problematic. Text communication may also be preferable for record-keeping purposes.

If their membership is not online or really isn’t technology literate, they may offer the alternative of proxy voting by mail. Make sure you allow a decent amount of time for people to receive their papers and respond to them.

 As mentioned above, “Choiseul on the Move” thinks there’s zero chance that regulators are going to come down heavily on those who put the health of their members first by delaying an AGM or shifting it online, so long as you’re acting in good faith.

That said, “Choiseul on the Move” recommends that the Choiseul Credit Co-operative Union covers its backside by keeping meticulous notes about what they decided to do, and how they came to that decision (keep a record of the executive’s deliberations, your notices to members, and any attempts to contact your regulator, for example).

If they do hold an electronic AGM, keep meticulous records of that as well. Circulate the minutes to all members as soon as possible after the meeting, to give them the chance to amend the record and be prepared to ratify any decisions at a properly constituted AGM sometime in the future.

The takeaway, though, is that safety trumps regulation. The rules were made for different times. Right now, do what’s safe and what’s right; worry (or, even better, don’t worry) about the rules later.