The club’s annual general meeting in on Friday 14 May 2010 at 6.30pm at Planet Ice Ryde (usually in the rink-side part of the bar). The club is legally obliged to hold its AGM every year in May and to give two weeks’ notice of the event. The AGM is vital because it shapes how your club runs over the following 12 months.

Anyone who wishes to stand for election to next year’s committee should see current club secretary Karen Bicknell for a nomination form. Nomination forms can be found in the coaches’ rooms and can be submitted in the box there for Karen to collect prior to the AGM.

The committee officially consists of 10 members including four officers (chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer). All of the outgoing committee automatically resigns at the AGM. Anyone who wishes to be actively involved in the running of the club should consider standing as a committee member. To be valid, nominations must be submitted in the period from the day the AGM is announced (30 April) to up to one week before the AGM (i.e. 7 May) and need a proposer and seconder: the person proposed must also consent to nomination. Nominations can be accepted at the AGM if no other candidate stands or if existing nominations are invalid.

Please note that a number of long-serving committee members will be standing down this year and not seeking re-election. Anyone aged 16 or above can stand for election, but must become a club member on joining the committee. Any club member aged 14 or over can vote at the AGM.

To clear up some misconceptions about election of the committee, in the event that only one person stands for a post, that person is automatically elected to that post – and this is important – even if the majority of attendees at the AGM object. The only candidate is always automatically elected; there is no requirement that an only candidate has a majority. Any club member who does not want a particular person to hold a post must therefore find another nominee to contest the position.

If a post is contested, or in the event that more than 10 members stand for election to the committee, a vote is held to determine who holds positions.

The agenda for the AGM is as follows:

1. Welcome
2. Chairman’s report – activities over the past 12 months
3. Treasurer’s report – club accounts
4. Nomination of teller(s)
5. Election of Officers: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer
6. Election of 6 committee members
7. Election of auditor
8. Annual subscription
9. AOB from retiring committee
10. AOB from AGM (previously notified to club secretary)