The 2025 AGM will probably take place on a Saturday in the second half of May next year – I will post the actual date as soon as it has been approved by the Company. As usual, there will be special trains for those people visiting in person, but it will also, again as usual, be possible for members to participate in the Meeting itself via Zoom.
Proposed Item to be included in the 2025 AGM Agenda – Secret Ballots for Elections
The Constitution doesn’t actually specify a method for electing committee members and other officers. As you might have read in the Winter 2024 edition of Llanuwchllyn Express, quite a few Committee members and other members believe that secret ballots are the best option and we are going to propose that this is made a regulation. A fuller discussion of the arguments for and against can be found in the above magazine.
The supporters of secret ballots think that they are the best way of giving all the voting members present the freedom to express their opinions. Some people might be hesitant to vote against an individual in public, no matter how strong their concerns. Secret ballots make the committee more accountable, especially when accompanied by the chance for candidates to speak and the chance for voters to ask them questions.
Now that we have moved over to three-year terms of office, the number of candidates in any one year is quite small and a secret ballot can be conducted quickly. Indeed, shortening the time needed for voting at the AGM was one of the main reasons why we went over to the three-year system.However, elections are something we need to get right and therefore we need to take a little time over them and think through the choices, rather than rushing. Counting votes individually and taking a little time also reduces the possibility of people being unable to vote due to a Zoom outage at a critical moment.
Section 4d of the Constitution currently says:
Officers and other members of the committee shall hold office for three years. At least one third of these positions will be elected at each Annual General Meeting of the Society, and shall be elected by voting members of the Society present at such a meeting. Officers and other members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for members, officers and other members of the Committee must reach the Secretary in writing at least fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting, including the names of a confirmed proposer and seconder. The Committee has the right to nominate officers and committee members, without notice. The agreement of the nominees must be obtained beforehand.
Proposal 1: to add a new sentence to the end of Section 4d. Below are two suggestions (the Committee, though not unanimously, preferred the first version at its Meeting in October 2024):
- Elections of Committee members shall always take place by secret ballot with an individual vote for each candidate.
- Elections of Committee members shall always take place by secret ballot with an individual vote for each candidate, unless another form of election is temporarily adopted. This temporary alternative procedure must be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting in question and approved by all the voting members who are present, without any abstentions or votes against.
Proposal 2: to add a new sentence to the end of Section 4f. Below are two suggestions (again, the Committee, though not unanimously, preferred the first version at its October 2024 Meeting):
- The appointment of Presidents and Vice-Presidents shall always take place by secret ballot with an individual vote for each candidate.
- The appointment of Presidents and Vice-Presidents shall always take place by secret ballot with an individual vote for each candidate, unless another form of election is temporarily adopted. This temporary alternative procedure must be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting in question and approved by all the voting members who are present, without any abstentions or votes against.
Proposal 3: to change section 6f. It currently reads as follows:
At each General Meeting members shall have one vote each. A simple majority shall be sufficient to pass a resolution except where the rules of the Society provide otherwise. The Chairman of the meeting shall have the casting vote. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless the Meeting decides otherwise.
It is proposed to change the final sentence to:
Voting shall be by a show of hands unless the Meeting decides otherwise, with the exception of elections, which will be conducted according to the rules in section (4) above.
