Annual General Meeting

Valley View Eagles Softball Club - Annual General Meetings FAQ

What is an AGM?
An annual general meeting (AGM) is a meeting held once a year that all club members are invited to attend.

The purpose of an AGM is to give members a report on the club’s activities and finances for the previous year, to allow time for club members to ask questions, and to elect members to the club’s governing body (the committee).

Who is allowed to vote at an AGM?
Life members, financial playing members (15 years and over) and financial non-playing members are entitled to vote.

• Each member mentioned, shall be entitled to one vote.
• Only members present shall be entitled to vote.

Who can become a committee member?
Any club member can nominate to join the committee. A club member is defined by the club constitution as:

1.    Life Members
2.    Playing Members (Senior and U16)
3.    Non-Playing Members**
4.    Honorary Members

* Persons under the age of 16 years shall be eligible to join as junior members but they shall not be entitled to hold office, or vote or take part in business procedure at meetings of ‘the club’.
** The annual Membership Fee for (non-playing members) shall be determined by the Executive Committee who shall set a date at which all fees become due and payable.

Where can I find our club constitution?
Link: Valley View Eagles Softball Club Constitution 

What is the difference between the executive and officer and general members?
Executive committee is made up of specialised roles including the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary.

Officers members are committee members that have duties noted within the by-laws of the club constitution and require some necessary skills and experience to be able to perform the role successfully.

General committee is made up of club members who are just as important as they have an opportunity to share their voice and opinion but do not have an executive role.

What roles currently make up the committee?
Duties of the executive and officers roles are as defined but not limited to the club constitution duties.

What is a club volunteer role?
The club currently has the following volunteer roles which are important parts of making our club run as smoothly and as successfully as possible:

• Umpires Co-ordinator – Manage and co-ordinate club umpires including identification and support of new/existing umpires.
• Junior/Player Development – Identification and support of player development including individual skills, team improvements or other development initiatives.
• Technology – Spond, social media and website management.
• Grants - Submission of financial grant funding applications
• Fundraising and Club Events - Organising events e.g. season launch, schnitzel nights, major annual club fundraiser, canteen days, end of season presentation (Note: this role is usually shared by number of people).

• Records Management - Update all recent club history, maintain all player game records, research club historical gaps, support collation of club records and photos to online cloud source.
• Member Protection Officer(s) - Designated person(s) who provide information and guidance on member protection issues, including complaints procedures. They will serve as a first point of contact for anyone with concerns or questions related to harassment, abuse, or other inappropriate behaviour.

What happens at committee meetings?
All committee members are asked to attend meetings every 6-8 weeks during the season (sometimes an extra 1-2 quick meetings before the season are needed). Meeting attendance is recommended to be in person however virtual attendance is available. Meetings time is anywhere between 60-90 minutes depending on the amount of business to discuss.

Examples of agenda items discussed include: Executive reports, equipment and uniform updates, coaches report, club fundraising and events as well as any other business.

If I join the committee, do I have to do an actual working role?
General committee members are not required to take on any kind of direct working role e.g. looking after equipment, uniform or organising events.

However, it is just as important to have general members on the committee from all parts of the club so input and consideration can be provided.

What if I have skills that could help support the club but I don’t want to be on the committee (creative or web design, photography, sponsorship, merchandise etc)?
100% no worries - we understand that not everyone has time to be part of the committee but it doesn’t mean we cannot utilise your skills!

Good help is hard to find and any support we can get behind the scenes is paramount to making our club the success that it is!