EGM

As most, of you will know, we held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Saturday, 1st February. Several executive committee members and other members were present to vote on a motion to modernize our decision-making process by allowing electronic conferencing. This was intended to enable us to adjust our Articles of Association (AOA) to better fit the operational standards of 2025.

What Happened: 

Our legal counsel outlined the requirements for a valid vote, which included both in-person votes and those sent by post. We needed a quorum to make a definitive decision.

The Result: 

The motion passed, enabling the use of electronic communication platforms like Zoom and Skype for official meetings and decisions.

Breakdown: 

In Physical Attendance: nineteen members

Physical votes for:  eighteen

Postal votes for:  sixteen

Total votes for:  thirty-four

Votes against zero

Abstentions:  one

As a paper ballot was not demanded, the proxy votes were not required (see article 24).

What's Happened as a Result: 

This amendment was integrated into our AOA and has been submitted for acceptance to CC and CH. Members will shortly be able to access the revised AOA by visiting the Members' section of the ASSAP website (www.assap.ac.uk) > Members' Forms > Articles of Association. The passing of the motion means that future AGMs, EGMs, and Executive meetings can be held online and that notifications of such meetings can be sent out electronically.

Some members seem to have been concerned that the notice convening the EGM specified an address other than ASSAP's registered office address for submitting postal and proxy votes. We would like to point out that article 27 does make provision for an alternative address to be used in this situation ("... at the registered office of the Association or at such other place within the United Kingdom as is specified for that purpose in the notice convening the meeting ..."). The mistake in referring to this as our registered office, it was explained in January's newsletter.