A requisition arrives on the Secretary’s desk — twenty-two financial members requesting a Special General Meeting. The President’s first instinct is to ignore it. The Secretary’s first instinct is to panic. Neither is the right move. This episode covers what an SGM is, when members can call one, and how to handle it well.
Show Notes
A Special General Meeting called by members is uncomfortable. It is not the end of the world. How the committee responds in the days immediately after the requisition arrives will determine whether it stays uncomfortable or becomes something much worse. This episode uses the Widget Traders Federation — a case study in exactly what not to do — to show the difference between a committee that fights the process and one that uses it as the accountability mechanism it was designed to be.
In This Episode
- What an SGM actually is — and when a committee should call one itself
- When members can requisition an SGM and what the rules are — including what the committee’s role is once a valid requisition arrives
- The Widget Traders Federation: a case study in ignoring a valid requisition and losing control of the process entirely
- Why you can’t reject a valid requisition because you disagree with the members’ concerns or think the motions won’t pass
- What happens when the committee fails to call the meeting in time — and why the members can then call it themselves
- What a good committee does instead: acknowledge within 48 hours, call the meeting, use the notice period constructively
- What goes on the SGM agenda — exactly what was in the requisition, no more and no less
- The case for an independent chairperson at a member-called SGM — and why it changes the tone of the whole meeting
- Why an SGM called by disgruntled members doesn’t automatically mean the end of the committee — and how a committee can come through one with its mandate intact
Free Download
An SGM Checklist from the Committee Companion is in the show notes — useful to have in the emergency box before you need it. Download here!
A Note to Listeners Facing an SGM Right Now
If you’re listening to this episode because your organisation is currently facing a member-requisitioned Special General Meeting, get advice. The Kates can help as a starting point — but if the situation is complex, get legal advice sooner rather than later. Find the Kates through freshallsorts.com.au.
This Week’s Challenges
Two this week — one quick check, one for reflection:
First — does your constitution specify how many members can requisition an SGM and how quickly the committee must call it? If you don’t know the answer off the top of your head, look it up today. Not when a requisition arrives.
Second — if members called an SGM tomorrow, how prepared would your committee be to respond? If the answer is ‘not very’, that’s useful information. The SGM Checklist in the show notes is a good place to start.
Got a Question for the Kates?
Get in quickly — the next episode is Your Questions Answered, and there’s still time to get your question on the list. Use the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au.
About Your Hosts
Kate Hartwig has spent forty years working in and around not-for-profit and membership organisations — as a CEO, director, and independent consultant. Her Committee Companion is a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars for committee members. katehartwig.com.au
Kate McPhee has three decades of hands-on experience helping small clubs and associations get more done with less stress. She is the author of Just a Tick, a plain-English governance guide for committees and boards. liquoriceallsorts.com.au
Together they offer governance health checks and practical support through Fresh Allsorts.
This podcast provides general information on best practice governance for small to medium not-for-profit associations. It is not legal advice.
Timestamps
00:02 — An unexpected requisition…
00:58 — Introducing the Kates and this episode on Special General Meetings
01:50 — What is an SGM?
03:25 — When SGMs go bad…
04:12 — How not to receive an SGM requisition
04:59 — Call the meeting, or the members will
05:36 — Don’t wing it — prepare a response
06:22 — Call the meeting and use the notice period
06:32 — What a good committee would do
07:58 — What goes on the SGM agenda
08:17 — The benefits of an independent chairperson
09:01 — Rain interlude
09:25 — Engage honestly and provide information
10:16 — SGM is a formal accountability mechanism
10:34 — Recap
11:24 — This week’s challenges and next week’s episode
Next Episode
Your Questions Answered #2 — the Kates tackle another round of listener questions. Get yours in via the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au.
Resources & Links
🎙️ The Committee Room thecommitteeroom.com.au — episode archive, show notes, downloads and contact form
🍬 Fresh Allsorts freshallsorts.com.au — Governance Health Checks and practical support from both Kates
Kate Hartwig Consulting katehartwig.com.au — including the Committee Companion, a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars
Liquorice Allsorts Consulting liquoriceallsorts.com.au — including Just a Tick, Kate McPhee’s plain-English governance guide
Facebook: The Committee Room
LinkedIn: The Committee Room
You don’t need good luck if you’ve got good governance.
The Committee Room | thecommitteeroom.com.au