Chapter Annual General Meeting Resources


CACCN National Office is pleased to provide the following templates to assist you in running an effective Annual General Meeting for your chapter:

Constitution and Bylaws

Annual General Meeting

  • Notice of the Annual General Meeting should be provided to the membership at least sixty (60) days prior to the meeting or in a time specified in your constitution and bylaws. 
  • Please remember to provide the membership with information or copies of the documents where voting will occur at the meeting (ie. changes to constitution and bylaws, monetary matters, etc)
  • Notice of Annual General Meeting Template
  • At the time of the Notice being sent, proxy vote information/forms should be provided, if your constitution and bylaws allow for proxy votes. 
  • Proxy votes are generally accepted up to midnight, seven (7) days prior to the date of the meeting or whatever timeframe your bylaws allow.
  • Proxy Vote Template

Preparing for the Annual General Meeting

Prior to the Annual General Meeting, the executive should meet to prepare the documentation required for the meeting.  It is always a good idea to prepare an AGM script for the executive team, outlining the flow of the meeting and time requirements for each item.  Setting time allocations is a good practice, as you want to ensure the business of the Chapter is completed within the specified timeframe of the meeting:

  • Financial Statements
  • Committee Reports
  • Previous year's draft Annual General Meeting Minutes
  • Voting batons, initialled by the recording secretary **
  • Current copies of membership list of active members
  • Clean copy of the constitution and bylaws
  • Copy of Bourinot's Rules of Order
  • Annual General Meeting Script Template

On the day of the meeting, have executive members seated at a table outside of the meeting room with the membership lists.   As each member arrives at the meeting, they will visit the registration table, to have their name checked on the list, pick up any information for the meeting and will receive their voting baton. 

Only those members who are current/active CACCN members should receive a voting baton.  Those who are not members of the chapter or are Associate/Student members may attend the meeting, but may not vote. 

Members holding proxy votes may receive one baton with the number of proxy votes clearly marked or may receive a baton for each proxy vote held.  For example:  Sharon has 6 proxy votes - she can receive one baton with "6" clearly marked or she can receive 6 batons. 

When the doors are closed and the meeting is called to order by the President/Chair, tardy members may still enter the meeting, but are not given standing to vote.  This information should be noted on a membership listing and no baton should be provided to the tardy member.

Please be sure to establish you have a quorum based on your constitution and bylaws before beginning the business of the meeting.  The number of members required for a quorum are set out in your constitution and bylaws and must be physically present at the meeting (proxy votes do not count towards quorum).  If using the CACCN National Constitution and Bylaws - 2.5% of the current/active members present constitute a quorum.

** voting batons -  3 inch strips of coloured paper  (8 1/2" x 11" paper cut lengthwise into 3 strips)