AGM FAQs

If you have any questions concerning AGMs or similar that have not been answered here, please post a comment in the thread below and one of our exec will endeavour to answer it.

Quick Links:

• SU documentation on AGMs: see By Law 5
• Society Constitution
• Exec role description powerpoint (2019 edition)
• Exec handover document (V1.0 is now here)

Questions answered in this FAQ:

1. What is an AGM?
2. Where can I see the official SU documentation on AGMs?
3. What exactly happens at an AGM?
4. What is quorum, and why does it matter?
5. Who can vote in exec elections?
6. Who can run for an exec role?
7. What roles can I run for?
8. How do I find out more about the roles?
9. How do I nominate myself for a role in advance of the AGM?
10. How do I run for a role?
11. How do I vote in exec elections?
12. What if I can't make it?
13. When will the official statement on new exec be made?
14. Who can propose and vote on motions?
15. How do I propose motions?
16. What form should motions be in?
17. How do I vote on motions?
18. What if I'm not(/can't be) a standard member?!?
19. What if I have any questions/complaints?

1. What is an AGM?

AGM stands for Annual General Meeting - it's a yearly event where our members and exec can have their official say in how the society is run. This includes submitting motions, electing the new exec, and voting on both.

2. Where can I see the official SU documentation on AGMs?

Please refer to the governing documents provided by the SU here:
https://www.warwicksu.com/democracy/documents/
With particular regard to By-law 5 - Student Activities

3. What exactly happens at an AGM?

A general break down of what orders of business we conduct are as follows (please note, this is only a guideline and may vary slightly year on year, and thus will be detailed on the forum thread for each year's AGM):

1. Introduction
2. Society update
3. Voting rules and procedures
4. Motions
5. Comfort break
6. Exec elections
7. Any other business
8. Election results
9. Wrap-up

4. What is quorum, and why does it matter?

We can only hold the AGM if we meet quorum. You can find the SU democracy documents here, which include the By-laws that address the matter of quorum.

You can specifically find the requirements for quorum in By-law 5 - Appendix D ' Club and Society Elections.'

Quorum, 1c. Membership between 201 and 400 inclusive shall be subject to a quorum of 8%.

However, quorum is slightly different if there are motions to change the society constitution (see Qu. 15. How do I propose motions?). This falls under By-law 5 - Appendix A 'Club and Society Constitution.'

The quorum for all Society and Sports Clubs constitution changes shall be the cumulative total of Quorum (which is the quorum outlined above in By-law 5 Appendix D) multiplied by 1.5 and then rounded up to the nearest whole number.

5. Who can vote in exec elections?

Anyone who has been a standard society member (i.e. you have to be a Warwick student who has paid the membership fee through the SU) from 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the AGM. Associate or Honorary members of a society may not vote.

6. Who can run for an exec role?

Same as the above; anyone who has been a standard society member from 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the AGM. Associate or Honorary members of a society may not stand in any election.

7. What roles can I run for?

Our current exec roles include:

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Wargames Rep
• Magic: the Gathering Draft Rep
• Boardgames Rep
• Casual Card Games (CCGs) Rep
• Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Rep
• Live-Action Roleplaying Games (LARP) Rep
• Live-Action Roleplaying Games (LARP) Equipment Officer
• Communications Officer
• Web Admin

Please note that this list may change during an AGM due to motions passed.
Draft Rep was a new position created during the 2018 AGM.

In addition to our elected roles, exec members can nominate "assistant reps" to help them perform their roles. To emphasize, these are not elected roles.

8. How do I find out more about the roles?

First and foremost, talk to the current exec that performs the role. They will be able to give you the most accurate information, as it's what they do. You can contact them through Facebook (in particular, through the main Facebook page or through the specific group), Discord (if they're on our server), or by finding them at an event.

In addition, simple breakdowns of the each role will be made available when a thread and Facebook post are made for each year's AGM. The 2019 breakdown of roles can be found here.

One of the goals for the 2019 AGM is to have an "Exec Handover Document" prepared beforehand. This document will fully detail the exec roles and the duties they entail, written by the exec who have been in the roles. There will be step-by-step guides, personal recommendations, and suggestions for future changes to be made. The document aims to be updated by every year's exec, so that incoming exec have the best information they can to carry on their new role. Keep an eye out for this document in a future thread on this forum folder.

9. How do I nominate myself for a role in advance of the AGM?

Every year, a thread will be made in advance of the AGM. You can currently find last year's thread under the "General Discussion" forum folder. From 2019, the sole way to nominate yourself in advance is to reply to the specific forum thread for that year's AGM.

We recommend you write a short paragraph on why you would be a good fit for the role, which will be read if you cannot make the event.

You can run on the day without nominating yourself in advance, but we heavily encourage you to nominate yourself in advance so interested society members/the current exec can do some research in advance on who may be running the society next! It also helps us organise the AGM.

10. How do I run for a role?

After nominating yourself as described above, you should try to make it to the AGM itself. There, you will be asked if you would like to give a short speech as to why you should get the role, after which there will a short period for those present to ask you questions. Then, the position will be voted on and the provisional results given at the end of the event.

11. How do I vote in exec elections?

Just turn up, and make sure you have standard membership 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the AGM (sorry to those who cannot get standard membership, but the SU makes these rules, not us). We use a secret ballot vote, which will be explained fully at the AGM.

12. What if I can't make it?

If you can't make it and would like to exercise your right to vote, please contact an exec member or the society Facebook page and we will endeavour to sort something out for you. We do allow absentee voting.

13. When will the official statement on new exec be made?

By the law of the SU, society members should receive the provisional exec election results no later than 3 working days after voting has closed.
You will hear the results at the end of the AGM, but an official statement thread will also be made in this forum folder no later than 3 working days after voting has closed.

14. Who can propose and vote on motions?

Again, anyone who has been a standard society member from 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the AGM. Associate or Honorary members of a society may not propose or vote on motions, though they can suggest motions to a standard member if they feel that member would like to propose them in their stead.
All motions must have a proposer and a seconder. Both must fulfill the conditions above.

15. How do I propose motions?

Again, a forum thread will be made in advance of the year's AGM, and you can reply to this thread with motion(s) you would like to propose. We recommend you attend the AGM to back up your proposal, and to be able to answer any questions on it that other members may have.

Most motions you propose will require a change/modification to our society constitution, as this lays out how the society conducts its business. You can find the society constitution here (it says "draft" on it, but this is the up-to-date copy with correct information); please read it before proposing a motion.

All motions made to change the constitution must have a proposer and a seconder. Both must fulfill the terms in Qu. 14. Who can propose and vote on motions?

If a motion is proposed to make a change to the society constitution, we are required to give you at least 7 day's notice of this motion. So we ask that you propose any changes to the society constitution at least 8 days before the AGM.
This is in accordance with by-law 5, Appendix A 'Club and Society Constitution,' which can be found here.

We also need a specific type of quorum for motions to change the constitution to be made. Please read Qu. 4. What is quorum, and why does it matter?

16. What form should motions be in?

The following layout should be used:

On Hats
The Society Notes:
1. That very few members routinely wear hats to games meetings

The Society Believes:
1. That hats are easily and cheaply obtained from many retailers
2. That hats add a jaunty air to proceedings, and encourage good cheer.

The Society Resolves:
1. To require each of our members to wear at least one hat during the boardgames.

17. How do I vote on motions?

Just turn up! After a short discussion/debate on the motion, we will use a hand raising ayes/noes/abstentions system that will be explained fully at the AGM.

18. What if I'm not(/can't be) a standard member?!?

Unfortunately, the SU makes the rules on running/voting, and we cannot change these.

We do encourage you to buy membership if you are a student, as the money helps fund our society: the small membership fee to us funds us directly, and the SU socs fed fee gets back to us eventually through the budget the SU gives us every year. It also means you can vote/run for an exec position, funnily enough...

Even if you are not a standard member, we'd still love you to come along to the AGM! Your opinion is still valuable to us - you can join in on any discussion/debate, and if there's a motion you want passed, you can (politely) ask a standard member to propose it for you.

19. What if I have any more questions/complaints?

I will repeat: if you have any questions concerning AGMs or similar that have not been answered here, please post a comment in the thread below and one of our exec will endeavour to answer it. That way other people can see your question and the answer to it, and I can edit the FAQ accordingly.

In general, you can contact us via a number of methods:

• On this thread, or on another (related) thread
• Through our Facebook page or through our various Facebook groups
• On our Discord server - using the code xdDZnYQ in the Discord app or on the Discord site, and @exec or @[specific exec member's handle] if you want to make sure we hear you
• In person at our many events (exec will often wear purple hoodies with their names and roles on them).

If you have any official complaints, the returning officer will provide their contact details on the night.

~ Ares, your society secretary 2018-19