Dear Members,
Brisbears held its first den night in October 1993. We became an associated club on 29th September 1995, becoming Brisbears Social Club Incorporated (the club). At this point, the Brisbears constitution (The Club Rules) were voted on and came into effect.
The Club Rules fall under the Associations Incorporations Act 1981 (the Act) which sets out what we can and cannot do as a club. According to the Act, an Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be held within six months of the end of the financial year, which is before 30th June, following last year’s change to the financial year. An unwritten precedent has been that Brisbears held its AGM sooner and that it would be due about now.
Throughout the last few years, it has become apparent that there are several grey areas in our Club Rules that need to be addressed.
A version of Club Rules was adopted by the membership over 10 years ago. For some reason, it was incorrectly lodged with the office of fair trading and is not valid. We are therefore operating under the initial club rules set out 25 years ago.
Over the last few months, I have been working to update our club rules and bring them into the 21st century. I was hoping to have them ready last month to be put to the club, discussed, amended if needed and voted on. It has turned out to be a bigger task than I was initially anticipating.
Updates are currently being reviewed by those with greater legal knowledge than I. Once I have them back and they are ready to go, our Secretary (Nicolai) will call a Special General Meeting (SGM) with the intent of discussing and adopting the Club Rules. Once club rules are accepted, within a few weeks, we will then hold our (AGM) based on the newly established club rules.
We are doing this in two stages with an SGM first so that any amendments requested by the membership can be addressed before the AGM.
Updates will address
- Confirmation of the Club’s objectives.
- Membership eligibility criteria & process
- Types of memberships, right and responsibilities
- Membership Application / Renewal process in person and by technological means.
- Life Member – eligibility, rights and responsibilities
- Mr Bear Qld – eligibility, rights and responsibilities
- Committee Members – eligibility, rights and responsibilities
- Termination of membership / honorary title – Process and appeal.
- Membership register.
- Management committees and Sub-Committees
- Powers & functions
- Eligibility, elections, rights and responsibilities
- Process
- General Meeting / Special General meeting – Proxies
Upon adoption of the proposed club rules it is our intent that the club will have a greater foundation to move forward with the times; provide an inclusive social club for all gay men who identify as a bear and our admirers; and a structure that allows a greater number of members to take an active role in the running of the club, allowing for the diversification in the events we currently offer.
I look forward to presenting the updated Club Rules to you soon.
Regards
David Hill
President