Responsibilities of Membership

Constitution and Associations Incorporation Act 2015

As Davallia P&C is an Incorporated Association, all members are bound by the rules of the association as defined in our CONSTITUTION, as well as the Western Australian ASSOCIATIONS INCORPORATION ACT 2015.

Don't freak out though, in a nutshell all this means is that you have a role in ensuring that the association conducts itself in a way that is acceptable to you (i.e. it is run in a fair, democratic and financially accountable manner).

You can fulfil your membership obligations by:

1. Attending the Annual General Meeting

2. Voting in committee elections, and when special resolutions are proposed to members

3. Reading the meeting minutes and raising any concerns you have with the management committee

As well, being a member of an Incorporated Association gives you some important rights (as set out in the Act), and you do not give up these rights by simply agreeing to our rules (should they be inconsistent with these rights). All members have the right to:


Records

  • Inspect and copy the association's register of members (Section 53 of the Act)

  • Inspect and copy the association's rules (Section 35 of the Act)

  • Inspect and copy the association's record of office holders (Section 58 of the Act)

  • Receive a copy of the rules when they join the association (Section 36 of the Act)


Annual General Meeting

  • Attend the annual general meeting (Section 50 of the Act)

  • Have financial accounts showing the financial position of the association submitted to them at the annual general meeting (Tier 1 – Section 70 of the Act, Tier 2 – Section 73 of the Act, Tier 3 – Section 76 of the Act)


Special Resolutions

  • Have proper notice of and to attend any general meeting at which it is proposed to alter the association's rules (Sections 30 and 51 of the Act)

  • Have proper notice of and to attend any general meeting at which it is proposed to voluntarily cancel the association (Sections 51, 129 and 141 of the Act)

  • Have proper notice of and to attend any general meeting at which it is proposed to amalgamate the association with another group (Sections 51 and 102 of the Act)


Please also note, in some situations, it may be necessary for an association to suspend or even expel a member including a member of the management committee. Members may be expelled for a number of reasons such as serious criminal conduct, failing to comply with the rules of the association and bringing the association into disrepute. Expulsion is seen as a last resort, when all other options to resolve the problem have been exhausted. Details about the rules and processes regarding suspension or expulsion of membership can be found in the constitution (link at the top of the page).


Other Responsibilities

In addition to the constitutional obligations above, we ask that all members respect the responsibilities listed below to keep the P&C running smoothly.

Communication

  • Please respond promptly to communication sent by the committee where they are asking for a response or reply. Committee members volunteer their time to keep the P&C running, and it is a waste of their generosity if they have to spend it chasing replies from members

  • The committee will use email as the preferred means of contact with members. However, we may occasionally send text messages instead of emails if we have something important to communicate to members, or are not getting a sufficient response through email. If you have any concerns with this, please CONTACT US to discuss.


Individual Members

  • Attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM). As we are an Incorporated Association run by members it is important that members attend to keep the P&C operational.

  • Notify us of any changes to your details (including address and email) to ensure our member register is current and valid. Just send us an email with your updated details if anything changes.


Not expected, but appreciated!

  • Attend a committee meeting. You can see the dates for upcoming meetings in the Calendar in the footer.

  • Join the committee. It is a great way to get involved in the P&C community, use your brain for adult type things, and have an occasional evening away from those one loves best :-)

  • Offer your professional skills. It would be very useful to be able to occasionally run something by an amazing accountant, a marketing/media guru, a design wiz, a lovely lawyer, a nurturing nurse, a grant writing extraordinaire, or anything else you could offer.