Annual General Meeting

AGM voters holding up voting cards in auditoriu, AGM 2018

Each year, the Canadian Unitarian Council holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to elect members for the CUC’s Board of Trustees, vote on resolutions, and attend to the business of the Council. The CUC’s member congregations send selected delegates from among their own membership to represent their congregations and to vote on business matters.

Presentations at each AGM include:

  • Annual General Meeting Minutes
  • Annual Meeting Rules of Procedure
  • Annual Reports
  • Audited Financial Statements
  • CUC Resolutions
  • Nominating Committee Report

AGM planning and timeline preparation can be found in the AGM Timeline and Planning section including an extensive Timeline and Planning Guide to help your congregation plan for both the National Conference and Annual General Meeting. Read about delegate information for congregations.

Delegate Selection

Congregations are encouraged to select and register their online and in-person delegates early. Congregations should plan to schedule at least one discussion and information sharing session in February each year with their delegates and congregational members so that all are aware of matters going to the CUC AGM.To assist with the delegate selection process, here are some suggestions (with thanks to the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara for sharing their process):

– In years where the CUC’s AGM takes place in person, congregations are encouraged to budget for delegate expenses to the CUC AGM to make this more financially accessible for those interested in associational matters. Otherwise, the AGM will take place online and is free to attend.
– To provide some continuity of experience, the delegate terms should be staggered, eg, one or some delegates serving for one year, and the other one or more serving for two years. Subsequently, each year a new delegate or delegates would be chosen to serve for two years.
– Selection of delegates needs to be fair and democratic, and beneficial to the congregation in the immediate and longer term. Those interested in being delegates can be asked to submit expressions of interest to the congregation’s board, with some of the following suggested criteria:
– Demonstration of a keen interest in and familiarity with congregational and associational matters;
– Willingness to become familiar with proposed resolutions for the CUC AGM, other matters pertaining to the AGM, and Annual Meeting Rules of Procedure;
– Ability to facilitate discussion with the congregation about matters for the CUC AGM;
– Preparation to report to the congregational membership on the status of resolutions, the CUC’s financial situation, and other matters of interest and relevance;
– Previous/current involvement with the congregation and/or CUC;
– Ability to travel and attend the resolutions plenary and CUC AGM.

Please contact executivedirector@cuc.ca with any questions.

Motions
What’s in a motion? Each year, motions (motions don’t become resolutions until after they are approved) are proposed for the AGM. Find out how to submit a motion and by when, who can submit motions, why a new motion may not be necessary, and a summary of previously approved motions on the CUC’s Resolutions page.

If your congregation or group is considering submitting a motion, consult with the Executive Director BEFORE submitting a resolution. This will save you time!

Submit a motion only if:
a) there is no previous resolution AND it addresses a completely new issue
b) your motion is of national importance
c) your motion is timely