Dear Member,
In an effort to reduce costs and with the passing of our Constitution in 2016, we are now able to send AGM notices to you by email. However, we need you to consent to the furnishing of the accompanying AGM financial documentation via our website instead of by post. We will be contacting you by email or phone in the coming weeks to seek your agreement on this and to get your email address. Alternatively please complete the attached slip and return to Alice McKeon, MS Ireland, National Office, 80 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4.
We would like to thank those members who have already consented to being provided with the AGM financial documentation via our website.
The call for motions and board nominations are advertised (below). The AGM legal notice will be sent to each member by email (where we have an email address for you) or by post along with the next issue of MS News.
Where we do not have a postal or email address for you, service of notice of the AGM on you will be done by posting the notice on the MS Ireland website.
The Annual General Meeting of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, at which Board members are elected, normally takes place on the same weekend as the annual conference which this year is scheduled to take place on Friday, 17th September 2021 on zoom (time to be confirmed). This is subject to change in light of Covid-19.
The results of the vote for the board vacancies and motions, if any, plus the council’s nomination to the board will be announced at the AGM.
The procedures for motions and board nominations are listed hereunder.
Every registered member is entitled to a vote. For those unable to attend the AGM, proxy papers will be available on our website three weeks prior to the AGM and must be returned to National Office, MS Ireland, 80 Northumberland Rd, Dublin 4 before 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 15th September 2021
Rory Mulcahy
Company Secretary
Motions
Any member or branch may forward a motion to the Governance Committee who will decide on their acceptability for putting before the AGM.
Closing date for receipt of motions is 12th August 2021.
Call for Board Members
We are currently seeking candidates including candidates who have PR, lobbying or national politics, or who have community development experience to go on to our panel of potential Board members. Members, Branches, Council, the Board and staff may propose candidates. All nominations must be proposed and seconded by Members.
Nominations of retiring Board members seeking re-election must be submitted to the Nominations Committee. Other nominations may be submitted either directly to the Nominations Committee, or alternatively, in accordance with the provisions of Article 56 of MS Ireland’s Constitution and MS Ireland’s Bye-Laws, nominations may also be submitted directly to the Registered Office (MS Ireland’s National Office, 80 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4) and marked for the attention of the Company Secretary.
The Nominating Committee will review all nominations, except those submitted to the Company Secretary under Article 56, and will recommend to the Board candidates to go forward for election by the Members at the AGM. Any Member nominated via Article 56 will have their candidacy put before the Members at the AGM.
The Nominating Committee will take into account the range of skills necessary for board membership and where possible, the geographical spread, the gender balance, the experience and the qualifications of the candidates.
All candidates must be in compliance with the requirements for Directors as set out in the Companies Act 2014, the Charities Act 2009 and MS Ireland’s Constitution and will be asked to sign a declaration to that effect. The Nominations Committee, on behalf of the Board, needs to be satisfied that no candidate, who legally cannot serve as a Board member, or who has been disqualified or restricted from being a Board member, is put before the Members at the AGM.
Further details and nomination forms are available here.
Applicants, wishing to apply for a position on the Board in September 2021, are invited to submit their application form by 5.00 p.m. on Monday, 31st May 2021. The closing date for Applications under Article 56 of the Constitution is Monday, 18th June 2021.