AGM Procedure

Background

ddr. is a membership organisation run for and by its members. It takes a community of people to run a radio station - from people scheduling the daily programming, to maintaining the studio, to organising events, answering emails and everything in between.

Every year we hold an AGM to invite members to take stock of the year that has passed, and to collectively imagine how we will evolve as a community. All current members and volunteers can attend and vote at the AGM.

What is the purpose & format of the AGM

AGM stands for Annual General Meeting. The AGM is the main large-scale decision making meeting of the station, required to happen once a year and no later than 15 months after the previous one (ddr. is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and holding an AGM is also a legal requirement). It is also a coming together of the station’s community and a chance to focus our efforts for the next year.

The AGM includes the following:

• A review of the year is presented by a Steering Committee member,
• An overview of the station’s accounts and financial situation is given,
• Members can propose and vote on Motions (see below for details),
• The Steering Committee (explained below) of the station is elected,
• A general discussion among members of issues of importance to them can take place.

The Steering Committee are responsible for organising the AGM- this includes:

• Confirming Date and Location of AGM minimum 10 weeks in advance
• Requesting submissions for Motions & Steering Committee nominations minimum 10 weeks in advance
• Circulating Agenda and Motions/Steering Committee Nominations minimum 4 weeks in advance

The meeting is chaired by a member of the Steering Committee- the Chair should lead proceedings impartially, ensuring the meeting is run efficiently, fairly, and in accordance with the agreed format. The outgoing Steering Committee is responsible for issuing minutes of the AGM to all members within 8 weeks of the meeting.

Motions

What is a Motion?

A motion is a submission made by a member for discussion and voting at the AGM. Motions are usually focused on changing something to do with how the station is run, our guiding principles, our commitments to our members, etc. This process is essential for the health of the community and is one of the main ways that members can contribute to the ongoing development of ddr.

The basic format of a motion is as follows:

1. What the proposal is
2. Who is proposing it
3. Any relevant further details such as timeframe for delivery, estimate of time/cost that might be needed, etc.

Who can submit a Motion?

Members can submit motions ahead of the AGM. The Steering Committee will contact Members 10 weeks in advance of the AGM to request proposals for Motions. Details of the Motions to be discussed at the AGM should be circulated a minimum of 4 weeks in advance of the meeting. It is preferable if members looking to propose motions can take an active role in their delivery, but this is not a strict prerequisite.

Members should give a brief introduction to the Motion at the AGM, and this is followed by a discussion. Members will then vote on whether the motion is to be adopted or not- see the section on VOTING for details.

The Steering Committee is responsible for enacting the motions that pass the vote. Some motions may need more than one year to fulfil - the steering committee will inform people at the AGM what is a realistic time frame for each motion.

The Steering Committee

What is the Steering Committee?

The Steering Committee (SC) is a small group of members who are volunteering regularly with the station and take on the broader oversight of the station. It is fundamentally guided by and is accountable to the wider ddr. membership.

It has responsibility for ensuring and enacting longer term strategic decisions in line with the principles of the organisation. In addition it is responsible for overseeing financial, legal and administrative activities of the organisation as well as providing oversight and guidance to the operations teams.

Membership of the SC is voted for by the members of ddr. at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The SC consists of between six and twelve members- members are assigned responsibilities based on the roles outlined in the document below.

A full description of the Steering Committee is here ddr. Steering Committee - Responsibilities & Procedures 2026.pdf

Who can be a member of the Steering Committee?

The Steering Committee is elected by Members at each AGM. Any Member who has been in the organisation for at least 3 months, whether they are a volunteer, patron or resident. However, we’d encourage those joining the Steering Committee to be volunteering with the station already so they have a good overview of how it runs.

Voting on the Steering Committee takes place at the AGM via anonymous electronic voting- see next section for details on the voting process. Any eligible member can nominate themselves as a candidate by filling out an online nomination form. Nominations will be circulated to ddr. members for consideration in advance of the AGM. Candidates will be asked to introduce themselves at the AGM and make a short statement about why they should be on the Steering Committee.

There should be a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 people elected to the Steering Committee. In the event that there are less than 6 people elected to the SC, members can either vote at the AGM to approve the formation of a Committee with a reduced number, or agree to electing SC members who have served for more than 3 years.

Voting

All members attending the AGM can cast a single vote- the basic quorum for the AGM to be valid is 5 people. Voting is done anonymously via online app- details will be circulated by the SC before the AGM.

Members can vote FOR or AGAINST. Abstentions will not be included in the tally of voters.

In order for a Motion to be passed, or a candidate elected to the SC, a majority of the voters need to vote FOR (i.e. 50% + 1 of the total voters. e.g. 11 votes required to achieve majority decision if there are 20 members voting).

Voting on Motions:

• In order for a Motion to be approved it must be voted FOR by the majority of the voting members, i.e. 50% +1 of the total voters.

Steering Committee Election:

• In order for a member to be elected to the Steering Committee they must be voted FOR by the majority of the voting members, i.e. 50% +1 of the total voters. Each nominee will be subject to a vote.
• If more than 12 candidates (i.e. more than the maximum number of Steering Committee members) are elected in accordance with the process described above, then a further vote is required to reduce the number to 12. This additional vote will be carried out based on a Single Transferable Vote system. Members will vote for their preferred candidates in order of preference. The 12 candidates with the most votes at the end of this process will be elected to the Steering Committee.

Timeline Summary

• 8 weeks in advance - SC to contact members confirming date & venue, including a call out for motions & nominations for the SC
• 4-6 weeks in advance - Deadline for members to submit Motions / SC nominations
• 3-4 weeks in advance - SC to contact members with a list of Motions, SC Nominations that will be voted on at the AGM. The SC should also include a summary of the year's activities (Annual Report).
• 8 weeks after AGM - issue minutes of the AGM and any other relevant documents to all members