Requirements for all co-operatives
1 Requirements for all co-operatives
The rules of a co-operative must set out or make provision for each of the following—
the name of the co-operative;
active membership provisions;
the mode and conditions of admission to membership, and the payment to be made, or the share or interest to be acquired, before rights of membership are exercised;
the rights and liabilities of members, and of the estates of deceased members, and the rights and liabilities of representatives of members under bankruptcy or mental incapacity;
the circumstances in which members may be expelled or suspended, and the rights and liabilities of expelled and suspended members;
the circumstances in which membership ceases;
the charges or subscriptions payable by a member to the co-operative;
the circumstances in which fines and forfeitures may be imposed on members of the co-operative, and the amount of the fines, being not more than the maximum amount prescribed by the National Regulations;
the grievance procedures for settling disputes between the co-operative and any of its members as defined in section 129, or between a member and another member;
the restrictions (if any) on the powers of the co-operative and the board;
the number of directors, the qualification of directors, the way of electing, remunerating and removing directors and filling a vacancy, the period for which directors are to hold office, whether directors are to retire by rotation or otherwise, and the holding of annual elections;
the quorum for and the procedure at meetings of the board;
the device, custody and use of the seal of the co-operative;
how the funds of the co-operative are to be managed, and in particular the mode of drawing and signing cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes, and other negotiable instruments for the co-operative;
the custody of securities belonging to the co-operative;
how debentures may be transferred;
the date on which the financial year of the co-operative ends;
the preparation of financial reports of the co-operative, the provision of those reports to members of the co-operative, and whether and how those reports are to be audited or reviewed;
how a loss that may result from the transactions of the co-operative is to be provided for;
the procedure for calling general and special meetings, the requisite notices of meetings, and the quorum for meetings, of the co-operative;
the procedure at meetings of the co-operative, including the following—
the rights of members in voting at meetings;
the way of voting;
the majority necessary for carrying resolutions, and any special majority in addition to that required under this Law necessary for carrying specified resolutions;
the method of conducting postal ballots (including special postal ballots), including the following—
the sending and filing of information and votes by fax or electronic means;
the way of voting;
the majority necessary for carrying resolutions, and any special majority in addition to that required under this Law necessary for carrying specified resolutions;
the way of amending the rules;
how the co-operative may be wound up;
a matter prescribed by the National Regulations for the purposes of this clause;
other matters that appear necessary or desirable to the co-operative.
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