You’re organising your first AGM as club secretary. Or maybe your fifth, but last year’s was chaos and you’ve promised yourself this one will be better. Either way, you need a checklist that actually covers everything, not just the obvious bits.
This is that checklist.
It’s organised by timeline (8 weeks out to AGM day) because that’s how AGMs actually work. Not in theory, but in practice - when you’re juggling this around work, family, and everything else.
8 Weeks Before: Check Your Constitution
Yes, really. Before you do anything else, dig out your club constitution and check:
- Notice period required - Usually 21 or 28 days, sometimes 14. This is your hard deadline.
- What needs to be on the agenda - Some constitutions specify minimum items (accounts, elections, rule changes).
- Quorum requirements - How many members need to turn up for the meeting to be valid?
- Voting procedures - Simple majority? Two-thirds? Proxy votes allowed?
- Who can vote - All members? Only full members? Parent members? Check this now, not on the night.
- Rule change requirements - If you’re proposing constitution changes, many clubs require 28 days’ notice with the full wording circulated.
Can’t find your constitution? Check with your treasurer (often filed with bank documents), your Swim England affiliation paperwork, or ask the previous secretary. If it’s genuinely lost, you have a bigger problem that needs addressing before the AGM.
Action items:
- Locate and read your club constitution
- Note your notice period deadline
- Confirm quorum number
- Check special requirements for rule changes
7 Weeks Before: Book the Venue and Set the Date
This seems obvious, but here’s what people forget:
Venue considerations:
- Big enough for expected turnout (check last year’s attendance)
- Accessible (ramps, ground floor, accessible toilets)
- Available at a time when parents can actually attend (not 2pm on a Tuesday)
- Free, or can you afford it?
- Decent WiFi if you’re offering virtual attendance
- Parking nearby
Date considerations:
- Falls within your constitution’s timeframe (usually within X days of financial year end)
- Doesn’t clash with major galas, school holidays, or club training camps
- Allows enough time for your notice period
- Gives you breathing room if you need to reschedule due to low numbers
Pro tip: Book the same venue every year at roughly the same time. Members get into the habit of expecting it, and you don’t have to explain where it is every time.
Action items:
- Book venue
- Set date and time
- Decide if you’re offering virtual attendance (Zoom/Teams)
- Put it on the club website and social media
6 Weeks Before: Request Reports from Committee Members
Don’t wait until 2 weeks before and panic when half the committee haven’t sent you anything. Start now.
Send a clear, specific request to each committee member:
What to ask for:
- Written report (max 1 page/500 words recommended)
- Key achievements from the year
- Any challenges or issues to note
- Plans or priorities for next year (if they’re staying on)
- Deadline: 4 weeks from now
Who needs to submit:
- Chair
- Treasurer (accounts must be ready for examination)
- Membership Secretary
- Head Coach (or coaching coordinator if volunteers run it)
- Welfare Officer
- Fundraising coordinator (if separate role)
- Development officer, social secretary, etc. (if they exist)
Template email:
Subject: AGM Report Required - Deadline [DATE]
Hi [Name],
Our AGM is scheduled for [DATE]. I need your written report by [DEADLINE - 4 weeks before AGM].
Please keep it to around 500 words covering:
- Key achievements this year
- Challenges or issues worth noting
- Plans for next year (if continuing)
Reports will be circulated to members a week before the AGM, so members can read them in advance rather than us reading them out on the night.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, [Your Name]
Action items:
- Email all committee members requesting reports
- Set reminder to chase non-responders in 2 weeks
- Create a tracking spreadsheet of who’s sent what
5 Weeks Before: Open Committee Nominations
Check your constitution for how nominations work. Most clubs require:
- Nominations in writing
- Proposer and seconder (both usually need to be full members)
- Consent from the nominee (you can’t nominate someone without asking them first)
- Deadline for nominations (usually 1-2 weeks before AGM)
Positions typically elected:
- Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Membership Secretary (managing membership records)
- Welfare Officer (handling compliance)
- Committee members (often 3-5 general members)
Communication to send:
Create a simple nomination form (Word doc or Google Form) and email all members explaining:
- Which positions are up for election
- How to nominate (form + proposer + seconder)
- Deadline for nominations
- What each role involves (link to role descriptions if you have them)
Action items:
- Create nomination form
- Email all members with nomination details
- Post on club website and social media
- Set deadline (usually 1-2 weeks before AGM)
- Consider directly approaching potential candidates (informal chat first)
4 Weeks Before: Chase Reports and Arrange Accounts Examination
Reports
By now you should have most reports. Chase anyone who hasn’t sent theirs. Be direct:
“Hi [Name], I need your AGM report by [DATE]. If I don’t receive it, I’ll have to note in the AGM minutes that no report was provided.”
This usually works.
Accounts Examination
Your treasurer should have the year-end accounts ready for examination. Your constitution probably requires accounts to be:
- Examined by an independent person (not a committee member or related to one)
- Signed off before the AGM
- Circulated to members before the meeting
Who examines the accounts?
- An accountant (ideal, often free if you ask nicely and they’re part of your community)
- A qualified bookkeeper
- A financially literate club member who’s not on the committee
- Someone from another local sports club who does the same for you
They’re not auditing (that’s a formal, expensive process). They’re checking:
- Records are maintained
- Income and expenditure match bank statements
- Everything looks reasonable
- No obvious errors or concerns
Action items:
- Confirm treasurer has completed year-end accounts
- Confirm accounts examiner has received accounts
- Chase examiner if needed
- Get signed examination report back
3 Weeks Before: Finalise the Agenda
You know what needs to be covered. Now structure it properly with time allocations.
Standard AGM agenda:
- Welcome and apologies (2 mins)
- Minutes of previous AGM (5 mins)
- Approve and sign
- Matters arising from previous minutes (5 mins)
- What did we say we’d do? Did we do it?
- Chair’s report (5 mins)
- Summary only, full report circulated in advance
- Treasurer’s report and accounts (10 mins)
- Present accounts, examiner’s report, approve accounts
- Membership report (5 mins)
- Coaching report (5 mins)
- Welfare report (3 mins)
- Other committee reports (5 mins total)
- Fundraising, development, social, etc.
- Election of committee (15 mins)
- Announce nominations, conduct votes if needed
- Membership fees for next year (10 mins)
- Propose, discuss, vote
- Rule changes (if any) (15 mins per change)
- Any other business (10 mins maximum)
- Limit this strictly or it becomes a free-for-all
- Close (1 min)
Total: 90 minutes (adjust based on your club)
Pro tip: Put “AOB time limit: 10 minutes” on the printed agenda. It sets expectations.
Action items:
- Draft agenda with time allocations
- Send to chair for approval
- Prepare to be ruthless about timekeeping on the night
2 Weeks Before (Your Notice Deadline): Send Formal AGM Notice
This is your legal deadline. Miss it and the AGM isn’t valid.
What to send:
- Formal notice of AGM (date, time, location)
- Full agenda
- All committee reports
- Treasurer’s accounts and examiner’s report
- Details of any proposed rule changes (full wording required)
- List of nominations received
- Information about virtual attendance (if offered)
- Proxy voting form (if your constitution allows it)
How to send:
- Email to all members (use BCC to protect privacy)
- Post on club website
- Print copies available at training sessions
- Post to any members who’ve requested postal communication
Save proof you sent it. Keep the sent email with full member list visible. If anyone later claims they didn’t get notice, you need evidence.
Action items:
- Compile all documents into one email/packet
- Send to all members
- Post on website
- Print copies for noticeboard/training sessions
- Save proof of sending
1 Week Before: Final Preparations
Prepare voting materials
If you have contested positions, you need ballot papers. Even if nominations are unopposed, prepare blank papers in case of nominations from the floor (if your constitution allows them).
What you need:
- Ballot papers for each contested position
- Attendance register (for quorum count)
- Voting eligibility list (who can vote?)
- Pens (more than you think - they disappear)
- Box or envelope for completed ballots
Prepare the room
- Tables and chairs (horseshoe layout works well)
- Sign-in table near entrance
- Projector/screen if presenting slides
- Test WiFi and video call link
- Print extra copies of all documents (someone always forgets)
Brief the chair
- Share agenda with time allocations
- Discuss any contentious items
- Agree on how to handle questions (end of each item vs. end of meeting)
- Plan who will count votes if needed
- Confirm who’s taking minutes (probably you, but check)
Chase missing nominations
If key positions have no nominees, this is your last chance to find people. Be direct. Ask specific people. “Would you consider standing for Treasurer?” works better than “Does anyone want to be Treasurer?”
Action items:
- Prepare all voting materials
- Book and check venue access
- Test all technology
- Brief the chair
- Final push for missing nominations
3 Days Before: Confirm Quorum
Count RSVPs (if you asked for them) or make educated guesses based on:
- Last year’s attendance
- Training session turnout
- Whether any hot-button issues are on the agenda (controversy drives attendance)
If you’re borderline on quorum, start personally calling members to encourage attendance. Be honest: “We need [X] members for the meeting to be valid. Can we count on you being there?”
Backup plan: Know your constitution’s rule about inquorate meetings. Usually, you can reschedule for 7-14 days later, and whoever turns up the second time forms the quorum.
Action items:
- Count expected attendance
- Personal calls if borderline on quorum
- Have backup date ready (venue willing)
AGM Day: Final Checklist
Arrive early (at least 30 minutes)
- Set up sign-in table
- Arrange chairs
- Test projector and screen share
- Put agenda and reports on each seat (or table)
- Test WiFi for virtual attendees
- Put up any required notices (fire exits, etc.)
As members arrive
- Sign them in (track for quorum)
- Mark who can vote (check membership status)
- Distribute any additional papers
- Offer virtual attendees a test join 10 mins early
During the meeting
- Appoint a timekeeper (someone other than you or the chair)
- Take clear minutes (actions, decisions, votes)
- Record vote counts for elections
- Note any AOB items for follow-up
- Keep close to the agenda timings
After the meeting
- Collect any ballot papers
- Thank the venue
- Gather any leftover papers (shred sensitive ones)
- Get chair to sign the attendance register
- Download and save the video recording (if you made one)
Post-AGM (Within 1 Week)
Draft and circulate minutes
Minutes should include:
- Date, time, location, attendees
- Apologies received
- Approval of previous minutes
- Summary of each report (not verbatim, just key points)
- Decisions made and votes taken (with numbers)
- Elected committee members
- Date of next AGM (if set)
- Actions arising (who’s doing what)
Send to:
- All members
- Newly elected committee
- Swim England (if required by your region)
- Any statutory bodies (Companies House if you’re a limited company, Charity Commission if you’re a charity)
Action items:
- Draft minutes within 3 days
- Chair to review and approve
- Circulate to all members
- File with other club records
- Send to any required external bodies
- Update website with new committee details
Hand over to new committee members
If anyone new was elected, arrange handover meetings. See our Committee Handover Guide for how to do this properly.
Action items:
- Email new committee members with congratulations
- Arrange handover meetings with outgoing members
- Update bank signatories if treasurer changed
- Update Swim England ClubHub with new committee details
- Update website, email signatures, and social media
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Notice period errors Double-check your constitution. “21 clear days” means 21 full days not counting the day you send notice or the AGM day itself. Get this wrong and the AGM isn’t valid.
Forgetting to approve last year’s minutes It’s easy to skip past this, but it’s important. If minutes aren’t approved, decisions from last year aren’t formally recorded.
Letting AOB run wild Set a strict time limit and stick to it. AOB should be for minor items only. Major discussions need a separate committee meeting.
No quorum backup plan Always know your constitution’s rule about inquorate meetings and have a backup date ready.
Rushing elections If you have contested positions, allow proper time for candidates to speak (if they want to) and for members to vote and count votes.
Not recording vote counts Always record the actual numbers, not just “carried” or “approved”. If decisions are challenged later, you need evidence.
Forgetting to thank volunteers The AGM is your annual moment to publicly thank people who’ve given their time. Don’t skip it.
What If It All Goes Wrong?
Quorum not met: Follow your constitution. Usually means rescheduling for 1-2 weeks later.
Contested election needs a tie-break: Check your constitution. Usually the chair has a casting vote.
Technical issues with virtual attendees: Have a phone dial-in as backup. Always.
Member challenges the validity of the meeting: This is why you keep proof of notice and records of attendance. If you’ve followed your constitution, you’re fine.
No nominations for a key role: The AGM can elect someone on the night if they’re willing. If truly no one will do it, the committee continues until a replacement is found. Not ideal, but legal.
Final Thought
Running an AGM feels like a lot of admin (because it is), but it’s also your club’s annual accountability moment. Done well, it builds confidence in the committee, gives members a voice, and sets the club up for another good year.
Done badly, it’s three hours of confusion that achieves nothing and makes people not want to volunteer.
Use this checklist. Stick to the timeline. You’ll be fine.
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