Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Exeter City Supporters’ Trust will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, December 12, at Exeter College.

The meeting will take place on the morning of our men’s team match against Rochdale at St James Park.

The AGM is an important date in the Supporters’ Trust calendar. It is an opportunity for members to hear about the Trust’s work over the past year, ask questions, propose changes to the way the Trust works and governs the club and have their say on the organisation’s future. Alongside that, the Trustee elections allow members to play a more active role in the Trust by putting themselves forward for election to the Trust board.

You do not have to be a Trustee to participate in the AGM, as this is a meeting which belongs to the membership, and we want as much participation as possible. Members can propose resolutions, which is a formal proposal that members can ask the AGM to debate and vote on, or agenda items, which allows members to raise a particular subject or question for discussion. They are an important part of the Trust’s democratic structure, giving members a direct opportunity to influence its direction and ensure the issues they care about are discussed.

Nominations to become a Trustee will open on Monday, September 14 and close on Monday, October 19, and there are five vacancies.

Candidate information and ballot papers will be issued one week later, on Monday, October 26, which is also the deadline for submitting member resolutions and agenda items for the AGM.

The full timetable for this year’s election and AGM is below:

Wednesday, September 2	Notice of AGM and Trustee Election published, including details of revised nomination process to accommodate IFR requirements.
Monday, September 14	Election and AGM packs, including nomination process, distributed to members.
Monday, October 19 (23:59)	Deadline for submitting nomination forms.
Monday, October 26 (23:59)	Deadline for Members’ Resolutions and/or Agenda Items. Candidate information and ballot papers issued to members.
Monday, November 2	Deadline for submitting questions for the Candidate Hustings.
Monday, November 9	AGM Agenda and Meeting Pack, including proxy details, dispatched to members.
Monday, November 16	Candidate hustings held and voting opens.
Monday, November 23	AGM Agenda and Meeting Pack (if required) reissued/updated with proxy details.
Thursday, December 10	Deadline for receipt of completed ballot papers and proxy forms.
Saturday, December 12 (10:00)	Annual General Meeting and the announcement of election results at Exeter College.

In a change to previous elections, this year successful candidates will only be permitted to take up office as a Trustee once they have completed the requirements set out by the Independent Football Regulator, EFL and club DBS checks. Candidates who are successfully elected will need to make themselves available on December 14, or ASAP thereafter, to begin the IFR process.

This is all part of a new government policy to ensure fit and proper candidates are in charge of professional football clubs, a policy the Trust supports. During this process, Trustee Elects may attend board meetings, however they will not be able to vote until verified. We expect this will take approximately four weeks.

In the event of an elected trustee not passing the IFR verification process, they will not be allowed to take up their position on the Trust Board. In this situation the Trust Board will co-opt a person onto the board to fill the vacancy.  This person would serve on the board until the following election, ( usually for a period of 12 months), when they would have to stand down.

If a member is interested in becoming a Trustee but would first like to find out more, contact Trust Chair Peter Ferlie to arrange a short chat, by emailing peter.ferlie@ecfcst.org.uk. There is no obligation to stand after the conversation, it is simply an opportunity to ask questions and understand more about the role and whether standing to become a Trustee is right for you.

Trustees are expected to be available for, on average, five hours each week, with that fluctuating throughout the season and needs of the Trust.

We want to hear from members from all walks of life and with all levels of experience. Our Trust is stronger when its Board reflects the breadth and diversity of its membership.