Co-operative Societies Act 1979 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 5 · Organisation and Management of Societies
51. Meeting of delegates
Feedback & supportDespite section 50, if a primary society has more than 3,000 members, the general meeting of members may be replaced by a meeting of delegates, each delegate representing a certain number of individual members.
primary society
“primary society” means a society all of whose members are individual persons who, or institutions which, have the qualifications for membership set out in section 39;
All provisions of this Act referring to general meetings of members include a reference to meetings of delegates.
Every individual person who is a member of a society may be eligible for election as a delegate.
member
“member” includes an individual person or institution qualifying for membership in a co-operative society, who or which join in the application for the registration of a society, and an individual person or institution admitted to membership after registration in accordance with this Act, the Rules and the by-laws;
The meeting of delegates must consist of at least 20 delegates, elected from among the members.
The delegates may not vote by proxy.
The society must make by-laws specifying the method by which the delegates are elected and the number of individual members represented by each delegate and the term of office of the delegates.
society
“society” means a co-operative society registered under this Act and includes a primary society, a secondary society and an apex organisation;
The Registrar may, on application by a primary society with less than 3,000 members, allow the society to replace the general meeting of members by a meeting of delegates, if for any special reason the Registrar thinks fit to do so.
Registrar
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Co‑operative Societies appointed under section 3(1), and includes a Deputy Registrar, an Assistant Registrar, or a public officer appointed under section 3(1), exercising such function, duty or power of the Registrar as is delegated to the Deputy Registrar, Assistant Registrar or public officer (as the case may be) under section 3(2);