Friendly Societies Act 1992

Part IU.K. Eligibility and Retirement of Committee Members

PreliminaryU.K.

1(1)This Part of this Schedule applies in relation to members of the committee of management of a friendly society (“the society”); and in this Schedule—U.K.

• “the committee” means the committee of management of the society;

• “the compulsory retirement age”, where the rules of the society make the provision authorised by paragraph 3(1) below, means the age prescribed for that purpose in its rules;

• “the normal retirement age” means 70 years or such lesser age as the rules of the society may prescribe as the normal retirement age for members of its committee.

(2)For the purposes of this Act the date of a person’s election to office as a member of the committee, where the rules of the society provide for election by F1... ballot, is the date of the meeting at which the declaration of the result of the ballot is made.

Eligibility to be elected committee memberU.K.

2U.K.Subject to paragraph 3 below, paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to this Act and to the rules of the society, any person is eligible to be elected as a member of the committee.

3(1)The rules of the society may require the members of the committee to retire at a prescribed age without eligibility for re-election or reappointment; and, if the age so prescribed is no greater than the age which is the normal retirement age for members of the committee, sub-paragraph (3) below shall have no application to the society.U.K.

(2)If the rules of the society make the provision authorised by sub-paragraph (1) above, a person who has attained the age so prescribed shall not be eligible to be elected as a member of the committee.

(3)Except in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above, if a person has attained the normal retirement age for the society, he shall not be eligible to be elected as a member of the committee unless—

(a)he has been approved as eligible to be so elected by resolution of the committee; and

(b)his age and the reasons for the committee’s approval of his eligibility have been notified to every person entitled to vote at the election.

[F2(3A)A friendly society is to be regarded as notifying a person for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b) if it makes the information available to the person on a website; and the end date for the purposes of section 119AB(4)(b) is the day after the election.]

(4)If a friendly society, in a case where its committee has approved as eligible for election a person who has attained the normal retirement age, fails to notify every person entitled to vote at the election, the society shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale; but no such failure shall invalidate the election.

Eligibility to be co-opted committee memberU.K.

4U.K.No person may be co-opted as a member of the committee who has attained the normal retirement age or the compulsory retirement age (where that age is less than the normal retirement age).

Notice to society of age of committee memberU.K.

5(1)A person who holds office as, or is to his knowledge nominated for election or proposed for co-option to the committee as, a member of the committee shall, not later than 28 days before he attains the normal retirement age or, as the case may be, the compulsory retirement age for members of the committee, give the society notice of the date on which he will attain that age.U.K.

(2)A person who fails to give to a friendly society a notice required, in relation to that society, by sub-paragraph (1) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction—

(a)to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale; and

(b)in the case of a continuing offence, to an additional fine not exceeding one-tenth of that level for every week during which the offence continues.

Retirement of elected committee membersU.K.

6(1)A member of the committee shall retire from office—U.K.

(a)in any case not provided for by paragraph (b) below, sub-paragraph (2) below or rules under sub-paragraph (3) below, at the fifth annual general meeting of the society following the date of his election; and

(b)in a case where he had attained the normal retirement age at his election, at the next annual general meeting following that date.

(2)A member of the committee attaining the normal retirement age or, as the case may be, the compulsory retirement age shall, subject to any provision of the rules for earlier retirement, retire from office at the next annual general meeting of the society.

(3)The rules of the society, if they provide for the retirement by rotation of members of its committee, may provide that a person elected to fill a vacant seat on the committee must retire at the annual general meeting at which, in accordance with the rules for retirement by rotation, the seat is to fall vacant.

(4)Sub-paragraph (3) above applies to any vacancy arising when an elected member ceases to hold office for any reason before the annual general meeting at which (disregarding his age) the seat is due to fall vacant.

Retirement of co-opted membersU.K.

7(1)A person who is co-opted as a member of the committee shall cease to hold office at the end of the permitted period unless he is elected to office as a member of the committee within that period.U.K.

(2)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) above “the permitted period”, with reference to the tenure of office of a co-opted member of the committee, is the period beginning with the date of his appointment and ending with the declaration of the next election of members of the committee conducted after his appointment or the expiration of the period of 16 months beginning with the date of his appointment, whichever first occurs.