Standing for Election

The Board of Directors aims to encourage more members to consider standing election.  However, members wishing to stand for the Board of Directors must be prepared for the significant commitment and responsibilities which come with being a Director of the East of England Co-operative Society.

More details are available from the Society Secretary.

Requirements for Standing for Election 

The following extract from the Society rules sets out the requirements concerning eligibility to stand for election to the Board of Directors.

A person shall only be eligible to be nominated for election as a Director if they fulfil the following criteria (and if already elected shall immediately cease to be a Director if they cease to be eligible):

(a) they are a member of the Society and are mainly resident within the Society’s trading area;

(b) they have made purchases for goods and services (or goods or services) from the Society or from any other society which shall at any time have transferred its engagements to the Society, amounting to £500 per annum during each of the previous two consecutive accounting years of the Society. Such purchases shall be verified by the production of evidence in the form of proof of purchases.

(c) they are less than sixty-eight years of age or, in the case of a member seeking their first term of office, less than sixty-four years of age, on the date when nominations for election close (and for the avoidance of doubt, a Director who attains the age of 68 shall retire at the next following Annual General Meeting.

(d) they have not been dismissed (save for redundancy) from the employment or expelled from membership of the Society or a society which has transferred its engagements to the Society;

(e) neither they nor their spouse or partner is engaged in a managerial capacity in the carrying on of any business trade or undertaking which in the opinion of  the Board competes in any way with any business trade or undertaking carried on by the Society;

(f) neither they nor their spouse or partner has any interest in any business which is trading with the Society, other than
i) a holding of less than 1% of the issued shares of a company whose shares are listed on a Stock Exchange; or
ii) as a non-managerial member or employee of any society or company which is trading as a supplier to the Society;

(g) they have not previously been removed from office as a Director under these rules; and

(h) they are not bankrupt, nor subject to a disqualification order made against them under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, the Charities Act 1993, or any other relevant legislation.

Employees of the Society
The rules expressly permit up to two employees of the Society or former employees who have left within three years of the date of the election to serve on the Board of Directors (provided they meet all the other requirements).   If two ‘Employee Directors’ are already on the Board and are not due to complete their term of office, the Secretary will be unable to accept a nomination from such a member.

Pre-nomination Briefing
Members considering putting their name forward for election are encouraged to contact the Society Secretary beforehand to discuss the qualifications as well and the nature of the role and the commitment it involves.  A briefing for members considering standing for election is held each autumn - details are published in store and on this website at the appropriate time.

Nomination
Notice of an election will be posted in Society stores and on this website approximately 10 weeks before an election.  The notice will give details of the vacancies that are due to arise and the number of nominations that are sought.

Nominations must be submitted on the appropriate form which may be obtained from the Secretary.  Details will need to be provided of the candidate’s name and address, their membership number and date of birth.  The candidate will need to be nominated and seconded by members of at least six month’s standing, who will need to sign the nomination form having given the necessary information enabling identification on the membership register.

The deadline for the receipt of nominations is normally at least 6 clear weeks before the election.