SME – By Mohammed Al-Joker
In our region’s clubs, regular general assemblies are held during the sports hiatus, before members depart for their summer vacations. A specific date is set in advance, agreed upon by the members of the general assembly, to discuss a number of key items, most notably: ratification of the previous minutes, approval of the final accounts for the previous fiscal year, approval of the new draft budget, review of the club president’s report on the 2024-2025 sports season activities, the proposed work plan for the coming year, and the auditor’s report. The meeting also includes the appointment of a new auditor and determining their remuneration for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Member proposals are accepted at least ten days prior to the meeting, with proposals deemed appropriate by the president also being included on the agenda. Attendees must be founding members or active members who have paid their annual membership fees, and their active membership must be at least six months old.
Clubs often urge their members to pay dues before the deadline, noting that the deadline for payment is a prerequisite for participation in the general assembly. A meeting is considered valid if attended by more than half of the eligible members (50% + 1). If a quorum is not reached, the meeting is postponed for a week and held on a new date if at least a quarter of the members are present. If this is not possible, the meeting is postponed for just one hour, and the meeting is valid with any number of members present.
It is noteworthy that these procedures were not introduced recently; rather, they date back to the 1970s, when the Ministry of Youth and Sports personally supervised the establishment of clubs and monitored their general assemblies by sending representatives.
The question that arises today is: Where do we stand in relation to that model? Why do certain figures still dominate the sports scene, raising the slogan of the era: “Be hypocritical so we can see you”?
And God knows best.
