Dear COAWA Committee,

Re: Proposed motions to amend the COAWA Constitution

We write to give notice of proposed motions to amend the COAWA Constitution for consideration by members at the upcoming Annual General Meeting / Special General Meeting.

The proposed amendments are intended to support the effective administration of COAWA, improve continuity and capacity on the Administrative Committee, and provide a clear and consistent process for the payment of fees and management of overdue accounts.

Proposed motion 1: Additional Administrative Committee position

That rule 17.2 be amended to increase the number of elected independent members of the Administrative Committee by one.

Current wording:

“The Administrative Committee of COAWA shall consist of one delegate from each fully affiliated cat club and up to three elected independent members. A quorum at the Administrative Committee Meetings shall consist of at least six (6) members of the current standing Administrative Committee.”

Proposed amended wording:

“The Administrative Committee of COAWA shall consist of one delegate from each fully affiliated cat club and up to four elected independent members. A quorum at Administrative Committee meetings shall consist of at least six (6) members of the current standing Administrative Committee.”

Reason for proposed amendment:

The addition of one elected independent committee position would increase committee capacity, improve distribution of workload, and provide greater flexibility for the ongoing administration of COAWA.

Proposed motion 2: Payment of fees and suspension of transactions for unpaid fees

That a new rule be inserted into the Constitution to clarify that all COAWA fees must be paid in full by the applicable due date, and that COAWA may suspend processing of transactions where fees remain unpaid.

Proposed wording:

All fees payable to COAWA must be paid in full by the applicable due date.

For the avoidance of doubt:

(a) annual membership subscriptions are due by 31 October each year, unless otherwise determined and notified by COAWA;

(b) administrative fees, including but not limited to registration fees, transfer fees and other service fees, must be paid in full before COAWA is required to process or action the relevant transaction; and

(c) show entry fees must be paid in full prior to the relevant show date.

Where a member has not paid any fee owing to COAWA by the applicable due date, COAWA must notify the member in writing that the fee is overdue and provide the member with seven (7) days’ notice to pay the outstanding amount in full.

Until all overdue fees are paid in full, COAWA reserves the right to suspend the processing of transactions for that member, including but not limited to registrations, transfers, show entries and other administrative services.

Reason for proposed amendment:

This amendment provides a clear and transparent payment process, ensures members are aware of their obligations, and protects COAWA from the administrative and financial burden of processing transactions where fees remain unpaid.

Proposed motion 3: Suspension for continued non-payment of fees

That a new rule be inserted into the Constitution to allow the Administrative Committee to consider a time-limited suspension where a member fails to pay overdue fees after written notice.

Proposed wording:

If a member fails to pay overdue fees within seven (7) days of written notice being given by COAWA, the Administrative Committee may consider whether further action is appropriate.

Where the Administrative Committee considers that suspension of membership is appropriate due to continued non-payment of fees, the matter must be dealt with in accordance with the suspension procedure set out in rule 15, or any amended suspension procedure adopted by the members.

If, following the required process, the Administrative Committee resolves to suspend the member, the period of suspension must be determined by committee vote and must be for a period of not less than four (4) weeks and not more than eight (8) weeks.

Any suspension imposed under this rule does not remove the member’s obligation to pay any outstanding fees owed to COAWA.

Reason for proposed amendment:

This amendment gives the Administrative Committee a clear mechanism to address continued non-payment of fees, while preserving procedural fairness and consistency with the existing suspension provisions of the Constitution.

We request that these proposed motions be included in the notice and agenda for the upcoming Annual General Meeting / Special General Meeting, so that members may consider and vote on the proposed amendments in accordance with the requirements of the COAWA Constitution.

Kind regards,

COAWA members