NOTICE OF 2026 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING 

Chair: Mark Orr

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Ltd.

Date: Saturday 4 July 2026
Time: Meeting begins at 10:00am (AEST)

Venue: Harold Park Community Hall, 1 Dalgal Wy, Forest Lodge NSW 2034

If you have access needs, please let us know before the meeting by contacting Company.Secretary@mardigrasarts.org.au. Alternatively, make yourself known to our registration staff at the doors.

Attendance and RSVPs

The EGM will be held Saturday 4 July 2026 at Harold Park Community Hall, 1 Dalgal Wy, Forest Lodge NSW 2034

Members can participate in the meeting in person, via Zoom or through the appointment of a proxy.

It is requested that members and proxy holders RSVP via the Vero Voting platform.

To attend the EGM in-person, please RSVP in the Vero Voting platform and select “Yes, In-Person”.

To attend the EGM online, select “Yes, Online” by Friday, 3 July at 8:00pm (AEST). Late registrations will not be accepted.  

For more information, please read the Vero Voting Meeting Guide.

Participants who attend the meeting are required to adhere to the Meeting Standing Orders and AGM Code of Conduct.

What To Bring:  

• A photo ID or membership card to verify your membership status.
• Pre-distributed documents, such as the agenda and items of business.
• A bottle of water.

How To Check-In 

We encourage you to arrive early! Your friendly Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras team members will be on-site to help you check-in.

To assist us with checking you in, please bring your photo ID or digital Mardi Gras Membership Card available on JoinIt. 

Further Questions 

For other questions regarding the EGM, contact Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: company.secretary@mardigrasarts.org.au

A member who is entitled to attend and vote at the EGM has a right to appoint a proxy to attend and vote on their behalf. A proxy need not be a member. You may only allocate your proxy to a person who is attending the meeting. Proxies voting will be available using the Vero Voting platform.

Members are encouraged to submit a proxy even if they plan to participate in the meeting online, so that their vote will be counted if for any reason they are unable to attend or to vote at the meeting. If a member submits a proxy and then attends the meeting, the proxy will not be permitted to vote on that member’s behalf.

A proxy may be submitted online through your unique link to the Vero Voting platform. Members who wish to appoint a proxy must do so via the Vero Voting platform by Wednesday, 1 July 2026 at 5:00pm AEST.

INFORMATION FOR PROXY HOLDERS  

Members who have been nominated as a proxy are able to see who has nominated them in the MY PROXIES tab in the Vero Voting platform.

Voting With Proxies for Items of Business 

There are two types of proxies:  

• Directed: A member has directed the nominated proxy holder to vote a certain way.
• Undirected: A member has provided permission for the nominated proxy holder to vote however the holder chooses.

Proxy votes for Items of Business will be automatically cast in Vero once the proxy holder votes on a specific resolution in their VOTE tab. Proxy holders do not need to individually cast a vote for each proxy they hold.

IMPORTANT – If you have any questions regarding the below information, please email the Company.Secretary@mardigrasarts.org.au as soon as possible.

This EGM will use Zoom for members who wish to attend online. Please ensure you have downloaded Zoom before the meeting. You can download Zoom here: https://zoom.us/

The ability to attend the EGM online via Zoom is provided primarily for accessibility for members who cannot attend in-person.

To attend the EGM online, members must RSVP in the Vero Voting platform and select “Yes, Online” by Friday, 3 July at 8:00pm (AEST). Late registrations will not be accepted.

Registering for Zoom 

Only members who have indicated via the Vero Voting platform they intend to attend the EGM online by Friday, 3 July at 8:00pm (AEST) will be emailed a Zoom registration link.

When you receive your Zoom registration link, you will be asked to provide the following information to confirm your identity:

1. First Name
2. Last Name
3. Email Address
4. Membership Number

Once your registration has been received, it will be reviewed and approved by the Company Secretary. You will then receive a link to access the Zoom call.

Joining The Zoom 

Members who wish to attend online are asked to join the Zoom call by 9.30am to ensure they are admitted into the EGM before the start of the meeting. Please ensure you have the following:

• Headphones or an appropriate audio system.
• A webcam and microphone.
• Your Vero Voting link (which has been sent to your email).
• Pre-distributed documents, such as the agenda, financial reports, or minutes from the previous meeting.
• A comfy chair and good lighting.

Please note that all online attendees will be muted, and cameras will be turned off to ensure internet bandwidth availability.

The Constitution of SGLMG also allows for both the Board and Members to provide an Explanatory Memorandum explaining the purpose and effect of the resolution. Members will be notified of any Explanatory Memorandums shared by the Board.

Items of Business Resolutions Are Available To View Here

Following requests from members to hold the EGM entirely online, the Board sought advice on this option. Based on that advice, an online-only meeting is not possible under the Company’s Constitution and applicable requirements. Accordingly, the EGM will be conducted as a hybrid meeting, enabling members to attend either in person or online.

At Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, we are committed to ensuring that our General Meetings are conducted fairly, efficiently and – above all – safely and respectfully.

As with all our events and activities, we expect ourselves, our attendees and all members to uphold the ICARE values of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: Integrity, Creativity, Accountability, Respect and Equity. These values guide how we show up for one another and how we engage in meaningful, and at times challenging, discussion.

Our General Meetings are a space for robust dialogue, but that dialogue must always be respectful, inclusive and safe. Every person – members, staff and volunteers – has the right to feel safe, supported and able to participate fully. Showing respect for our staff and volunteers, who work year-round to support our community, is a core expectation of membership.

AGM Code of Conduct and Member Grievance Policy

All members attending the EGM must comply with the AGM Code of Conduct, which sets clear expectations for behaviour during the meeting and ensures that all attendees are treated equally and with respect.

In 2025, the Board also introduced a Member Grievance and Investigation Policy and Procedure. This policy outlines how concerns or conflicts between members will be managed. Outcomes may include an apology, mediation, or in serious cases, expulsion from membership under Chapter XIX of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Constitution.

Managing Behaviour at the Meeting and Security

In previous years, behaviour from some attendees has breached the AGM Code of Conduct and fallen short of our ICARE values, causing distress to other members, staff and volunteers.

To support a safe and respectful meeting environment, security personnel – who are members of our own community – will be present on the day. These staff must be treated with courtesy and respect at all times.

If any member engages in harassment, disrupts proceedings or otherwise breaches the ICARE values or AGM Code of Conduct, they will be asked to leave the meeting.

If they refuse or continue the behaviour, the Chair may pause the meeting, and the individual will be escorted from the venue. The matter may also be referred to the Board for disciplinary action, including possible removal from membership.

If the meeting cannot continue safely, a motion will be put to close the meeting.

For other questions regarding the EGM, contact Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: company.secretary@mardigrasarts.org.au