21 resolutions in 21 days – Episode 20

Why we are ditching the company seal

Look. We’re the first to admit that if AMT’s company seal was of the aquatic, blubbery, barking kind, sunning itself on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, there is no way we would ever consider ditching it. Sadly, that is not the kind of seal we are referring to here.

Australian corporations law eliminated the mandatory requirement for company seals in 1988, recognising them as an outdated formality. Yep. For 36 years, company seals have been optional but ours has been lurking in the AMT constitution like a bureaucratic zombie.

AMT hasn’t actually used a company seal in any context for more than a decade. We stumbled on our disused company seal when we were packing up the office earlier this year. Well, sort of seal. It wasn’t actually the real deal but that’s a whole other inexorable pancake for a separate blog series.

AMT has successfully operated using two-director signature procedures for over 20 years, proving that seal requirements are completely unnecessary for proper document execution and legal validity.

Removing these references is pure constitutional archaeology, cleaning out provisions that haven’t been relevant since the Hawke government. Which is long before a big chunk of our current member base was even born.

Are you joining us at the Special General Meeting on October 19?

All AMT members are welcome to attend. Please register here.

Unable to attend but still want to exercise your democratic right? Complete a proxy voting form and return it to AMT Head Office.

This is Episode 20 in our blockbuster blog bonanza “21 Resolutions in 21 Days”, exploring the cases for constitutional change that will be considered at the upcoming Special General Meeting on October 19. Each change is designed to strengthen AMT’s governance and better serve members.

Tomorrow: Our final episode in this series regarding … our final episode.