Friendly Societies Act 1896

70 Amalgamation and transfer of engagements

(1) Any two or more registered societies may, by special resolution of both or all such societies, become amalgamated together as one society, with or without any dissolution or division of the funds of those societies or either of them.

(2) A registered society may, by special resolution, transfer its engagements to any other registered society which may undertake to fulfil the engagements of that society.

(3) A special resolution by a registered friendly society for an amalgamation or transfer of engagements under this Act shall not be valid without—

(a) the assent thereto of five-sixths in value of the members, given either at the meetings at which the resolution is, according to the provisions of this Act, passed and confirmed, or at one of them, or, if the members were not present thereat, in writing; and

(b) the written consent of every person receiving or entitled to any relief, annuity, or other benefit from the funds of the society, unless the claim of that person is first duly satisfied, or adequate provision is made for satisfying that claim.

(4) Provided that on application of the trustees or committee of a registered friendly society desiring to amalgamate or transfer its engagements, and upon notice of that application being published in the Gazette, the chief registrar, after hearing the trustees or committee and any other persons whom he considers entitled to be heard upon the application, may, with the consent of the Treasury, order that any of the assents, consents, and conditions required by this Act, or by any regulations made under this Act, be dispensed with, and may confirm the amalgamation or transfer.

(5) A registered society consisting wholly of members under twenty-one years of age, and a registered society or branch or branches of a society having members above twenty-one years of age, may, by resolutions registered in the manner required for the registration of an amendment of rules, become amalgamated together as one society or branch, or provide for distributing among several branches the members of a society consisting wholly of members under twenty-one years of age, and the other provisions of this section shall not apply to that amalgamation.

(6) The value of members shall be ascertained by giving one vote to every member, and an additional vote for every five years that he has been a member, but to no one member more than five votes in the whole.

(7) If any member of a friendly society which has amalgamated or transferred its engagements, or if any person claiming any relief, annuity, or other benefit, from the funds thereof, is dissatisfied with the provision made- for satisfying his claim, that member or person may apply to the county court of the district within which the chief or any other place of business of the society is situate for relief or other order, and that court shall have the same powers in the matter as in regard to the settlement of disputes under this Act.