Directors Resolution
By David Gass
The corporate business of a registered corporation
is conducted at either Board of Directors meetings or
at the Annual General Meeting of the corporation. This
business is facilitated by preparing, discussing and
voting on resolutions at these meetings. There are two
types of resolutions; shareholder resolutions and directors
resolutions.
Shareholder resolutions are prepared and forwarded
by individuals who own shares in the company and they
are usually presented to the Annual General Meeting of
the corporation. A shareholder may bring one shareholder
resolution a year to the annual general meeting and they
can be on any matter concerning the corporation, its
management, or operations.
Directors resolutions can cover many of the same topics
as a shareholder resolution and they may be presented
at either the Annual General Meeting or at a Board of
Directors meeting. Items that could be the subject of
directors resolutions include any changes to the articles
of incorporation and any such changes need to be filed
with the regulatory body of the state in which the corporation
is registered. Directors resolutions, like other corporate
resolutions, become part of the formal record of the
corporation and as such become an important recording
of the actions taken by the Directors during their term
of office. Directors resolutions are available to shareholders,
regulators, legislators, and any other interested third
parties who want to review the formal business of the
corporation.
Some directors resolutions may be discussed and passed
by the Board of Directors only, others need to be reviewed
by shareholders, and any having a major impact on the
interests or assets of the corporation must be discussed
and approved by both the Board and the shareholders.
Both the Board of Directors and shareholders must approve
any directors resolution to dissolve the corporation
or declare the corporation bankrupt.
Directors resolutions that cover the every day operation
of the corporation do not require the approval of the
shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. They can
be approved by the Board at regular or special meetings
of the Board of Directors. These might include hiring
or employees, paying of dividends, borrowing and banking,
and the regular leasing and purchasing activities of
the corporation.
Directors resolutions which are passed at Board meetings
or at the Annual General Meeting need to be kept in a Corporate
Minute Book for a period of no less than six years. These
books are open to be examined by shareholders and regulators
and might be provided to prospective investors as a sign
that the corporation has met all of its corporate and regulatory
requirements. Some corporations keep records of directors
resolutions even longer than the required minimum. They
provide a corporate history of the company and serve as
an added resource in case any of these directors resolutions
and decisions are challenged in the future
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