Friendly Societies Act 1974

Membership and rights of members U.K.

60 Membership of minors. U.K.

(1) The rules of a registered society or branch may provide for the admission of minors as members.

(2) A member who is a minor may, if he is over sixteen by himself, and if he is under sixteen by his parent or guardian, execute all instruments and give all receipts necessary to be executed or given under the rules.

61 Members’ subscriptions not generally recoverable at law. U.K.

Except as provided by section 22 above, the subscription of a person who is or has been a member of a registered society or branch shall not be recoverable at law.

62 Inspection of books by members. U.K.

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, a member or person having an interest in the funds of a registered society or branch may inspect the books at all reasonable hours at the registered office of the society or branch or at any place where the books are kept.

(2) Unless he is an officer of the society or branch or is specially authorised by resolution of the society or branch to do so, a member or person having an interest in the funds of a registered society or branch shall not have the right to inspect the loan account of any other member without the written consent of that member.

63 Accumulation of member’s surplus contributions. U.K.

The rules of a registered society or branch may provide for accumulating at interest, for the use of any member, any surplus of his contributions to the funds of the society or branch which may remain after providing for any assurance in respect of which they are paid and for the withdrawal of the accumulations.

[F1 63A Register of members of registered friendly societies. U.K.

(1) Every registered friendly society shall maintain a register of the names and addresses of the members of the society.

[F2 (1A) Where a member has notified to the society an electronic address for the purpose of receiving notices or documents under this Act, the requirement under subsection (1) includes a requirement to secure that the register shows—

(a) that electronic address; and

(b) the purposes for which it has been notified.]

(2) The register shall be kept at the registered office of the society or at such other place or places as the committee of management thinks fit.

(3) A society need not enter in the register the address of a member who became a member before the commencement of this section while it has no address for him and his whereabouts are unknown.

(4) Where it appears to a society that the address shown in the register for a member is no longer current, the society—

(a) may remove that address from the register; and

(b) need not enter in the register an address for that member while it has no address for him and his whereabouts are unknown.

[F3 (4A) Where it appears to a society that an electronic address shown on the register pursuant to subsection (1) is no longer current, the society may remove that address from the register.]

(5) If a society contravenes subsection (1) above, it shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

[F4 (6) In this section, “electronic address” has the meaning it has in the 1992 Act.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 63A inserted (1.1.1994) by Friendly Societies Act 1992 (c. 40), s. 95, Sch. 16 para.22 (with ss. 7(5) and 93(4)); S.I. 1993/2213, art. 2, Sch. 6.

F2 S. 63A(1A) inserted (12.4.2011) by Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 11(1)(a)

F3 S. 63A(4A) inserted (12.4.2011) by Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 11(1)(b)

F4 S. 63A(6) inserted (12.4.2011) by Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 11(1)(c)