Ch 1Organisation of a Co-operative Society — Class 12 Co-operation, concept-first.

Once a co-operative society has been registered under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, it comes into existence as a body corporate — but a legal person cannot act by itself.

The general body of a co-operative society is the assembly of all its members. It is not a small group but the whole membership, meeting together to take decisions on the affairs of the society.

The general body functions through two kinds of general meetings: the annual general meeting and the special (or extraordinary) general meeting.

Because the general body is the supreme authority of the society, the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 reserves to it a set of important powers that the managing committee cannot exercise…

While the general body holds supreme authority, it obviously cannot assemble every day to run the society.

The managing committee is the working engine of the society, and its powers and duties cover almost every aspect of running the society between general meetings — always, however, within the framework…

The managing committee acts as a body, but many functions have to be performed by particular individuals holding particular offices.

The secretary is the chief executive and record-keeper of a co-operative society, and in the working of most societies he is the busiest of the office-bearers.

The treasurer (in some societies called the cashier or accountant) is the office-bearer specially charged with the custody and handling of the society's money and financial records.

The single feature that most sharply distinguishes the organisation of a co-operative society from that of a company is democratic management.