Whether an annual business meeting (AGM) for members is required will be a function of the legal set up of the organisation.  

Organisations which are member run (or started off that way) will often have a legal setup where the AGM is the ultimate governing body of organisation who elect the board.  In the UK the National Trust is a classic example, although many people will join just for the free admission or to in a general way support the organisation they get responsibility for how the organisation is run (similar to a shareholder in a company). In this model the AGM has to be open to all members.   

Organisations which are set up by foundations, governments etc. usually don't follow that model.  The board either self appoints or board members are appointed by organisations and any "membership" scheme is set up later and is really more of a "subscription" scheme, you pay money and get benefits but don't gain any say in how the organisation is run (similar to a loyalty scheme in a supermarket). In the UK English Heritage is an example of this. In this model there is no need for an AGM for all "members" and indeed inviting "members" to such a meeting is only likely to cause confusion about who is responsible for running the organisation.

There is a third variation where the museum is set up as in the second example and there is a separately constituted Friends organisation which is set up as in the first example.  Sometimes this arises where the original institution has at some point been under threat and a campaigning organisation has been set up to save it.  It can also happen where the fund raising options for the original institution are limited (perhaps because it is part of an arm of government) and a separate non-profit has more options.  In the UK the British Museum/Friends of the British Museum is an example of this where the relationship is such that the museum's "membership" programme actually involves becoming a member of the Friends.   

Trevor Reynolds, Registrar
English Heritage, 36 Hospital Fields Road, York, YO10 4DZ
+44 (0) 1904 610322
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