Appointment of trustees.25.—(1.) Every registered society and branch shall have one or more trustees.
(2.) The trustees shall be appointed at a meeting of the society or branch, and by a resolution of a majority of the members present and entitled to vote thereat.
(3.) The society or branch shall send to the registrar a copy of every resolution appointing a trustee, signed by the trustee so appointed, and by the secretary of the society or branch.
(4.) The same person shall not be secretary or treasurer of a registered society or branch, and a trustee of that society or branch.
(5.) In the case of a branch the copy of the resolution shall be sent to the registrar through an officer appointed in that behalf by the society of which the branch forms part.
Audit.26.—(1.) Every registered society and branch shall once at least in every year submit its accounts for audit either to one of the public auditors appointed as in this Act mentioned, or to two or more persons appointed as the rules of the society or branch provide.
(2.) The auditors shall have access to all the books and accounts of the society or branch, and shall examine the annual return mentioned in this Act, and verify the annual return "with the accounts and vouchers relating thereto, and shall either sign the annual return as found by them to be correct, duly vouched, and in accordance with law, or specially report to the society or branch in what respects they find it incorrect, unvouched, or not in accordance with law.
Annual returns.27.—(1.) Every registered society and branch shall once in every year, not later than the thirty-first day of May, send to the registrar a return (in this Act called the annual return) of the receipts and expenditure, funds, and effects of the society or branch as audited.
(2.) The annual return must —
(a) show separately the expenditure in respect of the several objects of the society or branch; and
(b) be made out to the thirty-first day of December then last inclusively; and
(c) state whether the audit has been conducted by a public auditor appointed as by this Act provided, and by whom, and, if by persons other than a public auditor, state the name, address, and calling or profession of every such person, and the manner in which, and the authority under which, he is appointed.
(3.) The society or branch shall, together with the annual return, send a copy of any special report of the auditors.
(4.) In the case of a branch the annual return shall be sent to the registrar through an officer appointed in that behalf by the society of which the branch forms part.
