• SMC Australia

      About Us 


      Started in 2004, SMC Australia (or Solo Mums by Choice Australia) is a community of women and their children who are thinking about, or have made the decision to become, a sole parent. Whilst most of the members have chosen to use donors (via insemination or IVF), other members are looking at, or have become mothers by adoption or other means.

      Through SMC Australia, our members provide advocacy and support to each other and the wider community. For media requests please contact media@smcaustralia.org

      Today, membership consists of around 400 active members, with over 200 babies and children, from all states and territories around Australia and has links to other support and advocacy groups around the globe. Members include those in the thinking stages, pregnant women, and mothers of babies through to teenagers. We are now also a national advocacy group for donor recipients and their children.

      The online forum is a place to discuss all issues, including:
      • is single parenting really for me?
      • what do I tell people when I find out I am pregnant?
      • what do I tell my child when he/she begins to ask?
      and many more specific and general parenting questions.
      SMC Australia is run by a group of volunteers. We should respond to any query within two to three days and we approve memberships once a week.

      When you register, an email will be sent to your nominated email address. It is important that you read the email and progress through the TWO actions that are detailed in the email.

      SMC Constitution 


      Constitution & Rules for Solo Mums by Choice (SMC Australia)

      1. Name
      The name of the incorporated association will be Solo Mums by Choice Australia Inc. (the association).

      2. Objectives

      Solo Mums by Choice Australia Inc. (SMC Australia) is a "non-profit organisation", as defined in section 3, comprising members as defined in section 7, and has the following objectives:

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      2.1 to support children of mothers who have chosen to parent solo;
      2.2 to support women who have or are in the process of choosing to parent solo;
      2.3 to promote relevant local, national and international SMC Australia activities generally within Australia;
      2.4 to encourage SMC Australia and to organise appropriate local, national and international activities for SMC Australia members;
      2.5 to provide a channel for liaison between SMC Australia members and other relevant local, national and international entities, including IVF Clinics and legislative authorities.
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      3. Non-Profit

      The assets and income of the association shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objectives and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of SMC Australia except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the association.

      4. Powers
      4.1. The association has the powers of an individual.
      4.2. The association may, for example—
      a. enter into contracts; and
      b. acquire, hold, deal with and dispose of property; and
      c. make charges for services and facilities it supplies; and
      d. do other things necessary or convenient to be done in carrying out its affairs.
      4.3. The association may take over the funds and other assets and liabilities of the present unincorporated association known as SMC Australia (the unincorporated association).
      4.4. The association may also issue secured and unsecured notes, debentures and debenture stock for the association.

      5. Committee

      The SMC Australia committee shall be responsible for the operations of SMC Australia and shall meet at least annually to do so, with a quorum of 3 of which at least 2 shall be officers as defined in sections 4.1 to 4.4. There shall be 4 officers of the committee at all times. All officers must be current members of SMC Australia. The committee will consist of the following officers:

      5.1. President

      5.2. Vice-President

      5.3. Treasurer

      5.4. Secretary

      5.5. Marketing and Public Relations Officer

      5.6. Members at large appointed by the committee.

      The responsibilities of the above officers will be determined by the SMC Australia committee. The committee may make any decisions related to the operations and objectives of SMC Australia except in contradiction of this constitution, by a simple majority vote of committee members present in person.

      The committee may set up subcommittees of SMC Australia to undertake specific tasks. At least one committee member must be a member of any such subcommittee. The committee may appoint SMC Australia members to fill any vacant offices or to serve as members at large on the committee or to serve on subcommittees of SMC Australia. Except for the foundation committee, all officers of the committee will be elected every year as described in section 5 of this constitution.

      6. Activities

      SMC Australia shall organise the following activities, amongst others:

      6.1. Seminar or lecture meetings on a local or national or international scale, intended for all or some section of SMC Australia members and open to all SMC Australia members (and if appropriate to the public);

      6.2. Local or national or international conference or workshop meetings, open to all SMC Australia members (and if appropriate to the public);

      6.3. General meetings as described in section 5 of this constitution;

      6.4. Regular contributions to appropriate newsletters and other publications, including details of intended meetings.


      7. General Meetings

      7.1. The SMC Australia committee must call a general meeting of SMC Australia, of which all SMC Australia members are notified at least one month prior to the meeting date, under the following circumstances:

      7.1.1. In the second half of each calendar year an Annual General Meeting (AGM) must be held;

      7.1.2. At the request of the committee or at the written request of 10 members or 10% of SMC Australia members (whichever is greater), a Special General Meeting (SGM) must be held.

      7.2. A Quorum for a General Meeting will be 10 members or 10% of SMC Australia members (whichever is greater).

      7.3. The purposes of the AGM will be to report on and discuss the activities of SMC Australia, work undertaken by the SMC Australia committee for the running of the organisation, membership and financial status of the organisation. At each AGM the officers for the period until the next AGM will be elected.

      7.4. The minutes for the previous SMC Australia AGM and any SGMs since then, and the agenda for the coming AGM, must be circulated to SMC Australia members at least one month prior to the AGM meeting date.

      7.5. Election of committee members for each office will be by simple majority vote of those members present at the AGM. SMC Australia members nominating for committee positions must have a proposer and a seconder who are both current SMC Australia members and have at least 200 posts on the forum.

      7.6. The purpose of an SGM is to discuss only those matters pertinent to the calling of the SGM. Any motion to be considered at the SGM must be circulated with the notice of meeting, stating the names of the proposer and seconder, who must be current SMC Australia members.

      7.7. All SMC Australia members will be able to attend both AGM & SGM meetings. Voting rights apply to all members with over 150 posts on the Forum.

      8. Dissolution

      8.1. SMC Australia can be dissolved at a SGM or an AGM. In the event of SMC Australia being dissolved, the amount which remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, shall be paid and applied by the Committee in accordance with their powers to a national body with similar purposes if this body is a "non-profit organisation" under Australian Tax Office classification.

      8.2. In the event of the national body not being such a "non-profit organisation" the amount which remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, shall be paid and applied by the Committee in accordance with their powers to any fund, institution or authority which is a non-profit organisation.

      9. Membership

      9.1. The membership of the association consists of ordinary members, and any of the following classes of members:

      9.1.1. Parenting: individuals who are solo parents or pregnant through donor conception or adoption;

      9.1.2. Trying: individuals who are actively trying to conceive as a solo parent via donor conception or adoption;

      9.1.3. Thinking: individuals who are actively thinking and considering solo parenthood via donor conception or adoption.

      9.2. The number of ordinary members is unlimited.

      9.3. The membership fee for each ordinary membership and for each other class of membership (if any)—
      9.3.1. is the amount decided by the members from time to time at a general meeting; and
      9.3.2. is payable when, and in the way, the management committee decides.


      9.4. A member of the incorporated association who, before becoming a member, has paid the members annual subscription for membership of the unincorporated association on or before a day fixed by the management committee, is not liable to pay a further amount of annual subscription for the period before the day fixed by the management committee as the day on which the next annual subscription is payable.

      9.5. Membership will be conferred by the SMC Australia committee after due consideration of an application for membership in a prescribed format. Potential members who do not meet the criteria of any of the membership categories as noted in section 8.1 may be rejected upon application, by documented notification.


      9.6. Membership may be revoked at any time by the SMC Australia committee if deemed in the interests of SMC Australia.

      9.7. Members or potential members who have been revoked or rejected may appeal the committee decision only in the case of their circumstances changing by contacting a board member.

      10. Register of Members
      10.1. The management committee must keep a register of members of the association.
      10.2. The register must include the following particulars for each member—
      10.2.1. the full name of the member;
      10.2.2. the postal or residential address of the member;
      10.2.3. the date of admission as a member;
      10.2.4. the date of death or time of resignation of the member;
      10.2.5. details about the termination or reinstatement of membership;
      10.2.6. any other particulars the management committee or the members at a general meeting decide.
      10.3.The non-private information held within the register must be open for inspection by members of the association at all reasonable times.
      10.4.A member must contact the secretary to arrange an inspection of the register.
      10.5.However, the management committee may, on the application of a member of the association, withhold information about the member (other than the members full name) from the register available for inspection if the management committee has reasonable grounds for believing the disclosure of the information would put the member at risk of harm.

      11. Automatic membership
      A person who, on the day the association is incorporated, was a member of the unincorporated association and who, on or before a day fixed by the management committee, agrees in writing to become a member of the incorporated association, must be admitted by the management committee—
      (a) to the equivalent class of membership of the association as the member held in the unincorporated association; or
      (b) if there is no equivalent class of membership—as an ordinary member.

      12. Prohibition on use of information on register of members
      12.1.A member of the association must not—
      12.1.1. use information obtained from the register of members of the association to contact, or send material to, another member of the association for the purpose of advertising for political, religious, charitable or commercial purposes; or
      12.1.2. disclose information obtained from the register to someone else, knowing that the information is likely to be used to contact, or send material to, another member of the association for the purpose of advertising for political, religious, charitable or commercial purposes.
      12.2.Subrule (12.1) does not apply if the use or disclosure of the information is approved by the association.

      13. Appointment or election of secretary
      13.1. The secretary must be an individual residing in Queensland, or in another State but not more than 65km from the Queensland border, who is—
      a) a member of the association elected by the association as secretary; or
      b) any of the following persons appointed by the management committee as secretary—
      i. a member of the associations management committee;
      ii. another member of the association;
      iii. another person.
      13.2. If the association has not elected an interim officer as secretary for the association before its incorporation, the members of the management committee must ensure a secretary is appointed or elected for the association within 1 month after incorporation.
      13.3. If a vacancy happens in the office of secretary, the members of the management committee must ensure a secretary is appointed or elected for the association within 1 month after the vacancy happens.
      13.4. If the management committee appoints a person mentioned in subrule (13.1)(b)(ii) as secretary, other than to fill a casual vacancy on the management committee, the person does not become a member of the management committee.
      13.5. However, if the management committee appoints a person mentioned in subrule (13.1)(b)(ii) as secretary to fill a casual vacancy on the management committee, the person becomes a member of the management committee.
      13.6. If the management committee appoints a person mentioned in subrule (13.1)(b)(iii) as secretary, the person does not become a member of the management committee.
      13.7. In this rule— casual vacancy, on a management committee, means a vacancy that happens when an elected member of the management committee resigns, dies or otherwise stops holding office.