A Committee Guide - To Running A Club

Within this section you will find useful information and advice on:

Setting up the Committee

One of the first jobs of any new club is to elect a committee at the very first meeting. This may sound official and off-putting, but it is relatively straightforward.

It is helpful if people have been identified and shown an interest in one of the roles before the meeting starts; this avoids any embarrassing situations when committee members are asked for.

The election process is quite straightforward. A person is nominated; a person agreeing with the nomination seconds this nomination. A vote, normally a show of hands from the audience, is taken to show that they agree. The results of all the votes and those who nominated (and 'seconders') should be recorded in the minutes.

Every committee should have at least three elected members:

• The Chairperson
• The Treasurer
• The Secretary

The other roles and members of the committee are as laid out in the Club constitution.

Other potential members could include:

• Youth / Junior section Co-ordinator
• Team / section Co-ordinator
• Head Coach
• Maintenance / Grounds person
• Catering / bar

You will want to keep membership to a minimum level so that the group can be productive in making decisions. It is recommended that the committee meet once a month, but at least once a quarter to review the working of the club is a must.

The committee exists to serve the club and to ensure the best possible service is given to the members. A committee must keep reminding itself why it is there.

Organising a Meeting

 It is advisable to arrange a year's meeting dates in advance. A general meeting or a large committee meeting will need at least one month's notice.

Make sure that all arrangements for the venue are completed including entry to the building, seating arrangements and catering.

Members need all the information about the meeting at least ten days in advance; this includes an agenda highlighting any decisions that need to be made at the meeting, along with any supporting documents that will be referred to at the meeting. The minutes from the last meeting should also be sent out if they have not already been circulated.

Things to remember when planning a meeting:

• Do not put trivial things on the agenda - make these decisions outside meetings.
• Do not put the important items that need decisions at the end of the agenda - people are more attentive at the beginning of the meeting and it is better to use their energies to sort out the more pressing matters.
• Do not let members talk at length on their personal projects or issues. It is the role of the chairperson to bring the discussions back to the important issues.
• Do not let the issues of previous meetings take up the meeting. It is frustrating for all involved if nothing new is covered or moved forward.

Annual General Meeting

The Secretary is responsible for preparing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and making arrangements to ensure that all members receive necessary information.

The information may include:

• Arranging a venue, date and time
• Collecting reports from other Officers
• Notifying members of the venue, date and time. Arranging for guest speakers, if necessary
• Arranging catering and hospitality

The rules of the club should state how members should be notified of meetings. If the rules are not followed it could result in the meeting being declared as invalid.

Decisions should not be taken on any item that was not included on the agenda. This ensures that if any changes to the constitution or rules are being considered, all members have an opportunity to think about the proposal in detail and to prepare arguments if appropriate.

Writing Minutes

Minutes do not need to be each and every word that was said at the meeting. Instead, at the end of a decision topic, provide a brief and clear summary of what was discussed and agreed. Confirm the decision, the action to be taken and who is going to take the action and by when.

As the secretary will be taking active part in the meeting as well as taking the minutes, just keep clear short notes that will make sense at a later date when typing up the minutes.

Guidelines on Taking Minutes

• List those people that were at the meeting and record the apologies from those not attending.
• Following the order of the agenda, give each section a sub heading and write in separate paragraphs per topic.
• State the main issues and decisions made. It is not necessary to note down individual views that were expressed or the proposers and seconders of resolutions, unless there is a strong opinion on the matter resulting in a vote.
• Do not take sides when recording a discussion, try to be objective.
• Record the full text of motions, if a vote was taken.
• Write up the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, while the discussions are still fresh in your mind.
• Try to send out the minutes as soon as possible so those not at the meeting know what was discussed and those that have tasks to carry out are reminded of them.
• Make a note to chase up those with tasks.  
• When recording an Annual General Meeting (governed by stricter rules), keep a formal note stating names of proposers and seconders, quoting the exact text of resolutions and the results of the voting.

Appropriate and Useful Words for Minutes

• Agreed - indicates a strong consensus to support a particular course of action
• Recommended - indicates a proposal to another committee or organisation
• Noted - indicates that a matter was reported, but no decision was necessary
• Received - indicates that a report was presented and accepted
• Approved - indicates that a recommendation has been endorsed
• Recognised - indicates that information was accepted, but no decision was taken
• Resolved - indicates that a motion was formally proposed, voted upon and passed

What Records Should be Kept?

The filing and updating of records is the responsibility of the Club Secretary

Historical records are useful but if they are of no use throw them away. General correspondence does not need to be kept.

Data Protection Act

All organisations are required to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, and many are required to register with the Data Protection Registrar. Further information is available from: www.dataprotection.gov