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Getting more value for money

Below are some ideas for discussion from Bob Clifford, the AIVC National Development Officer, on how AIVC could achieve more effective use of the levy.  There are also lots of opportunities to improve the functioning of the organisation.



Why do we need to significantly reduce costs in the AIVC?
  • Over a long period the AIVC membership total has been in decline
  • In recent years there has been a significant trend towards lower subscription rates
  • 70% of AIVC Levy is spent on Conference
  • 25% of AIVC Levy is spent on administration
  • 5% of AIVC Levy is spent on discretionary items


What are the options for keeping AIVC Costs in line with income from clubs?

CONFERENCE
  • Make Conference more attractive so people are willing to pay more of the cost
  • Reduce Conference accommodation costs by using Universities and Colleges etc
  • Move Conference to Summer period so a wider choice of venues are available
  • Reduce conference AGM venue hire costs by rescheduling AGM Agenda
  • Pay one travel expense refund per club
  • Pay one delegate subsidy per club (if any is required)
  • Pay one small club Conference subsidy per club  

Below are approximate calculations of conference delegate travel costs based on the 27 clubs that attended the Manchester 2014 Conference and assuming one return car journey per club.


Location                   Club Miles    Travel Costs      Conf Subsidy   Small Club      Total
Plymouth 2012          6,360                      £3,180               £2,901             £600           £6,681
Cardiff 2013              4,360                      £2,180               £2,885             £775           £5,840
Manchester 2014      4,270                      £2,140               £2,950?           £825?         £5,915
Birmingham 2015      2,960                      £1,480               £3,100?           £825?         £5,405
London 2016?           3,170                      £1,590               £3,200?           £825?         £5,615



ADMINISTRATION
  • Open up AIVC Committee Meetings into Regional Gatherings for more involvement by clubs
  • Involve smaller clubs more by inviting them to be hosts for Regional Gatherings
  • Reduce number of AIVC Committee Meetings between Conferences from 4-6 to 3-5.
  • Replace AIVC Officers with regional volunteers to save on Conference and travel costs
  • 3 or 4 non-committee regional co-ordinators to do Publicity, Development and Club Liaison



AIVC CONFERENCE

MAKE CONFERENCE ACCOMMODATION CHEAPER - MOVE AGM TO MID-SUMMER
We could make the Conference accommodation cheaper by making more use of student residences at Universities or colleges.  These days many Universities and colleges have had to upgrade the residences they offer to students to the extent that many now offer near hotel standard en-suite accommodation.  However, we would probably need to extend the dates allowed for the AIVC Conference Weekend into late August in order to take full advantage of the wider range of facilities also available during the long Summer vacation.

The changes required to the AIVC Constitution and Standing Orders to achieve this are as follows:

CONSTITUTION CHANGES:

Current Articles:

"39  An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the period March 15th to 30th April, inclusive, each year."
"46. The financial year shall end on 31st January."

Change these to read:
"39  An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the period 15th March to 31st August, inclusive, each year."

"46. The financial year shall end on 31st January."


STANDING ORDERS CHANGES:

Current Articles:
"9.3  If the Constitution is to be amended at an AGM, proposals must be received by the Association Secretary on or before 10th January preceeding the AGM. The AIVC Committee may submit such motions up to and including the date of the AIVC Committee Meeting immediately following this date."
"9.4  Formal motions to appear on the final agenda of an AGM must be received by the Association's Secretary on or before 10th January preceeding the AGM. The AIVC Committee may submit such motions up to and including the date of the AIVC Committee Meeting immediately following this date."

Change these to read:
"9.3  If the Constitution is to be amended at an AGM, proposals must be received by the Association Secretary on or before the 60th day preceeding the first date of the AGM. The AIVC Committee may submit motions to amend the Constitution up to and including the date of the AIVC Committee Meeting immediately following this date."
"9.4  Formal motions to appear on the final agenda of an AGM must be received by the Association's Secretary on or before the 60th day preceeding the first date of the AGM.
The AIVC Committee may submit motions up to and including the date of the AIVC Committee Meeting immediately following this date."


BENEFITS ARISING FROM EXTENDING THE CONFERENCE SEASON INTO THE SUMMER:
a)  Most clubs have their AGMs between September and March.  Pushing the possible dates to later in the year for the AIVC AGM and the date for submission of motions gives clubs more chance to discuss changes to AIVC at their own AGMs before they have to be with the AIVC Secretary.
b)  The weather is much better in July and August opening up a wider range of activities for the Conference Weekend and more of the local facilities are likely to be open if the Conference is held in an area that is popular with tourists.
c)  More committee and non-committee people may be inclined to make a long weekend break of the Conference when it's held in a nice part of the country and there is better weather to enjoy.

IMPROVE THE WAY TIME IS SPENT IN THE AGM
If people are going to be expected to pay more of the AIVC Conference Weekend cost themselves, then the time spent in the AGM part of the Conference Weekend needs to be made more effective.

POSSIBLE CHANGE 1 - DISCUSSION GROUPS - FIRST ITEM ON AGENDA:
Have the discussion groups as the first item on the agenda to scrutinise and improve the wording of any motions being put forward prior to the main AGM meeting.

BENEFITS OF CHANGE 1:
a)   The clubs that are present can discuss motions coming up in the main AGM so less time is wasted in debate by having motions that are better worded before they are put to the formal meeting.
b)   Better scrutiny of AIVC business before the AGM could reduce the overall time required to complete the meeting and give more time for social activities.


POSSIBLE CHANGE 2 - START AGM MAIN SESSION LATER ON SATURDAY:
Start the main AGM meeting at say 11am after the morning discussion groups OR Move the Saturday morning AGM business session to the afternoon.

BENEFITS OF CHANGE 2:
a)   Helps delegates who are unable to take Friday off work and who have travel on Saturday to get to the Conference. 
b)   Moving the start of the first AGM business session to a later time on the Saturday would allow such people more time to travel on the Saturday morning.


SMALL CLUBS CONFERENCE SUBSIDY
  • Limit Small Clubs Conference Subsidy to one delegate per eligible club
  • Limit Small Clubs Conference Subsidy to clubs with up to 40 members

CLUB DELEGATE CONFERENCE ACCOMMODATION SUBSIDY
  • Limit Club Conference Accommodation Subsidies to one delegate per club

CLUB DELEGATE TRAVEL SUBSIDY
  • Limit Conference Travel Expenses to the equivalent of one return car journey per club irrespective of the means of transport actually used


AIVC ADMINISTRATION

AIVC OFFICERS, ADMINISTRATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES


NUMBER OF OFFICERS
  • Limit the number of AIVC Officers to 5 people (the 4 Constitutionally mandated officers plus one extra)
  • Appoint a minimum of 3 non-committee experienced regional co-ordinators to manage publicity, development and club liaison in the regions around the country and encourage their local clubs to attend regional gatherings.
  • Subsidise regional co-ordinators using the same basis as the small clubs subsidy
  • AIVC Officers to pay towards the Saturday night social event at Conference
NUMBER OF AIVC COMMITTEE MEETINGS
  • Reduce the number of meetings per year officers are required to have by one.
  • Open up all AIVC Committee meetings to all clubs to attend and make them into regional gatherings

STANDING ORDERS CHANGES:
"11.1 The Secretary of the Association shall arrange for Officers to meet as necessary."
"11.2 Officers shall normally meet a minimum of four times and a maximum of six times a year between AGMs; the quorum for such meetings being half the Officers plus one."


Change these to read:
"11.1 The Secretary of the Association shall arrange for Officers to meet as necessary and shall invite all clubs to send any representatives as the clubs shall deem appropriate."
"11.2 Officers shall normally meet a minimum of three times (quarterly) and a maximum of five times (bi-monthly) a year between AGMs; the quorum for such meetings being half the Officers plus one."




If the number of AIVC Officers is reduced, then more of the existing tasks of the AIVC will need to be done at a club level.  

To achieve this, the AIVC would also need to invest time and money from the Association and clubs in the following:

1.   Considerable improvements in the general communications infrastructure it deploys between the clubs. 
2.   Involve clubs more in the day to day decision making of the Association by making the AIVC Committee Meetings into  open regional gatherings hosted by member clubs that are open to all clubs.
3.   Invite clubs around different parts of the country to host the open regional gatherings.  This will create more opportunities for club officers to mix with each other and arrange and promote inter club events.
4.   AIVC will get more effective benefits from the £2500 it spends each year on Committee Meetings
5.   Appointing and supporting regional co-ordinators who help to organise the AIVC regional gatherings and deal with matters like promoting best practice in publicity and marketing and club liaison in their respective areas.