Club Organisation
Timing of Club AGMs
Clubs hold their Annual Meetings at various times during the year. Often the precise timing coincides with the anniversary of the founding of the Club. It is suggested the best time to hold Club AGMs is during the Autumn. Not everyone agrees.
Recruiting Committee Members
Clubs seem to have problems recruiting committee members. Here is some advice:
- advertise committee posts
- do not let the committee organise too many events
- share the work out so that no officer is overworked: also draw in ordinary members to help
- set up a typing rota (or other effective production scheme) for the bulletin, otherwise the post of editor will be unattractive
- make use of members skills in running the Club
- do not look for the 'super-efficient' to work on the committee. The ordinary mortal is just as well qualified, especially if he or she can get on with people.
- involve new members with the Club by helping them organise events on a joint basic with committee members
Handing Over
One of the things that causes problems in AIVC - and IVC in general - is the hand-over from one club officer to their successor after the AGM. Here is some advice for Committee members, culled from experience:
- when your term of office ends, remember that your successor is not psychic, neither is your new Committee; don't just walk out of the AGM handing a pile of papers to your successor; offer your help and assistance; if it is refused, offer it again a little later before you finally disappear without trace
- It may be worth including a handover period clause written into your clubs constitution (say a period of one month). This would by it's nature promote a proper handover of notes and actions to a successor.
- arrange a chat evening with your successor fairly shortly after the AGM - preferably before the next Committee meeting - to go through files, papers, problems etc.
- it is often useful to make the first Committee meeting a joint meeting of the old and new. Remember that some of your new Officers may never have sat on a Committee before.
- hand over all files and correspondence you have, copies of Constitution, Standing Orders, address lists (AIVC and other), diaries and ensure that the new Officers know where the archives are, if they are kept somewhere else
- ensure that your Club does not get into the situation that some Clubs have been in where they cannot find a copy of their own Constitution
- if you keep job descriptions, give a copy of each Officer's to the new incumbent
- hand over filed copies of the signed minutes of meetings - someone may want to refer to something sometime
- remember to change the signatories of the bank accounts
- look for a successor well before the end of your term of office, encourage them and familiarise them with your club's way of doing things.
Your Constitution
In order to belong to the Association you must have a Constitution based on the Model Constitution and be in agreement with AIVC Constitution.
Club Records
Your Club Secretary should keep, by way of record-keeping:
- file papers on clip files in date order
- file signed copies of minutes
- keep a list of committed dates and circulate in advance
- keep a Club diary of important dates and outstanding commitments (eg.registration certificate renewal, painting premises under terms of lease, etc.)
- keep a file of notices including notices of meetings, for specimen purposes as well as a record
- keep the Club Constitution and Standing Orders up-to-date and ensure that you have a master copy. Ensure that AIVC have an up-to-date copy
- keep a record of responsibilities and terms of reference relating to each Officer's job
- keep an archival book of Officers
- keep a duplicate membership roll separate from the membership records currently in use and update it frequently. If your membership records are lost, e.g. in a computer failure, you will need the information.
The Data Protection Act
The Act covers everyone who stores personal information (or any information which can directly or indirectly relate to a person) on a computer. Manual (written or typed) lists are not included. Word-processed lists ARE included. If the data has no personal data (e.g. stock information, parts lists) it is not included.
However, certain users are allowed exemption. Individuals may keep data on a computer without have to register (e.g.; you can keep your Xmas card list on your home computer), but only if it is for yourself. If it is at all business related, it must be registered. A company may keep limited personal or accounts information without having to register (check in detail first, to make sure what you may/may not keep).
Of relevance to IVC, unincorporated Clubs and societies may keep membership information on a computer, as long as each member gives his permission. This can be done simply by adding to your application & renewal forms, just below the signing line, the sentence:
"Data Protection Act: the data supplied on this form may be stored on a computer. Your signature above will be taken as permission to do so."
Also note that Club bulletins contain certain personal information, and are thus also covered by the Act.
In all cases, the Data Protection Act still fully applies: all information must be legally and fairly obtained; individuals must be given the opportunity to inspect and correct data relating to themselves; only relevant information should be stored (do you really need to keep your member's shoe size??); information must be kept up to date; and any information must only be used for the reason for which is was originally obtained. Thus you MAY NOT sell or otherwise give membership information to any other organisation or business.
If in doubt, your data should be registered.
If you need to register data, an explanatory booklet and application form are available from Post Offices. There are two forms; Form M, to describe the organisation (only one of these has to be filled in) and Form B, to describe the different data kept on computer (one form per data base/list). The cost is about £22.00 per application.