Good governance is essential to keeping your sport safe, fair and inclusive. Being on a committee is great way to meet new people, hear new voices, give back to the community and contribute to leading the club in a positive way.

There’s no reason to be put off by governance, it’s simply the way a club’s committee goes about its business. The same way sport has rules of play, committees also have rules and processes that must be followed. 

Chairing Committee Meetings

The President or Chair manages committee meetings. Their role is to guide and lead conversations through the agenda, balancing the amount of time spent on each item within the time allotted for the meeting. They do not have the first, last or final say on matters.

Ideally decisions should be made by consensus of all committee members, without the need for a vote. The meeting environment should be one which encourages equal contribution for all, and considers different points of view. New or less confident members should be encouraged and given time to have their say on topics. 
Enough time should be allowed for discussion of agenda items, but timely decisions must be made so that all agenda items can be discussed. Equally, cutting conversations short when they haven’t reached a concluding point should be avoided. This can leave people feeling unheard. Achieving this balance can be tricky for Presidents or Chairs to manage. 

Making Decisions in the Best Interests of the Club

Committees exist to take care of the club on behalf the members. When making decisions, committee members shouldn’t focus on ‘how this decision impacts them’. A committee member’s role and duty is to make decisions that are in the best interests of the whole club and not just areas in which they may be more heavily involved.

Sharing the Load

The large majority of committees and sporting clubs are run by volunteers. Many volunteers might be balancing their own commitments like work, family and carer duties. This can make it hard to get all agreed and allocated tasks completed. Frustrations can easily come to the surface when allocated tasks aren’t completed by the next meeting or due date. If you know you can’t complete a task as agreed, it’s better to say so. There may be others with free time to assist or other people in the club willing to help out. 

Thoughtful Communication

Reading and writing emails can be a time-consuming activity. When sending emails, think carefully about who needs to receive particular emails, based on the recipient’s role and importance of the matter. Not every decision or query requires the attention of the whole committee. Email chains can develop a life of their own particularly when there are differences of opinion. Hold off on making big decisions until the next committee meeting. If it’s urgent, schedule a short meeting to discuss the issue.

Planning for the Future

Many committees focus on the operational side of running a club. Weekly games, functions and fundraising to name a few! Whilst this is important, it’s also vital to think about the future of the club. Where would you like it to be in 3-5 years? What are the big changes that will help it to grow, improve and be accessible to more people? 

Committees need to make time in the agenda, and on the calendar, to plan for the future and set out the path for where the club is heading. Dedicate time to discuss the committee’s collective enthusiasm for what the club could be and make plans for the future, not just next week.

Starting on the Committee

People starting out on a committee will most likely be given lots of information to read and understand. This might include the constitution, bylaws, policies and job descriptions. They might also spend time working out the personalities and accepted practice of how things are done.

New committee members should give themselves some time, across a few meetings, to understand how things are run. This might help new committee members become more comfortable and confident to ask questions, make suggestions and contribute in a positive way.

Playing Your Part on the Committee

Many people who are on committees also have other roles in the club such as a coach, official and team manager. Some smaller issues and challenges committee members might face in their other club roles, do not always need to be discussed at committee meetings (for example, a coach with weekly selection issues). These smaller role-specific issues can use up valuable meeting time where wider-focussed club issues could be discussed.

Committee members need to be aware of which hat they are wearing at the committee table. Think of the bigger picture and the greater role of the club.

Agreeing to Disagree

Sometimes committees must make hard decisions where not everyone agrees. If an individual disagrees with a decision, try to avoid complaining about it with others in the club. Instead, they should respect the group decision and seek to better understand the views of others.

Being on a committee is about contributing to group decisions in the best interest of the club. Maintaining a level of confidentiality on discussions and decision making is vital for the wellbeing of all members and the stability of the club.

Making an apology or Taking a Leave of Absence

Committee members who are unable to attend a meeting should register as an apology. Common courtesy, good manners and conscientiousness behaviour are expected of committee members. Consistent no-shows are a bad look, particularly when it may mean something isn’t done or someone else has to take on an extra task.

A leave of absence can be granted to a member who needs to take time off for a period of months, for a variety of reasons. The member does not need to apologise for each meeting missed but is expected to return at the end of the leave period and resume duties on the committee.