How much are you involved at your club?

[HRC99]

Having been to my first AGM (interesting to say the least!), I was really struck by how little the average member was involved with the club. It felt very much like it was a just a commercial transaction between the club (i.e. the secretary and the committee) and the membership. The members simply paid their subs and there was no obligation beyond that.

This is in stark contrast to rugby and cricket clubs and amateur theatre groups I have been involved in where people seemed far more willing to give of their time and, indeed, expected to give of their time. Working behind the bar, raising money, painting sight screens and the clubhouse etc. All were jobs filled by the members.

Times are quite tough at our club and with many others and, yet, there is a huge potential resource within the club that seems to be largely untapped.

Issues were raised with the club accounts, staff contracts, the marketing of the club and, yet, sat in the room, were accountants, lawyers and sales and marketing people. None of these were massive issues and would require little time and input.

It just seemed there was very much a "them and us" which seems foolish. Whilst I appreciate there are paid staff at the club but, particularly in these challenging economic times, an hour or two volunteered per year by the membership could make a huge difference to the course, the clubhouse or the administration of the club itself.

I asked this question at the meeting and was greeted with blank looks. I offered my services to the secretariat, the head of greens and have put forward some ideas for improving the overall communication with the specific offer of actually doing the work rather than just offering up ideas for others to do.

Properly organised and motivated with specific goals in mind, would people surely not be prepared to offer up an hour or two a year to help the club?

After all, anything that helps keeps the club's costs down keeps our subs down.

I was really interested to see how involved others were in their club and whether you'd be prepared to help your club by volunteering time/expertise?

 

[Oddsocks]

HRC im very much like you, if you have sources use them. rather than pay a painting contractor to come in with no other interest other than invoicing the club, why not offer the tender to members within the club in this trade. Surely its better to pass money down to the members who pay the fee's, because if these guys are out of work at the end of the year, there goes another member. Or as you said offer a reduction in fees if they do labour free etc. everyone wins. Dave the painter gives up a day & gets a bit off he's subs, and the club save ££££'s - everyones a winner

i have offered to get involved with the developement of a forum/twitter/facebook set up so our swindle can communicate more to get more games going, but like alot of clubs the committee is made up of the older geration and they dont like change.

Our course is P&P, and as such the more games arranged would be more green fee's for the club. but sadly not much happens. Its got to the point where your knocking your head up the wall.

 

[chrisd]

I have done committee work for about 40 years, mainly for the football club I still am involved with.

I went on our golf club committee for 4 years up to 2 years ago and found that the problems are worse just because of the types of people you mention. Often when you get accountants, bank managers, solicitors etc they don't always seem to have common sense and spend a lot of meeting time being "bigger and better" then everyone else, no matter that they were 20 handicappers and knew little about golf they spent too much wasted time "having their say".

Also, when the committee makes a decision, there are always some members who don't agree and some of the real pr***s can be really obnoxious even though they dont know who voted which way on a subject and, in fact, there are a couple of members who blank me in the car park because the committee made a decision that they didnt like 3 years ago - I don't need that after giving up many hours of freetime for their benefit

All in all, I personally quite enjoyed my time on committee but decided in the end that getting my handicap down was more important and, anyway, the footballers actually appreciate what you do for them more!



Chris

 

[daymond]

HRC99 you mention a committee. What do they do and what are/are they not resposible for?

 

[patricks148]

I know what you mean, but it is slightly different with golf clubs, such as there is far more money involved than if it was just a cricket club etc. I was Club Captain of a team down south and I had to go to selection meetings every Monday night, a meeting of the local assoc every month. as well as painting taking my turn in the bar. The wife did tee's and all sorts of other stuff. But I wasn't giving the club £500 ish a year just my subs and time. Quite pleased i don't have to do anything now.

 

[HRC99]

As a members club, we elect a committee to run the whole club. Certain duties are delegated from the committee to the secretariat, steward and green-keepers.

I believe (although not certain) the committee is sub-divided into various sections: House, Competitions, Greens etc.

I wouldn't actually be that keen to go onto the committee but would be prepared to help in other ways. It is utilising the membership to help the club that I'm talking about.

 

[daymond]

As yours is a member's club you have answered my question.I cannot offer anything as I am a member of a proprietory club never having been with a member's club.
If you want to do voluntary work try and get on the committee.

 

[HRC99]

I know what you mean, but it is slightly different with golf clubs, such as there is far more money involved than if it was just a cricket club etc. I was Club Captain of a team down south and I had to go to selection meetings every Monday night, a meeting of the local assoc every month. as well as painting taking my turn in the bar. The wife did tee's and all sorts of other stuff. But I wasn't giving the club £500 ish a year just my subs and time. Quite pleased i don't have to do anything now.

I accept it is different as you're paying £500+ to be a member of a golf club rather than £75+ to be a member of a cricket club. But both are members' clubs run by members for members so surely the principal is just the same?

 

[viscount17]

I accept it is different as you're paying £500+ to be a member of a golf club rather than £75+ to be a member of a cricket club. But both are members' clubs run by members for members so surely the principal is just the same?

I think you've found the reason there. Many members will feel that they are 'paying' the committee to do this work.

 

[viscount17]

but like alot of clubs the committee is made up of the older geration and they dont like change.

at our club the most progressive committee is the Seniors - it was the first, and still the only, section to get information on line but it's like trying to drag a dead donkey sometimes.

 

[Lawrence22]

My club is privately owned and run for the profit of the owner, so I'll be in no hurry to volounteer my services.

 

[USER1999]

I think for a lot of members, once you have paid your £1000 plus membership, then you kind of feel that any spare time you have you want to be at the club playing, not painting etc.

We used to have an artisan section, but this is rare these days.

We do have one of the members who does odd jobs for the club, but I am sure he is paid.

Any one who feels the need to 'give back something' to the club tends to stand for the board, or the comittee.

 

[chrisd]

We are a private club and membership is close to £1000 but the idea of co ordinating members to do work, working out how much their work is worth and placating other trades people who dont get work is, for a committee, one logistical nightmare too much.


Ours certainly used some members for jobs at times but they had to submit a competitive quote and they were properly paid - ie no reduction of membership fees.


Chris

 

[richart]

I think for a lot of members, once you have paid your £1000 plus membership, then you kind of feel that any spare time you have you want to be at the club playing, not painting etc.

We used to have an artisan section, but this is rare these days.

We do have one of the members who does odd jobs for the club, but I am sure he is paid.

Any one who feels the need to 'give back something' to the club tends to stand for the board, or the comittee.

We have a sign-writer who does all the honours boards, and gets his membership paid for. Worth about £1200 to him. Shame he is dyslexic

The club treasurer also gets membership paid for.

Unfortunately the club has no money for me to invest to get my membership paid.

 

[HRC99]

I think for a lot of members, once you have paid your £1000 plus membership, then you kind of feel that any spare time you have you want to be at the club playing, not painting etc.

We used to have an artisan section, but this is rare these days.

We do have one of the members who does odd jobs for the club, but I am sure he is paid.

Any one who feels the need to 'give back something' to the club tends to stand for the board, or the comittee.

I really do understand that that is the normal mentality but it does seem to me that there should be somewhere in between committee/board and effectively just a customer for members to get involved.

Plenty of members have plenty to say about the course, the food, the bar, the clubhouse etc etc but without an option to do something about it (other than stand for the committee once a year).

In these challenging economic times for golf clubs, perhaps it is time for golf clubs to involve their membership in a different way rather than just as paying customer?

 

[Robobum]

At member's clubs you are "giving extra" pretty regularly for little or no recognition.

Team captains, winter 4ball organiser, divot days, gardener, BBQ man, draw ticket sellers, junior organiser etc etc.

Unless the work is a major undertaking then our members who are tradesman will get first shout on it as well. These invoices are paid rather than an amount deducted from subs.

 

[HRC99]

We are a private club and membership is close to £1000 but the idea of co ordinating members to do work, working out how much their work is worth and placating other trades people who dont get work is, for a committee, one logistical nightmare too much.


Ours certainly used some members for jobs at times but they had to submit a competitive quote and they were properly paid - ie no reduction of membership fees.


Chris

I can see how messy that'd be. People complaining about the cost, the quality of work etc but that's not what I mean really. It's more about volunteering time even a tiny amount a year.

I do see though that this is a million miles away from how most people feel.

It really seems that people don't view themselves as members of a members' club rather as a paying customer of their club. But if more people saw things differently, I think it could make quite a difference to the quality and viability of clubs up and down the country.

 

[HRC99]

At member's clubs you are "giving extra" pretty regularly for little or no recognition.

Team captains, winter 4ball organiser, divot days, gardener, BBQ man, draw ticket sellers, junior organiser etc etc.

I know that some of that goes on at our place but it's left to a very few and I think if more people were involved, still more could be done.

If all of that is going at your club then great, but I'm sure there's more that could be done.

 

[Macster]

I agree HRC, I think there is a lot that could be done to involve Members skills for potential reward in Sub reductions for the member, and savings for the Club, each would win.

I do think that my own Club uses various trades for work, Plumbing etc, but not sure about things like Decorating/Electrical etc, and I'm not sure what 'incentive' is given, or indeed credit against Subs etc.

However, I can see how it can upset some perhaps if you go down that route, ie I work in 'Travel', and so the likelihood of the club needing my services is Nil, same as someone perhaps in anther trade etc.

Is it fair that a Plumber gets the opportunity to reduce his Fees when most of the Members perhaps dont ?

Difficult one isnt it, I can see how the benefits to the Clubs who benefit all the members etc, but is it fair that the benefits to certain members arent available to all ?

Now, if your'e asking people to do jobs out of 'goodwill', then thats another thing......

 

[HRC99]

Now, if your'e asking people to do jobs out of 'goodwill', then thats another thing......

That's exactly what I'm saying!