Club committee, open or closed ?
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Category: General
Forum Name: Banter
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12284
Printed Date: 27 Jun 25 at 12:47am
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Topic: Club committee, open or closed ?
Posted By: 423zero
Subject: Club committee, open or closed ?
Date Posted: 21 Jan 16 at 9:40pm
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Club committee, behind closed doors or open forum ? My club holds its meetings behind closed doors. I do not think it should. Treasurery meetings, semi confidential, due to banking details etc. Why does this years training schedule need to be discussed in private? What does your club do?
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Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 21 Jan 16 at 10:41pm
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I think the inevitable result of making the formal meetings public would be that all the real discussion and decision making would take place outside them.
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Posted By: transient
Date Posted: 21 Jan 16 at 11:05pm
There certainly needs to be transperency but public com meetings would turn into a shambles IMO. Accurate minutes published would be fine for me.
The com members are elected as your representatives, let them represent.
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Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 9:45am
Most club committees are too big to start with, so they struggle to get work done and decisions made. Open them up and the only way to get anything done will be quiet words amongst ad hoc groups of officers in the bar, or perhaps more likely these days emails. No minutes, no official record, less democracy.
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Peter
Ex Cont 707
Ex Laser 189635
DY 59
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Posted By: PaulPoshW
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 10:12am
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Agree with the above, holding a meeting somewhere too public can invite too many opinions which would slow down what can already be a lengthy process. The best way to view the meetings live is to volunteer to be a member of the committee.
At our club although the meetings aren't closed we do hold them in a separately to other things happening in the club house. Of course minutes are available to any member of the club who wants them.
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Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 10:39am
It's difficult enough to get all the members of our committee together on a given night, it's also difficult to get folk to serve on the bloody things, we hold our meetings either in a pub or in a corner of the club if anyone shows the remotest interest in helping we rope them in anyway and most of what is under discussion is common knowledge, so we have no 'closed door' policy actual or virtual.
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https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website
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Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 12:17pm
Committee meetings should be behind closed doors but with minutes of each meeting available to the membership promptly after each meeting. This means there is transparency. If you are that bothered about how your club committee is conducting itself join it.
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Paul
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D-Zero GBR 74
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 1:41pm
Things need to be discussed by the committee, decisions made and then the rest of the club informed. I can't see that all the individual views set out to come to that decision being aired in all their glory will help come to a correct decision.
Joining the committee would be a good way to start, then maybe influence it towards more openness if they really are hiding stuff.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 2:05pm
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Two separate questions. I can see few reasons that Committee meetings should be behind closed doors. I can however see lots of reason for members not being allowed to contribute to meetings. Observe, absolutely, why not. Speak and take part, certainly not, nothing would get done.
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Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 3:01pm
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If you are that bothered about how your club committee is conducting itself join it.
That seems the key point to me. I've never experienced an election at a club AGM that I've been at for a position on the committee. I've been told by old lags that they remember them happening, a bit like seeing Halley's comet. Maybe there are places where competition for spaces happens, but I suspect they are few and far between - those lucky clubs. Most committees I suspect are only too happy to have something near a full complement. So if you are really interested in what's happening it's very unlikely that you couldn't find a position on a committee and be involved in the decisions - and also of course the work!
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Peter
Ex Cont 707
Ex Laser 189635
DY 59
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Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 5:17pm
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Their is only so much you can say on an open Forum, also once said, you cannot take back. Proxy votes, democratic or not? I do not think, (unless someone is ill), proxy votes should be allowed. Their are only (approx') 50 members at my club, I have only seen (approx') 20 people in 5 years, of these probably a dozen sail.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 5:24pm
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 22 Jan 16 at 10:29pm
Proxy votes? No.
I suspect from what I've heard over the last few years, your club has a unique set of issues, so maybe our stock advice isn't as simple to put into practice as it might be at my club, for instance.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 23 Jan 16 at 10:50am
Originally posted by jeffers
Committee meetings should be behind closed doors but with minutes of each meeting available to the membership promptly after each meeting. This means there is transparency. If you are that bothered about how your club committee is conducting itself join it. |
Sorry but if you think minutes = transparency you are underestimating the editorial power of the minute-taker.
I can't see very few justifications from barring members from attending meetings as listeners if they want to. That's how local government is required by law to conduct its meetings. Staff disciplinary matters might be an example of a meeting that should be held privately, something that comes up rather rarely I imagine.
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Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 23 Jan 16 at 1:28pm
Originally posted by blueboy
That's how local government is required by law to conduct its meetings. |
It is indeed, but those meetings are mainly for show and political posturing. Just about all the real decision making is worked out beforehand between executives and senior politicians. The real power is not so much deciding between option A or option B, but in deciding what is actually in option A and option B.
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Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 24 Jan 16 at 7:40am
In my experience local council committees aren't so well organised as to have decided everything in advance. Except, perhaps, on major matters.
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Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 24 Jan 16 at 11:15am
Originally posted by Peaky
Must be a lot of duties!
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Our Commodore probably did half the duties last year, OOD and Safety. I did double my quota of OOD. The club is open all year. Thursday afternoon through to late evening, safety cover only.
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