THE GOOD CLUB GUIDE EXTRA:

FOR A SECRETARY

GETTING STARTED

The following sections will provide additional help and support for a club Secretary in key areas of the role. This resource contains additional information to the Good Club guides, and should be read in conjunction with the other ASA Good Club Guides, particularly the Good Club Guide for a Secretary and a club Chairperson. These are available through the British Swimming website at www.britishswimming.org  

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE • As a reference to assist you/others in their role• To assist a club in recruiting volunteers by giving

information about a role• To prompt discussions at your club about the

standards and qualities of volunteers needed• As part of an induction for a new volunteer at the club• To input into the development /action plan for the

club

ACTIVITY 1: HOW DOES THAT FIT WITH YOUR ROLE?

Using the role description in the ASA Good club guide for a Secretary, consider how this relates to you, and the role you are doing / could be doing in the future?

e.g. are there areas, as a club Secretary, that you may need to consider as part of your role having read the above information?

TERM OF OFFICE

This will vary according to club constitutions, and club election processes. Some clubs have rules that stipulate a new person each year, or a limit to the number of times a person can be re-elected, to prevent one person remaining in post for too long a period of time.

ACTIVITY 2: HOW LONG IS YOUR TERM OF

OFFICE AS A SECRETARY?

  What are the benefits / challenges to you, and to the club in this term of office (ie. short term or long term)?

Benefits Challenges

Did you think of the following: SHORT TERM OF OFFICE:• This could prevent one person from becoming too powerful / influential • It saves one person having to continually undertake this position• The club builds up the skills of others• It may take time to build essential knowledge and experience in the

role• It may bring inconsistency and instability within the club by having

high turnover

  

LONG TERM OF OFFICE:• It potentially rewards long service • It could give a person time to settle in and develop into

the role• It could provide consistency and continuity within the

club• It could mean the club is “administered” by one person,

and they may not be open to new ideas or ways of working

• The club may become too dependant upon one person, and make recruitment for this post difficult to “fill the shoes” of the outgoing Secretary

ACTIVITY 3: WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?

Based upon activity 2 above, what will your recommendations be on the term of office for your club?

           

Who do you need to tell/ what do you need to do with this decision?

DEALING WITH CORRESPONDENCE Here’s what clubs have promoted as top tips to ensure correspondence is dealt with efficiently:

Maintain a register of correspondence “in” and “out” by recording a date on all incoming mail. Make a note to whom you send copies of correspondence to.

Make sure you are up to date with all correspondence before committee meetings, so information can be distributed and dealt with as swiftly as possible

Keep organised copies of all important correspondence, such as funding applications, letters along with the date you sent them

Deal with correspondence promptly. If you cannot answer the query, or need to wait till the next committee meeting then send an acknowledgement. You could create a standard template letter for this to say:

    Thank you for your enquiry, which I have passed

to…………………Thank you for your enquiry, which will be discussed at the next committee meeting on…………. I will be in contact with you further after this date to provide you with the information you require

Create a filing system that is logical, and easy for someone else to understand, for handing over the position.

Maintain contact details (in line with data protection) and ensure you have a hard copy version as a back up.

Keep brief notes and dates of any important telephone calls.

Plan your time effectively in busy points of the ASA year: use the calendars and information in the ASA Good Club guide to help you plan and write key diary dates down into your diary

ORGANISING MEETINGS

Meetings can be a valuable management tool for planning, discussing, evaluating and communicating the club’s business. Holding club meetings may also be a constitutional requirement.

 

A Secretary will have responsibility for organising and administering meetings, in association and agreement with the club Chairperson.

 

ACTIVITY 4: HOW EFFECTIVE ARE YOU AT ORGANISING

CLUB MEETINGS?

Write down your thoughts (be honest!!) on how effective you are at organising club meetingsGood points…Things I could be better at…

Are you… organised, prepare things in advance, consult with others, or are you a last minute, not so well organised Secretary?

Give yourself a score out of 10 ……………

ACTIVITY 5: SELF REFLECTION ACTIVITY

 What could you do to gain further experience and training in being a Secretary having now read this resource? Eg. Contact neighboring swimming club by December to network/share good practice with another Secretary

   

What information might be useful for you to follow up / gain further information on to help you during you term of office as a Secretary?

    Who are the people who will be important for you to speak / communicate with in order to achieve the above and why?

  What further help do you need in developing your skills as a club Secretary? (You may be able to discuss this with your ASA Regional Office)

Twelve months from today, what is the one thing you would like to have achieved in being a Secretary?

TIP: Set a reminder in your phone / diary / calendar that you have committed to doing this, and to re-visit this page!

SUMMARY

We hope you have found this guide informative in guiding you in your role, and providing you with information and helpful tips. We wish you a great experience in your role and thank you once again for all your time and commitment you are giving to the sport.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

The ASA are grateful for the contributions and input from the ASA Volunteer working group in ensuring these resources are written and reviewed by volunteers, for volunteers. These resources also draw upon the work developed by swim21 clubs, runningsports and Volunteering England. The ASA would like to acknowledge and thank these organisations for their support and permission in using the work they have completed.