Camera Club Committee....?

[JHFoto]

Last week was our AGM and it was decided that we would have our tea break about half way through just after the committee was dissolved for re election after tea. our tea we have in an adjacent room.  When we all returned to the main room the only person sitting at the committee table was our President, all of the existing committee said they were not standing for re election for one reason or another.

Now the club cannot function without a committee, under our constitution in these circumstances the club would no longer exist, we have a healthy bank balance and a programme booked well into 2016 also 70 paid up members.

Everyone when asked by the President to stand for office no one came forward, we all sat looking at one another for about half an hour and the time was coming up to ten in the evening, we only have the room until then. I think not everyone understood the seriousness of this situation so I said that I would take on the roll of chairman and adjourned the meeting calling for an emergency general meeting in three weeks time to sort out this mess.

There I have got it off my chest now..

[Phil]

And breath...

I've never been to a camera club, in fact I'm not sure we have one locally, but I can imagine your predicament. I suppose it's a little like running TIPF for instance, I do enjoy the responsibility that comes with being admin, but once in a while it would be nice to sit back and post as a regular member

[JHFoto]

The only reason I am in a camera club is for the competitions, its great to get feedback good and bad on my images.

[EdwardL]

Don't they like the president?

Hope it's sorted in the fairly near future.  70 paid up members is a fair number in any sort of society or club.

[JHFoto]

They have till June 30th when we have the Emergency General Meeting.

[fuzzyedges]

Go for the minimum people needed double up on positions do two jobs 

The less cooks in the broth makes running a club easier 

[Leon]

i have been to 2 clubs... I just don't get them, then again I was the youngest (39) by about 50 years.... seeing a man trying to use a 4/3rds canera with a monopod inside taking macro shots through the screen on the back was quite amusing.

then there was the "all the gear no idea" clan

then the" spray and prayers"  (they also cross over to the above.)

then the "I'll edit it so much you can no longer see what it is" group

then the "professionals" who look down there nose at all the other minions in the club room.

 

my only good experience was getting to use the studio lighting, i was thinking of joining just to use it for my own pleasure.....

[JHFoto]

My club is OK everyone is down to Earth, there are a few pro's but they are fine I like picking their brains. As I have said its the competition keeps me going.

[ChrisLumix]

Does your club have a constitution? If so, you may be surprised at how few you actually need for a committee (secretary and treasurer, for example, with a chair being elected on a meeting by meeting basis). The EGM should help sort it out, but Item 1 on the agenda should be "The future of the club", with it being made plain that "no committee = no club", but perhaps also saying the duties are only as onerous as people want to make them. For example, if members don't like how the club is run after the EGM, the simple answer is "You could have stood for the committee,  but you didn't...." 

Personally, I think if the club was in danger of folding, people WILL come forward at the EGM. Good luck.

[JHFoto]

We had a good turn out tonight for the printed image 3rd round competition, I did emphasise the gravity of the situation and from what I heard tonight I think we will sort it out at the EGM.....

[Ryewolf]

I've thought about joining a camera club, weirdly though my 2 local town clubs, don't actually meet in the town they're named after, Acrington's Camera Club meets in Rishton (part of Blackburn) and Blackburn's meets in Samlesbury.

[JHFoto]

Ours is called Walsall Wood Camera club but we meet in Brownhills about three miles away

[FUJI]

If you were as ancient as me, you would know that with almost every committee this happens every few years, the standing officials just get burned out because no one wants to replace them.

As an amateur scenic artist I Spent many hours of precious time at waffling production meetings, Aeons on a History Society committee ........and many moons on other committees, all at some point suffered in exactly the same way.

A very keen photographer mate of mine, is a keen club member, he has just been tearing his hair out putting books straight after the treasurer of some years messed them up......he is also a roving judge for a few clubs, the stress he is under sometimes really shows.......at least I get extremely critical, crits no holds barred over Costa coffees.....no more committees for me ;-))

 

FUJI

 

[JHFoto]

Thanks for all your input to this thread..........................

[Phoenix]

We have a great club (50 paid members, about 30 active) and a committee of 11!I I was president for 3 years and am now still on Committee. I worked really hard to make our committee meetings fun, run efficiently and to time. We also have an unwritten rule that the positions should be rotated after 2 years so that people don't butn out We now lobby next years committee before we go to an AGM so that there are no surprises and no uncomfortable moments for anyone. We directly ask individuals who have been part of the club for a year or two to join us on Committee. We also carefully divide up the work so that it is shared (ie new members,minutes and agenda, supper,  newsletter, website, activities, publicity, exhibition etc) and each job has a short job description attached. 

I do agree with Fuji, that every committee goes through something like this every so often (7 year itch). If it were me I would read the constitution carefully, threaten to dissolve the club and ask for suggestions to where the club money should be donated to. Send a generic email to everyone stating the situation and some of them will come out of the woodwork. If you don't get enough, then go and join another club!

[Phoenix]

hi JH, just wondering what was the outcome for you and your club?