With the AGM coming up this Friday, theer are several points that occur to me. First, All club members should be prepared to go on to the Committee if asked or nominated. If you are nominated and are defeated in the election, then that is not a disaster - you have done your bit for dempcracy in the club by giving the members a choice. If you are nominated and elected, then unless you are president, secretary of treasurer then the job does not require a great deal of foresight, oversight or any other kind of sight and you are contributing to the development of the club and at least attending eleven committee meetings a week. It has always been my position that if nominated, I would stand; if elected I would be prepared to go on the committee with the commitment to attend ten meetings a year. At my current stage in the game, and living where I do, I would restrict that willingness to a significant role rather than that of general committee member - ithers could do that as well as I could without paying for 100+ miles of petrol!
Second, it is clear to me that Phil has a definite plan for the younger athletes and coaching for them. His communication could be better but he sees the way forward and I know that he will get there. John Hanratty seems to have a definite plan for the senior endurance runners he has and again, I see in every cross-country and road race the improvements that he is making. The committee is a different kettle of fish. If I could mix metaphors, it seems like a rudderless ship with no sense of direction. As far as recruitment is concerned, I have seen no posters in either of the two sports centres or either of the two branch libraries I have visited this year, nor (according to the pupils I have spoken to) have either of the two secondary schools had any posters or advertising material for Clydesdale Harriers At this stage in the year, that is a mistake - we should be pushing the club as much as possible at the start of the summer season in Olympic year. Paul Carroll is working hard as captain, and is the best in recent years on that position, but there is precious little support from the committee either in recruiting new runners or in encouraging ALL seniors to run in the National. Nor is there any appearance of support for the younger athletes - it used to be (like ten or eleven years ago) that some seniors would turnup at Young Athletes League Matches to see how the club's youngsters were doing - how many committee members have attended any YAL meetings over the past few years? We organise at least two, more often four, road races for seniors every year and yet we have not a single qualified senior time keeper or place judge in the club. Surely, given that we are going to be organising these races for some years to come, we should at least have a couple of qualified graded officials available? I could go on bu the point is that the general committee seems to have no sense of direction.
Third, do we have a development plan? The club's position in championships over the country or on the roads is not good. In 2003 we had the winner of the National Cross-Country Championship and the team was fifth despite Derek Halpin, Allan Adams and Alistair Meikle not running. The first was not typical but a place in the first ten was. What are we doing to get back there? A development plan would be a good place to start.
Grumbles over - all at once - but the AGM is the time to get them out in the open, to have them looked at and then, after the AGM, to get behind the new committee and push forward for the good of the club.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
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3 comments:
I have met members of the committee and I don't agree with the comments above. I have been approached by existing Harriers to join the club, received a leaflet and seen the exposure given in the local press. I am a great believer of 'word of mouth' rather than printed advertising, as it can be daunting to approach a training night if you know no-one and are perhaps going alone. Therefore active recruitment either at organised races (such as the Polaroid 10K series, Parkrun etc) or through other social situations is likely to be more successful. Reading posts like this, which come across negative and highly critical of the club itself, are also going to detrimental to recruitment.
As there is a link on the main Clydesdale Harriers website to this blog (which is how I came across it) I can't see this aiding recruitment of new members. Perhaps you should consider restricting access to this blog to club members only. Yes, the club has to be democratic and everyone has the right to an opinion, but if in a post bemoaning the lack of recruitment you directly discourage someone (me) from joining, then you have only added to the problem.
from David Mitchell.
Firstly,it could be construed as tacit approval of Brian's views not to contest his most recent
expression of dissatisfaction with the present committee.Therefore,to counterbalance his comments, I would commend the committee for
their excellent work in recent years and look forward to their
continuation in office this coming year and beyond.
I have been an active member of the club for the past 32 years and my belief is that the espirit de corps in the club now is at least
equal to,if not better than, that of any other period in that time.
I attribute this happy state of affairs to the stewardship of the club provided by the present committee under the able leadership of Peter Rudzinski.
The club is fortunate to have them and I hope that,at the forthcoming AGM,those members who agree with my view attend en masse to help secure their re-election.
Secondly,should the blogger facility be available to those who
repeatedly use it to voice their views in an intemperate fashion?I would support withdrawing access to it by anyone misusing it in this way.
Go to the AGM and vote for what you think is right, or vote the same as me and vote the right way.
PETER HALPIN.
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