Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association

The following information will provide you with the necessary tools to run a successful club.

CLUB STRUCTURE
COMMITTEE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
CONSTITUTION
MANAGING MEETINGS
CLUB PROMOTION
EVENT MANAGEMENT
SPONSORSHIP
FUNDRAISING
MANAGING FINANCES
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGEOVER

Club Structure

It is important that VUWSA affiliated clubs are committee-led organisations. A committee-led organisation is when a committee of elected individuals manages the club on behalf of its broader membership. Members of the committee are elected at a General Meeting of the club. The committee will consist of a minimum of 4 people – the President or Chair; the Secretary; the Treasurer, and the Council Representative. These are the Officers of the club. In practice however the committee is likely to have more, with additional people involved in the management of their organisation. Additional positions on the committee are often around fundraising, organising events, promotion, and also posts that deputise for the named Officers.

Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The President/Chair

Main aim:
To provide leadership and oversee the overall workings of the club. They perform most of the management tasks, and act as spokesperson for their club.

Duties:

• Chair club meetings
• Have a working knowledge of the club constitution and the duties of the other officers
• Set measurable, realistic goals and objectives for the club to achieve in a specified time frame
• Ensure that the club is progressing towards these goals and objectives
• Keep in contact with all other organisations involved with the club (especially VUWSA), and keep abreast of any changes which may affect the club in any way
• Present AGM minutes and reports to the CDO for VUWSA’s records
• Be one of the signatories on the club chequebook.

The Secretary

Main aim:
To handle all the communications for the club. All incoming mail and E-mail is collected and distributed by the Secretary, and all routine correspondence to members and other organisations is sent by them.

Duties:

• Set up and administer the club’s E-mail account
• Handle all incoming mail, sending it on to the appropriate people or answering it as required
• Work with the President to set agendas for all meetings, arranging time & place, informing club members, taking and storing the minutes.
• Keep an up to date phone/E-mail list of all club members and other contacts
• Keep important correspondence on file so it can be referred to in the future.

The Treasurer

Main aim:
The financial management of the club. They must keep an accurate record of all incomings and outgoings, and must be able to provide information on the club’s financial situation and spending ability.

Duties:

• Prepare a budget for the year on all estimated sources of income and expenditure and present it to the IGM (first large meeting of the year)
• Provide a profit/loss statement as well as a written statement on the club’s financial position at the AGM and present these to the CDO for VUWSA’s records
• Maintain accurate records of income and expenditure throughout the year
• Prepare financial accounts for auditing and provide the auditor with information as required
• Administer all income/expenditure and issue receipts and invoices
• Be a signatory on the club’s chequebook.

The Council Representative

Main aim:
To keep the Council and the club informed of the activities of both.

Duty:

• To represent the club at all meetings of the Association Sports or Cultural Council (whichever is relevant).

Constitution

A constitution is a basic set of rules for running of your club or group. It details for your members and others the name, objects, methods of management and other conditions under which your club or group operates and generally the reasons for its existence. It also clarifies the relationship between members by setting out the basis for working with other members of the club.

A constitution does the following:

• Explains to members and non-members what your group is about.
• Provides guidelines for the daily running of your group.
• Helps to sort out internal problems.
• Is a legal necessity if your group wishes to become incorporated.

A constitution can be simple, containing only the basic outline to explain who you are, what you are set up for and important management matters. The extent to which you add detail in the rules depends on the needs or formality at the time of setting up the group, and on your group’s thoughts about the projected needs of the group as it grows. Many details relating to minor management matters are best kept within your club’s policies and discussed at club meetings thus keeping your constitution flexible and easy to operate within.

VUWSA has a model constitution including clauses that a mandatory for your club to include if it wishes to affiliate with VUWSA. Please view Club Resources for a copy.

Managing Meetings

Your First Meeting
Once you have determined that there is a need for your club you need to have your first meeting. This is usually an informal meeting. When advertising the meeting think about using the following options: email those who have signed up, publish a notice in Salient, advertise with the VBC 88.3FM, put notices around campus, distribute flyers, and utilise good old fashioned word of mouth.

Potential items for your first meeting include:

• Set goals and objectives
• Determine the clubs constitution
• Discuss possible committee positions and candidates
• Brainstorm a possible event plan for the year
• Discuss potential club expenses as well as revenue opportunities
• Set meeting times and venues

Goals and objectives: link the purpose of the club with the objectives, give your club direction, and measure progress. Goals aim to give a club an end target, a path to follow, and a reason for its formation. Objectives are the way that clubs aim to meet their goals. They should be achievable, measurable, clear and precise. Make sure they are relevant, honest, and flexible enough to meet you needs.

Formal Meetings

Annual General Meeting

The Executive Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club. Club AGMs normally happen towards the end of the year, so that the club can start the next year with a clear direction and established leadership.

It is mandatory that an AGM be held. The following things must take place in an AGM:
Presentation of a financial report (by the Treasurer) and a more general report by the President. Copies of these two reports must be given to the CDO for VUWSA after the meeting.
Election of next year’s Executive committee (including the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Council Representative).
See Club Resources for a model of proceedings for an AGM.

Initial General Meeting

An Initial General Meeting (IGM) is held at the beginning of the year. If you are a new club this will also be your Inaugural General Meeting.

For new clubs this is where you elect your committee and approve your constitution.

For existing clubs an IGM is an opportunity for new members to get onto the committee and have a say about the years activities. IGM’s are not compulsory but they are a good idea, as first year students should always be given a chance to get experience in club management.

Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting (SGM) can be requested by members. A SGM is called to make amendments to the club constitution, replace committee members, or to attend to business club as requested by club members.

Quorum

Your clubs constitution will include a quorum for General Meetings. Quorum is the minimum number of members required to attend a General Meeting for the meeting to be legitimate.

Understanding Motions

A motion is a formal recommendation put to a meeting for debate and consideration. The motion then has to be supported by another person (seconded) before it is open for discussion.

The chairperson asks the proposer to speak to the motion. Other members can also add to the discussion. Members vote on whether they agree or disagree with the motion.

All motions carried or otherwise must be minuted. If passed the motion becomes a resolution. It should be minuted as follows:

Moved: A Smith
Seconded: B Jones
Motion Carried

Voting

There are different ways of voting at meetings.

1. Show of HandsThe chairperson must say “Will all those in favour of this motion raise their hands?” followed by “Will all those who are not in favour raise their hands?” (Hands are counted)
2. Verbal VoteThe chairperson must say “Will all those in favour say ‘Aye’” followed by “Those against say ‘No’”.
3. A Ballot VoteThis is most often used when electing officers. Two scrutineers are appointed. A slip of paper is given to each member with the list of candidates outlined. The chairperson may ask that the members cross off the names of those they do not support. Slips are collected by scrutineers and a count is made outside the meeting room. The members with the most votes are appointed as officers. The chair then asks for a motion to destroy ballot papers. In the event of a tied vote, the chairperson has the final or casting vote.

Minutes

Minutes are a written account of what occurred at the meeting. See Club Resources for an example.

The Agenda

The agenda is simply a formal list of business to be conducted at the meeting. It is very useful to ensure that the meeting considers all the items that need to be addressed in a logical and structured manner. Agendas are also a useful way of advertising the meeting. See Club Resources for a model agenda.

Effective Group Working

A group working well together will exhibit a number of attributes including:

There is a clear shared understanding of why the group has come together and what it is trying to achieve
There is a shared sense of belonging and valuing by its members
The group actively strives to operate in a positive environment where everyone’s contribution is valued, where confidentiality is possible, and differences are affirmed
Consistent attention is given to planning, the development of policies, procedures and roles resulting in clearly defined boundaries
The members running the group demonstrate a listening, consulting, and participative style
Appropriate decision making is used
There is a clear commitment to conflict prevention and resolution.

Managing Conflict

To resolve conflict within a group the following should be considered:

Allow enough time to deal with conflict
Define the issue in terms that a clear, neutral, and acceptable to all parties in conflict
Use reflective listening to explore issues; investigate reoccurring points
Have parties to the conflict identify their point of view and what their ideal solution would be.

Club Promotion

For a club to be successful it needs to attract and retain members. In order to do this it has to be effectively promoted. Here are some useful tips:

• Make sure people know the club exists
• It is clear how members can join your club
• It is clear what members will get from joining your club
• Identify the cost of membership
• VUWSA through the CDO informs students about what clubs there are on campus, what they do, and how to contact them. Make sure the CDO has your up to date details.

Advertising

You can advertise your club by:

• Membership drives during VUWSA Clubs Days
• Notices/articles in Salient
• Advertise with the VBC 88.3FM, or arrange to have an interview broadcast with a member from your club.
• Posters and handouts
• Displays, stalls, and desks in high foot traffic areas (such as the Kelburn Quad)
• Demonstrations
• Club website
• VUWSA website
• VUWSA A to Z of Clubs

Salient

Notices in Salient are a good way to promote upcoming club activities. If you would like to submit a notice send fewer than 150 words to editor@salient.org.nz by midday Wednesday the week before you want the notice to be published.

If you have something that Salient may want to cover as news (e.g. upcoming event) email news@salient.org.nz or editor@salient.org.nz and if it’s considered newsworthy Salient will cover your story and write an article on your behalf.

Salient is located on level 2 of the Student Union Building.

The VBC 88.3FM

The VBC 88.3FM is your student and community radio station.

The station broadcasts on 88.3FM in central Wellington and streams worldwide on www.vbc.org.nz.

The VBC 88.3FM offer clubs on campus the opportunity to utilise the VBC news and bulletin service. This is a free service where you can inform listeners about upcoming meetings, events and so on. The news will be read during The Breakfast Show (weekdays, 7-10am), The Bulletin Hour (weekdays, 12-1pm), the Drive Show (weekdays, 4-7pm) and The Saturday Whimsey (Saturdays, 2-6pm). All you need to do is email the details that you would like us to include in our broadcast to news@vbc.org.nz.

VUWSA also hosts a weekly Clubs Show on the VBC 88.3FM. Contact the Clubs Officer at clubsofficer@vuwsa.org.nz to organize an interview or featured spot on an upcoming show.

The VBC 88.3FM is located on the ground floor of the Student Union Building, across from VUWSA.

Event Management

Clubs are involved in event management at all levels, whether it’s a sausage sizzle to raise funds or organising a competition – events are a fantastic way to get your club out into your community. They are a great opportunity for getting people involved and having a lot of fun at the same time. Whether it’s a big event or a small event, good organisation will ensure that your event runs smoothly.

Just like any other event, whether it’s a school fair, children’s birthday party or social event – if everyone has a role and you’ve got a checklist to work through then you’ll be able to achieve your goals and have a good time doing it.

The majority of work for an event is in the planning (process of determining what should be achieved and how to achieve it.). If you’re well organised and have everything prepared and ready to go on the day, then everyone will be able to enjoy the events more, knowing what has to be done and that everything is planned for.

Planning your events

This part of the event management involves the process that you undertake to organise an event. It includes four stages: planning, preparation, presentation and evaluation. This process is about deciding and planning what kind of event your club wants to have. The following action points will help you do this:

• Bring the ideas together – have a meeting to decide what kind of event your club wants to have and how the event might work
• Know the purpose of the exercise – is it to raise money, increase your membership or reward your volunteers?
• Prepare a timeline – what needs to happen before the event, during the event and after the event
• Identify resources – what will you need?
• People
• Equipment
• Facilities
• Work out the costs – do you have a budget for your event and does it fit within it?
• Know your goals – what are the aims and benefits for your club? Think about tying this back into planning for your club
• How will you measure your success?
• What is to be achieved?
• Who is it for?
• Who can help?
• What is it called?
• How much will it cost?

Preparation

This part of the process details the ‘what, where, how, who and when’ parts of your event.

• Make the bookings necessary (travel and transport, accommodation, venue hire, equipment, and so forth)
• Make the phone calls, write the letters and send the emails
• Confirm all bookings and arrangements
• Send out the invitations
• Confirm all resources and people – staff and volunteers. Depending on the size of your event your may want to give your volunteers a job description
• Set and work to the budget
• Write and work to an event checklist
• Write a run-sheet of the event. This lets people know who needs to be where, what they are going to do and when they’ll be doing it. Don’t forget to put contact phone numbers for people on the day
• Plan a contingency if possible. If it’s an outside event is there a wet-weather contingency?
• Plan for your guests and VIPs – what they require, and special considerations
• Good volunteers can be crucial for your event and they can provide valuable assistance in pre-event planning right through to the delivery stage.
• Marketing (Marketing is the process by which individuals and groups obtain what they want through creating, offering and exchanging products of value with others. In a club context, this is the action your club takes to grow the membership or increase the club profile in your area. ) and promotion – make sure you put your event on your website, promote it through posters or flyers if relevant and don’t forget the media if it’s a big event.

Once you have all of these taken care of – you’ll be well prepared and ready to go!

Presentation

At this point the event should run smoothly because time and effort has been put in during planning and preparation. On the day of your event remember to:

• Arrive in plenty of time to check everything before your guests or attendees arrive. Remember to do a health and safety check
• Alter your run-sheet if anything has changed and advise people accordingly
• Advise people if there is a change of plan or you have to revert to a contingency because of the weather
• Take note of things that were done well and thank everyone for contributing.

Evaluation

Get together with your club and evaluate what worked really well, what could be better next time.

Take the time to review your event and think about any changes that you could make for the next event.

• Where did you go wrong?
• What were your successes?
• How can you improve it?
• Did the event achieve its goal, or purpose?

This is a great time to acknowledge the hard work that everyone has put in and thank everyone for their efforts.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship is a link between a club and a sponsor where this relationship is mutually beneficial for the marketing needs of both parties. Sponsorship is when a business provides funds, resources or services to a club, in return for some form of rights and/or associations with the club that may be used to help the business commercially. This could be in the form of a logo on a website, signs at an event or free advertising in the newsletter.

Types of Sponsorship

• Marketing sponsorship is sponsorship that will have a direct and positive effect on the sponsor’s bottom line. Primarily, this type of sponsorship promotes products and services to very specific target markets, or niche markets
• Corporate sponsorship is the provision of cash or ‘contra’ by a company for an independent activity not directly related to the company’s normal business. Often companies sponsor in this manner to reinforce a positive public perception, to communicate to a defined target market or to build or maintain a desired image.
• Philanthropic sponsorship is a donation or a gift with the sponsor wanting little or no return.

Who to approach

• Members, family and friends. Like all forms of fundraising, it is easier to start locally with your members, friends and relatives. If people know your club and understand what you do, then they are more likely to listen and give the support required. There may even be someone within the club who has a small business and is willing to sponsor the club.
• Local businesses and suppliers. Check with your suppliers of clothing, food and equipment. Research local businesses and target those who could benefit from a partnership with your club.
• Larger organisations. Consider approaching larger organisations. They may have more resources but keep in mind they may not have the interest or commitment that you want. Your club may be too small to attract enough value in their sponsorship dollar. Unless you have a contact, it may be more difficult to get to speak to them as they are generally inundated with requests for sponsorship.

Preparation

Before embarking on a sponsorship drive, your club should identify:

• What type of support they are seeking e.g. cash or in kind
• The types of businesses that could provide appropriate support
• What benefits could be offered to sponsors.

Sponsorship proposals

At some stage in your club’s life, you will probably need to prepare a sponsorship proposal. The sponsorship proposal is an offer to do business. It is extremely important that it is a well-presented and concise business document and that contains enough information for a company to gain a thorough understanding of what they are being offered.

Because you aren’t the only club out there looking for sponsors, you should make sure your sponsorship proposal stands out from the rest. Tailor the proposal to individual needs of the company being approached. Do your homework. Find out as much as you can about the business you are approaching, e.g. its desired image, products and services, its corporate objectives.

Below are examples of typical contents for sponsorship proposals:

• Cover letter – address the proposal to the most appropriate person in the sponsor’s organisation
• Overview – provide an outline of the project and/or the organisation seeking support. What are you asking to be sponsored (event, organisation description)? What does it involve and where will it/does it take place? The use of relevant statistical information in sponsorship proposals can help the assessor get a picture of your organisation or event and identify cost benefits. Market demographics are important to define your membership, public and audience. Identify niche markets your organisation can deliver to. It then becomes easy to match a product or company to a particular audience
• Objectives – outline the objectives of the project and/or the organisation seeking support
• The investment – outline the funding amount or in-kind support being sought (what is it going to cost the sponsor) and the period of time for the agreement
• Sponsorship benefits – this is a critical component. Look to include benefits such as naming rights, promotion strategies, signage, media, brand awareness opportunities, articles in newsletters or websites etc. For 99% of companies, media exposure is an important factor of sponsorship. Wherever possible provide some or all of the following elements – radio, TV, print and community access – in a sponsorship package
• Target market – outline who the project is aimed at or provide a membership profile. Identify how it matches the target market of the proposed sponsor or how it could increase their market share. By taking the time to tailor the proposal to a specific sponsor, a successful outcome is more likely
• Exclusivity – detail other sponsors and/or supporters of the project or organisation. Make sure that sponsors are not in competition with each other
• Servicing the sponsors’ needs – outline how you will cater for the sponsor’s needs. Identify a designated employee or volunteer to be to point of contact for the sponsor
• Evaluation strategy – outline how you plan to evaluate and measure the success of the agreement
• Conclusion – summarise the proposal, identify a follow-up procedure and supply contact details.

Fundraising

Fundraising is the systematic process that your club goes through to secure additional funds to its operational budget. Fundraising shouldn’t be considered for raising money to pay for the everyday operational costs of your club, rather it should be used to fund special activities such as new buildings, special events or overseas team trips and new programmes or projects.

Consider the following ideas for raising money for your club:

• Sausage sizzle
• Sell food/beverages
• Auction
• Bingo
• Casino night
• Selling products from national Fundraising Committees
• Cocktail party
• Car wash
• Wine tasting gathering
• Dinner
• Personalised coffee cups
• Movie/theatre/concert night
• Merchandising
• Fashion parade
• Dance/formal/ball
• Celebrity autograph and photo session.

Managing Finances

Treasurer

The treasurer is a key person for your club’s management. They are the person on your club’s board or committee who takes overall responsibility for the financial management of your club on behalf of its governing body. The size of this job will depend largely on how big your club is and whether there are other people who can help – either with the financial administration or as a finance sub-committee. The treasurer’s role includes reporting on the actual finances and seeking out the best ways to use available funds. The treasurer will need the following accounting stationery to perform their job effectively:

• Cheque books
• Bank deposit books
• A cash book or general ledger
• Payment authorisation
• A numbered receipt book with carbon copy page
• Account forms for members’ subscriptions
• A petty cash payment book and petty cash vouchers
• A file for accounts payable (amounts owing to suppliers for goods and services purchased)
• A file to store receipts from accounts paid
• A file of orders placed with suppliers
• A file to store bank statements.

Cash Book

A cash book is a journal in which all of a club’ receipts and payments are recorded. ‘Cash’ includes actual money, credit card slips, cheques and money orders. You’ll have receipts and cheque butts but the cash book is where the details of these transactions are recorded.

All expenditure must be accompanied by a receipt or statement. These should be collected together in a ‘receipts folder’, which connects cheque references to receipt numbers. Payments made by cheque should refer to the cheque number in the Cashbook. Payments made in cash should refer to a receipt number in the cashbook. See Club Resources (link) for a sample.

Bank Account

Your club will need to open a cheque account. It is a simple and effective way of keeping track of your club’s spending, using the cheque stubs. Usually clubs will need to have two management committee members (usually the President and Treasurer) who are authorised to jointly sign cheques from the club’s bank account. Three members may also be authorised with only two required to validate the cheque. Your cheque accounts bank statement will also provide an accurate record of your club’s spending. You can choose the frequency of these statements.

Budgets (budget forecast)

Your club will require an annual budget. This is the responsibility of the treasurer and needs to be agreed up by your club’s management committee. Once the budget has been approved it needs to be accessible so you can compare it to your club’s actual income and expenses. You can use either an excel spreadsheet or a manual cash book depending on your club’s size and needs.

To prepare a budget:

• Start with your actual income and expenditure from the last year – if your club is new you will have to base this upon realistic estimates
• Add what you know about the coming year
• Adjust and modify until you have a realistic and reasonable budget
• Get the budget approved by your management committee or governing body.

See Club Resources for a sample budget.

Income Statement (profit/loss statement)

An income statement is a record of the clubs revenue and expenses for the previous year. It also shows the profit or loss incurred over a specific accounting period. Unlike the budget forecast which is an estimate, the income statement should give an accurate account of the exact revenue and expenses. See Club Resources (link) for a sample income statement.

See Club Resources for a sample budget

Strategies for Changeover

One of the biggest problems facing university clubs is the extremely high turnover. This can mean a large, successful club one year can cease to exist the next, as the committee leave University and no one is trained or willing to take their place.

There are strategies clubs can adopt to avoid this happening. They are summarised as follows:

• Get younger members/new students involved. This is a priority. It is today’s first years that will (if trained) go on to run the club
• Elect next year’s Executive Committee at the club AGM (usually September or October)
• Use the IGM to draft new club members onto the Executive Committee (usually in secondary roles such as Publicity Officer)
• Make sure the new officers attend some club meetings to learn the procedure
• Ensure that all relevant documentation is handed over to the new officers and the CDO for VUWSA’s records (Committee reports, constitution, contracts, and the like)
• Don’t let the club collapse over the summer break…It might never recover.

Be prepared for the beginning of the next year by the end of the last one. The beginning of the year is the most important time for a club. Successful clubs use Clubs Day as a springboard for their first activities of the year.