THE GOOD CLUB GUIDE EXTRA: FOR A CHAIRPERSON

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

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

Did you think of the following:…….. SHORT TERM OF OFFICE: 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 May be difficult to make an effective contribution until experienced in role

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 Provide effectively chaired meetings and great leadership within the club It could mean the club is “controlled” by one person, and they may not be open to new ideas or ways of working Club may become too dependant upon one person, and make recruitment for this post difficult to “fill the shoes” of the outgoing chair

ACTIVITY 3: WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW? Based upon activity 2, 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?

THE CURRENT STATUS OF YOUR CLUB It may help to assess the current status of your club to gain an understanding of what the current situation is, and to then prepare for the future. The ASA’s swim21 club development programme is the recommended process that will help you to do this. You may find a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) useful in gaining a current picture of the club.

SWOT ANALYSIS: WHAT DOES YOUR CLUB HAVE TO OFFER? Using the SWOT table try writing down what you feel your club has to offer, and also consider this in relation to its potential for the future. You can ask others in the club to help complete this exercise (particularly existing volunteers too) – this will give a good overview of the benefits and challenges for the club too.

ACTIVITY4: WHAT WOULD AN IDEAL CLUB LOOK LIKE? In an ideal world, write down below the areas that you feel a club should have in place to support the needs of its athletes, teachers, coaches and volunteers? Give your club an overall score out of 10 on its current position (1 is poor, 10 is excellent)

ACTIVITY 5: PRIORITIES FOR A CLUB CHAIRPERSON In your role as leader of the club, write down what you think are the three main priority areas for your club in the future: e.g. working through swim21, recruiting new volunteers, re-organising the squad structure etc. What do you think is your role in making this happen? e.g making the case for this to be on the club agenda, sharing a vision across the committee, leading the way, being a role model, evaluating and improving the club’s activities etc.

ACTIVITY 6: HOW EFFECTIVE ARE YOUR CLUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS? Write down your thoughts on your experiences of club committee meetings to date. Are they: motivating, have sound decision making, clear communication channels, informative, interesting…….. or are they wasting time and money, poorly attended, frustrating, no constructive outcomes or decisions????

ACTIVITY 7: FUTURE CLUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS As the principal leader of the club, write down the key areas that should form the basis for agendas at committee meetings? (you can use the information from activity 3 or your swim21 audit to assist here.) e.g. leading the strategic direction for the club (swim21), determining the club’s purpose, objectives and targets, monitor the financial and non-financial performances of the club, ensuring club compliance with ASA policy and laws, promoting/championing equal opportunities, supporting other volunteers

Describe your role in making this happen? E.g making the case for this to be on the agendas, sharing a vision across the committee, leading the way, being a role model, evaluating and improving the club’s activities etc. How will you lead and achieve this in partnership with your club committee members?

ACTIVITY 8: SELF REFLECTION ACTIVITY What could you do to gain further experience in being a Chairperson having now read this resource? e.g. Contact neighboring swimming club to network with the Chairperson What information might be useful for you to follow up / gain further information on to help you during you term of office as a Chairperson?

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 Chairperson skills? (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 Chairperson? 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.