This year we are going to need some new people to step forward as we are losing the services of a couple of key club personnel. Every position in the Club Executive becomes open during the meeting, with the incumbent member seeking re-election in most cases. Any financial member, including parents of junior players, is eligible and encouraged to stand for these roles.

Over the coming weeks, we will be spelling out details of the respective roles to highlight what these roles entail. Certain people may have done a lot more than was required of them, but with the help of the Club Exec and other volunteers, these positions don't need to a huge burden. Instead they are essential roles in the running of YOUR CLUB - these things don't just happen by magic.

We begin with:

CLUB CHAIR

Status: Open - will be vacated by Scott.

Club Chair is a leadership role, developing a vision for the club and maintaining important relationships with our hockey affiliations (England Hockey and Surrey Hockey Association), our parent club (Cheam Sports Club) and our host venue (Nonsuch High School). Meetings for each are only once or twice per year.

The Chair works closely with the Secretary and Treasurer to ensure the club is running smoothly, and with other members of the Exec as & when topics arise - e.g. recruiting and signing coaches with the respective Section Administrator/Captain.

With a full & functioning committee, the Chair’s role is largely oversight of club functions and does not need to be onerous. The Chair should be able to be there to represent the Club Exec at any or all events without having to be relied upon to run that event.

Club Exec meetings are conducted 4-6 times per year.

WEBMASTER

Status: Open - will be vacated by Scott

A modern club has to have a website as its heartbeat to perform essential functions such as member communications, fixtures, team selection, merchandise sales and the membership database.

The webmaster does not have to manage all these functions, just ensure they can operate within the Pitchero platform we subscribe to and help the respective captains, managers and volunteers use the platform effectively. It is not a difficult site to manage, the admin side of it is quite user-friendly with a bit of training. From this coming season, FixturesLive and Pitchero will be integrated, making the life of a webmaster even easier.

The webmaster needs to understand GDPR and how it affects the personal data of members. This is fairly straightforward for a small club, but is vital that this data regulation is followed.

CLUB CAPTAINS

Status:
Ladies' section - Open,will be vacated by Caz
Men's section - Currently held by Ollie, may change

Club captains are responsible for the smooth running of the respective playing sections, development of the junior players into senior ranks, managing selection meetings and ensuring that any issues or problems that arise are dealt with in the correct manner.

They also organise the Club Days that happen at the beginning and end of the season (includes choosing dates, announcing the event on the website, coordinating events on the day) .

The job involves communicating with captains and coaches as well as all players in the section and passing on messages from the league or the exec.

They also attend Executive meetings that are held 4-6 times a year and buying general equipment needed for that section (e.g. match balls, trophies), attending league meetings at least once a season and lastly being a friendly face for any new club members.

The position is active in helping drive club recruitment and survival for future generations!

WELFARE OFFICER

Status: position currently held by Victoria Power (standing again)

The key role of the Welfare Officer is to support the club to promote good safeguarding practice across the club. You are the point of contact for all Cheam members where concerns about the welfare of a young person have been identified, you have the support of England Hockey should you need it.

One of the main things that needs doing is the administration of DBS checks for all coaches, team captains who work with the U18’s, this includes verifying identity documents.

As Welfare Officer you will also liaise with the Junior Coordinator to ensure safe practice during training sessions and matches.

You will need to attend a safeguarding course.

FIRST AID OFFICER

Status: position currently held by Victoria Power (standing again)

This role involves attending a First Aid course if you are not already qualified and keeping a cool head in the unlikely event of an emergency. One of the main aspects of this role is to maintain the first aid stock and ensure each team has a well stocked first aid kit. There is very little paperwork other than keeping a record of any major accidents.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Status: Open - being vacated by Martin.

This role requires maintaining the club membership database, enabling all annual membership options and confirming that all players have paid their annual fees. After a considerable amount of work last season, the club database is now clean and only requires regular updates rather than a massive clearout. Ensuring membership fees are paid keeps the club afloat and is a vital club role, but doesn't require any more than one hour per week, except around payment deadlines.

JUNIORS ADMINISTRATOR

Status Open: Joe Teakle (volunteering for one more season!)

Pre season:
Responsible for entering teams into the leagues for next season and setting up the training and fixtures timetable for the season.

Work with the other Exec. Committee and parent volunteers on a bit of pre-season planning to make sure the coaching and parent manager roles are covered.

During the season:
Often the Juniors Administrator is the first point of contact for parents enquiring about junior membership (typically contacted via Pitchero). It’s a chance to welcome them to the club and point them in the direction of the relevant squad.

Generally, it’s a coordination role, helping to make sure parent managers and coaches get the necessary advice and support, including liaising with the umpire co-ordinator for home matches.

What has worked well this season is providing a short weekly communication of the up-coming weekend’s training times and fixtures. Just to make sure everyone knows where they are supposed to be!

Finally, the Junior Administrator is there to represent the Juniors section at Exec. Meetings.

TREASURER

Status: Currently held by Anna Tiri, standing again.

A small sporting club such as Cheam HC relies on its Treasurer to keep the club's books in order and keep the club afloat. The Treasurer manages the club bank account and pays all the bills, dealing with Nonsuch Girls School, hockey associations, insurers, Cheam Sports Club and any other organisation we deal with. Incoming revenue comes from sources such as match payments, membership fees and club events.

The Treasurer ensures the club accounts are signed off each year in conjunction with the Club Auditor.

SECRETARY

Status: Currently held by Dani Scholl, standing again.

The Secretary is the heartbeat of the club, working to ensure the smooth functioning of the Exec. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring all Exec meetings are effectively organised and minuted; maintaining effective records and administration, upholding the legal requirements of governing documents, charity law, company law etc (where relevant);
communication and correspondence.

Given these responsibilities, the Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the Chair and other committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

Status: Currently held by Georgie Crate, Michael Karolak, Derry Brophy

Planning and promoting club social events. Booking club facilities, acting as MC for events, working with playing sections to promote events.

SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER

Status: Currently held by Juliet Carlisle

Managing the club's social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), using these platforms as communication channels inside and outside the club to promote Cheam HC, drive engagement via the social accounts and encourage new players to join the club. Requires liaison with representatives from all teams to ensure the whole club is represented.

If you are interested in any of the positions listed (today or in subsequent articles), please contact any of the Club Exec to discuss and register your interest.

Originally posted Jun 6.