Committees | Swimming TAS

Club committees are a crucial component of sports clubs and swimming is no exception. Being on your Club’s Committee doesn’t have to mean lots of work! As Sports Community (a great online resource) wisely says “It is not the role of the committee to run the club … it is the role of the committee to ensure the club is run.”

Accordingly, the best committees have cultivated a culture of volunteering, which allows them to effectively and efficiently spread the workload across all the volunteers at their Club.

SPORTAUS suggests that the planning of your Club’s workforce i.e. your committee, volunteers, coaches, officials etc. is all “about ensuring you have the right people, in the right roles, for the right time, with the right skills.”

Our aim at Swimming Tasmania (STAS) is to ensure that as a committee you are supported in creating the best club possible for your members and your time as a committee member is rewarding.

Committee Roles & Descriptions

A club committee should work as a team to achieve their goals and objectives; that team can be made up of a number of different roles or positions (check your constitution for any mandatory requirements at your Club).

We have outlined some common committee positions below and linked to relevant position descriptions for each role. Developing position descriptions for your committee members ensures that each member is aware of their responsibilities, ensuring your Club’s main functions are taken care of. While the below sample position descriptions are a great starting point, it’s important to ensure they meet the specific needs of your individual Club.

Common Committee Positions

President
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Vice President
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Treasurer
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Secretary
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Registrar
Swimming Australia

Other roles may include:

Welcoming Officer
Swimming Australia

Sponsorship/Fundraising Coordinator
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Publicity/Media/Website Officer
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

Volunteer Coordinator
Swimming Australia | Sports Community | Club Help

What is a Club Committee?

A club committee is a group of people, often parents related to the club, who come together to ensure the club runs smoothly. The committee members are elected as per the constitution of the club and aim to work towards achieving the strategic goals and objectives of the club.

We encourage club committees to be inclusive and diverse to best meet the needs of their members.

What are the responsibilities of the Club Committee?

It is the responsibility of the club committee to ensure the effective and efficient running of the club. Achieving this requires the committee to consider things such as:

Planning future directions and making decisions in the best interest of the club for long-term sustainability;
Managing financial resources, fundraising and applying for grants/funding;
Complying with legislation (e.g. incorporating);
Developing policies and procedures and ensuring the club is run according to its rules (constitution);
Communicating with members and responding to feedback;
Developing and managing external relationships;
Obtaining resources and ensuring that all financial and legal matters are properly managed;
Ensuring that all members of the committee act as leadership role models and instil a positive club culture;
Making decisions that are in the best interest of the club and not for individual gain;
Recruiting, empowering, recognising, rewarding and maintaining club volunteers; and
Ensuring that new committee members are supported in their role and that hand-over procedures/training is provided.

If you’d like to explore the responsibility of the club committee in more detail, we recommend these resources:

Sports Community - What is the Role and Responsibility of a Sports Club Committee?

SPORTAUS – Your Club’s Workforce

Club Help – Club Management (Committee)

Your Clubs' Constitution

A constitution, according to Sport Australia, is “a basic set of rules for the daily running of your Club. It is a legal document that establishes the organisation, sets out the purposes for which it has come together, includes the rules under which it proposes to operate and sets out members’ rights and liabilities.”

Your Club should have a constitution that is kept handy for the committee to use.

Sport Australia has more information about constitutions you can read.

Meetings of Your Club

Your Club Committee should hold general committee meetings as often as you need, to enable you to fulfill the responsibilities of the committee (check your constitution for any mandatory requirements for general meetings).

Your Club must also hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year within 6 months of the end of your financial year.

This AGM Guide from Swimming Australia will provide you with details on how to run your Club's AGM.

Sports Community provide training and knowledge to clubs and their volunteers online. You can read more and find their resources about meetings on their website.

Keeping Our Sport Safe - The Safe Sports Framework

The safety of children and young people in our sport is paramount. We want swimming to be fun, enjoyable and safe for all. All of us in the Australian swimming community have a role to play in ensuring that we keep our proud sport as safe and enjoyable as possible.

The Safe Sport Framework (SSF) confirms the shared responsibility we all have for keeping each other safe in swimming - children and adults alike. The Safe Sport Framework replaces our previous child and member welfare policies and procedures from 29 July 2016, as well as our Codes of Conduct. It:

Specifically commits to keeping our Children and Young People safe in swimming.
Clarifies and raises the standards of behaviour for dealing with Children and Young People through a new “Code of Conduct for dealing with Children and Young People”.
Consolidates our previous role-specific Codes of Conduct into one General Code of Conduct.
Strengthens and clarifies processes and procedures when safe sport concerns or incidents arise.
Requires more rigorous recruitment and screening procedures, as well as reporting by all organisations in swimming.
Provides guidance, advice, tips and tools to assist us to keep each other and our sport safe.

The Framework has been developed by a committee of experienced people from a range of our Member Associations in consultation with the Australian Childhood Foundation and the Australian Sports Commission. The Framework is a critical piece of work to underpin the positive influence that swimming – and our swimming community – can have on the lives of all participants. It will also put swimming at the forefront of safeguarding children and member processes, procedures and resources in Australia.

Call Swimming Australia on (03) 9910 7010 if you have any child protection concerns or talk to your local Club representative.

What next?

A good starting point to understanding the Safe Sport Framework is to read the guide and to check out the resources.

Download the Safe Sport Framework

The Safe Sport Framework is made up of four parts, supported by a number of resources, FAQ's and checklists.

Part 1 – Introduction and Definitions

Part 2 – Child Protection Statement

Part 3 – Codes of Conduct (including for dealing with Children and Young People)

Part 4 – Complaints Procedures & Guidance