Committees

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 Queensland (SQ) 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 and 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
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Treasurer
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Secretary
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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)

Incorporated Association and P&C/P&F Association Requirements

Clubs that wish to affiliate with Swimming Queensland need to be either an Incorporated Association or a Sub-Committee of a P&C/P&F Association. Each club must decide which option is best for them according to their individual circumstances.

Community Door's website is a great resource that can help clubs understand each option to make an assessment based on their Club’s needs.

Clubs need to be aware that if they are not incorporated, grants and funding opportunities may not be available to them.

Some clubs, however, find that being closely linked to their School P&C or P&F opens up funding opportunities (check with your school directly).

If your Club chooses to become incorporated, they should visit the Queensland Government’s website for more details on the process. If your Club hasn’t previously affiliated with Swimming Queensland check out our helpful information on starting a club.

Responsibilities of an Incorporated Association

It is important to remember that if your Club is an Incorporated Association, there are responsibilities your committee needs to meet to maintain your Incorporation.

These responsibilities are detailed on the Queensland Government Website under Incorporated Associations. The Queensland Government has also published a Smart Business Guide for Incorporated Associations that you may find useful.

Responsibilities of a P&C/P&F Association

Please speak to your individual school for any responsibilities that they may require from you.

Your Club’s 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.

If you’re considering starting a new club, Swimming Queensland has developed a Club Constitution Template that your Club can choose to adopt. Sport Australia also 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.

You can read more information about calling and running meetings (general and annual general) on the Queensland Government Website.

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 Sport 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.

Swimming Australia’s Safe Sport Framework (SSF) has been updated and replaces the previous version of our SSF from 3 August 2020.

Our SSF now consists of two documents:

Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy (matters or complaints concerning the safety and wellbeing of children or young people in swimming must be considered under this policy) and
Member Protection Policy (this concerns matters relating to such things as discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation and abuse).

The documents have also been updated to include clearer and more defined definitions and an updated complaint procedure at the end of each document for ease of reference.

All the resources referred to in the document will now be included on our website and highlighted in the document to allow people to easily click through to the relevant resource.

New disciplinary sanctions have been included as well as information on the procedure for an Independent Investigation, Hearing Tribunal and Appeal Tribunal and the time to appeal a decision has been extended from two days to seven days.

Clauses have been included relating to the opportunity of the complaint to make further submissions on a sanction before it is imposed, as well the consolidation of the commitment statements into one document onto the website for ease of access.

To ensure you are Safe Sport compliant, be sure to enrol and complete our free online course (45-60 min), delivered in partnership with Victoria University.

More information: https://www.swimming.org.au/integrity-policies-rules/safe-sport-framework

The Blue Card System and How it Affects Your Club

“The purpose of the blue card system is to contribute to the creation of safe and supportive environments for children and young people when receiving services and participating in activities which are essential to their development and wellbeing, such as child care, education, sport, and cultural activities.”

Source: Queensland Government Blue Card Services website

For more information about who requires a blue card, how to apply for a blue card and more use the links below.

Information for Paid Employees

Information for Volunteers & Students

Information for Employers, Volunteer Coordinators & Education Providers

Sport Australia's Game Plan

Sport Australia’s Game Plan is a digital platform designed to provide sporting clubs of all sizes with insights into their current capability and connect them with specific tools and resources to build and support ongoing development. It will replace the existing Club Health Check.

Game Plan has been developed to enable a club to improve the quality of skills of its people, the volunteers and management, to adapt quickly and maximise the resources a club has. When key committee workforce is churned or lost, the club will have access to a trusted record, allowing organisational continuity over time.

Watch the short video on this page to find out more, then register and get started today!