At the next AGM – not till October 2025 – the 3-year term of office of both Treasurer (currently Helen Chiswell) and the Membership Secretary (currently Simon Brister) will end and so your committee are looking for volunteers to take these posts.
It would be great if members could consider one or other of the posts and to help with this we have asked the current holders to do a short description of what the respective posts involve.
TREASURER
The role takes around 4 hours per month and is mainly computer-based work. With the advent of internet banking, I have found that the role can be done anywhere in the world!!
The key tasks can be split into:
- Keeping accounts up to date
- Checking the club’s bank account to see the transactions that have occurred
- Taking the transaction details and entering them into the club’s accounting records (a spreadsheet) – this involves classifying what the spend or income was for to and which event it related to, if any
- Checking that the club’s accounting records reconcile with the bank account (to ensure that everything has been transposed correctly)
- Raising and paying invoices
- Members email over expense claims and companies that we work with email invoices. These need to be checked and then paid from the club’s bank account
- Occasionally, an invoice needs creating to cover money that others owe the club (for equipment hire etc). This is a simple Word template document.
- Making a budget for large events
- Before large events, we usually prepare a short budget to ensure that we charge an appropriate entry fee for the level of expenses we expect for the event. As Treasurer, you prepare the first draft of this with input from the evet organiser. There is a simple Excel template set up to help with this.
- Reporting on the committee on the state of the club’s finances
- Each quarter, the Treasurer prepares a short report for the DVO committee on the transactions that have happened in the last quarter and on the health of the club’s finances.
- Attending the committee meeting and presenting the Treasurers report to the committee
- Once a year, arranging for someone independent to check the accounts – this is usually another club member who isn’t on the committee and is just don’t to check everything is in order
- Annually, preparing a budget for the club’s income and outgoings and making a recommendation on actions to take to balance any deficit (e.g. spending reserves, increasing entry fees)
- Every 6 months, prepare a report to show the committee progress against the annual budget
The main skills I think the Treasurer role needs are:
- Confidence in using Excel – you don’t need to be an expert, but it helps to know one end of a spreadsheet from another
- A basic understanding of budgets – I don’t think you need to know about accounting (its not that complicated, and I am definitely not an accountant!) but if you have worked with budgets in the past that will be helpful
- Confidence in internet banking – everything can now be run through a banking app, so if you’re familiar with this way of working with your personal finances it will help
If members are considering the role of Treasurer and would like further information, I am happy to chat in more detail about what is involved
Helen Chiswell (07766 072202)
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
The job really falls into 2 parts.
The first is recording new memberships and processing renewals. You would also need to maintain the helper lists and the email list. This can all be done in your own time. If members request it the secretary circulates emails to all members (this generally takes no more than 5 minutes to do). Recently the post has included sending ‘welcome emails’ to new members (last year we had 26) and where appropriate arranging for someone to pick up the ‘buddy-lite’ role for the new member. Also the occasional email to congratulate those winning a challenge award when advised by BOF.
The other part of the job is really part secretarial job in booking a location for committee meetings (4) and open meetings (3) and the AGM. Preparing the agenda for the Chair’s approval and sending notice of the meetings to committee and members. No need to take minutes or compile them – this is the role of the minute secretary. Of course, you need to give a report of the current state of the membership to the committee and the AGM.
In essence apart from attending the meetings I have found the role to be mostly laptop work at home as and when required.
If members are considering this and would like further information I am happy to meet up and run through what in involved.
Simon Brister 07787786818