Management and Volunteering
Could you assist with running the club?
The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of the management structure of the club and roles and responsibilities of the various posts and committees.
It is hoped that it will also attract additional members into taking a more active role in the operations of the club.
Annual Elections
The club elects' members to the management roles at the AGM each year. Traditionally in December.
Members are encouraged to look out for the 'nominations sheet' which is posted on the door of the bar a month or so before. Any full member can put themselves forward and just needs a proposer and seconder to stand for election at the AGM.
General Committee
The club is principally run by the General Committee (GC), which meets on the first Monday of every month at 19:30. The GC consists of up to 10 members elected from the club's membership plus 12 honorary positions and five Flag Officers. All members of the Committee are registered Directors of ESSC Limited.
The role of the GC is to be responsible for the success and operations of the club its ethos, values, strategic priorities and management of the day-to-day activities.
The meetings generally cover monitoring financial performance against budgets; income and expenditure; boating and sailing activities; training; safeguarding; membership and approval of applications; organising club social activities and the maintenance and development of the premises. It also responds to member queries and suggestions.
The GC has a culture that operates through consensus and is rarely, if ever political. It is supportive and reflects the values of the club. There is of course often lively debate, and bigger decisions are voted on; but generally speaking this is inclusive and respectful of all views and expertise.
Minutes of the meetings are published in the members area of the club website.
Flag Officers
There are five flag officers who form the equivalent of a senior management team. They also sit on the GC. Flag officers tend to get together every two or three months in a forum that enables discussion of general and perhaps more delicate issues:
Commodore - overall responsibility and tends to be the go to for lots of queries and discussions, generally looking to maintain smooth running and club development. By tradition the Commodore is in post for two to three years and is replaced by the Vice Commodore. The Bar Steward currently reports to the Commodore.
Vice Commodore - provides support to the Commodore, takes on specific tasks and covers for Commodore's absence and holidays as required
Rear Commodore House - looks after social events, bar and catering, cleaning contracts, waste disposal, club house development and works with the premises team as required
Rear Commodore Sailing - looks after all the boating and water-based activities of the club
Rear commodore Administration - looks after membership, IT, Sailing Club Manager (the Management Information System MIS and website), safeguarding, the operations manual and other documents including privacy policy
Honorary Positions
The 12 honorary positions each look after a specific area of club operations and activities. These individuals carry out the detailed action required to make things happen. They sit on the appropriate sub committees detailed below.
1. Vice president
2. Honorary Club secretary
3. Honorary Treasurer
4 .Honorary Membership secretary
5. Honorary Cruiser secretary
6. Honorary Dinghy secretary
7. Honorary Junior coordinator
8. Honorary Youth coordinator
9. Honorary Bosun
10 .Honorary Social secretary
11. Honorary Training principal
12. Honorary Premises Officer
Elected members
The 10 elected members attend the GC and contribute to the oversight and input on the direction of the club. They are also encouraged to sit on one or two of the sub committees. The GC decides on a Chairperson for their meetings from their membership.
Sub Committees
Each of the sub committees report back to the GC. They look after the detailed activities and running of the club and are often where much of the detailed work of the club takes place. They are typically chaired by either a flag officer or honorary officer and meet monthly. Other members of the GC can attend, as can other club members.
- Finance and Development this is probably the senior of the subcommittees and most flag officers attend. Its role is to scrutinise the financial performance of the club as presented by the Treasurer; maintains a watching brief over membership and development; monitor and draw up contracts including rental agreements; insurance and utilities and IT
- Sailing - all things boating; cruisers, dinghies, radio sailing, social sailing, rowing and the bosons work; it also covers adult & youth training and safeguarding
- Training including: First Aid, Powerboat, Dinghy and Sailing Instructor training
- Premises - maintenance and development of the club premises, they respond to urgent requests for maintenance or faults and fixing things; managing ongoing planned maintenance and recommend and manage long term developments. There are subgroups including gardening, painting, keys and locks, special projects
- Social looking after and organizing the club social calendar and events, including games nights, parties and the summer ball. And supporting the club regattas with refreshments
- Bar and Catering - mostly meets every quarter with the caterers and with the steward to monitor how things are going in general discuss any significant events volunteering, bar stock and our awesome volunteers.
Most of the Sub committees are further supported by numerous members who volunteer to help with all the day to day activities that make the club run, from Patrol Boat duties to making cakes.
Summary
This document is intended as a summary guide to how the club management operates, not a comprehensive description. More information can be found in the Articles of Association, Rules and Bylaws.
The Club is multifaceted with many different activities. It runs so successfully because of the number of volunteers that give up their time and expertise for the good of the club.
Hopefully this document shows that there is something everyone can help with whatever experience or background. Everyone is at different stages of life with different calls on their time, so anything members can give is appreciated.
If you have got a bit of time spare, please do put yourself forward.
Last updated 21:24 on 19 February 2025