Constitutional Iregularities in Club

Countrygirl2_2

Hi, (Not sure if this is the right forum to be posting in)
I'm a member of a club that was formed by the amalgamation of two clubs (to form VAGSBH) with the view that halving the overheads and doubling the membership would sort out the financial worries of both clubs. Both clubs had properties so one lot of properties was sold and the money raised put into a trust that would put the interest from those monies annualy into the pot.
From the outset the chairmen and various officers of the club have broken the rules of the constitution in terms of helping themselves to money prior to committee agreement, trying to amend the constitution without proper committee aproval etc.
The members although disgusted with this do not stand up to the bullying and "we will do what we want attitude" from the top.
Is there any independent body who can come in and arbitrate or take them to task or is this something that has to be done through the courts?

KeithP

Is the club a charity? If so, charity commissioners.

Is the club a member of an association? Something like the association of working mens clubs.

Or, having googled VAGSBH, to find it stands forThe Vale of Aylesbury with Garth & South Berks Hunt, is there an association of hunting clubs that it may be affiliated to?

Countrygirl2_2

Hi, Thank you for your reply. The club is not a charity. There is an association but unfortunately due to "the old boys network" this is a waste of time, it needs to be a bit more official.

mountainofdebt

tbh it sounds as if the officers has been allowed to get away with things by the committee

If the committee / members have got the gall to challenge the officers / chairmen perhaps it's time to change the committee ? And if the members haven't got the backbone to get a committee that will challenge the chairmen / officers then perhaps its only a matter of time before the association becomes economically unviable and therefore ceases.

Dick_Van_Dyke

You have two options

One if there is some sort of illegal action contact the authorities or the regulators. Very unlikely

Two you arent happy with the current running. Use the constitution to change the committee and office bearers. If they are as bad as you say your fellow members will vote with you and they will be removed and replaced.

My one comment is you often find in these sort of set ups the board and committees are doing what the majority want but often a vocal minority dont like this or want the power and create all the hassle they can rather than doing the best for everyone else and walking away and joining a club in their own spirit.

Countrygirl2_2

I appreciate what you say, we are a smaller group who want to see things run properly but most of the committee don't seem to care that the constitution rules are broken. An ex chairman took £20,000 from funds and paid it to his employer for a genuine reason but did not put it to the committee for 2 months where it was then agreed upon retrospectively. Is this illegal or just bad management.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I must be the only person here who finds irony in people who have continued to hunt foxes taking exception to other members of their clique having the attitude 'we will do as we want'.

mountainofdebt

Does the organisation have a AGM where by the committee has to be reappointed? If so then I think this will be your best opportunity to change the status quo - if you can't get enough people to bother to vote then you have your answer.

Jo - I can see what you what you mean and yes it is rather ironic, although it hadn't crossed my mind before hand!

DVardysShadow

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Does the organisation have a AGM where by the committee has to be reappointed? If so then I think this will be your best opportunity to change the status quo - if you can't get enough people to bother to vote then you have your answer.

Jo - I can see what you what you mean and yes it is rather ironic, although it hadn't crossed my mind before hand!

Agree. A good place to start would be in voting down the annual accounts or the annual reports of any of the officers

pmduk

Can you even begin to expect such an organisation to follow it's own rules when so many openly flout the law on hunting?

Hintza

pmduk wrote: »

Can you even begin to expect such an organisation to follow it's own rules when so many openly flout the law on hunting?

Are your and your apologist's points relevant to the OP's question? Or are you here to score cheap points?