Club industry consultant and impending PhD Warren Tapp works in the arena of club legislation and governance, and has thoughts on the subject of finding and recruiting Board members.
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The Board of your club is only as good as the people elected to it, yet a lot of clubs say their directors are elected by the members. That is true, but you have a lot of influence over who they can elect. Your Constitution will say the maximum size of your Board and the term they can serve.
Firstly, conduct a skills gap analysis to identify the skills missing on your Board. Develop a succession plan so you can see when and who will be retiring (or should be) and who will step up for election. Some clubs have had the same directors for 20 years with no opportunity for Board renewal. This can breed complacency over time, and new faces and skills will help to have a more effective Board.
Maybe establish a Nominations committee who have the job of identifying members who may have the right skills and encourage them to be nominated. If you know a skilled person in your community who is not a member, invite them to join the club with a view to being nominated.
The role of Club President is crucial, so that should be part of your succession and recruitment plan to get the right leader for the club. Your club manager will probably know your members more than you, so they can assist in identifying the right people for your Board.
Try to gain diversity on the Board by age and gender so you have a good cross section of views in how to govern your club, which is becoming more complex these days. If you are operating in a world of compliance and large finances, you need the directors who can oversee that as well as add strategic thinking about the future of your club. Don’t complain about your club directors if you have not done anything to get the right people.
Warren Tapp
