How to run a club Introduction What makes a Morley club?

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1 How to run a club Introduction Morley College has always supported clubs that enhance student life and there have been student clubs at the College since the early 1890s. This advisory paper has been prepared by the Clubs Coordination Group (CCG). The CCG hopes that clubs, especially newer clubs, will find it helpful. Some may find this claim surprising, doubting whether there is anything useful that the CCG can say to clubs about how they should be run. Taking the Rambling Club, the College`s oldest club, as an example, is it not obvious that those who run it know far better than anyone else how to run a club for walkers: how to plan interesting walkable routes, how to recruit and train walk leaders, how to read a map and use a compass, how to put together an attractive walks programme, how to cope with the vagaries of public transport at weekends, how to deal with emergencies on walks, and so forth? Likewise those who run the other clubs should know best how to run successful clubs catering for their very diverse special interests. Moreover, there is no such thing as a typical Morley club. The only thing they have in common is that they exist to benefit their members and to enrich the life of the College. All clubs do, however, have to relate to the College in a limited number of official or bureaucratic ways, such as devising a satisfactory club constitution, booking accommodation for meetings and producing acceptable annual accounts and an annual report. This paper is focused primarily on these and similar matters. It includes a number of recommendations and suggestions and, at the end, offers answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs). It is one of several papers available on the College website that have been issued by the CCG (including one on the origin and purpose of the CCG itself). To find them, go to the website and click on STUDENT LIFE and then on CLUBS & SOCIETIES, or just click on this link:: What makes a Morley club? It is appropriate to mention a few of the taked for granted features of all the clubs: Clubs are expected to support the liberal traditions and ethos of the College. Clubs are mutual organisations, run by their own members, although they can expect the College to be supportive. All club members must be members or associate members of the College. This means that they must be enrolled students, staff or governors of the College, or members of a separate organisation, the Friends of Morley. While outsiders are welcomed as club members, provided they are Friends of Morley, clubs should do all they can to encourage students enrolled in College classes to join. With a few recognised exceptions, only club members are allowed to take part in club activities.

2 Clubs should, through their activities, complement the work of the College. As well as benefiting their own members, they should give thought to doing things that will also give something to the wider College community. Clubs are expected to send a representative to the Morley Clubs General Meeting, held annually in the autumn term, which discusses matters affecting all the clubs and elects members to serve on the Student Council and the CCG. Clubs must operate on a not-for-profit basis. They must not engage in trade or be run as a business, either within or outside the College. If a club recruits and pays a facilitator or lecturer to give instruction or professional guidance to its members, that person must not be involved in any way in running the club. Membership of most Morley clubs is open to any member or associate member of the College, but some have additional requirements. Music clubs, for example, may require a certain level of musical proficiency or that members have their own instrument. Any restrictions on who may become a member of a club must be clearly justifiable, be specified as precisely and objectively as possible, and be consistent with the College s Equality & Diversity policies. Clubs should ensure that their members are aware that as members or associate members of the College they are expected to behave responsibly while on College premises and to act in accordance with the College`s rules and policies. Clubs are expected to keep proper accounts, and to prepare an annual report on the life of the club over the previous year, which should then be approved by the club`s Annual General meeting and submitted to the CCG. The CCG has issued guidelines on the preparation of annual accounts and annual reports, available on the College website. The Constitution for Morley Clubs (CMC), approved by the College s Governing Body, lays down basic requirements that clubs are expected to satisfy. Clubs are expected to act in accordance with the CMC and the club`s own constitution; and in submitting its annual accounts and annual report to the CCG every year, a club is confirming that it has done so. The CMC is on the College website. Booking accommodation for meetings Clubs can book accommodation in the College for their meetings, and at present do not have to pay anything unless the booking adds to the College s costs. A charge is made, for instance, if the College has to open specially at a time when it would otherwise be closed, as can happen on some weekends and especially on Sundays. And if catering services are required, these too have to be paid for. With these exceptions, clubs do not have to pay for the use of College facilities. Clubs have to recognise, however, that the primary purpose of the College is to provide classes for fee-paying students, and so room bookings for classes have priority over bookings for club meetings. The practical effect is that, on weekdays, it is usually only possible for clubs to hold meetings in the College in the daytime or on Friday evenings, and that while clubs need to plan their meetings well in advance, they have to accept that they will usually not know whether their request for a room has been successful until close to the date of the meeting. Another restriction is that clubs cannot request bookings for the first two weeks of College terms. An outline of the present arrangements for booking rooms, issued by the College`s Accommodation Coordinator, is on the College website. The address for clubs to use when requesting accommodation is InternalRoomRequests@morleycollege.ac.uk, If a club has a confirmed booking for a room and finds it locked at the relevant time, someone from the club will have to go to Reception to collect (and sign for) the key and return it afterwards

3 Key contacts Most communication between College management, the CCG and Morley clubs is either face-to-face or via . When, from time to time, messages are sent to all clubs by theccg, they are ed to a small number of people in each club, designated by the club, who play a leading part in running it and are referred to as key contacts. Clubs are expected to designate several key contacts (not fewer than two; not more than five) and to provide for each one their name, postal address, telephone number, address (if they have one) and role/position in the club. Preferably all a club`s key contacts should be on , and at least one must be. If one or more key contacts are not on , it is expected that the others will pass messages on to them. When a club`s key contacts change (such as when new club officers are elected) or their details change (such as a new address), the CCG should be told promptly. Clubs are also asked to designate one key contact, usually the Chair or Secretary, as their principal contact. This person must be on . Communication When things go wrong, this is often (and rightly) put down to a failure of communication: hence this and the next section. Communication has already been mentioned, such as the periodic contact that clubs are bound to have with the Accommodation Office. Where a club, by the nature of its activities, has an affinity with a particular curriculum department, it is encouraged to develop a continuing relationship with staff of that department. If a club has problems, or just wants information, the CCG may be able to help, and will certainly do so if it can. Clubs may also seek help or advice from Nick Rampley, the College`s Vice- Principal, at nick.rampley@morleycollege.ac.uk. The CCG regularly sends messages to clubs, via their key contacts, including the minutes of its meetings, new and revised versions of advisory papers and other documents, and (less often) drafts for comment. Papers are also published on the CLUBS & SOCIETIES section of the College website. There are pigeon holes for Clubs and Societies, and for Student Council, CCG and Morley Magazine in a rack in a small office off the main Reception area, close to the Reception desk. This office is recognisable by the tall narrow window in its door. The pigeon holes are where incoming post is put, and for sending and receiving other hard copy communications, and so should be checked regularly. How clubs can contribute to the College In recognition of the value of what they receive through their association with the College, and to help them to thrive, clubs are encouraged to promote themselves vigorously within the College, and in other ways to make a contribution: by making full use of the potential of their entries in the CLUBS & SOCIETIES section of the College website [Present practice is variable, with some clubs saying very little about themselves while others say much more and provide links to other sources of useful information about the club, such as its current programme of activities, additional details about membership, its history and its constitution.] by making use of the screens in the Reception area by making use of Facebook and other social media by putting on concerts, plays, exhibitions, conferences, etc through occasional lively illustrated articles in Morley Magazine by publishing details of their meetings and other activities on the CLUBS Notice Board outside the Refectory by producing flyers advertising special events that can be put out in the racks in Reception and the Refectory or distributed via supportive members of staff by producing a similar leaflet aimed at attracting new members - 3 -

4 by nominating members to serve on the Student Council and the CCG by offering free places on special club events, events that club members have to pay to attend, to a limited number of students enrolled in relevant College classes by sponsoring awards and prizes for students by giving money to the College [Much the biggest example of this was in the 1950s, when the former Tennis Club raised 850 no small amount then and gave it to the College for construction of three hard courts on the College`s former Sports Ground.] by supporting other Morley clubs when they are doing things for the general benefit of clubs and their members by providing in the club`s constitution that in the unfortunate event of the club being wound up, some or all of its residual assets will be donated to the College On the topic of how clubs promote themselves and their activities, the College`s Vice- Principal, Nick Rampley, has written: The College is keen to see clubs actively promote their activities and offer an open door to new members. There are various ways in which the College can help and these include providing notice boards on which posters can be displayed, allowing leaflets from clubs to be included with other College information displays, drawing attention to club events on the screens in Reception, and including information about clubs on the College website and/or on social media. To request space on the Reception screens club officers should contact the College`s Marketing Department at marketing@morleycollege.ac.uk. This department also looks after the College website, which has a section (CLUBS & SOCIETIES) dedicated to clubs. Each club has its own page through which it can communicate with its members as well as the student body as a whole. The Marketing Department will be particularly interested to know about special events or news that it can consider featuring elsewhere on the website or on social media, and can provide advice on the design of other publicity materials. Clubs are also encouraged to discuss their activities with the staff of the curriculum department most relevant to them, who will be pleased to help in whatever way they can. Club constitutions Since clubs differ so much from one another there can be no single model club constitution, but the CCG has issued guidelines and suggestions on the preparation and revision of club constitutions. These guidelines are on the College website. Examples of some approved constitutions are available on request from the CCG Secretary at ccg@morleycollege.ac.uk. Club names The words Morley or Morley College must be included in the club`s name, and the club`s name (or names) must be included in the club`s approved constitution. Where a club wishes to operate under two different names, one for use within the College and another when it is engaged in activities outside the College, such as giving concerts or organising other events open to the general public, this is acceptable in principle, but as with everything in a club`s constitution is subject to approval by the CCG. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Question: Do clubs need permission to put notices about their activities on the big CLUBS Notice Board outside the Refectory? Answer: No, the board is there to enable all recognised Morley clubs to display notices about themselves and their activities. The only rules are the good housekeeping rules that - 4 -

5 notices should not be too big, and that they should be taken down once the events they advertise have taken place. Question: What are the recognised exceptions to the general rule that only club members may attend club meetings and take part in club activities? Answer: The main exceptions are: Non-members who satisfy the conditions for joining a club, and are considering doing do, should be allowed to attend one or two meetings before deciding whether to join. They are expected to make themselves known to the club`s Chair or another club officer. There are some club activities, such as concerts, plays, special exhibitions and conferences, which by their nature tend to attract non-members from within and outside the College. Where a charge is being made, and in other cases where admission can be controlled, the club is expected to keep a record of the names of such visitors. There are occasional club activities, such as a club`s Christmas party, where it is wholly acceptable for members to bring a spouse, partner or friend as a guest. Question: What is Friends of Morley (FoM), and what is FoM`s relevance for Morley clubs? Answer: Friends of Morley is a society that anybody can join on payment of a small annual subscription, whether or not they have or have had a connection with the College. As its name implies it exists to offer friendly support to the College, both practical and financial, and has done so for many years. All paid-up members of FoM are automatically associate members of the College, and it is only by joining FoM that anybody can become an associate member and thereby (unless they are an enrolled student, a tutor or a governor) be eligible to become a member of one or more of the Morley clubs..this is the reason why some people who have no other connection with the College join FoM. There are two ways of becoming a member of FoM: there are people (some of whom are also students, tutors or governors) who join on their own initiative by paying the required annual subscription, and there are club members whose subscription is paid on their behalf by their club. Unfortunately FoM no longer has a page on the College website giving the names and contact details of its officers, and the only way at present of contacting its Treasurer and Membership Secretary is via the College library (library@morleycollege.ac.uk,) Question: What is the best time to hold a club`s Annual General Meeting (AGM)? Answer: There is no one right answer: each club must make its own choice: Towards the end of the summer term is a neat way of rounding off the year while all the year`s officers and members are still in place, while autumn, when there may have been a loss of old members and an influx of new ones, has advantages as a forum for deciding the club`s future. The AGM must not be held so late that the club is unable to fulfil its obligation to submit its approved annual accounts and annual report to the CCG by the end of October. The AGM must also fit in with the club`s financial year, as specified in the club`s constitution. Question: Who can the club send to represent it at the Morley Clubs General Meeting (MCGM), held every year in November? Answer: Clubs are free to send any club member (and may, if they wish, send more than one) to represent the club, with the proviso that when it comes to voting each club has only one vote. These club representatives do not have to be club officers or committee members, though in practice they usually are. If a club wishes to nominate member(s) to serve on the Student Council and/or the CCG, the nominated member(s) may attend the MCGM but do not have to do so

6 Question: What are the current arrangements for booking rooms in the College for club meetings and other events? Answer: The College`s Accommodation Coordinator has produced a clear statement describing these arrangements. A copy is on the College website in the CLUBS & SOCIETIES section. Question: Who does a club need to contact if it is thinking of organising an exhibition in the College using the display cabinets in the Reception area and/or in the Refectory? Answer: Contact the Manager of the Morley Gallery, who is responsible for how the cabinets are used over the year (gallery@morleycollege.ac.uk,). Priority is given to exhibitions organised by tutors and classes, which tend to come to fruition towards the end of the College year, so club exhibitions are more likely to be accommodated earlier in the year. Question: How can a club secure space on the College website, publish material on the screens in the Reception area, or simply get help and advice about publicising itself and its activities in these ways and through social media? Answer: Contact the College`s Marketing Department (marketing@morleycollege.ac.uk) about all these initiatives. See, in the How clubs can contribute to the College section above, the first three bullet points and the statement at the end by the College`s Vice- Principal. Question: When copies of the minutes of meetings of the CCG are distributed to clubs` key contacts, why are some minutes described as Confidential and not sent? Answer: Minutes about matters concerning individuals (individual clubs and individual persons) are considered unsuitable for general publication, with a few obvious exceptions: if a new club is recognised, if an existing club ceases to exist, and if there are changes in the membership of the CCG itself. So most minutes relating to individuals are published separately and issued only to members of the CCG. Question: How can a club order food and other refreshments from the Refectory? Answer: Food and other refreshments are provided under contract by a private food service company, Graysons, which operates the Refectory and provides a catering service for the entire College, including provision of tea, coffee, snacks, etc in meeting rooms. The present on-site Manager is Mr Ashley Edwards, and all service requests should be addressed to him, in person or by (ashley.edwards@morleycollege.ac.uk,). There is a request form offering a range of standard menus, obtainable from the Manager, which can be submitted as hard copy or online as an attachment to an . Graysone do not have a website describing the service they provide at the College, but the Manager is happy to answer questions and any club using the service for the first time is advised to speak to him beforehand. Graysons do not have a permanent address for their Morley College operation like morley college.ac.uk, so if for any reason the present Manager left his post there would be a new address for contacting his successor. Question: How can a club develop links with potentially interested or supportive members of College staff? Answer: A good question, since clubs can benefit from association with staff who are willing to help them, chiefly as mentors, sources of moral support, and as candid friends who can warn and advise. There is, however, no simple answer to the how question, except in cases where there is an affinity between the focus of the club and one of the College`s major subject areas. Where this is the case, the club`s officers can approach staff in the subject area directly or, if they are unsure who to approach, by first seeking the advice of the head of the area. A difficulty in developing links is that a club may not know where to look, the more so as the College does not publish a consolidated list of all staff, including tutors, Curriculum - 6 -

7 Area Managers and Programme Managers (formerly known as Heads of Section). All the same, a good deal of information about many staff is on the College website, under DEPARTMENTS (click on STAFF; then on the name of the individual staff member). It also helps to look at the College`s current Course Guide, which lists all planned classes with tutors` names. For additional information, and for specific advice and suggestions, clubs are recommended to contact the Principal`s Office. Clubs sometimes forget that if a member of staff is to become involved to any extent, however small, in the work of a club, they may have to be wooed and cared for, by showing them that their contribution will be valued, or by persuading them that an association could be mutually beneficial, or through tokens of regard such as inviting them to special events or giving them a year`s free membership. Member of staff may have interests and expertise, different from the classes they are giving and not mentioned on the College website, that could attract them to a particular club. This is another reason why, when they are planning how to recruit new members from within the College, clubs should see college staff as an important pool of potential members. Question: What if someone involved in running a club wants information or advice on a topic not covered anywhere in this paper, or in any of the other papers published by the CCG on the College website? Answer:.If you are the person concerned, you could raise the matter with the CCG, which will try to help. (This might lead to this or another paper being amended, or a new FAQ being added.) Or you could contact the member (or members) of staff with whom the club has a relationship (if such a link has been established). Or you could contact your opposite number in one or more of the other Morley clubs. (Clubs can be a valuable resource, able to help one another by providing advice rooted in practical experience.) If none of these approaches gives you what you want, and you are unable to rely on your own judgment, you have a problem! This advisory paper was first issued by the Clubs Coordination Group in September The information and advice it contains will be familiar to people with long experience of running a Morley club. Nevertheless it is hoped that all readers will find it useful. Comments, and suggestions for how it could be improved, will be welcomed and should be sent to <ccg@morleycollege.ac.uk>