Social club committee.

Since Saturday all the members (bar one) and the chairman have been and asked and at one point begged me to come onto the committee. Had a good chat with DH and our 2 children they advised to carry on if that's what I want to do.
So attended my first meeting last night to find everyone so welcoming. The member who was nasty about me had resigned. After having a quick read of the minutes from a number of meetings it seems as though he was against anything pro active from the committee.
We know it's going to be a huge job to bring this club back to its prime. But we are all excited and have some great ideas which we think will work.
Regarding the pool table it's being fitted next week on a six month contract at first and if we want to carry on we can or if money is available he will let us buy it. As I have said he is happy to help and I don't think we can say he is going to rip us off.

Thanks for all your replies.

I agree eazybee and with others who said the proper procedures were not followed in this case. One has to be so careful with charitable organisations.
Not your fault Nanawind committees can be difficult if not properly run. You are right to move away from this and find another cause to support.

This business man wasn't giving your club a pool table; he proposed paying for it and recouping the costs, and a possible profit. The chairman should have called a full committee meeting to discuss and vote upon this proposal and the financial arrangements and minute it.
The committee member who was not included has a right to feel disgruntled, but should have expressed his concern to the chairman and called for a meeting.
Finally, if the arrangement was agreed between the Chairman and the business man, and the table was due to be delivered, it was not for you and your husband to cancel it. I hope you don't have to refund any costs that may have been incurred.
Committees are long-winded and hard work, but they are there for a purpose, to prevent exactly this sort of unpleasant situation developing.

On a slightly different note..... years ago at PTA meetings that started 7:15pm prompt our new chair suggested a finish time of 9pm. She didn’t live as locally as the rest of us and would have to stay at school from the close of day, then after the meeting go on the motorway to get home. Having a finish time was brilliant. It concentrated our minds at the issues at hand and we were all mindful of agenda items that had to be got through!

So sorry that this has happened to you. Its a common thing that those who squeak the loudest do the least work. Never again will I go on a committee, same thing as you. Thankless task. I prefer to be an Indian not a Chief these days. It takes a lot of energy from you when you have to deal with people like that. No wonder they are on their last legs.

I took over the chair of a PTA because nobody wanted it. I found the accounts had not been done ever and the previous treasurer had just been paying out of his own pocket and claiming every so often. As a result, when the accounts were finally audited, it transpired that it had been n the red at times. I managed to turn it around with active fundraising and got it profitable immediately so it was able to do the job it was set up for. Some members were squandering the money and I put a stop to it. They were the ones who did nothing to fundraise and criticised everything I did. In the end, when I'd done everything I set out to do, I just walked away but left it in the hands of someone I knew would be able to carry it on. I often wonder why some people go into voluntary work!

Like most other posters here I have experienced some horrendous committee shenanigans...I don't bother volunteering my services to them anymore.

FlorenceN I don't think it is a daft question. It occurred to me too. Either donate or don't really - but there were certainly ramifications and some sort of written agreement would probably have been necessary under the committees rules or at least for safety. Was it to be insured? What was to happen to it if the committee had no further use for it? Who was going to be responsible for making the payments? What if he disputed the amount? How long were they to go on for?
It is horrible that allegations were made and that is inexcusable but people can get carried along with enthusiasm.
It is a shame that everyone can't just take a breath, have a rest and then start again but it is difficult once hurtful things have been said and I don't blame Nanawind for wanting to walk away. There was not much more that she could do but inform the Chair of what had been offered so I don't think it is in any way her fault.

Craicon - if I read the OP correctly it was Nanawind's DH who cancelled the arrangement when the insults to her started flying.
Funny things committees, best if they stick rigidly to their rules as it gives less room for argument.
Nanawind - sorry your willingness to serve came to such a nasty abusive end.

How horrible for you Nana - they obviously don't deserve you.

Surely this sort of decision should have been considered by the committee?

This is typical of my experience of committees. The pool table actually hasn't been given for free it's a business arrangement. Even so if everyone except one in agreement there's no issue. Leave the Chairman to sort out. You've acted in good faith. I can't begin to tell you about a friend of mine who has resigned on a social committee due to one person and her gang's antagonism. Some people like to exert power by being awkward and difficult and unfortunately voluntary organisations are full of ego's and control freaks.

I agree that the whole thing seems to have been badly handled. Anything with financial implications should definitely have been the subject of a committee meeting where all members could have voiced their opinions and a decision reached.

As for the offer from the businessman, I think in all honesty that if I were a committee member I would have been wary, even if it did seem a generous offer on his part.
But you are definitely not to blame and I can understand your resigning after unpleasant things were said. It would certainly sour things for any future meetings. In your place I think I would be now looking round for another club to join as it certainly looks as if this one is on its way out.

Not your fault at all, Nanawind, and I can understand why you are so angry about the row that took place. But the Chair was completely in the wrong to agree to this arrangement without the consent of the committee at a properly convened and minuted meeting. The businessman would soon recoup his money, btw, unless the pool table is very underused, ie fewer than 40 people paying to play per week. More than that and he'd be making a profit, and that might not be allowed under the club's constitution.

No decision made especially where money is concerned can be agreed outside a meeting with all committee members voting and it all minuted I would have been very annoyed if I had been the person left out of the information and decision It doesn’t sound as if the chair knows the rules at all
Certainly not your fault but if that’s the level of their knowledge best you’re out of it

But I agree with sparklygran the businessman shouldn’t be making money out of the loan if it’s a charity
Just write your letter of resignation to be read at the next meeting and get on with your life

Yes it's not Nanawind's fault. It was the responsibility of the club officers, notably the chairman in this case, to understand proper committee procedure. Chairmen are not dictators, nor do they rule with the help of a small group of advisors. They are there to ensure due process in correctly called committee meetings.

Sorry to say this, but if its a charity or community group thats constituted, no one can make profits from it directly. The donor could have had his name or business name displayed in thanks, but not have profit drawn off it.

Committees can be a nightmare.

Committees are a bit like this, as others say.Ideally it should have been decided by calling an extraordinary committee meeting and voted upon, especially as it was a business deal.
Not your fault though Nana you were doing your best for the club and did contact the chair ( so it was down to him really.)
It sounds as if it would have been voted for anyway, even if you had a meeting, and nobody should be throwing insults around, just terrible.Commiserations! ?

This seems an awful situation. Hurtful Things have been said that cannot be unsaid & so leaving was probably for the best. Some wounds don’t heal.

Bbbface what about my reputation which was shouted so that everyone in the club heard so if me and DH threw our rattles out tough.
The business man/friend is giving the club a top of the range table which can cost over £1000 he will also insure it and if it needs recovering he was
prepared to do that as well. All he was asking if we could half any income from the table. The deal was for 1 year which most of the committee thought was a good deal for the club. But if the club could increase this if we wanted.
Regarding the club being on its knees at the AGM where I was voted in, the independent auditor informed the cub members that if we cannot increase income eg new members etc then next year we will have to close.
The reason he is being so to my mind generous is we are also a top bowling club which holds a large bowling competition and he loves his bowling and wants any bowling club to stay open as a lot of greens are closing.

*Please go to a Committee meeting and read out your resignation letter and ask that it be minuted. Good luck.*

Goodness I hulk mosy will be chuckling under their breath. The OP never made it to a meeting, so her resignation is hardly going to be seen as a tragedy.

On the basis of your OP, it strikes me that you and your husband were the ones that threw the rattle out!

I know nothing about social clubs and committees and this may be a very naive question, but as a prominent businessman, couldn't he have donated the table? Sorry, if that's a daft question.....

There really should have been a proper committee meeting called to make a decision like this - it was one with far-reaching ramifications.

Sit it out. I bet they'll come to you asking you to reconsider. That way you'll be in a much more powerful position and would be able to instigate more change.
Not that generous of your acquaintance btw. Possibly just a sneaky way to install his equipment in your club. There could have been cheaper competitors.