The role of the chairman?

Recent personal events have led me to think about the role of the chairman in clubs. In my time I have been the Chairman of West Somerset Scout Fellowship, Share Club Chairman and GSL of a Scout Group.

I found this definition of the Chairman's role on the internet:

 Chairperson's role at a glance

The following is an overview of the tasks fulfilled by a club chairperson:

• Overall organisation and running of the club including promotion and club development.
• Chair’s meetings including regular committee meetings and the club AGM
• Strategic planning and key decision-making duties
• Uphold Club Constitution and National Governing Body regulations.
• Delegating, leading and motivating club volunteers towards club goals/objectives

What are typical traits of a club chairperson? 

The role of chairperson is usually filled by people experienced in positions of leadership in their careers e.g., business owners, senior project managers or senior business managers. The chairperson needs to be a good communicator, a strategic thinker and someone who is able to delegate duties to different volunteers successfully and motivate those volunteers to serve the best interests of the club. 

My experiences in the role of Chairman/GSL have led me to the following conclusions in no particular order:

The duties and responsibilities of the chairman will depend on the organisation involved and its own expectations, history and traditions. Although following a general template for meetings the development of the club’s strategy will depend on the personality of the Chairperson. Some people seek out the position of chairman in order to offer a service to the club or to meet personal ambitions and provide a platform for their personality or ambitions of power.

Others have the position of chairman or other officers position forced upon them and reluctantly take on the role due to the people bringing the pressure not wanting the position themselves. There are many other reasons which are largely variants of these two circumstances.

The needs, expectations and personalities of all the club members is a big factor in the way the Chairman does their duty. One person performing the role of Chairman in two separate clubs will need to adapt their methods of working to the needs of the two different clubs’ members.

Different members will have different expectations of their club chairman with some preferring to be led and others not. The period in office of the chairman can vary but can be for as short as only a year. A short period of office can be an advantage that it means that unsatisfactory officers are quickly replaced whereas good performing officers have only just warmed up before they are too replaced. A year’s duration may mean that the supply of willing volunteers is rapidly depleted and a year to develop a new club strategy or manage a change of direction is difficult to achieve?

Practically all meetings involving a chairman are set up with the Chairman sitting in front of the members. This may be on an elevated platform and surrounded by a few other club officers such as the Secretary and Treasurer . It is only at very occasional meetings where the officers outnumber the members which would bring into question the validity of the meeting.

So the start of  any meeting takes the form of a confrontation between a minimum of two sides. It to be hoped that the Chairman and officers can present a united front but this depends on the support of the officers. This support depends as much on personal empathy as an agreement on policy. This empathy depends in part on mutual respect rather than perceived club hierarchy, but a chain of office does bring its own assumed and delegated power. Mutual respect is vital and a clear understanding of what the fundamental aims of the chairman are for the meeting. An agenda is important in this regard. Usually prepared by the secretary this necessitates the chairman giving the secretary a briefing of his aims outside of the normal day to day business.  Psychologically there is an advantage if the officers are raised above the members with the members seated in groups rather than lines across the room. Not only does this give a clearer view for all concerned but in any potential conflict situation the high ground gives an advantage. Allowing members to sit in groups gives a rough understanding of member alliances in the event of a contentious  issue on the agenda and a clue to possible arguments.

A chairman at all meetings puts their credibility on the line, many eyes watch every move, listen to every word, interpret all non verbal communication both with members and officer’s. Zoom meetings make this act doubly difficult and some chairman fail this test.

In some clubs Chairmen only serve for one year and wear a chain of office. They are the front men of the club taking the credit and blame perhaps in unequal measure. They need an element of a stage celebrity and can benefit from a quick sense of humour and timing. The role of the secretary is different his role is to serve the needs of the chairman without diverting attention from the chairman. The secretary’s role is to work in support of the star and be happy to make this star flourish. The secretary in turn needs appreciation, thanks and a little time of their own in the spotlight depending on their personality. Some secretaries fail this test.  

 Meetings Bloody Meetings (classic) - John Cleese - Bing video