Roles on Old Wilsonians' Council

Posted 1st June 2021

We are now in National Volunteers Week (1-7 June) so it seems an opportune moment to outline to you all the exciting and important opportunities to get involved in the wider management of activity and life at the Hayes Sports Ground – going beyond the tennis club.

 

The sports ground is owned by the Old Wilsonians’ Association, which is the old boys association for the former pupils of Wilson’s Grammar School, now located in Wallington.  However, many of the members playing various sports at Hayes are now local residents rather than former pupils.

 

The Association is currently in the process of changing its legal structure to reflect the changing make up of members.  It plans to become a Charitable Incorporate Organisation with the aim of promoting community participation in sport.  The CIO’s role will now mainly be one of oversight - ensuring that the charitable aim is met.  They will also retain control of all of the club’s assets.  This is to reflect the fact that the ground and facilities were gifted to the OWA by an Old Wilsonian.  Therefore, only Old Wilsonians will be eligible to be Trustees of the CIO and vote on matters relating to it.

 

The consequence of this is that non-OWs will be able to have greater say in the running of the club.  Beneath the CIO there will be an OW Sports Club Council responsible for the day to day activities.  All members of any of the subsidiary clubs will be eligible to join the council, whether OWs or non-OWs.  The proposal for it is as follows:

 

OW Sports Club Council

• Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Estates Manager (buildings and grounds)
• Marketing and communication
• Subsidiary Clubs Spokesperson *

*Chairs the Sports Club Committee, which comprises the Chair of each sports subsidiary, and ensures harmony, cooperation and alignment between the different sports using the same ground.

 

The Council will establish sub-committees as needed to support it.  The current proposal is:

 

Sub-Committees ( members on these will be put forward by and voted for by all Subsidiary club members)

• Sports Clubs
• Bar
• Buildings
• Grounds
• Marketing & Communication

 

The move to become a CIO will be voted on by the current OWA membership at an EGM planned to be held by the end of June.  Initially the roles on the Sports Club Council will be filled by the CIO Trustees, but the aim is to find volunteers from across the Sports Clubs to take on these roles from the next AGM (to be held in December), by which point voting on OW Sports Club Council matters and post holders will be open to ALL members of the subsidiary clubs and not just OWs.

 

Given the size of the tennis club membership we’d like to nominate at least 2 volunteers for roles the OW Sports Club Council and potentially others on the sub-committees. If you are interested in finding out more, please speak to me in confidence initially.  I will explain all I know and refer you to anyone else required to fill in any gaps.

 

The Association is also looking for a volunteer to adapt the current OWA Constitution to become the framework under which the new OW Sports Club Council will operate.  Help will be provided to whoever takes on the task.

 

NIGEL JORDAN

CHAIRMAN