Club Secretaries

[Walter swanston]

With the racing season virtually over I have shut up shop and provisionally balanced the books for 2014 preparatory to submitting a balance sheet at the club AGM in January 2015.I reckon I have made in the region of 200 phone calls on club business during the year and spent about £25 on postage.I take a modest amount from the club funds each year to cover my expenses but I never feel right about it because,I do not need the money but I have been told that I should think of others who might succeed me in this job.I wonder how other club secretaries deal with this thorny subject

[Williedoo]

I have been the Sec of my club for about 10 years and I have never taken/wanted anything for doing it.

The only thing that goes on the balance sheet is the money I have spent on stamps.

We have never fund raised during my time but pay £20 a year club fees.

[Walter swanston]

OK I like your reply,last year I was about £270 for new batteries for the club Unikon equipment and toner for the printer and seals,clock envelops and rubbers and straw for the baskets etc..etc.I do not know if I could run my club on £20 per member per year

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Walter, strictly speaking you MUST claim your expenses in full, telephone, postage, stationery, etc. If you do NOT claim these expenses you are misleading your club and its members. How are you possibly able to submit correct accounts if you do not claim your expenses? You are NOT declaring to your members what it costs to administer their club, so you are lying to them.

Once you have claimed these expenses, it is completely up to you what you do with them.

You are in the happy position of not requiring them, so are at liberty to make a donation to the club, but quite simply, by not claiming them you run the risk of leaving the club in a position where it may fold when you are unable to continue solely due to the fact that your successor may not be in a similar position to you and the club fees would have to rise so substantially that the members could not meet them.