Take a step back, I know you don’t want to, I know that this makes up your weekend, and the success of the club depends on you being there, but set up and empower people, make them and the rest of your club understand each others roles, and then move away. They will stand up, they have no choice, or others around will tell you otherwise anyway, in which case you take alternative actions.
By having others stand up around you, and take off most of the burden from your shoulders, you are producing a stronger club that will be more inclined to be better, to come up with their own ideas, and it won’t all fall in a heap when you do eventually resign… which you will do… one day.
Social media takes over.
I probably don’t need to tell you this, as you’re already reading this and fairly aware of the social networking tools and systems out there, but whether you like it or not, whether you’re personally registered with them or not, you need to understand that your members are more than likely involved, and you should be utilising it.
Register a Page with Facebook and Twitter, setup a group with LinkedIn, and regardless of whether you think you might use it or not setup other accounts with things such as Youtube. There is a reason these tools have been so successful and that’s because they’re very good at what they do, so utilise them. If you’re unsure about it, get someone who is keen with it to set it up for your club.
In addition, sign up to use TidyClub’s communication feature which, allows you to keep your members and supporters up to date, regardless of your preferred medium. Communication needs to be easy, and we’ve reduced the hassle with our simple platform. And best of all, it’s free to use.
Introducing our newest segment, Club Talk.
We spoke with Genevieve Faulkner about the in’s and out’s of running a club. Genevieve is the Head Coach of the Australian Representative Ice Skating Team. Each month we’ll speak club to club presidents, leaders, or anyone involved with running clubs and not-for-profit organisations.
At TidyClub we believe feedback is essential in crafting our platform to meet the needs of clubs. A club that is like a well-oiled machine is easier to take places with the additional benefits of attracting more members and volunteers. If you haven’t already, sign up for free and see what TidyClub can do for your club.
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for the next Club Talk!
Curley's Pocket Guide to Sport
Need a quick guide to a sport? How many times can a tennis ball bounce? What does BMX stand for? Get Curly’s Pocket Guide.
Just in time for the Olympics!
Source: creativereview.co.uk
The Finish Line
If you’re in a club or not-for-profit please remember there is no finish line. Sure smaller projects along the way that have finite timelines, but the broader vision and mission of your club doesn’t speak to a finishing point.
With that being the case, make sure you’re enjoying the ride. If you’re not enjoying it figure out why, figure out the tools you need, the practices you need to put into place to make sure the journey is a good one.
If you’re not enjoying it, I guarantee others aren’t either. Work smarter, not harder and enjoy the ride!
The spirit of repetition
If you and your club lose the spirit of repetition, your club will become quite difficult.
A well oiled machine is easier to take manage and places than one that backfires, and grinds and groans. The additional benefit is that it will attract better people and more volunteers.
Players
This incredible memo, purportedly issued to all Major League Baseball teams in 1898 as part of a documented campaign — spearheaded by John Brush — to rid the sport of filthy language, was discovered in 2007 amongst the belongings of the late baseball historian Al Kermish, also a respected collector of memorabilia. Essentially an on-field code of conduct, most amusing is that the memo was in fact so expletive-laden and obscene as to be “unmailable” to its intended audience via the postal service, and so was delivered by hand to each of the League’s 12 clubs and their foul-mouthed players.
A fascinating document.
(It’s worth noting that experts are somewhat divided about the document, with some believing it to be a satirical memo, circulated amongst players at the time in response to what was a very real campaign within the organisation. Either way, very notable. Discussion can be found here, here, and here.)
Transcript follows. Image courtesy of Robert Edward Auctions. Enormous thanks to Jaime Stearns.
Transcript
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO PLAYERS.
In a contest between two leading clubs during the championship season of 1897, the stands being crowded with patrons of the game, a gentleman occupying a seat in the front row near the players’ bench, asked one of the visiting players who was going to pitch for them. The player made no reply. He then asked a second time. The gentleman, his wife who sat with him, and others of both sexes, within hearing distance, were outraged upon hearing the player reply in a loud, brutal tone, “Oh, go fuck yourself.”
On being remonstrated with by his fellow-players, who told him there were ladies present, he retorted he didn’t give a damn, that they had no business there anyhow.
This shocking indecency was brought to the attention of the League at the Philadelphia meeting in November, 1897, and a committee was appointed to report upon this baseball crime, define and suggest for it a remedy.
In response to nearly one hundred communications addressed to umpires, managers and club officials, soliciting definite, positive and personal knowledge of obscene and indecent language upon the ball field, the committee received a deluge of information that was so appalling as to be almost beyond belief, showing conclusively and beyond contradiction that there was urgent need for legislative action on the part of the League.
That such brutal language as “You cock-sucking son of a bitch!” “You prick-eating bastard!” “You cunt-lapping dog!” “Kiss my ass, you son of a bitch!” “A dog must have fucked your mother when she made you!” “I fucked your mother, you sister, your wife!” “I’ll make you suck my ass!” “You cock-sucker!” and many other revolting terms are used by a limited number of players to intimidate umpires and opposing players, and are promiscuously used upon the ball field, is vouched for by the almost unanimous assertion of those invited to speak, and who are competent to speak from personal knowledge. Whether it be the language quoted above, or some other indecent and infamous invention of depravity, the League is pledged to remove it from the ball field, whether it necessitates the removal of the offender for a day or for all time. Any indecent or obscene word, sentence, or expression, unfit for print or the human ear, whether mentioned in these instructions or not, is contemplated under the law and within its intent and meaning, and will be dealt with without fear or favor when the fact is established by conclusive proof.
By Order of the Committee.
[UNMAILABLE. Must be forwarded by Express]
Source: lettersofnote.com
No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.
Upsetting people
When your club upsets one of its members it isn’t a bad thing.
In order for that person to have become upset they have to first be quite heavily invested in what your club is, what it stands for and where it is going.
Only in a relationship with someone who couldn’t teach the club anything would there be no arguments. No development, No evolution.
…and that wouldn’t be a fun club to be in!
Working Smarter, Not Harder
Last weekend I was lucky enough to have been invited onto a number of panels to discuss the various aspects of sporting clubs. One item that keeps on rearing its head is social networking and how to get a hold of it all.
In the past I have used a number of tools to migrate that feed, and force it onto another platform whilst also etc etc… it was easy because I’m from an IT background, but it was still cumbersome.
May I introduce to you www.ifttt.com it is clearly the easiest way to propagate information from one place to another, from Gmail to Twitter, from Facebook to Dropbox. It’s is extremely simple, which we at TidyClub of course love, and we know you will to.
Go and check it.
P.S. We aren’t on any kickback-affiliate scheme here, we just like passing on hints and tips to clubs!
