Roles in the club

There are different roles on a club board to make sure that work is run efficiently and jobs are allocated clearly.

Different roles on the club board

If a club board is to be effective, it is important to divide responsibilities and duties between you. There may be several different roles on a club board. 

To set up a club, you need five people: a chair, two members, a nominating member and an auditor.

Obligatory roles:

Chair/convener – entrusted with leading the work of the board and being the ultimate representative of all members of the club.
Board member – actively participates in the work of the board and helps to ensure that decisions made by the board have the backing of the members.
Auditor – audits the finances and the way the board conducts itself.
Nominator – your job is to find good and suitable candidates to stand for election to various posts
Regional Council representative – represents club members at the regional AGM.

Depending on the size of the club, the type of workplace you work in and how the work is organised, there may be a need for additional board roles. It may be helpful to have deputies for some roles.

Additional roles:

Secretary – your job is to take minutes and send out invitations. The secretary is a member of the board and has the same role and responsibilities as all other members.
Deputy chair/convenor – has a mandate to take the role of the chair when he or she is unable to attend or if the chair resigns.
Negotiator – has the mandate of the local club to carry out all negotiations with your employer at your workplace.
Treasurer – you manage the club’s finances.
Contact representative – represents, for example, a department within the club when the workplace has members in several different departments and units within the company.
Membership secretary – keeps the club’s membership administration in order.
Company board representative (employee member of a company board) – gives employees the opportunity to influence important decisions about the future of the company and therefore their own working conditions.
European works council representative – A European works council (EWC), is a body for consultation and information exchange between employees and the management of a group.
Equal opportunities officer – ensures that no one is treated unfairly on the grounds of age, sex, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
Youth representative – promotes the interests of young members and participates in various youth forums.
Training officer – responsible for the club’s work on members’ skills development, both union-related and career-related.
Insurance information officer – helps, monitors and raises awareness of insurance issues.

There may also be other elected officials in the club with whom you on the club board need to work closely. They are not part of the board but are elected by the club’s members.

Roles that are not held by board members but are elected by members:

Regional Council representative – represents club members at the regional AGM.
Nominator – your job is to find good and suitable candidates to stand for election to various posts
Auditor – audits the finances and the way the board conducts itself.
Work environment representative – responsible for monitoring your work environment and that of your colleagues. The employer has overarching responsibility for the work environment at the workplace.

The club board may co-opt a member to temporarily participate in the work of the board. A co-opted board member has the right to attend and the right to speak, but does not have the right to vote.