A break from being a GAA Club Officer

CyberDave · 19-10-2020 9:15am #1

I have been an Officer (not a top 3 officer) in my club for the past 7 years and want to take a break from it, step away for a while. However, I'm continuously told that I need to find my replacement first. Nobody wants my role, as I have done a fairly decent job in it for the past while. I don't think it's my responsibility to find a replacement or am I wrong? I am entitled to leave a voluntary role.

Wichita Lineman · 19-10-2020 9:18am

Of course you are. Just send a letter of resignation with an effective date on it and the committee will find a replacement in due course.

CyberDave · 19-10-2020 9:20am

I thought so. I guess it's a complement in a way that people appreciate that I have been doing a good job. Complements are not always directly delivered for volunteers!

fearruanua · 19-10-2020 2:31pm

CyberDave wrote: »

I thought so. I guess it's a complement in a way that people appreciate that I have been doing a good job. Complements are not always directly delivered for volunteers!

"Ara sure you'll stay another year"

cyclocross! · 19-10-2020 2:33pm

fearruanua wrote: »

"Ara sure you'll stay another year"

Seconded.

CyberDave · 19-10-2020 2:34pm

*Followed by long awkward silence*

dobman88 · 19-10-2020 2:36pm

Surely it's just a case of telling the chairperson that you're stepping down at the end of the term and it's up to them to replace you at the club agm?

MrMusician18 · 19-10-2020 2:47pm

This is one of the reasons why some clubs find it so hard to fill committee positions - the fact that it's hard to leave them. Sure, people could resign, but people that step back from clubs don't want to alienate themselves either.

There should be none of this nonsense about finding your successor or you can't go. You say you want to end your term and it's up to the other members to step up. New faces can bring new ideas to clubs, so some churn is rarely a bad thing.

Uncle Pierre · 22-10-2020 4:05pm

Was in the same position a few years ago myself. Had served as an officer of one sort or another (including two of the top three roles) for 12 years in a row, and just wanted a break from it. I intended to stay on the committee all right, but not to stay as an officer.

When it was suggested that it would be up to me to find a replacement, I politely explained that I didn't see it that way myself, and that if people insisted otherwise, I'd step away from the committee altogether for the year or two's break that I wanted.

Guess what? - others went and found a replacement instead.

So, I had two years just on the committee before taking up an officer role again in 2019, which I still hold today. I'll keep that role for another few years too. But I won't be finding my own replacement the next time I want a break either!

rpurfield · 22-10-2020 7:56pm

There's a degree of logic to having some sort of succession plan but you aren't in a business here, its voluntary. If you want to step down do. Don't take this the wrong way but I'm sure the club was around before you and managed fine!!

thesultan · 24-10-2020 11:48am

It's not your job to find a replacement but going by my own experience and from my club perspective it nearly impossible to get fellas to do anything now..

Cavan_King · 25-10-2020 7:11pm

Is there not a 5 year rule that the max a person can stay in a role is 5 years?

Clareman · 25-10-2020 7:14pm

Usually people who find themselves on committees or helping out in clubs are people who find it difficult to say no and there's plenty of people who will take advantage of that trait in people. Just explain that you aren't willing to put yourself forward and if they say that you've to get a replacement just say you don't have the time, at the end of the day it's up to the club to fill the positions not up to you.

Danno · 25-10-2020 7:21pm

CyberDave wrote: »

I have been an Officer (not a top 3 officer) in my club for the past 7 years and want to take a break from it, step away for a while. However, I'm continuously told that I need to find my replacement first. Nobody wants my role, as I have done a fairly decent job in it for the past while. I don't think it's my responsibility to find a replacement or am I wrong? I am entitled to leave a voluntary role.

Damn PRO role.

Yeah, it's hard to get committee members now-a-days, there is a lot more work in keeping GAA clubs going than in the past, everything is nearly all about fundraising.

dobman88 · 25-10-2020 7:21pm

Cavan_King wrote: »

Is there not a 5 year rule that the max a person can stay in a role is 5 years?

I cant imagine thats a rule or if it is, it's hardly enforceable. If that was the case, the amount of tiny rural clubs around the country that wouldnt have a committee of any kind would be massive. I know in my own club, they just alternate the roles around the same few people with the occasional newbie joining. It's such a small place they wouldnt be able to change out every few years and have people step in

afatbollix · 25-10-2020 7:28pm

I used to be the chairman of a club in another sport.

Stood down after 5 years as life just became too full. No one wanted the role so what I did was when I informed the committee I wouldn't be standing again at the next AGM I got some other committee members involved in what I did and trained them up with what needed to be done.

All committees are more than just one person and they will be able to take on your role if they are pushed or if it's not that important it will suffer for a bit but it's not the end of the world.

In my case, 2 people became vice-chair people for 2 years as the guy who did all the work didn't want to do a chairman's speech at our yearly dinner. He's just taken the chairman role after 2 years and we will get the president of the club to do the speech he is not able to do.

Fann Linn · 25-10-2020 10:57pm

Did various roles on different committees from Tidy Towns to Community Games and onto Golf including handicap secretary.
The only bit of advice I can offer is to step down. Committees and people get old and stale and new officers with new ideas can rejuvenate and revitalise organisations.

Take a break.

rpurfield · 25-10-2020 11:29pm

Cavan_King wrote: »

Is there not a 5 year rule that the max a person can stay in a role is 5 years?

Its certainly the case at county board level. I don't think its the case at club though. Nothing to stop people swapping into other officer roles at the end of the 5 year term, that has been the case in Meath anyway

A break from being a GAA Club Officer

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