Club committee

11 replies

Nighean · 08/01/2021 08:02

For a couple of years I have unwillingly been voted onto a club committee that my kids participate in. Am useless at speaking up and last year I got voted on as treasurer, which I vehemently didn’t want given the current secretary has an extensive history of inappropriate financial dealings and been removed from several other club committees for that very reason. I was unable to speak up at the meeting so as soon as I got home I sent a message to the chairman informing him I did not want the position and could they elect someone else to undertake the duties. End of story or so I thought. Fast forward twelve months to this week when I attended an online committee meeting to re-elect new members when I was asked if I would remain on as treasurer. When I stated that I had not undertaken any duties as such last year after refusing the position I was informed they had disregarded my wishes and kept me on as treasurer, and that the secretary had informally acted on my behalf over the past year and I was treasurer “in name only”. I am absolutely horrified they have acted in such a manner and now terrified I could be responsible for any financial wrongdoings on their part. As I mentioned, am terrible at speaking out so I need to write to them resigning from the committee as I want to be no part of it, but how do I word it appropriately?

OP posts:

ukmail · 08/01/2021 08:26

Stand down immediately. Is this committee subject to any scrutiny? Do they have their accounts verified externally? I would be writing to the chair of the committee cc'ing anyone who has some sort of oversight stating exactly what you have said here - you refused the nomination of chair, it was only at the meeting on x you discovered that this had been ignored and people have been acting fraudulently in your name for a year. You want to state clearly now that you have had no involvement in the management, financial or otherwise, of the club. You need to do this Op, in case they've been cooking the books during the last year.
You need to distance yourself without delay and you need to document this. If there is no oversight (there really ought to be!) then send your resignation to everyone on the committee. Get out now.

PinkyParrot · 08/01/2021 08:27

How did you send the message to the Chairman - do you have proof of this.

RaspberryCoulis · 08/01/2021 08:41

Did you not wonder who over the previous year had been managing the bank account if it wasn't you as Treasurer?

SuperMoonIsKeepingMeUpToo · 08/01/2021 08:54

If you're not a signatory on the bank account I don't see how you can be treasurer. You really need to speak up for yourself, OP. Stand down now. Send your resignation letter to as many people as possible.

LiveRightNow · 08/01/2021 09:02

Put in writing immediately that you have not been acting as treasurer, and that by putting your name as treasurer they are committing fraud and if you are not removed immediately you will be taking legal steps to ensure it is clear you are not involved. Keep record of all correspondence and maybe get some proper legal advice. If they see you as someone they can bully they very well be using you as a front for dodgy financial dealings. This could gave very serious implications for you. You need to prove now you are not involved. If I were you I'd step down completely from the committee. Good luck.

LawnFever · 08/01/2021 09:07

How ridiculous! Are you on the bank account? Are you listed as a contact with the charity commission (if they’re a registered charity?)

If you’ve had no dealings with it you can in no way be held accountable, if the other person has acted as treasurer they are treasurer.

How did you contact them before? Was it by email? If so, dig out that email - send it again to all committee members restating that you never accepted this position, and are not prepared to be involved with this committee any further and are standing down entirely with immediate effect and won’t be attending any further meetings.

Then ignore them, they sound like idiots!

LawnFever · 08/01/2021 09:10

@LiveRightNow

If she’s not got access to the bank account and hasn’t acted as signatory then they’d be getting themselves in a really serious situation if they try and fraudulently claim she has.

I’m a treasurer for a small charity on a volunteer basis and I don’t even know how I’d possibly try and make it look like anyone had access to the bank account than me.

Original poster

Nighean · 09/01/2021 20:52

Thanks so much ladies for all your guidance. I have written to them diarising the dates when I was asked to act as treasurer, when I notified them days later that I was unable to act in that capacity and then how I only found out thirteen months later they had disregarded my request to stand down. I also asked for it to be minuted that I had not acted in any financial capacity in regards to the club over the past year and tendered my resignation with immediate effect from the committee.
The secretary has also been acting as treasurer in this instance but I have checked our constitution and it quite clearly states one person cannot hold two roles. I have never been on a committee before and obviously never been a role bearer so I am not sure if they have taken advantage of my ignorance. Speaking to another committee member tonight, they were unaware I had not accepted the position so they hadn’t updated the remaining office bearers of the situation in December 2019 which makes me worry they have used my name in some capacity ( the other member thought they perhaps should have held an extraordinary agm to find a replacement treasurer which obviously never happened) . The only plus point is that I never signed any documentation or mandates assuming responsibility. Anyway job done. If there is any other comeback, I will contact their governing body, and in the mean time, I will try and grow a set and stand up for myself a bit more. Thanks so much ladies ...your help is much appreciated 😘

OP posts:

LawnFever · 09/01/2021 22:54

Sounds good OP, hopefully that’s the end of it - they sound barking mad, you’re well out of it!

LawnFever · 09/01/2021 22:56

Oh and I wouldn’t worry too much, even if they have used your name if you’ve no access to the bank account & have signed nothing they’d have a very hard time trying to say you’ve had anything to do with it

Maybe it was more as a cover that the committee members can’t do two roles and the secretary clearly has been?

Sheleg · 09/01/2021 22:56

Another thread about this?

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