Private club law/etiquette.

[Shortoftoes]

Due to a big shake up in a small private sporting club, the committee found the Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman had not been doing their duties correctly and voted them out of their posts. I'm not a member of this club, but as I've got previous experience in office of this kind, I've been asked to step in and after correct procedure and if voted in, take up one of the posts. There is another committee meeting this weekend for the positions to be filled and in keeping with correct procedure, a vote will be taken to establish who is going to be appointed into each position.
But, I would like to know, if anyone can tell me, if I can, as a non member, be legally allowed to take up this position?

Thank you.

Will totally depend on the Constitution and Rules of the Club. Have you seen those at all?

There is no law about who private clubs can appoint as officers. Each club can make its own rules. You need to look at the club's constitution. That should say whether officers must be members.

There is no constitution as such, apart from 6 short paragraphs, which state the name of the club, the officers of the club, the object of the club and when the AGM is held and that's about it.
There is a further list of 18 rules, which are amended each AGM. So I suppose in one case, less is more.

They need urgent amendment then. In order to answer your question. Are officers from the membership or can they be anyone? I’m used to PTAs at school and officers are members. Members can put names forward and then vote. How can a fair election be held if no one knows where potential officers can be drawn from? Anywhere or members?

I would look very closely at the Rules, get them up to date and fit for purpose, and get the members to agree them! Saves this sort of agro! Did the outgoing people have any duties written down? If not, how did anyone judge they hadn’t done their jobs properly? Don’t make the same mistake!

If there wasn’t a club rule that said how and under what circumstances the old officers could be voted out, then I think their ejection was improper. I have a hazy
Memory that there are some
general rules (‘Natural
Justice’ ) which should be followed where there are no specific rules , and these would require the targeted officers to have a chance to refute the charges and put their own case prior to a vote

In short, I’d stay well out of it