Chair of pre school - what is my job??

[PrinceRogersNelson]

OK - I seem to be vice chair of my local pre school - the chair will be leaving in September, so obviously unless I get struck by lightening or anything else I will then be chair.

I have no idea what I have got myself in for and no idea what my role is.

Can anyone help me?

Please try not to scare me - I know this could turn in to a nightmare. But I would really like to do this well but don't know where to start.

Thanks

Anyone??

Anyone who is/ has been a chair wish to share their experiences?

Thanks. I think I just need to be organised and get a handle on all the different things I need to keep an eye on!

Have you done the role?

I did Chair for a year at our pre-school, then vice Chair and now I'm Treasurer so just coming to the end of my third year on the committee.

As Chair you're responsible for a variety of different things including organising any committee meetings and running them, ensuring that decisions are made in a fair way and that everyone has their say, and day to day operational issues that crop up.

When I did the job, I found that it's the people management that's the most unpredictable part of it. Whether it's dealing with staff who are organising a mutiny, or parents making a complaint about something trivial, or an argument with our landlords about car parking it all ends up with the Chair to sort out. This was the most frustrating part of the job, but probably also the most rewarding. The Chair handles so many things that the committee don't even see.

I will say it was a massive learning curve but a brilliant experience. I had a fantastic year and would recommend it.

Here in Hants there is a very good course about being on a Voluntary Management Committee.

And if your group is part of the Preschool Learning Alliance their local branch is usually very helpful

Thanks everyone. I am meeting with the current chair next week and will get down what the role is etc. Hoping to do a kind of manual I suppose.

I can then see if I want to take it on in September.

I think it is the responsibility of it that is worrying me.
Feels like the buck stops with the chair and I would be worried about missing something.

I was chair and ended up at an Employment Tribunal; it was one of the worst experiences of my life.

The Chair previous to me had no knowledge of employment law and made numerous mistakes but the committee at the time the member of staff resigned was the one called to tribunal. Our committee had a great deal of change to make in a short amount of time in order to bring the group up to date with current practices/laws and a member of staff took great exception at being asked to change. Any documentation regarding her employment and problems with the previous committee was non existent and it offered her a way in to take things further.

Lawcall were excellent and the PLA offered great support but it was a drop in the ocean compared to the sheer hell of dealing with it all on a daily basis and the affect it all had on my children and family. It took over two years to resolve.

The committee is the employer and has all the duties and responsibilities pertaining to this.

Thanks Loopy and Hanleyhigh.

Hanley - that sounds terrible and I guess is what I am concerned about.

I will need to make sure that all this is covered I suppose.

It all feels very grown up - but also a great opportunity while I am a SAHM to get stuck in to something and stretch myself a bit.

I would agree it will stretch you!

Before you go ahead are you set up as a Limited Company and Registered Charity?

Yes to both.

I think

Oh heavens, you poor thing. I suggest you pray to be hit by lightening. Definitely a better fate than being preschool chair. :).

Just remember you are running a small business; you need all those types of skills.

Probably an unincorporated charity, 5ofus, and not a LimitedCompany, methinks. Unless I don't understand these things, any more.

Get a copy of the constitution and read it, OP.

....And then have a slightly hysterical giggle at how many of the constitution "rules" the committee has regularly flouted for years (sigh).

@ragged. Ours is both a limited company and a registered charity.