Water Polo NSW - revolutioniseSPORT€¦ · carefully drafted by a lawyer or accountant to ensure...
28
1 10 TH OCT 2019 WPNSW Version 1 Water Polo NSW Clubs Governance Toolkit
Transcript of Water Polo NSW - revolutioniseSPORT€¦ · carefully drafted by a lawyer or accountant to ensure...
1
10TH OCT 2019
WPNSW
Version 1
Water Polo NSW
2018 Clubs Governance
Toolkit
2
Toolkit Aim & Purpose
HELPING CLUBS GROW
This toolkit provides support to individuals and clubs affiliated with Water Polo New South Wales
(WPNSW), the governing body for water polo in New South Wales. Its main aims are to:
• Support clubs to improve governance practices
• Provide guidelines for effectively operating a club (and meeting WPNSW and the Department of
Fair-Trading requirements)
• Provide information on starting a new club, and affiliating with WPNSW
• Help all affiliated clubs gain the most out of WPNSW services
WPNSW Contact Details
Website - https://www.revolutionise.com.au/wpnsw/home/
Phone – (02) 8736 1271
Email – [email protected]
Office Hours – Mon-Fri, 09:00 – 17:00
Postal Address – Level 2 8 Parkview Drive, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, 2127
"With so many people saying it couldn't be done…
all it takes is an imagination"
Michael Phelps – after Olympic Gold Number 8
3
How to Use This Toolkit
This toolkit focuses on key areas of governance important to the successful running of a community
not-for-profit club.
The toolkit may be used in two ways:
• to address a requirement, for example, the board may refer to relevant sections prior to
an upcoming General Meeting; and/or
• As a model for the board to undertake a governance review process, systematically
working through each stage for reflection and improvement.
As operational models for each club differ not everything in this toolkit will need to be adopted and
there is no start or finish point. Clubs are strongly encouraged to apply the Framework in their own
context and to reflect their own needs.
4
Contents 1. About Water Polo NSW ............................................................................................................ 5
1.1 Water Polo NSW Office.................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Benefits of Affiliation with WPNSW .................................................................................. 6
2. Starting a New Club ................................................................................................................. 7
3. Club Structure and Roles .......................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Executive Committee ...................................................................................................... 5
3.2 General Committee ......................................................................................................... 6
4. General Club Operations .......................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Yearly Re-affiliation ......................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Decision Making .............................................................................................................. 7
4.3 Meeting Types ................................................................................................................ 8
4.4 Conducting a Meeting ..................................................................................................... 8
5. Policy & Guidance .................................................................................................................... 9
5.1 Member Protection ......................................................................................................... 9
5.2 Child Safe Commitment Statement .................................................................................. 9
5.3 Code of Conduct ........................................................................................................... 10
6. Training Officials .................................................................................................................... 11
6.1 Coaches ........................................................................................................................ 11
6.2 Referees ....................................................................................................................... 12
6.3 Table Officials ............................................................................................................... 12
Appendix A: Budget Template .................................................................................................... 14
Appendix B: Draft Club Constitution ........................................................................................... 15
Appendix C: links for setting up a Not-for-Profit .......................................................................... 16
Appendix D: Meeting Minutes Template ..................................................................................... 17
Appendix E: Child Safe Principles ................................................................................................ 18
Appendix F: Training and Pre-Requisites for Officials, Coaches, Referees, and MPIOs..................... 19
5
1. About Water Polo NSW
1.1 Water Polo NSW Office
Water Polo NSW (WPNSW) are based in the Sydney Olympic Park. Staff are available for meetings via
appointment, please contact your relevant staff members to arrange, using the contact details below.
WPNSW Set-up
Key WPNSW contact
Position Contact
Operations Manager [email protected]
Sports Development Manager [email protected]
Competitions Coordinator [email protected]
Events Co-ordinator [email protected]
Club Co-ordinator [email protected]
General enquiries [email protected]
6
1.2 Benefits of Affiliation with WPNSW
Clubs and Associations can be affiliated with WPNSW. For a full list of affiliated clubs please visit the
‘WPNSW Clubs’ page of WPNSW’s website.
By affiliating your region/club with WPNSW you are joining the largest water polo body in Australia.
This provides you with:
7
2. Starting a New Club
When setting up a club please liaise with [email protected].
To set up a new club and become affiliated with WPNSW there are five main stages, as set out in the
diagram, with further details below:
Stage 1: What WPNSW Needs to Know
Stage 2: How to Structure Your Club
Stage 3: How to Run Your Inaugural AGM
Stage 4: How to Affiliate with WPNSW
Stage 5: Final Steps
STAGE 1: What WPNSW Needs to Know The first step to officially start the process is to send a letter of intent to WPNSW. This should include
the following information:
1) New Club Name
2) Club Base / Home Pool
3) Proposed Catchment Area (suburb/region)
4) Other Facilities
5) Club Intent (junior club / senior club / development club / elite club)
6) Benefit to Water Polo Statement
7) Contact Name / Email / Mobile
8
STAGE 2: How to Structure Your Club Once WPNSW have received your letter of intent, you will then need to finalise and fine-tune the
structure and design of your club. The following 5 pieces of information are required:
1) Club Goals and Objectives
This should include both short and long term, i.e. what do you want the club to achieve in the
first year of operating, and what is the long-term aspiration for the club. This could include
goals such as growing participation of juniors in the sport, conducting ‘come and try’ days,
developing a certain amount of coaches and or referees, growing to a certain member base,
growth of members or acquiring an AWL license.
2) Membership List
Your membership list should consist of at least 15 members.
3) Start-up budget for the club
Please submit a start-up budget for the Club, including a high-level operating budget for the
year covering income and outgoings. A high-level template for this is included in Appendix A,
please complete this template, or submit a similar level of detail in a format of your choice.
4) Facilities & Equipment List
This should consist of a list of facilities the club will use, and confirmation of a partnership
with an aquatic facility to host training and competitions (WPNSW will assist where possible to
help new clubs form partnerships).
5) Club Constitution
Each club must have a constitution setting out how the club will operate. Wording should be
carefully drafted by a lawyer or accountant to ensure it will be recognised and accepted by
government departments, regulators and grant-makers. Clubs can write their own, or use the
template provided in the Appendix B. The following headings are mandatory and should be
addressed in your constitution.
1
Not-For-Profit Law suggests the following wording for ‘Non-profit’ and ‘Dissolution’ clauses,
preventing clubs from distributing profits or assets for the benefit of members, and ensuring
Australian Tax Office (ATO) standards are met.
Non-Profit Clause Dissolution Clause
The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objectives and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.
In the event of the organisation being dissolved, the amount that remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar purposes which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual members.
Once the goals, initial members, start-up budget, facilities and club constitution have been
determined, please send the information to [email protected].
STAGE 3: How to Run Your Inaugural AGM Conducting an Inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The inaugural AGM should be used to make final decisions about the structure of the organisation, as
voted on by the new members. Prior to this meeting you should:
• Circulate key documents to be read in advance, including roles and responsibilities of
committee positions and the draft constitution
• Agree the chairperson (ideally an experienced facilitator)
• Agree the secretary, who understands requirements for incorporation
• Take nominations for committee positions (all Executive Committee positions mandated in
the club’s constitution need to be filled)
The Inaugural AGM should include the following agenda items for discussion:
1. Committee Member Election (Inc. President, Secretary and Treasurer as a minimum)
2. Adoption of the Constitution
3. Proposed Activities and Events
4. Membership Fees
5. Getting an ABN (nominate an individual to complete)
2
It is best to keep this meeting short and formal and after the close of business celebrate your
achievement. This is an important acknowledgement of the volunteer effort involved and helps new
club members meet.
STAGE 4: How to Affiliate with WPNSW
Having identified your purpose and established your committee, you are now ready to prepare your
organisation for incorporation. Before you apply for affiliation please ensure you can comply with the
obligations of a club set out in this toolkit.
Further information on incorporation, affiliation and getting an Australian Business Number (ABN) is
detailed in Appendix C.
Incorporation
WPNSW recommend seeking professional advice on incorporation and deciding which legal structure
best suits your club's aims and activities. This will support the long-term viability of your club, and
could save considerable time, money and legal administration later. In order to incorporate, your club
will need to have a ratified club constitution.
When you incorporate your club becomes a separate legal entity from its members and Executive
Committee members take on legal duties in their roles. One of the main benefits of incorporating is
that it gives the club ‘limited liability’ meaning the responsibility for debts of the group or any legal
costs the club may be ordered to pay are limited to the amount of money and assets held by the club.
This protects individuals in the group from being personally liable, if no legislative duties have been
breached. The main registration body for Sport is Fair Trading NSW, for further information on
incorporation please visit their page on ‘Starting an Association’.
Getting an ABN
Once the legal structure for your club has been agreed you will need to apply for an Australian
Business Number (ABN) to affiliate. An ABN is a unique number which identifies your organisation to
the Australian Taxation Office.
Applying for Affiliation
The affiliation fee is $100, invoiced by WPNSW Accounts. For first time affiliation please send the
following information to WPNSW:
• Minutes from the Inaugural AGM
• Executive Committee Contact List (name, email address and phone number)
• Australian Business Number (ABN)
3
STAGE 5: Final Steps The final steps for establishing a club, once you have affiliated with WPNSW, are to set up:
1. a club bank account
2. a club email address
3. the RevSport Portal
4. a webpage for information sharing
5. a document sharing system
4
3. Club Structure and Roles
Having a robust club structure and purpose with clear separation of roles and responsibilities is
critical to effectively running a club.
Under Fair Trading NSW regulations registered clubs in NSW must have a Public Officer, this person is
legally responsible for the club. In addition to a Public Officer, we advise clubs should comprise of a
Committee of 5-9 individuals with a blend of expertise, skills and diversity. The Executive Committee
and the General Committee collectively are referred to as the Committee. The Committee may be
support by specific Sub-Committees, which can be set up for a specific event, or ongoing with a
particular focus.
Mandatory roles for the club should be defined in the adopted club constitution and selected based
on individual club requirements. We recommend that Public Officer, President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Registrar and Member Protection Information Office should be mandated roles. Other possible
committee roles are set out below, these should be adapted as required to suit the nature of the
club.
Committee Roles
5
3.1 Executive Committee
The Executive Committee are elected by club members. They are responsible for the club operations
and are the only members who can vote on behalf of the club at WPNSW AGMs.
Public Officer
The Public Officer is the official point of contact for an incorporated association, they are automatically an authorised signatory. This is a legally required role. Public Officers are responsible for club’s obligations to the Australia Tax Office (ATO) and notifying Fair Trading of any changes to address. They are also responsible for collecting association documents from former committee members and delivering them to new committee members.
President
The Club President is the leader of the Club, responsible for ensuring the Club is run effectively, democratically, and for its Members. They provide strategic direction, support the other Executive Committee members, and ensure the club adheres to its constitution’s principles.
Vice President
The Vice President’s role is all about support, they take on an important leadership role in the club working closely with the President and other Executive Committee members to ensure the club runs smoothly, chairing meetings if the President is absent.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for keeping the club’s non-financial records and ensuring the general management of the club runs smoothly. They are responsible for organising club meetings, elections, and agendas (in consultation with the President), writing minutes, and maintaining the membership list. They are also the first point of contact for correspondence.
Treasurer
The Treasurer manages club funds and ensures they are used in an appropriate way. There are different 2 tiers of mandatory reporting obligations under Fair Trading NSW requirements1. In addition to mandatory reporting, Treasurers are required to pay bills, hold petty cash, bank income, transfer money, make deposits on behalf of the club, plan budgets, ensure the club does not get into debt and record all club financial transactions.
1 https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/associations-and-co-operatives/associations/running-an-association/financial-reporting-requirements
6
3.2 General Committee
It’s your club’s discretion to agree the committee roles based on the aims and objectives of your club.
MPIO
MPIO’s ensure safety and welfare for club members. They report directly to the President and provide information about the rights, responsibilities and options available to individuals making a complaint. The role requires an understanding of WPNSW Codes of Conduct, Member Protection Policy and the club’s complaint resolution procedure. They are also responsible for verifying Working with Children Checks (WWCC) on behalf of the Club. For more information please see Section 5.1.
Registrar
The role of the registrar is to track registrations, lead on correspondence with new joiners and provide club information. Registrations are completed using the revSPORT portal.
7
4. General Club Operations
4.1 Yearly Re-affiliation
Each year clubs must re-affiliate, to do this, please write to WPNSW with the following information:
• Current Constitution
• Annual Report, AGM minutes, and any supporting information
• Financial Accounts
• Contact Details for Executives and Delegates
• Current Register of Members (including FlippaBall)
4.2 Decision Making
The Committee will be required to make key decisions about club operations. It is essential to agree a
decision-making process and maintain documentation to support decisions made. The process should
be set out in your constitution and could include aspects such as permitted methods of
voting/communication, minimum timeframes for responding to votes, minimum number of votes
required, policy on proxy voting etc., WPNSW suggest not permitting proxy votes at club level.
The following decisions must be made democratically by the Members at a General Meeting, and in
accordance with the club constitution:
• Changes to the constitution
• Changes to Executive Committee
• Membership fees
• Use of funds
• Major events for the year
Decisions on aspects such as event timings, how to spend allocated budgets, how to organise events,
and how to manage communications can be made at Committee and Sub-Committee level.
8
4.3 Meeting Types
General Meetings
Clubs need to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to get all members together and set the strategic direction for the year. The Executive Committee must notify members in accordance with their constitution, usually 14 days in advance. Occasionally the club may need to hold a Special General Meeting if the club has important business to discuss, or if there are changes in Executive Committee members. The club must determine what constitutes Quorum at General Meetings, this could be a percentage of all Members entitled to vote (20%) or a number (5-10). To meet Quorum, members need to be present within 30 minutes of start time.
Committee Meetings
Clubs should hold at least three committee meetings a year, for the Committee to discuss progress and priorities. The frequency of meetings required may differ throughout the year. Quorum at Committee meetings could be at least fifty percent (50%), or no less than three (3) Executive Committee members.
Sub-Committee Meetings
Clubs should hold Sub-Committee meetings as required. These are subsets of the Committee and are set up to manage specific events or issues, such as socials, fundraising or club championships. Any of the Executive Committee can chair sub-committee meetings.
4.4 Conducting a Meeting
9
5. Policy & Guidance
For full access to WPNSW’s policy and guidance please see the about section of our webpage:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/wpnsw/about/policies/. Through affiliation with WPNSW your
club is obligated to abide by these policies. We recommend incorporating them into your club
material and new joiner information packs to ensure all members are aware of the codes of conduct
and your club is compliant with WPNSW.
5.1 Member Protection
Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO)
At WPNSW we place high expectations on our clubs to do everything they can to protect their
members. We want to encourage an environment where people feel safe to speak up and where
inappropriate behaviour is addressed, not tolerated. Having an MPIO within each club, is crucial to
achieving this. MPIO’s must ensure members who require a WWCC have provided their current
number, expiry date and verification result, as per Office of the Children’s Guardian guidelines. For
more information please see Appendix F.
Working with Children Checks (WWCC)
A WWCC is required by anyone volunteering or working with children under the age of 18. You will
need to register online, and then visit your local Service NSW Centre to verify your identity. For more
information please see Appendix F.
5.2 Child Safe Commitment Statement
WPNSW is committed to the safety, wellbeing, and inclusiveness of all children and young people
engaged in our programs and services including children from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds, and children and adults with disability. It is the responsibility of all at WPNSW to:
Protect children and young people from all forms of abuse, bullying and exploitation by our
community;
Be alert to incidents of child abuse and neglect occurring outside of our sport that may have an
impact on the children and young people; and
Create and maintain a child safe culture that is understood, endorsed and put into action by all
the individuals who work for, volunteer, or access our programs and services.
10
The Office of the Children’s Guardian has released the following report 'Making organisations safer
for children' which sets out 10 key principles to incorporate into your operations, this can be found in
Appendix E.
5.3 Code of Conduct
Think.Act.Play sets out the overarching principles that WPNSW expect players, coaches, managers,
officials, and spectators to commit to. This helps ensure that core values, good reputation, and
positive behaviours are maintained for Water Polo as a sport. Some simple Do’s and Don’ts you could
include within your club policies, and encourage members to sign-up to, could be as follows:
11
6. Training Officials
WPNSW works under WPA e-learning training protocols for coaches, referees and officials.
As a club, you should ensure you have a suitable number of qualified officials to support club
operations. WPNSW runs Technical Academies for Referees, Coaches and Club Operations to support
officials to certify and develop. For more information on upcoming Technical Academies please visit
the Events section of the WPNSW website.
For links to the pre-requisites for officials, coaches, and referees, please see Appendix F, and for
further information on training and accreditation please visit WPA Learning Pool.
6.1 Coaches
Accreditation courses are made up of essential pre-requisite awards, online modules via WPA’s
LearningPool and practical tasks facilitated by WPNSW. Coach grades and pre-requisites are set out in
the diagram below.
12
6.2 Referees
As with Coaches, accreditation courses are made up of essential pre-requisite awards, online modules
via WPA’s LearningPool and practical tasks facilitated by WPNSW. Please note, WPNSW differs in
classification levels to WPA by separating Development Referees into two stages, as set out below.
*For new referees the Shadow Assessment is used as an opportunity for WPNSW to coach, support and provide guidance
to the new referee throughout the game(s).
6.3 Table Officials
For Table Officials, Water Polo Membership and a valid WWCC (if over 18years) are required, in
addition to the completion of WPA LearningPool – Competition Official modules. There are no
practical assessments.
13
Appendices
A. Appendix A: Budget Template…………………………………………………………………….X
B. Appendix B: Draft Club Constitution…..……………………………………………………….X
C. Appendix C: Links for setting up a Not-for-Profit………………………………………….X
D. Appendix D: Meeting Minutes Template…………………………………………………….X
E. Appendix E: Child Safe Principles………………………………………………………………..X
F. Appendix F: Pre-Requisites for Officials, Coaches, Referees, and MPIOs …….X
14
Appendix A: Budget Template
Club Profit and Loss Statement / Budget
From <date – date>
Club: <insert club name here>
Item Proposed Actual Comments
INCOME Membership Fees Competition Registration Fees Fundraising Sponsorship Grants
TOTAL INCOME $0.00 $0.00 EXPENSES Facility Hire Competition Registration Fees Insurance Coaching and Coach Training Refereeing and Referee Training Equipment (Balls, Nets, Caps) Marketing / Promotions Uniforms Administration Travel / Accommodation Volunteer Expenses Medical (1st Aid Kit, Trainers,
Taping)
TOTAL EXPENDITURE $0.00 $0.00
TOTAL PROFIT / LOSS $0.00 $0.00
15
Appendix B: Draft Club Constitution
Constitution
Information Link / Document
Draft Club Constitution
WPNSW recommended using this template for the base of you club constitution, following legal advice. Club Constitution Template.pdf
Fair Trading NSW Model Constitution
Fair Trading NSW’s model constitution is the default constitution if clubs do not register one.
WPNSW’s Constitution
This can be used for reference. You can find a copy in the about section of WPNSW’s website here.
WPA’s Constitutional
This can be used for reference. You can find a copy here under constitution and by-laws on the ‘By Laws, Policies, and Procedures page.
Model_constitution_FairTradingNSW.rtf
16
Appendix C: links for setting up a Not-for-Profit
Key links for setting up a ‘Not for Profit’ and registering with the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
NSW Fair Trading
Associations & co‑operatives https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/associations-and-co-operatives
Starting an Association https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/associations-and-co-operatives/associations/starting-an-association
Australian Tax Office (ATO)
ABN registration – selecting your entity and organisation type
https://www.ato.gov.au/Non-profit/Getting-started/In-detail/Registration/ABN-registration---selecting-your-entity-and-organisation-type/
Applying for an ABN https://www.abr.gov.au/business-super-funds-charities/applying-abn
Not-For-Profit Law
Starting a not-for-profit https://www.nfplaw.org.au/sites/default/files/media/Getting_started_decision_tree.pdf
Which incorporated legal structure should we chose?
https://www.nfplaw.org.au/sites/default/files/media/Which_incorporated_legal_structure_should_we_choose_NSW.pdf
Setting up your organisation https://www.nfplaw.org.au/sites/default/files/media/Setting_up_your_organisation_Cth.pdf
17
Appendix D: Meeting Minutes Template
Meeting Name:
Date:
Time:
Chairperson:
Organised by:
Purpose:
Attendance at Meeting (add rows as needed)
Name Position Notes
Agenda Item
Notes, Decisions, Issues (use initials, to record who made the point / agreed decision)
Actions and owner
18
Appendix E: Child Safe Principles
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, as set out by the Office of the Children’s
Guardian 2019 report
19
Appendix F: Training and Pre-Requisites for Officials, Coaches, Referees, and MPIOs
Water Polo NSW Membership To register, or renew your membership with WPNSW please visit:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/wpnsw/registration/
Working with Children Check - WWCC WWCC: https://learning.ausport.gov.au/mylearning/catalogue/index?menu=Home#/list?page=1&pageSize=10&tab=none
Currently the WWCC last for 5 years, it is free for volunteers and if you are going to be paid to work it will cost $80. For
more information on the WWCC requirement please visit:
https://learning.ausport.gov.au/mylearning/catalogue/index?menu=Home#/list?page=1&pageSize=10&tab=none
ASC Community Officiating General Principles To complete the ASC Community Officiating General Principles certificates please visit the Sport Aus website. Create a
login and go to ‘Officiating’ course:
https://learning.ausport.gov.au/mylearning/catalogue/index?menu=Home#/detail?page=1&pageSize=10&tab=none&det
ails=%2Fmylearning%2Fcatalogue%2Fdetails%2Fad9b3042-7faf-e611-80c3-0003ff493609
ASC Community Coaching General Principles To complete the ASC certificates please visit the Aus Sport Website. Create a login and go to ‘Coaching’ courses.
https://learning.ausport.gov.au/mylearning/catalogue/index?menu=Home#/detail?page=1&pageSize=10&tab=none&det
ails=%2Fmylearning%2Fcatalogue%2Fdetails%2Fdc838b94-2ec5-e311-8ac2-0010189e35e6
ASADA Level 1 Certificate For information on the Level 1 Anti-Doping Course and availability please visit:
https://elearning.asada.gov.au/enrol/index.php?id=86
ASADA Level 2 Certificate For information on the Level 2 Anti-Doping Course and availability please visit:
https://elearning.asada.gov.au/enrol/index.php?id=387
First Aid St Johns: https://stjohn.org.au/first-aid-training Royal Life Saving: https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/training/first-aid
Sports Medicine: http://sma.org.au/training-courses/nationally-recognised-training/hltaid003-provide-first-aid/
Member Protection Information Officer - MPIO For information, supporting resources, and planned courses please visit:
https://www.playbytherules.net.au/online-courses/mpio-online-course.
20
