Riding Club - Committee expenses

blond1

blond1

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Hi Everyone,
We were given a copy of the Riding Club accounts at the last AGM. On there it had Committee Christmas Meal. The meal was £40 per head and the Committee and their partners (nearly all of whom are not involved in the Riding Club in any shape or form) were paid for out of the Clubs funds. The meal totalled just under £1000 for all of them - consequently the Riding Club in question only made a profit of £20 for last year. I am quite frankly disgusted as this £1000 would equal to 40 of the clubs memberships! Am I wrong in thinking this is extreme? No I am not naming and shaming.
 
I'm on the committee of my riding club. We had a Christmas meal and paid every penny ourselves. I wouldn't dream of doing this.

Committee members do give up a lot of time for the benefit of clubs but ours certainly don't expect any perks in return. I do however claim legitimate expenses such as mileage to go to Area meetings or to help at Area events, but nothing else.
 
I would have thought committee members would have paid for themselves? Could you bring the figures up, and suggest the £1000 is reinstated, especially as that could make a huge difference to the club! If I were a member of the club, I would be rather shocked and most likely disappointed.

When I was a member of the local RC, the only thing they paid out for was a hire of a local hall for the annual awards ceremony. All prizes etc had sponsors.
 
I personally think that is extreme, especially if the clubs total funds sound like they are virtually non-existant.
If the comittee had worked their backsides off, and if due to that work they had banked the club say 5K for the year I would be les aggrieved.
Beinging on a RC comittee is usually a thankless task, so I have absolutely no problem with active committee mebers getting the odd 'special treatment' here and there - but it has to be proportional to the clubs achievements.
 
You are certain you've read the accounts correctly? I've not got involved with RC but with PC and I can assure you that all those who attended every Christmas meal whilst I was anything to do with it paid for their own food and drink - Committee members and partners alike.

If your Committee did indeed fund their knees up from club funds then IMO that is pretty disgusting, especially if you have had to put on fund-raising events over the year. Questions should be asked.
 
OMG i'm a riding club committee member and no way would we spend funds on something like that! All our profit goes back into the club for things which will benefit the club members e.g jumps, toilets, school maintenance etc. I think that is terrible!
 
Totally wrong and an abuse of their authority in my opinion. I am treasurer of our local PC and most of us feel guilty for putting the odd postage charge through. I would raise it with the committee if I were you or flag it higher (make sure you go through the right channels though - I know with PC issues you need to escalate issues through a specified procedure).
 
That OP started ok and I thought you were being pedantic before I read further!

I wouldnt be happy with that, the money could have bought a fair few showjumps or something...

It sounds like the number of attendees ran away with them, at the next meeting (or by letter) its worth suggesting very nicely that only core committee members go out for a cheapish meal. After all on most work Christmas meals partners are not invited. I would stress that you dont think that anyone would deny them a small celebration for all of their hard work but that the recent bill is excessive

Its worth looking in to whether this has been the case in previous years just in case the recent meal was some sort of special one off for some reason
 
So I think that response is pretty conclusive OP. It absolutely should be brought up with them (as an ex committee member)
 
Even if they wish to use the money to pay for a Christmas meal, which in theory could be a nice idea as they must give up so much of their time, £40 a head is ludicrous. If they really really want to do that, they should go for a one course meal at pizza express, pay for their drinks and keep it to committee members only.
 
Apercrumbie said:
Even if they wish to use the money to pay for a Christmas meal, which in theory could be a nice idea as they must give up so much of their time, £40 a head is ludicrous. If they really really want to do that, they should go for a one course meal at pizza express, pay for their drinks and keep it to committee members only.
Click to expand...

If the committee want to go out for a cosy meal on their own then they ought to pay for it IMO and say that as a former RC chairman .
A surplus could be put to much better use like say a few subsistised courses to keep the cost down.
 
Yes definitely read accounts correctly. When challenged they claimed that 'they deserved it after what they had done in the year for us'. Dont get me wrong, I agree that being on a committee is a thankless task and it would be ok had it been a meal down at the local pub for Committtee members only, not a restaurant meal for them and their partners! It has also been the case in previous years too from looking at past accounts. I feel that this money should have been kept in the Club and feel sincerely let down that they would choose to spend this much of the Clubs funds on themselves.
 
In that case I'm afraid it's either push a vote of no confidence if there are a) sufficient people who feel strongly enough and b) sufficient people to replace most of the Committee or vote with your feet and find another local club.
 
God im on a RC committee and that is terrible we have a fair bit of cash in the bank and struggle to spend it but we would never dream of that.

We are trying to get free membership for our work but that would be it, I do it because I enjoy it and have met some great people and have fun organising stuff for other people, and seeing people progress.
 
You would be suprised! I knew of a riding club (who will remain unnamed) whose accounts were given out at their AGM and £30K was 'hidden' in the accounts under deliberate wording that didn't make sense to anyone except for one person who attended.

It was obvious they had tried to hide the fact they had lost the club this amount of money by their own negligence (which caused huge implications for them years down the line) and yet when confronted by the one person who had suspicions and asked what the wording actually meant then rather embarassingly had the front to say it wasn't their fault that this money had been lost and certainly hadn't been as a result of their bad management, yet it was very obvious to all that it was!

The following year before the next AGM the person who had brought the 'missing money' to light at the previous AGM was suspended for trivial and meaningless reason (and very strangely reinstated immediately after the AGM had taken place)!!!
 
Yes definitely read accounts correctly. When challenged they claimed that 'they deserved it after what they had done in the year for us'. Dont get me wrong, I agree that being on a committee is a thankless task and it would be ok had it been a meal down at the local pub for Committtee members only, not a restaurant meal for them and their partners! It has also been the case in previous years too from looking at past accounts. I feel that this money should have been kept in the Club and feel sincerely let down that they would choose to spend this much of the Clubs funds on themselves.
 
I'm all for helpers getting a free lunch when they are helping at an all day event but a night out for them an partner is a bit much.
 
The person in the story I told you complained to their Chair (who wasn't even aware the committee had suspended this person, nor did half the comittee who were personal friends of this person). This person took it to the BRC (British Riding Clubs) who refused to become involved even though the person in question had been a member of the club (without a break) for in excess of 15 years!

Riding clubs are meant to abide by certain rules as set out in their rule book and as governed under BRC rules. They should not be able to make up rules as they go along, nor should they be allowed to squander club money on meals out and other 'perks'.
 
I would suggest that you ask to see the articles of association of the riding club.
If the riding club is a registered charity or non-profit making organisation then what they have done is probably illegal.
I have been on a BHS County Committee for 30 years and none of us has ever taken advantage and had a meal out. I can assure you that we all put in many hours of work per month but would never expect anything in return.
What the Riding Club Committee have done is disgraceful. They should have to repay the full amount. If you volunteer to be on a committee then you do it for the love of it however much work is involved.
 
With RC,PC, Parent teachers, village hall there is all ways trouble in getting someone to help. Our RC has very low entry fees at shows but still has a fair income. I can not understand why if you have a descent income why they do not pay people to steward fence judge etc., the local scouts/sea scouts will usually do it for food and a donation. I would imagine if their 'payment ' to themselves was common knowledge they will have even fewer helpers
I think most people who do things for RC/PC would never expect payment in any form. Our PC club had far too much money in reserves, any excess should be spent on members interests, subsidising lessons or paying for more qualified instructors. Some clubs seem obsessed with putting money in the bank even when they have few out goings.
 
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