A committee is a group of elected volunteers, as defined by the club’s constitution, to run the club on behalf of its members.
It’s purpose is to serve the members of the club, they will collectively make decisions and take on duties to ensure that the club runs efficiently and as required.

A committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to

• Collect, protect, maintain and hand over critical club information from one year to the next
• Ensure the club is run according to its rules (constitution), purpose, policies, and procedures
• Set objectives, define policy, and develop strategic direction
• Incorporate good governance and ethical standards into daily activities
• Monitor the performance of the organisation against agreed goals
• Manage communication with members and other key stakeholders including the Competition, Baseball QLD, government, sponsors, etc.
• Ensure all risks are identified and managed appropriately
• Clearly identify board and management responsibilities
• Ensure compliance with policies, laws, and regulations
• Incorporation legislation
• Member protection, welfare and safety
• Fundraising Legislation
• Food handling Legislation
• Liquor Licensing Laws
• Local Council Laws
• Emphasise, concentrate on and evaluate long-term goals
• Approve, monitor, and review the financial performance of the organisation
• Drive the club culture and ensure expectations are met
• Ensure the sporting, competitive and social needs of members are met
• Create and implement a succession plan for all roles within the club

The size and structure of your committee will vary depending on the size of your club. Your clubs constitution should provide details on the structure, service times, and any other important information about the committee.

A diverse committee makeup (male/female, age, ethnicity, geographic location etc.) should be considered. This ensures representation and consideration of a diverse range of needs.

Developing a flow chart (aka. Organisational Chart) can help you to clarify the structure of your committee – it can include your non-committee volunteer positions as well.

• Make something simple and clear
• Provide details of sub-committees
• Make sure it’s accessible to everyone (this can act as a bit of a “Volunteer Pathway” diagram)
• Make sure it’s reviewed every few years by the Committee to ensure it reflects the current and ongoing needs of the club

Delegation is an effective tool to use against burnout. It will also form part of an effective succession plan and should be used to develop and ease volunteers into new roles.

1. Define the task, in writing
2. Define the outcome(s), in writing
3. Select the right person (someone with the time and skills necessary)
4. Explain the expectations and check for understanding
5. Support and Communicate (check-in, the feeling of being supported is super important)
6. Acknowledge and recognise the contribution

Sometimes a subcommittee or working group needs to be established to address certain tasks, competitions or initiatives.

Working Groups specifically are typically temporary/fixed-term groups to work towards and execute specific tasks. This may be for a specific one-off event.
Sub-committees are formed on an ongoing basis and forms part of the essential governance responsibilities e.g. finance

An effective subcommittee should have a “Terms of Reference” document (a guiding document) that defines:

• The sub-committees purpose
• How and why it was formed
• How members of the sub-committee are selected
• How the sub-committee works
• How the sub-committee presents initiatives to the Executive Committee
• How frequently the need of the sub-committee’s is reviewed
• How often the sub-committee meets