With the end of the year around the corner, it's likely that your club is about to enter a time of transition in Club Officers. Or maybe, you're just looking for a few more members to step up and help in the new year. It's always a good idea to be prepared for the departure of your current group of seasoned Club Officers, or the necessary addition of new Club Officers to your club - all you need to do is remember a few important things:


1. Plan ahead, and then plan earlier
The first step to give your club the most optimal chance of continued success is to give everyone the widest possible space and time to not be caught by surprise. Observe who’s currently doing what for your golf club and then project into the future who’ll be serving in those functions in both the short and long term. Who knows - there may already be members who are chomping at the bit to volunteer as a Club Officer, but you should always be ready to actively look for someone to fill the spot(s).


Recruitment-wise, build in enough time to find and prepare your successors before they’re on the job. Whatever time you think will be necessary to cover the basics and beyond, add in a bit more of a time buffer to the duration just in case.

 

2. Know the idea, and the ideal
Use your own experience to guide the creation of your own actual list of requirements – yes, a written down list – of what’s needed for the position.

What’s worked for your club in the past? What hasn’t worked? What do you wish you would have known before starting your role? As the person who’s been performing these functions over time, you’re really the best suited to know the “idea” of the role.

Keep in mind, too, your sense of the “ideal” candidate. While no one may completely fit that bill (truth be told, probably no one does, or should be expected to… but they can come in varying degrees of close), you should seek someone who possesses the key traits. Are they good verbal and written communicators? Are they timely in performing tasks? Are they problem solvers and innovators? Do they understand the club’s immediate and future goals?


3. Choose players who’ve played, and played well
The best lead players for your club's game likely already exist in your golf club. They understand the dynamics from the inside out, and they’ve also seen how your leadership has played out and helped further the club to reach its goals.

Using your club's own members and many of the functionalities on the NCGA Member Management Solution/memberplanet platform, you’ve got some key advantages. You can gauge who’s interested in assuming a leadership position via volunteer sign-up. You can launch an email campaign to announce positions that will be vacant. You can also survey your members about their interest in upcoming leadership positions.

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