Tournament secretaries - let me pick your brains!

[clickerati]

As my club's tournament secretary, I'm interested to know how others in this role deal with this position. Do you badger members to enter shoots, book them in and collect payment? Or do you simply give them the information and let themselves book in?

Increasingly, I find myself chasing members for confirmation of attendance and for money. I have found myself considerably out of pocket as people ask me to book them into shoots and then never reimburse me. Does anyone else find this? Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can avoid this?

We have started using online payments for club shoots, so they can book themselves in, but there are still a small minority who refuse to do this.

My club is slowly moving toward being more competitive, but there is still a relaxed attitude about booking into shoots. I try to encourage them to work out a shoot schedule for each season and decide what they want to shoot, but I'm not sure I'm getting through that shoots book up early on and that they can't wait until a fortnight before.

It's really becoming a full-time job and is really exhausting. I love helping my club and don't mind the responsibility, but at the moment, the committee work is eating up all my spare time (apart from shooting).

I'd really love to hear from other tournament secretaries (or whatever your titles my be) and pick your brains about this.

Cheers

[Murray]

Put up a list of shoots at each club night. Have a clear deadline for each entry.
When the closing date arrives, anyone who hasn't paid doesn't get entered. They're adults now, so no excuses
After the closing date, anyone who wants to enter does so themselves.

All you're saying here is, "I'm here to help you, if you want help, here's how to get it, if you don't follow the rules, you're on your own"

Tough love - the only way to go.

[clickerati]

Originally Posted by Murray

Put up a list of shoots at each club night. Have a clear deadline for each entry.
When the closing date arrives, anyone who hasn't paid doesn't get entered. They're adults now, so no excuses

Yes, but sometimes shoots fill up well before the deadlines and then I've got a group of disappointed people on my hands.

[Murray]

No, what I'm saying is that YOU set the deadline. This may well be 4 weeks before the actual deadline. Explain why this is and let the ditherers sort themselves out by other means.

[grimsby archer]

as club bottle washer, I stick notices on the wall about upcoming shoots (usually the ones other members pick up at shoots and give to me or other clubs email to me)
I also have a group email of all my members and I forward any shoot notices to them all as soon as I get them.
The ones who are interested will enter for themselves and the ones who arent, wont. I find the notice on the wall is a good ice breaker for the novices who may be thinking about going for their first shoot. They stand and stare at the notice until someone notices them.
Acting as a middle man between the competitors and the host clubs is just a non starter. The host club rings you up with every query or cancellation and you spend half your life trying to contact the competitors.
Getting the competitors to apply individually makes the system more simple for everyone and you dont get stung.

[worthipa]

Originally Posted by clickerati

I have found myself considerably out of pocket as people ask me to book them into shoots and then never reimburse me. Does anyone else find this? Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can avoid this?

Unfortunately Clicki if you let people take advantage they will do.

Stop doing it straight away!

If they don't want to pay then they can't shoot, simple as ....

[Robin the Hood]

Originally Posted by clickerati

Yes, but sometimes shoots fill up well before the deadlines and then I've got a group of disappointed people on my hands.

Quite simple...No fee, No entry. That way those wanting to pay get the entry. Also as Murray has mentioned, Closing Date, If anyone wants to enter after that, and there is spaces, then like we have done in the past they pay £1.00 more, this compensates for you having to fiddle the spaces more, along with 'Next Time'...'Don't be late'...

Paul...

[clickerati]

I send group emails to all our club members who have email so they know what's coming up. Sad thing is that they don't always read them. At the moment, we shoot one a week at a rented hall, so I have to rely on email and vocal announcements at practice. Once mid-April rolls around, no worries about posting things on the board.

We will, however, post our fixtures (home and away) online with links to the forms, which is accessible by all but two members, I believe. That information is there, available, yet I feel people expect me to chase them. As you said, Worthers, I should stop this ASAP.

We will also post or hand out the fixtures lists, so I will take that opportunity to tell members to use it as a sign up sheet. Mark an X next to shoots they want to attend.

[King Custard]

At the start of the year I got the position of fixtures secretary. Since we have one maybe two of our own shoots that are organized by others- all I have to do is promote other clubs shoots to our members. thankfully we have a handful of competitive archers that love to shoot 'away', myself included.

But when you get nice people saying...yeh dan book me in and let me know what I owe you - and can you remind me when its near- and can you print me a map....oh and i forgot - I'm working that day......
it all gets right up my quiver!

so I dont do it.
Details are emailed 3 times to all the club
and if im bored personal emails to those that would normally go- or should go-
as a general rule - I get paid - the other club gets paid-
BUT those that have paid pay earkly enough to get the forms off and a confirmed booking...any dilly dalliers can go hang!

That said.....my circulars do explain that its unfair for one or two that are slow to pay up, to risk not securing places for those that are committed. MY closing date for enties is a fortnight before the tru closing date- but i do try to make enquiries as to when the fully booked date is expected.

But it's all a pain

[Old Bloke]

Others quite correctly have said what you should do. Yes, they are all adults (except juniors) and know full well that they have to actually enter a shoot to shoot in it, which includes parting with their cash and well in advance of the shoot date!. Don't start thinking for them Leigh...or else it will do your 'ead in. AND do not use your cash to enter them..good grief..
You are too soft..that is your trouble.