Dulwich Hamlet Board - Trust Appointees
- Thread starter B.I.G
- Start date
scousedom
Well-Known Member
From my recollection.
Post Trust elections (usually July ish?) the new Trust Board meets and votes on which two of the Trust Board will be the reps on the Club Board.
Trust Board members are voted on for three year terms although on occasion that can only be two, as four positions have to be voted on each year and sometimes people resigning early or something causes issues. I can’t remember the exact circumstances but I know it happened recently.
Post Trust elections (usually July ish?) the new Trust Board meets and votes on which two of the Trust Board will be the reps on the Club Board.
Trust Board members are voted on for three year terms although on occasion that can only be two, as four positions have to be voted on each year and sometimes people resigning early or something causes issues. I can’t remember the exact circumstances but I know it happened recently.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
Sorry. That’s potentially not clear.
Basically, who is the Trust rep on the Club board is subject to a yearly vote by Trust Board.
And who is a candidate for being the Trust rep on the Club board is subject to a three (sometime two) yearly election by Trust membership.
But in theory if someone keeps getting elected onto the Trust Board and from there voted onto the Club board there is no time limit.
As I understand it.
Basically, who is the Trust rep on the Club board is subject to a yearly vote by Trust Board.
And who is a candidate for being the Trust rep on the Club board is subject to a three (sometime two) yearly election by Trust membership.
But in theory if someone keeps getting elected onto the Trust Board and from there voted onto the Club board there is no time limit.
As I understand it.
It makes sense to me that the person in charge of the trust board (Chair?) and vice chair are the two that are appointed to the football club board and that there should be term limits on the chair and vice chair as part of the trust constitution thereby preventing permanent appointment to the football club board.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
Ah no, you specifically can’t have that. Because of potential conflict of interest. The Trust chair has to represent the Trust, and should the Trust interests not align with the Clubs then… So you need the Trust reps on the Club board to not be Trust chair.
It was a massive shame really because the Club wanted DC on the board and so he had to stop being Trust chair.
Also. Workload of both would be shiiiite.
I’m sorry too. The above is a poor explanation. In truth it’s a governance, compliance point that I was very happy to be persuaded was the case by people who were cleverer than me.
It was a massive shame really because the Club wanted DC on the board and so he had to stop being Trust chair.
Also. Workload of both would be shiiiite.
I’m sorry too. The above is a poor explanation. In truth it’s a governance, compliance point that I was very happy to be persuaded was the case by people who were cleverer than me.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
Intuitively I agree with this. But in a world where no one else has term limits, why impose them on the democratic bit? (Except for the democratic reasons, lol).
It’s just another example of things being better if everything was 100% fan owned and democratically voted on. In that case everyone would have a term limit.
Good point. As you indicated, any democratic organisation needs to have term limits. So the term limits are because the trust needs to be run in line with best practice.
A shareholder gets to appoint themselves to the board plus others in line with their shareholding is my assumption, so they can’t have a term limit but that makes sense as they represent only themselves and not the views of whatever the posh word is for the views of those that elected them.
So to sum up / repeat Ben reflects his own views but the trust appointees should be subject to greater accountability as they are appointed as representatives of the wider trust membership.
scousedom
Thought about this some more in response to your points.
I believe the supporters trust might have had a new constitution if thats the right word based on the supporters direct template? Or guidance from them?
I assume if supporters direct is the right org to advise on supporters ownership that they will have guidance on appropriate steps where people are appointed to a football club board.
And the trust may wish to take advice under consideration as a result of their changed position since the original formulation.
DHST
Thought about this some more in response to your points.
I believe the supporters trust might have had a new constitution if thats the right word based on the supporters direct template? Or guidance from them?
I assume if supporters direct is the right org to advise on supporters ownership that they will have guidance on appropriate steps where people are appointed to a football club board.
And the trust may wish to take advice under consideration as a result of their changed position since the original formulation.
DHST
scousedom
Well-Known Member
It’s possible. It’s 4-5 years since I was on the Trust board…? And I’m not into constitutional law. Basically I liked hanging out in the MegaContainer.
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pompeydunc
Well-Known Member
I don't think you have to be on the Trust Board to be appointed as their/our rep on the club Board. You just need to be a Trust member. I could be wrong on this!
FWIW, I agree on term limits in principle. We added this to the London FA Council and Board a few years back, but it was a hard battle.
Perhaps maximum of three x three-year terms (nine years), before you need to take a one year break. However, DHST constitution is light years ahead of the governance of most football clubs and leagues at any level.
FWIW, I agree on term limits in principle. We added this to the London FA Council and Board a few years back, but it was a hard battle.
Perhaps maximum of three x three-year terms (nine years), before you need to take a one year break. However, DHST constitution is light years ahead of the governance of most football clubs and leagues at any level.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
You might well be right there. You can of course be co-opted onto the Trust Board too to fil a skills gap (eg if there’s a desperate need for an accountant / IT whizz and no one in the Board can do it).
Paula_G
Flitting in & out like Tinkerbell on Meth
If this is the case, don’t seem to recall the Trust board reaching out to the membership for Trust Members to put themselves forward as suitable candidates for these board director positions. I could be wrong on this.
