The Federation of United Kingdom GoldWing Clubs:
- Works like a Club of Clubs; independent local and special interest GoldWing clubs work together when it suits them to do so and are otherwise free to do their own thing.
- Exists to promote variety and freedom of opportunity in the enjoyment of Honda GoldWing motorcycles and their derivatives including fellowship among those who wish to share this enjoyment.
- Supports the UK GoldWing Community as an umbrella organisation to assist with the formation of local or special interest GoldWing clubs and to foster liaison and cooperation among them GoldWing Clubs and by administering shared facilities, such as a national Events Calendar.
- Accepts affiliation by individuals and Clubs
- Makes no rules about what GoldWing riders or their Clubs may or may not do and has no regulating or controlling role of any kind
- Is constituted as a Charitable Trust; its Trustees having the role of protecting its capacity to serve the UK GoldWing Community in a non-directive way and no other
- Donates all financial surpluses to charitable causes saving only such reserves as may be necessary for no more than two years of continuing operation
- Appoints an Honorary Executive Secretary to conduct the day to day affairs of the Federation
- Encourages individual Affiliates and representatives of Affiliated Clubs to convene from time to time as a Federation Council for purposes of fellowship, liaison and to facilitate cooperation in the organisation of events but such gatherings may not assume any ruling or directive role.
- Represents the UK GoldWing Community when appropriate
- provides:
- Facilities – those which work better if they are shared widely, like an All Clubs National GoldWing Events Calendar and Public Liability Insurance.
- A UK GoldWing Internet Forum – a genuinely friendly Forum, on which the exchange of ideas and information is encouraged but discourtesy and criticism, especially personal criticism, are discouraged.
- Resources – a repository of technical information about GoldWings, advice about setting up, organising and insuring a local or special interest GoldWing club.
- Major Event Planning – help with the organisation of events which require cooperation between clubs and/or assistance from manufacturers.
What constitutes the amount of reserves for a clubs two years of continuing operation? Is there a upper limit to this amount? Will this reserve be based on the clubs membership locational area or just number of members?
Blogmaster: The thinking behind this is that unnecessarily large reserves can become the tail which wags the dog. Two years operating costs is just an attempt to set what might be a reasonable maximum in order to avoid this risk. Since the Federation is planned to be a low cost operation which must not be allowed to try to turn itself into a ruling body, I think something like this is necessay. Have you got a better idea?
In answering your question, “Yes I do have a couple of thoughts”. Firstly I would be happy that the total expenditure of a clubs first annual running costs are used as a guide, divided by the number of members, plus the cost of 2 years projected inflation to arrive at a sum. Or secondly, ammending the constitution ie, After aquiring membership fees, any excess monies left over after a designated fix sum at year end are donated to a charity or emergency fund. Also if there is a possibility that at the end of a season a club will be left with a debt, members should agree at the start of the season on enlistment to contribute equally to make up any short fall due to unforeseen circumstances in the following year by adding it to their re-newal subscription. Then either way the club can continue to exist. These are just my thoughts open to comment. Hope you all had a merry xmas and are going to have a happy Winger New Year 2009 too!
Blogmaster: Helpful comment, thank you. It’s not Clubs in general we’re talking about here remember, just the Federation. Individual (independent) Club can do what they like. The idea of placing a limit on the Federation’s reserves was primarily so that money wouldn’t become the tail that wags the dog – so that the Federation (or rather its Trustees) wouldn’t be tempted to get expansionist or megalomanic ideas and end up turning themselves into a ruling committee. The Federation’s excess monies (if they ever have any, which ideally they won’t because they will not seek to acquire them) could be used for good works in various ways. I personally would be content to leave that sort of detail to the Trustees. I see no need to get into too much detail; it’s the principles which are important, especially at this stage.