Steve Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Hi - This is a new forum area, set up after requests from members to allow discussions on committee related topics. Those of you who chair or are members of committees have demonstrated their commitment to their role by finding your way to the FSF, so welcome and please make yourselves comfortable.
Rea Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) Well, thank you both very much for your welcome. Rea, committee member who has just sat on the floor for 2 hours writing invoices for next term, filling in funding form and rejigging children into different sessions. PS. Welcome to other committee members too Edited May 20, 2009 by Rea
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Hi Rea and thanks to Steve for setting up our new area. I'm the chair of the committee for a small voluntary run pre-school near Bristol. I'll be back with lots of questions for others very soon! Sue
sam2368 Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Thank you for doing this Setve! and welcome from me too! Previous committee member now extremely well supported by fab committee! Sam ps Are our committee expected to pay to register Steve?
Steve Posted May 20, 2009 Author Posted May 20, 2009 Hi Sam - You'll need to get them to contact the Cambridgeshire early years team, but I'd expect them to be able to register free under the Cambridgeshire scheme (details here).
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Sam, I just emailed our early years advisor and she gave me the log in details.
Guest Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 Hi, 1st post I'm chair of a pre-school and have already read lots of great posts and got lots of useful links I am a little saddened to see that there is a lot of negativity towards committees on the forum and no understanding of the amount of un-paid work that we put in (10-15 hours a week I estimated). I look forward to continuing to use this valuable resource.
HappyMaz Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 I look forward to continuing to use this valuable resource. And we look forward to you sharing your experiences and wisdom, melthammum! Welcome to the Forum, and congratulations on making your first post! Maz
sunnyday Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 Hi methalmmum - hope you really enjoy the forum. I'm not 'committee led' so hopefully have never been rude about committees - if I have been ................ apologies!!! Sunnyday
Rea Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 Hi melthammum, welcome to the forum. I've been at both ends of a committee, firstly as playleader of a playgroup and now part of one in charge of whatever comes my way but mostly waiting list, funding, invoicing and contacting new parents. We do a lot of unpaid work dont we, but I'm sure we wouldnt have it any other way, I seem to remember doing a lot of unpaid work when I was staff to be honest! If people on here are negative towards committees I can completely sympathise with them, not all groups are lucky enough to have a committee who are dedicated and who want to work with the staff rather than against them for the good of the group. Some committees, or at least some members, are too awful (and I speak from experience )
Guest Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 Hello all and welcome to the 'committee forum' from me too. I used to work for a committee led group, some negative but also lots of positive experiences. I then ran my own private group, ALL responsibility on my head, not easy and quite lonely sometimes which if experienced helps one to value the benefits of shared work/responsibilities that committees offer. I am now a governor of my local primary school (Federated with another school) and chair of the Learning & Development sub-committee. This has enabled me to understand how 'lost' a new committee member can feel, and definately inundated and drowning in paperwork and policies that I need to get my head around before I can even begin to be a valuable member of the committee. Definitely need some training, which I think most 'new' committee members of any committee would value. Steve, I think it's a great idea to provide this forum as I am sure experienced and new alike will benefit from shared experiences and ideas to support each other on what is a hard, difficult, complex and yet rewarding role. Peggy
Beau Posted May 27, 2009 Posted May 27, 2009 Hi, 1st post I'm chair of a pre-school and have already read lots of great posts and got lots of useful links I am a little saddened to see that there is a lot of negativity towards committees on the forum and no understanding of the amount of un-paid work that we put in (10-15 hours a week I estimated). I look forward to continuing to use this valuable resource. Welcome to the forum and well done for finding the committee part so quickly! The fact that you have found your way here shows that you are one of the 'good guys' and will be welcomed with open arms. As others have said, unfortunately committee run groups are not always run by such dedicated individuals as yourself - I have had wonderful committees but also dreadful committees (one of which really treated me in a way I had never known in my whole life, and which I found incredibly upsetting!). This sort of thing can make you feel very bitter towards committees which is unfair but hopefully you understand why. Having said that, I have also heard some horror stories about wonderful committee members who have suffered a similar treatment from staff who really should behave in a more professional manner. Like Rea I have been on both 'sides' which I think is helpful in reaching an understanding of what we all face!
dublinbay Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Hi and a warm welcome to the forum from me too. We are committee run and have a gem of a chairwoman at the moment.
Guest Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Thanks for the warm welcome everyone I am examining the posibility of doing the EYPS as a graduate, so might find myself in both positions at some point myself! Our staff do an awful lot of unpaid work too, and are all underpaid for the work they do. I wish we could do more to help them as a committee but are a bunch of mums doing things we have never done before and learning as we go! Kirsty xx
Guest Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Hi Kirsty (and everyone else), just back from holiday in sunny Portugal so thought I would check in here. I'm very lucky in that I have a background in education (used to be an early years teacher) but even so I have found it very difficult getting to grips with what is required as Chair. One of my biggest bug bears with the whole committee thing is the lack of continuity. When my daughter moves on to school, someone else will have to come in and learn the ropes from scratch, which can't be good news for anyone. I can totally understand the complaints from both sides, what most annoys me is how political it can get! I'm very lucky in that 99% of our committee are great and I'm enjoying working with them. Sue
Rea Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Continuity has always been a problem and is an issue that can start a whole new debate!
Beau Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 One of my biggest bug bears with the whole committee thing is the lack of continuity. When my daughter moves on to school, someone else will have to come in and learn the ropes from scratch, which can't be good news for anyone. And sadly so often all the hard work you have done as Chair, setting up good systems and policies and building a good working relationship with staff members, can be totally destroyed within a couple of weeks of a new committee.
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 I have only experienced one committee (new to the job and must say not a positive one) and a new one has just been elected (same chair...good for continuity but not so good for other reasons!). Anyway, as there are new members in this committe I can already see a divide happening between them too as the new ones want to make a difference and disagree with how things are being done! Continuity is hard but saying that I work in a local Sainsburys and in the last month the firm have moved our manager, deputy and floor manager. Apparently they do it every 6 months . Now there is another staff team to have to get used to. Anyway as others have said....welcome to committee member on here! You have already proved yourelves in that you are taking your role seriously and here is a great forum to be able to get opinions, ideas from others. I have found this forum so informative, up to date and have gone back to my committee requesting we change things (some they have, some they havent!!). Looking forward to hearing your views.
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 Hi, 1st post I'm chair of a pre-school and have already read lots of great posts and got lots of useful links :wacko: I am a little saddened to see that there is a lot of negativity towards committees on the forum and no understanding of the amount of un-paid work that we put in (10-15 hours a week I estimated). I look forward to continuing to use this valuable resource. welcome from me too! I was actually considering becoming chair of my loacl pre-school (it was that or the job and I actully got offered a job there instead!) Not sure what sort of chair I would have been however, it is in my nature to research, find out all about things that I consider to be important in my role (do it now by being on here for info, doing training as my job as assistant etc). However, I was aware that being on the committee would have been a lot of work (as staff we actually think chair is a full time job in itself and would prefer someone who is not working full time to do it given this ). Saying that it is a huge commitment however, it is voluntary. Perhaps this is why we struggle to get new committee members every year. People lead such busy lives now. Well done to those that take it on board I say! Dont get me wrong I love my job but in a my working life I have never ever come across a job that expects so much to be done unpaid, gets paid less than a dinner lady/cleaner at school (true I saw an advert for my local school!), where you can be asked to work every day of the week one month and then dropped down to one day per week the next, so not ideal job security! However, Im still doing it!
Guest Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 hi all been reading forum for a while as an early years provider but only just started to post. iv recently been appointed the chair of the local playgroup and am still finding my feet, i also have seen it from the eyes of a playgroup manager and now seeing it from a totally different angle. hope you all dont mind me constantly questioning you all on issues. thanks cathy (selby child minder studying for EYFS Degree)[/size]
Beau Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 Welcome to the forum Cathy! Ask as many questions as you like, there is always someone willing to offer advice and support or point you in the right direction.
HappyMaz Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 Hi Cathy - welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your first post! Sounds to me like you have all the right experience to be a good Committee chair: not least knowing what it feels like on both sides of the fence. I'm sure you'll be offering as much advice as you ask for! Maz
Rea Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 Welcome from me too cathy. Dont worry about asking questions, my dad says, 'if you dont ask, you dont get'.
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