This past month has seen the Bermuda Cricket Board along with several clubs hold their Annual General Meetings.Clubs normally try to have their AGM this time of year, preferably just prior to the busy Christmas season. Its main goal is to give the club members an overview of how the club’s financial side of things turned out for the previous year.It is also a time when the club based on the constitution re-elects members into office for the next fiscal year or years.The brief overview of important points is as follows.The President, Secretary and Treasurer normally give a summary of how the club ran from their perspective roles for the year just gone.Financial statements are presented audited, or unaudited, and this becomes the focal point of the meeting. How has the club utilized the revenue earned? Scrutinizing every line item of both revenue and expenses usually gets the involvement of the club members and they are free to voice their opinions whether positive or negative.The accountant usually speaks on this topic explaining what makes up each line item such as wages, bar revenue, coaching fees, electricity, maintenance, rent etc.By nature, because of the money involved, this financial part of the AGM has the most interest and controversy.The focus of a community club has turned into one of strictly business. Times have changed, and the running of a club has become a full time job, squeezed into part time hours.Truthfully speaking there are very few clubs being run efficiently in Bermuda, and most clubs are making far less money then they should be, or need to, to run an effective programme.Depending on bringing in finances from one source of revenue, which in most cases is the bar, is simply unrealistic if a club expects their programme to grow.It’s time for club members to stop arguing about how the money could have, and should have, been used and for them to elect people who are committed to the entire programme.Commitment is key to all those that run for office, and commitment means meeting weekly with an agenda that is proactive. Why wait until the end of a fiscal year to look at the financials? It makes proper business sense to look at the revenue and expense stream on a monthly basis.Fresh ideas would then result from these meetings and analysis, such as being able to utilize the facilities in other ways, would start to form. Examples could be, but are not limited to, the hire of the club for weddings, family functions, games nights, concerts, and so on.Those in office have to have a vision and be work orientated. The prestige of the position many times dictates the desire to run for office, but often what is lacking is the knowledge, and know-how, of what is really involved in running a club.Bright ideas mean nothing if they are not implemented. Often times clubs call work rallies and the same people come out, when if more people offered their services so much more could be done, cutting tremendous cost for the club in the long run.The strength of the club’s committees has a major impact on our sporting bodies also, such as the Bermuda Cricket Board and the Bermuda Football Association.Representatives elected at the club level are the same people that represent the clubs at the board level. Clubs are required to send representation to cricket and football meetings when both Boards are having important discussions.Oftentimes you get people going to these meeting who have no interest in the sport but are the club’s representatives. Clubs have to better utilize their executives and members to avoid this issue.I vividly remember going to a Board meeting once and each club represented had the privilege of two votes. Amazingly two people from the same club voted differently, one for and one against. Dissention maybe? Or ignorance?However you look at it the committee representatives were not on the same page.This should be unheard of as a united front should be what is displayed. The pointing of fingers from the Boards to the clubs or the clubs to the Boards has to stop and a professional business setting must be attained for both.No longer should it be acceptable for important information to disappear into thin air and not be passed on because it fell into the hands of someone that is not interested in the topic. Modern technology should ensure that this never happens on both the Boards’ side and the clubs’ side.Let’s step our game up. With the members ranging from skilled labourers, accountants, businessmen, secretaries, plumbers, and electricians there is no need to be guessing on how to run a successful club.Let’s run it like a business and utilize the resources that are there. Simple solutions such as a working budget would be a good place to start. Diversify the tasks and ensure there is accountability by insisting that reports be given on a monthly basis.So remember that an AGM is not a place to go and just vote a friend in because you like them or you’re buddies. One should seriously consider the workload required before accepting the responsibility.I urge clubs to strive for professionalism, because it has been proven that you only get out what you put in.