WHEN each November Government reconvenes and announces its policies for the coming year, sport in general and the Sports Ministry in particular often seem to take a back seat.

So it was interesting in last Friday's Throne Speech to hear initiatives which addressed some of sport's most pressing issues.

Government's decision to review and report on the state of the Island's sports and working men's clubs, to launch a National Sports Foundation which will help fund those same clubs as well as elite athletes, and to hold a series of workshops aimed at assisting the clubs to become more self-sufficient, are all proposals with considerable merit.

Of course, what transpires after the Throne Speech doesn't always follow the original script.

But new Sports Minister Dale Butler can be commended for tackling areas that have been ignored for far too long.

In particular, the review of the clubs which play such an integral role in so many of the Island's sports, has to be welcomed.

As Butler noted: "There are a lot of clubs out there who have excellent programmes but they need a facility, they need money . . . .

"If we had a Foundation of some sort we would be able to disperse more funding to them. At the moment Government is only able to give so much."

The Minister's right. But by the same token, while most clubs do make a valuable contribution to society, it has to be recognised that too many are mismanaged and poorly organised.

And because of that the proposal outlined in last week's Throne Speech would appear to have one flaw.

Like so much initiated by Government these days its success depends heavily on corporate support.

While international business has continually dug deep into the pocket to back Bermuda's various sporting endeavours, in truth they've seen little return on their investment.

On most occasions it's a case of help us out because we can't help ourselves.

Properly funded and managed, the Island's clubs could make a world of difference to the way sports in general are played and organised.

It's therefore imperative that they take advantage of the proposed workshops, the aim of which will be to encourage groups to become self-sufficient through initiatives which will help develop income sources.

Before running cap in hand to the private sector, the clubs need to take a long hard look at what they can do themselves to engineer improvement.

For a start if some took a tougher stance on the drug and alcohol abuse that permeates their properties, they might attract a stronger and more supportive membership.

Volunteers might just be more willing to step forward and help out in an environment in which they felt safe and comfortable.

Violence, often drug-related, seems almost synonymous with club activity these days.

And unless that threat can eradicated, or at least greatly reduced, no amount of money thrown in by corporate Bermuda is going to make the slightest difference.

Government itself must also take a lead.

As we've seen so often in the past, the annual budget afforded the Sports Ministry pales in comparison with others, yet nobody will refute the direct link between sports, sporting clubs and societal behaviour.

There are many club administrators in Bermuda who for years, against all odds, have done a sterling job. Financially, it's been a constant uphill battle.

In that regard, a Foundation, as suggested last week, can only be seen as a positive step.

But before any funds are dispersed, it's necessary that the clubs get their house in order and offer a sound management plan.

If they can't do that, then the entire proposal becomes an exercise in futility.