Regional Council – Q&A

This page offers some information on the structure and function of Regional
Council, and where to find out more.

• What is Regional Council?
• Who is on Regional Council?
• Who appoints these people?
• When does regional Council meet?
• What does Regional Council do?
• How does Council operate?
• Where do I find out about the business of council?
• How do I affect Council decisions?
• Who makes decisions between council meetings?

What is Regional Council?

“The affairs of the Society shall be supervised by the Council…”

(SCAS Constitution 8.1, April 2003)

Regional Council is a large committee responsible for
the general management of the society. It does not manage day to day activities,
but sets general policies and, through the various officers and officials
reports, approves the actions taken in SCAS’s name on a day to day basis. It
also operates as a forum in which the different Counties can discuss any common
interests, and represents the only administrative body within SCAS where all
the different activities of the region, including the judges committee, coaching
committee, counties and SCAS officers and officials can inform each other of
their activities through the Region.

It performs this function through meetings at which it receives reports from
officers and officials, and considers any relevant business of a more general
kind.

All officers and officials of the region are answerable to Council, including
the Executive Committee, for actions taken between council meetings.

Who is on Regional Council?

The Constitution specifies an executive, additional elected officers, County
representatives, and a range of ex officio appointments. For a quick overview
of the different members and how they are appointed see the Council Officers page.

Who appoints these people?

See the Council Officers page for a summary of who appoints each member of council.

When does Regional Council meet?

Council meets three times a year, including one meeting immediately before the
Annual General Meeting of the Society.

What does Regional Council do?

Council takes most of the major decisions about the running of the society.
For more information on the things Council is responsible for, see “What Council Does”.

How does Council operate?

Meetings are run under the direction of the Chairman, according to a previously
circulated agenda set by the Secretary in consultation with the Chairman.

The agenda normally covers the usual apologies, approval of minutes and matters
arising, followed by reports from all Officers and Officials. Recurrent business,
such as annual appointment of Officials, appears as required. Non-recurrent,
“one-off” business is either given a notified agenda ‘slot’ or treated
as the catch-all “any other business”.

Council operates as a formal committee, with voting for acceptance of minutes
and proposals following discussion. Since it is quite large, it is sometimes
necessary to delegate consideration of complex or detailed problems. These matters, which vary a lot in complexity, are dealt with in a variety of ways, including
appointment of temporary working groups, co-opted members, delegation to an
existing member of council or, sometimes, structured discussions within council
meetings. In general, the aim is to bring an issue to a point where recommendations can be made, considered and approved by council.

Where do I find out about the business of council?

For an archer wanting to know more about SCAS Council activities and decisions,
the formal route is through the Club, which is represented on the County Committee.

The county appoints representatives to Council, and the county representatives
can be approached for information. SCAS minutes are usually circulated to County
Secretaries as well as Council Members.

At the Chairmans discretion, individual members of the Region (those who pay
a fee direct to the region instead of through a club) may attend council meetings
as observers.

In future, council minutes, agendas and papers are intended to be available
on this website, though confidential matters (for example disciplinary matters
that have not yet become public) will not be included in publicly available
minutes.

How do I affect Council decisions?

The best way to affect a Council decision is to get involved in Council activities!
New members are vital to keep the Region alive, and it is generally true that
“decisions are made by those who turn up”.

To influence a decision on a proposed action or discussion, speak first to
your county SCAS representatives or raise it at a County Committee meeting.

Normally, the SCAS representatives will take account of views expressed to them,
and will always put forward a view supported by their county committee. This
route is guaranteed to get your views heard if the county supports them.

If action is to be proposed, the formal route is again to write a proposal,
get it approved by the County, and send it to the Regional Secretary for inclusion
on the Council Agenda.

Who makes decisions between council meetings?

Most of the day to day business, including the decisions that work requires,
is done by the officers and officials carrying out their jobs. They will, where
necessary, talk to each other – for example, the treasurer will often have a
say in Tournament budgeting. However, some urgent issues which would normally
need Council consideration do arise. When that happens, an Executive committee
consisting of the President, General Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman of Council
handles matters (usually by phone or email rather than a separate meeting).
The outcome will normally be reported back to Council under the Secretary
report.