The Duties of our Chair!

I have been Regional Secretary since "Regions" began in the early 90s. The job has change dramatically over the years. Now the country is divided into 8 Regions and in our region there are 16 clubs. The secretaries of these clubs form what we call the "Regional Committee". We hold meetings about 6 times a year (any member may attend a meeting) when we coordinate the various shows and review them. We are continually trying to upgrade and improve the standard of riding clubs in general so that members can get the best benefit from their clubs. We are also continually trying to improve and standardize the various shows that we run and to introduce new ways of getting out and about with our horses. As standardization is very important for fairness we keep a close eye on the grading system and try to ensure that members are competing against those with similar ability. My job as secretary is to coordinate the various activities and I have a lot of help with this. Sarah Lang as PRO keeps everybody informed of what's going on and puts results and reports in the papers. Ger Kelly as Grading Officer looks after the Regrading of members.  Gillian Hennessy looks after the website and Dympna Gibbons as Chairman keeps me in line. We hold a party towards the end of the year( Gillian Hennessy organizes this ) when we give awards to members of the Region who have done well in different areas during the year.

 As Chairman of my own club I see my role as chairing meetings and ensuring that each member of the committee can make their contribution. I try to oversee shows and events so that everything runs smoothly and that rules and regulations are adhered to. At functions and shows etc. it is my job as chairman to make speeches if necessary and ensure that everyone is thanked. In case of a dispute it is the job of the chairman to adjudicate. At the AGM as chairman I will make an address reviewing the performance of the club throughout the year.