I have seen the emergence of some social car fun clubs here in Zimbabwe, which is a pretty exciting development for the petrol heads and car enthusiasts. The phenomenon of these fun clubs started long back, and in the USA, the first club was called the Automobile Club of America (ACA), founded in 1899. In Europe, Asia, and our neighbors, South Africa also started having these similar clubs a long time ago, which operate as non-profit making and apolitical organisations that are led by committees elected by the members with specific objectives. It is, therefore, good to share the history behind the formation of such clubs to expand the scope of these clubs emerging in this country to provide the right foundation and values that are progressive and constructive. The clubs are usually guided in their operations and rules through a constitution that is crafted to suit the specific objectives of each organisation.
For any organisation to function properly, the constitution needs to provide clarity on important aspects such as the leadership structure, leadership responsibilities and term of office, membership categories, membership benefits, membership fees, rules & regulations, membership suspension and reinstatement rules, and use of membership funds, among others. In this country, we have an estimated 1. 2 million roadworthy cars, and hence it is possible for a club to grow to have 50,000 members. If you do the math and say membership is US$1 per month multiply 12 months by 50,000 members, the club can easily collect us$600 000 annually. So, assuming the club started without a constitution that provides clarity about the management of the funds, then the risk is high that they will not agree to formalise it later.
It will be too late to start putting rules on the organisations, and that is what usually destroys relationships and the growth of a potentially good idea. While it is very easy for such clubs to be consumed by fan, eating and drinking events, driving and making noise, there is potential to achieve good things too, and hence the need to balance the objectives to include; -To conduct club events in an exemplary & responsible manner. -To support, encourage, and take part in cultural and societal activities. -To provide assistance to fellow club members in times of need. -To always seek to improve the driving skills of our members and the community.
Original Source: Thestandard Read Full Article at Source This article was aggregated by AllZimNews.com from trusted Zimbabwean news sources
