Dacorum Sub Aqua Club - Officials of the Club

There are a number of other club officers such as training officers, records, social, grants, membership, deputy char, equipment, boat and compressor officers. They are appointed by the committee.

Job descriptions of committee members

Diving Officer:

This post needs an experienced diver and dive trip organiser who is ideally an Advanced Diver and a Nationally Qualified Instructor. This is a "lead from the front" and "by example" job, which is why its difficult to do.

Aims to:
- ensure diving safety
- ensure quality of training
- organise the year's dive programme
- keep up with and communicate BSAC training system changes and methods
By:
- checking skills of divers trained by the club
- arranging check dives for new members who have been trained elsewhere
- SALTing new members who have been trained elsewhere
- delegating dive trip organisation to marshals
- checking divers have the experience and skills for each particular dive trip
- monitoring qualifications and experience of instructors and dive leaders
- communicating the lessons learned from accidents
Difficulties to overcome:
- diver indiscipline and lack of training
- dealing with the aftermath of incidents
- shortage of dive trip organisers
- preventing people without medicals from diving
- shortage of experienced buddies and instructors

Pool Training Officer:

This post needs an experienced diver and instructor who is ideally a Nationally Qualified Instructor and an Advanced Diver.

Aims to:
- give members the lectures and pool training they need
- provide a high standard of courses and instruction
- keep up with and implement BSAC training system changes and methods
By:
- developing a pool of instructors and dive leaders to help
- organising courses - instructors, venues, kit, syllabus
- organising pool training: kit, instructors and students
- arranging independent testing of students
- being responsible for the use of the training pools
Difficulties to overcome:
- huge effort needed to organise and instruct on courses
- shortage of instructors and dive leaders
- lack of commitment and awareness of difficulties from new recruits

Open water Training Officer:

This post needs an experienced diver and instructor who is ideally a Nationally Qualified Instructor and an Advanced Diver. The training officer does not have to teach each course herself or himself, or do every training dive - but, the training officer should organise those activities. This job is so big that delegation of is the only way to do it.

Aims to:
- give members the open water training they need
- provide a high standard of courses and instruction
- keep up with and implement BSAC training system changes and methods
By:
- developing a pool of instructors and dive leaders to help
- organising courses - instructors, venues, kit, syllabus
- arranging independent testing of students
- arranging training dives
Difficulties to overcome:
- shortage of instructors and dive leaders
- lack of commitment and awareness of difficulties from new recruits

Skill Development Training Officer:

This post needs a Nationally Qualified Instructor and an Advanced Diver.

Aims to:
- give members the diver, SDC and instructor training they need
- provide a high standard of courses and instruction
- keep up with and implement BSAC training system changes and methods
By:
- organising courses - instructors, venues, kit, syllabus
- liaising with the BSAC Coaching Scheme
Difficulties to overcome:
- huge effort needed to organise and instruct on courses

Boat Officer:

This post needs a qualified boathandler and VHF radio operator with some mechanical and electrical skills. Ideally, he or she is technically aware of trailers, brakes, car electrics, outboard engines, propeller selection, boat electronics, GRP hull maintenance and the seagoing and emergency equipment needed by a RIB. The boat officer need not actually maintain each part of the boat herself or himself - the big or difficult jobs should be be done by a competent professional.

Aims to
- ensure maximum availability of the boat at times members need it
- ensure the boat is seaworthy (buoyancy, propulsion and safety equipment)
- arrange servicing and repair
- administer the hiring of the boat: collection of fees
- checking qualifications of hirers
By:
- taking bookings and collecting fees
- checking boat out and in
- recognising and fixing technical problems
- managing professional maintenance of the boat's equipment
Difficulties to overcome:
- regular workload at odd hours checking boat in and out
- effort needed to keep boat in good order
- regular wear and tear on boat specially as it ages
- high cost and importance of boat equipment and maintenance

Training Equipment Officer:

This post needs a diver with awareness of diver training equipment. The equipment officer need not actually maintain equipment herself or himself - the skilled jobs should be be done by a competent professional.

Aims to:
- arrange servicing and replacement of defective kit
- administer the hire of training equipment
By:
- opening locker, distributing and collecting kit
- hiring equipment and collecting fees
- recognising and fixing technical problems
- arranging filling of cylinders
Problems to overcome:
- regular workload of filling cylinders
- regular workload of servicing kit
- high demand when courses and try dives begin
- cannot use the equipment himself so relies on others to report problems

Oxygen Equipment Officer:

This post needs a diver who has done the Oxygen Administration Course. This job is often combined with one of the other jobs such as the Training Equipment Officer.

Aims to:
- ensure the oxygen equipment is in good working order
- ensure the 2 oxygen set are correctly configured and located (RIB and other dive trips) for emergency use on dive trips
- fill cylinders
By:
- checking the location and configuration of both sets
- recognising and fixing technical problems
- filling cylinders
Difficulties to overcome:
- kit infrequently used on courses - needs to obtain feedback about performance of kit
- oxygen kits are low visibility so easily overlooked and not checked frequently

Treasurer:

This post needs an established and trusted member who has book keeping or accounting knowledge.

Aims to:
- be aware of clubs financial position
- manage the club's bank account
- ensure transparency of the club's financial dealings
By:
- ensuring the correctness of all agreements the club makes which involve transfer of money or assets
- keeping accounts
- have the accounts audited annually
Difficulties to overcome:
- liaison with many spenders of club money
- care needed in negotiating and committing club to costs
- careful collection and distribution of money

Membership Secretary:

This post needs a tenacious and enthusiastic person.

Aims to:
- collect club and BSAC subscriptions
- organise membership of BSAC
- administratively introduce recruits to the club
- provide new joiners with their BSAC books
By:
- billing and collecting subscriptions
- being main point of contact with BSAC admin
- keeping members informed of the cost and benefits of BSAC membership
- meet, greet and organise recruits on their first visits
Problems to overcome:
- administrative and financial hibernation of members

Records Officer:

This post needs a tenacious and enthusiastic person.

Aims to:
- maintain diving qualification and training records
- maintain records of diving medicals
By:
- check blue book each time qualification obtained
- record qualification and course records
- collect and record medical records
- alert the Diving Officer to divers without medicals
Difficulties to overcome:
- Administrative indifference of members

Secretary:

This post needs a tenacious and enthusiastic person.

Aims to:
- Administer the work of the committee and other formal meetings
- Deal with club correspondence
By:
- arranging club, committee and general meetings
- producing and distribute the agenda of meetings
- writing and distribute minutes of meetings
- administering voting, quorum and chair of meetings

Social secretary:

This post needs a very tenacious and enthusiastic person. This job may be combined with other jobs on the committee or given to a member who not on the committee.

Aims to
- arrange social events
- edit the newsletter Going Down
- administer the web site
Difficulties to overcome:
- Social lethargy of members
- Date clashes with other important events

Chairman:

This post needs a person with leadership skills:

needs to get the job done
encourage and develop others
promote teamwork.

Able to identify problems and opportunities early and take action avoid or achieve them. Able to find out what members want. Able to promote the club.

Aims to:
- represent and promote the club externally
- maintain the unity of the club and committee
- ensure the committee and the club are effective
- co-ordinate the activities of the committee
- recruit members
By:
- chairing club, committee and general meetings to ensure they achieve their purpose, are fair and are brief
- representing, promoting and negotiating with external bodies the club deals with
- arranging Try Dives
- advertising for recruits
- meeting, greeting and showing around potential recruits
Difficulties to overcome:
- politics
- inertia
- confusion
- inexperience and lack of organisational skills on the committee