And the boards are meant to be representing us

A few years ago, I worked a few hours a week for a market research company. One project was speaking to small businesses about apprenticeships. One charity I spoke with explained that they had salaried staff and volunteer staff. The only difference between them was volunteer staff were unwaged. For everything else they were treated equally, they all signed contracts, they were all subject to reviews, they all could be giving warnings and be subject to disciplinary procedures if necessary.

All sounds bonkers, but volunteers are still representing the club and reputation does matter.

Oops, mean culpa, mentioned Michele. Screen shot before 'Chele leans on Meadow

Not good to read, Nick. Someone should have volunteer welfare at the top of their priorities. Seems we have some strange ideas ruling the roost instead. Still can’t get to the bottom of who is benefiting from the exceedingly poor conduct from our boards and secretaries.

Sorry to hear that nick. I volunteered for years, first proofing the matchday programme and now for quite a few more years on the supporters' coaches. I have never had a problem - probably because my "bosses" were John The Don and now the legend that is Mandy B.

Blimey, I think what I’ve read on here today has well and truly put me off volunteering.

I am so glad that I no longer volunteer for the football club any more. I am also pretty amazed that I was ever let back into the stadium after my resignation speech to The Stadium Manager in the very busy Phoenix after the game where I may have called him some rude names and told him some hurty truths. I then had a similar conversation five minutes later, with our safety officer in the seating area outside the pub and I may have very publicly called him some rude names too. My third strike was bumping into our CEO right by the Beasant statue, who was accompanied by a group of suits and I tried to educate him as to how the club were mistreating its volunteers. Having had to put up with the clubs terrible behaviour towards people who had given up their time for years and to see how they treated those people put me in a position where I could not continue to be complicit and it came to a point where I had to make a stand. The club lost seven hard working volunteers that day. Part of the problem was the documents full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that they kept giving us, telling us we had to comply with. The Volunteer code has always been as elusive as the holy grail , but they still wanted us to sign up to something that we hadn’t seen and used to quote rules to us that apparently existed somewhere.

Looks like it, Shane, and now he's got his three years he doesn't need to keep reminding those who read here of his existence.

DO not just abide by it but also have abided by it every single day since you were born.

Seems our resident board member may have had his leash yanked by he who shall not be elected.

DO - You are probably allowed to see it when nominated! To be fair, which I would like to be, maybe Rick is under the impression that the Code of Conduct is used only by the club and thus controlled by the club. If so, it should be made clear to him that the DT uses it for purposes of judging people who were not at the time subject to it so they should be allowed to see it.

Maybe DTB should co-opt Franz Kafka to redraft constitution!

I am afraid it is all too believable, OI.

OI - so you have to agree to abide by a document you haven't seen to volunteer? Very strange!

The Discord attack dogs, sad obsessed right on, primed and ready with their evidence. Never mind the context.

So let's see if I have this correct: if a DT member who is not currently a volunteer decides to stand for election to the DT board, they have to agree to be bound retrospectively by a VCoC that they have not seen, nor are they allowed to see until they are elected.

When Martin turns up I will add it to my list of questions.

Thanks OI

When I actually volunteer I can see it Shane. "The code of conduct is made available for those who would like to volunteer. Club policies are for members of staff and volunteers which are distributed upon appointment, there is no requirement to make them public."

I've also seen no evidence as to how said rule was applied despite multiple requests but have seen multiple false accusations repeated on Discord e.g. 'sent an abusive email to a volunteer'.

The New Year???

Yeah certainly becomes more interesting because the points may be crucial. Not sure watching Scotland play football is that attractive though. Nothing against them as a country (I love Scotland) but last time I watched them play they had a lad up front who couldn't hit a barn door with a cow.

Well we make progress or maybe regress. I was sent a copy of an 18 page Code of Conduct (but probably a particularly specific one and apparently there is an even more convoluted one than that). Leigh has said she signed a two page one that is probably waht we are thinking about. BUT!!!! I asked for a copy of it from the Volunteer Officer as Leigh suggested saying I was likely to volunteer in the New Year and I'd like to read the Code of Conduct. It turns out that in the New Year I could receive a copy of the Code of Conduct but NOT NOW! So people are expected to follow the Code of Conduct even if they aren't volunteers but you can't see it if you aren't a volunteer even if you ask politely!

Which is why it might be more interesting. Maybe Scotland have their own Beckham for last minute free kicks v Greece.