What has happened since the annual meeting of Badminton Sjælland Kredsen on 24 April 2024?
Not so much!
No follow-up board meeting has been held. Or rather….that may actually be the case, but I haven’t been invited.
Well, okay……but, what actually happened at the annual meeting?
…. ..I’ll take it right from the beginning…..
The annual meeting was held on Wednesday 24 April 2024 in Taastrup.
The day after the annual meeting, I wrote in Badmintonbladet about the meeting and the proceedings.
Read here:
On 28 May 2024, the chairman of Badminton Zealand (BS) sent out his minutes of the annual meeting.
Read here:
https://badmintonpeople.dk/Clubs/CommonDrive/Components/GetWWWFile.aspx?fileID=98124
Page 1 of a total of 6 pages:
THERE WAS A PROPOSAL FROM SUNRED
Kenneth Højlund from Solrød Strand Badminton Club had submitted an amendment several weeks earlier and published it via Badmintonbladet on 7 April.
The proposal was to stop subsidizing the expenses of a small group of sub-elite players and instead spend the money on grassroots efforts. More on that further down.
The circle’s board had had plenty of time to read the proposal, as well as announce in good time that it could not be adopted at the annual meeting with binding effect. The circle omitted the latter, instead announcing just before the vote that the proposal would have no real significance in the future. The board was not obliged to follow the proposal if it were to be approved.
Some were surprised. That was why so many had turned up. Announcing this well in advance would have been very appropriate and fairer for the circle.
THERE WERE ALSO ELECTIONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
It was my experience when I left the annual meeting at 10pm in April that I had become part of the board of Badminton Sjælland.
I had indeed conditioned my participation on the fact that (much more) funds would be allocated to the width, preferably so much funds now, – or in the long term, in cooperation with other stakeholders, that a “Bornholmer model” could be created.
WHAT IS THE BORNHOLMER MODEL?
For outsiders, a “Bornholmer model” is that you employ a badminton person full-time over a longer period, who, in collaboration with the DGI consultant, must work to spread badminton in an area.
On Bornholm, Lars Christiansen has been the creator and prime mover in that project and, among other things, procured the funds to employ Philip Fagralid for 3 years.
AFTER THE ANNUAL MEETING…..
In the email exchange with the BS chairman after the annual meeting, on the other hand, I could understand from the person’s opinion that I had not become a board member that evening in everyone’s hearing, and at the same time I was informed that it was not possible to implement a model similar to that existing on Bornholm.
It also doesn’t sound like there will be support for such a model in the future – and it also doesn’t sound like the circle will allocate more funds to the development of the player, but instead will continue to support a small group of sub-elite players with DKK 200,000 net ( the expenditure in 2023) rather than prioritizing the much greater breadth with those funds. At the same time, this circle, one of the largest in Denmark, is the only one that supports the participation of a small group of senior players in foreign tournaments.
This means that I am now not, or rather will be (!) part of the board of Badminton Sjælland.
Basically it doesn’t matter to me.
On the contrary.
I find the prioritization of the circle’s funds highly objectionable and cannot see myself being part of a board that prioritizes a small sub-elite group at the expense of the breadth.
At the same time, I am surprised that the district’s many clubs accept it. But also that it can be done at all.
And it can because the circles are independent legal entities, where a few people decide and arbitrarily determine priorities – and at the same time have considerable funds at their disposal.
Priorities and financial resources that are outside of Badminton Denmark’s influence.
THE CIRCUITS
There are 8 districts – Bornholm, Funen, Copenhagen, Lolland-Falster, Zealand, South Jutland, Central Jutland and North Jutland.
The circles are independent legal entities with their own financial resources.
They differ in size, number of clubs, number of players, financial resources, number of people on the board and their responsibilities, transparency, level of information, challenges, priorities and web pages.
Are they relics of the past?
Is their stubbornness a win for badminton?
Is this real democracy?
Is there the necessary transparency?
Do they have the clubs’ interest and support?
Something else is their fortunes….
The circles have a total of DKK 4.5 million in liquid capital in various bank accounts. Their basic expenses (i.e. fixed expenses if all activities were stopped) are close to zero kroner, i.e. 95% of their expenses (and income) are directly linked to the range and number of activities.
So why do the circles have such large liquid assets?
Shouldn’t these assets, which are really the member clubs’ money, be put to use and contribute to creating development and activities?
So……could badminton in Denmark be organized more expediently and democratically, and could the financial resources be distributed better, for example in favor of a higher prioritization of the breadth, which is the basis for all elites?
DKK 4.5 million will be able to pay 4 full-time badminton consultants for 24 months!
Wouldn’t this in particular be more beneficial for badminton in general, and more specifically for all the small clubs that exist in the smaller towns, where work is being done to get and retain members, find volunteers – and the necessary coaches, have enough players to to participate in the team tournament – and in the case of my club, have a place in the future to play?
Undoubtedly!
After that, it is also appropriate to look at the role of DGI. For example, they hold a large part of the tournaments and earn good money. Money that the clubs could have earned by holding the same tournaments. And money that does not necessarily flow back to the sport of badminton!
But that will have to wait for another post.
There is enough to do to do something for our sport.
Badmintonbladet.dk 🇩🇰 Per Damkjær Juhl ツ
2024-06-10 05:32:14
#ANNUAL #MEETING #SJÄLLAND #CIRCUIT #PART #BadmintonBladet
