Southport Croquet Club Use Technology to Save Time & Attract Volunteers
Overwhelmed by club admin? See how Southport Croquet Club used simple tech to reduce volunteer workload, streamline payments, and make management easier.
Someone from the committee asks, "Could you lend a hand?"
Your mind immediately jumps to the big picture: endless meetings, thankless tasks, and a 12-month commitment that feels more like a second job. You're talented, you're willing, and you love your club, but who has that kind of time?
It’s the number one reason good people hesitate to put their hand up. But what if we've been thinking about volunteering all wrong?
At Southport Croquet Club, president Charlie Ernst is championing a new, more flexible approach—one that respects members' busy lives while still getting crucial jobs done. It’s built on a simple, powerful idea: stop asking for a year, and start asking for an hour.
This philosophy is about a strategic shift away from asking for general with "positions" and towards identifying small, specific, manageable tasks. Think about it: instead of trying to fill a vacant "Lawn Director" role, what if the committee just needed someone to mow the surrounds for 30 minutes once a fortnight? Or someone to help run the BBQ at a Bunnings event?
This approach is a smarter way of thinking about the incredible pool of skills sitting untapped within every club.
Charlie shares the perfect example: their club’s success with grants came from finding one person with the right skills and empowering them to become their dedicated grant writer.
That’s all he does, nothing else.
This same philosophy needs to extend all the way to the top of our clubs. The fear of being overwhelmed is what stops so many people from taking on leadership roles like president, treasurer or secretary.
We must think of ways to use technology better and use smart processes to simplify these jobs.
That way they become far less intimidating and far more attractive to the next generation of members.
Your club doesn't just need committee members; it needs
- people who can lend a hand for an hour once a month,
- share a specific skill for a single project, or
- offer their professional expertise for a particular problem.
By rethinking what it means to volunteer, we can build stronger, more resilient clubs where everyone feels they can contribute in a meaningful way.
Everyone has a skill to offer.
Speak to your club committee today about a small way you can help, or see current state-level volunteering opportunities with Croquet Queensland.
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