A club booklet is a booklet that contains key information about your club and is a good way to consolidate information in one place. The booklet can be shared with members (present and potential), club administrators and kaimahi, and can be share with potential sponsors. The following inforation provides some ideas of things you could include in your club booklet.

  • What are the values of your club?
  • What is your vision? What does your club want to achieve?
  • If you have a club strategy, you can include it here.

  • What is your club about?
  • Where is your club based?
  • What demographics does your club cater to?
  • What are your training nights and schedule?
  • How do you become a member?
  • What are the fees for joining the club?
  • How many members of your club?
  • What key information do people need to know about your club?

  • When/why was it founded?
  • Who was involved at the start of the club?
  • What were the names of the first members?
  • How many original members were there, and how many members are there now?
  • Where were the original club facilities located? Have the club facilities moved since? If so, why?
  • What awards or honors have been presented to the club or members?

Include key contact information. It is good to have a club email address as the main point of contact, therefore if there a changes within your administration committee, all emails remain on one central email address. 

Other key contacts could include coaches and managers contacts.

  • How do you join the club?
  • What information is required from paddlers?
  • What are the fees?

An important component of maintaining a quality club culture is to set standards of acceptable behaviour. An important tool for defining and communicating acceptable standards of behaviour is a documented Club Code of Conduct.

A Code of Conduct is only worthwhile if it is not only read but understood by everyone within the club, and they support and act within the Code. Waka Ama NZ has a Code of Conduct that applies to all our waka ama whānau and it sets out the standards of conduct and values and is designed to ensure the well-being, health and safety of all paddlers and others involved in our sport. See the following link for the Waka Ama NZ Code of Conduct.

A waiver is a legally binding document where either party in a contract agrees to voluntarily forfeit a claim without the other party being liable. As a club, you can outline the details within the waiver and provide a copy to paddlers to sign when joining your club. This can be part of the registration process.

A template for Waka Ama events can be found here: Template - Event Waiver

It is important for all members of your club, including paddlers, administrators, kaimahi, coaches, parents etc. to know and understand the health and safety at your club. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • Health & Safety Policy
  • Incident procedure
  • Water Safety 
  • Equipment and facility use
  • Hazard identification

Water safety is a really important part of any club. Each club has a different body of water that they paddle on and with that comes different important water safety procedures. In this section you could include the following:

  • General Water Safety information (see Waka Ama NZ Water Safety)
  • Information on your local water
  • Safety requirements when paddling
  • Water safety procedures 

  • What facilities does your club have?
  • What equipment is available to use?
  • What are the access hours for facilities and equipment?
  • How to book / hire equipment?
  • Equipment and facility information and etiquette. 

Club policies are an important thing to have within your club and should be shared with members so that they understand the rules and regulations of your club. Policies your club may have could include, but is not limited to:

  • Health & safety policy
  • Child protection policy
  • Behaviour management and disciplinary policy
  • Water safety policy
  • Equipment and facility policy
  • Club policy


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