Digital Documents Storage

Status

Status: Active
Submitted to Committee: 19 April 2026

This document is published as a formal record of a proposal submitted to the Committee.
Any response received will be published separately.

1. Purpose

To establish a simple and consistent method for the digital storage and controlled publication of formal Club documents, supporting governance, continuity, and member access.

2. Current Position

Formal records are currently produced and approved through established processes and, in some cases, made available via physical display.

However, there is no consistent digital repository of these records accessible to members. As a result:

• information is not retained in a structured or accessible form
• access depends on timing and physical availability
• continuity of records between committees is limited

This proposal addresses that gap by establishing a simple and consistent digital record.

3. Context and Timing

The use of digital document storage has been discussed previously.

However, the introduction of the Members Hub website now provides a practical and immediate benefit in adopting this approach.

The Members Hub enables:

• structured presentation of documents
• controlled access for members
• simple publication of approved materials
• integration between stored documents and member-facing pages

As a result, digital storage is now a functional part of how information can be managed and communicated within the Club.

4. Proposal

That the existing process for producing and approving formal documents be extended, not replaced, by introducing a digital record as follows:

• Approved documents are stored in a central online repository
• The repository is maintained using the Club’s existing IONOS facilities
• Documents are retained in a structured and chronological format

Where appropriate, documents may then be:

• made available to members via the Members Hub website
• provided as downloadable files

5. Method

IONOS provides existing facilities to support this approach, including:

• WebDAV-based document storage
• optional email-to-folder functionality for automatic filing
• structured folder organisation

Documents are stored once and may then be referenced or published where appropriate.

6. Scope of Documents

This proposal applies to the Club’s formal governance and operational records.

These are defined as:

• FCA Rules and approved amendments
• Annual Accounts and financial reports
• Committee minutes (once approved)
• General Meeting minutes (AGM and SGM)
• Policies and governance procedures
• Formal resolutions, including:
  • appointments and retirements
  • delegated authority
  • acceptance of roles
• Committee structure, including:
  • names of officers
  • roles and responsibilities

These documents together form the official record of the Club’s governance, decisions, and financial position.

7. Principle

The principle is that:

formal Club records should be retained digitally and made available to members in a structured and accessible manner

This does not extend to:

• informal working documents
• draft materials
• internal correspondence

8. Implementation

Implementation is straightforward:

• no change to existing approval processes
• minimal additional effort (documents saved once in digital form)
• use of existing Club systems (IONOS)
• optional publication via Members Hub

9. Benefits

This approach:

• creates a consistent and accessible record of Club activity
• supports continuity between officers and committees
• allows members to access documents at their convenience
• reduces reliance on physical noticeboards
• aligns with modern governance and record-keeping practices

10. Outcome

The result will be:

• a single, structured, digital record of Club documents
• improved accessibility for members
• a foundation for future governance and communication improvements

11. Request

The Committee is requested to:

• consider and respond to this proposal, and
• confirm whether it will support the introduction of digital document storage for approved Club records

Committee Response

30 April 2026

Use of centralised document storage, filing by email and then visibility to members

• Cloud Storage for all club documentation
• A way to upload this by simply sending an email
• A new member’s web page to view some of the documents