I couldn't agree more, Graham. The best option though, I still believe, is to have a 'benevolent dictator', a good strong secretary who DOES listen to what the members want and gives it to them. I always believed that the money belongs to the members.
However, some committee-men believe that they should save it for the members and become so obsessed with that conception that even when the members want to spend some of it, the committee says "No, we might need it." And it's always - "We might need it." until such time as they lose it because of inactivity.
It doesn't have to be the Secretary either, there's always the "Old Guard" sitting at the top of the table, mates who have known every member down through the ages. These are the overcautious ones, the ones who have implicit faith in the Treasurer, because they think he knows what he's doing just because he plays with the figures which they can't understand anyway.
Believe me, there are not many treasurers of angling clubs know much about keeping books, they're usually a bloody nightmare to understand and often wrong. It's not their fault, they were pushed into the job where the only qualifications are "Two of everything you should have? You're in!"
We'll come on to the Treasurer's roll later if you, dear readers, want me to continue with this series.