Started a Group but a member is trying to take over!?

Question

I started a group who are interested in history and founded a small local historical society on my own, one of the first people I met was a man and his wife who had lots of equipment and where really nice,giving us rides etc,

But I get the feeling the more 'kind' things they do the more they seem to be trying to hold me in their debt, to the point where they have pretty much taken over, deciding who can join,not running things by me and going of and getting information under my society's name. Getting angry if I do anything without their say so.

We even had a meeting where the man decided to do all the talking and basically passed me off as a secretary because I am not confident enough to speak to large groups before I know them.
I am not happy and am not a very imposing person as I am also 20 years younger than them, what should I do before they make a joke of my well-respected group and run it into the ground?

Answer 1

Do what people do to a machine when it starts to run haywire. Shut the group down, and fix the problem (i.e. kicking that power-hungry guy out!). Then start it back up again.

Answer 2

You can do two things.

Either confront them in private, explaining that you started the group, not them.

They have no right to get angry. If they start to say how they gave you equipment and rides etc.

Then politely tell them they can take their equipment back and the rides will no longer be necessary.



If you are not comfortable doing this, then the second option is to shut down the group, wait a few weeks, then reopen it under a different name. And do not invite that couple to join the group.

Answer 3

This happened to the Santa Claus Association, amongst others, as I remember. You either let them take over, or form a splinter group and try to take the original name!



On the other hand, for the love of history, can't we all just get along? Otherwise, the political hijinks involved in this Historical Society will take over the true goal.

Answer 4

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