Slide 1 District 9940 LETS – May 2010 Role and Responsibilities Club Secretaries Presented by Paul Mears and Russell Smith Rotary Club of Tawa

Slide 2District 9940 LETS May Objectives Identify the role of the club secretary. Identify ways to work with your club as secretary.

Slide 3District 9940 LETS May Club Secretary Responsibilities Maintain membership records. Record attendance and send monthly attendance report to the district governor. Send out notices of meetings. Record and maintain minutes. Make required reports to RI. Collect membership dues and submit subscriptions.

Slide 4District 9940 LETS May Member Access Update and review membership data. Pay club dues. Update club data. Report new club officer information. View the club’s Rotary Foundation contribution reports.

Slide 5District 9940 LETS May RI Club Administration Software Manage contacts. Manage club information. Assign club officers and board members. Track club events. Send s to contacts in the database.

Slide 6District 9940 LETS May Reports Semi-annual report* Monthly attendance reports Membership Data Form* Visiting Rotarian attendance reports Rotarian Relocation Form Changes to club data* Official Directory Data Form* *Can be reported through Member Access.

Slide 7District 9940 LETS May Resources Club constitution and bylaws Manual of Procedure RI Catalog The Rotarian or Rotary regional magazines Club Secretary’s Manual

Slide 8District 9940 LETS May LETS TIPS AND GUIDELINES FOR SECRETARIES Prepared by Paul Mears, Rotary Club of Tawa

Slide 9District 9940 LETS May LIAISON WITH PRESIDENT AND PREDECESSOR This enables President’s expectations to be ascertained and a smooth transition. Check with President and previous Secretary as to practices and procedures within club and which ‘tips and guidelines’ should be followed. Try to anticipate issues likely to arise and forewarn President of these.

Slide 10District 9940 LETS May CORRESPONDENCE SCHEDULE Correspondence schedules are an option. If your club keeps a correspondence schedule, maintain and distribute to President (as required) and to Board members in advance of the Board meeting.

Slide 11District 9940 LETS May INWARD MAIL Collect at least once a week and in time to distribute at meeting. Open every envelope, regardless of to which club officer it is addressed. Record details of mail, including significant e mails, on correspondence schedule - assuming one is kept in your club. Distribute mail to appropriate person. Consult with President (or other appropriate person) if in doubt. Be aware of deadlines imposed in urgent correspondence.

Slide 12District 9940 LETS May OUTWARD MAIL Retain copies of outward correspondence (i.e. letters and significant s). Insert details on correspondence schedule. Develop system for recording significant correspondence sent by other office holders on behalf of club.

Slide 13District 9940 LETS May BOARD MEETINGS Prepare draft agenda for President’s approval (e.g. 5-6 days before meeting). Ascertain whether members want additional items included and, if required, send reminders regarding reports from Directors. Following President’s approval, distribute final agenda to all Board members (e.g. 2-3 days before meeting). Following meeting, prepare minutes and send to President for approval. Distribute minutes to Board members. If appropriate, prepare summary of minutes for approval by President and then distribute summary to all club members (if this is the practice in your club).

Slide 14District 9940 LETS May CLUB MEETINGS & MONTHLY ATTENDANCE REPORTS Ascertain from President as to whether agenda is required. Take District Directory and other Rotary items which may be needed at meeting. Obtain attendance sheet for use in preparation of monthly attendance report - attendance sheets should include details of make-ups but you may need to seek out this information. Make-ups can be completed within 14 days (before or after) meeting. Make-ups are personalised, not aggregated. Submit monthly attendance report to District attendance secretary (contact details are in District directory) within 15 days following end of month.

Slide 15District 9940 LETS May MEMBERS’ ADDRESSES Maintain list and update as required. Distribute updated copies as required (e.g. three times per year if changes have occurred). Please remember that this list is confidential to club members

Slide 16District 9940 LETS May STATIONERY Purchase as required. Ensure members undertaking club business have access to stationery, postage or other necessities e.g. President, person arranging guest speakers, almoner, chair of funds allocation committee

Slide 17District 9940 LETS May GENERAL Try to keep one's 'finger on the pulse' concerning supplies (e.g. new members' kits, name tags, badges up to date). Familiarise yourself with practices and procedures in regard to matters such as applications for membership and induction of new members; visit of District Governor; granting leave of absence; club assemblies/forums; annual general meeting; club changeovers; induction of Paul Harris Fellows and which Rotary activity is focused on in a particular month.

Slide 18District 9940 LETS May General (cont’d) Club Constitution, By-Laws, Secretary’s Manual, Manual of Procedure, District Directory and Official Directory are valuable sources of information – but experienced members should also be a great help. Semi-annual monthly reports are completed following 30 June and 31 December respectively – forms are sent to clubs by Rotary International but are sometimes slow to arrive. Arrange for President’s chain of office to be engraved early in the year.

Slide 19District 9940 LETS May ADDENDUM These notes do not purport to be a complete record of a secretary's duties and are one person’s view. It is acknowledged other secretaries and clubs will successfully operate using different procedures. Notes prepared by: Paul Mears Rotary Club of Tawa May 2010