Secretary’s Workshop Standard Duties

Usually, the secretary position is the training ground for a future leadership position The standard duties of a secretary are: – Record and keep minutes of all chapter meetings along with attendance – Distribute the minutes to the chapter after a meeting by reading at the next meeting – Maintain and archive policies and procedures of the chapter – use Robert’s Rules of Order and Parliamentary Law and Protocol

Minutes The minutes should show: Kind of meeting “Regular” or “Special” Name of the chapter plus chapter number Date of Meeting Place of meeting and time started Who presided Introduction of guest, new member (s), special speaker, topic of speaker

Minutes - 2 Whether the minutes were read and approved as read or corrected and approved Record the Treasurer’s report – Actual balance and the amount on hand for use Old business New business Committee reports Time of adjournment

Motion If a motion has been made – record the following: The name of the member introducing the motion – but not the name making the second, unless there is a special reason for doing so

Purpose of the Minutes To report what was done not what is said When a counted vote has been called for the number voting - each side should be recorded Minutes are the accounting of the chapter for the year and should include records of committee reports, verbatim motions brought to the chapter as well as assigned responsibilities and deadlines for these responsibilities

Availability of Minutes The minutes of the chapter should be easily available during and after the meetings. The attendance records of the chapter for all meetings and activities should be current Record members and non-members attendance at meetings and chapter events Accurate records of members and guest are very beneficial to the chapter’s membership recruiting and retention efforts

Position of Secretary The position of secretary is not incredibly demanding or time consuming position, but it does require organization and attention to detail The minutes, bylaws, policies, and procedures – all have to be consistent This position is critical in collecting and keeping the chapter’s historical information as well as communication with the Federation Officers and National Officers.

Position of Secretary -2 This job will give you a good idea about how a chapter runs and the foundation for becoming a strong well informed chapter leader

Other duties as Secretary Record new slate of officers for current year by using the F-7 form or by internet input by going to - Record delegates and alternates for current year for State Convention by using the form F- 42 This F-42 form may also be done on the internet

Other duties as Secretary-2 You may have other assigned duties by your president In the absence of an actual parliamentarian, you may be asked to do this job – if so you will need to read your by-laws. This will determine if your chapter follows Robert’s Rules of Order – Make sure you have a copy of the Robert’s Rules of Order with you at each of your chapter meeting.

Member of the Board As Secretary, you are a member of your board You are responsible for communication the chapter’s board or any changes to the board to your chapter The job of Secretary is important for taking and keeping accurate minutes and records

Records Your minutes are your chapter’s archives and will inform future officers and members why decisions were made as well as past issues History can only be recalled accurately if it is written down accurately When you start out your new year as secretary, you will need to obtain all prior minutes and other chapter related information that are permanent records

Additional Duties You will need to order all the necessary supplies for your chapter’s operation Furnish report and documents to Federation and National Officers as required Attend all chapter and board meetings Maintain a roster of chapter officers, committee chairs, and members Maintain a copy of the chapter’s constitution and by laws.

Additional Duties -2 Arrive at all meetings well before the meeting begins to make sure every thing is in order In the absence of the President and Vice President (s) call the meeting to order and ask your membership to elect a temporary chairperson to conduct the meeting Keep appropriate officers and telephone committee advised of new members

A Good Secretary A good secretary works closely with the chapter president in preparing the agenda for meetings Discussing items to be covered and determining how they should be handled Similar cooperation is required with the board, chapter members, federation, and national officers in answering correspondence and performing other duties as assigned

Format for Agenda NARFE Chapter 0781 Meeting Agenda Date of the meeting Call to order Invocation Pledge to the USA Flag Program – Guest Speaker and Topic Members present, new member (s) and guest

Format for Agenda -2 Total present Minutes - name of secretary and approved or approved as corrected Treasurer’s Report – name of treasurer – the dollar amount of balance and the dollar amount of on hand for use Alzheimer’s report Old business New business Committee reports Adjourn – give time of the adjournment

Guest Speaker’s Speeches Your minutes on a guest speaker and his or hers topics should be summarized without comment List the main topics of the guest speaker subject – just keep it brief List the guest speaker’s employer and job title

End your Minutes End your minutes by signing your name, title, date, and adjournment time