Board
Development Toolkit
The Role of the Board Secretary
The Role of the Board Secretary
Summary
In smaller associations,
the duties of the Treasurer may be combined with those of the Secretary.
If this is the case, the individual holds the title of Secretary/Treasurer.
For the purpose of this report, however, only the duties of the Secretary are outlined. The following information is covered.
- the Board Secretary's job description
- taking minutes
- keeping track of dates (annual planning calendar)
Page Contents
Board Secretary's Job Description
In many small associations, there is no staff person to take on the role of administrative staff person. In such associations, the Board Secretary takes on this role. In these associations, the Secretary has the important role of making sure that the business of the association stays on track.
She ensures that official forms and correspondence are kept secure, that official documents are filed on time and that all other formal requirements are met. If there is an administrative staff person, the Board Secretary, is usually the board member responsible for monitoring the activities of this individual.
Further information
on the Board Secretary's responsibilities is included on the following
job description.
Board Secretary's Job Description
Title:
Board Secretary
Purpose:
To prepare and
maintain the official documents of the association.
Responsibilities:
1. Act as any secretary would for a "supervisor" (in this case, the Board).
2. Record the minutes of all Board meetings as well as the minutes of any committees to which the Secretary is assigned, making sure that all actions are duly noted.
3. Keep a record of all policies approved by the Board in the association's policy manual.
4. Maintain and monitor a calendar of important dates for the association such as grant filing dates, audit dates, etc.
5. Maintain the records of the staff person including contracts, benefits, evaluations, etc.
6. Keep all the records of the association in a safe place.
7. Dispose of old
documents only with the approval of the Board.
8. Make sure that all files are in good order for the next Board Secretary.
"I can't be Secretary. I'm no good at taking minutes." This is probably one of the most popular refrains heard at the time of year when the nominating committee is putting together its slate for the next Board and Executive. Along with the refrain comes visions of hours upon hours of furious writing during meetings, followed by more hours of labouriously copying the minutes out in good.
All this stems from a misunderstanding of the purpose for which minutes are used.
The minutes of any meeting should be used for:
- recording decisions
- giving insight into why decisions were made
- letting those who were not present familiarize themselves with what went on
For all of this, it is not necessary to:
- record everything
- attach a speaker's name to everything that is said
- list every reason for and against a decision
The form below is
an easy way to make sure that all motions are recorded in the minutes.
Have a pile of these forms handy at every meeting. Then the mover can
write the motion down for the Secretary to make sure that it is recorded
accurately.
| Mover: |
|
Seconder: |
|
Motion:
|
|
Result: #in favour______ #against______ Carried______ Defeated______ |
As was mentioned under the Board Secretary's job description, it is the responsibility of this individual to keep track of important dates for the association. Most important dates in the life of an association come at the same time every year. This makes it fairly easy to keep track of them, if only someone records these dates all in the same place. The trouble is that all too often, the date when each task is due is noted only in its own file. Then all of a sudden, someone notices that, for example, the agreement with the landlord is due and no one has looked into it yet.
It is easy enough to get around this by simply constructing a one-page master calendar that gives the months when all major tasks are to be accomplished. This simple trick is also a tremendous help to the Board with respect to planning Board meetings appropriately. By looking at what is coming up, the Board is able to avoid having too many important decisions happening in too short a time.
The calendar below gives you an idea of how such a calendar might look.
Annual Planning Calendar - Sample
|
January
|
February * Approve Budget |
March * File with Ministry * Re-negotiate Lease |
|
April * Nominating Committee Report |
May * Annual General
Meeting |
* Implement Salary Increases
|
|
July
|
August
|
September
|
|
* Employee evaluations due |
November *Staff review |
December
|
Return to DAWN Ontario website
