How to Secretary the RDG Way

As noted before, the secretary by itself tends to have a light workload, and often is folded into the treasurer role. Here are the major responsibilities of the secretary half.

• Record & provide an after meeting report. 

The after meeting report (also known as "after action report") should be filled out and sent within 48 hours of a meeting to all members. This keeps all members informed of club business, but also reminds non-attendees of what they missed out on. This can lead to increased member turnout. If you use Easy Speak, you can post a copy to your club's discussion forum to archive it. The resources section has a sample template that can be used, but don't just fill in the blanks - try to add a little flavor to it.

• Record & provide report of executive committee meeting minutes.

You should record what topics are brought up as well as what action items people take on, including the what is to be done, by whom, and by when. Tasks without those three factors usually fall by the wayside. If your club officers want to keep meeting minutes private, consider setting up a Google docs share or similar so that they can access them via the web. Otherwise, post them to your club's discussion forum in Easy Speak (provided you use it).

• Manage club records and files (both digital and paper).

Fairly self-explanatory - you should have a file box and folders as needed. If you need organizational supplies, let the treasurer know to put them in the budget.

• Submit club officer list.

This is a key responsibility that comes up once (annual clubs) or twice (semi-annual clubs) a year. It should be done as soon as new officers are elected and confirmed to avoid last minute rushes which often cause TI's site to be down or non-responsive.

• Manage correspondence. 

This is an older responsibility that has all but phased out in the age of e-mail. You may be asked to handle guest e-mails, however, and doing so quickly and competently can increase guest confidence in your club being the right one to visit.

• Prepare a list of actions/club business for the president.
• Circulate the guestbook / attendance sheet at meetings.

While these is an "official" role for the secretary (according to TI), it's rare (if not non-existent). Generally the president will handle the former, and the VPM (or committee) will take the latter.