The Chapter Secretary
The purpose of this section is to cover the Chapter Secretary’s responsibility for maintaining the chapter records.
The person in charge of recordkeeping is most often the Chapter Secretary. In those chapters that have a paid person for recordkeeping, the title may be Chapter Administrator.
In this section, we will refer to that person as the Chapter Secretary.
The Chapter Board Book
Every chapter should have a special binder where the records for the board year are filed. This special binder is called a “Board Book.” With the use of a board book binder, you will be able to keep track of the important official and historical records of your chapter.
It is the Chapter Secretary who has the responsibility for maintaining and up-dating the board book. As the chapter grows, the board book records will become very important as a way to reference what happened when the chapter was first chartered. At the end of the year, the contents within the board book can be taken out and filed in storage.
Anything pertaining to the chapter should always be recorded. In many cases, a paid Chapter Administrator, after a few board years, may be the only member of the chapter’s administrative team who remembers past events. It is important for the chapter to have a written record rather than rely on memory.
A complete board book should consist of the following:
- Minutes of the chapter meetings
- Chapter budget and treasury reports
- Chapter bylaws and policy
- Reports and correspondence to and from ASCCA Headquarters
- Directory of chapter members
- Roster of board members, committee chairs, and committee members
- Historical papers
Minutes of Chapter Meetings
The Secretary takes notes at every chapter meeting. These notes are called “minutes.” Minutes are an outline of the official proceeding of the meeting. Minutes include what was done, not what was said at the meeting. The focus is on what action was taken, not on every word of the discussion prior to the action.
Your board minutes need not be lengthy. The minutes should only highlight the important plans and policies that the board approved for the general membership which they represent.
The current year’s board book with the minutes of previous meeting should be available at every meeting in case your board needs to refer to past events and issues.
Minutes and Order of Business
Items to include in the minutes are:
- Date and time of the meeting
- Who called the meeting to order
- A list of those attending the meeting
- What issues were discussed and voted on by the board.
- The result of the vote (passed or failed)
- Committee actions and the result of the action
- The day and time of the next meeting
The chapter board agendas and minutes should follow a standardized format. That format is often called an “Order of Business” and follows the simplified version of Robert’s Rules of Order. The following order of business outline will assist you to organize the meeting minutes:
- Call meeting to order
- Previous meeting minutes
- Treasurer report
- Old business: Actions, issues, and committee reports which were tabled previously
- New business: Discussion and committee reports
- Adjournment: Time and information on next meeting
Chapter Budget and Treasurer Reports
The chapter budget and treasurer reports are part of the official administrative record of the chapter.
Chapter Bylaws and Policy
A chapter’s bylaws constitute the structure and ground rules under which the Chapter Board will operate. The organization’s purpose and areas of responsibility are spelled out in the bylaws.
The purpose statement in the bylaws sets the direction for the chapter. The direction of the chapter may change over the years and it may be necessary to change the purpose and amend the bylaws.
Policy includes such things as the board’s decision on the amount of their chapter’s local dues, procedures for processing new members and the policy on reimbursement for the Chapter Administrator.
Directory of Current Members
An updated list of all current members within the chapter should be available at all times.
Chapter Board Member and Committee Roster
This roster should be copied and given to all chapter board members and committee members.
Historical Records
Those important papers concerning your incorporation should be kept year after year in the chapter’s official board book.
