Secretary Job Description
The role of the Secretary is to support the Chair in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Executive Committee.
In summary, the Secretary is responsible for:
Maintaining effective records and administration
Upholding the legal requirements of governing documents, charity law, company law etc (where relevant).
Communication and correspondence
It is important to note that although the Secretary ensures that these responsibilities are met, much of the work may be delegated to other volunteers.
Given these responsibilities, the Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the Chair and other committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation.
Main responsibilities of the Secretary
The responsibilities of the Secretary of the Executive Committee are outlined below:
1. Ensuring meetings are effectively organised and minuted
Liaising with the Chair to plan meetings
Receiving agenda items from committee members
Circulating agendas and reports
2. Maintaining effective records and administration
Keeping up-to-date contact details (i.e. names, addresses and telephone numbers) for the executive committee and ordinary members of the party.
Filing minutes and reports
Compiling lists of names and addresses that are useful to the party, including those of appropriate officials or officers of party organisations.
Keeping a record of the organisation's activities
Keeping a diary of future activities
3. Upholding legal requirements
Acting as custodian of the organisation's governing documents
Checking quorum is present at meetings
Ensuring elections are in line with stipulated procedures
Ensuring organisation's activities are in line with its objects
Ensuring all legal requirements are met
4. Communication and correspondence
Responding to all committee correspondence
filing all committee correspondence received and copies of replies sent
keeping a record of any of the organisation's publications (e.g. leaflets or newsletters) and
Preparing a report of the organisation's activities for the year, for the Annual General Meeting.