ROLE DESCRIPTION
(updated September 2019 – these tasks have been copied from The
Third Age Trust “Committees & Procedures” paper)
Introduction
The Secretary is usually the committee scribe and its organiser and
more often than not, the person most involved in the practical
running of the U3A. He/she keeps the wheels of the organisation
turning. The Chairperson and the Secretary need to be able to work
well together and agree upon a course of action. Mutual trust is
essential.
He/she needs to be:
- A good organiser
- Systematic
- Diplomatic and approachable
- A clear thinker
- Calm
Tasks
- To keep the Chairperson well informed – correspondence is often addressed to the Secretary
- To construct the agenda for the meetings with the Chairperson
- To send out agendas with relevant discussion papers in good time
- To arrange venues as required
- To take spare copies of the papers
- To take fair and accurate minutes of the meeting
- To write the minutes and, having agreed them with the Chairperson, circulate them to the committee
- To convey decisions taken to people who may be required to take action
- To take action as required following the meeting
- To deal with correspondence following discussion with the Chairperson
- To maintain full and accurate files including minutes
- To present a report to the AGM
- To precis the committee minutes for the website
- To keep the website updated on Regional, National and Local news
- To be the point of contact and reference between meetings
- To be the link with the National Office and the Region (YAHR) and to ensure that information is relayed to the committee and passed on to the membership ( this last via the newsletter and occasionally via the website).
Additional Points:
- It is possible that minutes may be taken by another member of the committee or a Minutes secretary, who will be in attendance at the meetings
- Hold on file documents such as the insurance certificates, advice sheets, information sheets relating to our own U3A and/or regional and national items
- Maintain, in conjunction with the Chairperson, the ‘aide-memoire’ of monthly points for discussion at the committee meetings.
- Also display relevant information for members (eg competitions, National and Regional courses and summer schools) at the monthly meetings and make yourself the contact if anyone wants an application form or further information.