Secretary

Duties | Minutes | Materials | Sample Minutes

Duties of the recording secretary:

• Record each meeting in writing.
• Present minutes for approval. (Board meeting minutes are approved at Board meetings, General body meeting minutes are approved at General body meetings.)
• Make necessary corrections as authorized.
•  Act as custodian of important papers and records.

Duties of the corresponding secretary: (Most PTAs have only one secretary. A corresponding secretary is an appointed position, and therefore is only a member of the Executive Board if your bylaws denote that.)

• Handle all correspondence.
• Promptly send the names, addresses, phone numbers and new titles to the KY. PTA office and your district office.

Minutes

Minutes are the official record of your PTA’s activities. If it’s not in the minutes, it didn’t happen! Minutes become the official record of a meeting once they are approved.

Minutes should include:

• Name of the association and the kind of meeting.
• The date, time and place of the meeting.
• The name and title of the presiding officer and the secretary’s name.
• That a quorum was present. Attendees names may be recorded of you wish.
• The names of any guests attending the meeting and that a courtesy seat was granted to them.
• The status of the last meeting’s minutes. Whether they were distributed or read, and approved or approved as corrected.
• The treasurer’s report. List the income, expenses and balance. A copy of the treasurer’s monthly financial statement should be attached to the minutes.
• Reports of other officers and chairmen.
• A summary of the discussion. Only the important facts of the meeting should be recorded, not the exact discussion.
• The exact wording of any motions made, who made the motion, and who seconds it, (or if it came from committee).
• Whether the motion passed or failed.
• Any announcements made.
• Time of adjournment.
• The name and title of the person taking the minutes.

The words “approved” or “approved as corrected”  and the date should be written at the end of the minutes of each meeting. The minutes should be signed by the secretary.

The secretary should have at each meeting:

• Agendas
• Minutes from past meetings
• Bylaws
• Standing rules
• List of board members and their contact information
• Membership list
• Paper
• Calendar
• Paper for ballots
• Motion blanks or paper for motions
• Pencils, pens

The secretary can mail or e-mail the minutes of the last meeting to the board members, or have copies for them to read at the meeting. After giving time for the board members to read the minutes, the president should ask if there are any corrections to the minutes. If so, the secretary should record the changes. The president then states that the minutes are approved as corrected. If there are no changes to the minutes, the president should state that the minutes are approved as written. The corrections should be inserted manually; corrected minutes do not need to be re-typed.

Sample Minutes

The meeting was called to order by president Sara Lee at 7:02 pm in the library of Sample Elementary School. Eight members were in attendance. A quorum was present.

The minutes of  October 15 were approved as written.

The treasurer, Laura Petry, reported that expenditures to date were $1230.00, income was $3450.00, and the balance to date was $5678.00. The treasurer’s report was filed for audit.

1st vice-president Tim Taylor reported that this PTA’s bylaws will expire in January. She made a motion from the bylaws committee to change the dues amount to $4.00, and to approve the bylaws as such with no other changes. Since the motion came from committee it did not need a second. Motion passed. The bylaws will go to the general body for approval at the next general meeting, February 10, 2005. A notice will go home to parents on or before January 5, 2005.

2nd vice-president and Membership chairman Elle Bean reported that the total membership to date is 789, which will make this PTA eligible for the Oak Tree Honor award. One hundred percent of faculty and staff have joined this PTA, making it eligible for the Apple award. Another push for membership will begin in January, with articles in the newsletter, and another class contest for most members.

4th vice-president and Newsletter chairman Grace Adler reminded board members of the next deadline, November 30.

Principal I.M. Boss reported that new student registration will begin on February 1. Parent volunteers are needed to help answer visitors’ questions and give prospective parents school tours.

Mr. Boss reminded board members of the upcoming parent/teacher conference day and asked that the PTA furnish coffee and hot cider in the lobby for visiting parents. This will also be an opportunity to recruit new PTA members and/or volunteers.

Sara Lee asked for volunteers to attend and help at the parent program titled “Helping Your Child With Homework” on December 5.

Sara also announced that one of our students, Ima Winner, won 2nd place in the district portion of the Reflections program, and her work will proceed to the state. The district recognition ceremony for the Reflections contest will be December 7, at 6:00pm, at Gheens Academy.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm..

 Lucy Ball, secretary

See part II page 7 of the Kentucky PTA Leaders’ Notebook for another sample of minutes.