Provincial Convention 2008: Secretary’s Oral Report

Submitted by: Doreen Gowans

As Secretaries at all levels we find ourselves in the middle of all the activities of our councils.  It is up to us to ensure we have all the information at our fingertips or know where to get the information in the event we are asked by our Executive, or a member of our council or parish community.

On our National Catholic Women’s League website there is a Handbook for Secretaries that can be downloaded, printed or ordered through our National office.  In the Handbook you will find a job description for secretaries, our roles and responsibilities, information on how to set up agendas, what to include in your councils minutes, and how to address dignitaries at various levels of government as well as the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.  This is a must for every secretary including those with experience as it contains a wealth of knowledge and information.

On the completion of the secretary’s two year term, she should write a brief job description and an index of all files in her custody, together with files given to the archives and deliver them promptly to her successor.

The Election Register is a very important component of a secretary’s responsibility.  On January 1st of each year, an Elections Register must be prepared/updated and given to the chairperson of the nominations and elections committee.  The register contains the names of all current and past executive members in accordance with Article XV, of our Constitution and Bylaws 2006.  These records have been updated on the Provincial level.

Should a council take the time to read aloud the minutes or not?  As stated by our National Secretary-Treasurer Peggy Roche – in many councils it is a general practice to read the minutes aloud at every meeting.  At times this can prove to be very time consuming depending on the length of the minutes.  To read aloud or not, can be answered by referring to the National Manual of Policy and Procedure, page 42, Section 4 Secretary(s) which states,  “Distribute copies of minutes prior to the meeting if possible.  Otherwise, be prepared to read the minutes at the meeting.

What should you include in your council minutes?  Once again Peggy Roche refers to the National Manual of Policy & Procedure, which gives a checklist to follow on page 42.  Also refer to pages 43 & 44 Sample Minutes. This will provide an idea of format as well as content.

I thank you for giving me the privilege to serve as your Provincial Secretary over the past two years.  God Bless all of us as we work together to serve God and Canada.