Tips for
CLUB SECRETARIES An additional resource for success.
The position of secretary is one that requires great time management and organization. Though extremely demanding, the job of secretary is one of great importance and one that is extremely rewarding. This guide will help lessen the weight of your job as club secretary. If you have any questions, feel to email me at daniellin.sec@nydkc.org. Good luck.
What this guide covers:
Monthly Report Forms Election Report Forms Meeting Agendas and Minutes Time Management Keeping Organized Records Service Projects Chart
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MONTHLY REPORT FORMS The monthly report form, also known as the MRF is the key for relaying your club’s activities, achievements, progress, and problems to the district. It is therefore essential that you fill it out with the utmost care and thought. The monthly report form is to be submitted by the 7th of each month. Electronic submission of the MRF is preferred, though mailing it is an option. The report form asks for / includes the following: - Contact information - Your club’s projects in the past month - Meetings held by your club in the past month - Problems with your club - A section for additional comments - Checkboxes for Lieutenant Governor Evaluations - Contact Information: It is essential that your contact information is filled out correctly. This information will be needed if the district secretary needs to contact you. TIP 1: FILL OUT THE CONTACT INFORMATION THAT WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT SECRETARY TO EASILY CONTACT YOU. - Club Projects: For club projects, you will be asked for the following: - Project Name (opt.) - Date of Project - Total Hours –or- Amount Raised –or- Advocacy Points - Service Categories - Explanation
1. Project Name: Though the project name is optional, it is recommended that you name your projects. This will allow you to easily distinguish one event from another and will also help you when you need to refer to specific service projects. 2. Date of Project Dates are simple, but easy to mess up. Double-check to make sure the date you filled out is correct. For events that take place over the course of one day, DO NOT FILL OUT ONE PROJECT FOR EACH DAY. It is unnecessary and will take up space that you may need for other projects. Do the following: a. Fill out the date of the project as the first day this project takes place on. i. For example if the project takes place on October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, fill out the date as October 1st. b. What you want to do now is add the dates either to the project name or to the project explanation. i. For example, if the event is called Library Tutoring and it happens every Saturday, label the project name: Library Tutoring 10/01, 10/08, … ii. You can indicate that the event took place on more than one day in the explanation as well. For example: This event took place on the following dates: 10/01, 10/08, … iii. If you complete different (types of) tasks on different days, indicate that in the explanation. TIP 2: USE ONLY ONE PROJECT SPACE FOR EVENTS THAT OCCUR ON MORE THAN ONE DAY.
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TIPS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES… MONTHLY REPORT FORMS (cont.) 3. Total Hours –or- Amount Raised –or- Advocacy Points Total Hours – The amount of hours served. Amount Raised – The amount raised for a project. This number should be obtained from your club’s treasurer. TIP 3: KEEP IN GOOD CONTACT WITH YOUR CLUB TREASURER. Your club treasurer will be the person to look to for ALL FISCAL MATTERS. Advocacy Points – Each signature on a petition is 1 point. Every hour of an advocacy project is worth 5 points. PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH YOUR CLUB’S OWN POINT SYSTEM. 4. Service Categories Service Categories include the following: the Governor’s Project (chosen by the district governor of that year), the Major Emphasis Project (MEP), district projects (change every service year), and International projects. Different events fall under different categories and therefore you must be careful so that your project does not get discredited. TIP 4: FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE SERVICE CATEGORIES! This will be helpful not only for filling out MRFs, but also for your own club. If you realize that you are neglecting some service categories, you will be able to find projects that fall under those categories, so that you are serving as many service categories and projects as possible. TIP 5: DISTRICT PROJECTS ARE STRICTLY FUNDRAISERS; GOVERNOR’S PROJECT IS STRICTLY SERVICE HOURS Note that when you label an event’s service category with a district project, there has to be an amount raised. The hours that go to the district projects count as general service hours. Therefore label a project’s service category as a district project when there is money involved. Otherwise, label its service category as the next most appropriate service category. Note that the Kiwanis Family service category includes divisionals and any other project involving work with other branches of the K-Family: Kiwanis, Aktion Club, Circle K, Builder’s Club, and K-Kids. Working with another Key Club does not count. TIP 6: DO NOT LABEL EVERY PROJECT UNDER LOCAL CAUSES You may not realize it at first, but some projects may fall under the Governor’s Project, the MEP, Kiwanis Family, or another service category. Look over the project carefully and put it under the most appropriate service category. Local Causes serves to include service done in your community like helping out at a local senior center or planting a tree in a nearby park. Don’t just label it as local causes out of convenience. 5. Explanations The explanations for the project are probably the most important part of the list of projects in the Monthly Report Form. Aside from describing the event, the explanation will allow the district secretary to put the project under the correct service category if it has been labeled incorrectly. TIP 7: WRITE A DETAILED AND ELABORATE EXPLANATION Aside from allowing the district secretary to correctly categorize the project if there is any mistake, the explanation allows him/her to get a better sense of the different variety of service projects. It is extremely important that you try your best to describe the event as fully as possible. Go as far as giving a brief one-line description of the organization running the event. Note anything extraordinary about this event or anything that makes it special to your club. Detailed explanations will not only be great for the district, but for you and your club as well, because it will serve as a useful reference, which can be used later on in the service year.
- Meetings Held by your Club in the Past Month On the monthly report form, there will be a space for you to fill out all the dates of your meetings in the past month. These meetings include: club meetings, board meetings, committee meetings (if your club has committees), etc. The meetings are club level only. Therefore, divisional meetings do not count.
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MONTHLY REPORT FORMS (cont.) - Problems with your Club On the monthly report form, there is a space for problems with your club. Please take advantage of this section when necessary. By filling out this section (whether the problem be big or small) we will know that you need assistance, so please do not feel uncomfortable stating any problems you may be having. - Lieutenant Governor Evaluation Forms On the monthly report form there is a checkbox for whether or not your club has filled out a Lieutenant Governor Evaluation Form. Check the box corresponding to whether or not you have submitted the form. If not, please submit one on behalf of your club. Though seemingly lengthy, it takes no longer than 5-10 minutes. The evaluation form can be found here. These forms are completely anonymous, so do not be afraid to be honest, but remember constructive criticism is always the best. - Comments Though the comments section might be something you skip right away, it is important to know what it can be used for. If you club has additional service projects, or projects not included in your club’s previous monthly report form, please take advantage of this space. This way, you only need to submit one monthly report form, which is much easier to keep track of than two or more.
Online Submission
PDF Submission
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TIPS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES‌ MONTHLY REPORT FORMS (cont.) - Reminders There are several things to keep in mind for the monthly report form. 1. If your club has no service events for the month, you are still required to submit a monthly report form stating that your club has had no service events for the month. 2. The monthly report form is due the 7th of each month. If for any reason you know that you will be submitting it late, please email your district secretary informing him or her that you will be submitting your monthly report form late. 3. The monthly report form is to be sent to the following people: the district secretary, your lieutenant governor, and your club president. Remember to keep one for your own records. 4. If you are not sure whether or not the district secretary has received your paperwork, it is best that you ask either your lieutenant governor or the district secretary. It is important that your paperwork has been received. 5. You can submit the monthly report form in the following ways: online submission, postal mail, and email. 6. If you are submitting the MRF through the online submission, make sure to fill out all required fields. 7. If you do not receive a receipt after submitting your monthly report form online, please check your spam folder. If it is not there, please notify your district secretary. 8. It’s never too late to submit a past monthly report form. Please submit past MRFs even if they are very late. If you are submitting your monthly report form through postal mail, please mail it to the following address: 91 Boerum Street Apt. 7L Brooklyn, NY 11206 or the address of your district secretary for your service year. If you are emailing your monthly report form, please attach the form to the email or forward a copy of the receipt to: daniellin.sec@nydkc.org or the email address of your district secretary for your service year.
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ELECTION REPORT FORMS The election report form, also known as the ERF is one of the annual duties of a club secretary. This form contains the contact information of your club’s officers and faculty advisor that will allow for easy communication throughout the district. The election report form should be completed and submitted immediately after your club holds elections for officers for the new service year (usually in late January, early February). This form is very self-explanatory and is one of the most basic responsibilities you have as a club secretary. The election report form is to be mailed to the following persons upon completion: -
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District Administrator, Mr. John D. Goldstein 590 Mullock Road, Port Jervis, NY 12771 nydkca@frontier.com District Secretary Daniel Ivan Lin (or the district secretary for your service year) 91 Boerum Street Apt. 7L, Brooklyn, NY 11206 daniellin.sec@nydkc.org Your Lieutenant Governor
Please make sure that all the listed persons receive your club’s election report form. Please note that club positions outside of the ones listed (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, bulletin editor, and webmaster), do not need to be listed. You can submit the ERF using the following methods: - Email
It is suggested that you cc your club president when submitting your election report form by email.
- Postal Mail
Please be sure to mail it to all the listed persons.
- Suggestions Though it is not required, it is suggested that you use a professional email address when filling out the field labeled email. To save time and space, list the phone number where you can be most easily contacted. If you can not type out the form, please WRITE LEGIBLY. If your club has co-presidents or other co-positions, please list them on? the back of the election report form. Fill out as much information as you can. Election Report Form
Submit the ERF as soon as possible!
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TIPS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES‌ MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES Part of your job as club secretary is to create agendas (though this may depend on what your club president wants) and take minutes for club meetings. Agendas are an extremely important part of a club meeting. They not only allow a club meeting to run in an organized manner, but also serve a reference for not only club officers, but club members who may be confused or unsure of what a club meeting is about. Though the formatting and structure of club agendas may vary based on the club, it is important to maintain a certain level of professionalism. An agenda should be well organized and easy to follow. Remember that you should be providing your club members with an agenda to follow either by printing out copies and distributing them at your club meeting, by projecting it onto a screen, or by sending it out through email or having it available on your club’s web page. Note that the agenda should be prepared a week before the meeting. TIP 8: HAVE A SEPARATE AGENDA FOR CLUB OFFICERS AND CLUB MEMBERS. One suggestion may be having a separate agenda for club officers and club members. If you have specific things you may want to say or mention, keep that in your copy of the agenda. This way you have a more specific guide for your meeting and still have a simple and easy to follow agenda for your members.
Here are some sample agenda templates:
- Reminders and Suggestions Keep agendas formal. The agenda may seem to be a small part of the meeting, but remember that it is a representation of Key Club. Keep agendas neat and formal. Include the Key Club Pledge in your agenda. Many members may not know the Key Club Pledge and therefore it is important that you provide it for them. You can include how much time you may want to spend on each topic and or who is speaking about the topic on your agenda. Embrace Key Club graphic standards. Use the proper fonts and follow the guidelines. The Key Club graphic standards manual can be found on keyclub.org and nydkc.org.
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MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES (cont.) Taking minutes is another important part of your job as club secretary. Minutes allow for a recount of what was done at a certain meeting, what was discussed, and helps when a specific point needs to be referred to. Taking good minutes is an important part of your job as secretary. Because they may be needed as a reference later on in the year, they can not be too brief, yet it may be time consuming to jot down everything that is being said during a quick, fast-paced meeting. Remember, the key to taking good minutes is being informative, yet concise and to the point. This will be easier and more comfortable as the year goes by. Like agendas, remember that minutes should also be formal, neat, and organized. TIP 9: WRITE OUT PHRASES DURING THE ACTUAL MEETING AND CHANGE THEM TO SENTENCES AFTERWARDS. By writing out short, specific phrases during the meeting, you will be able to keep up with what is being said during the meeting. Keep in mind that you should start changing these phrases and fragments into sentences as soon as possible so that the meeting is still fresh in your head. Here is a list of things you should include in your minutes: - Basic information: name of your club, type of meeting (club, board, etc.), location of meeting, date of meeting, etc. - The number of members and club officers in attendance - Specific time the meeting started and ended (even the time taken to discuss each topic) - Specific, major points that were discussed or spoken about during the meeting - All major motions and votes (a guide to parliamentary procedures is available on the district website, nydkc.org) - The names of speakers, guests, etc.
Please note that minutes should be made available for club members either through distribution at the next club meeting, by posting a copy on your club’s web page, through email, etc. Remember to send out a copy of the minutes to your club officers as well. The formatting of your minutes need not be different from that of your meeting agenda. TIP 10: USE THE OUTLINE FROM YOUR AGENDA TO TAKE MINUTES. By using the outline from your agenda, you can simply add on to what has already been set up. This will allow you to have something to follow as opposed to just taking notes. Note that you should jot down the questions or comments made by members during the meeting no matter how significant or insignificant you may think it is.
- Reminders and Suggestions When taking attendance, it can be helpful to ask how many members are new and are attending a Key Club meeting for the first time. This will help you keep track of your membership progress throughout the year. If you are typing your minutes, worry about typing the content before worrying about the formatting. The formatting can be fixed later. You can record what is being said during the club meeting (with an electronic device) if you are worried about missing certain details during the meeting. Avoid being redundant. If something is simply being reiterated, you do not need to write it again. This will give you some time to breathe and will help you pay attention to what is being said.
Sample Minutes Template
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TIPS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES… TIME MANAGEMENT The job of a club secretary is probably the most rigorous and time consuming. However, to ensure that your work is not only completed on time, but is of quality, you must manage your time wisely. If your time is managed wisely, your work as club secretary should not be too much trouble. Here are some ways you can manage your time. 1. Instead of completing your Monthly Report Form in one run, type up the information for each service project immediately after it has passed. Save this information as a Word document so you can easily copy and paste the information onto your club’s Monthly Report Form. This will not only save time, but will also help you write a more descriptive form, since the details of the project will still be fresh in your mind. Similarly, submit a Lieutenant Governor Evaluation Form immediately after a divisional meeting. 2. Use a calendar! By using a calendar, you will have a better sense of upcoming dates and deadlines 3. Similar to the Monthly Report Form method, do a little bit of work each day so that you will not have to do everything at once. 4. Do not wait for your club president to tell you what to do. Ask your club president in advance for information, such as what to include on the agenda for the next club meeting. 5. If you can, submit your monthly report form before the 7th. It’s better to have one less thing to worry about than to wait until the day it’s due to submit it. 6. Allow yourself a specific amount of time to complete Key Club work each day. This will help limit interference with your other work. 7. Write down what you have to do when you receive a task. Writing allows you to remember things and stay on top of your work. Whether you have to write it down on a post-it, in your planner, or as a note on your phone, taking the effort to write down the task will allow you to remember the task later. Try to keep your notes in the same place – otherwise, by the time you remember that you have to do something, it may already be too late. 8. Send in materials to your club officers early. A successful club not only requires you to be diligent, but it also requires others to be as well. If you send in something early, chances are they will be able to complete their tasks early as well. If you send things late, other officers will not be able to complete their tasks on time. 9. Never be afraid to ask another club officer (or a district officer) for help! If you are unable to perform a task, frustrating yourself will not help you. Most other officers will gladly be of assistance if you ask them nicely. If you ever need something from another officer, kindly remind them when you need it by. 10. Help other officers out. Again, if others are on par with their work, chances are it will be helpful to you as well. 11. Set deadlines for yourself!
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KEEPING ORGANIZED RECORDS As a club secretary, organization should be one of your strengths. Keeping records, data, and other files organized will prove to be helpful in your term as club secretary. Here are some methods you may want to use to organize your Key Club material as well as a few suggestions on how to keep them organized. WAYS TO KEEP FILES ORGANIZED:
- Use a binder with dividers. Hole punch and insert all your paperwork into the binder immediately after completion. You should organized them by date. - Save your paperwork onto your computer and organize them into a main folder with many subfolders within. Though you may have different ways of subdividing your paperwork, one method I suggest using to file your paperwork on the computer is by using the following format: MM-DD. [Type of Paperwork]. For example if you have typed up minutes for a meeting that took place on April 29th, you can title the file: 04-29. Minutes. - Use a box. Organize all the paperwork you have and place it into a box. This way your paperwork stays in one place and you know that whatever you need will be in that box. These are just some ways you can organize your Key Club files. Suggestions If you are have a habit of saving Key Club files onto your computer, make sure to copy those files onto a flash drive, send to them to your email, etc. It is important that you do not lose these files. They are extremely important and you do not want all your hard work to go to waste. Separate your Key Club emails with labels or folders. Gmail and Yahoo both have ways to organize your emails, so take advantage of them. By organizing your Key Club emails, they can be easily accessed without having to search through your entire inbox. Protect the physical / hard copies of your paperwork. If that is the way you organize your paperwork, it is important that you keep them safe from damage. By keeping your files organized, your club’s succeeding secretary will have your paperwork to guide him or her through his or her term as secretary.
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TIPS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES‌ SERVICE PROJECTS CHART The service projects chart is a compilation of all the service projects you have had in a service year with the name of the project, a description of the project, the month it took place in, the number of volunteers that attended the event, and the amount of hours served. Though it may seem like a lot of work, a service projects chart is an extremely useful resource for any club. Having a service projects chart will allow you to have a general overview of the events you have had in a year, which can both serve as a reference for the current service year as well as a reference for service years to follow. The chart is similar to an index in the back of a book. It will allow you to quickly access or locate a service project. Having a chart like this is useful because it serves as a marker of progress. It will show you the service projects with the most participation, the number of events you have had in a year, and other valuable information. The chart serves as a helpful resource to future officers as well, since it gives the time an event takes place. These service projects can then be reused for another service year, which will not only provide your club with opportunities to serve, but will also help in building relationships between your club and the organizations that hold these events. Below is a sample copy of a service projects chart:
I hope this guide has been helpful in familiarizing you with your job as club secretary. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at daniellin.sec@nydkc.org. Thank you so much. Yours in the spirit of service, District Secretary Daniel Ivan Lin
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Tips for Club Secretaries A Publication by District Secretary Daniel Ivan Lin. Š 2011