The Secretary is the recording officer of the association and the
custodian of its record.  It is YOUR words that will go down in history as a
permanent record of your association’s activities.  The minutes, once
approved, are a legal and binding history of your local unit or council
activities.

So….WHAT MAKES A GOOD SECRETARY?
  • Promptness…being at the meetings on time and prepared
  • Accuracy…the ability to correctly record the business of the meeting
  • A thorough knowledge of PTA Purposes, Mission, and methods,
  • AND a sincere desire to help the President run a business-like meeting

And in order to be a good secretary you should have the following items
at every meeting:  your job description, a calendar, your Bylaws and
Standing Rules, original minutes from the last two years for reference,
board roll call sheet, agendas, correspondence, a list of your
membership, treasurer’s reports and committee reports (agenda, roll call
sheet, treasurer’s reports and committee reports should serve as
attachments to your minutes).  This is the notebook that will serve as
your history for the year.

Helpful Hints:
  • Request that a motion be made in writing and include the date as well as
    the signature of mover.  As the secretary, you will note on the motion form
    the action taken by the members (approved, failed, amended).  An example
    of a motion form can be obtained by emailing cindyi@esper.com
  • Learn to write brief and concise minutes – record “facts only”.
  • Use a tape recorder to help you prepare your minutes.

Things to avoid:
  • Don’t Add personal comments in the minutes.
  • Don’t Let notes on a meeting get “cold.”
  • Don’t List person who seconded motion unless requested by assembly. And
  • Don’t Record any details of or discussion by members.
A SECRETARIAL SECOND….                

All groups should have a sense of their pst if they are to understand what they are today and where they are going tomorrow.   The
secretary is important because it is that person who gathers together and organzies the records of today for the future members of the
group to review as they make their plans for the upcoming year or years.


A good secretary can make all the difference…

You are your president’s right hand at the meetings and are to help her keep things moving in order.   The parliamentarian generally
makes sure the business is handled correctly, but as secretary you are recording it and can notify the president that you need a
second to a motion or even a vote.  

    1.  The minutes of all meetings are the legal and binding record of your PTA’s work.  They will contain all the answers to any
    questions that arise during the year if taken correctly.  

    2.  A note is to be made in the opening paragraph of your minutes stating that you have a quorum.  When you lack a quorum,
    business cannot be transacted….you cannot vote on or act on any motions.

    3.  Transcribe your notes of the meeting as soon as you can while the business is fresh on your mind.  To help, you can use a
    tape recorder in meetings and then review the tape for motions, etc.  

    4.  Minutes of the previous meeting can be for approval at the opening of each meeting.  The words “approved as printed” or
    “approved as corrected” and the date of approval should be written at the end of the minutes for each meeting.  The secretary
    must sign the minutes for the official notebook.

    5.  When making corrections to the minutes, draw a line through the error in red, then write the correction in the margin off to
    the side or by the error if there is room and initial it.  Using a red pen or pencil makes errors more outstanding when referring
    back to your minutes when needed.  All corrections are made on the secretary’s copy.  

    6.  Minutes should contain records of all action taken by the group, including the exact wording of every motion, the name of the
    member who introduced the motion, and the actions taken on the motion (except those withdrawn).  The secretary or chair
    should request the maker of a motion to put in writing if the motion is long or involved.  The reason for not recording motions
    that are withdrawn is to keep if off the record!

    The minutes should be as brief as possible and should be reported in the order in which the business is presented at the
    meeting.  The action taken by the association, not what is said by the members, should be recorded.  The minutes should be
    entered in an official minute book and the pages dated and numbered.
--SECREATARIES--

YOUR RECORDS
ARE THE LEGAL
FILES!  MAKE
SURE YOU TAKE
ACCURATE
NOTES!  KEEP ALL
 COPIES!
Have questions?  
Contact Harla
Johsnon,
Tennessee PTA
Secretary at:
Secretary@tnpta.org
Serving Tennessee's
Children...Advocating for
everychild.onevoice