Secretary
“The Write Stuff”
The PTA/O Secretary
The secretary is responsible for
keeping accurate records of all
proceedings of the PTA/O.
3 Types of Meetings
• Executive Officer
– Elected Officers (President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer)
• Board of Directors
– Elected Officers PLUS
Committee Chairpersons and Principal/Teacher Representatives
• General Membership
– Dues paying members of your Local Unit
What are my
responsibilities?
• Accurately keep the minutes
• Distribute minutes for approval
• Determine presence of a quorum
• Be familiar with your LU Bylaws
• Maintain a Membership List
What else?
• Send new officers to GA PTA
by May 1st (www.georgiapta.org)
• Distribute the bylaws
• Act as an aid to the President
• Send out notices of meetings
• Custodian of all PTA records
• Submits any address changes during the
year (Officers Address Change Form)
Be Prepared!
• Pen, paper, minutes notebook
• Agenda for meeting
• Minutes from the previous meeting & Treasurer’s
Reports
• Local Unit Bylaws
• Ballots & Motion Blanks
• List of Committee Chairs
• Membership Roster
• Copy of Robert’s Rules of Order (newly revised)
The Minutes:
What do I include?
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Name of LU and type of meeting
(Executive Committee, Board of Directors or General Membership)
Date, place, hour of meeting
Name of presiding officer
Names of those present
Statement regarding minutes approval
Report of Treasurer
Report of Committees
New Business
ALL MOTIONS (name of person who introduced the motion)
Hour of adjournment
Secretary Signature
The Minutes:
What do I include?
• In the case of a ballot vote, record the number of
votes for and against.
• You do not need to include the name of the person
who seconds a motion.
First Paragraph
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Kind of Meeting
Name of PTA
Date, place, time
Quorum established
– The regular meeting of ABC PTA was held on September 17, 2015 in
the gymnasium of ABC Middle School. The secretary established a
quorum was present.
First Paragraph
• Names of President and Secretary
• Name of person giving inspiration and description
(song, poem, etc.)
• Person leading the pledge
– The meeting was called to order by president Bob Smith at 7:30
p.m. The secretary Sue Jones was present. An inspirational ready
was given by Mary Brown. This was followed by the Pledge of
Allegiance, led by the president.
First Paragraph
• Names of members present may be included
(less than 20)
• Whether minutes were read (or printed and distributed)
and approved (or approved as corrected)
– Minutes of the previous meeting were approved as printed and
distributed.
Second Paragraph
• Treasurer’s Report
– Beginning balance (ending balance at last meeting)
– Total disbursements (since last meeting)
– Ending balance (current meeting date)
– The treasurer reported a beginning balance of $325, receipts of
$75 from dues, current disbursements of $25, and a balance on
hand of $375 as of September 17, 2015.
Third Paragraph
• Describe any communications read.
– The secretary read a note of thanks from the scholarship recipient
Bill Williams.
Next Paragraph
• Describe the reports of Executive Committee, standing
committees and special committees
• Copies of reports may be attached to minutes
How to Handle Motions
• All main motions (except those withdrawn)
– Name of maker of motion
– Disposition of motion
– Whether it was adopted or not adopted
George Johnson moved that the Hospitality Committee provide
snacks for the teachers every Friday. Motion seconded. Motion
failed.
Ballot vote: Always include the number of votes for and against a
ballot or counted vote.
Next Paragraph
• Program topic
• Method of presentation
• Names of participants
City Traffic Director Sam Wright presented a program on “Getting
Home Safely.”
Final Paragraph
• Time of adjournment
– The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
• Type name and title of secretary
– Signature
Sue Jones, Secretary (or Secretary Pro-Tem)
Minutes Book
• Separate books (tabs) for minutes of:
Executive Committee/Board (officers and principal, student, teacher)
Board of Directors (Executive Committee, plus committee chairs)
Regular meetings (all members)
• Minutes are read only to the body who created them
Correcting the Minutes
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Circle the incorrect words with RED PEN
Place the correction in the margin
Corrections must be initialed and dated
After reading:
– Approved as read
– Approved as amended
– Date of approval, secretary’s initials
Only the group that created the minutes can read them.
Hints
• Be an active listener
• Paraphrase
• Record what was done (action), not what was
said (what was decided, not what was said)
• Record motions verbatim, names of who
made the motion (but not who seconded)
Hints
• Stick to the facts! Keep personal opinion out
of the minutes.
• Don’t let the minutes go cold.
• Remember to keep three separate files of
minutes: Executive Board, Board of
Directors, General Membership
Don’t Forget…
If it’s not in the minutes,
it didn’t happen.