Things to avoid

1) Don't make the committee deal with lots of trivial topics. It is frustrating and annoying if important items are left off the agenda, or are not reached.

2) Don't put the most important item at the end of the agenda in the hope that the committee will quickly deal with other matters and then be able to concentrate on this one. People are more attentive at the beginning of meetings, and it is better to have their energy directed to important items at the beginning, rather than starting off with trivial points, which may get more discussion time than they warrant.

3) Don't let members talk at length about their own pet project. A written agenda distributed in advance makes it much easier for the chairperson to bring the discussion back to the important issues.

4) Don't let matters arising from the previous meeting take up most of the time at the next meeting. This is frustrating because nothing new is being accomplished, which is non-productive. Identify loose ends from the previous meeting and set them down as agenda topics of their own, putting them in priority order, near the end of the agenda.

5) Don't let the committee forget about the people they are serving. Too often a committee becomes immersed in its own activities, and disregards the needs and interests of the members.

Things to remember

1) You will be a good secretary on behalf of your club if you remember the following tips:

2) You need to be motivated to do a good job.

3) You need to be well organised and conscientious.

4) All correspondence must be dealt with promptly.

5) Follow meeting guidelines to ensure they are productive.

6) Remind yourself that the important thing about keeping records, is keeping the right records and being able to find them quickly and easily.

7) Have hard, paper copies, store the files on a computer and have back up facilities available.

Remember to work in partnership with your executive committee and external agencies to ensure your club runs effectively and efficiently.

It will not take long for you to become a very valuable and important member of the sports organisation, and your role off the pitch or court will often become as important as the people and results on it!

Source: - runningsports -  Quick Guides -  The Role of the Secretary