PTAPTALOCAL UNITLOCAL UNITSECRETARYSECRETARY

DUTIESDUTIES

DUTIES OF THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY-SECRETARY-

KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS OF THE KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF YOUR PTAPROCEEDINGS OF YOUR PTA

PREPARE MINUTES TO BE PREPARE MINUTES TO BE APPROVED APPROVED

PREPARE AGENDAS FOR ALL PREPARE AGENDAS FOR ALL MEETINGSMEETINGS

WHAT ARE MINUTES?WHAT ARE MINUTES?

A LEGAL DOCUMENT RECORDING A LEGAL DOCUMENT RECORDING WHAT WAS DONE AT A MEETING. WHAT WAS DONE AT A MEETING. NOT WHAT WAS SAIDNOT WHAT WAS SAID..

THEY SHOULD NEVER REFLECT THEY SHOULD NEVER REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE SECRETARY THE OPINION OF THE SECRETARY ON ANYTHING SAID OR DONE.ON ANYTHING SAID OR DONE.

AN OUTLINE OF AN OUTLINE OF MINUTES-MINUTES- OPENING PARAGRAPHOPENING PARAGRAPH TREASURER’S REPORTTREASURER’S REPORT REPORTS OF OTHER OFFICERSREPORTS OF OTHER OFFICERS REPORTS OF COMMITTEESREPORTS OF COMMITTEES UNFINISHED BUSINESS UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESSNEW BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTSANNOUNCEMENTS CLOSING PARAGRAPHCLOSING PARAGRAPH

A STANDARD OPENING A STANDARD OPENING PARAGRAPH IS-PARAGRAPH IS- KIND OF MEETING: REGULAR, SPECIAL, KIND OF MEETING: REGULAR, SPECIAL,

ADJOURNEDADJOURNED NAME OF THE ORGANIZATIONNAME OF THE ORGANIZATION DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF MEETINGDATE, TIME AND PLACE OF MEETING THE FACT THAT THE REGULAR PRESIDING THE FACT THAT THE REGULAR PRESIDING

OFFICERS AND SECRETARY WERE PRESENT, OFFICERS AND SECRETARY WERE PRESENT, OR IN THEIR ABSENCE, THE NAMES OF OR IN THEIR ABSENCE, THE NAMES OF PERSONS SUBSTITUTED FOR THEMPERSONS SUBSTITUTED FOR THEM

WHETHER THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS WHETHER THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING WERE READ AND APPROVEDMEETING WERE READ AND APPROVED

OPENING PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE-OPENING PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE-

THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE GREAT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE GREAT LAKES PTA UNIT WAS CALLED TO LAKES PTA UNIT WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 8 a.m. ON JULY 5, 2003, AT ORDER AT 8 a.m. ON JULY 5, 2003, AT THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION BUILDING. PRESIDENT LINDA HODGE BUILDING. PRESIDENT LINDA HODGE PRESIDED AND JAN HARP DOMENE PRESIDED AND JAN HARP DOMENE RECORDED THE MINUTES. THE RECORDED THE MINUTES. THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING WERE APPROVED.WERE APPROVED.

WHAT IF PREVIOUS MEETING WHAT IF PREVIOUS MEETING NOTES ARE NOT APPROVED?NOTES ARE NOT APPROVED?

MAKE CORRECTIONS ON PREVIOUS MAKE CORRECTIONS ON PREVIOUS MEETING NOTES WITH RED PENMEETING NOTES WITH RED PEN

INITIAL & DATEINITIAL & DATE VOTE FOR “APPROVAL AS VOTE FOR “APPROVAL AS

CORRECTED”CORRECTED”

RECORD WHAT IS RECORD WHAT IS DONE,DONE,NOT WHAT IS SAID.NOT WHAT IS SAID. PROPOSALS ARE OFFERED IN THE PROPOSALS ARE OFFERED IN THE

FORM OF A “MOTION” THAT THE FORM OF A “MOTION” THAT THE GROUP DO SOMETHING.GROUP DO SOMETHING.

A MOTION BEGINS WITH “I MOVE A MOTION BEGINS WITH “I MOVE THAT…” AND THEN THE THAT…” AND THEN THE PROPOSAL.PROPOSAL.

““I MOVE THAT..” IS A I MOVE THAT..” IS A SECRETARY’S CUE TO TAKE SECRETARY’S CUE TO TAKE DOWN THE NEXT STATEMENT.DOWN THE NEXT STATEMENT.

MOTION FORMSMOTION FORMS

USE MOTION FORMS TO WRITE USE MOTION FORMS TO WRITE EXACT WORDING AS STATED BY EXACT WORDING AS STATED BY THE CHAIR AND ADOPTED BY THE THE CHAIR AND ADOPTED BY THE MAJORITY. ATTACH ORIGINAL MAJORITY. ATTACH ORIGINAL WRITTEN MOTION TO THE WRITTEN MOTION TO THE NOTES.NOTES.

““I MOVE THAT…” I MOVE THAT…” EXAMPLE-EXAMPLE-

JAMES OLSON SAYS: “MADAM PRESIDENT, JAMES OLSON SAYS: “MADAM PRESIDENT, BECAUSE OF OUR THIRD FLOOR MEETING BECAUSE OF OUR THIRD FLOOR MEETING ROOM IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO DISABLED ROOM IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO DISABLED MEMBERS, I MOVE THAT ALL MEETINGS BE MEMBERS, I MOVE THAT ALL MEETINGS BE HELD IN ROOM 141.”HELD IN ROOM 141.”

SECRETARY’S NOTES SAY:SECRETARY’S NOTES SAY:– IT WAS MOVED THAT ALL MEETINGS BE HELD IT WAS MOVED THAT ALL MEETINGS BE HELD

IN ROOM 141. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED (OR IN ROOM 141. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED (OR DEFEATED) (ATTACH ORIGINAL MOTION TO DEFEATED) (ATTACH ORIGINAL MOTION TO NOTES)NOTES)

COMMITTEE REPORTS-COMMITTEE REPORTS-

CAN BE WRITTEN OR PRESENTED CAN BE WRITTEN OR PRESENTED ORALLYORALLY

CAN BE FOR INFORMATION ONLY CAN BE FOR INFORMATION ONLY OR END WITH A OR END WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON WHICH RECOMMENDATION ON WHICH THE BODY TAKES ACTIONTHE BODY TAKES ACTION

COMMITTEES NEED NOT REPORT COMMITTEES NEED NOT REPORT IF THEY HAVE NOTHING NEWIF THEY HAVE NOTHING NEW

COMMITTEE REPORTS COMMITTEE REPORTS NOTES-NOTES-

RECORD THE FULL NAME OF ANYONE RECORD THE FULL NAME OF ANYONE GIVING A REPORT.GIVING A REPORT.

IF A COMMITTEE REPORTS WITH IF A COMMITTEE REPORTS WITH INFORMATION ONLY, THE REPORT IS INFORMATION ONLY, THE REPORT IS NOT PART OF THE MINUTESNOT PART OF THE MINUTES

HOWEVER, FOR INFORMATIONAL HOWEVER, FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, COMMITTEE REPORTS MAY PURPOSES, COMMITTEE REPORTS MAY BE ATTACHED TO THE MINUTESBE ATTACHED TO THE MINUTES

IF THE REPORT ENDS WITH A IF THE REPORT ENDS WITH A RECOMMENDATION IS GOES “BY RECOMMENDATION IS GOES “BY DIRECTION OF THE RESOURCE DIRECTION OF THE RESOURCE COMMITTEE, IT WAS MOVED AND COMMITTEE, IT WAS MOVED AND SECONDED THAT…”SECONDED THAT…”

OTHER IMPORTANT OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO INFORMATION TO

RECORDRECORD RECORD ALL COUNTED VOTES, RECORD ALL COUNTED VOTES,

BOTH FOR & AGAINSTBOTH FOR & AGAINST RECORD NAMES OF COMMITTEE RECORD NAMES OF COMMITTEE

APPOINTMENTS & NOMINEESAPPOINTMENTS & NOMINEES RECORD ALL APPEALS & RULINGSRECORD ALL APPEALS & RULINGS RECORD ANY LETTERS READ OR RECORD ANY LETTERS READ OR

ACTIONS TAKENACTIONS TAKEN

DO NOT RECORDDO NOT RECORD

DEBATE & DISCUSSION (UNLESS DEBATE & DISCUSSION (UNLESS ORDERED)ORDERED)

PERSONAL OPINIONSPERSONAL OPINIONS DISCRIPTIVE PHRASESDISCRIPTIVE PHRASES

STANDARD CLOSING STANDARD CLOSING PARAGRAPH-PARAGRAPH-

STATES THE HOUR OF STATES THE HOUR OF ADJOURNMENT AND IS ADJOURNMENT AND IS FOLLOWED BY THE SIGNATURE FOLLOWED BY THE SIGNATURE OF THE SECRETARY.OF THE SECRETARY.

““THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 5:30 p.m. _____________, 5:30 p.m. _____________, Secretary”Secretary”

REMEMBER….REMEMBER….

MINUTES ARE A PERMANENT MINUTES ARE A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE LOCAL RECORD OF THE LOCAL

PTA UNIT AND NEED TO BE PTA UNIT AND NEED TO BE KEPT FOREVER!KEPT FOREVER!

“WHETHER IT’S A BABY STEP, A HOP, A JUMP OR A SIGNIFICANT

LEAP, BEGIN EACH NEW DAY WITH THE DESIRE TO EXCEL AND

A PASSION FOR GREATNESS. “

BYRON V. GARRETTNATIONAL PTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR