An Runai
“The role of the Club Secretary off the pitch is as important as the player and the results on it….”
Peter Quinn Iar-Uachtarán- Cumann Lúthchleas Gael
As Club Secretary, Mr Kevin Mullan is the principle administrator for the club. The Secretary carries out or delegates all of the administrative duties that enable the club and its members to function effectively. The Secretary has a pivotal role within the club, with a close involvement in the running of the club.
The Secretary will work closely with the Club Chairperson and Treasurer and if required will make important decisions between Executive Committee Meetings.
The role of the Secretary includes good communication skills and a good knowledge of the Official Guide, County and Club byelaws.
The Secretary is usually the first person an outsider contacts, and a good Secretary is vital to the successful management of the club. As the principal administrative officer the Secretary provides a link between the members, the Executive Committee, the Players, team Management, County Board, and other clubs.
The role of Secretary is diverse and varied and they will often be at the forefront of a mix of duties.
Meetings
- Club Executive/Management Meetings should be held once a month, on a specific day i.e. First Monday of each month etc.
- The Secretary calls the meeting, an agenda and minutes of the previous meeting should be sent to the committee members at least three days in advance, the Secretary and all committee members should be proficient in the use of ICT and all correspondence should where possible be done by e-mail.
The qualities to be good a Secretary are
- Be methodical and reliable
- Good Communication skills
- Be impartial
- Good Planning
- Good Organisation Skills
- Good Decision Maker
- Be able to maintain confidentiality
- A reasonable knowledge of the Irish Language
The duties of the Secretary are:
- Receiving and dealing with all correspondence
- Attending meetings to represent the club, i.e County Fixture meetings, local sports council meetings.
- Organising and Attending Executive Meetings.
- Organising and Attending all Annual General Meetings/Emergency General Meeting.
- Taking and distributing minutes and maintaining accurate records
- Ensuring meeting action points are carried out.
Things to Avoid
- Do not make the committee deal with trivial topics, place important issues on the agenda for Executive Meetings.
- Don’t put an important issue at the end of the agenda, place all important issues for discussion on the agenda for the start of the meeting.
- Do not let matters arising from the previous meeting take up most of the time at the current meeting.
Further tips
Consider asking each sub-committee to submit a written report of their activities rather than an officer giving a verbal report, this will cut down on meeting time
- Ensure that the Chairperson has signed off on the agenda before circulating it to members.
- Ask the Chairperson to repeat all motions and decisions taken at the meeting to ensure that everyone is clear on what has been agreed.
- Delegate some work to the Assistant Secretary.
Things to Remember
- You need to be motivated to do a good job.
- You need to well organised and conscientious.
- All correspondence must be dealt with quickly.
- Follow meeting guidelines to ensure they are productive.
- Remind yourself that the important thing about keeping records is keeping the right records and being able to find them quickly and easily. Have hard paper copies, store on a computer and have back up facilities available.
It is good practice for a Secretary to serve no more than five years in office, (three years would be preferable) and to encourage other committee members to serve in the position.