NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES 1
Secretaries Scribbles Clever secretary tips for clever secretaries!
2013-2014 Service Year
New York District
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
Hey there secretaries! Â My name is Sharmila Samwaru and I am honored to be serving as your District Secretary for the 2013-2014 service year! With so much to do and so many motivated individuals, I have no doubt that the members of the New York district will foster and mold the empowering leaders of tomorrow. Just to tell you a little about myself, I currently attend Adelphi University and I am pursuing my degree in nursing with the dream of becoming a Pediatric/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. One of my biggest goals is to utilize the experience Circle K has given me to volunteer with the Peace Corps and further dedicate myself in the service of others. My favorite quote is " The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others." It is the message I hope to demonstrate to everyone I meet so that they too can be inspired to live selflessly. Being secretary is the cream of the crop because you first handedly experience the ins and outs of your club. From getting to know individuals through service projects to seeing the unified number of service hours your members has completed month by month, your role is fundamental to the success of your club. Recording minutes and compiling the Monthly Report Form may initially seem daunting but with the help of your executive board members, the district officers, and the encouragement from Circle K'ers around you, a tedious task can easily become a passionate purpose. What originally started as mere extracurricular activity has the potential to not only change your life, but the lives of the individuals around you. So I challenge you: find something you're passionate about immerse yourself in it because once you do, the sky's the limit. I have faith that the accomplishments of New York District will be inspiring and motivating to those around us. With the dedication and commitment of every individual, regardless of their position or their club status, we can accomplish the goals we set for the 2013-2014 service year while touching the lives of everyone we meet. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and I cannot wait to see the strides you and your club will make! Yours in service, leadership, and fellowship, Sharmila Samwaru District Secretary Proud member of Adelphi University Circle K sharmila.samwaru@nycirclek.org 718-962-5497
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Table of Contents:
Part One – You and Your Club 1 Cover 2 Welcome from District Secretary 3 Table of Contents 4 Contact Information 5 Duties of a Club Secretary 6 Your Executive Board: Your Legendary Leadership Team 7 Club Goal Sheet 8 Club Contact Sheet
Part Two – Monthly Report Form 9 Monthly Report Form 101 10 Monthly Report Form 101 (continued) Part Three – The Projects 11 2013-2014 District Project 11 2013-2014 Governor’s Project 12 International Board 13 International Preferred Charities 14 The Eliminate Project
Part Four – Minutes & Emails 15 Minutes 101 16 Sending out Minutes/Emails 16 Sending the Monthly Report Form 16 Concluding Remarks Part Five 17 Advice from Past Secretaries
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR TERM TO CLUB SECRETARY!
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
Special Thanks: Much thanks to all the individuals who reviewed, critiqued, contributed, analyzed and helped finalize this year’s edition of the Secretary Scribbles! Your dedication and effort are greatly appreciated!
Contact Information: Don’t forget to write down the information of other secretaries who may help you in your future endeavors as club secretary! Write down their information below: (You can meet some of these great people at District Events such as the District Large Scale Service Project (DLSSP), New York Speaking Conference (NYS) or District Convention (DCON) Name: ___________________________________
Club: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Club: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Club: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Club: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Club: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
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Duties of a Club Secretary Yearly Duties -
Keep the club active Create a list of goals o Evaluate these goals at the end of the service year Promote and attend the district events (DLSSP, NY Speaking and District Convention) Train your officers (and be trained) Maintain dues-paid status (active status) Recruit new members Apply for awards Develop new leadership o Find a successor
Monthly Duties -
Communicate with your Lieutenant Governor and District Board Officers Hold Executive Board Meetings (and retreats… relaxing is important)! Retain members by finding ways to make meetings, projects and events exciting and interesting! Create a calendar of events, projects and meetings for your upcoming or current month. Analyze where you are with the goal you have set (this is especially true for the end of each semester) Maintain good connections with your school’s Student Association or Extracurricular Activities Organization. Make sure your Monthly Report Forms are handed in on time Develop a newsletter (often times, this is distributed once every other month, about 4-6 times a year) Organize socials to keep your members energized and connected! Attend Kiwanis Family events
Weekly Duties -
Communicate with your e-board (socially and about CKI business) - Create an agenda for your upcoming meeting - Hold your meetings o Meetings can occur as often as twice a week and as little as once every other week. - Meet with your Kiwanis Advisor and Faculty Advisor about any upcoming events and any issues you may be having. - Send emails to your club members, reminding them of upcoming meetings and service projects. - Utilize social networking sites (ex: Facebook and Twitter), which must be updated regularly for full effectiveness. - Communicate with your Kiwanis Club about their projects, and make sure they know about yours. - Organize service projects throughout the week that your club can participate in. - Make sure minutes are taken and emailed to the club every week. - Find and organize service projects for upcoming weeks (or, make sure these service projects are organized by other members of your club). - If necessary, communicate with Everyday Duties: your school’s club organization Association) about - (Student Be that individual to inspire anything need toof doservice during others toyou a live a life the week. and selflessness J
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
Your Executive Board Your Legendary Leadership Team The Executive Board: The Legendary Leadership Team President
The president is the “big cheese” or “face” of the club. Presidents oversee meetings (general and board meetings), represent the club on campus and throughout the New York District, and essentially run the club. It is the responsibility of the President to stay on top of all club activities, no matter how “large” or “small” each task may be.
Vice President
The Vice President is the “right hand man” (or woman) of the club. Vice Presidents manage meetings when the President is absent or unavailable. Typically, some clubs require that the Vice President also acts as the head of the committee structure and serves as an ex officio member of every committee within the club. Some clubs also have 2 Vice Presidents, such as a Vice President of Service and a Vice President of Administration.
Secretary (That’s you!) The Secretary is the “recorder” of the club. Secretaries have two main responsibilities: taking minutes of general club meetings (and club board meetings) and filling out Monthly Progress Report Forms (that are sent to the District Secretary every month). These duties are necessary so that club members and district officers are aware of what the club is doing!
Treasurer
The Treasurer is the “money manager” of the club. He or she often oversees the budget, cuts reimbursement checks and manages fundraiser. If it has to do with money, it typically has to do with the treasurer! One of the most important duties of the Treasurer is the collection of dues, which occurs in the beginning of every fall semester. If a club doesn’t pay its dues, the club risks losing their charter, so this is crucial!
Editor
The Editor is often the “publicist” of the club. They are typically responsible with the distribution of newsletters, creation of advertisements and photography during events. Some clubs choose to have a “Public Relations Chair” to help with different promotional ideas while other clubs assign these creative tasks to the editor. Sometimes, they write articles for various publications, other times these responsibilities are delegated to another officer or a committee.
Faculty & Kiwanis Advisor The Faculty and Kiwanis advisors are the “guides” of the club. Unlike club officers, these two advisors stay the same year after year, so they come with a lot of knowledge about past club officers, events that worked (and didn’t work) and other important tidbits. They also understand the limitations of the campus. Utilize them as a resource for advise, tips and help throughout the CKI year, as they will be invaluable to your during your year as president.
Other Leaders
Committee Chairs
Committee chairs are the “specialists” of the club, overseeing a variety of committees with different specializations, including (but not limited to) fellowship, service projects, specific events, publicity and Kiwanis-Family relations. Not all clubs have committee chairs, but those who do often use them as a way to increase leadership potential in the club.
Mentors
Clubs that have a larger membership may choose to implement a mentor program, also known as a Big/Little system. Returning members become a Mentor/Big and they get assigned a Mentee/Little. This not only provides a leadership opportunity but it makes the Mentee/Little feel secure about joining the club and transitioning into campus life.
Webmaster
The Webmaster is the “tech master” of the club. He or she oversees a club website and the use of various social media, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and Facebook. These accounts should be updated consistently and maintained year to year. Be sure to save usernames and passwords in a secure location! Sometimes, these responsibilities are delegate to another officer or a committee.
Project Leaders Project leaders are a great way to get members, especially new ones, involved. Instead of having officers decide on and run all the service projects, some clubs delegate the responsibility to members who are interested in leading an existing project or even implementing a new project. This encourages more members to get involved, and encourages more leadership potential.
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Club Goal Sheet
At the start of this 2013-2014 CKI Service Year, setting challenging yet realistic goals is a crucial step in planning how this year will turn out. Beyond the creation of our unified district goals, you should also be making personal goals for this year that are related to your position and your success as a CKI leader. However, setting goals is not merely enough. One has to set, not just SMART goals, but SMARTER goals in order to have truly useful plans. S
Specific: Is the goal easy to understand? Does the goal pertain to one aspect of CKI? A good example: Increasing my service hours this year from last year’s service hours. A bad example: Doing more for Circle K.
M
Measurable: Is the goal quantifiable? Is there a way to gauge how the goal can be met? A good example: Having 20% more club members than the previous year. A bad example: Increasing members in the club.
A
Attainable: Is the goal within your capabilities this year? Do you feel that you can reach this goal? A good example: Organizing at least one service project per week. A bad example: Organizing eight service projects per week.
R
Relevant: Does the goal pertain to the organization? Does it make sense? A good example: Work with two other service organizations on campus in the Spring Semester. A bad example: Increase membership of two other service organizations on campus.
T
Truthful: Is this something you actually want to concentrate on? Do you, personally, want to fulfill this goal? A good example: Cutting back on caffeine intake to two cups of coffee a day. A bad example: Never drinking any coffee ever again (at least, I don’t think I can do this J)
E
Ethical: Does this fall within legal boundaries? A good example: Organizing three more fundraisers for club money A bad example: Making the finance records difficult to understand so that money can be taken out.
R
Reviewed: Review your goals often, so you know if you’re on track. A good example: Reporting to the club how close you are to your service hour goals once a month. A bad example: Reviewing your goals only at the end of each semester.
Club Goals 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
Club Contact Sheet
Communication is essential to a productive, energized and fantastic year. Keeping in touch with officers will allow you to delegate the appropriate tasks, and communicating with members will make sure you have amazing attendance at all of your events (after all, how are members supposed to know when there are service projects? Use this sheet to keep a record of all the relevant contact information. Fill it out, keep it safe and check often when to email an officer or make a call to your Kiwanis club. you need Club Website: _____________________________
Club Email: _____________________________
Officers Information
Position
Name
Phone Number
Kiwanis Advisor
Faculty Advisor Don’t forget your District Board Information! District Governor: Kelly Chan — kelly.chan@nycirclek.org District Secretary: Sharmila Samwaru — sharmila.samwaru@nycirclek.org District Treasurer: Kristina Cotroneo — Kristina.cotroneo@nycki.org District Editor: Christine Retta — Christine.retta@nycirclek.org
Email Address
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Monthly Report Forms 101
What's the purpose? Filling out Monthly Report Forms (or MRFs) is a way of recognizing your club for the hard work and dedication they have participated in. By updating the MRF every month, you are contributing to not only your club, but to the entire New York District as a whole! The MRF allows the district to measure the progress of completing specific goals so that together we can achieve greater heights. About the Monthly Report Form The Monthly Report Form is utilized to measure the progress of a club throughout a service year. It is a way of allowing the district to recognize how much service is done, the amount of money raised, how active the club is and where the club may possibly need assistance. This year, the MRF is in the form of an excel sheet that was originally emailed to the district. To increase efficiency as well as to eliminate complications, Dropbox, a file hosting service, was introduced. Secretaries merely need to update their club's progress and then inform the District Secretary of its completion. In addition, the file can be shared with the club's Executive Board so that everyone is on the same page. Monthly Report Forms Demystified What do the different tabs on the MRF represent? How can I understand the terminology? Where do I input information that does not pertain to a particular section in the MRF? The Monthly Report Form may look scary, but it can be quite simple once you master it's ins and outs! A. Overview Instructions: This page is a visual of what an Overview page is supposed to look like. B. Month Instructions: This page is a visual of what the Months (April - March) are supposed to look like. C. Overview: The Overview page is where your progress as a club is calculated. It is to be used as a constant reference to view your club's goals and achievements so that you know where you stand at all times. I. Basic Information: Input your information so that the district will know the best way to contact either you or your advisor if need be. Change the information if a new secretary is taking office. Make sure you put the name of your club as well as your division. II. Club and District Goals: What is your service hour goal for the service year? How about your fundraising goal? The bottom section of the Overview page monitors not only your accomplishments for your club, but towards the district as well. D. Months (April - March): I. Total Dues Paid Members: Input the number of dues paid members in your club. Are you obtaining new members? Is there a noticeable growth in the amount of members? Then you're probably doing something right! II. Service Hours: a. Date: Place the number for that month when the service project or fundraiser took place. Do not put the entire date seeing that excel automatically changes it. ie: An event took place on January 28 2014, simply put "28" under "Date." b. Name of Event: What's the name of your event? If you are unsure, insert what you did. ie: "Packaging food at the Mary Brennan Inn" is much better than "Mary Brennan Inn" because it states the type of service you completed. c. Total Attended: The total amount of Circle K dues paid members that attended the service project or fundraiser d. Total Hours: The total amount of hours the individual or group of individuals completed. ie: 4 members attended x each did 2 hours of service = 8 hours in total.
III. IV. V.
x x x
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
Monthly Report Forms 101
(continued) e. Funds Raised: The total amount of money raised for a specific organization or charity. f. Health Initiatives: This year, the district board recognized health as a important component in the lives of every individual and as a result, NYCKI's Health Initiatives; Get Happy, Get Healthy! was created. Refer to page 11 for more information on this year's District Project and place an "x" in the column if you service project relates to this. g. Eliminate Project: Place an "x" in this column if your service project or fundraiser had anything to do with contributing to The Eliminate Project. h. Governors Project: Place an "x" in the column if your service project or fundraiser related to your club's Governor's Project. Refer to page 11 for more details. i. Interclubbing: Any service project or fundraiser where two Circle K clubs were present by representation of two or more individuals from each club. j. K-Family Relations: Any service project that was held with other branches of the Kiwanis Family such as K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club, Aktion Club or Kiwanis. Each branch in attendance must have 3 or more members present. IV. Club and Member Recognition: a. Club Meeting Attendance: Out of the total dues paid members, this section recognizes the general amount of member attendance during meetings. 1. Date: The date of your general meeting 2. Members: How many dues paid members attended the meeting? b. Member of the Month: The Member of the Month is someone who is chosen by your Executive Board. It is to credit an individual for going above and beyond in any area. If you believe a person deserves this recognition, briefly mention why in the designated area. V. Social Hours: a. Date: The date of the event. b. Name of Social Event: Name of activity/social. c. Planning Hours: The amount of time it took to plan the event. d. Event Hours: The actual hours of the event. e. Total Members: The number of dues paid members who attended. VI. Future Events: Events that you would like a district offer to attend. Keep in mind that it does not guarantee a visit from the district board members, but we will try our best to be there! a. Name: The name of the event you are hosting. b. Date & Time: When do you plan on having the event? c. Location: What is the exact address? d. Price: How much is for the service project/event? e. Details: Other important information that we should know. VII. District Communication a. District Contact: The various forms that a district officer has contacted you. Place an "x" if they have contacted you via that specific method. b. How can the district board better serve you?: What would you like to see from the district board? What are the types of resources that you may need? Are you facing any challenges that you need assistance with? c. Comments, Questions, & Concerns: Everything else that does not pertain to the specific areas.
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District Project:
NYCKI Health Initiatives: Get Happy, Get Healthy The District Project is an organization or cause that the District Board has decided is important enough to focus on. It serves as one of the main focuses of the district (with regards to service) and is a great idea if you need service project ideas. Below is some space for you to write notes about the 2013-2014 District Project. District Projects are typically determined shortly after the start of the service year in late April. This year, the 2013-2014 ‘Sleepy Board’, voted upon NYCKI Health Initiatives: Get Happy, Get Healthy in order to complete service and fundraising dedicated to promote emotional, environmental, mental and physical health. You can begin by adopting a personal healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating a proper diet. Here are some ways that you and your club can get involved: - Fundraise for, volunteer in and/or walk in charity walks/runs - Educate others about the issues with fresh water and malnourishment worldwide - Hold a mind boosting program such as Operation Beautiful - Run a food drive for a local food pantry/bank - Volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen - Hold a sporting fundraiser for an organization such as the American Cancer Society - Go for a hike, swim, bike ride or walk as a club social to promote personal healthy lifestyles
Governor’s Project: Care to Be Aware
The Governor’s Project is an organization or cause, close to the Governor heart that he/she decides to focus on. It serves as one of the main focuses of the district (with regards to service) and is a great idea if you need service project ideas. This project is typically released at the start of the service year. The 2013-2014 District Governor, Kelly Chan, has chosen Care to Be Aware to promote the members of New York to be aware of the needs of their local communities and environment and to care to act upon those needs. She is encouraging each member to transform into an everyday hero by keeping a log of “random acts of kindness” and is encouraging at least 52 logged events for the service year (1 per week). She is also working directly with each club in order for each club to find and address the specific need in the club’s respective campus and community.
Here are just some focuses that club’s have chosen: • • • •
Beautification and preservation of an abandoned piece of land on campus – Niagara University Go Green Initiatives: anything to support the environment, educating children on this topic and building a campus vegetable garden with the childhood center on campus – Queens College Hope 7 Tutoring – tutoring and mentoring children who need extra help – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Healthy Kids – taking part in activities promoting emotional, mental and physical health of kids – New Paltz
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International Board Breakdown
Your International Board is the core of Circle K International. Comprised of nine dedicated CKI members, the International Board includes an International President, an International Vice President, and seven (8) International Trustees, which speak on behalf of their Subregion (labeled A through G) or as the Subregion-at-large Trustee and also sere a chairs of our four standing International Committees (Executive Committee, Service Committee, Marketing & Membership, and Kiwanis Family Relations Committee). * Subregion F comprises of 5 districts: Capital, Eastern Canada, New England, New Jersey and (us!) New York. The 2013-2014 Subregion F Trustee is Danielle Sammut, from The College of New Jersey, of the New Jersey District.
International Discounts Did you know?
That’s right! As an official, dues paid member, you have benefits to certain Circle K International discounts that only members can get!
LEFT: Use this Office Max Card whenever you print anything out for CKI! You can also use this discount online by using the assigned username: Kmembers and the password: omax1, then type “Create New Office Product Order” and order what you need! J RIGHT: Use this Better World Books Discount when you want to buy your textbooks! 10% can go a really long way when your textbooks keep getting more expensive, and the money you spend at BWB can help put books in the hands of underprivileged kids and students, rather than into dirty landfills!
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International Preferred Charities
in a variety of projects and events that are offered through Preferred CKI clubs are able to participate
Charities and Service Partners. These programs allow us to unite under a common goal: making the world, our world, a better place.
Preferred Charity – a partnering organization that commits to provide various in-promotion and access benefits. In exchange, organizations are recognized as Kiwanis International Preferred Charities, and Kiwanis will encourage local club support via fundraising and service projects. • March of Dimes – www.marchofdimes.com March of Dimes is a non-profit organization that works to improve the medical support and health of babies throughout the United States. Its main focus is on premature babies, who are often born with medical issues because of their early birth. One such example that MoD often donates their resources to is NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) which treat newborn babies suffering from a disease. Contact your March of Dimes chapter for support, resources and contact information. To find your local chapter, visit marchofdimes.com/youth and enter your zip code in the box at the top of the page. • UNICEF– www.unicef.org Over the past years, CKI (and the Kiwanis Family) has partnered up with UNICEF to bring many programs, including the IDD Deficiency project, several AIDS awareness/education projects, the Six Cents Initiative and our new Eliminate Project. These programs are representative of all the support that UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) has given CKI and the Kiwanis Family in the past. As an international service partner, UNICEF has worked with us to develop programs that are geared towards college students.
Service Partner – organizations supported by CKI board of trustees as organizations that provide meaningful service or philanthropy opportunities for the colligate market. These organizations receive no marketing benefit or programming support from Kiwanis International. The work of these organizations relies on the CKI Service Committee/Service Ambassadors to communicate messaging to the general membership. • Better World Books – www.betterworldbooks.com Better World Books, BWB, is an international organization, which focuses on literacy in third world countries by encouraging students to donate their used and old textbooks to countries in need. It is a for-profit organization that buys and sells used books (at a cheap price) to raise money for literacy initiatives, while still encouraging students to donate books that would be otherwise useless. Money that is raised is then donated to one of their five major nonprofit literacy partners. BWB also helps clubs and schools with large book drives. If a club is interested in organizing a book drives, all they need to do is email campus@betterworldbooks.com to reach their school account representative, which can help provide them with free shipping labels, posters and big boxes to drop off books! Students Team Up To Fight Hunger – www.stufh.org From the STUFH Website The purpose of STUFH is to put food in the mouths of those who need it most. But the benefits of STUFH are shared by many others. By asking students to work together, STUFH helps build a sense of comradery within the college. By providing students with an up-close example of those less fortunate within their community, they better understand the need for help. And by linking students to their local food banks, it gives those students a sense of community that might otherwise be overlooked during their four years at school. These benefits are also felt by the community at large. Members of the community get to know the college students in their town, and they can help address a pervasive problem that faces each and every community. STUFH is a win-win program for everyone involved.
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The EliMiNaTe Project Our Kiwanis Worldwide Service Initiative
With The Eliminate Project, Kiwanis International and UNICEF have joined forces to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. This deadly disease steals the lives of nearly 60,000 innocent babies and a significant number of women each year. The effects of the disease are excruciating — tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. In 30 countries around the world (as of 4/13, 39 countries have eliminated MNT), maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) can quickly turn the joy of childbirth into tragedy. MNT kills one baby every nine minutes. The disease strikes the poorest of the poor, the geographically hard to reach and those without health care. There is little hope of survival. It is unacceptable that innocent newborns and their mothers suffer and die from MNT when it can be prevented so easily. This is also an amazing opportunity to reach the poorest, most neglected mothers and babies with lifesaving health care. Developing delivery systems for MNT vaccines will blaze a trail to provide additional desperately needed services to these marginalized families. To eliminate MNT from the Earth by 2015, 129 million mothers and their future babies must be immunized. This requires vaccines, syringes, safe storage, transportation, thousands of skilled staff and more. It will take US$110 million — and the dedicated work of UNICEF and every member of the Kiwanis family. Kiwanis and UNICEF joined forces to tackle iodine disorders, achieving one of the most significant successes of the 20th century. Now, they are MNT from the face of the Earth. And in doing so, reach the poorest, most neglected mothers and additional lifesaving health care. The end of this means the beginning of better health for so
deficiency public health eliminating the project will babies with one disease many families.
Already, the New York District of Circle K International has taken steps to promoting this Worldwide Service Initiative. In the 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 20122013 CKI Service Years, Past Governors Rickie Santer, Josephine Lukito and Corey Oses pushed NYCKI to raise over $31,000 dollars (calculating to $14 per member). This year, the International Initiative Committee has been organized to help continue this strong support for this amazing cause. To learn more about the Eliminate Project and to get more information about different ways to support this project, please visit their site at: http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/theELIMINATEproject/home.aspx (it provides information about Kiwanis International’s goals, what MNT is and how we can donate money).
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Minutes Minutes document what occurred during a meeting and what was accomplished in a certain time frame. Minutes are always referred to in order to clarify or recall the discussion so that appropriate decisions can be made to better serve the organization and its members. While it may seem great to record the meeting in detail, it is advisable to record mainly what was accomplished without inserting the opinions of individuals present or anything that can be considered excessive. Format of Minutes:
Club Meeting: [# of meetings] Date: ___________________ Time: _______ Location: _________________ [enter college name here] Circle K International
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii. viii. ix. x. xi.
Call to order: a. The meeting convened at [date and time], with President [enter president’s name here] presiding, and [your name here], secretary. Executive Board Members in attendance: a. b. c. Number of members in attendance a. a. Circle K Pledge a. Led by: Officers' reports: a. President b. Vice president c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Editor Upcoming Events a. Event date, name and time. b. Event date, name and time. c. Event date, name and time. Old business New business Announcements Comments, Questions, Concerns: Adjournment a. This meeting ended at [enter time here].
Minutes taken by [enter your name here] [enter your signature here]
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Sending out Minutes/E-mails
When sending out an e-mail o your club, make sure to BCC your members. This allows the person receiving the e-mail to see that it was only sent to him/her and that protects the privacy of your members. Sending out the minutes or recaps of the meeting allows members who cannot attend meetings to catch up on what was discussed. It also reinforces and reminds people about the upcoming events that are taking place. You should always try to send out minutes within 3 or 4 days of the meeting, but you should try to send them out before any events for the week start, that way members don’t miss out!
Sending MRFs By completing and sending the Monthly Report Form, you are doing your part for Circle K International. Please ensure that you are handing in your Monthly Report on time on the 7th of every month via Dropbox by notifying District Secretary Sharmila Samwaru of its completion.
Concluding Remarks Being club secretary is more than a responsibility - it is an honor. It is an opportunity to contribute to others in every way possible whether it'd be as a volunteer, a leader, a role model and even an inspiration. Because of your dedication to serving others, it moves those around you to lead a life of selflessness. As a club secretary, you are responsible for the recording of meetings as well as service hours. Your duties extend even beyond those two fundamental aspects. You are a critical component of your club's success and through your hard work and determination; the sky's the limit. In conjunction with your executive officers, district board officers and the many members of Circle K International around the world, we all have the power to inspire those around us so that they too, can affect change. During the 2013-2014 service year, you may encounter road bumps. However, with the countless sources of support, friendship, and love, obstacles will seem minor in the face of the grand design. Always remember, that while you are a club officer, you are a servant leader as well. Your actions have the power to influence those around you to an infinite degree. Congratulations and wishing you the best of luck for the service year! J Yours in Service,
Sharmila Samwaru Secretary of the New York District ’13-14
NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES 17
Advice from Past Secretaries
“In my experience, a great secretary is organized, reliable, and prompt. A great secretary also always has pens on his or her person at all times. Trust me on that; always have pens.” – Kara Gibbons, New Paltz, 2010-2013 “Always remember to write down important information that's discussed during the general body meetings so when you send out the minutes you mention everything.” – Valentyna, Yasinska, Buffalo University, 2012-2013 “Make the most of your year – Just have fun with your position and you’ll be great!” – Kathryn Graves, Adelphi University, 2010-2012 “As secretary, organization is critical. In addition to recording service hours accurately and in a timely fashion, it's also really important to establish a system that gives members the opportunity to keep track of hours on their own. After all, secretaries may not always be in attendance at service projects, and this requires some aid from other members.” Nikki Kimura, Cornell University, 20122013 “Being organized is the key to success as a club secretary! Make use of to-do lists, calendars, and forms from your district to make your job easier. Using these resources will keep you from forgetting important deadlines and will ensure that you are keeping accurate records.” – Dawn Kreder, New Jersey District Secretary, 2012-2014 “The best thing you can do is get organized before the rush of fall comes. Along with this, be sure to be bugging your members about service, fundraising and K-Family hours. Providing resources for them to do so will help you and your members, so don't be afraid to create new methods of hourssubmissions! – Lena Scheibengraber, Alverno College, 2009-2010 “Don’t worry about writing down every word when taking minutes – just be sure to capture the main ideas and the conclusions.” – Kathryn Graves, Adelphi University, 2010-2012 “Get into the habit of keeping track of student's hours on a regular basis because as the semester moves forward you will get too overwhelmed with trying to remember service hours from beginning of the year.” – Valentyna Yasinska, 2012-2013
I, __________________ of the __________________ CKI club, am prepared to fulfill all the duties set forth for me as CLUB SECRETARY in the 2013-2014 term!
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NEW YORK DISTRICT OF CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL – SECRETARIES SCRIBBLES
New York District of Circle K International | Sharmila Samwaru | 718.962.5497 | Sharmila.samwaru@nycirclek.org