The Secretary serves as a member of the Executive Committee. Some Sections combine the roles of secretary and treasurer into a single position, Secretary-Treasurer. Also, whether separate or joint, the term varies among the Sections from 1-3 years.
Executive Duties. Attends and participates in all Executive Committee meetings, Annual Business Meetings, and other Section activities. This involves a minimum of two meetings a year: the Executive Committee meeting and the Section Annual Business Meeting, both held during the JSM. Participation in these meetings includes presenting a report on the minutes of previous meetings and recording the minutes of the present meeting and may also include assisting the Chair in preparing agendas for these meetings.
After review by the Chair (and other Executive Committee members, if desired), the Secretary distributes the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings to all members of the Executive Committee Director. It is suggested that approval of minutes occurs within four to six weeks via teleconference or e-ballot.
Correspondence Duties. The Secretary should assist the Section Chair in correspondence activities.
File Maintenance Duties. The Secretary should maintain the file of relevant Section documents. Such a file should include at least the following:
• The charter of the Section
• The names and contact information and duration of terms of all Executive Committee members, additional Program Chairs, and Committee Chairs
o Updated descriptions of the duties of Officers of the Section
o Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings and the Annual Business Meeting
• All Section correspondence
• Copies of agreements between the Section and any other scientific body and all reports relevant to this agreement
• Other relevant Section documents and reports
ASA Duties. The Secretary must notify the ASA Section Liaison of all new officer appointments.
Section-specific Duties. The Secretary of some Section have responsibilities that are not required of all sections Secretaries. See the Section Charter for details.