David Gordon asks:
Could you be our new treasurer or membership secretary?
I have been on the FotO committee since 1995 and treasurer since 1996, adding membership secretary to my duties a year or two later. In that time my "day job" in public health has become increasingly time-consuming, and it has reached the point where something has to give. So, at the AGM in November 2001, FotO will need a new treasurer and membership secretary.
What's involved? The treasurer and membership secretary are closely linked posts but there is no need for them to be one person. The main duties of each are:
- Treasurer
- - responsible for all banking and payments; for keeping records and preparing accounts for audit; for ensuring that expenditure is planned and within the resources available to FotO.
- Membership secretary
- - responsible for maintaining the membership list; for membership renewals; for labels for mailings.
The regular commitment is small for much of the year. There are peaks of activity at set times of the year when several evenings or a weekend are needed. These are:
- In October, when the treasurer recon-ciles the accounts with the financial and membership records, prepares the draft annual accounts and has them audited. Meanwhile the membership secretary is sending out the renewal notices to personal members.
- In November, when the membership renewals come back and have to be recorded. Any changes are noted, and the renewal payments are banked.
- The AGM is held in late November.
- In late December / early January the membership secretary sends out reminders to those members who have not renewed.
- In late March the membership secretary sends out renewal notices to voluntary organisation members and corporate supporters.
- Throughout the year, the treasurer ensures that bills are paid promptly and money received is banked. The annual accounting is much easier when a careful check has been kept on things throughout the year. Even so, there is usually something tricky each year. For the past two years it has been reconciling the membership records with the financial records!
- Throughout the year the membership secretary records new members, processing standing orders and gift aid as necessary, and keeps the address list / labels up to date.
- Ideally the membership secretary would be able to actively promote membership, for example by placing leaflets in tourist offices and at local information points. I have lacked the time to be proactive.
I estimate that the combined posts occupy me for up to 20 evenings each year, including committee meetings, with over half of that in the period September-December. This is split about evenly between treasurer and membership duties. Access to a computer is useful for both posts. If you want to find out more, please feel free to contact me.
Newsletter 18 Index