Question 8: Secretary role/commitment

[Maple Leaf]

I know that sometimes things happen and deadlines occassionally have to slip, but I feel that consistently not meeting the constitution dates to publish the Committee meeting minutes is unacceptable. It's not even been just a day or two, is often a week or more.

NONE of the minutes of the comittee meeting minutes were published on time this past year. (The last two sets haven't been uploaded to the correct forum thread yet).

GAGB Constitution (J7 & J8) (link here (https://www.gagb.org.uk/constitution.php))

6. The Executive Committee shall keep minutes of business carried out by the Executive Committee and any sub-committee.
7. Minutes of all Executive Committee meetings shall be taken by the Secretary, or appointed member.
8. Agreed content of the minutes shall be posted on the GAGB forums within 14 days, after having been agreed by the Chairman or other nominated Committee member.


Looking back through the annual report, it says that the Secretary made an appearance at 6 of the 8 commitee meetings, however reading back through the minutes/forums it appears that someone else has had to step in and write many of the minutes (not always a name on them, so I'm not sure who wrote all of them, but appears that Ant wrote several). Surely, the meetings / minutes are one of the secretary's primary job on the committee.

And I've just realised that the Secretary's Annual Report (Seeker #33) wasn't written by the secretary! (Ant stepped in again).

I do wonder how seriously Adam R (UKCacheMag) has taken the position of Secretary over the last year and I hope that someone who has more interest and commitment to the GAGB takes on the secretary position next year.


So my question is primarily for the current secretary (Adam R)

For the last two years, your annual report has said that you haven't had the time to give to GAGB.

Do you feel that you will be able to commit some quality time to the GAGB if you were re-elected?

[Maple Leaf]

I've just realised that we have two number 6 questions (as I started writing this question sometime before having time to finalise/post it). Please could a moderator amend the number in the title to 8. Thanks

[UKCACHEMAG]

In a simple answer yes.

I always feel people can do more than they actually do, so almost everyone could do with more time.

In the last year I have done some work which I wish to continue , should I be re elected.

[Antreid]

I didn't realise that I had posted minutes in the wrong place. Hopefully they can be moved. I find the forums quite confusing that's my excuse!

I am wary of the secretary and chair being married. Secretary can be a very powerful role and if neglected it can cause the organisation to collapse. The new committee need to agree what to do. Actions must be chased between meetings and agenda items sorted to ensure important items are discussed in the right order. Minutes must be agreed by the attendees before publishing them - the current approach makes no sense to me.

In practice Sharon and I rarely agree on any subject, and there are many occasions where I have gone behind our Chair's back to smooth things over or get things done differently (LOL don't tell Sharon) but the perception of bias and the risk of minutes and agendas being written with unconscious bias are real. If we can find a way of checking that what I do is fine, I am happy to be secretary. But it'd be easier if someone else could push people to do what they agreed to do.

I think Secretary and Treasurer, as well as Chair, should be directly elected. That would allow members to choose to elected a married couple if they want! The roles are too important to be left to randomness.

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[Maple Leaf]

I didn't realise that I had posted minutes in the wrong place. Hopefully they can be moved.



They should be uploaded to the server and a link put in the the forum thread for 2016/17 minutes (link to forum (https://www.gagb.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?5849-Committee-Meetings-(2016-2017)-Minutes)) rather than as an attachment.

I assumed you had uploaded them to the other areas (as an attachment) as a temporary method as they were so overdue (I had presumed you don't have access to the 'Minutes area' via the upload admin tool as that is normally only given to Secretary & Chair)

The last three sets are in two different places, (here (https://www.gagb.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?5848-Committee-Meetings-(2016-2017)-Members-Discussion-Area) and here (https://www.gagb.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?5983-Committee-Meeting-Wednesday-18th-October-2017&p=81837#post81837)) if anyone else is trying to find them.

[abiherts]

I have taken minutes on one occasion during the past year, these were forwarded to the chair.

I would be quite happy to take on the role of secretary and would pre-book all of the meeting dates into my diary in advance & publication of meeting minutes. I too have been disappointed by the time delay and also feel that the minutes should be circulated to all committee members when posted onto the forums particularly for those who find the forums awkward. (I struggle to get onto the forums frequently as my username/password is often rejected).

I have also found some of my emails sent to certain committee members have been ignored which has been very frustrating. There is not enough communication between committee members/chair/secretary - not pointing any fingers at anyone in particular.

[richlay]

I have also found some of my emails sent to certain committee members have been ignored which has been very frustrating. There is not enough communication between committee members/chair/secretary - not pointing any fingers at anyone in particular.

Isn't now the time to out this? Move on with a vibrant committee of people with the time, enthusiasm and energy to fulfill all that you set out to achieve?

Otherwise you get to the same point next year with the same frustrations and the same outstanding issues.

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[Antreid]

The role of secretary is key - if the secretary is too harsh and 'annoys', people ignore them, whereas if they don't chase, list, cajole, or help people do what is needed, the organisation falls down to either just one or two people doing everything, or (as happened this year) people just doing certain jobs they like and ignoring other jobs they don't like. Sharon has had to be so many roles this year just holding GAGB together - she could have done with more 'proactive' help, and Secretary (chaser, lister, organiser, whatever!) is a key role to make that happen.

I think this line of questioning is getting a little out of hand, though. It is certainly true that people who promise to do things and then don't, are letting us all down. Yet it remains true that GAGB this year has achieved a number of things that other prior committees just did not achieve - our financial support to Devon was clearly an element in their financial health, for example, the Roving events that Arthur instigated, having a greater presence at others' events (Piratemania, Caledonian, Yorkshire Xmas last year), and actually I think carrying on with Seeker despite losing Terry (I'm not a journalist and I hope it doesn't show that I had no idea what I was doing last year!). The team achieved these - not individuals - and we can lose sight of what has been done if we focus on what folks don't do.

That said, I do think we need people to keep to their commitments - we can't carry on with Sharon doing 50% of everything.

[border caz]

I don't think it serves any purpose to put people on the defensive and linger in the past, Richard.

Let's look to the future and hope that the new committee will be a vibrant committee of people with the time, enthusiasm and energy to fulfill all that they set out to achieve. :encouragement:

[Paperballpark]

Caz, I think Rich's point (which I would agree with) is that if someone has previously said they have the time to do the job, and then doesn't do it properly, why should people believe them when they next say that they will have the time to do the job? Especially if they don't explain why they didn't have the time when they originally thought they would, and why they now do have the time.

[border caz]

I agree to some extent but feel that the whole thing is turning into a witch hunt; we do not want to be starting a new turn of office with negative emotions!