Oregon Nordic Club
Santiam Alpine Club

President  Duties

The president must be a member of the Chemeketan Executive Council and is chosen by the members of the Council at their organizational meeting after the annual election. It is strongly recommended that the president should not have a committee membership in addition to his or her Council office. This results in a conflict of interest. The president should be the advocate for all club interests.

According to the Chemeketan by-laws: “The president shall preside at all meetings of the organization and the Executive Council; enforce the Articles of Incorporation and the By-Laws; call such meetings as the president is empowered to call; and perform such other duties as usually devolve upon the office of the president.”

In the course of Executive Council meetings, the business of the club is carried out. At a minimum such business consists of approving the minutes, approving the payment of the bills, and voting for new members. Any other matters will be covered as deemed necessary. Club members not on the Council are welcome at Executive Council meetings. As a matter of courtesy, guests who have something to present should be asked to do so early in the meeting. In the case of any matters of dispute as to how the meeting is run, Roberts Rules of Order should be the guide.

At the Annual Meeting, the president should ask for the reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting, then ask for the Treasurer’s report, then ask for the reports of the remaining Council members, and then ask for the reports of all remaining committee chairs. After the reports are finished any new business should be discussed and voted on, if necessary. The meeting usually ends with the introduction of the new Council.

In the perfect year, that’s about it except for occasional ceremonial duties such as a short greeting at the Annual Banquet. In a normal year, the president does have to “perform such duties as normally devolve upon the office of president.” There is no way of predicting what these duties may be. Things happen and the president is called upon to do something about it, either by him or herself or by delegating the job to someone else.

The president should oversee club operations to make sure that the following tasks are carried out:

1. Material for the prospectus is turned in and the prospectus and an accurate club roster are mailed in a timely manner, usually on or near March 1. 
   
2. In July, a five member nominating committee must be appointed. 
   
3. In September, the nominating committee submits a list of 12-18 nominees to the vice-president and the list is published in the Club Bulletin. 
   
4. In October, the ballots are mailed out to the membership by the vice-president. The Council names a five-person committee to count the ballots. 
   
5. In November, the ballots are counted and the results given to the president. 
   
6. The results of the election are printed in the December issue of the Bulletin.

Vice-President Duties

Four items will be included here. Nos. 1 and 2 are mandated by the By-Laws. Numbers 3 and 4 will be discussed after the first two, which are written out here in detail.

The two main jobs of the vice-president are outlined in the Chemeketan By-Laws, Article IV, Section 2, which reads as follows:

ITEM 1: Section 2: The vice-president shall assume the duties of the president in the president’s absence or inability to act. (See Section 1 on the president’s duties – in essence, this means that the vice-president may have to run a council meeting at some time. Sometimes more is involved.)

ITEM 2: The vice-president shall prepare ballots for the annual election as outlined in Article III, Section 3. Article III, Section 3, indicates the following (see By-Laws for exact wording): 

A) By the regular July meeting, the vice-president should remind the president to appoint a five-member nominating committee. This nominating committee should prepare a slate of not less than 12 or more than 18 candidates. (Note: in our election process, we do not specify what job will be held by the candidates. The NEW council will determine this following the election. See nominating committee job description.). The list of nominees should be reported to the vice-president no later than September 1^st. 

B) Candidates may also be nominated by petition. The petition must state the name of the nominee and be signed by at least 10 adult or life members, one of whom shall be the nominee. This petition must be sent to the editor in time for the July Bulletin. The maximum number of nominees on the slate includes those nominated by petition.

C) The vice-president must then send the list of nominees, in alphabetical order, to the Bulletin committee for publication in the October Bulletin. (A short article about the election should accompany this list.) It is desirable to talk with the Bulletin Chair saying that the list may arrive after his/her deadline.

D) The vice-president shall prepare the ballots for mailing. The exact form that the ballots are supposed to take is spelled out in detail in the Chemeketan By-Laws, Article III, Section 3, last paragraph. Ballots should be mailed no later than October 7^th. It is desirable to include with the ballots a sheet listing the names of the candidates and information about them including years of membership, council years, chairs held, special interests, etc. Obviously, the vice-president must acquire this information well ahead of time so this sheet(s) can be printed and ready for mailing.

E) Mailing – The mailing system was changed in 2005. We used the printing and mailing services used by the Bulletin committee. (For reference, here is the previous system: The vice-president “inherits” two stamps and stamp pads. (They are at the Den.) One stamp is for printing VICE-PRESIDENT and the Club address on the front of the small envelope in which the voter is to return his/her ballot. The other stamps (in red ink) on the back of this envelope the lines and words where the voter is supposed to sign and print his/her name. The reason for the printed name is because some signatures are not always legible. (It is possible to re-ink the address stamp with black ink. If you cannot figure out how, ask a previous vice-president.)

The ballots, bio-sheets, and return envelopes are to be sent out in legal-size envelopes, with each senior or life member receiving a separate ballot even though two people may reside at the same address. Check with the membership secretary regarding mailing process so that labeling will be done properly. Be sure that the legal-size envelopes have the Chemeketan Thunderbird symbol and return mailing address in the upper left hand corner, thus making it clear that this envelope IS from the Chemeketans.

F) For the regular October council meeting, remind the president to appoint a five-member ballot-counting committee. (The official title here is Judges of Election. See the Elections Committee job description.)

G) Pick-up, or arrange to have picked-up for you, the ballots from the Chemeketan mail box. The bulk of them will arrive within the first few days after the ballots are mailed. The rest dribble in. Make your final pick-up the afternoon of October 31^st. Turn the ballots over immediately to the ballot-counting committee chair. NOTE: It is wise to be certain that there is a reminder, well placed, in the November Bulletin that “ballots are due in NOW!” Please see that the chairman of the counting committee has a copy of the sheet of senior and life members. The exact wording on this is spelled out in the By-Laws, Article III, Sections 6 and 7. You might keep in mind that the results are returned to the President, not to the vice-president, no later than November 5. The results of the election (names of those elected) are to be printed in the December Bulletin.

ITEM 3. The Prospectus. In recent years it has become the duty of the vice-president to prepare the Prospectus. This is NOT an assigned duty. It “happened” because the vice-president’s major duty occurs in the fall and, unless he/she must take over for the president, he/she has no specific duty in January/February. However, this job could be assigned to someone else in the Club.

Using the current Prospectus, see how it has been done in the past. Again, this is not specified and it could be handled differently (as suggested by the 2005 Council). The current procedure is that the Prospectus and Roster (duty of the membership chair) are combined and with a separate cover, are mailed out with the March Bulletin.

In November, or as soon as possible after the new committees have been formed, the Prospectus preparer should inform all committee chairs of the need to supply necessary information to him/her. This should include a description of what the committee does and a schedule of events, where appropriate, as far as is known. (Includes activities March 1^st to end of February of the following year).

Ask for this information to be returned at a date soon enough to enable the Prospectus preparer to have the Prospectus ready for printing and mailing by the Bulletin editor’s deadline date for mailing. Check ahead to agree on a date. Usually this has been completed by February 10^th. Information should be sent electronically, if possible, but certainly any method is acceptable.

The 2005 Council agreed that there will no longer be a composite calendar, with the exception that weekend and mid-week hikes will be on one list. The write-ups for both will precede the list. The arrangement of committee information is up to you, but the information on the Annual Outing should be at the end because it contains application forms which will need to be cut out. The Outing committee prefers that there be two copies of the Release of Liability pages (2 copies per page). Please note also that the back of the registration page should be either part of registration information or blank so that no other Outing information is cut out when the application is sent.

Some committee chairs will give picture-clear information that will not need to be reprocessed. However, in some cases you may want to edit down, partly because of spacing. Keeping information about the committee reasonably brief saves pages.

A good proof-reading by an outside crew of two or more is a necessity. Be certain that the inside of the cover page (which will be on colored paper) is updated to the current council and committee personnel and with accurate phone numbers.

ITEM 4. Final Report: This is to be presented at the Annual Meeting (2^nd Monday in January). It should be prepared in duplicate, one for the secretary of the Club, the other to be handed over to your successor. This report should include what you, as vice-president, have done during this calendar year.

Paula Hyatt, 2005

Recording Secretary Duties

1. Post notices and other club bulletins on the bulletin board outside of the den meeting room.

2. Attend Executive Council and Annual meetings.

3. In consultation with the Executive Council, prepare an agenda for each meeting. File a copy of the agenda. 
   
4. Prepare minutes for each meeting and send to Bulletin Editor(s) within five days after the meeting. File a copy of the minutes 
   
5. Following the Council ballot each year, submit a list of elected Council members to the Bulletin Editors in time for publication in the November Bulletin. 
   
6. Following the Council organizational meeting, submit a list of the committee chairs for the following year to the Bulletin Editors in time for publication in the January Bulletin. 
   
7. Read the annual reports for absent committee chairs at the Annual meeting. 
   
8. Write letters and other materials authorized by the Council and file a copy. 
   
9. Sign checks as authorized by the Council. 
   
10. Monitor the supplies of forms, letterhead, envelopes and other materials and order or buy additional supplies as needed. 
    
11. Update the Council Actions and Policies document at the end of each year to record new actions and policies.

Vivienne Torgeson

Revised December 2005

Membership Secretary Duties

In brief, the duties of the membership secretary are:

1. Serve as a member of the Executive Council.
2. Maintain the club’s membership database.
3. Collect dues and application fees.
4. Process membership applications.
5. Provide information about the Club and guest Bulletins (3 months) to 
   prospective members. 
   
6. Distribute monthly Bulletins.

Because of the large workload, the duties of the membership secretary may be shared by two individuals who determine how they will function. Very close coordination must be maintained between the co-membership secretaries to assure that all records are maintained in a current and accurate manner. 

1. SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. The membership secretary shall, insofar as possible, attend all regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Council, provide a report of membership activities during the past month, present applicants for membership or reinstatement for vote of the Council and act on all other business coming before the Council. The membership secretary’s report shall include the names of applicants for membership and reinstatement, and give the total current membership. It shall also include a report of collections. The report is found in the report section of the on-line database – Executive Council Report.  
   
2. MAINTAIN THE CLUB’S MEMBERSHIP DATABASE. Such records include the database of active and former members plus a hard-copy file for membership application forms. Membership records located on-line on a designated website are accessible by authorized individuals. This website has been temporarily provided by Chemeketan member Steve Dougherty, but should not be considered a permanent home. The Executive Council should determine in the near future where the database will reside permanently and how it will be administered. 
   
3. COLLECT DUES AND APPLICATION FEES. Annual dues and application fees shall be collected at least monthly (but bi-weekly is preferred) from the Chemeketan post office box by the membership secretary and submitted to the treasurer at least once a month utilizing the Payments Report located on the database under the “Reports” section. 

Dues notices will be sent to members by the second week of November. According to the Chemeketan By-Laws, dues must be received by January 1. A reminder shall be sent as soon as possible after January 1 to members who have not submitted dues for the new membership year. Any member who has not submitted dues by January 31 shall be considered inactive until she/he submits dues and is reinstated by vote of the Executive Council. 

4. PROCESS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS. After verifying that application requirements have been met, i.e., the two qualifying activities have been completed by prospective members and dues have been submitted, the membership secretary shall present the names of applicants for membership or reinstatement to the Executive Council. This is done in the monthly Membership Report to the Council. Upon acceptance of new members, each new member is provided a “new member packet” which includes a Chemeketan Roster & Prospectus. New members will be invited to access the Chemeketan By-Laws on the website at www.chemeketans.org or they may request a hard-copy from the membership secretary.

The following steps should be followed in processing membership applications:

• Pick up membership mail from the Chemeketan PO Box 864 at the Pringle Park Branch, Salem, OR 97308.
• Enter membership information and dues into the on-line database. This information is derived from the application form.
• Write the bank ID number on the check, e.g., 24-680, and amount on the upper right hand corner of the application. If no application form accompanies the check, note the bank ID number and amount of the check on the envelope.
• Organize the application forms alphabetically by last name and file the forms in notebooks.
• Enter guest data from requests received either by e-mail or phone for the complimentary Bulletins into the database.
• Enter any corrections received from members or others.
• Database entries should be made throughout the month to facilitate a smoother flow of data. Effort should be made to enter data up to and as close to the date of the Bulletin distribution as possible. See Item 6 below, Monthly Distribution of Bulletins and E-Bulletins. 

5. PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLUB AND GUEST BULLETINS TO PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS. The membership secretary will normally receive requests for information by e-mail or phone. Blue “Guest Sign-up Sheets” may be sent to the membership secretary at the PO Box 864 location by trip leaders or committee chairpersons. The preferred method of informing the membership secretary of new guests is to e-mail or call the information to the membership secretary. The membership secretary should determine whether individuals signing the blue form are already in the database and receiving guest Bulletins. Those who are not should be entered as guests and sent the designated number of complimentary copies. 

The following steps should be followed in providing guest Bulletins:

• Send the prospective member a hard copy of the current month’s Bulletin and enclose an application form. If indicated, send the prospective member an E-Bulletin and let them know they can down-load a copy of the Application Form from the Chemeketan website at www.chemeketans.org.
• Enter the individual’s guest information into the database. This will put the person on the mailing list for the following month’s Bulletin (hard copy or E-Bulletin as indicated in the request. 

6. MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION OF BULLETINS AND E-BULLETINS. The membership secretary should follow these steps to distribute Bulletins and E-Bulletins:

• Coordinate with the Bulletin Editor of the month to know when the Bulletin has gone to the printer. On or about the 15^th of the month, copy the database report “Valley Mail List CSV” and create/paste it into a Wordpad document saved as “all files” with the extension “csv,” and e-mail it to Valley Mail at vms@valleymailing.com.
• Coordinate as necessary with the designated Bulletin Editor who e-mails the Bulletin to the individuals on the “Paid eBulletin subscribers” database report. 
• It’s important to get all the new members and renewed members into the database by the 14^th of the month so that they will be sure to be on the distribution lists. Depending on the timing of data entry, it may be necessary to send new members a hard-copy of the Bulletin along with their copy of the Roster/Prospectus. The membership secretary needs to make sure there is enough postage affixed to the packet. Normally, documents weighing one ounce cost $.37. Over one ounce and up to two ounces cost $.60. Two ounces plus cost $.83. These amounts are subject to change as the Post Office increases costs. It is best to check with the Post Office to assure correct postage. 

7. ASSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION OF MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY DUTIES AND PROCESSES TO NEW MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY. To assure a smooth transition of membership secretary duties and processes, the membership secretary should assist the new Membership Secretary for the first month or two. The Chemeketans are a volunteer organization and it is in the interest of all that membership functions continue uninterrupted and that the volunteer experience is rewarding.

Treasurer Duties

1. CUSTODY 
   Upon assuming the office, the treasurer becomes technical custodian of the old treasurer’s records, previously audited and currently filed in the Chemekeden. The treasurer becomes physical custodian of the current check register and blank checks, bank endorsement stamp and pad, and appropriate keys. The treasurer shares custodial care of the contents of the safe deposit box with two other officers, the president and one other (e.g., the recording secretary. 
   
2. GENERAL RESPONSIBILTIY 
   The treasurer is responsible for all of the incoming and outgoing monies of the club, with the exception of funds related to the annual outing. 
   
3. INCOME 
   The treasurer collects monies from committee chairpersons on a regular basis, with two copies of the cash turn-in forms. The treasurer checks the incoming funds with the form, completes both copies, and returns the second copy to the chairperson. Money received at a Council meeting may be held and deposited later, and will be included in the reports for the following month. The treasurer makes deposits promptly in the club’s money market checking account or other account as may be designated by the Council. Membership dues, most of which are received in December/January, are deposited by the membership secretary who forwards the printout and deposit slip copy to the treasurer. 
   
4. DISBURSEMENTS 
   The treasurer receives all Club bills and invoices except those related to the annual Outing. At each Executive Council meeting, the treasurer requests authorization from the Council to pay outstanding bills/invoices. The treasurer pays said bills/invoices by checks drawn on the money market checking account. Each check is signed by two of the following club officers: president, recording secretary, treasurer. For bills internal to the Club, a “Request for Payment/Reimbursement” form is completed prior to payment. The treasurer notes the check number, date of payment, Council approval date, and reason for payment on each bill/invoice or “Request for Payment/Reimbursement” form. If no forms or invoices are available, a written note should be prepared for any such expenditure. For bills to be paid on time, the treasurer should check the Chemeketan post office box on an average of once per week. 
   
5. RECORDS 
   The treasurer keeps fair and faithful financial records of the monies of the Club. The treasurer keeps separate records of different accounts included in the money market checking account. The treasurer maintains monthly folders, which contain all paid bills/invoices and forms, all cash turn-in forms and bank receipts (noting sources of income on these receipts), and a summary of that month’s financial activity. 
   
6. CHECKBOOK 
   The treasurer is responsible for reconciling the checkbook with the monthly bank statement and to make certain that the checkbook is balanced. Original deposit receipts are filed with the cancelled checks. 
   
7. POST OFFICE 
   The treasurer is responsible for assuring that sufficient funds (usually >$150) are on deposit at all times with the post office so that the Bulletin and other necessary mailings can be accomplished promptly. 
   
8. DEN RENTAL 
   The treasurer is responsible for paying the rental on the Chemekeden before the first of each month (no bills or invoices are received for the obligation). The treasurer also contacts the landlord to prepare a new lease before expiration of the previous lease. 
   
9. REPORTS 
   The treasurer prepares a monthly financial statement detailing the beginning checkbook balance, income and disbursements, and the ending checkbook balance. Monthly income and disbursements also are listed by activity. A similar year-to-date financial statement with activity listings only also is prepared. 
    
   At the end of each quarter, the treasurer prepares a quarterly financial report, summarizing the income and disbursements for that quarter, and containing a balance sheet. A similar annual report is prepared at the end of the year. The latter report is presented at the Annual Meeting. This report includes receipts and disbursements since the treasurer’s last report. 
    
   The treasurer reports on the financial activity of the Club at each Council meeting and provides copies of all reports to the Council as it so designates. 
   
10. MISCELLANEOUS 
    The treasurer checks the Missouri Pacific RR Bonds each year. At the proper time in December, the treasurer furnishes the auditor, appointed by the new Council, with whatever records the auditor requires to audit the fiscal year just completed.

MONTHLY CHECKLIST FOR TREASURER 

JANUARY

1. Obtain new signature cards for money-market checking account, safe deposit box, and certificate of deposit. These signatures are required: president, recording secretary, and treasurer.
2. Second Monday: At Annual meeting: 
   a. Obtain signatures of new officers on signature cards. 
   b. Present annual report. Last quarterly report due. 
   c. Turn over all records which have been in the treasurer’s custody to the new 
   treasurer.
3. 25^th: Pay February Den rental/utility bills. 
   

FEBRUARY

1. 10^th: Insurance on cabin and its contents and Den are due (Potts, Davis & Co.)
2. 25^th: Pay March Den rental/utility bills. 
   

MARCH

1. 16^th: Safe deposit box rental due.
2. 25^th: Pay April Den rental/utility bills.
3. 31^st: Insurance on Den contents due (Unigard).
4. 31^st: Contact Kip Henery, Cooke Stationery, on renewing Den lease. He prepares 
   the lease.

APRIL

1. First quarterly report due at Council meeting.
2. 25^th: Pay May Den rental/utility bills.

MAY

1. 25^th: Pay June Den rental/utility bills. 
   

JUNE

1.  Send letter to Outing chairperson requesting funds for Outing equipment storage (currently $400.00).

2. Send Outing chairperson all forms/requests on workman’s compensation insurance as soon as possible.
3. 25^th: Pay July Den rental/utility bills.

JULY

1. Second quarterly report due at Council meeting.

3. 25^th: Pay August Den rental/utility bills. 
   

AUGUST

1. 25^th: Pay September Den rental/utility bills.

SEPTEMBER

1. Post office box annual rent due. Post Office sends notice approximately 2 weeks in advance.

2. 25^th: Pay October Den rental/utility bills.

OCTOBER

1. Third quarterly report due at Council meeting.

3. 25^th: Pay November Den rental/utility bills. 
   

NOVEMBER

1. Send letter to current Bulletin advertisers asking whether they wish to renew and, if so, billing them for the next year (currently $60.00 per year).

2. 15^th: Marion County property taxes due on cabin.
3. State of Oregon-Corporation Division annual report dues become due.
4. 25^th: Pay December Den rental/utility bills.

DECEMBER

1. Send follow-up letter to Bulletin advertisers that have not responded to first letter.

2. U.S. Forest Service permit for cabin due. Notice is sent.
3. 15^th: Close books for year to allow auditor to complete audit by January annual meeting.
4. 25^th: Pay January Den rental/utility bills.
5. Pay annual post office box rental for Bulletin.

Ken L. Betterton

Revised 12/17/97

Activity information is provided to members in The Chemeketan our monthly bulletin. To receive a complimentary two-month subscription to The Chemeketan and for more information about membership, contact the Membership Secretary.