The overall role of the secretary is to manage the records of the chapter. Responsibilities may include:
- Record, distribute and maintain minutes of all meetings of the chapter and its council or governing body
- Submit the chapter’s Annual Report Form to the ACS Division of Member Services, via Chapter Services staff, no later than 10 days after the chapter’s annual meeting. The Annual Report Form should be accompanied by the following:
- Membership Roster
- Minutes (council meetings)
- Minutes (business session)
- Annual Meeting Program
- Year-End Financial Statements
- Chapter Bylaws (changes/amendments)
- Coordinate the activities of the council in nominating ACS Governors-at-Large. Each spring, for those Chapters with vacancies for Governors-at-Large, the Division of Members Services will reach out to the Chapter and send information for each pending vacancy or new seat. Upon receipt of the form to nominate Governors, the secretary should:
- Complete and submit the nomination form(s) to the ACS Division of Member Services after the chapter council has determined who the chapter would like to nominate for the position(s)
- Determine if the balloting by the chapter council will be via council meeting, teleconference or mail/email ballot
- Conduct balloting for Governor nominees
- Tabulate the votes of the chapter council members, recording the name of the nominee(s) and an alternate for each vacancy. Confirm the final nominee(s) with the council
- Complete and sign the nomination form(s) and return via email to the appropriate staff in the Division of Member Services by the deadline specified on the form
The ACS Nominating Committee of Fellows is responsible for the final selection and approval of Governor nominations during the Clinical Congress. All Governor nominations are voted on by the Fellows attending the Annual Meeting of Fellows at the Clinical Congress.
- Maintain a current roster of all dues paying chapter members. This roster should be frequently compared to the roster of current ACS members that is provided by the College to confirm eligibility of current and potential chapter members, and to identify the pool of potential members from which the chapter can recruit. See Appendix B for more details about how to download a roster from the ACS website.
- Distribute notice of chapter meetings, reports and additional communications to chapter members as requested by the chapter council. (A chapter administrator may also assist with this function).
- Assist with the chapter newsletter production and preparations for the chapter annual meeting, as necessary.
- Notify Chapter Services staff immediately when future chapter meeting dates have been set, along with the name, email and phone number for the contact person for the meeting. If possible, supply as much information as to city and meeting location. (If the city and meeting venue are not available at the time that a meeting date(s) is chosen, then this information may be supplied at a later time.) Once Chapter Services receives your future meeting date then this information will be added to the online Chapter Meetings Schedule. The dates will also be publicized in the Calendar of Events feature in the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.
- Distribute pertinent College communications to chapter officers, council members and other surgical leaders.